DJ Times February 2008, Vol 21 No 2

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February 2008

America’s First Magazine For Professional DJs. Established 1988

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news

SD Crazy: American Audio’s SDJ-1 dual player.

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Surround Sound, and the MG Series of mixers, some of which feature effects and USB connectivity.

M-Audio will show Torq 1.5, an updated version of its DJ software workstation. Additions include Tempo Anchors, Browser Preview, zPlane Elastique time-stretching and send/receive MIDI clock. Sweden’s PowerFX will release “The War Machine” virtual instrument featuring war-like sound effects and its “Global (continued on page 44)

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By Jim Tremayne Anaheim, Calif.—When the 2008 Winter NAMM show touches down at the Anaheim Convention Center this January 17-20, the DJ world will be introduced to another new wave of innovative products for club, mobile and studio applications.

As always, DJ Times and fellow Testa Communications titles Club Systems International, Sound & Communications and The Music & Sound Retailer will maintain a dedicated booth. In addition to producing and presenting Convention TV @ NAMM,, Testa will also honor the M.I. industry’s top manufacturers, products, retailers and reps with its annual Music & Sound Awards.

In a long-awaited move, Rane will showcase the new Serato Video-SL software plug-in for Scratch LIVE. The plug-in, which becomes available on the show’s opening day, will require version 1.8 of Scratch LIVE and the Rane TTM 57SL mixer. Video-SL will MIDI Madness: allow users to manage a variety of Behringer’s DDM-4000 mixer. video clips from within the Scratch LIVE library and load them onto a multi-FX sections, dual patented BPM virtual deck for control with either counters, digital cross-fader and MIDI. vinyl or CD. Denon will introduce the DN-HS5500 American Audio will unveil a pair Direct-Drive turntable Media Player/ of units speci cally designed for use Controller, DN-X050 2-channel DJ with SD cards: the SDJ-1 dual SD playmixer, DN-HP700 DJ headphones and er and the Q-SD 19-inch, 4-channel the DN-X120 compact performance mixer/SD player combo. Both units mixer. In addition to the EVO5 digifeature built-in SD slots that allow tal FireWire mixer and its NUO and them to read digital les directly from HAK series of mixers, Ecler will unveil tiny SD cards—without the need for three new, yet-unnamed products. external drives, additional software, Chauvet will expand its line of LED PCs or separate MP3 players. Related xtures with the introduction of the company American DJ will show its LX5 and LX10 moonflower effects, Mega Pixel LED, a DMX LED bar, and the J-Five dual, rotating moonfl ower, MyDMX, a software control program. the LEDsplash 2 6-channel washlight GCI’s trio of companies will have and the Scorpion Sky 5-channel laser several new offerings. Gemini will exeffect. MBT Lighting & Sound will inhibit its CDM-3600 dual-deck CD troduce two new lighting products— player/mixer combo and redesigned the LEDPROPACK lighting package GX Series of loudspeakers. Cortex and the LEDPAR64 par can. will show its HDTT-5000 USB-comJBL Professional will showcase its patible Digital Music Turntable, the VRX932LAP 12-inch speaker and HDC-1000 and HDC-3000 digital VRX918SP 18-inch sub. Geared for music controllers and the dMIX-300 mobile use, both active units incorand dMIX-600 all-in-one digital mixporate the same engineering from ing solutions. From the iKEY brand JBL’s VerTec arrays and built-in Crown comes the M-Series of active studio ampli cation. Community will be using monitors—the M505, M606, M808 and NAMM as a venue to re-launch its SOM10 sub.

NUS line of portable linear-response Numark will debut Fit For Sound, loudspeaker systems, which includes a rack-mountable music player for four full-range models and two subs. iPod music playback for use in tness Mackie will show: the MR Series of centers, bars, restaurants or stadiums. studio monitors, which include the Related company Alesis will show the MR5 and MR8 models; the SRMv2 M1 Active 320 USB speaker system active loudspeakers, which include and the TransActive Mobile, a batterythe SRM350v2 and SRM450v2 modpowered PA system with universal els; and the 402-VLZ3 and 802-VLZ3 dock for iPod. compact mixers. Yamaha will show the Behringer will release its DDMRH10MS headphone model, which fea4000 DJ mixer, a 32-bit, 5-channel digitures S-Logic 3-Dimensional Natural tal unit with beat-synced sampler, four

Winter NAMM Show Set to Burst with Hot DJ-Gear Introductions

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contents

Volume 21 Number 2

departments

features 8 Feedback

14 Live Wires

38 Grooves

26 Making Tracks

You Know He Can Party—But Can He Rock the Party? Along with the Innovative DJ Aero, Rock Icon Tommy Lee Crashes Clubland with Cutting- Edge Tech & Filthy, Dirty Sounds

BY JIM TREMAYNE

Nepheton: Kicks Like an 808

28 Sounding Off

Mobile Mic & an Industry Breakthrough

40 DJ Times Marketplace

30 Mobile Profile

Stylus Makes the Difference

Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies

Phat Tracks from Kraak & Smaak, Sébastien Léger & More

20 Extreme DJing

When DJs Put Their Bodies—And Their Gear— Through Herculean Exploits, Not Everybody Wins.

BY JEFF STILES

32 Business Line

43 Club Play Chart

Taking Your Business to Market

34 Gear

The Hottest Records, As Reported By Our Top U.S. Record Pools

New Gear from TASCAM, JBL & More

24 Bug in the Bassbin

Though Thriving in the Digital World, DJ/Label Chief Steve Bug Remains Informed by the Analog Past

BY EMILY TAN

samplings 10 Justice

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Charms Clubland & Beyond

12 In the Studio With…

Oliver Moldan

Cover and Contents photos by Mikey McNulty

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RESPECTWORLD

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editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne editor-at-large Brian O’Connor

graphic designer s/artists Danáe Messina Berrio Janice Pupelis

chart coordinator Dan Miller

production manager Steve Thorakos

contributor s Jody Amos Joe Bermudez Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Reed Dailey Justin Hampton Josh Harris William Johnson Robert LaFrance Lisa Loco Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Thomas Schryver Rahav Segev Jennifer Shapiro Jeff Stiles Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack

circulation dir ector Linda Emanuele

Second Chance Is Tommy Lee serious? Can the former Mötley Crüe drummer occupy a DJ booth and be taken seriously? It only takes a few minutes to realize that what inspired Lee to immerse himself in the debauchery of rock and roll in the rst place is what makes him so interesting behind the decks: the guy likes to have a good time, and he likes everyone around him to have a good time. In other

advertising & mark eting assistant Michelle Mione

words, he’s a good-time narcissist, and if everyone in the room is having a good time, then his time will be better for it. To pull it off, he’s employed the technical skill of DJ Aero, and together the pair has been lling medium-sized rooms with their brand of house-cum-rock debauchery. Our Jim

marketing & new media manager Peter Wohelski

Tremayne spoke with Tommy about the transition to DJing, its challenges and its joys.

Sure, Tommy Lee has lived what many TV producers would call an extreme lifestyle, but that’s

director of mark eting and sales Ryan Bozsan

no curiosity to many DJs. Even mobile DJs have encountered their share of extreme gigs. Our Jeff

classified sale Linda Englima

about the DJ who was attacked by bugs; the couple who micro-managed their wedding—even after

operations manager Robin Hazan

know-how to work for him. Even more important than the stories themselves are how these DJs

Stiles ventured out into mobile-land and found that plenty of times a seemingly innocuous gig can turn ugly, or…extreme, becoming a test of will rather than a test of music-programming skills. Read they departed the venue; the Midwest’s Marathon Man; and how one DJ put the U.S. military-grade met the challenge.

For cust omer ser vice and t o order subscriptions, call 800-937-7678

visit our website www.djtimes.com

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Sound & Communications DJ Times Sound & Communications Blue Book The Music & Sound Retailer International DJ Expo Club Systems International IT/AV Report Sound & Communications’ VIEWpoint The Retailer’s Vnewsletter Convention TV @ NAMM InfoComm TV News VTTV Studios

DJ Times (ISSN 1045-9693) (USPS 0004-153) is published monthly for $19.40 (US), $39.99 (Canada), and $59.99 (all other countries), by DJ Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 110503779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, NY, and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DJ Times, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767 Design and contents are copyright © 2008 by DJ Publishing, Inc., and must not be reproduced in any manner except by permission of the publisher. Websites: www. djtimes.com and www.testa.com February 2008

visit our website: www.djtimes.com

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And this month there are whiffs of a DJ culture past: Read how Steve Bug is really a rare breed:

Editorial and Sales Office DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York, USA 11050-3779. (516) 767-2500 • FAX (Editorial): (516) 944-8372 • FAX (Sales/all other business): (516) 767-9335 • DJTIMES@TESTA. COM Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, NY, USA, 110503779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care and should be accompanied by return postage.

the DJ who continues to go vinyl shopping religiously—once a week. The story of a mobile DJ from South Dakota who still uses turntables—and markets his business accordingly, with great success.

And ever wonder if direct-mail marketing can still work for you? We asked the DJ Answer Man, Jerry Bazata, and he dishes on this and other subjects in our Business Line column.

Enjoy.

Regards,

Brian O’Connor DJ Times

february 2008

President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa

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promotions/web designer Othilia Kim

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— DJ Dano, Woodside, NY

— DJ Times’ Webmaster

This is Feedback, a monthly feature that fields questions from you, our readers, and funnels them out to industry professionals. If you have any questions about DJing – marketing, mixing, equipment or insurance, any at all – drop us a letter at DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Ave, Port Washington, NY 11050, fax us at (516) 944-8372 or e-mail us at djtimes@testa. com. If we do use your question, you’ll receive a free DJ Times T-shirt. And remember, the only dumb question is the question that is not asked.

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feedback

--Nevada Bob

navigate and frequently updated website will be worth linking to other sites. Look around for fellow vendors, limousine companies, bridal shops, tuxedo rental stores, florists, etc. They will want to swap links with you, since your site and your fine service will make them look good to clients as well. Check the following sites for more info/help: www. submitcorner.com; www.searchenginewatch.com; www.search.com/ guides/submit/index.html; www.mycomputer.com

DEAR DJ TIMES, I’ve set up my web site, and I’ve got everything on there that will help potential clients get a better idea of what my services are. How do I get to the point where my site will show up on search engines, whenever they click Nevada DJs?

DEAR BOB, Your first step is setting up Meta Tags in the “head” part of your website. (Description, Keywords, Meta Robots).

Second: once you have prepared your pages, it is time to submit your site to the search engines and directories. This can be a tedious process, but it is important that it’s done right (I personally prefer manual submission versus automatic submission programs.) Some of the search engines are free, for some you have to pay a certain fee.

The third step (and my favorite): A nicely designed, informative, easy to

venues, that won’t be possible, there will be one outlet and that’s the only one you can use. In that case, what you need to do is buy yourself a power conditioner.

ARENA

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> AUGUST 11-14, 2008 <

DEAR SEATTLE, This is a problem we often here about among DJs who are not using separate wiring for their lights. What you’re experiencing is a discharge from the switch, like an arc that you’re getting. Remember the old cars, before electronic ignition? When you had the distributor, and you had a condenser? Those were designed to absorb that charge. A capacitor in parallel with the switch will absorb some of that charge. When you turn on your lights, you’re getting a current surge, an instantaneous draw of current that sends a spike down the ac line. That spike ricochets through everything else in your system. What you’re hearing is a pop spike that comes through the amp. It’s probably because it’s not filtered out very good through the ac lines. The best way to eliminate that, like I said earlier, is to try and keep your lighting on a separate ac wiring circuit than the one you have your audio system plugged into. In some

The 2008 International DJ EXPO goes back to the boardwalk @ the

— DJ Seattle Slain

DEAR DJ TIMES, I’ve been doing a lot of school gigs in my market lately, and I find that when we’re using multiple lighting systems, when we flip the toggle switch on the controller, I’m hearing a bunch of pop.

What’s with the pop?

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JUstIce cHARMs cLUBLAnD & BeYonD

More than a decade ago, Daft Punk spearheaded the rst big movement of French DJ/producers, and its influence continues to resonate. All these years later, a new generation (Para One, DJ Mehdi, SebastiAn) flies the French flag, while clubland eats up Parisian labels like Kitsuné, Institubes and Ed Banger.

But the act that has most successfully followed the legendary robo-duo is Justice. After a series of well-received singles and a triumphant debut CD, † (“Cross”) [Downtown/Ed Banger/Vice], the dirty electro-house duo of Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé are seeing the American music world react with more than curiosity toward their crunchy mix of electro and rock—they’re being bestowed with very of cial honors.

Justice was recently nominated for three Grammy Awards in the following categories: Best Electronic/ Dance Album (for †); Best Dance Recording (for “D.A.N.C.E.”); and Best Short Form Music Video (for “D.A.N.C.E.”). Additionally, they were nominated for six PLUG Independent Music Awards for both the album and the remix work they’ve done for the likes of Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. They’ve come a long way from their trailblazing remix of Simian’s “We Are Your Friends.” Or maybe not.

If you take the two at their word, their approach to music production remains extremely stripped-down.

According to de Rosnay, Justice uses GarageBand for its instruments and Cubase Audio for sequencing.

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Their sampling is done on one lone Apple G5 located in their basement. That’s it.

“Sometimes Gaspard is just pushing the tracks— sometimes it’s me,” says de Rosnay. “Sometimes, we do everything together. We just sit behind the computer and then we decide what we’re doing, but to make it or produce it is not really a long process.”

