DJ Times February 2013, Vol 26 No 2

NAMM ’13 PREVIEW GORGING ON GEAR

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IN PICTURES

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INDUSTRY EVENTS…NOTABLES…MILESTONES

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NEWS

WINTER NAMM 2013: GORGING ON DJ GEAR & MORE

By Jim Tremayne

Anaheim, Calif.—Set for Jan. 2427 at the Anaheim Convention Center, the 2013 Winter NAMM show will see nearly 95,000 attendees visit booths from over 1,400 exhibitors, which will display new products for the M.I. market. As usual, expect to see plenty of DJ-related debuts.

Also, Testa Communications—DJ Times’ publisher—will be there, providing on-the-spot show coverage with Convention TV @ NAMM. On to the exhibitors at the show: Denon DJ will show the MC2000 DJ controller, the SC2900 multimedia player/controller, and the SC3900 multimedia player/controller.

American DJ will debut several new lighting products for mobile entertainers. They include: the Mega Go Flood Par cordless, battery-powered RGB color wash, which will run 4.5 hours with a full charge; Inno Color Beam 12 compact RGBW beam effect that shoots 15-degree angle shafts of light; and the Mega TRI38 Sys all-in-one LED wash system, which includes four RGB wash fixtures, a battery-powered foot controller, a tripod light stand, and two protective cases—one for fixtures, the other for stand.

Related companies Elation Professional and American Audio will break out some new products as well. Elation will introduce the Rayzor Q7 moving head light, the Platinum Beam 5R Extreme beam effect and the Platinum Spot LED Pro unit. American Audio will debut its ELS15A 2-way active speaker system and the ELX Series of class A/B power amplifiers, which consists of the ELX2000, ELX3000 and ELX4000 units.

Stanton DJ will show the DJC.4 Virtual DJ Digital Workstation, which features touch-sensitive jog wheels, giving users scratch and pitch-bend control. The unit comes bundled with a 4-deck version of Virtual DJ LE. Related company Cerwin-Vega will introduce its P-Series pro PA system, which includes two active speakers: the P1500X two-way, bi-amped, fullyrange bass-reflex unit pushing 1,500 watts and the P1800SX 18-inch subwoofer pushing 2,000 watts.

Exhibiting in a booth constructed of the TRUSST trussing system, Chauvet will debut nearly 30 new products,

including: the CORE series of fixtures; additions to the Intimidator series of moving heads and scanners; the Freedom series of wireless, batteryoperated fixtures; and the SlimPAR series of low-profile wash lights.

Chauvet will also display the Intimidator Beam LED 350, Geyser RGB,

American DJ’s Inno Color Beam 12.

From Yamaha: STAGEPAS 600i.

Scorpion Burst GB, MegaStrobe FX12 and the SlimPAR Quad IRC series.

Distributor Mixware will show a variety of products from companies it carries. They include: Electrix’s Tweaker performance controller for Traktor, Ableton Live and Serato Scratch Live; Reloop’s Terminal Mix 2 two-channel controller for Serato DJ; and Magma’s CTRL case for Pioneer’s DDJ-SX controller and the Traveler Stand, an aluminum alloy folding laptop stand. Mixware will also introduce the Monkey Banana range of monitor speakers.

Yamaha will release the latest models in its lineup of STAGEPAS portable PA systems, the STAGEPAS 400i and 600i, the successors of the STAGEPAS 300 and 500. Delivering 400 watts and 680 watts, respectively, the 400i and 600i offer a substantial increase in power output compared to previous models.

In the studio world, longtime keyboard and synth maker Casio will be show its XW-G1 Groove Synthesizer.

Akai Professional will show the iMPC, a new music-production app for iPad, that will include more than 1,200 samples, 50 editable programs, 80 editable sequences and MPC workflow.

Korg will show the new MicroKorg XL+ synth, which contains a reimagined palette of analog modeled sounds, plus new dedicated PCM for Korg’s SGProX piano, the M1 and VOX organs, as well as recognizable “Tape” instruments. It also includes a gooseneck mic and a 16-band vocoder.

From Mixware: Electrix Tweaker.

Roland will show its M-200i free iPad app, a 32-channel compact digital mixing solution providing full functionality on all key mixing and control aspects including channel strip, effects, and scenes.

As for accessories, Orbit Concepts will introduce its JetPack Remix

multi-purpose DJ bag. Gator Cases will break out several solutions for a variety of popular hardware setups. They include the G-TOUR-DDJSX ARM, which allows protection and full use of the Pioneer DDJ-SX controller, and the Frameworks line of stands and support systems for microphones, keyboards and tablet devices.

In addition to its 3i-5014-LBAR injection molded watertight LED Light Bar Case, SKB Corporation will show five new padded, universal mixer/ equipment bags. The 1SKB-UB0909, 1SKB-UB1212, 1SKB-UB1515, 1SKBUB1818, and the 1SKB-UB2020 models will accommodate the most popular mixers, drum machines, recording interfaces, and controllers.

5

VOLUME 26 NUMBER 2

14 The Real Deal

In EDM’s Bigger-Is-Better Era, Some DJs Remain Content to Rock the Underground—Meet Jamie Jones, the Best DJ You May Not Know

BY INNES WEIR

20 EDM on NYE

Hot DJ Shots from New Year’s Eve Parties Across America

BY DJ TIMES PHOTOGRAPHERS

DEPARTMENTS 9 Feedback

As Always, the Answers to All Your DJ-Related Questions

24 Making Tracks WaveMachine Labs Auria

26 Sounding Off

Yamaha Speakers & Stanton Controller

28 Mobile Profile

Fred Malone: All-Purpose DJ

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

Bookings for 2012: Did They Return from the Dead? We Asked—And You Answered

BY JEFF STILES

6

SAMPLINGS

30 Business Line

5 Tools to Amp Your Social Marketing

32 Gear

New Products from Ableton, Vestax & More

38 Grooves

Phat Tracks from DJ Muggs, Ferry Corsten & More

10 Jody Wisternoff

40 DJ Times Marketplace

Dongles & Distance

Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies

12 In the Studio With…

41 Club Play Chart

Chris Lawhorn’s Fugazi Edits

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

Cover & Contents Photos By Charles Turner

22 Holiday Cheer

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FROM THE EDITOR

Up From The Underground Now that EDM has gained a grander stage in the pop consciousness, it’s easy for some to lose sight of the more talented DJ/producers who just have no interest in that level of popularity. So this month, we connect with Jamie Jones, one of the world’s most influential underground jocks. Our U.K.-based correspondent Innes Weir connected with the Welsh spinner after he finished his summer season at Ibiza’s DC10 to discuss some of the basics in club culture, namely the club and its audience.

As we put this issue to bed just after New Year’s Eve, we were overrun with a slew of great images of some of America’s top events that rung in 2013 in style. On Pages 20-21, we take you to Las Vegas (XS nightclub), Dallas (Lights All Night festival) and New York City (events at Pier 36, Pier 94 and Pacha) and offer you shots of some of the world’s top jocks—from Armin van Buuren to Diplo, from Deadmau5 to A-Trak.

In Samplings, we tackle two very different types of DJs. Of the pair, Jody Wisternoff is perhaps more traditional, in the sense that he’s a globe-trotting DJ/producer (as one half of Way Out West). Here, the U.K.-based jock tells our Natalie Raben how and why he’s taken a solo turn—and he makes the call from Russia. Back in Fort Wayne, Ind., we connect with Chris Lawhorn, a sometime spring-break DJ with a fascination with legendary indie-rockers Fugazi.

As the iconic group hasn’t played a gig or released a CD in over a decade, Lawhorn took it upon himself to re-imagine some of his favorite Fugazi music and create his own album of remixed tunes. But what’s perhaps a little more surprising is that he gained permission from the notoriously fussy band to do so. In our “In the Studio” sampling, Lawhorn explains the process.

In 2012, there was lots of talk about how much the American economy had rebounded. So in this issue, our Iowa-based mobile scribe Jeff Stiles went to the source and asked a group of DJs how their holiday bookings rated. As you might expect, some were better than others. In Business Line, we offer five tools to amp up your social-marketing efforts and, in Mobile Profile, we connect with Houston’s Fred Malone, who explains why versatility is the key to his viability.

In the product-review columns, New England DJ Josh Harris handles WaveMachine Labs’ Auria iPad DAW for our Making Tracks entry. In Sounding Off, Bay Area mobile Jody Amos puts Yamaha’s DXR/DXS Series of loudspeakers through their paces, while Denver DJ Wesley Bryant-King gives Stanton DJ’s DJC.4 controller a spin.

Of course, this issue will head to the Winter NAMM show, so our Page 3 News dives into the massive pile of DJ-related gear we’ll see at the Anaheim Convention Center this Jan. 24-27.

DJ Times will be there along with its publisher Testa Communications, which will provide onthe-spot show coverage with Convention TV @ NAMM. We hope to see you on the exhibit floor as well!

editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne jtremayne@testa.com

graphic designer/artist Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com

editor-at-large Brian O’Connor boconnor@testa.com

production manager Steve Thorakos sthorakos@testa.com

chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Jody Amos Joe Bermudez Angela Bray Wesley Bryant-King Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Justin Hampton Josh Harris Russ Harris Robert LaFrance Polly Lavin Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Natalie Raben Scott Rubin Jennifer Shapiro Nate Sherwood Jeff Stiles Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed Innes Weir Curtis Zack President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa

FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO ORDER SUBSCRIPTIONS, CALL 800-937-7678 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.djtimes.com

Cheers,

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

Jim Tremayne, Editor, DJ Times

8

DJ Times Sound & Communications The Music & Sound Retailer Sound & Communications Blue Book America’s Best DJ The DJ Expo IT/AV Report Convention TV News VTTV Studios

promotions/web designer Fred Gumm fgumm@testa.com digital media manager Chris Davis cdavis@testa.com advertising manager Jon Rayvid jrayvid@testa.com art/production assistant Douglas Yelin dyelin@testa.com Circulation circulation@testa.com Classifieds classifiedsales@testa.com operations manager Robin Hazan rhazan@testa.com 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 an d should be accompanied by return postage.

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 © 2013 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 2013

visit our website: www.djtimes.com

FEEDBACK

a good idea to give fans more for their money.

Also, as relates to your club question, I think it really has to do with what kind of venue you want to be. I don’t think one club is necessarily more at‑ tractive than another—it’s a matter of expectations.

In all my years of talking with night‑ club people—owners, managers, DJs, VJs and promoters—the one common

This is Feedback, a monthly feature that fields questions from you, our readers, and funnels them out to in‑ dustry 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 ques‑ tion that is not asked.

