DJ Times September 2008, Vol 21 No 9

’08 International DJ Expo Issue AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988 SEPTEMBER 2008

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$4.95 US

HOW TO AUTO-CORRECT YOUR HOME STUDIO

WHY

It Pays for DJs to Be Charitable

Danny Tenaglia’s

Mike Rizzo’s Journey From MOBILES TO MIXSHOWS C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

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www.djtimes.com

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PLUS:

Z-Trip’s Soundclash Squeak E. Clean’s Studio The Camel Rider’s Path

HOW THE DJ EXPO CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Highlights from

Presented By

7/31/2008 4:30:02 PM

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

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7/31/2008 4:30:03 PM

how to create mash-ups, but also remixes and original productions. o n the strictly mobile side, Expo attendees always want to learn new party tricks to take home to their market. t his year’s “d ance the d ay a way: d ances & Games” workshop, overseen on a ug. 13 by New Jersey d isc Jockey Network president Jake Jacobson, promises to offer a fantastic assortment of new party motivators. a nd right after that session, longtime Expo fave r andi r ae will drop her mitzvah science with “Notes from the mitzvah maven.” t hose who seek to embrace this lucrative mobile market, get your notepads out. o n the technology side, video remains a buzz segment among club and mobile practitioners, so content creation has taken on more importance than ever. in “How to Create a music v ideo in 20 minutes,” l ars Schlichting of d v J v ision and Jonny Wilson of Eclectic method will show you how it’s done with hardware (like d v d turntables, video mixers and d v d recorders) and software (like Sony vegas and a pple Final Cut).

For serious club d Js, “Club d J

I Want Your Vote!

t ommy v assiliou

Atlantic City, N.J.—it’s “back to the boardwalk” for the ’08 international d J Expo.

Set for a ugust 11-14 at the t rump t aj mahal Hotel & Casino, the d J Expo will offer its tried-and-true program of exhibitions, seminars and showcase entertainment, plus a few new moves that should please every segment of the d J market. in a special Q&a /keynote session with Grandmaster Flash on a ug. 13, DJ Times will interview the d J legend, who will reflect on his seminal career and answer questions, then sign copies of his memoirs and perform a set on the Expo show oor. a dditionally, the Expo will present newly sharpened workshops that will help mobile, club and studio jocks.

Chicago’s d J r uss Harris has enjoyed chart hits like “d rums in the Club” feat. d J Keri. in addition to being an EsNtion r ecords recording artist, he’s managed to grow Show on the r oad Productions, his mobile entertainment operation, to new heights. o n monday, a ug. 11, Harris will helm “r emixing 201: t he Next l evel,” which explain how studio skills apply to all d Js and he’ll demonstrate

E. Quogue, N.Y.—DJ Theo gets busy at Neptune’s Beach Club in The Hamptons this past July19 during America’s Best DJ Summer Tour presented by Pioneer Pro DJ. As Theo racked up the ballots, patrons partied through his simmering 8-hour set.Voting for ABDJ has been extended to midnight, August 16—so vote and earn a chance to win a trip to ABDJ’s Labor Day closing party in Las Vegas.

Please visit www.americasbestdj.net.

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Mash-Ups & More: Russ Harris will helm the Expo’s “Remixing 201” workshop.

Confab: mixing t ips & Career Solutions” will discuss getting and keeping gigs, useful self-promotion, getting paid, winning at club politics and more. moderated by baltimore club/radio jock John a nthony, the panel will feature veteran jocks from various a merican cities like boston, Pittsburgh and New york—they’ll explain how they’ve succeed in their respective markets and how you can, too. a nd for beginners, Frank Garcia’s “myths & methods of beatmixing” will demonstrate how it’s done and he’ll explain why beatmixing remains the d J’s most-useful tool—even in this age of automation.

For the latest on d J Expo, please visit djtimes.com/djexpo.

SEPTEMBER 2008

BoardWalK BonanZa: int’l dJ exPo returns to taJ maHal in a.C.

NEWS

DJ TIMES

iNd u St r y Ev ENt S…No t a bl ES…mil ESt o NES

3 7/31/2008 4:30:09 PM

See Page 10 WIN VOLUME 21 NUMBER 9

the Ultimate DJ System at the International DJ Expo in Atlantic City, Aug. 11-14.

18 The Way of the Future

Danny Tenaglia May Not Have Anything Left to Prove, But Futurism, His Latest Mix-CD, Shows That He’ll Never Lose His Musical Curiosity or Passion

BY KERRI MASON

26 Expo-erience!

At the International DJ Expo, Mobile & Club Jocks Can Change Their Business, Their Attitude—And Their Lives.

BY JEFF STILES

32 Highlights

From the 2008 America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer Pro DJ

34 Mixshow Master

From Mobiles to Clubs, From Radio to the Studio, Mike Rizzo Has Done It All

BY JIM TREMAYNE

DEPARTMENTS 6 Feedback

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

38 Making Tracks

IK Multimedia’s ARC System

40 Sounding Off

Rane’s TTM 57SL & PCDJ’s Reflex

42 Mobile Profile

Jax Jock Solves Problems, Wows Clients

44 Business Line

Why It Pays To Be Charitable

46 Gear

New Products from M-Audio, Waves & More

56 Grooves

Phat Tracks from Nadia Ali, Chris Lake & More

60 DJ Times Marketplace

Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies

63 Club Play Chart

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008 2008

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

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SAMPLINGS 12 Z-Trip

MSTRKRFT Soundclash

14 The Camel Rider His Path to the Top

16 In the Studio With…

Squeak E. Clean

7/31/2008 4:30:13 PM

The Answer.

Which amp can fully power and protect my speakers at the same time?

Is there an amplifier with all the connectors I need for my system?

How can I get real QSC quality and performance on my budget?

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DJ TIMES

Passionate About Sound

SEPTEMBER 2008

What’s the easiest way to drive a subwoofer and tops at the same time?

7/31/2008 4:30:14 PM

Fr o m t HE Ed it o r

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

DT—The DJ’s DJ d anny t enaglia is often described as a “d J’s

stories there—and it’s no surprise that the

d J.” i think i think i understand what’s meant

show’s networking opportunities seem to offer

by that, but i can’t completely agree. Why?

the most lasting memories.

because most d Js aren’t in his league. in my

a merica’s best d J Summer t our presented by

view, most could only hope to develop a small

Pioneer Pro d J is winding up soon—the voting

share of t enaglia’s considerable skills. a sk any

at www.americasbestdj.net ends a ugust 16—so

d J about t enaglia and most of them, if they’re

we decided we’d take a look at some of the best

being honest, are in awe.

gigs we’ve experienced so far. t hanks to on-the-

t enaglia offers up a combo that’s tough to

spot shutterbugs like Jeff Heart, mikey mcNulty,

beat: d eep musical knowledge (past and pres-

Chris Soltis and Nicole Chipi, we’re able to

ent), sharp technical abilities (old-school and

capture a few moments from a bd J tour stops in

digital), stamina (his marathon sets are legend-

Philadelphia, l os a ngeles, a ustin, d etroit, balti-

ary) and an almost clairvoyant understanding

more, a tlantic City and t he Hamptons. We hope

of the dance oor—when he’s on, i’ve never

you enjoy our a bd J tour highlights page.

seen or heard a d J who knew when to turn a

in our making t racks department, studio types

genre corner with such acuity and perfection.

should enjoy Phil moffa’s look at iK multimedia’s

a nd you’d be hard-pressed to nd another 46-

unique a r C System, as in a dvance r oom Cor-

year-old d J still so excited about music.

rection. it’s a plug-in that offers a solution to

if i sound like a fanboy, there’s a very good reason for it—i am. l ike Kerri mason, the au-

acoustical problems for d a W-based studios. d oes it deliver? Find out.

thor of this month’s d t cover story, i’ve spent

b ack to the d J booth, we deliver another

many an extended evening, morning and after-

digital double in our Sounding o ff department.

noon with mr. t enaglia in a variety of venues

Nate Sherwood handles r ane’s t t m 57-Sl mix-

and witnessed the magic that he can create.

er and the v ideo-Sl plug-in for Serato Scratch

if you put a gun to my head and demanded i

l iv E, while d ave Gadbois tests PCd J’s unique

name by favorite d J, his is probably the rst

r eflex software. Club and mobile d Jing may

name i’d blurt out.

never be the same.