Live, it’s bare-bones, too. As DJs, they strictly play CDs and claim to have no speci c gear preferences.

What they’re actually playing onstage—behind their trademark Marshall stacks and illuminated cross—is a simple, yet secret set-up. Justice has learned from Daft Punk on maintaining a little mystery.

“We saw a lot of electronic live shows with people [using our] same set-up,” says de Rosnay. “And once you know how things are made, it loses its magic.

All you see is two guys playing with a beatbox or mash-ups or something and it’s so boring to know the truth.

“I could say what we use for our live show, but it’s just like taking out the fun part of it.”

Translation: Our lips are sealed.

– Justin Hampton

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Justice for All: Grammy nominees de Rosnay (left) & Augé.

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A powered speaker skeptic makes a big change.

No More QSC Amps for Ray Mar

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“None of the powered speaker systems I had ever heard before matched my QSC powered component system.

But as soon as I heard QSC’s HPR speakers, I knew it was time to retire my old rig,” says Ray. “These are truly the first powered speakers with the natural, accurate and powerful sound that I want for my clients. And since the power module is based on RMX amplifier technology, I know I’m getting the same QSC reliability I’m used to.”

d j

For 30 years, crowds have depended on DJ Hall of Fame inductee Ray Martinez for the best in mobile entertainment. And Ray Mar has depended on his QSC amps. But now he’s changed his tune.

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There’s no guarantee that HPR speakers will get you into the DJ Hall of Fame, but a great sound is a fine start.

With a complete line of 2-way, 3-way and subwoofer systems – not to mention the amazing new HPR122i (pictured) – there’s an HPR system for you at your favorite authorized QSC pro-audio dealer, or visit us online at www.qscaudio.com to learn more.

qscaudio.com

Powered Speaker Simplicity, QSC Reliability

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©2007 QSC Audio Products, Inc. The QSC logo is a trademark of QSC Audio Products, Inc.

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Making Moldan Tracks: Logic and Mac with Genelec monitors.

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Oliver Moldan’s Global Appeal

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Germany’s Oliver Moldan is a DJ/producer on the rise.

Working under his own name and others like Prawler (for his darkier, dirtier moments), Moldan has cranked out a series of progressive-leaning tracks that have found they way onto playlists from top touring DJs like Nick Warren and Tiësto.

Moldan has released his music on a myriad of worldwide labels, including Subliminal in the U.S. and Bedrock in the U.K., and his latest big-room mover is “Rise and Fall” on the San Francisco-based Rapid Response imprint.

Further recent good fortune has seen his name added to the prestigious agency roster of NYC-based AM Only—so expect to nd his name on more American club iers in the near future. DJ Times caught up with Oliver Moldan for some studio tech talk and a discussion of the state of DJing.

DJ Times: How often do you work in the studio and with whom?

Moldan: Patric la Funk, a German guy. We work handin-hand and do everything together. We work between two and four days a week and do one or two tracks per week, but with different names and for other people like Hernan Cattaneo and remixes for Global Underground.

Hernan is a close friend and a great guy.

DJ Times: How would you describe your sound now?

Moldan: It’s dirty house music. Skin Deep [Moldan’s upcoming artist album] was more progressive. My new stuff is more tech-house, a little deeper. But honestly, I can’t say we do this or that because we change the direction every day.

DJ Times: What’s your favorite equipment in the studio?

Moldan: I use the new version of Logic 8.0—only Logic. We create most of our sounds using sample CDs for drums, and keyboards from both hardware and software. We have a master keyboard, good Genelec speakers and a huge Mac. DJ Times: What about soft synths?

Moldan: Native Instruments is a winner for me—it’s the best. Absynth is good, but there’s a lot of really good stuff around for music production.

DJ Times: What hardware synths?

Moldan: Honestly, it’s old-fashioned—it’s Flintstone— but it’s the Nord Lead. I have progressive roots and we started working with strings on the Nord Lead and it was so good! My biggest records we did with the Nord Lead.

DJ Times: What do you use in the DJ booth?

Moldan: I’ve played only CDs for the last two years.

The Pioneer CDJ-1000 MK3 is my best friend, and the Allen & Heath S2 R mixer, the rotary version. For my kind of mixing, rotary is a must.

DJ Times: So, you don’t use Ableton or Serato?

Moldan: I’m fine with Sasha on Ableton because he has been a monster DJ for about 20 years. He did mixes that blew my ass away a few times. It’s not a DJ set anymore—it’s a live concert. I did a show together with Sasha in Germany and it was amazing. But, I know so many German DJs that never played records or CDs. They started with Ableton, and I think this is not OK. It’s not needed to be a good DJ anymore—you only need a nger to press enter. I think it’s doing bullshit to the people on the dance oor. There is no talent needed.

DJ Times: How do you feel about sampling?

Moldan: I listen to ve to 10 records every month where people have sampled elements of our music. They used our drummings, loops, or sample parts of our brand new stuff. For the rst year, I was like, “Ahh! Let me shoot this bastard.” But now, I don’t care anymore.

DJ Times: Are your productions just tools for your DJ gigs?

Moldan: There is no chance to earn money on productions anymore unless you have a huge hit. I’ve been in the Beatport Top 10 for about 30 weeks and it’s a really good result, but it’s not enough to buy a new boat in Miami—OK, a small one maybe, a rubber boat for one person.

– Robert LaFrance

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Photo By Drew Ressler/rukes.com

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Pure Pacha: Tommy Lee (left) & DJ Aero rock Pioneerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NYC party.

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By Jim Tremayne

You Know He Can Party— But Can He Rock the Party?

Along with the Innovative DJ Aero, Rock Icon Tommy Lee Crashes Clubland with Cutting-Edge Tech & Filthy, Dirty Sounds

Live Wires

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Houston’s legendary music gures: Bushwick Bill, the one-eyed, rapping dwarf from The Geto Boys. And he wanted to rock the mic.

The party was storming along, but Aero slowed it down, looped up some beats on the CDJ-1000 and Bill busted out The Geto Boys’ creepy-great 1991 hit, “Mind Playing Tricks On Me.” The crowd loved it, the hometown hero got his props and Tommy and Aero eased back into the big, bangin’ jams that had made the night so tasty. It’s always something, and that moment was no different—everyone, it seems, wants to party with Tommy Lee. Why? Because everyone knows Tommy Lee. He became a rock star as the drummer for Mötley Crüe. He became a tabloid item by marrying a couple of television stars. In time, he became a television personality himself. His stories end up in the most salacious books, internet links and MTV specials.

Almost everywhere he turns, there’s drama.

But not so much in the DJ booth. When he teams with Aero, it’s all music—though certainly with a bang-the-party urgency—and it serves as a welcome refuge. Of course, we’ll see how long that lasts, because at some point the question from the DJ peanut gallery will become: Who is Tommy Lee to think he can DJ like us?

If you aren’t moved by the crunchy, punchy, squelchy, bangin’ electro sounds of Justice, Deadmau5 or Fedde le Grand, I don’t know what to tell you. You may not like it. And then again, if you caught the show—with their custom videos, one-the- y stutter edits, nasty build-ups, and non-stop energy—you, too, might be convinced. I sure was. Fact is, there are few DJ duos out there bringing as much to the party these days.

So as the pair prepared to head into the studio with Deadmau5 (EDM’s star producer of the moment), DJ Times caught up with L.A.-based Tommy Lee and DJ Aero (aka Chester Deitz) to talk tech and, thankfully, music.

DJ Times: Aero, you came from that early-’90s L.A. rave scene, which was a pretty mad time. What do you remember about those parties?

DJ Aero: Yeah, well, back in the day, you’d actually have to get a map at a “map point” and drive to a hidden warehouse, where they stole the power or had some hidden generators. You’d usually have local DJs from L.A. and you

Houston,Texas—After already catching ve gigs of the Electro Mayhem fall tour, I should’ve become accustomed to the relative circus that follows Tommy Lee & DJ Aero wherever they spin. Not only is it an “of cial big night out” for the clubbers, but there’s always a little more action in the room. It’s not a sense of danger, more one of unpredictability. But it’s always there.

At Hartford’s Room 960, it seemed to be “Desperate Housewives Night,” as the suburban 35-and-over crowd collectively poured themselves into their tightest outfits and pressed up against the stage—cellphone cameras clicking away.

At Manhattan’s Rebel, NYU students were slip-sliding on spilt beer and cocktails—yes, cellcams a-clicking. At New Jersey’s Bliss, the audience was amped and responsive to the pair’s brand of dirty electro—but more than a few bathroom visitors ended up wearing their drinks (and dinners) that night. Messy.

So, at Rich’s—Houston’s venerable venue—the room was going off properly.

The cell phones had been put away and people were digging the big-time crunch that the pair was bringing over the raging club system. Of course, it couldn’t all go down that easily because by mid-set, we were graced with a visit from one of

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THE GUVERNMENT, TORONTO, ONT.: “it never fails,” says tommy, “that place is always off the hook.”

BLISS LOUNGE, CLIFTON, N.J.: “we had so much fun,” says tommy, “and [owner] tommy D is a blast.”

MYTH, ST. PAUL, MINN.: “Don’t know why,” says aero, “but the people are always up for it there.”

DEADMAU5: “amazing,” says tommy. “He’s got the midas touch right now.”

DIRTY SOUTH: “Commercial,” says aero, “but with an edge.”

TOMMIE SUNSHINE: “always interesting,” says aero. “big props to him.”

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partied until the cops came and raided it. And, to be honest, that was what was the most intriguing thing—the “map points.” That’s what got me hooked.

DJ Times: So what made the parties special?

Aero: People would go and literally dance the whole night. They would dance for dancing. It was just about fun.

There were no cell phone cameras, no media, just kids who just liked this new sound that was coming out.

DJ Times: DJs from that era?

Aero: Barry Weaver just destroyed it. I remember Doc Martin playing “Rockin’ Down the House” by MI 7, “Cookin’ Up Yah Brain” by 4 Hero, “Bombscare” by 2 Bad Mice. Now those tracks would be considered breakbeats or hardcore, but back then, house DJs were playing them, guys like Steve Loria, all the DJs. And nobody cared—it was just good music. People weren’t putting it into genres.

DJ Times: A lot of what you became known for—scratch DJing and tagging—came more from the original hiphop culture.

Aero: Absolutely. I’ve spent a couple nights in jail because of graf ti. [Laughs] Tommy Lee: And he’s good, too, real good.

DJ Times: So who are your heroes in the turntablism world?

Aero: Mix Master Mike and DJ David from Germany—he’s kind of obscure, but he’s the rst guy I ever saw do a hand-stand on a turntable. I thought that was cool. The Skratch Piklz with QBert—all those guys took turntablism into the mainstream and people started accepting it. Of course, they were the people I looked up to for inspiration.

Those people were the pioneers.

DJ Times: Tommy, how did you get so hell-bent on electronic music?

Tommy: We all have many highlights in our life and this was one of them: It was New Year’s Eve and I was in London with Pamela [Anderson] at the time and we decided to go to Ministry of Sound. I’ll never forget walking into one room and seeing a warning sign that read something like, “In this room there are excessive decibels—enter at your own risk.” I thought, “That’s my fuckin’ room!” So I’m standing in front of the speakers, it’s midnight, and I heard “Higher State of Consciousness” and I said, “What…the fuck…is this?” I heard these frequencies coming out of the speakers and, for the rst time in my life, I was actually ducking. It hurt.

Aero: As someone who knows Tommy Lee’s ears, I can tell you that that’s a big statement.

Tommy: I ipped out. And for the rst time in my life, I ran to the DJ booth and said, “Who is this?” Of course, the DJ said, “Oh, it’s Josh Wink.” So once I found the track, I lost my mind. I took samples of that, chopped it up and put it into a drum solo on electronic pads that I was doing with Mötley at the time and people were like, “What is this?” Still, to this day, I have visuals of looking out there during a Mötley show and seeing these full-on rock kids duck, like, “What is he playing?”

DJ Times: I know you came across Aero during your Methods of Mayhem period. What impressed you about Aero that made you want to work with him?

Tommy: I’m pretty much a passion guy and I saw him technically do his thing, but I saw his passion for music,

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Photo By Drew ressler/rukes.com

F E B R U A RY 2 0 0 8

The Studio: Tommy & Aero’s Top Producers

The Clubs: Tommy & Aero’s Top Spots

life, and technology. He just loves all the newest, craziest, best stuff. I’m like that, too. I like to call us “gizmologists.”

Musically, personally, technically, those are some big boots to ll and I saw that in him. We just hit it off.

DJ Times: Is there something speci c about electronic dance music that appeals to you?

Tommy: It’s not really about the scene—it’s about the sound. I watched this documentary about Bob Moog— the guy who built all those synthesizers—and it was amazing. He was breaking down synthesis, but he didn’t explain it in technical terms, schematics or algorithms. He talked about music.

It’s about the thing that happens to you when you grab a drum stick and whack a drum. Or you grab a synthesizer, hit a note and it’s this big, crazy sound going, “Wup-whoooooop!” Or a guitar, and it’s on 11 and it’s just, “Kerrr-rang!”

It’s the feeling that you get. So I’m not about the scene—the scene is whatever with me. It’s the feeling I get when I hear electronic music. It’s night and day from rock music.

Aero: And seeing people dance is great, especially when they’re not worried about who’s DJing.