DJ TIMES: First off, I wish you a Happy New Year and I want to compliment you on the latest Feedback entry (January 2013 issue).

The statements from Bill Hermann at DJ Conclave 3.0 in Minneapolis regarding the “booby DJ” were spoton. The message is crystal-clear and simplistic enough for even the most ego-driven DJ to comprehend. (“Remember that you’re always on‑ stage—and smile!”) His ideas were so to-the-point that I had to read them a few times because it was ex‑ actly what needed to be said to jocks, especially those who think they’re the “ultimate mobile DJ.” So my question is this: As competi‑ tion is so fierce among clubs, how important is it for clubs to convert from the usual DJ format to a videoDJ concept?

Also, it seems that from LED lighting to special effects, even the superstar DJs are enhancing their performanc‑ es beyond just spinning, mixing and sampling. Am I right?

– Rich Unger, Sarasota, Fla.

THANKS, RICH. Yes, the higher-profile jocks—from Guetta to Deadmau5—are bringing more of a show to their audiences these days—and that’s in all ven‑ ues, from festivals to concert halls.

Higher fees mean higher production values, one assumes, and it’s always

thread for a creating successful club was this: Make sure you give your customers a point of difference from other venues.

What’s your point of difference? Is it one great DJ? Video? Is it a regular group of DJs? A sound-and-lighting system? Drink specials? Shark in a fishtank?

My advice? If you’re going to convert to a video-oriented program, do it

well. Get the right gear and get talent that takes performance and prepara‑ tion seriously. Get quality content or create quality content.

Because when you see a top videooriented jock like Roonie G do his thing—he mixes turntablist skills with outrageous video content—you re‑ member it, and you remember where you saw it.

– Jim Tremayne, DJ Times

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SAMPLINGS

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

JODY WISTERNOFF: DONGLES & DISTANCE

10

Jody Wisternoff insists he does not wear a purse. Instead, he describes his carry apparatus for global gigging: “It’s a big black-leather, manly bag,” he asserts. “A DJ briefcase— vintage by the way.”

OK, so what’s in his bag? “Two USB dongles,” he says of his traveling DJ-music library.

“It’s slightly overkill, but still you need to carry something, don’t you?”

Digital-era DJs—a far cry from the old-school vinyl-haulers, to be sure. Nonetheless, not long after playing a series of rousing dates in Russia, the rather unencumbered Wisternoff connected with DJ Times from a Moscow hotel room. The Bristol, U.K.-based DJ/producer, perhaps best known as one-half of the prog-house duo Way Out West, had recently released his debut solo album, Trails We Blaze (Anjunadeep), and he was up for a chat.

DJ Times: So Wisternoff is a Russian name. Do you speak the language?

Wisternoff: Unfortunately not, but it would have been useful today ’cause I was trying to get an omelet and a glass of fresh orange juice. It would have been really helpful.

DJ Times: We first came to know you from Way Out West with Nick Warren. What’s the status there?

Wisternoff: We haven’t split up or anything like that. We’ve just been taking a bit of a time out and, you know, I’ve got my own thing with this album. We’re actually working on a new album at the moment. So it’s business as usual.

DJ Times: What inspired you to break away and do this solo album?

Wisternoff: The last couple of years I’ve been working on a lot of stuff. I never stopped writing music or anything—I’ve been constantly producing. And there was a moment where I thought I might have enough material that was varied enough to put into a collection, not just having straight-up club tracks. I thought maybe I might try and do an album kind of thing.

DJ Times: Sounds pretty organic.

Wisternoff: It was a bit of a process of trial-and-error and then I came up with the final product. I think that if you just put out singles every few months, you bumble along and—after you suddenly, randomly have a massive hit—everything changes. But generally you end up just putting out singles. Whereas if you put out an album, you get interviews, you get magazine articles, and get to do much bigger events—so, that’s why I did it.

DJ Times: Tell me about the title track.

Wisternoff: It’s probably one of the most underground tracks on the album. I wanted it to be something that kind of reflected my roots as a jungle DJ. It’s very much about the energy and the vibe of when I used to play jungle and rave music. So it’s an expression of that side of my musical history, which is quite unlike all of that uplifting, melodic kind of positive stuff that’s on the album as well.

DJ Times: The album has a nice mix, but nothing really screams “rave,” by any means.

Wisternoff: I wanted to have it all be club music, but at different points of the night, like a reflection of how a DJ set could be, just building from some deeper house vocal stuff to the bit of pumping, proggy kind of stuff—and then that bassline kinda shit.

That’s the kind of the variation I wanted.

DJ Times: Mission accomplished! So what was the production set-up?

Wisternoff: It’s basically analog synths, all of them linked up in MIDI outputs and such, and then that goes into the Pro Tools and that’s linked into Ableton. All of the writing is done in Ableton. When everything is ready, you bounce it down and do the mix in Pro Tools. But in the studio you can just jam.

DJ Times: How about in the DJ booth?

Wisternoff: I’ve been using two Pioneer CDJ 2000s, a USB dongle and a Pioneer mixer—that’s it really. I’ll use three [CDJs] if I can, if the club can afford it. But two is OK. I’ve done the Ableton DJ thing, I’ve done the Traktor thing, I’ve done the CD thing, and the vinyl thing, but at the moment I just ended up with dongles because it’s more fun.

DJ Times: A simple set-up.

Wisternoff: Yeah, the tracks that I’m playing are pretty much full of sound anyway.

I don’t want to be adding any loops. If I did want to add a loop, I will just do it on the side when I DJ. I don’t really wanna be triggering samples, as it would sound messy.

DJ Times: So do your kids know that you’re a cool DJ? Wisternoff: Probably. I’ve got a little boy who’s just over one and a girl who’s almost four. The place that we live is really close to the school that she’s enrolled in, so, yeah another reason to stay put. When you grow up a little bit and have kids, your priorities become living near a good school. Crazy, happening to me that I’m not wanting to be by good bars—even though there are good bars everywhere. Now you need to live in a place where there are great bars and great schools.

– Natalie Raben

IN THE STUDIO WITH

CHRIS LAWHORN’S FUGAZI EDITS Indie-rock fans haven’t heard brand-new material from Fugazi since the iconic quartet went on “indefinite hiatus” more than a decade ago. Through its Dischord Records website, the D.C.-based quartet did treat its followers to an amazing digital vault of live recordings in 2011, but that wasn’t enough for one DJ/fan.

No, Chris Lawhorn—a sometime springbreak spinner from Fort Wayne, Ind.—had the idea to weave together instrumental passages of certain songs, creating a long-player of reimagined mixes called Fugazi Edits. And with

DJ Times: I was always under the impression that Fugazi was very precious about its name, music, etc.What was that discussion like?

Lawhorn: This is something with which I was concerned, so I ran everything by Ian— from the first demo to the final artwork. But, he approved virtually everything as it was. Basically, he wanted it to be clear that this is an album that’s been authorized—not a collaboration. And, in keeping with that theme, he was pretty hands-off.

DJ Times: How did you put the project together in the studio?

Lawhorn’s Fugazi Faves

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

“Smallpox Champion” from In on the Kill Taker (1993): “Because of the chiming guitars at the end.”

“Long Distance Runner” from Red Medicine (1995): “Because the music matches the themes of the song so well.”

“Do You Like Me” from Red Medicine (1995): “Because it takes such a surprising turn at the outset.”

12

the intention to donate proceeds to a variety of charities, he gained permission to use the song samples from the band itself. (The project is available via iTunes, Amazon and Lawhorn’s site—chrislawhorn.com/fugazi.)

We caught up with Lawhorn to find out how it all happened.

DJ Times: What’s your DJ background?

Lawhorn: I’d been putting out rock and punk albums on my own label—Case/Martingale—since 1996. Then, I started DJing on South Padre Island in Texas for a springbreak company in 2004. In 2008, I started an 18-month stint as the resident DJ at Marie Claire magazine. When that wrapped, I started work on Fugazi Edits.

DJ Times: What did “resident-DJ” gig for Marie Claire entail?

Lawhorn: I overhauled the playlist section of their site and wrote a recurring column about music. I do the same the same now for Shape and The Huffington Post.

DJ Times: What makes a good springbreak DJ? What’s your set-up?

Lawhorn: I use [Native Instruments] Traktor. Spring-break DJing isn’t exceptionally complicated. You play hits and try to make sure no one pours beer on your setup.

DJ Times: So, how does a spring-break DJ come to remixing Fugazi?

Lawhorn: When I’d first launched my label, I’d been playing drums for a punk band—Cata-

ract Falls. Fugazi had been a major influence on us both musically and in terms of making independence seem viable.

DJ Times: How would you describe this project, especially to a non-Fugazi fan?

Lawhorn: The album takes their catalog— which is experimental punk, for lack of a better term—and isolates the instrumental passages. So, it’s a glitch, but organic, instrumental album.

DJ Times: How did you get the OK from Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye?

Lawhorn: I’d approached him with the project. We discussed it a bit. I made a demo. He gave me the green light. Then, I went to work on the album.

Lawhorn: For production, I use Ableton Live. In terms of putting the album together, I grouped the original tracks into bunches of four—by tempo and feel. From there, it was just a matter of cutting and looping until something compelling emerged.

DJ Times: The biggest challenge?

Lawhorn: For better and worse, I came into the project with enough clear ideas to make about half of the album. Once those ideas were exhausted, I had to start pushing boundaries. This isn’t to say I was inventing new ways of remixing things. But, certainly, I was using approaches that were new to me. The tracks that emerged from that point on are the most divisive, as they deviate further from the source material.

DJ Times: What’s next for you?

Lawhorn: I started a line of workout mix CDs awhile back for RunHundred.com—a workout-music database I’d built. I’ll be working on another installment of that series next.

DJ Times: What goes into making a great workout mix?

Lawhorn: For most folks, a good workout mix is one that features everything that’s presently in the Top 40 and above 128 BPM. This might sounds tame when compared to being in the middle of collegiate mayhem and cutting up punk records. But, I’m 34—and, I love working out.

– Jim Tremayne

BY INNES WEIR

TRD the real deal

The rise and rise of EDM in America continues at a breathtaking pace, as festival attendances soar and radio playlists change to reflect a long-overdue revolution in Stateside popular music. Even the most cynical industry doubters have accepted that, like it or not, club culture has infiltrated the U.S. mainstream—EDM is a fresh, stadium-sized player to rival the dinosaurs of rock, at long last.

But is the new generation of dance-music fan actually experiencing the real deal? Can the aforementioned “stadium gig” really replicate the thrill of a sweaty, 500-capacity, basement club going wild to a DJ who’s close enough to touch?