So that said, we present you with miss mason’s latest d anny convo. She wrote our last this time she coaxes d anny to look into the fu-

Cheers,

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

if our September magazine’s hitting the stands in a ugust that means it’s also our annual international d J Expo issue. o f course,

Jim t remayne,

we preview the show—set for a ug. 11-14 at

Editor, d J t imes

mobile scribe Jeff Stiles to interview past attendees to nd out how the show impacted

production manager Steve Thorakos

contributor s Jody Amos Joe Bermudez Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Justin Hampton Josh Harris William Johnson Robert LaFrance Lisa Loco Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Scott Rubin Rahav Segev Jennifer Shapiro Nate Sherwood Jeff Stiles Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack

promotions/web designer Phillip Taylor

President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa

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

Happy reading, and we hope to see you at our

ture—or Futurism. d on’t worry, they’ll explain.

the t aj in a tlantic City—but we also ask our

chart coordinator Dan Miller

d J Expo in a tlantic City!

d t cover story more than seven years ago and

graphic designer/ar tist Janice Pupelis

d J t imes Sound & Communications t he music & Sound r etailer Sound & Communications blue book america’ s best dJ a ward t he music & Sound r etailer Clubworld international d J Expo it/a v repor t t he Club Show Convention t v News v t t v Studios

advertising manager John Grecco circulation dir ector Linda Emanuele advertising & mark eting assistant Irene Sawyer classified sales Linda Inglima

operations manager Robin Hazan Editorial and Sales of ce: dJ times, 25 Willowdale a venue, Port Washington, New york, uSa 11050-3779. (516) 767-2500 • FaX (Editorial): (516) 944-8372 • FaX (Sales/all other business): (516) 767-9335 • dJtimES@tESt a.

Com Editorial contributions should be addressed to the Editor , dJ times, 25 Willowdale a venue, Port Washington, Ny, uSa, 110503779. unsolicited man uscripts 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 a ve., Port Washington, Ny 110503779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, Ny, and additional mailing of ces. PoStmaStEr: Send address changes to dJ times, Po bo X 1767, lo WEll ma 01853-1767 design and contents ar e copyright © 2008 by dJ Publishing, inc., and must not be reproduced in any manner except by permission of the publisher. Websites: www. djtimes.com and www.testa.com September 2008

visit our website: www.djtimes.com

their careers and their lives. Plenty of worthy

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FEEd ba CK tion of Atlantic City—the majority of the Eastern DJ market resides within reasonable driving distance—so we’re please to see the town continue to grow and invest in itself. This can only be good for the show.

At presstime, the Expo’s pre-registration numbers were up from last year’s show at this time, so we believe we’ve made the right decision. We hope to see you at The Taj, Aug. 11-14 for the DJ Expo.

ABDJ Voting Ends Aug 16 Vote & Win a Trip to Vegas for ABDJ’s Labor Day Closing Party www.americasbestdj.net

– Jim Tremayne, DJ Times

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

DEAR DJ TIMES, Why did DJ Times & Testa Communications move the DJ Expo to the Taj Mahal?

– Oft-asked question via email

048SE08_p001-068.indd 7

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Distributed in North America by : Kaysound © 2008 Guillemot Corporation S.A. Hercules is a registered trademark of Guillemot Corporation S.A. All rights reserved. Microsoft®, Windows® XP and Windows® Vista™ are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. VirtualDJ® is a registered trademark of Atomic Productions. Apple®, the Apple logo, Mac OS® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. All other trademarks are hereby acknowledged and are property of their respective owners. Photos and illustrations not binding. Contents, design and specifications are subject to change without prior notice and may vary from one country to another.

SEPTEMBER 2008

Compatible with other MIDI controllers.

DJ TIMES

Why did we move this year’s Expo from the Atlantic City Convention Center to the Trump Taj Mahal? Several reasons, really.

The main one was that the Taj has been renovated spectacularly since the last time we held the Expo there, a decade ago. The amenities are genuinely firstclass. You now have modern restaurants and bars, great shopping options and, of course, the world-famous casino for Expo attendees to enjoy.

Nothing against the Convention Center, which served as an able host, but we just believed that a change would be a good thing. Also, many Expo attendees yearned for a return to The Boardwalk. I’m sure many of them enjoy the strolls during the day—and perhaps the stumbles in the evening. It’s the most historic and iconic part of Atlantic City—and yes, you can still get your salt-water taffy.

Ultimately, conventions and trade shows are about action, activity, vibrancy, and we believe that The Taj can up the ante in those departments. In addition to our regular lineup of nearly 30 seminars and workshops, plus an exhibit hall with the latest products, the Expo presents plenty of evening entertainment options. With The Casbah—a favorite venue for Expo vets—The Taj offered a great venue for our mobile parties.

We still like the central East-Coast loca-

7 7/31/2008 4:30:34 PM

NEWS

ind u st r y ev ent s…no t a bl es…mil est o nes

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Party Time: Atlantic City, N.J.—Each year Expo time is party time for its legions of D J attendees. So when the International D J Expo hits A tlantic City’s T rump T aj Mahal Hotel & Casino this A ugust 11-14, they once again should expect big things in the nightlife department. T his year’s event features hitmakers of the moment and from years past, plus D J legends, upstarts and mainstays.

T hings get rolling Monday, A ug. 11, at the Mobile Kick-O ff Party at T he T aj’s nightclub, T he Casbah. Hosted

by Mike Walter of New Jersey’s Elite Entertainment, the event will feature performances from former “D J of the Year” winners—like 2007 champ Sean “B ig D addy” McKee—plus a special set from U ltra R ecords recording artist JES. T he voice best known from Motorcycle’s 2003 international smash “When the R ush Comes,” JES will be supporting her latest single, “Imagination,” which features remixes from T iësto, Kaskade and Michael Moog.

L ater Monday night, D J T imes teams up with Big Management for their party at House of Blues’ Club Worship. Hosted by V ic L atino, the event will feature Queen of Freestyle Judy T orres—famous for favorites like “Back in Your A rms A gain” and “Faithfully”—and Chris Willis, the voice behind D avid Guetta hits like “L ove Is Gone.” In addition to upstart artists like Christian George and A li Bertash, the party will present a slew of top NY C-area D Js—Mike R izzo, T he Camel R ider, Peter Presta, R od Carillo, Johnny B udz and A nthony Fonseca.

O n T uesday night, A ugust 12, the annual Promo O nly/Pioneer Party steps it up a big notch, as it brings its fun and frivolity to the House of Blues’ main room. Hosted by Joey Fatone (ex-’N Sync baritone), the party will be steep with talent. It includes: Michelle Williams, the former D estiny’s Child vocalist, singing her new smash, “We Break the D awn”; Chris Willis, reprising his performance from the previous night; Freestyle favorites George L amond (“L ook Into My Eyes” and “Without You”) and SaFire (“Boy, I’ve Been T old” and “Made U p My Mind”); Katrina, of Katrina and T he Waves’ “Walking on Sunshine” fame; plus new hitmakers L ady Gaga

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Tremendous Talents Lined Up for ’08 DJ Expo Tami Chynn

DJ Skribble

JES

Michelle Williams

Katrina

(“Just D ance”) and T ami Chynn, who scored in 2007 with “O ver and O ver A gain” and whose latest single “Frozen” features A kon.

D Js and V Js for the evening will include Pioneer Pro D J endorsers D J R oonie G, D J 2nd Nature, D J Kris P and DVD J U nique. Expect to see mind-blowing visual content specially created just for D J Expo.

Wednesday, A ugust 13, will see a special afternoon D J set from the legendary Grandmaster Flash on the exhibit oor’s D J T imes Square performance stage. Just prior to his 5 p.m. set, the 2007 R ock and R oll Hall of Fame inductee will sign copies of his memoirs, “T he A dventures of Grandmaster Flash: My L ife, My Beats,” also on the exhibit oor.

(O ther D J T imes Square performers will include: A m e r i c a ’s Best D J

nominees D J T heo, R oonie G, and Johnny V icious, plus Justin Paul from Philadelphia’s Playloop R ecords, D J 2nd Nature, and DVD J U nique.)

Wednesday evening, the nation’s mobile entertainers will cap their season with “T he D J of the Year” A wards. Held at T he Casbah in the T aj Mahal, the event will be hosted

by Mike Walter and it will bestow trophies for the following categories: D J of the Year; D J of the Year R unnerU p; Best D ance; Best Game; and Best Choreographed R outine. A s usual, the competition expects to be pretty stiff. But even those who don’t compete will surely be entertained and they’ll return to their markets with several new party-starting ideas.

L ater Wednesday night, the D J Expo A fterparty will perk up the Ego L ounge in the middle of the T aj’s casino oor. Presenting A merica’s Best D J nominee D J Skribble and other “Friends of D J T imes,” the party will feature offbeat tunes and guilty pleasures for those in “Expo wind-down mode.” Expect a few surprises along the way.

T hursday afternoon at 2:45, the D J Expo will conclude with its U ltimate D J System giveaway. O ne lucky Expo attendee will have his business card pulled from a hopper and win a system that includes products from top industry suppliers A merican D J, R ane, Pioneer Pro D J, A merican A udio, Promo O nly and QSC A udio.