DJ Times: My favorite definition of dance music came from James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. He said, “Dance music has a point. If you dance, it works.You can actually measure it.” End of story.

Aero: That’s like Tommy’s T-shirt.

Tommy: Dude, I got the greatest T-shirt—well, it’s got some vodka-cranberry and Jäger stains on it now— but it says, “You Play Good Music, I Dance…You Not Play Good Music, I No Dance.”

Aero: It’s that simple. And that’s our job, obviously, as DJs to play the right music in the right setting.

Tommy: He’s got a great sensibility about music and what feels right and he’s got a drummer who has the same sensibility. So whenever we agree on a track—and we don’t always agree—we’re a pretty good barometer on what’s good.

DJ Times: Does having a drumming background give you any insight on what makes people move?

Tommy: Yeah, it does, exactly. I’ve got rsthand experience. I mean, you’ve got 20,000 people in an arena and certain beats work and you see people jumping up and down. With other beats, people are getting up to buy a beer. Those are the beats you want to avoid. [Laughs] DJ Times: OK, so when you were a kid worshipping John Bonham and later living the rock-n-roll dream, what did you think of disco and funk and that kind of music?

Tommy: You know, I loved it. When I was coming up and playing drums and just starting things with Mötley, I was this closet guy who just loved dance music. I’d never played it for anybody or showed anybody that I loved it, but if you had a hidden camera in my hotel room,

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Mikey McNulty

1 Pioneer DJM-800 mixer 1 Pioneer SVM-1000 audio-video mixer 2 Pioneer DVJ-1000 DVD players 2 Pioneer CDJ-1000 MK3 CD players 1 Pioneer EFX-500 effects unit 2 Apple Mac Book Pro Laptops 1 TFT LCD 3 in 1 VJ color monitor 1 Alesis control pad 1 Akai MPC-1000 1 M-Audio Audiophile Firewire interface 1 M-Audio Oxygen 02 keyboard Ableton Live 6 Serato Scratch LIVE 1.7.2 Replicator Devine Machine Lucifer 2 Sugar Bytes Artillery 1.3 Bidule 0.94

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Mikey McNulty Mikey McNulty

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8

The Booth: Tommy & Aero’s Gear

I’d be in the corner dancing to “Saturday Night Fever.”

DJ Times: You’ll have to forgive me on this one, but somebody gave me the Nikki Sixx book [The Heroin Diaries] and I just nished reading it. So, in it, he mentions that you two were going to a “sick underground dance club.” This is 1987—do you remember that?

Aero: Yeah, where was that?

Tommy: Well…what I do remember is that when we were recording Dr. Feelgood in Vancouver, we’d go to this dance club called The Warehouse. We’d bring in rough mixes to check them out on the club system. My whole life I was trying to corral the guys and say, “Dude, check this [music] out, it’s amazing. If we mixed this into our music, we would kill people.” [Laughs] But, you know, certain people are just not open to it.

DJ Times: Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t imagine Mick Mars getting on the good foot.

Tommy: Yeah, [laughs] and the whole time, all these remixes you hear from Mötley Crüe—“Shout at the Devil” or “Kickstart My Heart”—and stuff like that we’ve done, that’s always been me saying, “C’mon guys, we gotta do a mix for the club or the DJ who wants to play ‘Shout at the Devil,’ but with beats—not my beats, but beats on top of beats!” So that’s always me ying the ag for something different. I’m that guy. I’m just pissing everyone off, I guess.

Aero: What it is about Tommy is that he’s not stuck in the past and everybody else is. It’s weird.

Tommy: Yeah, I always feel like I’m always dragging people up the ladder, like, “C’mon! It’s amazing up here!”

DJ Times: So, Tommy, are you still into rock music?

Tommy: All the time.

Aero: Tommy just wrote a song that is K-Rock-ready, no joke.

Tommy: I’m not over rock music. I’ve said that there just hasn’t been anything new that’s blown my skirt up.

But I’m not over it, no way.

Aero: Lukas Rossi from Supernova came over recently and recorded this banger. Tommy called me up in the middle of the night to hear it. There’s some heat coming outta there, and it’s rock music. When you hear this guitar riff…

Tommy: It’s this track called “Better Than I Remember.” It’s in that OneRepublic avor. It’s just beautiful.

Musically, I’m just all over the place. I always have been. I always will be.

DJ Times: Onto the DJ world. You’re booth setup is anything but ordinary.

Aero: Yeah, if Tommy needs more gear, then we’ll have to see if we can get it past immigration. It’s gotten to be like, “Please let our equipment into the country.”

Tommy: I’ve been doing this for a long time and I can’t do anything half-ass. I mean, go big or stay home.

When Aero and I do our thing, it’s like, “How can we take this to the next level?” I got a link to a Chemical Brothers’ show and all I wanna do with this project is get it to that level. Production is not an option. I know how to do it right because I’ve done it for so long and a lot of clubs aren’t capable of pulling that off, so it’s almost like you have to do a legit arena thing…

Aero: And you gotta give props to people like Justice, and the way they set up their Marshall stacks and modular gear out front to make it look bigger than it is. I mean, those speakers are not on, but it looks like they’re on. Methods of Mayhem had the right idea by showing what that kind of production could be, with synthesizers bouncing on springs…

Tommy: It’s entertainment. At the end of the day, you want somebody, hopefully everybody, walking out of the arena, going, “Dude, that was insane!” You can’t listen to it on your iPod. You can’t watch it on your computer. You have to go there and see it.

DJ Times: So what’s going on in your booth?

Aero: I’m using Serato with two Pioneer CDJ-1000s

to control the computer with the music. We use a Pioneer DJM-800 mixer and there’s a send-and-return bus that I can assign to either my left CDJ or my right CDJ. So I can send one signal out of the send-and-return into Tommy’s computer and it gets processed to this program called Artillery [by Sugar Bytes]. So then from Artillery, it goes either into a Pioneer EFX-500 or EFX-1000, and we create kind of a loop—a sendand-return chain—and that goes back into my mixer, which, in turn, the house hears. So basically what happens is that I’m able to send Tommy a “one-track” and he can do whatever the hell he wants to it and I can mix another track on top of that, so that we can continuously remix and make the sound fresh.

Tommy: And in that chain, there’s a USB keyboard which operates Artillery, so if Aero sends me something, I can grab it. There are filters, distortion and stutter edits. You’ve got your quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth, thirty-second notes, etc. I can grab any piece of audio at any time and effect it with that keyboard, like [makes stutter-edit sound.]

Aero: That’s the biggest question we get asked. Whenever Tommy and I DJ or do a sound check, every DJ who sees us or every DJ we talk to wants to know how exactly we get that sound, because it’s always on-beat. How? The Pioneer mixer actually sends a MIDI signal to Tommy’s EFX unit and then Tommy makes sure that the computer is matched up with the MIDI tempo and it’s always on-time. So, whenever Tommy hits a button, it’s perfect. And Artillery is so cool because you can create your own effects in the keyboard range.

Tommy: You design the effect and you tell the effect when and what to play by pressing the keys.

It’s pretty amazing program.

Aero: And it’s all scaled, so if you press a C, then you go to D and E and F, those can all be different time values that get repeated.

And the great thing is: It doesn’t let go of the sound. It grabs the sound that’s already getting repeated.

Like Tommy says, the stutter edit is so important to the sound of dance music, that we’re able to do any stutter edit or any build-up on any sound. So we can do build-ups where, in the normal song there wouldn’t be a build-up, it would be a straight beat.

Tommy: Aero and I are pretty much doing live remixes. Another cool thing is that once in a while Aero will bust the live mic through (continued on page 44)

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x E treme DJ

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When DJs Put Their Bodies— And Their Gear—Through Herculean Exploits, Not Everybody Wins.

While “extreme” might be just ne for those competing on reality TV shows, DJs facing an overly dif cult or unexpected situation can nd their sanity challenged.

Naturally, mobile jocks want everything to run smoothly, while their paying clients and guests expect only the best—no matter the circumstances.

So what happens when things go awry? When a bride and groom micromanage every single song that’s played during a seven-hour reception?

Or when a DJ is expected to play music outdoors in subfreezing temperatures?

Or when a DJ must tie his equipment together with ropes so a crane can lower it down into an aircraft carrier?

Russ Harris of Show on the Road Productions was once hired to DJ for a picnic on the hottest day of a sweltering Chicago summer. The temperature in the Windy City hit 98 degrees that August afternoon, so Harris was relieved when the outdoor event wrapped up and he was able to retreat to the air-conditioned comfort of a local hotel to set up for an evening wedding reception.

After loading his equipment into the hall, however, he heard a “clunk” sound. He didn’t think much of it at rst, but a half hour later he noticed it becoming quite warm in the room.

As you might guess, when he asked one of the servers about the heat, he was told the air conditioning wasn’t working—and soon it was as sweltering inside as his outdoor picnic earlier that day.

“When the bridal party arrived it was a very warm cocktail hour,” he recalls. “In fact, it became so sticky and hot during dinner that I threw on some Christmas music just to get people’s minds off of the heat, and I promptly received a round of applause.”

At the end of dinner, the groom approached Harris and told the DJ he wanted to move the party into the empty parking lot behind the hall. Harris smiled and said it would not be a problem, as long as his groomsmen helped carry his table and light show outside.

It was much cooler outside, and Harris says the guests enjoyed about an hour of partying. But that’s when the bugs arrived. The hall was situated next to the Fox River, and the parking lot lights and DJ lights had attracted swarms of river bugs that soon covered everything and everyone.

“The groom comes up and tells me that the air conditioning was back on in the room and that they were going to move everything back inside,” he says. “Biting my tongue, I smiled and agreed. We moved everything back in the room and continued the party—dead bugs included, all over my equipment and all over the bride’s dress.”

The party ended up going 30 minutes overtime, though Harris reports all he received at the end of the night was a handshake and a pat on the back.

“So much for the extra labor and pest control,” he says. “Of course, two weeks later a check did arrive in the mail for an extra $100, so I guess all ended up being good.”

Paul Chamberlin promotes his Indiana DJ company as a business that entertains for “An Event Like No Other.” Over the past 20-plus years in the industry, he says The Music Machine has been faced with literally dozens of extreme events that provided dif cult challenges.

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By Jeff Stiles

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pens every summer during the rst weekend of June, when the local newspaper and hospital team up to sponsor a marathon that’s part of the qualifying series for the famous Chicago Marathon.

Chamberlin provides sound and entertainment from the start of the event to the nish.

“The marathon runners do 26 miles and I do 26 hours,” he says. “At 10 a.m. Friday I begin setting up on the gridiron for the day’s events, and by 11 p.m. I’m breaking the gridiron system down. I nap in my van until 4:30 a.m. when I re-start the music, and an hour later the marathon begins. Events begin that morning at 7:00, 7:45 and 8:15, and then I break down the sound tunnel and set up a small system in the now-empty expo tent while the race volunteers eat a luncheon at 1 p.m.”

Remember, this is the rst weekend of June, so Chamberlin has multiple weddings scheduled for that Saturday evening. Still, he’s expected to provide three employees with three sound systems throughout the entire event.

“The marathon and races are a huge responsibility, as the PA system is important for safety/information as well as entertainment,” Chamberlin explains. “I bring extra everything. Pre-planning, music playlists, equipment prep and loading are all handled by Wednesday, and then Thursday is an attempt to relax and decompress prior to the event.”

Fortunately for Chamberlin, the monetary compensation for this extreme gig during an extreme weekend is commensurate for all the extra work.

Over in Pennsylvania, Scott Goldoor says two events stand out as the most extreme gigs he’s ever had.

One was dif cult simply because of the tough load-in—40 steps up three levels, then across the dance oor and up a catwalk to the top of stacked tables that gave him a birds-eye view of a pre-wedding party that featured four-and-a-half hours of Asian fusion/lounge music.

“The job itself was not too dif cult,” says the Signature DJs owner. “It was just major aches and pains in my legs and feet, plus I still had three more parties to do that weekend.”

Goldoor’s other extreme gig was a wedding reception that lasted over seven hours, with the bride and groom choosing each and every song in the exact order they wanted them played—regardless of whether or not the guests were dancing.

“That included 150-plus songs, including a two-hour cocktail hour that began the reception,” the DJ recalls. “Whenever a guest, parent or bridal party member came up and asked for a song, I would show them the list and explain that this was what the bride and groom wanted and that we were not taking requests.

“Of course, the inevitable would happen—they would run over to the bride and/or groom, who then come up and say that, in most cases, the song request was OK. “Go gure.”

Meanwhile, at 2 a.m., when there were only 20-25 guests remaining, the couple still wanted the party to continue because Goldoor had not yet played every single one of their requested tunes.

Even after the caterer asked him to play the nal song (and the bride and groom had already left), Goldoor says the newly married couple ended up not being too pleased.

Two such events, however, stand out as being a couple of the toughest.

“It was a mid-January snowball high school winter formal that took place on the rural school’s tennis court, which was outdoors,” he says. “This meant four hours on a atbed trailer that’s usually used to haul hay bales [said hay bales being used as furniture and helping support snow sculptured décor].

“I’d bring an EZ-up canopy to keep most of the snow akes off my gear, with a small ceramic heater to keep my decks operative. I was on the same electric circuit as the coffeepots that made hot cocoa for the kids, so I had to keep my lights and volume to a minimum to avoid popping the breaker.”