Maybe there’s a price to pay after all.

Enormo-venue superstar-DJs like Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, David Guetta and the rest should be applauded for pushing the scene on as far as they possibly can. Props to them. But, at this point, there remains a real danger of the audience forever losing touch with the raw energy and chaos of smaller, less-commercialized nights out.

So, for all the younger DJs who’ve paid top dollar to stand in a field with 20,000 others, desperately trying to even see who is playing onstage, let us introduce you to someone who consistently brings the music in a more intimate, but no less compelling way. Let us introduce you to Jamie Jones, one of the most exciting, real-deal DJ/producers on the planet today.

His relatively unhyped rise through the DJ ranks has been as organic as it has been dramatic. Consequently, Jones—a self-taught bedroom DJ from smalltown Wales—has seen his name at or near the top of most international DJ polls the past couple years.

How’d it happen? Early-decade productions for top electronic labels (Get Physical, Cocoon and Crosstown Rebels) quickly marked Jones out as an otherworldly techno pioneer and his remixes—most notably his 2011 effort for Azari & III’s “Hungry for the Power”—still hold sway over global dancefloors. He remains one of the underground’s most in-demand remixers.

For newer listeners looking for showcases that push Jones’ DJ and production skills, mix comps like 2011’s addictive Fabric 59 and memorable artist-driven output for Crosstown Rebels like 2009’s Don’t You Remember the Future and last year’s Tracks from the Crypt: Lost Classics from the Vaults, 2007-2012 should do the trick.

DJ TIMES

IN EDM’S BIGGER-IS-BETTER ERA, SOME DJS REMAIN CONTENT TO ROCK THE UNDERGROUND —

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More recently, Jones caused tremors on Ibiza this past summer with his spectacular 13-week Paradise residency at DC10.

In addition to cohelming the influential Hot Creations imprint (with Lee Foss), he heads up his own Hot Trax imprint, which released his latest single, the wickedly techy “Change.”

It’s entirely possible that he could help fill larger venues, especially in Europe, but—as always—he’ll tell you that he’d far rather play an intimate, underground club. After all, he still plays vinyl (along with Traktor and turntable controllers) and he hangs out with his fans after gigs.

Sound a little different? Say hello to the best DJ you might’ve never heard—Jamie Jones.

DJ Times: We know you’re a self-taught DJ, Jamie. Was it something that came naturally to you?

Jamie Jones: Absolutely not—I didn’t have a clue! Like a lot of kids, my first introduction to electronic music was through stuff like hardcore and drum-n-bass. But when I was 16, I got my first set of belt-driven decks and I knew straight away that I wasn’t really into mixing music like that.

DJ Times: What music did it for you, then?

Jones: I instantly gravitated towards a lot of the U.S. house guys like Masters At Work and Roger Sanchez and the French disco-house style of Stardust, SuperDiscount and Daft Punk. I had no idea what beat-matching was, though, because nobody had ever shown me what to do.

DJ Times: How did that happen for you?

Jones: I remember hearing a 30-second clip on [BBC] Radio 1, which talked about matching the first beat and speeding records up with the pitch control—and it was a revelation. I was absolutely all over it from there on in—at home, mixing every single night and driving my mum nuts.

DJ Times: And you continue to play vinyl to this day…

Jones: Yeah, I still go vinyl shopping every couple of weeks and I’ll normally take about 15-20 records out with me for a gig.

I find it difficult to look for new music online now because so much of it is just throwaway—it’s brain-numbing. The thing is, even the best club sound systems in the world aren’t really built

for vinyl, but that’s never been the point for me. Any track will obviously sound crisper through WAV as opposed to vinyl, but that’s not going to stop me playing an amazing vinyl-only track. In general, though, arguing about formats seems pretty pointless to me.

DJ Times: Are you a gadget freak? What equipment do you rely on when you DJ these days?

Jones: I’m not that much of a freak, no. Even though the new Pioneer mixers are great, they’re not really my thing. So I’ve always used an Allen & Heath mixer and I’ll never stop using Technics 1200s or 1210 turntables. I’ve gone through a lot of equipment over the years. The [Native Instruments] X1 Kontrol for Traktor was really cool, for example, and when Serato and Traktor first came out for vinyl I was all over that, too. But I’m more of a record-playing DJ than an “FX DJ,” to be honest.

DJ Times: Why’s that?

Jones: I know a lot of people who place so much importance on being able to mix records “properly,” but it’s much more about playing the right tracks at the right time for me. Magda, for instance, syncs her records when she plays and I think she’s a wicked DJ—it’s all about taste and timing.

DJ Times: There seems to be a new wave of DJs such as your own Hot Natured crew, Seth Troxler and the other Visionquest guys, who reject the “Superstar DJ” lifestyle. Was this a conscious decision?

Jones: Not at all—it’s honestly just the way we are. The guys you mention are friends, but there’s no “movement” as such because we’ve never stuck to one particular style or sound that connects us. We’re all pretty humble and approachable and we’re all party people ourselves, too, and I think clubbers can see that for themselves.

DJ Times: But it’s not a bad life, right?

Jones: Everyone has their moments. When you come from the type of backgrounds that lots of us do and suddenly you’re being treated really well and flown all over the word, it’s really important to have good friends around to keep you grounded. If you don’t give it 100-percent and play a crap set or you’re getting drunk and being a bit of a diva, then it’s good for your DJ friends

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to say: “Shut up, mate! Never forget that you’re being paid to play records.” When your real-life job is playing records, you really can’t lose sight of how lucky you are.

DJ Times: As your reputation and fanbase both continue to grow, do you feel any pressure these days?

Jones: Yes, I did feel under a different type of pressure for the first time in my life recently. I’ve always been lucky. I’ve always had a following, but suddenly the venues were getting bigger, the money’s bigger and you know that there are people who’ve come to check you out for the first time because of all the hype.

I could actually feel the sense of anticipation from the crowd. I felt like I really had to up my game even more than normal.

DJ Times: Is that an ongoing feeling?

Jones: I’m more relaxed about it all now, though. I feel like I’ve proved myself and I can actually push the boundaries again.

My new material, for instance, is closer to my older sound in that it’s a bit weirder, a bit more robotic. Hopefully, people who got into my more commercial tracks will go with this material, too.

DJ Times: Do you think that this level of success has impacted your “underground credentials” in any way?

Jones: The great thing about the underground house and techno scene is how passionate everyone is about the music.

Most people I meet really don’t care about making money at all. The negative side to it all, though, is that level of snobbery where guys feel like they have to be into something so obscure and avant-garde that absolutely nobody else likes it! If someone doesn’t like what I’m doing now just because more and more people have got into it, then fine—I’m not bothered. One of my first, main ambitions was to make quality music and bring it to the attention of as many people as possible. I put blood, sweat and tears into my music and I’ll never, ever discriminate over what sort of people “should” be into it or how “underground” it sounds.

DJ Times: Where do you stand on someone like David Guetta? Has he been good or bad news for EDM? Jones: I’m not going to lie... of course, a lot of his music is (continued on page 42)

From Jamie Jones’ deep discography of original productions and remixes, we hereby offer our picks. For some DJs, they may be tracks you never knew you knew already… *“Galactic Space Bar” feat. Egyptian Lover, (Crosstown Rebels), 2009: Taken from his debut album Don’t You Remember the Future, this original production was the breakthrough club smash that Jones had always threatened to produce. It’s quirky, robotic electro-house with a unique retro/futurist vibe that would soon become Jones’ hallmark sound. The accompanying video— loosely based on Aphex Twin’s classic “Windowlicker” film— was a YouTube phenomenon, as it married a madcap sense of humor to crisp, icy melodies in spectacularly wonky fashion. *Remixes for Azari & III’s “Hungry for the Power” (Turbo), 2011, & Green Velvet’s “Flash” (Relief), 2010: Jones’ signature remix sound transformed these tracks to such an extent that they may as well have been his own productions. By adding layers of sci-fi effects, melancholic synth lines and deep, tech-house grooves to the originals, the overall effect is somewhere between sexy and sinister. Producers all over the world have since had to form an orderly queue for any more of Jones’ space-age treatments. *“Benediction” (Hot Creations), 2012: Recorded as Hot Natured with bosom studio buddies Lee Foss, Ali Love and Luca C, this sublime cut of meandering, poolside house not only signalled a new direction for Jones with its lush pop production, but broke into the U.K.’s Top-40 singles chart, too—underground to overground in a flash. We’re licking our lips already at the prospect of their debut album, due out in spring. Don’t forget who told you first.

– Innes Weir

Charles Turner

Our Picks: Jamie Jones Tracks

HOT DJ SHOTS FROM NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTIES ACROSS AMERICA

EDM NYE on

New York City – First off, Happy New Year!

This past New Year’s Eve and its previous weekend, the EDM world saw plenty of its top DJ/performers light up venues across the country for thousands of adoring fans. From Las Vegas to Dallas and New York City, some of the globe’s major talents welcomed in the New Year, then drove their beats deep into the night. Here’s what it all looked like in Las Vegas at XS Nightclub, in Dallas at the Lights All Night festival (presented

by Highland Entertainment/MCP Presents) and at three New York City Venues—Pier 36 (presented

by Joonbug.com), Pier 94 (presented by RPM) and Pacha (presented

by RPM):

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1 Vegas, Baby: The midnight scene at XS. Danny Mahoney/XS

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3 White Raver Rafting: Steve Aoki at NYC’s Pier 94.

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4 Joonbug.com Presents: Armin

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van Buuren at NYC’s Pier 36.

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5 2013! Ringing in the New Year in Dallas. iWally Photography

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6 NYE in NYC: Confetti flies at Pier 36.

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7 NY Buds: Victor Calderone & Danny Tenaglia.

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8 Dubstepper: Rusko rocks

Pier 94. Andrew Rauner/RPM

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9 Pacha NYC: Ferry Corsten feels the beat. Andrew Rauner/RPM

10 DJing in Dallas: Diplo at Lights All Night. Calder Wilson

11 XS Rodent: Deadmau5 in Vegas.

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12 Jacked: Afrojack thanks his fans at Pier 94.

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13 EDM Affection: Benny Benassi

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with Nervo. Andrew Rauner/RPM

14 More Lights All Night: A-Trak does Dallas. iWally Photography

15 EDM Stars: Skrillex & Calvin Harris in Vegas.

Danny Mahoney/XS

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Holiday Cheer

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Mike Mahoney of M&M Entertainment in South Portland, Maine, is like most mobile DJs around the countr y. He says winter holiday bookings in 2012 were decent—but not necessarily great.