A fter pictures are taken and hands are shaken, it’ll all be over—the 24 th International D J Expo wrapped up.

Chris Willis

7/31/2008 4:30:58 PM

SEPTEMBER 2008

DJ TIMES

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American DJ’s original Mystic moon ower effect worked visual magic. Now the company has taken this popular club/band/DJ effect even further into the mystical realm with the introduction of the Mystic LED, an exciting new version of the xture powered by 224 high-output colored LEDs and featuring DMX control and 88 88 red, 48 green and 88 blue 5mm LEDs, projected through 6 lenses. The Mystic produces 6 clusters of bright, razor-sharp LED beams that rotate and criss-cross each other, while swirling and gliding over wide areas, making it a great centerpiece or side piece for clubs, bowling centers, or anyplace else you gig.

August 11-14, 2008 • Trump Taj Mahal www.djtimes.com/djexpo • 1.800.YES.7678 7/31/2008 4:31:12 PM

Sa mPl iNGS

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008 DJ TIMES

Z-t r iP’S So u Nd Cl a SH

a moeba music in Hollywood may not be the best place to attempt a conversation with Zt rip. besides being distracted by the vinyl bins that he is feverishly digging through, the personable turntablist is constantly approached by fans who can’t believe he exists in daytime esh. b ut the humble and affable Zt rip is good at keeping everyone happy—including himself. r ecently, the 36-year-old Phoenix native (born Zach Sciacca) has been playing some good gigs around l os a ngeles, his adopted residence. Z-t rip’s big stage performance at one of the city’s

1 1

048SE08_p001-068.indd 12

summer massives (65,000 strong) created a lasting buzz. Similarly, his joint performance with mSt r Kr Ft , supported by d J/street artist Shepard Fairey, at a much smaller event gained plenty of local notice. t o promote that show on the radio, Z-t rip and mSt r Kr Ft created Soundclash of the Titans, a free 40-minute Cd of two 20-minute mixes from each act. Featuring Fairey’s cover art, the raucous Cd has become a precious commodity. “t he old reggae sense of soundclashes is where the battle came from,” says Z-t rip, a nominee for DJ Times’ America’s Best DJ contest. “i wanted to take two artists that are on top of their game and put them together. it’s not a battle, but a play on words. it’s like when marvel Comics team up iron man and Captain a merica.” in keeping with the essence of soundclashes, Titans’ two mixes are distinctly different from each other. Z-t rip’s half contains everything from Guns n’ r oses to Stevie Wonder and Johnny Cash peppered with generous scratching and a shout out from l ed Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, while mSt r Kr Ft ’s half is a good representation of the t oronto-based duo’s progressive, bumping, funky, electro style. “i try my hardest to have things not be identical,” says Z-t rip of his sets.

With all these sounds, Zt rip’s main d Jing staple is Serato Scratch l iv E, which, according to him, has changed the whole dynamic on d Jing. “it’s allowed me to go further with my craft and do things—vinyl limited you to just what was on vinyl,” he says. “if you came up with a song the night before or some o bama speech that really kicks that is totally relevant right now, you can get that and put it on through records—it’s instant. you can basically capture any kind of sound and put it out there. t hat’s a cool thing in the sense of timing. i keep a couple of records around, but for the most part that stuff ’s going to get digitized and thrown into the mass of music that i have because it’s the only way to really roll.”

Serato and vinyl were also used for the recording of Soundclash, which Z-t rip recorded straight into Pro t ools.

He then put it through a bbE Sonic maximizer and equalizers for finalizing. but at the end of the day, he still prefers scratching old-schoolvinyl versus Serato. “it sounds better, it feels better, i can do more complex things with it,” says Z-t rip. “it’s the difference between playing on a baby grand piano that is hundreds of feet long, finely tuned, you’re in a concert hall, and you can hear everything versus playing on a busted honky-tonk piano in a saloon. you’re still the same player and you can still play the same thing, but sometimes you’ve got to play it like a honky-tonk piano and sometimes you’ve got to play it like a nely tuned machine. Serato is somewhere in the middle.”

– Lily Moayeri

o n his latest mix, Z-t rip “battles” t oronto’s mSt r Kr Ft .

7/31/2008 4:31:19 PM

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2008

Move your vinyl to iPod.

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7/31/2008 4:31:21 PM

sa mpl ings

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

The Ca mel R id er ’s Pa t h t o t he T o p In his time as a New York club spinner, Jared D ietch has earned his reputation as a “big-room D J.” A current resident of Big A pple spots like Mansion and Marquee, D ietch (aka T he Camel R ider) has also scored with hot tracks like “T wisted 2007,” a Subliminal release which has red up sets from Erick Morillo and D avid Guetta, and remixes like his trippy take on Marco D emark feat. Casey B arnes’ “T iny D ancer.”

D ietch has also become a favorite for high-end parties all over the New York area and he has even produced original scores for several fashion shows. With success in the club, the studio and at special events, T he Camel R ider’s stock continues to rise.

T his month, attendees of the International D J Expo will experience his sound rst-hand. A long with a lineup of artists like Chris Willis and other D Js like Mike R izzo, D ietch will perform at House of Blues’ Club Worship in A tlantic City, N.J., on A ugust 11 for T he Big Management/DJ Times kickoff party at the D J Expo. We recently caught up with the Brooklyn-based D ietch, 35, to discuss his career.

DJ Times: O K, so where did the nickname come from?

Dietch: It came from a camel ride in Egypt many years ago.

DJ Times: Musically, how do you approach your different residencies?

Dietch: Marquee is more of a party vibe, and Mansion is a full-on circus. Musically, each one has to be treated differently. R ight now, I am really into records that have enough energy to ll a big room, but with the melodic elements to keep it sexy. Eric Prydz, Steve A ngello, and Stuart Price are all mainstays in my sets. I nd records to make people put their hands up, no matter where I am.

DJ Times: Which D Js do you most admire now?

Dietch: L ouie Vega—been to many of his parties over the years and he never fails to destroy the room. D e nitely one of the reasons I do what I do. Erick Morillo—nobody is bringing more energy and excitement to a dance oor. Joe Claussell—he can really hold a crowd in the palm of his hand. He’ll play an old salsa record from the ’60s that maybe three people in the room have ever heard. By the end of the record, the entire room will be clapping and cheering with appreciation.

DJ Times: What are the principal pieces in your studio?

Dietch: A valon mic pre, Neumann mic, Pro T ools and L ogic and as many soft synths as I can get my hands on. Yamaha NS-10 monitors for listening.

DJ Times: You’ve done a lot of events for big-name clients—how does that work?

Dietch: Most of the clients know of me from my New York residencies. Producing music for a fashion show is actually more pressure than a club night. It’s only a few minutes, but it’s gotta be perfect. In most cases, they’re counting on you to represent their brand, which can be tricky.

DJ Times: When you do an original score for a fashion show, how do you approach that?

Dietch: D esigners are creative people, like D Js. T hey usually have a concept of what the line represents and needs to convey emotionally, politically, geographically. I take their reference points and we develop the ideas through music. When you get the music right and it represents the designer’s vision, it’s a great feeling for both of us.

DJ Times: Your events have their stresses.

Dietch: Not all of them. A funny private event I recently did was a posh formal party in the Hamptons—but by the end of the night everyone ended up in the pool, fully dressed, shoes and all.

Jared Dietch has become a favorite for high-end events in NYC. – Jim Tremayne

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iN t HE St u d io Wit H…

Squeak E. Clean’s All-Time Top 5

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5: “t he message” (1982) James brown: “t ighten u p” (1968) benny benassi: “Satisfaction” (2002) Stan Getz, a strud & João Gilberto: “Girl from ipanema” (1963) bobby byrd: “Hot Pants” (1972)

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

SQu Ea K E. Cl Ea N: iN t HE Zo NE Casual observers can be forgiven if they assume the Spiegel family only supplies the world with designer dresses and accessories. a dam Spiegel’s created a mountain of commercials, music videos and movies under the name Spike Jonze and brother Sam has been moving and shaking in the d J world (as Squeak E. Clean) with great success as well. by day, Sam’s production company creates music for commercial clients like Ford, Converse and l evis. He’s also become known for studio work for a variety of artists, including the yeah yeah yeahs, for whom he produced their second album, Show Your Bones. but in his spare time, alongside his partner d J Zegon, he’s coordinated a small army of name musicians—from t om Waits and George Clinton to Karen o and method man—to guest star on his N.a .S.a . music project, which has just been signed to a nti/Epitaph. o n top of all that, he’s scoring d avid o . r ussell’s latest lm “Nailed,” so he can be excused for seeing d Jing as a pastime mostly. “i spend a lot of time recording music,” he says. “d Jing is about going out and enjoying myself. When you’re d Jing, you just get into this zone. t here’s a ow where you’re changing the records and scratching. it’s very…almost meditative kind of zone you get into and i love that about it.”