The rst such outdoor snowball event was actually a surprise for this DJ upon his arrival.

“I wanted to strangle someone,” Chamberlin recalls.“I made some quick phone calls to get the heater and canopy brought to me while I set up the rest.”

The other most-challenging gig for Chamberlin and The Music Machine hap-

DJing

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“I got a call from them two weeks later, when they got back from their honeymoon, asking why I stopped playing and that they had wanted the reception to continue,” he says. “I told them the caterer told me to stop.

“They were truly upset with things, not necessarily me per se. It was just an unbelievable occurrence like I’ve never seen in 20-plus years of DJing.”

In order to keep his sanity during the ultra-long and micromanaged reception, Goldoor says he brought along one of his other DJs to keep him company.

“Basically my DJ and I went in there with the mindset of giving the customer what they wanted,” he says. “Years ago, I may have gotten frustrated with things, and with sitting there watching people do nothing except look at me like I have a third eye because I’m playing a certain goofy or off-the-wall song.

“My advice to other DJs when they come across an event like this is to remember that it’s their client’s reception/party, so just give them what they want. Keep everything in perspective, and remember the other clients that give you a handful of requests and say, ‘You’re the professional,’ or ‘Here’s some songs and artists we like, and you can fill in the rest since you do this every weekend.’”

Up in New Hampshire, Terry Moran’s favorite-ever extreme gig was when he performed with Ohio’s DJ Toad on the Rolling Stone Magazine Tour, a 10-school trip that took the pair from L.A. to Chicago to Florida to

“My advice to other DJs when they come across an event like this is to remember that it’s their client’s reception/party, so just give them what they want.”

— Scott Goldoor Texas to Arizona and back to L.A. “We drove over 6,000 miles in one month, and we helped the crew with setting up tents, etc. before we could DJ/host,” says Moran, the owner of Crown Entertainment & Marketing. “It was very exhausting, it took a couple years off our lives, and it was very stressful. I could not do this now that I’m married with kids, but I did learn a lot about the touring business and met some great people.

“DJing in front of 8,000 kids at Arizona State was something I will never forget.”

Another exhausting and insane event Moran DJs every year is Bike Week in nearby Leconia, N.H., where he owns a cabin and spends most of his summers.

“It’s the oldest bike week in the nation, with 300,000-500,000 visitors coming every June from all over the world to ride, meet people, raise some hell and go home to tell stories about it,” he says. “We have the best bands in the country play on the stage at a massive beach bar that seats 1,500 people, and I’m there to spin tunes and do crazy contests in between. This keeps the customers happy there, instead of the band putting a CD on and taking a break.”

Moran says some of the best times of his life have been during Bike Week, though working 80+ hours in seven days can in fact take its toll. A few years ago he lost his voice ve days into the week, and at other times there have been ghts or patrons trying to steal items.

“I’m not one to complain, because this is just part of the business,” he says. “When people see you putting forth the extra effort, I think it shows your professionalism and your dedication to do whatever it takes to make your business work.”

As far as advice for other DJs experiencing exhausting and strenuous gigs, Moran suggests getting a ton of sleep the night before and eating properly.

“We’re all accustomed to watching Sports Center until 2 a.m. after we get home, and then playing some poker online until the wee hours,” he says. “But when I have a long gig, I get as much rest as possible, knowing an eight- or 10-hour performance actually can mean a 16- or 20-hour day with travel and load in/load out.

“You should also have a big breakfast, which will put food in your stomach and give you the fuel to keep the re rolling when you’re ve or six hours into the job. Keep protein bars in your gig setup, and avoid alcohol altogether.

“And most importantly, don’t forget the objective for the day is to rock the freakin’ house. There’s one thing I’ve always stressed to my DJs and preached at my seminars for years in Atlantic City during the International DJ Expo. My motto is, ‘The greatest party in the world is not sitting there waiting for you to show up. It’s inside your head, waiting to come out.’

“You have the tools to make it happen, so do it.”

Living and working in the San Francisco Bay area, there are many cases of extreme DJing Mark Haggerty and other members of the Denon & Doyle Entertainment crew have experienced.

Haggerty says he’s taken his equipment on a public ferry to Angel Island out in the bay, he’s driven all the way down to Santa Barbara to do a ceremony and reception at the exclusive Bacara Resort, and he’s taken a boat ride out to entertain “snobby jet-setters” from the St. Francis Yacht Club.

The most challenging gig ever, though, was DJing for a party in 1998 aboard the USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier Museum in Alameda, where a crane was used to hoist his DJ gear aboard the ship, and then ropes were used to lower the equipment into the “ready room” (a la Top Gun) down below.

“This was our rst gig on the boat and we knew nothing about it except that they had plans to use it as an event space,” Haggerty recalls. “It had only been partially restored at the time and had just opened a few months before.

“I guess we imagined there would be some kind of gangplank or ramp to dolly up to the ship, so I just kept driving through the base toward the water until I saw the ship. My only welcoming party was the caterer, who was dealing with their own logistics. That’s when I found out they were going to load all my stuff in one trip onto this big shipping-container cage with the caterer’s stuff.”

The company party Haggerty was about to entertain was actually for about 60 guests, and the space was cramped.

“The Macarena was still popular, so we had to be careful when doing the ‘hop’ step so we wouldn’t bump our heads,” he recalls.

“But that was nothing compared to getting my gear down there.

The deck hand got me a rope to tie to my console, speakers, props, stands, cable box, music library, and then we had to lower each piece down. I’m glad I’m good at tying knots, because any gear dropping that far would have most certainly been damaged.”

Haggerty reports that all his guests ended up having a lot of fun, and there were no more worries until it was time to pack up.

“When it was over, I had to do everything in the reverse, and of course pulling my gear up was even harder. It usually takes me only about 30-40 minutes between my last song and driving away from venues, but it took about two hours to get out of there.”

In order to be prepared for such dif cult load-ins/load-outs, Haggerty recommends that DJs always do a site survey beforehand.

“We do that now for any locations we haven’t been to, and the venue actually likes that because it shows we care,” he says. “Then, if you get a client’s call for a place like the USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier Museum, you can factor in an assistant and charge a little more.

“Also, it helps to go in with a great attitude. I’ve gotten more referrals from dif cult places that are tired of hearing bands, DJs, and other vendors complain about their place. It is what it is…and I guess I stand out when I act happy to be there (even when I’m not!).”

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d j t i m e s

COOKIN’ UP HISTORY – AGAIN.

Over the last 25 years, Flash has evolved as a DJ and Producer, and naturally so has his DJ setup.

In anticipation, he waited for a digital vinyl system that could deliver the purest analog feel while giving him new tools to take his technique into the future.

When Flash got his hands on TRAKTOR SCRATCH, the wait was over. With the tightest control signal, most professional audio interface and creative mixing software, Flash can express himself in new ways and keep things cooking on the dance floor.

DIGITAL HEART. VINYL SOUL.® www.traktorscratch.com

W W W . DJTIMES . C O M

Grandmaster Flash is not just the Creator of the Quik Mix Theory – he’s a Scientist. From his groundbreaking appearance in Wildstyle cutting, rubbing and mixing in the kitchen to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Flash demands the best from himself and his gear.

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BY eMiLY TAN

FeBRUARY 2008

THo UGH THr iViNG iN THe DiGiTAL Wo r LD, DJ/LABeL CHieF STeVe BUG r eMAiNS iNFo r MeD

BY HiS ANALo G PAST

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Bug in the Bassbin 1/3/2008 12:47:13 PM

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wanna run around with a CD book and try to pick out CDs. I don’t think it’s sexy. If you play tracks from the computer, at least you control them with vinyl and you can touch something. I’d rather touch vinyl on top and put the needle back.

DJ Times: You run three music labels—Poker Flat, Dessous and Audiomatique. As a label chief with more than 15 years of DJing under your belt, what’s your take on the digital revolution?

Bug: The thing with illegal downloading is that, at rst, there was no way to download tracks and pay for them, and also, we have had our own MP3 download store from the beginning. There are so many parts in the world where people don’t have proper record shops, or if the records get there months later, they’re crazy-expensive. It helps to have digital to spread the music. At the moment, it’s more and more sales we have on the Internet and less sales on vinyl. We still do strong on all three labels. I hope

Bug’s “Never-Fail” Tracks

Joris Voorn’s “MP 309” (2007, Green): “I’ve been playing this track so many times— it’s really bringing down the roof in every single club.”

The Ecstasy Club’s “Jesus Loves the Acid” (1988, Flim Flam Records): “It’s a really great old-school track that really works in most of the clubs. If it’s a crowd that doesn’t really have a history, it works if you put it on in the right moment.”

Master DJs vs. Housemaster Boyz’ “House Nation” (2007, Simply Recordings): “Another classic I play in the early hours. It’s a great track.”

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THE TUNES:

we’re gonna still have people who see a difference in sound quality and buy vinyl. Some labels, they sell their unmastered les to the companies! In addition to mastering, if a track is put on vinyl, you can hear the difference in the sound.

If you record it back to the computer, it still has a warmer sound. I think it’s better to have the vinyl, even if I have the tracks on my computer.

DJ Times: So it’s tangible to have 10,000 vinyl records in your basement?

Bug: Sometimes for our generation, I think kids don’t care to have the product itself. Sometimes I think things are too fast. If a record is out and it’s been available for download for three weeks, it’s already old for people when the vinyl gets to the store. For me, it’s not about old or new—it’s about good music or not. If people played it for half a year and I like it, I’m still gonna play it! It’s not about being new. Also, we do not sell our stuff digitally before it’s out on vinyl. We have a two-week exclusive [on] vinyl sales—then we release it digitally. A lot of labels would sell tracks digitally two weeks before their vinyl sales, and it would hurt their vinyl sales. It’s necessary if you wanna have a label running; you need exclusive vinyl sales rst.

DJ Times: As a DJ, how are you shopping for music?

Bug: I buy all the vinyl. I get a lot of promos, for sure, but every Wednesday I’m in the record shop. I like it, because I’m meeting with my friends and the record shop dealer. I talk to the record shop owners and they say, “This record would be perfect for you.” When you buy on Amazon.com, it doesn’t mean it’s meant for you.

You need the human part in-between. I would say, I buy 90-, 95-percent, I’m buying records.

Five-percent, I’m buying downloads. I don’t like sitting in front of the computer. I don’t really nd stuff I like online. To be honest, for me, it’s hard to nd what I’m looking for online, or else I nd some tracks everyone else buys on there.

I don’t think online is a good way to shop. If you look at the [digital] sales charts, you nd that all the sounds sound the same! It needs to be more than this. A lot of sets sound boring because [DJs] all buy the “Top 10” and they sound the same. They lose personality.

DJ Times: Digital distribution has, of course, helped bring music to remote corners of the world, where kids would perhaps never be able to get their hands on this music. On the ip-side, it’s nice having a limited-edition vinyl pressing that only 20 other DJs in the world own.

Bug: Yeah, imagine if everyone would go shopping at one record shop, everyone would play the same music! I have a feeling this is already happening with Beatport. It’s kinda depressing. Something has to change, and people have to open their minds again to make it change. What’s the point of booking a DJ if he plays the same tracks everyone else plays? Then, maybe there are only the top few DJs who have the top four promos. I’d rather go to a record shop and go shopping in there. There’s a lot of music that’s not available through Beatport! I don’t wanna sit on the computer all day, because there’s too much new stuff. I want the pre-selec(continued on page 44)

n

Steve Bug is a no-nonsense DJ. That’s understood from the moment he begins to speak. He doesn’t mince words, and he’s stridently old-school in much of his approach to the craft and, to a degree, his business.

One gets the feeling that for this native of Bremen, Germany, there is something essential about human touch and interaction that shouldn’t be subtracted from the world of DJing—spinning, buying records, or even appreciating the whole thing.

Bug feels that, although the digital revolution has completely changed our industry, sometimes things move too fast and a vital connection is lost.

But he’s no Luddite either. Bug is the head of three influential labels—Poker Flat, Dessous and Audiomatique—running everything on the A&R and creative side. As a DJ, he’s become known as one of the great ambassadors of the minimal-techno movement, but in truth, he’s receptive to most great electronic sounds, and that’s fully in evidence with his deeply wonderful mix, Fabric 37.

We caught up with Steve Bug (aka Stefan Brügesch) to discuss his past and how it pertains to his future as an artist and a businessman.

DJ Times: What’s your approach to your club sets?

Steve Bug: If you have a chance to play a club where the sound system is amazing, you have the chance to play a little deeper, and the energy’s transported to the beats—especially if the club has really good bookings with people who play the same vibe.

You know you can experiment more with deeper things. My heart is for deeper [sounds], and I like to play long sets.

DJ Times: What are some of your favorite clubs to play?

Bug: I love Cielo in New York and Yellow in Tokyo.

Pretty much every club I’ve played in Japan, I’ve had a great time. The Japanese are really interested in this kind of music at the moment. A friend of mine’s doing a party in Brazil called Moo—it’s an amazing party. They have a location that’s not a club, but they do regular parties there. The location is indoors with four balconies, and the roof is so high in the middle where the dance oor is.

DJ Times: What’s your DJ booth setup?

Bug: I’m using [Native Instruments] Traktor Scratch with a MIDI controller from [Dolphin Music’s] Faderfox to control the browser. Sometimes I use, as an addition, the [Red Sound] Cycloops sampler, but since Traktor has its own loop function, I don’t take it because I like to travel light. Then, I have two turntables—that’s it. I use the effects on Traktor for controlling with Faderfox. I don’t use any external effects units. I use the Allen & Heath Xone:92 mixer.