“We were expecting a blockbuster this year because of the way the calendar falls—with Christmas and New Year’s both falling on weekdays,” says Mahoney. “Instead, we found ourselves sitting at home the first Saturday of December. Sure, we had four company parties just in the first two weeks of the month, but I think this had more to do with companies seeking consistency than anything else.

“I still booked a couple gigs in January, however, and at the last minute was called to verify a party for a long-time client on the second Saturday in January.”

Much discussion and debate has occurred over the timing and veracity of an economic comeback, especially with the verbal tit-for-tat between the candidates in last year’s presidential campaign.

Has the recovery started already?

If not, will it start soon? How will changes in tax laws impact our bottom lines? And how can self-employed DJs plan for 2013 in response to holiday bookings we made in the final month of 2012?

Mahoney himself is hesitant to say the recovery is real. “For example, I have two companies that have had me as their entertainment for over five years now and I’m honored to continue to be their choice,” he says, “but I’m nervous because the numbers of employees working at these companies continues to dwindle.

One company was down from a high of 60 employees to 32 this year. The other company hasn’t seen a drastic cut in employees, but has gone from having their company event at a beautiful upscale venue to gradually downsizing and having their party in a grange hall.

“Honestly, I think last year was

better than this year. But on the upside, my January clients have been the most consistent and my second Saturday client has even added two hours to this year’s event, so perhaps there’s hope.”

According to an Associated Press story recently reported in the Chicago Tribune, after years of cancellations and downsizing, according to surveys of human resource departments nationwide, year-end office parties in 2012 indicated an uptick.

Matt Windsor, owner of A Posh Production, a Chicago event, lighting and DJ company, said in the aforementioned article that he’s noticed Midwestern companies—after scaling back holiday celebrations for the past few years—have been adding special lighting, disco balls, and even logo branding on cocktail napkins.

“I’ve definitely seen the trend where we’re doing a lot more corporate events and holiday events,” Windsor says. “And recently they’ve been wanting a lot more add-ons, including video, lights and screens.”

Back over on the eastern side of the country, DJ Carl Williams in New York City says corporate parties have surely been better of late. But the downside of increased holiday business, he says, is that companies—even as they increase the number of celebrations for their employees—want to spend less per event.

“I think last year’s election and the ‘fiscal cliff ’ news made budgets even smaller,” Williams theorizes. “Also, like most industries, there are more competitors bidding on the same gigs or customers, so I had to be a little more flexible with my prices this year. For example, I had to drop my rate $700 dollars just to get one large international brand for a second year. And even when I dropped my price, that client wanted more ‘stuff’ for the lesser price.

“My clients are still finding me from multiple word-of-mouth referrals and the website, plus I just upgraded our website to a CMS, so that’s been beneficial. But even though the website is detailed, companies still want that personal referral. And additionally, once they get the personal referral, they still want to save money. It certainly was the year of the hustle and negotiations.”

DJ Carl says his plans for next year’s holiday season include optimistically upselling additional services—and actually going for an increased price.

“My goal will be to market every corporate gig that I do with video content,” he explains, saying he’s hoping to gain an advantage with the recent technological surge. “I want friends to share their party experiences on their social-media platforms, so that the upsell will be easier to the corporate customer and they’ll increase their budgets even more to hire me.”

Back over in the Northwestern part of the country, Seattle-based Adam Tiegs of Adam’s DJ Service reports that booking numbers are down—though not the financials.

“In fact, all my Fridays and Saturdays filled up with events in December—and some weekdays, too—including a New Year’s Eve wedding,” claims Tiegs.

“Of course, this year I didn’t book as many events in December, because I’ve taken my operation solo and no longer have other DJs on staff. I’ve done this to reduce my hours as a DJ and manager of the business, to spend more time with my family, to reduce my tax burden and expenses, and to be happier spending more time with clients, as well as spending more time in the studio making custom edits and remixes.”

But when it comes to December bookings, Tiegs is proud to say that his dollar-per-event profit ratio did go up, and in the end he actually made more money in December 2012 than he did the season before.

“Corporate bookings are about the same,” he admits. “But I’ve had some repeat clients, plus some new ones—including Costco Corporate. For the most part, they’re finding me by word-of-mouth referrals from partners or clients or via Google Search and Yelp.”

As an interesting side-note and speaking of elections, Tiegs says that the law recently passed in the state of Washington (along with two other states) legalizing same-sex marriage has led to an increase in inquiries for his weddingreception services.

“Especially for events in January and February, I’ve had more calls, and now I’d like to learn how other mobile DJs are adapting their businesses to accommodate this new market,” he says. “Unfortunately, I can’t contribute much because I’m still learning the lingo about this new market—i.e. what to put on a

planner instead of ‘bride and groom’?

And do I separate the forms and have a traditional wedding form and then a same-sex wedding form?”

Regardless, for this DJ business, the future does look bright in terms of increased bookings.

Meanwhile, back over on the East Coast, Scott Goldoor in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., says holiday gigs in 2012 for Signature DJs were down at least 15- to 20-percent from years past.

But thanks to repeat business, his company is still kept fairly busy.

Says Goldoor: “We’ve had many accounts that used us for years and years—sometimes 10-plus years— who just stopped having events because of the economy.

“We’ve found that, for the most part, accounts have been scaled back for our company. Nowadays, they either book us for their entire event, or they just do not have a party. Otherwise, they’ve not really scaled back on things, like hours of performance or extras such as lighting or live music for a cocktail hour, or prop items or Photo Booths.

“Most of our corporate clients are businesses that have used us in years past and have enjoyed our performance, and have found us initially from either the venue where they have the event who would recommend our company. Other times, someone at the company had seen one of my DJs perform at a wedding or private party, and then referred us to the party planner or person in charge of human resources at the company. For the most part, we’ve still been getting our asking price for most of our gigs.”

As for the future, most financial professionals encourage everyone in the self-employed entertainment industry—whether we be party planners or restaurant owners or mobile DJs—to pay careful attention to changes in the tax laws put in place after December 31, 2012.

The maximum federal-income-tax rate on ordinary income will increase from its present level of 35 percent to 39.6 percent, additional regulations have been put into place with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) of 2010, and a new Medicare tax on net investment income will take effect beginning January 1. Unless you have a respectable crystal ball, see your accountant for details. n

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MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

AURIA: IPAD DAW

By Josh Harris

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

Auria App brings multi-track recording to iPad.

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From the moment I opened up my iPad2 just over a year ago, I wondered if it was possible to use it like a DAW. I had the feeling that the processing power was strong enough, and once I began to see more and more iOS apps coming out on the market, with each batch pushing the limits of the hardware, I knew that the day would eventually come when a company developed a full-fledged iPad DAW, or iDAW. Enter WaveMachine Labs, the company that many of you may know from Drumagog, its extremely successful plug-in, which replaces acoustic drum tracks with the user’s choice of other samples.

Auria—WaveMachine Labs’ DAW for iPad—boasts the ability to record up to 24 simultaneous tracks (stereo or mono) at 24-bit/96K, and playback 48 tracks. Unfortunately, if you own the original iPad, you will be limited to 24 tracks of playback, and only record up to 48K. A quick note about the 24 tracks of simultaneous recording: You have to use a USB-compatible, multichannel interface, which will require the Camera Connection Kit. Auria is also AAF compatible, which means that you can import sessions from DAWs like Pro Tools, Logic, and any DAW that has the ability to export the session in the AAF format.

Additionally, Auria has the ability to

export sessions in the AAF format, so you can just as easily start a session on your iPad, and finish it in your DAW. PSPAudioware are the type of plug-ins that comes with Auria and channel strips are available on every track, as well as a very nice Mastering Suite for the Master Fader. True 100 mm faders are available when used in Portrait Mode, and the automation behaves just like that of a professional DAW. The same is true for the recording and editing sections.

The cut, copy, paste and waveform editing functions feel very similar to Logic and Pro Tools, two of the DAWs that many, like myself, are most familiar with.

The mixer is set up with eight assignable subgroups and two Aux Sends. The DAW’s effects include a convolution reverb, classic reverb, delay and chorus.

There is also a Re Tune plug-in included for tuning vocals. Track freezing is possible, which I highly recommend to conserve iPad CPU power. Two iPads can be synced together via Aurialink for 96-track playback and 48-track recording.

Delay compensation occurs on all tracks, which does include the submix groups and Aux Returns.

I am happy to say that my time spent using Auria was amazing and, several times during my recording and mixing, I had to take a minute and process what was going on: I was recording and mixing on my iPad much like a laptop or desktop DAW! The first portion of my testing was spent importing stems from a Logic Session to mix. Auria uses iTunes as the vehicle for importing audio, and will create a project folder with the new project, so all imported files live in that folder. My 11 pairs of stereo stems imported seamlessly and I was quickly organizing my tracks on the arrange window and beginning to setup my mix.

Once I got past the fact that I didn’t have a mouse, I was able to get into a groove and have my mix in a very good place within an hour or so. I had channel strips on just about every track, as well as the mastering suite on the master fader. I also ran a classic reverb and a delay, which pushed my CPU usage to about 50-percent.

Because Auria operates with a 64-bit, double-precision, floating-point mixing engine, there is plenty of headroom. I was very impressed with how well my mix sounded when I put it up against a version of the same song mixed in Logic.

The next part of my testing involved recording raw tracks straight into Auria using the iPad’s internal microphone, as I do not currently own one of the compatible USB interfaces. Much like the mixing experience, the recording and editing process felt very natural and intuitive, and I now feel inspired to buy one of the compatible interfaces, so that I can use Auria for more serious recording applications.

Auria is a $49.99 iOS app, which is certainly a high price point for iPad apps, and it may turn many people away just on price alone. But when you stop and think about the power that is now harnessed within your iPad, I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t own it. The whole point of mobile recording is to get your ideas down the moment that they hit you, or at least as close to that moment as possible.

This program is a winner, and a huge thank you to the crew at WaveMachine Labs for finally giving all of us iPad owners the ability to use our iPads in more demanding recording and mixing situations.

For those who want to know, the other available plug-ins available for purchase through WaveMachine Labs include: THM Effect, Drumagog, Micro Warmer, Echo, and Pro-Q. Check ’em out.

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

SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING

YAMAHA SPEAKERS & STANTON CONTROLLER

By Jody Amos & Wesley Bryant-King

In this month’s pro-audio column, Bay Area mobile Jody Amos test drives Yamaha’s DXR and DXS Series of powered speakers and subs, while Denver jock Wesley Bryant-King puts Stanton’s SJC.4 controller through its paces.