For his job, Spiegel works mainly with Serato Scratch l iv E and a r ane t t m-57Sl mixer, alongside a Pioneer EFX-1000 effects box. While Spiegel also enjoys the Pioneer d Jm-800 and uses it as the midway mixer for N.a .S.a . sets with d J Zegon, he prefers to have the effects separate

from the mixer. o ccasionally, Spiegel scratches in and out of mixes, so he’ll bring d J Qb ert’s b utter r ugs slipmats with him to use on his t echnics Sl -1210 turntables, which go up to +/-16. a nd Spiegel admits to a strong and recent fetish for the u berstand, Stanton’s sturdy, collapsible laptop stand. “it seems like something that is so simple,” he marvels, “but if you don’t have one, it sucks.” a s a musician, Spiegel is accustomed to making his own tracks, and will often create remixes before a show using a bleton l ive, Pro t ools and Serato. it’s possible for him to give each gig an individual touch, as he might layer hip hop a cappellas over baltimore breaks tracks or swipe a spoken-word sample of a city’s name from a yout ube video and chop it up in a bleton or the mPC2000Xl for the perfect show intro. if he’s not playing tracks from the N.a .S.a . l P, Spiegel will split the difference between baltimore breaks, brazilian baile funk and electro house, with Ed banger and u .K. producer Hervé being particular faves of his at the moment.

Come the release of the N.a .S.a . l P, Spiegel admits the d J sets with Zegon will become more structured. t hey’ll play tracks and screen animated videos of the songs via Serato’s video plug-in. in between tracks, a v J will manipulate spontaneous footage shot by Zegon and Spiegel on the road. Not surprisingly, Spiegel welcomes this and any other opportunity to get behind the decks. “t his is the most exciting time in music for me in years,” he enthuses. “i’m loving what’s coming out right now. it’s totally throwing me.”

– Justin Hampton Rockin’ the House: Spiegel’s N.A.S.A. project includes an all-star cast.

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DJ TIMES

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The Space Dance: In ’08, DT committed to a weekly residency at Ibiza’s mammoth Space club.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

DJ TIMES

Ivan Paulick

NYC—L ong Island City, Queens, has a strange rhythm to it. T here’s the clink-clink of steel on steel: T he frames of new residential high-rises being built. T he circular chug of the elevated 7 subway line, whirring across the landscape every 10 minutes. T he metronomic beeping of trucks in reverse, carrying everything from bread to long lengths of cable to live chickens. T he colorful hum off the crowds of art school students, living out their “Fame” fantasies. T he pace, the noise, the diversity: It’s the perfect place for D anny T enaglia to set up shop.

T he D J they call DT —as well as “legend,” “maestro,” and any other number of superlatives—has spent a good part of the last six years in LIC. It was here where he moved the B ig B ertha speakers from V inyl—the club where his Be Yourself residency owned Fridays for ve years—after it closed; here where he shipped mementos from his countless international D Jing trips, including a life-size white horse; here where he hosted impromptu after-parties—of the “gatherand-listen-to-music” kind—for other D Js’ New York events. A nd it’s here where I nd him on a grey spring day, sitting in the middle of a big white room, right between the V inyl Berthas, going into a sleepless day two of nishing up Futurism, his rst compilation since 2002’s Back To Basics and Choice: A Collection Of Classics.

T here was absolutely nothing special about me when I rst met T enaglia in 1999. I was 19 years old, just another kid paying $10 (with a yer) to get into V inyl. I danced ’til dawn just like everyone else, staring into the booth, rapt by the sounds coming out of the speakers, and wondering about the man who put

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DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

e kept in close touch. i even worked at v inyl during the nal year, and helped out at his WmC gigs. When i was asked to appear on the History Channel as an expert on disco, i spent the night before the taping on the phone with d t , absorbing his knowledge of the time, the artists, the mood. it was not the rst time we had had a long, unof cial talk about the thing that rst bonded us: t he music. v inyl closed in 2004, another victim of luxury residential developments. a nd although he was still touring the world—a sia, italy, Croatia, Spain, South a merica, just to name a few—and playing regularly in New york, t enaglia fell silent, not releasing new work (apart from very delayed single “d ibiza”) until now. t hings are different. For the rst time in his 20-year career, and after many offers, t enaglia has accepted an ibiza residency, each t hursday throughout the season at White isle superclub Space. He’s assumed a mentor role to two talented young producers, a ntranig and burchan: Plucked, like me, from the v inyl crowd. t hey plumb through his music, aid him with edits, and had a big hand in the creation of Futurism, and its yello-inspired single, “Space d ance.” a nd t enaglia sees them as more than just assistants: t hey are, to him, the very “Futurism” of which he speaks.

For the rst time, d anny t enaglia, 47, talks about winding down, rather than amping up: o f enjoying what he already has, and nding contentment. but one thing is sure: t he basis of it will always be music.

DJ Times: Why Futurism?

Tenaglia: (Puts on “Elements” voice) “l adies and gentlemen, welcome to the future.” it is the future. it’s 2008. Wow. i was in a car in Naples, and the name just came to me. i gured it’s 11 years past [l P] Tourism, and i like it. So that stuck. it’s also my introducing a ntranig and burchan of cially to the world, to say, “t his is the future.” i’m doing this more than 20 years as a professional, and a good solid 30 years from when i started as a hobby when i was a teenager. i’m approaching 50: i look at it with a smile, but it’s time for me to think about 2009, 2010, and say, o K, by 2011 when i turn 50, i should be able to help a ntranig and burchan—who i know will still be in my life—to help them get gigs. i really want to put them at the forefront.

DJ Times: How is this different from your last compilation?

Tenaglia: Back To Basics pretty much re ected what i was playing at v inyl at the time, everything from [Narcotic t hrust’s] “Safe From Harm” to Quicksound, trying to give people the best representation in only two hours and 20 minutes. t hen we were planning to release a be yourself retrospective Cd . i’m still working on that and licensing a lot of tracks, but we thought

Drew Ressler/rukes.com

them there. t hen in 2000, i was asked to interview him for “DJ Times.” i spent an hour in his studio, talking about music, the club, the mix of d epeche mode’s “i Feel l oved” that he had just nished (and would soon get him nominated for a Grammy). i didn’t realize it then, but that hour kicked off what became one of the richest friendships of my life, and my true musical education. t he years that followed were big for t enaglia. His 2000 Winter music Conference gig, which opened then-new nightclub Space in miami, is still a swirl of nitrogen fog and impossible rhythms to those who were there: it delivered on the promise of his earlier chart-topping, genre-defying productions, like “Elements” and “be yourself,” and the smaller Groovejet sets of previous WmCs. a lmost overnight, he was elevated to big-room d J status, becoming the hottest property on the international club and festival scene. He started racking up awards: “best r emix,” “best international d J,” “best d J Set,” “best Party” for be yourself. He traveled the world. t he legend of his sets—sometimes over 12 hours long, but always an epic journey, from past to present and beyond—grew, from hemisphere to hemisphere.

Desert DJ: DT rocks the Coachella Festival tent.

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1 –– Blondie: 1 Blondie: “Nothing “Nothing Is Is Real Real But But the the Girl” Girl” (Danny (Danny Tenaglia Tenaglia Mix), Mix), 1999 1999 The fact that this was never released is its own industry commentary. But DT took an utterly forgettable, late-career Blondie record and made it de ance out of Debbie Harry’s grizzled pipes. into a prog-trance epic, using silence as much as synth to wring all the drama and defi 2 –– Celeda: Celeda: “Be 2 “Be Yourself,” Yourself,” 1999 1999 The track that launched an institution never loses its potency. even without Celeda’s direct-punch vocal and you-bettah-recognize lyrics, the honking synths tell their own darkly groovy story. Produced by DT, it’s an anthem, for sure, but in the key of minimal.

3 –– The The Orb, Orb, “Little 3 “Little Fluffy Fluffy Clouds” Clouds” (Danny (Danny Tenaglia Tenaglia Remix), Remix), 1998 1998 Adding Rolling Thunder drums that enhanced, rather than smothered, the super-trippy vocal, Tenaglia’s never merged better with his source material.

And what is that Doppler swish noise?! Love it.

4 –– Danny Danny Tenaglia, Tenaglia, “Bottom 4 “Bottom Heavy,” Heavy,” 1994 1994 One of the first indications that this Tenaglia guy was onto something, “BH” is twisted and dark in an uptempo, syncopated, funky kind of way. Can you pogo and still be fierce? Danny says yes.