DJ Times: Any interest mixing visuals?

Bug: No. I like great visuals and things like this, but I think it should be a person who really knows about visuals. It doesn’t really need to be me. I’d rather have someone who has a good light show in a club; it does more to the feeling on the dance oor than visuals on a screen.

DJ Times: You’re not a CD man?

Bug: No. I don’t like looking through a CD book.

I like to go through the computer and pick tracks and control them with vinyl. I tried DJing with CDs years ago with the Technics player. It was amazing, because it really felt like vinyl turntables. But, I don’t

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1/3/2008 12:47:18 PM

Nepheton from d16: A VST that closely emulates the classic.

FEBRUARY

2008

808

Nepheton: Kicks Like an 808

By Phil Moffa

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The Beastie Boys were right when they spat these lines: “Make no mistake/Nothing sounds quite like an 808.”

Truly the Godfather of all great drum machines, Roland’s TR-808 has a thump to its kick and a timeless signature kit that still is unmatched today. It was the box used

by Afrika Bambaataa and Arthur Baker to make “Planet Rock” in 1982 and countless other producers used it to create hundreds of the greatest tracks in dance-music history. Considering that the TR-808 was created in 1980, the quantity of still-functioning units is shrinking and its lack of MIDI makes it incompatible with most modern computer setups. Polish company d16 has created the VST plug-in Nepheton to give the world a software substitute with all the unit’s original features, plus a bunch of new controls for today’s beat makers.

At rst glance, the interface resembles the original in its color scheme, but it doesn’t take long to see there’s a lot more going on

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here. For starters, there are preset sound banks and more ways of shaping the instruments than before. The bass drum now has a sweep control that affects the release time of the frequency envelope. To me, it sounded more like a tuning knob. There is a decay setting on the congas, toms, claves, and rim shot. It should also be noted that these instruments were once controlled by a switch where it was one or the other, and now it is possible to have congas and toms or cowbells and claps within the same sequence. This is a very welcome new feature.

Other developments: The hi-hats and cymbal are now tunable. The clap is also tunable and has a knob to control reverb amount. A new instrument, Laser Gun, has been added to the arsenal. It is a blippy sound reminiscent of classic Kraftwerk. In the old days, producers would use the analog trigger outputs to get this sound, but now it is part of the kit and shaped by three parameters. The creators at d16 spared no expense, though, and in the outputs menu, the original trigger output sound is available.

Individual outputs for each instrument is a feature on the original TR808 that’s essential for a proper mixdown. The Nepheton ups the ante by providing exible output con gurations. For example, the open and closed hi-hats can be routed to the same fader—that’s something I always wished my 808 had. Each instrument can also be muted or soloed.

The 808’s 16-step sequencer has been the model for many drum machines, hardware and software alike.

Of course, it was limited to 32 16-step patterns and now computer storage has made pattern memory virtually innite. Patterns can be up to two bars long and, using the classic A-B Switch, they can be linked in pairs for a total of four measures. Patterns 13-16 are still reserved for fills, which can be triggered by the tap button or triggered automatically by the Measures Auto Fill In Knob.

One great addition is the Shuffle Knob, which is something I always wanted on this machine. Also included is a Randomizer as a cure for those “writer’s block” moments. Copying and pasting patterns is now possible,

which is something Roland didn’t get right until it released the TR-909.

Back before there was MIDI, an all-analog device had to be controlled by the knobs on the box. This time around, all parameters can be MIDI learned and recorded for automation and external control. The Nepheton can be internally sequenced or simply used as a soft synth that receives MIDI notes to play its parts. Now all of these modern amenities are great, but how does this thing sound?

Well, as a TR-808 owner and a hardcore hardware junkie, I will say that there’s nothing like the real thing.

There may never come a day where a computer emulates an analog circuit with total authenticity. That being said, the Nepheton comes very close and, as a $200 download from the d16 site (www.d16.pl), it buries any sample library out there. Its “tweakability” and modern features make it a very reasonable alternative to dropping more than $1,200 on eBay for a 27year-old gamble.

If you have any questions for Phil Moffa or Making Tracks, please send them to djtimes@testa.com.

1/3/2008 12:47:21 PM

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sounding

off

&

Mobile Mic an Industry Breakthrough

By Russ Harris & Nate Sherwood

AKG C520 As a mobile entertainer, I’m more partial to handheld mics than the headset variety. It may be due to the fact that, while I’m in front of a crowd, it gives me something to do with my hands—or, perhaps it takes away my thought process of “what not to do” with my hands. In my line of work, that can be a crucial distinction.

So, I’m accustomed to passing the microphone around and letting other people use it for various toasts and announcements throughout the night. I have used headsets in the past, but always had to deal with the odd physical pressure placed around my head or the fact that I had no control over the volume once I walked away from my mixing board. It’s happened many times where I would be on the headset mic and nobody could hear me, even though everything was turned up and plugged in correctly. My experiences have been hitand-miss, to be sure. With all that in mind, I recently had the opportunity to review the C520 headset from top pro-audio maker AKG, and I was pleasantly surprised by its performance.

While feeding the need for phantom powering—I used AKG’s WMS40 Pro exx wireless transmitter (not included)—it t in perfectly with my requirements for

FEBRUARY

2008

Chicago-based mobile DJ and club hitmaker Russ Harris reviews AKG’s C520 headset microphone, while Connecticut club jock Nate Sherwood tackles Pioneer’s SVM-1000 audio/video mixer.

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AKG’s C520: A performer’s perfect mic solution.

Pioneer’s SVM-1000: Unprecedented audio/video manipulation.

a microphone. Additionally, I had the opportunity to use it for a recent performance at a nightclub where the headset was a necessity. Trying it on for size, I found that the unit has a fully adjustable headband that ts quickly and easily behind the upper neck and over the ears—no discomfort there. And I’m happy to report that it felt the same at the end of the performance as it did in the beginning.

The gooseneck extension of the actual microphone swiveled accordingly toward the front of my mouth and had the additional foam protection from those annoying hisses and pops. I gave it the tried-and-true soundcheck ahead of time and it didn’t miss a beat. Before putting the foam protector on, I also noticed that the microphone has a plastic shield surrounding the tip, most likely to keep moisture out and keep the transducer element working for many future performances. I also found out before the second performance that I had the option of having the gooseneck on the right or the left. Cool!

How was the sound? It met my expectations. But, after being accustomed to the rich full sound of my hand-

held microphone of the past 20 years, this condenser unit didn’t seem to project as much low end as I’m used to hearing from my handheld. I have a low voice and I do project my voice all the time. I’m not normally a singer, but for the nightclub performance, I needed to perform the short rap.

But for the setting we were in, it was perfect. The C520 does boast a 60Hz-20kHz frequency range, which left no desire for more mid to high end. The only reason I make note of the low end was the fact that we were introduced by the MC who was holding a handheld, and we were on the headsets. Another factor may be in the way the mixing board had the two of us EQ’d—that can certainly be adjusted. By the way, I experienced no dropouts—always a plus.

Another nice feature the mic has is its ability to limit the handling noise to a minimum. I didn’t hear any noticeable “clutter” noise when I was moving around. The external shock-mount does work. Also, due to the fact that it is a cardioid polar mic, very little of the ambient background noise makes its way to your sound system.

Again, it served my purposes very well and, overall, I’d say this mic is a must-buy ($299 list) for any performer. You’ll forget you have one on.

Well-done, AKG. Pio neer SVM-1000 This past November, Pioneer Pro DJ threw a huge party at New York’s Pacha club to unveil its revolutionary new audio/video mixer. After seeing some of the world’s biggest DJs/VJs incorporating this unit into their sets, I was eager to get my hands on it. The SVM-1000 is the world’s rst mixer which bridges the gap between traditional DJing and live streaming visuals. Basically, it incorporates their DJM mixer series and the VSW-1 video mixing box, along with a video effects box and bundles them into one mixer. The SVM in-

1/3/2008 12:47:24 PM

The SVM-1000 can play custom text messages over video.

d j t i m e s

ing the crossfader. This worked incredibly well in conjuncture with the Echo and Delay effects.

Overall, there really is not much criticism that I have of this mixer.

I was literally blown away by the visuals and the ease of use (being a long-time pioneer EFX user). The only thing that may be tough for many to swallow is the price tag ($5,999 list).

However, it should be obvious that many DJs and clubs could command much more money for providing an audio/video experience. As we continue to see more and more clubs packed with LCD and plasma TVs, it’s quite feasible that the mixer could pay for itself pretty quickly. Either way, there is no doubt that sight and sound is the future, and this machine will be credited for tying the two together.

weave through multiple video streams and pictures while using the effects to tie them all together.

While using the SVM-1000, I came across some useful features that I did not expect to find. There is a video preview mode which adds another screen to the LCD section. This new screen is basically the master video output, while the other screen is used to preview. This is a great if you do not have the cash to add a video display monitor to your setup. I was also impressed with the Visualizer function. This turns the effects section into a powerful ambient visuals generator. So, if you didn’t have any video source, there are tons of visuals that can be used, ranging from colored orbs bouncing around the screen to wild spinning kaleidoscope visuals that change to the beat of the music. There is also a button on the video mixer which allows you to “punch” other videos onto the screen without us-

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has selectable parameter for intensity, depth, and pattern.

I was blown away by beat-linked expressions, and how they coincide with video. Think of it this way: We are all familiar with the Echo and Flanger effect, but how can that translate to video? Well, Pioneer has really hit the nail on the head here. Some effects simply fade the video in and out or apply distortion in sync with the beats that are playing. Others throw wild effects over the video, turning a live DVD into a series of ambient effects rendering the original video unrecognizable. Very cool!

The TEXT section allows the user to play custom messages over videos using the existing default messages or creating your own and saving them to 60 banks. You can load your DJ name, your club’s name, or special messages to club goers via the touch-screen keyboard, and then layer effects over the text to keep it exciting. Effects include Block, Rotation, Slide, Random, Zoom and Crush. Of course, the text effects are all synchronized to the music as well.

In an ideal environment, the mixer is designed to work with Pioneer’s DVJ DVD turntables—allowing the DJ to play DVDs, rather than just typical audio CDs. Each DVJ player outputs both audio and video signals and routes them to a single channel on the mixer. Imagine playing your favorite music videos, being able to mix and scratch, while layering effects which manipulate the music and the video at the same time. This versatile unit is not limited to DVD turntables alone—it could be used as a normal four-channel audio mixer or a multiple channel video unit. This is a great selling point to any club owner. There is no need to swap out mixers for each guest DJ. The standard turntablist will feel right at home using the SVM-1000. The ability to work with audio and video, beatsynched together makes it a cinch for even a novice.

For my home application, I decided to do something less conventional.

I set up the mixer to use two audio channels and two video channels.

Rather than DVJs, I used two traditional DVD players, and a small video recorder to feed live video into the mixer. I also popped in a SD card containing random photos from last year’s Winter Music Conference in Miami.

This is where the mixer shines—you don’t need to have the most expensive, up-to-date equipment to put on a mind-numbing video show. It’s all too common to walk into a club and nd a cheesy DVD being played, or a silhouette of some hot dancer going on for hours. This mixer breaks up the monotony and keeps the visuals stimulating. I was able play audio as a traditional DJ would. I set the crossfader to the video channels and I could

corporates a large LCD touch-screen for triggering beat-synched effects, and the possibilities are endless.

Right out of the box, this mixer is massive. It is shaped like a big menacing wedge, allowing the face of the mixer to sit at a comfortable angle for the user. There are handles on either side providing easy transportation.

There is also a built-in rack-mount kit allowing it to be permanently installed in a club environment. The lights and LEDs sport a new color scheme with white lights around the cue buttons, and white, blue and red indicating audio levels for each channel.

The overall layout of this mixer is pretty straightforward. There are four channels, each accepting audio and video inputs. Two channels support digital audio inputs, while each channel accepts three video inputs, which are selectable via a knob on the mixer. Outputs include: four video main outputs; two video monitor outputs; one set of balanced XLRs for audio; two RCA outputs; one digital output; one set of ¼-inch outputs for the booth monitor; and a MIDI output for controlling DJ software with MIDI capability. In fact, all the controls on the mixer and the touch panel can be assigned to a MIDI command.

There are two microphone inputs and a fader-start section as well. A few other noteworthy features include: a SD CARD slot used to load photos (JPGs) and save text messages; two top-mounted video inputs used to plug in additional components without reaching to the back of the mixer; and a USB input, which is used to connect Flash Media or a keyboard. The mixer has adjustable fader curves for all four channels and an adjustable crossfader.

The crown jewel of this mixer is the 11-inch color LCD touch-screen that’s used to navigate through the beatlinked audio/video effects and other advanced features. At rst I was skeptical about using a touch-panel—the idea of not pushing a real button was tough for me to grasp. But once you start to use the screen, it’s obvious that Pioneer made the right choice.

It works flawlessly and presents an unlimited amount of audio and video manipulation to the user.

The layout of the screen is quite similar to Pioneer’s popular EFX series. There are three effects sections: BEAT, TOUCH, and TEXT. Each can be triggered as an audio function, a video function, or both. There are 12 BEAT effects including Delay, Echo.