Yamaha DXR/DXS Series

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

Performance runs in the bloodlines at Yamaha and it rings true with the company’s DXR Series of powered speakers. Derived from their acclaimed DSR series, with R&D provided by Yamaha-Owned Nexo (Europe’s leader in sound reinforcement), the DXR loudspeakers offer superb high-definition sound and class-leading SPL (sound pressure levels).

The DXR Series is comprised of four full-range models—8-, 10-, 12- and 15-inch—perfectly suited for almost any portable application. The DXR units are all 2-way, bi-amplified-powered, bass-reflex-style speakers. DJs can combine these speakers with Yamaha’s perfectly matched 12- or 15-inch DXS subwoofers to elevate a system’s performance with some extra low end thump. Prices are as follows: DXR15 ($799 MAP); DXR12 ($699); DXR10 ($599); DXR8 ($549); DXS15 ($799); and DXS12 ($699).

Versatility: The DXR Series of loudspeakers can be used in a variety of ways. The bottom of the speaker offers two 35mm pole sockets to choose from, depending on your venue and application.You can choose to pole-mount them flat with zero degree of angle for most events, or tilted down at 7-degrees to direct the acoustic energy away from reflective surfaces and onto your audience where it belongs.

You can also choose to floor-wedge them for a monitor application, on either its left side or right side. Some performers may choose to use two DXRs (one on each side) to provide a mirror-monitor placement for a more defined sweet spot. Yamaha also provides some convenient rigging points for use with standard eye bolts or optional mounting brackets.

I was fortunate enough to test out a pair of DXR15 mains and a pair of DXS15 subs, and what a treat it was.

The DXR15’s sport a 15-inch cone with a 2.5-inch voice coil and a 1.4-inch throat compression driver. The coverage is what you would expect to find in most portable speakers with 90 degrees of horizontal dispersion and 60 degrees vertical. I found with just a set of the DSX15’s, with a max a rating of a 133dB max SPL, I did not need to take the subs along to every event I provided music for.

The 15-inch mains alone provided enough low end for my typical 150-person weddings, which was very convenient for me. However, for larger events, taking the subs along provided that extra low end that every DJ loves— and I am sure the guests on the dance floor did, too. I was able to get plenty of volume out of this set without compromising the sound quality.

Bells & Whistles: The DXR speakers feature a Class D amplifier with an 1,100-watt maximum output rating—pushing 950 watts to the lows and 150 watts to the high frequencies. You will also find a 3-channel mixer on the back side that lets you connect a wide variety of devices. Channel 1 on the mixer has an XLR input with a switch for mic or line level with independent line level control—and a direct output link to daisy chain another speaker. Channel 2 offers left and right ¼-inch inputs with line volume control, and Channel 3 offers RCA inputs with volume control.

The built-in mixer also features a special Mono/Stereo Link Output that allows you to use a simple 2-speaker setup in either form. Mono would, of course, play in mono on both speakers, but set the switch to “Stereo” and your first speaker will play the left channel of your source and your second speaker would play the right signal.

This is a feature I have not seen yet in any other speaker systems.

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Performance Technology: Yamaha also claims that they have the best DSP (Digital Signal Processing) than anyone in the business. On the back of the DXR series speakers, you will see a few DSP options. The D-CONTOUR switch allows you to give the highs and lows some extra boost when set to “FOH (Front of House) or Main” setting, which is great for any full-range application—this is what I set mine to when I used them without the subs.

You can also switch it to “Monitor” which reduces the low frequencies and rumble when used as a floor monitor. You can also set the switch to the OFF position if you prefer to process your signal with an external device. Below the D-CONTOUR switch, you will find an HPF (High Pass Filter) switch which allows you to cut the low frequencies to your mains. It offers a cut of 100Hz (great for vocal) or 120Hz, which is great for using with a DXS sub. This way you can take some of the work load off the mains and let your subs handle the heavy loads.

Yamaha housed the DXRs in a durable ABS plastic and finished them in a smooth matte black with matching aluminum grill to give them a clean, discreet look.The smooth, untextured surface can easily get scratched and will even show some greasy streaks left by your fingers. Like most speakers on the market, you better pick up some speaker bags to keep them beautiful. Yamaha offers bags for the DXR8 and DXR10 and covers for the DXR12, DXR15, and both subwoofers, too.

Overall, I must say I was super-happy with the Yamaha DXRs. It’s hard to find a speaker with so much versatility backed up with a strong performance, but Yamaha has definitely come through as a top contender with this series.

Versatile: Yamaha’s DXR/DXS series.

Stanton DJC.4

you’d expect it to be generally.

One criticism of mine involves a One of the more recent controldesign decision that introduces a i g lers to come on that market iisRfrom slight usability issue in my view: M i x : the venerable Stanton DJ. I recently Some of the controls are repliused these pages to take a look at cated left side to right, some are their integrated, all-in-one system, mirrored left to right, and still the SCS.4DJ. This time around, I others (notably some of the eflook at a more conventional, comfects knobs) are neither. I might puter-centric approach: the DJC.4, personally have done it a little which comes bundled with Virtual differently, but as with anything, DJ LE software. a little practice and it’ll become First Impressions: As the name second nature. might suggest, the DJC.4 is a 4-deck Set-Up & Use: Minor nits controller. It sports an integrated here or there aside, using the audio system (“sound card,” if you Stanton DJC.4 was easy and fun. will), and ships with an ASIO driver While I dislike that the crossfader for Windows users, while integratStanton DJC.4: Nicely made, fun to use. cannot be disabled, the placement ing nicely into the native multichanof all the common controls (EQ, nel Core Audio system of OS X on transport, etc.) was natural and the Mac side—both serving to deliver low-latency output. intuitive and made getting up-to-speed with the basics to be quick and The DJC.4 is a nice, compact unit with a good feel. The construction is plassimple.

Even the effects engine—I’ve always admired Virtual DJ’s simple-buttic and metal, and the overall impression is of a solid, capable, professional unit. no-compromises capability in this area—was nice and easy to use once I got An external power source can be used if needed in situations where USB bus accustomed to the control placement. power may be too low. But in most cases, a direct connection to a USB port on Conclusions: Stanton’s DJC.4 is an affordable (roughly $350 street price), the computer (with the supplied USB cable) will provide all the juice needed usable DJ controller with easy set-up, simple connections, and virtually everyto operate the device—helping keep things simple and easy. Along with the thing a beginning to intermediate digital DJ might need to get started and to USB and power jacks, I was pleased to see a pair of ¼-inch master outs on the perform competent DJ sets—just add digital music, a set of DJ headphones back panel; RCA is also provided for flexibility. On the front, dual ¼-inch and and, of course, bring along a properly equipped laptop or desktop computer.

1/8-inch headphone jacks—again, a nice touch that frees you from having to More advanced users may wish to consider upgrading to the full version of remember where you put your adapter. The bottom line is that firing up your Virtual DJ (at this writing, a $249 upgrade) to get enhanced functionality from laptop is likely to take far longer than hooking up the DJC.4. the overall package—providing a path for future growth and expansion for Everything else on the face of the unit is straightforward as well. You get big, those who come to need it. Nicely made and fun to use, the Stanton DJC.4 beefy knobs, nicely separated LED back-lit buttons, the requisite hefty rotary makes an attractive, budget-friendly choice for digital DJ control. encoder platters—all with a nice feel—and pretty much everything where

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MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES

ALL-PURPOSE DJ STAKES HIS CLAIM

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

By Stu Kearns

28

Houston—Growing up in the tough streets of Chicago, a 12-year-old Fred Malone would bypass the basketball courts on his way home from school and head to his parent’s basement.

“I grew up in an area with gangs and drive-bys,” he recalls, “and instead of hanging with the boys after school, you could catch me in the basement mixing on the turntables.”

His mentor teaching him the ins and outs on the ones and twos was a neighborhood DJ named Stormy.

“I would see how other DJs in the neighborhood were so into it whenever they were on the decks, beat mixing, or being a hype man,” says Malone. “And seeing people having a good time with the music and the DJ being the main influence—that made me want to DJ. And Stormy took me on as my teacher.”

When we was 14, Malone’s family situation changed, necessitating a move to Houston, where he re-cast himself as DJ F. “Coming from a low-income family has it downs,” he says. “But I was willing to make it out and do what I had to do.”

At school, he did what he had to do, and made some connections that would steer him to a DJ path: he eventually drifted towards a popular local teen club called Attitudes, where, for nearly a year, he trained his eye on the DJ booth until he stepped into it. “At 15-years old, I got into the booth for the first time and rocked the show,” he says. “I loved that feeling of giving people a good time. After the gig, people came up to me and asked who I was and said, ‘You rock,’ and ‘You did your thing, boy.’”

Malone thought to himself that maybe he had something going on here. He began playing parties and other gigs, and soon decided that his DJ name wasn’t the right brand for him. “I was DJing one night,” he says, “and I said into the mic, ‘It’s DJ F in the building!’

As I put the mic down, I thought to myself that DJ F just does not sound right.”

He grabbed the mic, and said to the crowd, “Everyone, let me reintroduce myself: My name is DJ 1.2.”

The crowd loved it.

But DJ 1.2 didn’t properly “arrive” as a DJ until

Fred Malone’s company offers a variety of services.

2007, when he was 19. The place was called the Fuel Cyber Café. “It was a large club and could fit well over 400 people,” he says. “It was a 21-and-up club, so I was most likely the youngest one there. To this day I remember that because the club was set up to where I could look over everyone. And as I played my set, I was really going ham on the CDJs—people loved it.

“After a while, everyone just started chanting my name. It was a great feeling. It seemed like I could make the crowd do whatever I wanted them to. It was like I had them in the palm of my hand. We all had a good time. It stands out to me the most because that felt like the moment that I arrived on the scene, in a lot of people’s minds. My name was made that night.”

He began booking more gigs, and decided to open DJ Malone Productions, playing any sort of gig that would have him—parties, events, and clubs, while programming rap, dance, Top 40, rock, pop, country, oldies. “Whatever you ask for, I will play,” he says. “I was always taught the more [kinds of music] you play, the more venues you can open for.”

The list of venues began growing: Houston area spots like Night Moves, Club Intense, Magics, and Club Fantasy. He’s even taken his skills back to Chicago and played several clubs and events, mostly weddings and other private parties.

Like many DJs in the club game, Malone began making beats and slowly evolved DJ Malone Productions into a full production company, opening a small studio and producing songs, albums, and beats, and hosting mix tapes and promoting artists.