5 –– Green Green Velvet, Velvet, “Flash” 5 “Flash” (Danny (Danny Tenaglia Tenaglia Mix), Mix), 2000 2000 dance oor at Vinyl: I think every jaw in the place dropped. Later that year at w MC, DT played it twice and The first time I heard this was on the dancefl wMC, paired the crescendo with nitrogen blasts. Still one of the biggest big-room records out there.

– KLM

SEPTEMBER 2008

DT’s Top 5 Tracks

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“At the end of the day, when the headphones

that if I put out a five-year commemorative boxed set right now, it’s just like another classics CD. And since I’m doing so well currently—traveling all over the world, the Ibiza residency—that none of the stuff would reflect what I’m playing today. The big question was always, “When are you going to put out a new CD?”—“new” being the key word.

are off, I’m just a punter.”

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e weren’t always satisfied with offers, labels, who should I go with, and I’ve gotta say, when [manager] Kevin [McHugh] told me that Tommy Boy was still in action, and wanted me, I felt so good about it. I’ve known Tom Silverman for 20 years. He’d even been up here once before.

He freaked out; he was like, “You have 45s!” I was like, “Of course, I have 45s!” He was playing in the DJ booth. So we re-bonded.

DJ Times: How did you pick the tracks?

Tenaglia: It was difficult. How do you narrow this down to 15, 16 songs per CD, keeping the integrity of at least five to six minutes per song? And then editing down each one to get the best part, looping if it has that one great break?

DJ Times: What programs did you use to pull all that off?

Tenaglia: For my first CD, Mix This Pussy on Tribal, I did that all with two turntables and a mixer to DAT and tons of editing, just to get the best of each song. And I learned a lot from my doing that that day. I didn’t realize it then, but I was treating that entire CD as a production. Then with Pro Tools, I started realizing, if we put a crash there and a boom there, it would really help the transition. And then all of a sudden, before you know it, we’ve got Ableton and Reason and Logic. It’s unbelievable what you can do. Especially the top of [Futurism] CD 2: Fred Giannelli’s “Midlife Crisis” with Ultra Naté’s a cappella over it. It’s still delivering the title of my first LP Hard & Soul, with the true minimal hard techno record, but it’s not so hard ’cause it doesn’t really have a kickdrum. So in a couple of sections I put in the kickdrum from “Elements,” and—bing-bang-boom—it was in there. Five years ago, it would have been like, “Let’s get out that drum machine and put it through the sequencer.” It would have taken hours and hours to map it out to the grid. But with Ableton Live, my God… So we sort of did…call it a mash-up if you will, but I call it a mini-remix, of the first song with Ultra.

DJ Times: The six years that you’ve been “gone” have probably been the most important in dance music history in the modern era. The landscape has entirely shifted.

Tenaglia: Without a doubt. Majorly. In one way it’s great, with the technology and how wonderful some of these sounds are coming through the speakers. It’s like: Wow! How the hell did they make this sound? What’s this patch? What synth is it? Who are these Wighnomy Brothers, I gotta meet them! I gotta know! So many things like that.

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And then the flipside of it is, being a New Yorker and having been such a fanatic with shopping for records all my life, I really, really miss that—the physicalness of shopping, going to the store, coming home with a bag, and artwork, taking that record out putting it on the plate, putting the needle on the groove. I can still do it: We still do order vinyl around here. Burchan and Antranig are my major providers. They go through my promos with me, sometimes they filter: “This is more radio,” or “You’re gonna love this—it sounds like ‘Rolling Brooklyn,’” those types of descriptions.

We also spend a lot of time on Beatport; Juno, which we buy vinyl from; some of Kompakt: as well as what comes in through the offi ce up here.

There’s also fellow DJs like Manny Freytes, Luca Ricci, even people who aren’t DJs, they give me so much music. They have this humble line: “Maybe you won’t like it.” They call me “maestro.” “We’ll just give you the music, maybe some of it you won’t like, but we think some of it is bombs.” And I say, “Alright, I’ll take it home and I’ll decide.”

You know, if they gave me 20 songs, sometimes between two to five can make a difference in my evening. And I call them up and I say, “Are you kid-

ding me?” Several appear on Futurism.

DJ Times: It’s an extended family.

Tenaglia: It really is, plus the DJs who are out there today right now who I’ve never heard of before. I still get inspired, even by new resident DJs I may have only heard once. In Valencia I asked the opening DJ, “Man, what is that track that you’re playing?” I think he thought I was blowing smoke…

DJ Times: They probably think you’re omnipotent, too.

Tenaglia: It’s in my blood and my nature to be a trainspotter.

DJ Times: How do you take a techno track from 2008 and draw the line between it and the Labelle and the Moroder?

Tenaglia: This is a very, very interesting question, the most interesting one. Sometimes I joke about it, but it’s also very serious for me. I really am now at a mature age. That “Midlife Crisis” track has been out for a long time under a different name. And I said, “Antranig, Burchan, you’re hearing me put Ultra Naté over this track that I used to call my secret blob bass record.” That’s a midlife crisis! I would play it minus-eight, so it’s not too fast, maybe five or six hours into marathon set, because it just flows. And I thought, “Maybe I could put a vocal over it.” And bam, there was Ultra Naté, it went right in the pocket. Let’s get it in the same key. And we all just looked at each other like, wow.

It’s just that. It’s putting the time, effort, love, energy, and passion into it. And I tell them, “You get back what you put in.

What you’re doing now, I did all of the ’90s.”

But I’ve grown tired of doing this. Now I want to sit here and enjoy the fruits of my labor. If you look at my desk, you’ll see Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On—it has the masters and the outtakes, and I want to appreciate them on this fantastic sound system, uninterrupted.

I’m taking these influences from all of my life. I can just walk over to that shelf, and easily pull out mixes by Larry Levan like “Plane Love” by Jeffrey Osborne—what a man, what a voice! I think what I want to get in there is the soulfulness of it, the deep side of me, which I like to educate people with. This comes from church, and this is what’s missing. I’m not trying to come across as a preacher, or because I’m a Christian and I believe in God, that’s my personal belief. I’m just sharing my take on soulful music, and what was when I was young person, pre-disco, disco, post-disco to where it is now. I don’t think it’s coming from those mature singers who were in their 30s, 40s who were trained how to sing, read, write, compose, arrange, perform, and those great singers like the Patti Labelles and Gladys Knights and Marvin Gayes. They were singing from the depths of their souls, and the lyrics had meaning, whether it was about poverty or drugs or crime…

DJ Times: …or even happiness.

Tenaglia: Yes! Janis Joplin, Chaka Khan. It was just much more soulful.

The Wynans, The Clark Sisters, I was so moved by hearing these artists, and I was already loving soulful music before I was a teenager. I was around 18 when I heard Kraftwerk for the first time, “Trans Europe Express.” You didn’t need a drug. It was like, “What the hell was that?” That’s what got everyone’s attention. That didn’t sound like Salsoul, Prelude, that sound. I think that’s what comes out of my CDs, is that you feel a sense of history, even though it’s techno…

DJ Times: Even though it’s futurism…

Tenaglia: Even though it’s futurism. Starting out with Yello, a band that I feel really paved the way, I don’t think they got their proper due respect on this earth. But they have amazed me with their element of surprise, from “La Habanera” to “The Rhythm Divine,” that ballad with Shirley Bassey. They embraced jungle, with the best sonic possible sounds.

I was reading about Boris Blank of Yello on the Native Instruments website, really interesting. So [Yello track] “Indigo Bay” [which opens Futurism]…

DJ Times: You had to have it.

Tenaglia: I had to have it, Kerri. This song infl uenced me so much; I would use the words life-changing. To think that these guys who are older than me, to think they can do something so…what’s the word?

DJ Times: Forward? (continued on page 64)

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By Jeff Stiles

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

A mischievous grin comes across the face of Terry Moran when the owner of Crown Entertainment in New Hampshire is asked about memories of past International DJ Expos in Atlantic City.

“How about the times we picked up girls who had Hell’s Angels boyfriends,” Moran responds with a slight chuckle. “Or the time we had a Mexican drag race with the guys who push carts on the Boardwalk. Or the time someone lost the Mexican drag race and had to streak to the water—only to come back and have his friends and his clothes gone.

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e

xpo-

At the International DJ Their Business, Their A

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Testa Communications, this year’s show is set for Aug. 11-14 at the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel & Casino.) w hat have we learned at DJ expos of the past? w as there a marketing idea that was especially useful?

A networking relationship that benefited your company?

A lighting or sound product that dramatically changed our presentation?

Music we picked up in the exhibit hall that bene ted our performance?

Or maybe something we learned during a panel discussion that added to our DJ company’s bottom line?

According to Mike Walter in eatontown, N.J., attending DJ expos has been essential to the growth of his company, elite entertainment.”