Pan, Transformer, Filter, Flanger, Phaser, Reverb, Robot, Chorus, Roll and Reverse Roll. Users get 12 TOUCH effects, including Ripple, Zoom, Blur, Distortion, Block, Radiation, Kaleidoscope, Lens, Cube, Twist, Spotlight, and Drop. Each effect can be assigned to any channel, the master output, or to one speci c video output. Each effect

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1/3/2008 12:47:25 PM

mobile

profile

Sense of Stylus Scores Dakotan’s Clients

Jake Hill’s mixing skills help him stand out from the competition.

FeBRUARY 2008

By Jeff Stiles

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Sioux Falls, S.D.—Ever since he was a child, Jake Hill had an interest in music. And once he entered junior high, his sincere interest turned into a passion when he and his friend Norman Dalager were invited to DJ one of their school’s lunchroom dances.

“We set up our home stereo equipment and some makeshift lights and gave it our best, and we both fell in love with DJing almost immediately,” says Jake. “As we were loading equipment into the truck after the dance, we decided to pursue this newfound interest of ours. We DJed together all through high school until going our separate ways in college.”

For Hill that passion continued, and before long he found himself hooked.

“I continued to DJ weddings and other events in college,” he says, “and my most memorable moments were at The Star Bar—an 800-plus-capacity college hotspot where I had a DJ residency for ve years.

“During my five-year residency at The Star Bar, my boss surprised me with a mural of my DJ name, ‘Stylus,’ on the front of the club’s DJ booth. It was one of the most rewarding moments of my DJ career. All the hard work I had put into calibrating lights and perfecting mixes was all worth it at that moment, and I knew right then and there that DJing was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

After graduating from college, Hill formed a single-unit entertainment business called BPM DJ Productions.

Currently, he provides mobile DJ services throughout South Dakota and to surrounding states.

Hill’s basic set-up consists of a pair of Electro-Voice G115 full-range speakers, two E-V G118 subs, two bridged Crest CD 1000 power amps, two Technics 1210-MK2 turntables, a Rane TTM-56 mixer, a Dell Inspiron

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1405 laptop, Serato Scratch Live, a Shure SM-58 microphone and a pair of Pioneer HDJ-1000 headphones. A backup rack consists of a Peavey Club Mix mixer and American Audio DCDPRO310 dual CD player.

For lighting, depending on the event, Hill might take along two to four Novascan Intelligent Scanners, three to six Par 56s, a Chauvet Vue III LED moonower and a 16-inch disco ball spotlighted with an Elation Pro Color discharge color changer.

“For my wedding gigs, I only use two of the Novascans,” he says, “but for school dances, I use everything I can t in my trailer. All of my packages also come with access to my online planning tools. I use DJ Intelligence on my website: My clients and I both love it because it makes the night go by a lot smoother when everything is planned out in advance.”

The fees Hill charges for his skills are near the top for DJs in his corner of the state, where he typically will travel 75 miles each way to get to a job.

“Up here in South Dakota, there are a lot of little towns scattered throughout the state,” he explains.

“I live in Sioux Falls, which is the biggest city in the state, so I try to do as many gigs as possible close to home. I’m located in the southeast corner of South Dakota, so I also serve Iowa and Minnesota. I really enjoy traveling, and being a mobile DJ has given me the opportunity to visit places I never even knew existed before.”

One very unique thing about BPM DJ Productions—as the company’s name indicates—is that Jake uses turntables at each of his events, and beatmixes every song whether he’s performing at a school dance or a wedding reception. “In my market there are quite a few mobile DJ units, but I’m the only one that uses turntables at all of my events,” he boasts.

“I’ve always used turntables in the past, but had to mix back and forth with my CD players. Now, with Serato, I’m on the decks all night long, mixing everything from The Beatles to Lil Wayne.

“Not only do I love the hands-on experience that true vinyl provides, but it adds a unique element to my service. I’ve actually gotten calls from brides requesting my services just because I use turntables.”

Packing a dance oor seems to come easy due to the mixing skills of this Midwestern DJ. And even if a oor suddenly “dies” for whatever reason, he has a number of suggestions for getting things pumping

once more—depending on the crowd and time of night, of course. “If it’s early in the evening and there’s a diverse crowd, I would go with a slow dance,” Hill says. “That almost always gets them out on the danceoor, and then I’d follow up that slow dance with a popular wedding song like ‘Y.M.C.A.’ Mix in another disco song after that, and you should be good to go.

“If it’s late in the night and most of the older crowd has left, you can pack the oor with a set of Top-40 tunes, and if you’re able to beatmix in a few rock classics from AC/DC, Poison or Guns & Roses, it’s even better.”

Later in the night, Hill likes to throw in some of his scratching skills to dazzle the guests. “In my market, scratching is something that people only see on TV—it’s never done live—so it usually goes over very well,” he says. “Besides, I sound a lot better late at night, when everyone’s tipsy!”

Favorite song medleys for this mix-master jock include a three-song blend he does at nearly every gig.

It’s a mix he rst heard from DJ AM. Starting out with Outkast’s “Hey Ya,” he cues up The Contour’s “Do You Love Me” at the “Watch me now!” point. On the beat, he mixes out of the Outkast tune with “Wa-wa-wawatch me know, hey” and then slams the crossfader over to the Contours song.

“Then, hurry up and cue up Chubby Checker’s ‘The Twist’ on the other deck,” he explains. “When The Contours’ song gets to the part that says, ‘I can mash-potato, I can do the twist,’ mix in the beginning of the Chubby Checker song and then fade over to it completely. If you time everything perfect and do a good job of matching the beats, you’ll have yourself one killer mix that works at almost any gig.”

Jake says it’s important for DJs to have fun doing what they’re good at. DJing is the greatest job in the world, he surmises, because DJs get paid to party.

And this spinning DJ loves what he does. “I love being in charge of showing everyone a good time, and it’s so cool that I get paid to do something I’d probably do for free,” he admits. “I love mixing different songs together and creating a seamless soundtrack to one of the biggest nights in a young couple’s life, and I love the fact I’m my own boss.

“I truly believe that the biggest mistake someone can make in life is not trying to make a living doing what they most enjoy. For me, that is—and will always be—being a DJ.”

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www.venuevj.com

W W W . d j t i m e s . C O m

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Your Source for Videos

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FEBRUARY

2008

business

Taking Your Business to Market

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By Jerry Bazata This past August, nearly 5,000 DJs from across the country took leave of their families and made the pilgrimage to the most comprehensive network and educational event in the DJ industry. I’m talking, of course, about the International DJ Expo, where amidst the lure of the new equipment, pulsating lights and sounds of the Expo exhibit floor, some 300 DJ entrepreneurs took 90 minutes to explore new ideas in how they can take their marketing tactics to the next level.

I had the privilege of presenting to the attendees a marketing concept in my seminar, Marketing Channels: Increasing your Return on Investment, in which DJs systematically learn to prospect new clients with direct marketing techniques and a disciplined approach to developing new clients. The result is a deepening of the relationship with existing clients to book future business and developing a network of COI (Centers of In uence) that can deliver a consistent stream of referrals. Since the seminar, I’ve received numerous questions and feedback. Here are some of them.

When sending a letter of introduction to a new referral source such as a banquet facility, should I also include a brochure about the company?

As I stated in the seminar, the letter of introduction should be focused on the client needs and not about your business. The message you are trying to communicate is that you can help their business grow. If you include a brochure, you

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have now pointed the conversation to yourself. Instead, why not send them a copy of an article that was written about their company? This demonstrates to the prospective client that you know their business and they were not sent the letter because they appeared on a list or you ran through the Yellow Pages. Ideally, the article should have appeared within the past 12 months; anything older than 24 months is “old news” and might turn off the client.

What is the appropriate number of phone calls to a prospective client before you give up any hope of winning the business?

You do not want to “stalk” your client by making several phone calls a day. Even one call a day will turn them off and you’ll likely lose their business.

A best practice for me is to place a phone call in three to ve day increments for no more than three calls collectively. One of those calls should be made at a time when you’ll get their answering machine or voicemail.

Today, we use our voicemail box as our “to-do list” or “reminder note on the fridge,” to return a call or follow-up.

What gets greater response, a massive direct-mail campaign or limiting your mailing to target prospects and clients?

Unfortunately, this is like trying to compare apples to oranges. Each has a speci c purpose and should not be measured one against the other for a success ratio. If your plan is to create name recognition or introduce your company to a new market, then a generalized postcard mailing will work

effectively. As a rule of thumb, a slightly less than 5-percent response rate on a mass mailing quali es as an excellent response. Rather, you should de ne a micro marketing plan based upon the current opportunity you foresee. For example, you have recently participated in a bridal show and now have a list of potential clients ready to buy; I would not do a massive postcard mailing to these individuals or to the general attendee list. Segregate your listing into hot, warm and cold leads, and implement this approach: Hot Leads: Send a personalized letter with the emphasis on gaining commitment to a meeting. From your notes, highlight a key concern or comment they made and address that in the letter. Indicate in the letter a specific time and date you’ll call them.

After sending that letter, follow up several days later with an article of interest related to selecting vendors for their wedding along with a handwritten personal note. It is critical that you call the prospective client on the date and time you indicated.

Warm Leads: Send a personalized letter with the emphasis on asking for the opportunity to talk further with the client either by phone or in person about their entertainment needs.

Highlight in the letter a key bene t of choosing your company as it relates to the success of their event. This approach needs to again focus on the client and not on the company. In ve to seven days after mailing the letter, follow up with a phone call.

Cold Leads: Send a letter thanking them for visiting with you at the show, highlight one or two benefits

of your company and do something out of the ordinary: ask for a referral.

For example “I recognize that you may have already chosen a DJ service for your wedding reception. However, if you know of a bride-to-be, I would welcome the opportunity to talk with them about their special day.”

Use the same process for Hot Leads with the vendor listing at the show. Each one of these companies becomes your Centers of Influence for new clients and sales.

Are coupons or discounts, on the website, direct mail or an industry event, effective in trying to win business?

Yes and no. Confused? I would not offer discounts or coupons in a broad attempt to win business. Remember, you’re selling a service, not a tangible product. People are always looking for a bargain and clients you acquire through a coupon may not be the clients that t the pro le of your company. However, if you are attending a trade show, have a concept ready to go in the event your competitors are offering a discount or coupon at the show. A tip: use these discreetly. Do not display them at your booth, but rather as a way to close the deal, giving a perceived value to the client. Clients who are strictly shopping price do not consider value, reputation and commitment to delivering a quality service as a high priority.

At the DJ Expo 2008, I will again provide you with a seminar updated with new innovative approaches to achieving a share of the market and build upon repeat business and client loyalty.

1/3/2008 12:47:38 PM

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Bulls & Behringers

Grammy winner Carmen Rizzo features in Howaudio.com’s Torq With Xponent. Over the course of the 30-minute tutorial, Rizzo covers the components and fundamentals of Torq Xponent, as well as how to use Xponent as an instrument. This can be purchased as a DVD or comes as part of a subscription to the Howaudio library.

7 Heaven

Puttin’ on the Rizzo

Behringer’s DDM4000 is a 32-bit, ve-channel mixer. The unit is MIDI capable and also features a beat-synced sampler with beat-controlled loop function, realtime pitch control, sampler FX, and crossfader start option. There are two mic inputs—each with gain, EQ, talk function, and FX—as well as four stereo phono/ line input channels, which feature gain, and programmable parametric three-band EQ. Additional features include two freely-assignable and BPM-synchronized FX engines, automatic BPM synchronization, and dual-mode crossfader.

Howaudio.com P.o . Box 3875 o range CA 92857-0875 www.howaudio.com

Ableton inc.

43 West 24th Street, 12th floor New York, NY 10010 (646) 723-4586 www.ableton.com

FeBRUARY 2008

Behringer USA 190 West Dayton Avenue, Suite 201 edmonds, WA 98020 (425) 672-0816 www.behringer.com

Following the LED-er

Ableton Live 7 features a new compressor device comprising three compression models. The company has enhanced the audio engine with 64-bit mix summing, POW-r dithering, and “optimized” sample-rate conversion. There is a reworked MIDI engine, a new spectrum analyzer, memory management technology, and streamlined hardware integration. Finally, users get a new drum rack with a drag-and-drop drum pad interface.

Each pad can have its own sampler, and Session View lets every pad be shown as a mixer channel.

Musicorp P.o . Box 63366 North Charleston, SC 29414 (843) 745-8501 www.musicorp.com

The LEDPROPACK lighting package is made up of four LEDPAR64 xtures, LEDC controller, a 12-foot pro lighting stand, four-outlet power supply, and all connecting cables. The controller comes with pre-set color hold buttons, chasing, manual spectrum color choices, full-on, black-out, full dimming capability, and audio chase controls. Each LEDPAR64 has 200 LEDS in red, green, and blue, and allows for RGB color mixing.

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Tone Def

Letstalk.com 6341 Boulevard 26 Suite 500 North Richland Hills,TX 76180 (866) 825-5460 www.toneminebeta.com

ToneMine lets users DJ their own cell phones with its online ringtone composition tool. Users can go online and use any of the eight available genre sound packs to mix their own ringtone. The packs have names like Flock of New Wave, Metal Mayhem, Rock Me Indie, Hip to the Hop, Jazzalicious, Funkda ed, Pass the Salsa, and Bluejeans & Bluegrass. These mixes can then be downloaded to phones or shared with friends and other users.