“You can bring your own beats or purchase beats from us,” he says. “Or use our studio to record your songs, and we’ll even provide the mixing for you for an additional charge. For a fee of $50, DJ Malone Productions will provide the space and technology for the recording of three songs, without mixing.” With his team, Malone has taken on clients and gotten some traction with some notable hip-hop MCs such as F.O.E from Houston and Kroosh from New York. “People say they get a good vibe coming to DJ Malone Productions,” he says.

“And this is something that I like to do, because for DJs right now, it’s greedy. It’s like they don’t want to just help the artist anymore. It’s kind of like a rapper gives a tape to a DJ, and then the DJ is firing back saying, ‘Here, listen to my mix tape as well.’ I understand everyone needs to get noticed, but the thing is… as the DJ, your job is to let the streets know what’s hot and what’s new.”

When he’s outside the studio, Malone prefers to DJ his mobile events with the Numark NS7 Performance Controller and Serato ITCH software. Although taught to spin on vinyl, Malone’s digital transition has gone through many phases. “I always was a CDJ-type of dude,” he says of his deck skills. “My first unit was a Gemini dual-CD player, and today I have over 10,000 CDs and digital files in my repertoire.”

He still puts them to good use. Listeners can catch his podcast, “Malone’s Hype Line,” on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 pm Central on blogtalkradio.com. It’s just another element of his many-faceted DJ life.

BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…

5 TOOLS TO AMP UP YOUR SOCIAL-MEDIA INFLUENCE 1

LinkedIn’s Skills & Expertise Page

2

Crowdbooster

3

TWEETBOT

4

POSTACUMEN

5

QUOZIO

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

By Stu Heyman

30

The new buzzword among small business marketers is ROI— “Return on Influence.” In other words, how effective are you at utilizing social media to generate brand awareness and to convert social-media relationships to referrals, and, ultimately, to bookings?

Here are five tools that can help you maximize your efforts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn. LINKEDIN’S SKILLS & EXPERTISE PAGE: The benefits of LinkedIn are well known to DJs, especially those who are looking to optimize their B-to-B marketing for corporate bookings.

But LinkedIn’s Skills and Expertise Page can accelerate those efforts. The Skills and Expertise Page helps you to find the best keywords to use in your LinkedIn social profiles, and identifies the key influencers and companies you should be targeting with your DJ skills. Finally, it lets you know what kinds of groups you should join for relationship building. To find it, go to your LinkedIn profile, and on the top navigation bar, click “More” and then “Skills and Expertise.”

“Related Skills” appear on the left-hand side of the Skills page when you search for a skill to add to your profile. LinkedIn will also show you the popularity of those particular keywords. “Influencers” will be set by name, picture and title. For wedding DJs, for example, nearly 20 names occupy the page, and LinkedIn will show how you’re connected to them. If they are a first-degree connection, send them a message. For a second-degree connection, ask for an introduction.

The Skills page also highlights the companies, jobs and groups that are relevant to DJing, a timesaving device when you’re looking for companies to offer your services to, for groups to engage with to build strategic relationships.

CROWDBOOSTER: Crowdbooster helps you maximize your Twitter postings, telling you when your best times to tweet are in order to reach the maximum audience, based on how your followers respond. For $9 per month, the tool allows you to check the number of retweets, replies, impressions, likes and comments, among other metrics, and customizes them by date range, in realtime, to help you adapt to your audience’s feedback. You can also drill down to see who retweeted you, and how many shares were organic, and lets you know the Klout scores of new influential

followers.

Crowdbooster can also dig into your Facebook Fan Page metrics to analyze your top posts, number of impressions, fan growth and top fans, putting every Facebook post or tweet on a table with associated metrics. Sort the table to see the messages with the most viral reach.

Crowdbooster displays colorful “bubbles,” showing how well your tweets (and Facebook posts) are doing, which you hover over for more information. You can even schedule posts via Crowdbooster for both Twitter and Facebook.

TWEETBOT: Of all the third-party iPhone apps for Twitter, Tweetbot is one that allows you to filter tweets. For example, if you’re following thousands of people, and you only want to read tweets from DJs in your local organization, Tweetbot allows you to use your Twitter lists as fully functional timelines. Create lists for friends, family, co-workers—and DJ Expo attendees—and Tweetbot lets you switch between them as separate timelines.

Tweetbot also makes it easy to catch up on a conversation or see responses to a specific tweet—just swipe to the right to view a conversation thread, or to the left to view the tweet in detail. Its “smart gestures” also impress: First, tap a link in your timeline to view more, and second, tap and hold any of those elements for more you options, and finally, you can triple-tap to reply-to, fave, retweet, or even translate a tweet.

POSTACUMEN: Like any small business owner, Facebook is likely one of your brand’s key social channels. A neat tool to analyze how your posts are performing, relative to your competition, is PostAcumen. From the people who brought us EdgeRank, PostAcumen allows you to monitor any industry— including the DJ industry—in real-time, and see top performing pages and posts as they happen. Determine what strategies are working for the competition, and implement what works for your page.

It does this by analyzing publicly available Facebook data, so you don’t need to be an admin of a page—this service gives you analysis of your competitor’s posts that in the past only your competitor had access to.

PostAcumen is currently offering two weeks of the service for free, as an introductory offer, and we see it providing helpful insights. Besides being easy to use, PostAcumen can help better deliver engaging content to your fans and vendor partners.

QUOZIO: Many DJs who are putting together extravagant light shows and themed weddings are finding success with Pinterest, the fastest growing social media tool currently in existence. Others use it to pin images culled from their clients.

If you can’t find an image to pin on Pinterest, Quozio is your solution. It’s a tool that allows you to take some text, like an inspirational quote or a blurb, even a pithy testimonial from a client, and turn it into a shareable and pinnable image.

For example, when you find a helpful article or blog post that can assist a bride in making a decision about an aspect of her wedding, and you want to pin it to one of your pinboards, but the Pin It bookmarklet can’t find a pinnable image on the page, all you need to do is highlight a snippet of text from the blog post you want to pin, copy it, then use Quozio to create a pinnable image from that text. You can pin your new image directly from the Quozio interface.

To make sure your new Quozio pin links back to the original blog post you want to share, you just need to edit your pin after you’ve posted it.You can click on the “edit” button in the corner of any of your pins to edit that pin’s settings and add the URL of the original blog post. Then just click on “Save Pin” and you’ve got a pin that links back to a helpful blog post.

If you have any questions for Business Line, please send them to djtimes@testa.com.

JOHN LYONS AND CROWN: PARTNERS IN EXCLUSIVE CLUBS.

Night after night, Crown’s Macro-Tech i Series excels at setting the standard for pure sound quality, detail and clarity.

MACRO-TECH® I SERIES

A LEGACY OF UNPARALLELED SONIC ACCURACY With over 30 years of experience in the highly competitive club business, John Lyons is an international success. And, from hot spots in Hollywood to Las Vegas, from Atlantic City to Dubai, he’s turned to the unparalleled sonic accuracy and superb reliability of Crown’s Macro-Tech i Series amplifiers to power the sound in his popular clubs.

“The robust construction of the Macro-Tech i Series amps make them a good choice for a club where failure during the show is not an option.”

- JOHN LYONS

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Make Your X-Move American DJ 6122 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 582-2650 www.americandj.com American DJ’s X-Move LED 25R is a lightweight moving head with a high-octane 25-watt CREE white LED lamp that creates an “extreme high-output beam,” according to the company. It includes six rotating, replaceable gobos, plus a spot, that create effects in eight colors plus white. The unit comes equipped with separate color and gobo wheels, plus high-quality stepper motors. Additional features include a gobo shake effect, manual focus, pulse effect, 0–100 percent dimming, and auto X–Y positioning.

Interface Marriage Serato Private Bag 92015, AMSC Auckland 1142 New Zealand +64 9 379 4944 www.serato.com Serato DJ unveiled a re-designed user interface that includes 10 redesigned FX controls, enhanced Beatgrid editing controls, and virtual decks that feature BPM, time elapsed, time remaining, pitch percentage and pitch range information. Users can choose between a variety of view moves, including vertical waveform, library mode and horizontal waveform in both classic and extended views. In addition, users can choose to display either eight cue points and eight loops or four cues and four loops.

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

App-y Go Lucky

32

algoriddim GmbH Veterinärstr. 2 80539 Munich Germany www.algoriddim.com

Rub A Dub Dub Horns

Germany’s algorridim released a new version of its djay app that supports the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 6.

Users can instantly download iTunes content directly from within the app, as well as use multi-channel audio to cue their tracks and output them in full stereo at the same time. The new djay also takes advantage of iPhone 5 enhancements, including its wider screen by accommodating sub-menus such as pitch bending, the sync button and beats-per-minute display, which were previously hidden away.

Dub Horns Section 2 is the second volume in Future Loops’ Dub & Reggae brass loops collection. The collection includes several ready-tomix arrangements that come in full-mix version with the instruments pre-mixed, plus separate instrument versions of the trombone, saxophone and trumpet. All of the loops also come pre-sliced into one shots.

Dub Horns Section 2 is includes more 4,500 samples in WAV and REX format, all of which are royalty free.

Future Loops www.futureloops.com

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GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Pioneer and Far

Push the Button

Pioneer Electronics 1925 E. Dominguez St. Long Beach, CA 90810 (310) 952-2000 www.pioneerdjusa.com

Ableton Inc. 36 W. Colorado Blvd. Suite 300 Pasadena, CA 91105 (646) 723-4550 www.ableton.com

The Pioneer DJM-2000nexus performance mixer comes equipped with a built-in full-color 5.8-inch LCD multi-touch panel and features a dynamic range of 107dB. The unit offers MIDI control capability, as well as music mixing functions including the new Beat Slice and Sync Master. Effect Frequency knobs change the low, mid and high frequency bands of the music, while INST FX provides six additional audio effects that include Noise, HPF, LPF, Jet, Zip and Crush.

Ableton designed its new hardware instrument, Push, to help users create a song from scratch. The unit comes equipped with 64 velocity- and pressure-sensitive multi-color pads, as well as 11 touch-sensitive encoders to control device parameters, adjust velocity and more. Push includes Ableton Live 9 Intro and works with any edition of Ableton Live 9. It features buttons that let users trigger clips, overdub notes, and move between song materials and variations to improvise with song structure. The USB-powered Push is sized to fit inside a backpack along with a laptop.

Tech and Talk DJ-Tech USA 10 Cragwood Road Avenel, NJ 07001 (732) 388-5000 www.djtechpro.com DJ Tech’s Preamp-1800 is a rackmount pre-amplifier that can connect to CD players, vinyl turntables, and microphones, as well as play back or record to PC or USB thumb drive. The Preamp-1800 features three-band EQ, six RCA inputs, ¼-inch mic input, tape in/out, mute button and a two-in/two-out USB audio interface. It also comes with a low cut feature that lets users alter the audio signal “on the fly.”