“I remember sitting in on a marketing seminar that k .C. k okoruz ran years ago in Atlantic City where

al DJ Expo, Mobile & Club Jocks Can Change eir Attitude—And Their Lives.

DJ TIMES

o-erience!

SEPTEMBER 2008

The hazy recollections of Moran, meanwhile, are quickly confirmed by those of Jim Robinson of Promo Only. especially the “Boardwalk Rolling Chair Races.”

“After the Promo Only/Pioneer party at Planet Hollywood was over, we needed to get to Deja Vu nightclub, which was quite a walk down the boardwalk,” recalls the Orlando, Fla.-based Robinson. “w e gathered as many DJs and ‘Rolling Chair People’ as we could.”

Robinson says each DJ agreed to pay $30, with $10 going to each Rolling Chair pusher and the remaining $20 per “racer” being gathered for prize money. “w e then informed all the pushers that the rst Rolling Chair to Déjà Vu would get the prize money, which would be around $200,” he explains. “There’s nothing funnier than the sight of 10-15 Rolling Chairs being pushed down the Atlantic City Boardwalk at breakneck speed with a liquored-up DJ in each one.” every year, the International DJ expo brings together mobile and club DJs from throughout the world into one central location for parties, seminars, competitions and networking opportunities galore.

(Sponsored by DJ Times magazine and its publisher

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DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

he had some great tips about branding and being consistent in your marketing,” w alter says. “I came home from that week and we completely changed our logo and color scheme, and have been very consistent ever since.”

As far as general networking relationships formed in Atlantic City, w alter says there are way too many opportunities to count on both hands.

“Some of my best friends are in this industry, and I have met the vast majority of them at DJ expos,” says w alter. “I spoke at a DJ Times show in San Francisco years ago and a DJ from Arizona approached me by the name of Miles Gilbert. He said, ‘You sound like you know some stuff about the industry—wanna have dinner tonight?’ Miles and I have been great friends ever since.” w alter says he also enjoys learning new dances and games each year in Atlantic City, and has gained tons of knowledge from listening to panel discussions.

“I’ve listened to Jorge Lopez speak numerous times at DJ expos, and he is one of the smartest people I know in this industry,” says w alter. “He asked me once how many people I had working for me, and I told him 30. He then asked how many salespeople I have, and when I responded with, ‘Three,’ he shook his head. ‘No, you have 30 salespeople,’ he reminded me. ‘everyone who works for you is in sales.’

“I was oored by that because it is so obvious and true, yet I had never thought of it that way,” says w alter. “Those are the types of nuggets you only get by attending DJ expos.”

Although family and work obligations have prevented Wajih Halawa (a.k.a. J.w .

Halloway) from attending the DJ expo for the past several years, he says he remembers the experience as being one of the best in his entire DJ career. For w ajih, the expo offers

DJs a chance to have hands-on experience with new products and face-to-face contact with the movers and shakers in our industry.

“The DJ expo is a proper opportunity to get up close and personal with like-minded professionals and long-time masters of our craft,” he says. “For me, it was the place to test-drive the new Pioneer CDJ-1000s and watch DJs cutting up on them and showing us what the new technology could do. I was also able to meet with many of my teachers who I had only kept in touch with via email, in addition to all kinds of upcoming DJs and producers, as I was just moving into the club and dance music realm out of mobile DJing. “w e also had the chance to meet with people like k evin Hedge from Blaze, e-Man and Lorie Caval, Paul Dailey, Gary Deane, Skribble, and many other DJs in a less-than-hectic group setting where people can just hang out and talk face-to-face.”

Scott & Diana McKinney report that their company—Solid Sound entertainment in Colorado—has bene ted in many ways from the DJ expo, most notably encouraging them to nally enter the world of computer-based DJing and also allowing them to engage in hallway networking that turned out to be worth its weight in gold.

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“Most of the seminars for this 29-year veteran is beginner’s-level stuff,” Scott opines, “but from time to time I do pick up a little nugget to use or see some new piece of technology that will make life a bit easier in the mobile world.”

According to Diana: “I think the most important thing you can learn from the DJ Expo is that there are some genuinely nice DJs out there who willingly share their success so that you can become even more successful yourself. Having been to DJ Expo, for our company the content of the DJ Expo seminars has been very useful.

“They provide real information rather than having speakers trying to sell me something.”

Meanwhile, for Brendan Lafferty of B-Sharp Entertainment in Massachusetts, the biggest lesson ever learned from a DJ Expo is something as simple as learning the importance of spending nights at the host hotel.

“When I made my first trip to Atlantic City 10 years ago, I had no idea what the city was like or how close things were in proximity to each other,” Lafferty explains. “As a result, and in an attempt to save some money, I booked a room at a cheap hotel that claimed to be just a stone’s throw from the Boardwalk and the casinos.”

Turns out, the economy hotel ended up being the worst in Lafferty had ever stayed at—and was located a grueling five miles from the Taj. “It had no amenities and an air-conditioning unit that didn’t work,” Lafferty recalls. “It was so bad that I only ended up paying for one night of the four-night stay. At the end of each day’s seminars, I was faced with a drive back to the middle-ofnowhere hotel.”

Staying at the host hotel, Lafferty says, enables DJs to maximize after-seminar networking time.

“With so many DJs staying at the same place, you’re bound to run into some old friends in the hallways or meet some new people while you’re on your way to the seminars,” he says. “Sometimes a two-minute conversation can get you tuned in to a new marketing idea or a solution to something that’s been on your to-do list for months.

“Also, when you get tired and start experiencing sensory overload during the day, you only need to get on the elevator.

You’ll be back in your room in about 60 seconds flat, and you’ll be well rested for that evening’s agenda.”

Plus, this mobile scribe reminds readers that the Hard Rock Café is right there in the same building, with great food, tons of music history and a fun atmosphere.

“For first-timers looking to save a few bucks by staying somewhere near the Taj, it’s so not worth it,” Lafferty says.

“You can’t possibly get the full Expo experience if your hotel is someplace else.”

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For extra input flexibility, the MSR250 features dual input channels, each with its own low and high EQ controls and level control. The signals from the two inputs can be mixed through the MSR250s, as well as the rear-panel output connector, allowing convenient linking to other speakers or audio devices for easy system expansion.

(Back panel shown)

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highlights from the 2008

Presented By

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1

Higher State: Josh Wink kicks off ABDJ’s tour at Philly’s Fluid club. Photo Credit: Jeff Heart

2

Party People: It’s all smiles at Detroit’s Movement festival. Photo Credit: Nicole Chipi/Clubplanet.com

3

Crazy for QBert: That’s a wrap from the ABDJ booth in Baltimore.

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You’ve Got My Vote: An Atlantic City fan casts his ballot for Roonie G at The Borgata. Photo Credit: Mikey McNulty

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Bangin’ in Beantown: Joe Bermudez rocks it at Boston’s Underbar. Photo Credit: Mikey McNulty

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Beach-Beat Marathon: DJ Theo in the midst of his 8-hour set in The Hamptons . Photo Credit: Tom Vassiliou /nyclubpics.com

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Bump & Grind: House dancers mug for the camera at Avalon in L.A. Photo Credit: Chris Soltis

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Hamptons Heat: A couple plays with Pioneer’s DVJ-1000 kiosk at Neptune Beach Club. Photo Credit: Tom Vassiliou /nyclub pics.com

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Motown Mates: ABDJ nominee Dubfire (right) pals with Brit fave Lee Burridge in Detroit. Photo Credit: Nicole Chipi/Club planet.com

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DVD Turntablist: Underbar patron stops by the ABDJ booth in Boston. Photo Credit: Mikey McNulty

11

On the Big Stage: Local hero Carl Craig has a word with Detroit’s festival crowd. Photo Credit: Nicole Chipi/Clubplan et.com

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Video Maven: Roonie G works it out at The Mixx in Atlantic City. Photo Credit: Mikey McNulty

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Hollywood Swingin’: Miguel Migs mixes it up at Avaland party in L.A. Photo Credit: Chris Soltis

15

On Q: DJ QBert demonstrates his deck wizardry at Baltimore’s Ottobar.

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Big in Texas: Chris Fortier goes old-school at Sky Lounge in Austin. Photo Credit: Kristy Simpson

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Cream of the Crop: DJ Creme kicks it largely at Coco Bongo’s in Elizabeth, N.J. Photo Credit: Alejandro Gomez

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mixshow master

From Mobiles to Clubs, From Radio to the Studio,

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Mike Rizzo Has Done It All

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Around the World: Mike Rizzo rocks it in Beijing, China.

DJ TIMES

NYC—Mike Rizzo may be the rst DJ to admit that living the dream ain’t always so easy.