Let Them Eat Cakewalk

d j t i m e s

All registered SONAR 7 Producer Edition and Studio Edition customers can download the SONAR 7.0.1 Update free from Cakewalkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site. Designed for Windows XP and native Vista versions of the software, this update adds a variety of plug-ins and Step Sequencer functionality and usability enhancements. According to the company, many performance and stability issues brought up by users were corrected in this new version.

Cakewalk 268 Summer St., 8th Fl Boston, MA 02210 (617) 423-9004 www.cakewalk.com

Next Generation

Mackieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SRM450v2 comes 10 years after the company launched its SRM450 powered loudspeaker. The new model is 11 pounds lighter than its predecessor and comes in a midnight blue enclosure. It has 300W Class D fast-recovery LF amp/100W HF amp built in, as well as 165W class-D, Fast Recovery LF amp/30W HF amp. Additional features include a lightweight neodymium woofer and an all-new titanium dome compression driver.

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Loud Technologies 16220 Wood-Red Road N.E. Woodinville, WA 98072 (425) 487-4333 www.loudtechinc.com

Pro Tools M-Powered 7.4 software brings users a new music composition and production tool called Elastic Time. This changes the timing and tempo of loops, music, dialog, and other sound les without having to cut up the tracks rst. Also, the tool can quantize audio to the session grid or extracted grooves. Another improvement to the software is Structure Free, a sample player with 885 MB of instrument samples. Pro Tools M-Powered 7.4 software accepts MIDI directly from ReWire applications, and it also supports Unicode characters in languages like Japanese, French, Greek, Russian, and Hebrew.

Feeling M-Powered

M-Audio USA 5795 Martin Rd. Irwindale, CA 91706 (626) 633-9050 www.m-audio.com

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Flying V

JBL Professional 8400 Balboa Blvd.

Northridge, CA 91329 (818) 894-8850 www.jblpro.com

Martin Professional 700 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway Sunrise, FL 33325 (954) 858-1800 www.martinpro.com

DP Blue Sea

Martin Professional’s RGB Laser 1.6 has been upgraded. The Class 4 white light laser now features wavelengths that the company says are calibrated to be even closer to absolute white. Plus it has a wider spread angle of 80 x 80 degrees.

Additional features include 256 cues activated via LCD display, and a USB 2.0 PC interface for downloading and uploading images. The company improved the laser’s IP rating to 52 so that it can also be used outdoors.

TASCAM 7733 Telegraph r oad Montebello, CA 90640 (323) 726-0303 www.tascam.com

The DP-02 and DP-02CF are new additions to the line of digital Portastudios. The DP-02CF records to compact ash media and includes a pair of XLR mic inputs with phantom power. It comes with a 1GB card and features two-band EQ on each of its eight recording tracks. The DP02 records to a 40GB hard drive. It comes with a multieffect processor, stereo reverb, built-in chromatic tuner, and CD-RW burner.

Get a Grip

FeBRUARY 2008

Beam Me Up

JBL’s VRX932LAP 12-inch powered loudspeaker and VRX918SP 18-inch powered ubwoofer utilize the company’s DrivePack DPC-2 ampli cation system. The loudspeaker is a 12-inch, two-way model with 1750 Watts of peak power. It uses amplitude shading to “shape the coverage of the array,” the company says. The subwoofer features a 2268FF neodymium magnet patented Differential Drive, 18-inch woofer in a front-loaded, vented enclosure. It provides 1500 Watts of peak power, and features a 16-gauge steel grille that’s lined internally with acoustically transparent foam.

Hosa Technology 6650 Caballero Blvd.

Buena Park, CA 90620 (714) 522-8878 www.hosatech.com

Hosa's Astro-Grip Universal Hook & Loop Organizer is a continuous strap with hooks on one side and loops on the other side. It’s made of nylon and measures ve yards. According to the company, it has a life cycle of 5,000 uses. It can be cut into short strips for tying cables to mic stands, or longer pieces for use with A/V systems.

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2006 Winner: Jonathan Peters* 76. The Scumfrog

2. BT

27. DJ Irene

52. Mix Master Mike

77. Dean Coleman

3. Bad Boy Bill

28. Josh Wink

53. Funk Master Flex

78. DJ Sneak

4. DJ Boris

29. Dieselboy

54. Green Velvet

79. Garth

5. DJ Skribble

30. Richard “Humpty” Vission

55. Derrick Carter

80. Scott Henry

6. DJ Monk

31. Donald Glaude

56. Jeff Mills

81. James Murphy

7. DJ Theo

32. Felix Da Housecat

57. Colette

82. Doc Martin

8. Deep Dish

33. D:Fuse

58. Johnny Vicious

83. Todd Terry

9. Gabriel & Dresden

34. DJ Shadow

59. Frankie Bones

84. Diplo

60. Dave Audé

85. Danny Krivit

10. Christopher Lawrence 35. Mark Farina

51. Miguel Migs

26. Junior Vasquez

1. George Acosta

d j t i m e s

2007 Winner: George Acosta

Top 100 djs of 2007

36. Sandra Collins

61. Charles Feelgood

86. Rob Swift

12. Danny Tenaglia

37. DJ Qbert

62. Cut Chemist

87. Mark Ronson

13. Armand Van Helden

38. DJ Craze

63. Tommie Sunshine

88. King Britt

14. DJ Icey

39. DJ AM

64. Masters At Work

89. Stretch Armstrong

15. Oscar G

40. Satoshi Tomiie

65. Stacey Pullen

90. Marques Wyatt

16. Erick Morillo

41. Behrouz

66. Saeed Younan

91. Tony Humphries

17. Victor Calderone

42. Z-Trip

67. Frankie Knuckles

92. Junior Sanchez

18. Kaskade

43. Grandmaster Flash

68. Carl Craig

93. Joe Claussell

19. Three

44. Deepsky

69. François K

94. Roc Raida

20. Joe Bermudez

45. Rachael Starr

70. Matthew Dear

95. Liquid Todd

21. The Crystal Method

46. Bassnectar

71. Tony Touch

96. Faust & Shortee

22. Roger Sanchez

47. David Morales

72. ?uestlove

97. DJ Nu-Mark

23. Markus Schulz

48. Ivano Bellini

73. DJ Creme

98. Larry Tee

24. DJ Dan

49. Steve Porter

74. A-Trak

99. Theo Parrish

25. Robbie Rivera

50. Claude VonStroke

75. Dennis Ferrer

100. Tim Sweeney

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* DJs cannot win 2 years in a row

11. Cedric Gervais

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Dennis Ferrer

FEBRUARY

2008

My World As They R emixed It

Dennis Ferrer King Street If you dig the deepest of house, you already know these tunes; still, with these mixes, there’s plenty to like. Quentin Harris’ punchy working of “Touched the Sky,” Sunshine Jones tingly take on “Transitions” and Charles Webster’s soulful mix of “How Do I Let Go” get the party started—then the whooping “MF Remix” of “Church Lady” kicks it over the top.

FabricLive.37

Caspa & Rusko Fabric A frenzied 29-track comp with

half the tracks from Caspa or Rusko. The wide-reaching mood ranges from aching Mandarin strings over a breakbeat (Caspa’s “Cockney Violin”) to apocalyptic dub-techno (Caspa’s “Louder”) to soulful house (D1’s “I’m Loving”). A journey not for the weak-hearted.

– Emily Tan “You Are My House”

Oscar P feat. Ama Open Bar A vigorous new offering that’ll have hips shaking. Oscar lights up the night with vocalist Ama, who gives a sexy Spanish vocal that takes this cut to the stratosphere. Of the mixes are included, check the “Ospina & Oscar P Dub” and “Vocal,” which drop a lively piano and some Latin-house overtones. We’re

Download

Corner Each month in this space, DJ Times digs through the virtual crates to give you a quick sample of the plethora of extraordinary tracks available exclusively on legal download—care of our favorite next-generation “record” stores (e.g. Beatport, iTunes, etc).

“O pium Haze” (O riginal Mix) by Gavin Herlihy (Kindisch): Haunting, trippy, jazzy and funky all at once.This nine-minute psychedelic workout meanders in and out of standup basses, Middle-Eastern instruments and dubby vocals, ultimately winding up with a solid late-night groove. Found at beatport.com.

O scar P

Sébastien Léger

also digging that “DJ Premium One Mix,” with its deep techie vibe.

– Phil Turnipseed “What Planet You O n”

Bodyrox Phonetic Following up the ultra successful “Yeah, Yeah,” Bodyrox are back with another commercial-edged electro nugget. Actually stronger than the last release, this one offers a whole raft of remixes that should do very well.

– Curtis Zack “Funky Ass R otator”

Kraak & Smaak Jalapeno “Funky Ass” in name as well as substance, this latest offering kicks erce beats and a thumping groove. Whether you classify this as house or breaks, it’s a stormer.

– Curtis Zack The Difference Engine

Luke Solomon Reid London-based Solomon is part DJ, part producer and one half of the ultra funky crew, The Freaks (with Justin Harris). This full length features 13 solid entries, from the jacking’ “Out of Control,” to the Afro-jazzy vibe “Spirits.” Quality release.

– Paul Dailey

– Jim Tremayne

Caspa & R usko

38

“R eduxtion” (O riginal Mix) by Acid Circus (Droid R ecodings): This L.A.-based label and artist give us the best minimal this side of Berlin. The acid-tech groove is accentuated by syncopated 808 percussion and it builds into a chaotic frenzy perfect for peak-hour pleasure. Found at beatport.comm.

“Hustle Up” by John Dahlback (Nero R ecordings): Electro may never die if the genre continues to produce this level of quality. Huge energy, dirty bass, trancey keyboards, and an absolute monster build make this a sure re winner. Found at traxsource. com.

– Robert LaFrance

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Planets

Sébastien Léger Mistakes Music Loaded with stuttered beats and electro basslines, Planets is a funky, chunky, often over-the-top collection of outerspace rhythms. Not every track works, but the ones that do—like “Uranus,” “Jupiter,” and “Saturn”—rock plenty hard.

“Mus ic”

Xenia Beliayeva Datapunk Another bomb on Anthony Rother’s excellent Datapunk imprint. The “Kiko Remix” isn’t bad, but the original with lovely keys, dark bassline, and amazing uplifting vocals from Ms. Beliayeva herself is the real slayer here.

– Paul Dailey Bloodstream

Stateless Studio K7 German techno sensation Henrick Schwarz is on fire right now and his latest mix reveals why. Soothing, melodic vocals flow with a wicked, stabbing bassline, gently morph into an off-the-wall climax.

– Shawn Christopher “The Paul Kieran” EP

Paul Kieran Rapid Response Recordings A solid four-track debut. “System Error” is a chunky, funky tech-house mover with a massive bassline and a lush vibe that rises and builds. Another fave is “Envy,” an epic, electro/ progressive slayer that will have the entire club tripped out.

– Paul Dailey “Void vs. Last Exit”

Sonde & Shaver vs. Miroir & Spieth Paso Music You can’t go wrong here, as both tracks destroy. “Void” is a minimal mover that starts off innocently enough, but soon grows in to a total late-night killer. “Last Exit” is equal to the task, with a deep vibe that lays it on thick and lovely.

– Paul Dailey

– Paul Dailey

1/3/2008 12:48:10 PM

Bodyrox

Xenia Beliayeva

– Phil Turnipseed

– Curtis Zack

Teebee and Calyx Subtitles Music Teebee and Calyx take this track way deep. Complete with seamless production and perfected basslines, this is one hot d-n-b cut.

James Fitch v Sunscreem Cayenne Another take on a classic, this time from Fitch, who uses the old Sunscreem track to good effect. The slant is very much electro-based, but it works extremely well.

“Perfect Motion”

“Submerged”

– Jen Shapiro

– Curtis Zack

“8th Spirit VIP Track”

– Phil Turnipseed

– Jen Shapiro Kraak & Smaak

W W W . DJTIMES . C O M

Stranjah and Gremlinz Play Digital Combining soulful, airy, lush beats, Stranjah and Gremlinz, take listeners on a sensual journey. Loungy, yet strong enough for clubplay, this is a winning track.

Steven Stone Stalwart More sublime house from the Stalwart camp, this time coming from Swiss producer Stone. A decent vocal and cool harmonies form the track’s backbone, with remixes from Dom Navarro included.

– Jen Shapiro

“Phat Ass Dubs” EP

Mike Dominico Muted Trax Five cuts that hit hard. “Swagger and Swagger Beat Dub” bring a straight 4/4 beat that develops into deep hypnotic house workout with a sexy little hook. “Close Your Eyes” is a busy, garagey piece with some nice ltering. “Touch” has a darker, chunkier vibe with a soulful bounce that will reel you in. And “Breathe On Me” has a slightly progressive electro sound.

“Music Sounds So Good With You”

DJ Hype Ganja Records Fueled with diverse d-n-b flavors, D J S h i m o n ’s m i x t h row s d ow n some rockin’ beats, heavy synthetic bass, brilliant samples and audio effects that are sure to keep you moving and grooving.