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

Hey Jupiter

34

Roland Systems Group 5100 S. Eastern Ave P.O Box 910921 Los Angeles, CA 9004 (323) 215-2111 www.rolandsystemsgroup.com JUPITER Synth Legends Volume 1 is the first in a series of free sound libraries from Roland designed for the JUPITER-80 and JUPITER-50 synthesizers. This first collection includes authentic vintage sounds from legendary Roland instruments including the JUPITER-8, JUNO-60, D-50, TB-303, JUPITER-6, SH-101 and JUNO-106. Each sound was captured using the SuperNATURAL synthesizer sound engine and the collection is designed to fully maximize the JUPITER-80 and JUPITER-50 by utilizing their Live Set architecture and multi-effects.

2013

AmericAs Best DJ tour stArting mAy 2013

djtimes.com/americasbestdj

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

SPARK Plug ARTURIA US 5776-D Lindero Cyn Rd #239 Westlake Village, CA 91362 www.arturia.com Arturia’s SPARK Creative Drum Machine is now available in Version 1.5, featuring 20 new kits in the sound library. That brings the total to 118 kits and 1,800 instruments. The new version includes a Tune feature that lets users compose melodies on the MIDI controller’s hardware drum pads and sequencer step buttons.

Do the Math Native Instruments North America 6725 Sunset Boulevard, 5th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90028 (866) 556-6487 www.native-instruments.com

VIP Treatment Chauvet 5200 NW 108th Ave. Sunrise, FL 33351 (800) 762-1084 www.chauvetlighting.com Chauvet launched a new VIP Rewards customer loyalty program.

Registered members earn points through the program, which can then be redeemed for free, select pieces of Chauvet DJ gear, including Intimidator series moving heads, Scorpion lasers and more. Chauvet DJ customers over the age of 18 can enroll in the Chauvet DJ VIP Rewards Program by filling out an online registration form at www. chauvetvip.com.

TRAKTOR KONTROL Z2 from Native Instruments is a 2+2 channel control mixer. It includes two full Remix channels and two stand-alone channels feature Innofaders, as well as dedicated EQ and filter knobs. The unit is made out of aircraft-grade aluminum and includes a separate booth output and microphone input. Additional features include a built-in USB hub, multi-colored LED cue point controls, 24-bit Cirrus Logic converters and balanced XLR outputs. Purchase of TRAKTOR KONTROL Z2 includes download of TRAKTOR PRO 2.6 software.

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

Simply the Vestax

36

American Music & Sound 22020 Clarendon St, Suite 305 #C Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (800) 431-2609 www.americanmusicandsound.com The Spin2 DJ MIDI Controller is an all-in-one two-channel controller created in collaboration between Vestax and algoriddim.

Spin2 is the first DJ MIDI controller certified by Apple to control applications on Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Users can browse, preview and purchase iTunes music from within the djay app while mixing with Spin2 at the same time. Spin2 is bundled with djay for Mac and features a studio grade 24bit/48kHz built-in audio interface.

2013 Dates Announced August 12-15 Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City, NJ

GROOVES TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS “TUNA MELT” EP u A-Trak u Fool’s Gold

trap game. “Datliquor” and “Sharkweek”— though unimaginative—slay equally as hard.

The title track collab with Tommy Trash offers high-pitched vocal cooing juxtaposed with driving synthetic snares and growling saw-wave synths.

“Landline” feat. GTA is meaty trap goodness filled with A-Trak’s scratching, paired with a side sample of Woody Woodpecker. Topping it off, the ravey “Jumbo” feat. Galantis builds up nicely to the anthemic dessert “Disco Nap,” feat. Oliver.

– Chris Davis DEFECTED PRESENTS NOIR IN THE HOUSE

u Noir u Defected Records

– Chris Davis “JOYENERGIZER”

u Sander van Doorn u Doorn Records

Sander van Doorn

Ferry Corsten

Sander makes an uncharacteristic stylistic choice here, the “Dirty Dutch”-style lead line and booming bass segueing into an acoustic guitar interlude that builds in layers, finally resolving again at the sassy electro-house drop.

– Chris Davis “HELIX” EP

u Justice u Ed Banger/Because/Elektra/Vice On this 5-track EP, which revisits 2011’s Audio, Video, Disco, check the extended mix of “Helix,” a warehouse-rave-ready Gesaffelstein “Vision Remix,” and the funky scratches of Domenico Torti’s “Headspin Remix.”

– Chris Davis “NOT COMING DOWN” (REMIXES)

u Ferry Corsten feat. Betsie Larkin u Flashover On this traditional trancer, Larkin’s melodic vocals keep us lifted, most notably on Dash Berlin’s “4 AM Mix.” The Acoustic Edit highlights Larkin’s command, as she offers the ears a sweet serenade.

Corsten continues his hot streak.

– Chris Davis A-Trak

Noir

BASS FOR YOUR FACE

u DJ Muggs u Ultra Records Muggs packs an insidious arsenal of bass music here, blurring all lines between hip-hop, trap and dubstep. Check outlier “Deep Purple” for its smoke-infused reggae, and Itchy Robot’s remix of “Shotta” for a surprising blend of muted jazz trumpet and squealing wubs. If you want trap-step, peep “Headfirst,” “Trapp Assassin,” and “Snap Ya Neck Back.”

– Natalie Raben “ALCHEMY” (REMIXES)

u Above & Beyond u Anjunabeats Myon & Shane 54 revisit the A&B smash with their “Redemption Mix,” smoothing out the original’s piano melodies, rubbing away the harder edges and dubbing out the vocals, creating a deeply atmospheric mood.

– Chris Davis

– Chris Davis

“STEP ASIDE” (REMIXES)

“I WANNA KNOW” EP

u Casino Times u Needwant All four tracks on this soulful, deep houser are simply fantastic. The funky ride cymbal pattern and vocal resolution of “I Wanna Know (Original Mix)” contrast beautifully with the deep reverberations and dubbed vocals of Dave DK’s remix, while “Trust” and “Back to the Night” stand powerful in their own right.

Noisia’s punishing mix of “Smack My Bitch Up” as the highlight. But don’t sleep on the polyrhythms of Alvin Risk’s remix of “Firestarter” or Zeds Dead’s invigorating electro house interpretation of “Breathe.”

– Chris Davis

u The Prodigy u XL Recordings

Drumstep experimenter Von puts the Dirty South in your mouth with “Buckbuck,” the uptempo pimp-step as unrelenting as the real-life

Download

FEBRUARY 2013

DJ TIMES

Above & Beyond

“SPINKICK” EP

Corner

38

u Life and Death u Visionquest

– Chris Davis THE FAT OF THE LAND (EXPANDED EDITION) The re-release features a slew of remixes, with

Sporting a fresh remix on each CD, Noir showcases his “overlooked gems” and “secret weapons” in this flawlessly mixed 2-CD comp of house and techno. CD1 debuts his relaxed rework of “Amame” by Intruder (A Murk Production), while CD2 bangs its way to a close with Noir’s “2013 Pull” of Jason Jinx ft. Paul Alexander’s “Your First Time.”

u Von u Heavy Artillery Recordings

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).

“See The Light” (Original Mix) by Milton Jackson [Black Key]: Dark, introspective, deep house with just enough melody to keep it fresh without resorting to a jazzy feel. The repetitive vocal adds an addictive ethereal quality uncommon in this genre. Found at beatport.com.

“The Rules” (Original Mix) by UnoMass (MIA) [Novatek Raw Series]: A meandering, sultry vocal takes center stage and a round heavy bass groove fills the spaces between the syncopated tech-house percussion. A great vibe with some real energy. Found at beatport.com.

“Business Trip” (Original Mix) by Dansco [Muchiq]: Peak hour, a fantastic sound system, and this track! Acoustic percussion with techy, haunting vocals and lots of swirling effects to get your imagination working overtime. Cap it off with a couple acid stabs and you’ve got a real winner. Found at beatport.com.

– Robert LaFrance

Go right to the stripped-down Rework remix of “Step Aside (Lightweight)” feat. Scott McCloud.

The rumbling bass and chopped vocal samples exude Rework’s sexy brand of minimal funk.

– Chris Davis “THINGS HAVE CHANGED” EP

u Various Artists u Supplement Facts The smoothly evolving pads and arousing subsonic frequencies of Borrowed Identity & Mechanical Soul Brother’s “With You” juxtapose with Gab Rhome’s forcefully percussive, Latininfluenced “1990 As In Gold Was Born.”

– Chris Davis “ECLIPSE” EP u wAFF u Hot Creations Go right to the meaty “Ibiza,” sandwiched between “Eclipse” and “Joolz.” A secret weapon for label boss Jamie Jones this past summer, “Ibiza” transported my psyche back to the White Isle’s dance floors.

– Chris Davis “MONOPOLAR” EP u Robin Ordell u Eklo The 32nd-note sub-bass undu lations of “For Fucking Years” are prime for a dark room equipped with a Funktion-One sound-system and a few of your favorite strangers. Ben Vedren’s remix defiles the original’s innocence even further with a sweaty, subdued approach.

– Chris Davis

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Winter Music Conference.....13 While every care is taken to ensure that these listings are accurate and complete, DJ Times does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors.