Before he played in Beijing or Ibiza, before he began to entertain thousands of listeners with his slew of mixshows, and before he had vocal-driven club and radio hits like “Can’t Go On” (featuring Allie), Rizzo took a career path that included the basics. They were certainly less than glorious, but they helped lay the groundwork for the successes he enjoys today.

How did he do it? He handed out cassettes. He took mobile gigs. He bought the gear he could afford. And he always watched. He always listened to the great DJs in his own backyard, New York City. From Louie Vega to Danny Tenaglia, he saw their mixing techniques and began to understand why they maintained such a grip on their audience. In short, Rizzo took notes, put in the preparation, did the hard work and practiced, practiced, practiced.

Since then, he’s tasted success with a series of NYC club residencies at Roxy and Tunnel and several top-selling CD-mix compilations like Webster Hall Dance, Vol. 6, Trance Nation America,Vol. 3 and ThriveMix01. His musical tastes have evolved in a more progressive direction and he carries that sound to his club and radio audiences.

His studio work has increased as well. Just in 2008, Rizzo has completed remixes

SEPTEMBER 2008

By Jim Tremayne

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for a long list of top artists that includes k id Rock (“All Summer”), Justin Timberlake feat. Beyoncé (“u ntil the end of Time”) and u sher (“Move Mountains”).

As he prepared to play an Aug. 11 set at the International DJ expo, DJ Times caught up with the Clifton, N.J.-based Mike Rizzo to discuss the career choices he’s made and how he’s bene ted from them.

DJ Times: How long have you been a DJ? Mike Rizzo: Twenty years now.

DJ Times: w hat prompted you to get in the booth? w as there a DJ? A song? A club?

Rizzo: I was inspired by going to clubs as a teen and watching the crowd respond to what the DJ was playing.

Clubs like Sound Factory Bar, Roxy, and Tunnel in Manhattan and Chicago in Lodi, N.J., were always pumping. The original 92 k Tu and the original Hot 97 in New York City were also inspirations. Hearing mixshows from The Latin Rascals, Jose Animal Diaz, Scott Blackwell and Glenn Friscia gave me the itch to learn.

DJ Times: You’ve got a slew of mixshows these days…

Rizzo: Yes, my mixshows feature Pulse 87.7 NYC, XM BPM 81 (Rotation), AOL Radio, Original Hot 97.Com, I Party Radio.Com, w BZC 88.9 FM in Pemberton N.J., Music Choice and Party Radio u SA. DJ Times: How has preparing a mixshow evolved over the years? Is your approach the same? How has new technology helped?

Rizzo: w ell, for one thing I used to do mixshows on casRizzo with club diva Kim Sozzi. sette tapes and DAT—that’s Digital Audio Tape, kids. Now everything is burned to CD. I approach each show keeping the audience that we’re targeting in mind.

I try to cater to the station’s playlist and incorporate songs I’m trying to break in my sets. I also use programs such as Sony Cool edit Pro to condense my shows to an hour. That is a big help compared to using a reel-to-reel back in the day.

DJ Times: w hat was your rst gig and what do you remember about it?

Rizzo: My career actually started by doing local parties and handing out my mix cassettes tapes.

My rst gig was at a teen club called Butter elds. I would hang out with the resident DJ Manny Napier every week. One Sunday night, he called in sick and the manager asked me if I would play. I never ran so fast to get my bag of 12-inch records. The rst song I slapped on was “Planet Rock” and the place erupted. It was a very memorable night.

DJ Times: w hat was your first DJ rig? Do you remember each 1. Dor Dekel: “Boys of Freedom” (NY2London) piece?

2. Lindsay Lohan: “Bossy” (universal) (u niversal) Rizzo: My first rig was two Technics SL-1100s, a Numark mixer, Crown amp, JBL speakers and a TeAC reel-to-reel player.

3. Madonna: “Give It to Me” (warner (w arner Bros.)

DJ Times: Did you ever do mobiles? If so, what did you learn from 4. Christian George: “Strangers” (Chauncey Digital) those experiences?

Rizzo: w hen I started out, before the teen gig, I did a few mobile gigs, 5. Crystal waters: w aters: “Dancefl “Dance oor” (Trackworks) some weddings and parties—1986 through 1990. I learned a lot about programming, which de nitely helped me with the club scene. You have to play to the crowd, not for you. I see many DJs that are awless at mixing, but can’t seem to hold the crowd.

DJ Times: w hat’s the most common mistake that club DJs make?

Rizzo: Playing too cool for the room. Trust me—I’ve done it before. I always preach, “Play to the crowd!” Some DJs play to impress their friends or get too involved with the effects gadgets. Stick to the basics and you’ll get great results. Less is more!

DJ Times: To you, what makes a great DJ? Rizzo: In my mind, a great DJ is someone that could arrange great music throughout the night, and keep the vibe with peaks and valleys through his set with a splash of creativity thrown in. Danny Tenaglia is the rst to come to mind.

DJ Times: As a DJ, what would you say are your strengths? How did you develop them?

Rizzo: I like to pride myself in smooth transitions. I loved listening to “Little” Louie Vega mix— that guy can blend songs like no other. Lots of practicing helps, of course!

DJ Times: w hich DJs do you most admire now and why?

Rizzo: I admire erick Morillo. He’s a local New Jersey guy who knew what he wanted and got it done—man, look where he is now. Of course, Danny Tenaglia—the man simply is one of the best. every time I hear him play it reassures me why I love music so much. His arrangements are amazing! Also, Pete Tong on Radio 1—I tune into his show to hear the hottest, cutting-edge tracks. In my opinion, he’s one of the most in uential DJs in the world.

DJ Times: w hat about producers and remixers?

Rizzo: Ralphi Rosario is the rst to come to mind. His remixes are always on-point. k askade has been rolling out great stuff. I love the dreamy electro sound he delivers. And, of course, there’s Tiësto—need I say more?

DJ Times: And your principal pieces in your studio?

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Mike Rizzo’s Current Top 5

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“Remember, there’s going to be ups and downs—just like everything in life.

Don’t let anything stand in the way of your dreams.” cal tracks? Other than nding a great singer, what should they know about getting a great performance?

Rizzo: Honestly, hiring a great vocal engineer and recording in the right studio is key. w hen I’m in the studio, I know how I want things to sound, so having the best people around you to make that happen is imperative.

DJ Times: Is there a story about any of your vocal tracks where you really had to push the singer hard? ever have a confrontation?

Rizzo: I don’t want to mention names, but yes, that has happened a

few times where the recording artist and I would disagree on a certain part of a song. Studio sessions can get long and tiresome. It’s all about coming up with the right compromise and moving forward. In all cases, the songs came out good in the end.

DJ Times: w hat’s the toughest part of what you do?

Rizzo: The toughest part is staying fresh, maintaining a family life and dealing with the haters. If you work hard enough and have a tough skin to deal with criticism, you’ll be ne.

DJ Times: w hat’s the best?

Rizzo: The best part is collab-

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2008

Rizzo: Apple Mac Book using Logic Pro 8. The pieces I like best are k org’s Trilogy, Novation’s SuperNova synth, ReFX’s Nexus virtual synth, Roland’s Juno 106 and the ReFX Vanguard soft synth.

DJ Times: Is there something you can’t live without, something that is most responsible for your sound?

Rizzo: I always nd myself searching for sounds on the Nova and Vanguard. A lot of my synth sounds in my remixes come from those pieces.

DJ Times: You’ve had success with vocalists. Do you have any tips for the DJ who wants to produce vo-

orating with talented people. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with Josh Harris, Steve “Mr. Mig” Migliore, and Robert Larow to name a few.

Also, hearing compliments from fans is gratifying, knowing that the hard work you put in paid off.

DJ Times: w hat’s next for you?

Rizzo: I always want to elevate to another level. I just started a record label NY2London entertainment with Gary Salzman and Joe k oppie from Big Management in New York City.

It’s in its infancy, but already is having success with the new Dor Dekel release titled, “Boys Of Freedom.”

DJ Times: For DJs looking to move up and make a career out of it, like you have, what advice do you have?

Rizzo: Remember, there’s going to be ups and downs—just like everything in life. Don’t let anything stand in the way of your dreams. k eep in the loop with everything from music publications, seminars and conferences. Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions. And never be afraid to fail.

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mak ing track s Stu dio…hardw are…softw are…

By Phil Moffa

ARC Comes Correct

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Mixing in a room with poor acoustics is like trying to paint a picture with 3-D glasses on.

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Standing waves, utter echoes, and low-frequency room modes are some of the culprits that prevent you from hearing what is really going on in your mix.

Hiring an acoustical engineer is an expensive endeavor and learning the science of acoustics is a full-time job unto itself.

So Italy’s IK Multimedia—based Stateside in Sunrise, Fla.—has come to the rescue by creating its ARC System (Advanced Room Correction) as a solution for engineers of all levels to make their mixing environment more accurate.