– Phil Turnipseed

“The Intro”

In Deep We Trust Guess Records Martin Harmony unleashes a lively new gem that works a British spoken-word vocal, a chunky synth bass, perky chord hits and a funky house vibe. Check “The Spiritchaser Remix,” which brings a gorgeous ambient synth and a seductive bassline.

t i m e s

“You Must Think First” (DJ Shimon 2007 R emix)

Sandy Rivera & Haze Strictly Rhythm House stalwart Rivera drops a tantalizing new track that boasts 10 excellent mixes for your consumption. Led by an edgy male vocal that chants more than sings, this has “can’t-miss” written all over it. Also, we love the dark and sinister “Jimpster Dub,” as well as the synth-drenched groove of the “Sandy Rivera Deep Mix.”

d j

– Paul Dailey

“Freak”

Davis & May Maripoza “A Little Bird Forever” is as groundbreaking a track as I have heard all year. It all starts simple enough, but grows in a tech-trance monster with massive melodies and a foundationrocking bassline to die for. Unreal record.

“Flying Maple Leaf” EP

Paul Kieran

39

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1/3/2008 12:48:14 PM

For advertising rates and deadlines...

Contact Linda Inglima at (516) 767-2500 x510

Ad Index Company

SUPPLIES

CIV

BEHRINGER

4

CHUAVET

5

DIGITAL 1 DJ

31

DIXIE DANCE KINGS

39

ILIO

42

MUSICORP

17

NATIVE INTRUMENTS

23

PIONEER

CI

PIONEER

2

PIONEER

47

PROMO-ONLY

19

QSC

11

RANE CORPORATION

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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MUSIC CONFERENCE

While every care is taken to ensure that these listings are accurate and complete, for omissions or errors.

DJ Times does not accept responsibility

The Marketplace Works!

Contact Linda Inglima at (516) 767-2500 ext 510 or LInglima@testa.com

54 048FE08_p040-041.indd 40

1/4/2008 4:15:52 PM

For advertising rates and deadlines...

Contact Linda Inglima at (516) 767-2500 x510

MARKETPLACE

Reach the Entire DJ Market Every Month!

DJ GEAR/RECORD STORES

Contact Linda Inglima (516) 767-2500 ext 510 or LInglima@testa.com

d j t i m e s

W W W . DJ T IME S . C O M

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1/4/2008 2:31:44 PM

2008 FEBRUARY

800.747.4546

www.ilio.com

Contact your favorite dealer! exclusive distributors

40

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1/3/2008 12:48:47 PM

Compiled As Of January 5, 2008

Jive Jive Jive Geffen Geffen Interscope Jive Interscope Slip-N-Slide Geffen Capitol Sony Jive Shady Records Shady Records Capitol Reprise Virgin Interscope Interscope Jive Track Pusha LaFace Jive Jive Interscope Jive Def Jam Geffen Island Columbia Megablast Capitol Capitol Interscope Jive Jive Rap-a-lot Def Jam Columbia

d j t i m e s

Chris Brown Kiss Kiss T-Pain Church R.Kelly Rock Star Mary J Blige Just Fine Keyshia Cole Shoulda Let You Go Eve Give It To You The Pack In My Car Soulja Boy Soulja Girl Plies Hypnotized Snoop Dogg Sensual Seduction J. Holiday Suffocate Wyclef Jean Sweetest Girl R. Kelly Hook It Up 50 Cent I Get Money 50 Cent I Still Will Cherish F/Yung Joc Killa Jessi Malay Booty Bangs Dem Franchize Boyz Talkin Out Da Side Will.I.Am The Donque Song Nicole Scherzinger Baby Love LIL MAMA G-Slide P.I. F/ Elephant Man Shake That Body Sean P Everywhere We Go Dolla Who The F*** Is That Papoose Bang It Out 50 CENT AYO Technology Huey Tell Me This The Dream Shawty Is A 10 Common I Want You Rihanna Hate That I Love You Lyfe Jennings Cops Up Ophishal Forever Hood Clyde Carson Doin’ That Lil’ Ru Don’t I Look Good Nicole Scherzinger Super Villain Asia Cruise Selfish Underground Kingz Real Women Scarface Girl You Know Pittsburgh Slim Girls Kiss Girls Wyclef Jean Memoirs Of An Immigrant

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

Gimme More Jive Amazing Warner Brothers Band Of Gold Curb Nothin’ Better To Do Curb He Said She Said Warner Brothers Stars R.M. Lovestoned (RMX) Jive It Doesn’t Take Much Beguile Take It Back EsNtion Silver I Wish U Would Robbins Listen To The Music Pop Top Be With You Antidote In My Arms Curb Big Area Robbins Don’t Stop The Music Island Tell Me Robbins Hustler Interscope Disrespectful Sony So Alive Groove Factory Can’t Keep It A Secret Chunky Stop Me Medley All I Do A Little Closer ISV ENT Baby Love Interscope Rhythm Of Life (RMXS) 5 Points Your Love Is Mine Savoy Pack Your Bags Swedish Diva For What It’s Worth Peaceman Don’t Stop Netspheres Disco Disco Play Lab Just Fine Geffen Somebody’s Me Interscope Summerwind EsNtion Electropop Chime Tap That Wind-Up It Had Better Be Tonight Reprise Happy Day ISV Psicofonia Univision What Hurts The Most Robbins You Keep Me Hanging On Odeon Greatest Hits Reprise

Britney Spears Seal Kimberley Locke Leann Rimes Ashley Tisdale Erika Jayne Justin Timberlake Sarah Atereth Danielle Bollinger Martijn Ten Velden Sentenela Taxi Doll Plumb Undercover Divas Rihanna Darude Simian Mobile Disco Chaka Khan Avalon Superstar Jacinta Mark Ronson Groove Enforcers Nicole Scherzinger Emilia Sosa Corrine Bailey Rae Leana Sir Ivan Barton Groove State Mary J Blige Enrique Iglesias Fruehbel Jupiter Rising Megan McCauley Michael Buble Yumm Yumm Gloria Trevi Cascada Rockell Bee Gees

National Urban Pool Chart

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

National Crossover Pool Chart

Most Added Tracks What Hurts The Most Push Unsealed Can’t Get Over Rise Above Back In Your Head Psicofonia Give It To Me My Life Again Charmed Life

Robbins Interscope EsNtion Silver Robbins Blue Disco - ISV Sire Reprise Univision Ranco - ISV Red Wallet Atlantic

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Dem Franchize Boyz Mike Jones Cherish F/Yung Joc Asia Cruise Wyclef Jean Dolla Huey Snoop Dogg Mary J Blige Gucci Mane

Talkin Out Da Side Drop & Gimme 50 Killa Selfish Memoirs Of An Immigrant Who The F*** Is That Tell Me This Sensual Seduction Work That Aw-Man

Virgin Warner Brothers Capitol Jive Columbia Jive Jive Geffen Geffen Big Cat

Reporting Pools ✦ Masspool R - Revere, MA; Gary Canavo ✦ Central Ohio - Columbus, OH; Fred Dowdy ✦ NW Dance Music - Seattle, WA; John England ✦ Philly

Spinners Assoc. - Cherry Hill, NJ; Fred Kolet ✦ Pittsburgh DJ R - Pittsburgh, PA; Jim Kolich ✦ Long Island - Levittown, NY; Jackie McCloy ✦ Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller ✦ Hawaii DJ Association - Honolulu, HI; Kevin Okada

W W W . DJTIM E S . C O M

Cascada Enrique Iglesias Dj Russ Harris F/ Ji September James Roy Tegan And Sara Gloria Trevi Annick Lauren Hildebrandt Mick Jagger

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Most Added Tracks

All Titles Available Through Dixie Sound Works NOW TOLL FREE: (888) MIX-JOCK, On-Line: www.dancekings.com Charts & Picks Compiled by DME Inc. Dan Miller, Chart Coordinator

048FE08_p023-048.indd 43

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(continued from page 25) tion of a person and have the personal feeling. And record shops are social.

It’s socialism. [laughs] DJ Times: How important is radio to you, in terms of getting your music out?

Bug: Since German radio stations are kinda only playing the biggest tunes of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, there’s very few stations around Germany who do play certain radio shows—it really doesn’t mean anything. Internet radio is something else. The [terrestrial] radio stations don’t mean anything at all.

The commercial main music for young people is stupid chart music.

DJ Times: Even while minimal techno has swept Germany?

Bug: There used to be techno on the radio in the ’90s. I’m happy techno’s gone from the radio, though; I think it put the wrong face on techno in the ’90s. I think the shame about hip hop becoming so big as it is right now…I have the impression that socalled “underground hip hop” doesn’t exist anymore, even the new stuff.

Some of the production is very well done and it sounds amazing, but it sounds like it’s produced for the masses, like they’re trying to sell something.

Every time music becomes like this, it turns out to be uninteresting.

DJ Times: Why’s that?

Bug: If you look at the guys who play easily accessible music—trance or whatever’s working the easiest—this is stuff that attracts the most people.

We’ve been talking about this so many times. I’d say, a lot of this stuff the DJs play is not really intelligent music, in a way. It’s very simple-based music. The more easily accessible harmonies, like easy-feeling, it’s always gonna be big. I

started listening to house music back in the late-’80s because I tried to get away from what everyone was listening to. I wanted to get away from all the commercial stuff, and you have a better time in the clubs. People appreciate it better. I don’t have the time to do a radio show, but I would love to do it one day, to have a radio show.

DJ Times: What’s next for you?

Bug: I just released a new 12-inch called “A World Without Cru Sauvage.” It’s a chocolate bean. I’m still dreaming about doing a new album…

I’ve been working on it for a year and a half. I had eight tracks together. Then, I had to move my house and studio, but there were some strong tracks on there. I have to work on more tracks.

I have to take a few months from playing, but it’s hard because I’m already booked out until next June. n

News

(continued from page 3) and its “Global Groove Groundworks, Vol. 1” percussion loop package, which includes 396 RMX-compatible Rex2 files. Germany’s Magix will show its Mu n MusicFinder. Studio-gear maker Euphonix will introduce the MC Control and MC Mix professional control surfaces to its new Artist Series.

Nady will release the new UWS-16 wireless microphone system, which has 16 user-selectable channels in wide-open UHF band and 120dB dynamic range. For DJs looking to improve playback of MP3s, SPYN Audio will show its EX-825 Multi-Band Spatial Enhancer. Sennheiser-distributed HHB will show its UDP89, 1U rackmountable universal DVD/CD player for AV installations.

Road Ready Cases will debut a pair of ATA-style cases: the RRLAPTOP,

which is capable of storing 15 to 17 laptops along with accessories, and the RRIDJ2, which is designed to accommodate the Numark iDJ2, along with two iPods. Hosa Technology will debut the Astro-Grip Universal Hook & Loop Organizer (WTI-501), a solution for cable clutter and organization.

Tommy & Aero (continued from page 18)

through Artillery and you can grab it and loop it, distort it, ange it, phase it. We should really do a lot more of it because I think using Artillery with vocals could be a great hype machine for DJs. DJ Times: Where do you get your tracks?

Aero: Beatport de nitely is a spot.

Trackitdown.net is another one. Also, I love DJ Culture, a record shop owned by my friend Simply Jeff, who’s a pioneer in breakbeat music. That was one of the rst record stores which helped us when we first started out. Also, people send us a lot of tracks.

Tommy: A lot of producer friends hook us up—Adam Freeland, Erick Morillo, DJ Rooster and Sammy Peralta, the Deep Dish guys, a ton of people.

DJ Times: You guys performed at Pacha in New York for the launch of the Pioneer SVM-1000 mixer. How does that unit address your needs?

Tommy: That thing is sick. There are so many crazy features, but one of my favorites is being able to type in whatever you want, text-wise, and blast it on the screens. It’s really fun.

It makes it really live—you can go with whatever you’re feeling at the moment, not something that you’ve already edited together, something you play all the time.You can assign audio effects, like anging and delays, to

video, which is amazing.You can stick a quarter-note delay on this video clip, or ange it, or chorus it—and it takes the exact image and duplicates it as chorus does with audio, but it’s with video. It’s just incredible. It’s about time we had something like that.

Aero: I really believe that if you don’t begin to incorporate video into your show you’ll be missing out.

DJ Times: What obstacles have you encountered since you took this act on the road?

Tommy: Early on, it was like, “Oh, they’re not playing rock music?”

Aero: Or we weren’t playing mashups. That was a big thing.

DJ Times: Tommy, considering all the times you’re in the news for things unrelated to music, does the DJ booth offer any relief?

Tommy: Dude, it’s the best ever.

Aero and I don’t do this for the money, but it’s such a release—you have no idea. It’s so much fun. I’m sure there are a few haters in the room criticizing—there always are—but it’s not like there’s a front row full of photographers all running back to the rock magazine. But we haven’t released any original tracks yet, so…

Aero: Yeah, we’ll get the haters, but at the end of the day, that’s how it is. We’re about to do a week of studio work with Deadmau5—we’re so stoked.

Tommy: I can hear it now. We nish these tracks, and they’re bangers— I know they’re gonna be because we wouldn’t put them out if they were anything less. But I can hear it now: “Oh what? Tommy Lee thinks he’s an electronic-music guy now?” I can just hear it, so I’m sure it’s out there. But, trust me: I’m not going to pay much attention to it because I do this purely for the love. I just love this music. n

FEBRUARY

2008

Steve Bug

A DJ residency is a prize...

In four particular ways...

Winning the Oscar

Funky Green Dogs’ Oscar Gaetan, Next Month in DJ Times

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ARENA

FEBRUARY 2008

The 2008 International DJ EXPO goes back to the boardwalk @ the

> AUGUST 11-14, 2008 < Presented by

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2008 FEBRUARY

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1/7/2008 5:25:54 PM