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&

Compiled As Of January 17, 2013

National Crossover Pool Chart 1 Christina Aguilera 2 Eric Turner Vs Avicci 3 Swedish House Mafia F/ John Martin 4 September 5 Enrique Iglesias F/ Sammy Adams 6 Ke$ha 7 Korr-A 8 Kristine W. 9 Rihanna 10 Audio Playground F/ Snoop Dog 11 Kelly Clarkson 12 Conor Maynard 13 Neon Hitch 14 Nelly Furtado 15 Pitbull 16 Tony Moran F/ Anastacia 17 Nicki Minaj 18 Matchbox 20 19 PSY 20 Steve Aoki Vs Duran Duran 21 David Guetta F/ Sia 22 Lenny Kravitz 23 Frankie 24 Kerli 25 Will I Am F/ Britney Spears 26 Markus Schulz F/ Seri 27 Greg Machado 28 Pink 29 Ne-YO 30 Nicki Minaj 31 Kwanza Jones 32 Pet Shop Boys 33 Nire AllDai 34 Adele 35 Inaya Day & Chyna Ro W/ Mike Cruz 36 Noah 37 Alicia Keys 38 Esquille 39 Joanne Borgella 40 MBlack

Your Body Dancing In My Head Don’t You Worry Child Hands Up Finally Found You Die Young Fiyacraka Everything That I Got Diamonds Emergency Catch My Breath Turn Around Gold Parking Lot Don’t Stop The Party If I Was Your Boyfriend Pound The Alarm Shes So Mean Gangnam Style Hungry Like The Wolf She Wolf (Falling To Pieces) Superlover All Right The Lucky Ones Scream & Shout Love Rain Down Switch It Up Blow Me (One Last Kiss) Let Me Love You Va Va Voom Supercharged Leaving Hella Bad Skyfall Looking Forward New York Is Dead Girl On Fire I Take U Higher Sake Bitch Crush

National Urban Pool Chart

RCA Capitol Capitol Robbins Universal Republic RCA Dauman Fly Again Island/Def Jam Canwes RCA Capitol Reprise Geffen Jive Go Deeva Light Universal Republic Atlantic Universal Trident Gum Capitol Atlantic Dauman Island/Def Jam Interscope Armada 2 Hot Ent. Universal Universal Universal Innovation Astralwerks Capitol Columbia Ny-O-Dae Noah RCA Global Groove Robbins Robbins

1 The Weekend Wicked Games 2 Chris Brown Don’t Judge Me 3 Kendrick Lamar Swimming Pools 4 Juicy J F/Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz Bandz A Make Her Dance 5 Miguel Adorn 6 Kanye West, Jay-Z, Big Sean Clique 7 Frank Ocean Thinkn Bout You 8 Rihanna Diamonds 9 T.I. F/ Lil Wayne Ball 10 Lil Wayne F/ Detail No Worries 11 Rick Ross F/ Drake & Wale Diced Pineapples 12 2 Chains I’m Different 13 Trey Songz Dive In 14 Alicia Keys Girl On Fire 15 A$ap Rocky Fkn Problems 16 Wiz Khalifa F/ Weekend Remember You 17 Keyshia Cole Trust And Believe 18 Game F/C.Brown/TYGA Wiz Khalifa Celebration 19 Future Neva End 20 Big Sean GUAP 21 Trinidad James All Gold Everything 22 Meek Mill F/ Kirko Bangz Young & Gettin’ It 23 Ciara Sorry 24 French Montana F/R. Ross,Lil’Wayne Pop That 25 2 Chainz F/ Kanye West Birthday Song 26 Miguel Do You 27 Whitney Houston & Jordin Sparks Celebrate 28 Kelly Rowland F/ Lil’ Wayne Ice 29 Future Turn On The Lights 30 Chief Keef Love Sosa 31 Usher Dive 32 Kendrick Lamar F/ Drake Poetic Justice 33 Marcus Canty F/ Wale In & Out 34 Alicia Keys Brand New Me 35 Tex James F/ B.O.B & Stuey Rock Smart Girl 36 Ca$h Out F/ Wale Hold Up 37 Trey Songz F/ TI 2 Reasons 38 Brandy Wildest Dreams 39 Omarion F/ Wale M.I.A. 40 Young Jeezy Get Right

Most Added Tracks 1 Wideboys 2 MBlack 3 Joanne Borgella 4 Kwanza Jones 5 Will I Am F/ Britney Spears 6 No Doubt 7 Pink 8 Adele 9 Ciara 10 Enrique Iglesias F/ Sammy Adams

The Word Crush Sake Bitch Supercharged Scream & Shout Looking Hot Try Skyfall Sorry Finally Found You

Universal Republic RCA Interscope Columbia RCA Island/Def Jam Island/Def Jam Island/Def Jam Atlantic Universal Republic Island/Def Jam Island/Def Jam Atlantic RCA RCA Atlantic Interscope Interscope Epic Island/Def Jam Island/Def Jam Warner Brothers Sony Interscope Island/Def Jam RCA RCA Universal Republic Epic Interscope RCA Interscope Epic RCA Columbia Epic Atlantic RCA Warner Brothers Island/Def Jam

Most Added Tracks Radikal Robbins Robbins Innovation Interscope Interscope Jive Columbia Sony Universal Republic

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Rihanna 2 Chains Fat Joe F/ Dj Khaled Nicki Minaj Trinidad James Brandy Future Chief Keef Ne-YO Joe Budden F/ Lil Wayne

Pour It Up I’m Different Yellow Tape Va Va Voom All Gold Everything Wildest Dreams Neva End Love Sosa Let Me Love You She Don’t Put It Down

Island/Def Jam Island/Def Jam Terror Squad Universal Island/Def Jam RCA Epic Interscope Universal EOne

Reporting Pools ✦ Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller ✦ Flamingo - Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Julio ✦ Lets Dance / IRS - Chicago, IL; Lorri Annarella ✦ Next Music Pool - Los Angeles, CA; Bob Ketchter ✦ Masspool - Saugus, MA; Gary Canavo ✦ Pittsburgh DJ - Pittsburgh, PA; Jim Kolich ✦ Soundworks - San Francisco, CA; Sam Labelle ✦ Music Choice - New York, NY ; Mike Rizzo ✦ Rickett’s Record Pool - Saddle Brook, NJ; Bill Rickett ✦ Pacific Coast - Long Beach, CA; Steve Tsepelis

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Jamie Jones

(continued from page 16) utter nonsense. But I’m a positive guy and the way I look at it is this: All the 12-year olds that like David Guetta right now won’t still be listening to him when they’re 18 and actually going out to clubs for the first time. They’ll have grown out of it and hopefully be listening to Soul Clap, Art Department or whoever.

There’s always been rubbish pop music around, but at least someone like Guetta has given young kids a taste of the electronic sound, no matter how crap, and that’ll stay with them as they grow up. When I was growing up, it seemed like every other year people were saying, “Dance music’s dead,” but now it’s stronger than ever and I don’t think there’s any turning back now. One way or another, like it or not, Guetta’s had a part to play in that.

DJ Times: You also toured Australia with Skrillex, another DJ/producer who seems to be a lightning rod among fans—how did that go for you?

Jones: Well, he’s a lovely guy and I have to say that his shows were actually really enjoyable, too. Again, it’s obviously not my favorite type of music, but there’s a real skill about what he does and I think that that aggressive electronic sound has taken over from heavy metal for a lot of kids out there. They may not be playing musical instruments as much anymore, but they can really relate to someone like him making music on Ableton and that could lead to a whole new generation of electronic producers for the future.

DJ Times: Which other DJs do you actually rate, outside of your close circle of friends and collaborators?

Jones: My favorites at the moment are DJ Harvey, who played in Ibiza last summer for the first time in about 10 years at our Hot Creations night, and also Dinky—I love her stripped-back, tech-house groove. Theo Parrish was amazing when I heard him in Detroit last year and Craig Richards was brilliant in Miami, too–I heard him play for six hours in a villa and two hours in a club and I swear I only knew about two of the tracks he played. He was unbelievable.

DJ Times: We hear you’ve decided on DC10 again for your Paradise parties in Ibiza next summer. Why choose there again?

Jones: Because I think it’s the best club in the world, simple as that. I had a lot of offers to play other clubs on the island, but DC10 gave me the freedom to completely transform the club for our nights and we want the experience, the vibe and the energy to be unlike anything else out there.

Having lived in Ibiza for a number of years, DC10’s the club that I’ve been to more than any other club in the world and it’s still my favorite club in the world, too, because I’ve never had a bad time there, not once. There’s a genuine family feeling about it and you could go any night of the week, see any DJ and have a brilliant night.

DJ Times: Having also lived in New York and Los Angeles over the last few years, how does the U.S. scene look to you at the moment?

Jones: It’s definitely growing.

There’s a real hunger for electronic music and all the key music-industry players are showing an interest now—but there just aren’t enough clubs! New York is just like London in that there’s an amazing scene there, but not enough clubs are open regu-

larly. I can’t understand the licensing laws. I can’t understand how London doesn’t have another decent club other than Fabric when you’ve got thousands of people wanting to listen to electronic music in a safe, controlled environment.

DJ Times: Yeah, a lot of the American dance-music fans can’t get admitted to nightclubs until they’re 21 years old. The big festival scene is all they have at the moment.

Jones: The big dance festivals that have sprung up in the States remind me of the U.K. back in its trance heyday, with these huge Gatecrasherstyle events aimed at 18-23-year-olds, but at last they provide an access point for EDM. The U.S. has always set the agenda for the rest of the world in terms of pop music and I think that, in 10 years’ time, dance music will dominate the U.S. charts.

The original U.S. house pioneers might never have been as big at home as they were in Europe, but at least dance music is in the American charts now. People are growing up with it and that’s going to have a big effect on future generations.

DJ Times: You first started producing when minimal techno was at its peak of popularity. Was your warmer, melodic sound a reaction to what was being played at the time?

Jones: Maybe subconsciously, yes.

Even though I loved how forwardthinking a lot of minimal stuff was and how effective you could be with so few elements, I instinctively wanted to react against it in a way. I do that all the time when I DJ, too. I’ve gone through phases of playing proper, fullon electro sets and then I found myself playing old-school house tracks with organs and stuff the following

week. I’m surrounded by music all the time and I need to keep myself entertained. I do like to inject a little bit of emotion into my productions if I can and I’ve always been attracted to melancholic melodies for some reason, too. I just seem to gravitate towards a darker, slightly sinister sound, but I think my music’s actually pretty accessible.

DJ Times: Your remixes of Azari & III and Green Velvet really pushed your name out there, but they revitalised other people’s careers, too. Ever been tempted to keep a killer track for yourself?

Jones: Yes, you’ve no idea how many times! I used to think to myself: “God, I could just take the vocal off this and it would be a really cool track of my own.” The thing is, though, that I can look back on the remix I did for [Azari & III’s] “Hungry for the Power” and see that it’s got a lot to do with the success that I’m having today.

If you start a job for someone, you can’t be selfish and try and keep the track as your own. There’s got to be a real element of bad karma in doing something like that!

DJ Times: Your advice for aspiring DJ/producers out there?

Jones: Listen to as much music as you can, but never try and copy the guys you look up to. If you’re making a track on your own in the studio and you think it maybe sounds a little bit too weird and you’re tempted to try and make it sound like something you just bought off Beatport… don’t do it! With the technology we’ve got now, it’s never been easier to replicate someone else’s sound but originality is what people crave more than anything in the world these days. n Go with your gut instincts.

Ben UFO’s Dubstep Dramas

DJ TIMES

FEBRUARY 2013

It’s on TV, films— even fratboys like it!

42

Dubstep has gotten outta hand.

Now, how can I get in on that action?

Ben UFO, Next Month in DJ Times

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