The ARC System ($699 list) consists of a calibrated microphone, stand-alone room-analysis software, and a multi-platform correction plug-in that goes on the master bus. U sing the microphone in conjunction with the analysis software, the ARC System measures the acoustics of the studio using Audyssey MultEQ technology. It then corrects identi ed time and frequency response problems in the control room. The results are saved as a preset and can be recalled in any DAW that uses VST, RTAS, or AU plug-ins.

The included manual and on-screen instructions provide an easy to understand step-by-step guide to this process and it took about 20 minutes to run the test.

Phantom power and 48 kHz operation is required to give juice to the condenser mic and play the test tones, respectively.

It is recommended that you try testing the room a few times. According to the company, this is recommended because “often times the rst test can be inaccurate because you are getting used to the system and how it should be set up.

The more times you run the test, the better at it you will get, and it will result in a more accurate reading. If you have done the test correctly, you should have very similar results in the room every time.”

To properly gauge the effectiveness of the ARC System, it needs to be used during the entire production process—recording, mixing, and, if needed, mastering. It is applied as the last insert on the master fader and is only turned off when exporting to a le. For this review, I produced a two-minute song that included multi-tracked programmed drums, bass and electric guitar. The rst time around, the ARC correction plug-in was engaged and the second time, the song was produced without it.

This test is awed because during the second production and mix, I was already familiar with the song. However, the one made with ARC engaged simply sounded better. The lows were clearer and the mix had an overall shine that was lacking from the non-ARC mix. I would imagine that any particular user would have to run many of their own tests to see if their mixes began to translate better to the

world outside their control room.

A drawback with the ARC System is that it can only be used within a DAW and that prohibits iTunes or other players from being used for referencing. It is a well-known technique to listen to works that you regard as sounding good to compare to a mix in progress. This requires importing that le into your session and incorporating it into the session to pass it through the same master bus.

If using a sequencer with a limited

IK Multimedia’s ARC System: Room correction in a plug-in.

track count (like Pro Tools LE), this is a problem.

According to the company, IK Multimedia is “currently working on an update to let ARC work across the whole system, so you will be able to use it with iTunes, video games, DVDs, etc., in the future.”

It is important to note that the ARC System will not improve the delity of your monitors. If you are already accustomed to the way your room sounds, then you probably do a little compensation of your own to get mixes to translate better to the dancefloor. That being said, if you do have serious inconsistencies with the way mixes sound on different systems, then this might be the perfect solution to your acoustic nightmares. If you have a very limited sweet spot and poor stereo imaging, ARC might also be what your control room needs.

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

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SEPTEMBER 2008

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SOu NDING OFF MIXeRS…PRO Au DIO…SOFTw ARe

ANotHeR DIGItAL DoUBLe Once again, we double our digital pleasure with reviews of Rane’s TTM57SL mixer (by Nate Sherwood) and PCDJ Reflex (by Dave Gadbois).

The TTM-57SL: Rane’s dedicated Serato mixer.

Rane’s latest package includes the Video-SL plug-in.

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Rane’s TTM 57SL

In 2004, Mukilteo, w ash.-based Rane Corp. announced the availability of Serato Scratch LIVe, a vinylemulation DJ interface that quickly took the industry by storm. Recently, the company rolled out its TTM 57SL, a practical all-in-one control surface. Built on its highly acclaimed TTM 56 mixer, the unit makes using SSL all the easier. w hile I’ve reviewed many mixers packed with various digital bells and whistles, I must say that this mixer really separates itself from the pack. The TTM 57SL is an entirely new way to approach digital DJing. Today, the focus is on how the mixer works in conjuncture with the Serato software package, rather than just traditional DJing. This will give a broader understanding of why it is quickly becoming a top choice for digital DJs who are looking to step back from their laptops and step into the future.

First, let’s break down the features of this mixer. On the outside it looks just like a standard two-channel battle mixer. The black-and-grey nish is elegant and basic. Inputs consist of four sets of RCA receptacles, which are switchable for either phono or line level settings. There are three sets of outputs (RCA, XLR, and ¼-inch), each with independent volume control.

There is an Au X input signal for piggy-backing multiple mixers together.

The FlexFX section is a well-known Rane feature, which consists of a pair of ¼-inch inputs and outputs for routing internal and external effects. There is a ¼inch balanced mic input with a dedicated three-band eQ section. Rane has really put some thought into the practical design of this mixer—the dual ground screws are big and beefy and the u SB-input LeD glows

bright blue, ensuring that everything is connected properly. On the face of the mixer, each channel sports a three-channel eQ section with full kills. each eQ has an independent kill button and, when engaged, menacing skull lights turn red. Obviously, Rane has built a bit of personally into this mixer.

The most unique portion of the mixer is its “soft control section.”

This is a bank of six fully assignable buttons—two knobs, a Deck and Group button, and two intelligently designed joysticks. The two channel faders and the crossfaders work on a magnetic rail system, which never bleeds or crackles, according to the company. each fader curve has an independent contour control, a reverse switch, and a Channel Swap button.

No wonder Rane is the preferred mixer of many hip-hop DJs across the world.

Digital DJs will equally be impressed, as the TTM 57SL boasts an internal u SB soundcard which provides eight channels of streaming 16 bit/44.1 kHz audio. each channel also has its own FlexFX button, allowing the DJ to control how the effects can be routed, to either one of the channels, or even both. The front panel reveals two headphone outputs (¼inch and 1/8-inch), as well as an input for the optional foot-pedal controller.

The foot pedal can be used to set the BPMs, engage looping, and trigger effects. Other useful small features in-

clude a universal power supply, which makes the mixer compatible with u .S. and european power outlets, as well as a built-in limiter that prevents the audio levels from clipping. w hen pulled from the box, it is obvious that the build quality is topnotch. For its size, this mixer is rather heavy and the faceplate is fastened by recessed screws that are barely visible. This means that you’ll never get hung up when your hands are moving a mile a minute.

Now I will admit that I’m not an avid user of Serato Scratch LIVe, so I began by hooking up my trusty old Technics 1200 turntables. I was genuinely amazed by the silky accuracy of the faders and was quite pleased with the layout, tension, and sound from each of the eQ knobs. w ith the TTM 57SL, scratching and cutting is as good as it gets.

Once I hooked up Serato, I was literally blown away. The direct connection to my laptop meant I didn’t need to reroute any wires. Simply turn the channel knobs to the digital control and you’re off to the races.

I did have some minor issues with the installation of Serato Video-SL, a separate plug-in for SSL, which adds the ability to playback and mix video files with the TTM 57SL. So, I gave Rane a call. w hen I dialed the techsupport number from the manual, someone picked up on the rst ring and sorted me out. I’ve never seen this type of customer support from

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any audio manufacturer—ever.

Once everything was up and running, I got a chance to maneuver the “soft control” section of the mixer.

All of the buttons are identical to the corresponding screen in Serato and, when something is engaged on the mixer, it’s visible on the laptop.

Navigating music without ever touching a keyboard was something I’ve never experienced and immediately fell in love with. This feature makes the TTM 57SL the ideal choice for an old school turntablist, who is afraid of pointing, clicking, and looking like they’re checking their email.

The two joysticks are fully assignable and can be used to quickly load doubles to each deck or for precise cuts. Initially, I thought

realm. As evidenced by its use of the video upgrade—which only works with this mixer—the TTM 57SL is obviously the type of mixer that can expand as we continue to forge into the digital future.

Overall, this mixer is built to be used with Serato Scratch LIVE and, although it is an outstanding standalone audio mixer, traditional turntablists might nd the TTM 56 to be a more economical choice. With that being said, I feel that the additional features, such as the built-in effects unit, an internal soundcard, and a full copy of SSL (with optional Video-SL, sold separately for $219 list), makes

all of the tracks for BPM, the beat grid, the auto cue, and the perceptual volume of the track. This info will be added to a master database located in you’re My Music folder on your C drive. After doing this, you may have to x a few BPMs, but few of us have ever used an analyzer that is perfect.

Just remember that this will take some time, depending on how many songs you have. It took about 10 seconds per track, so do the math.

OK, with this accomplished, it’s time to play. There are two parts to the “Smart”—the Waitlist and the Search. The Smart Waitlist logs what you play and then, as it learns your style, it will make mix suggestions based on your history. This can be up to 100 suggestions for each individual track—this is not a

PCDJ’s Reflex: A program that learns you, the DJ.

the TTM 57SL well worth the $1,799 price tag.

PCDJ’s Reflex

Re ex is the new agship DJ software from Clearwater, Fla.-based PCDJ, replacing what was its FX program. As with most other DJ programs, Reflex will play, loop, beatmatch, and allow creation of play lists.

It will also make use of VST effect plug-ins, it has a BPM analyzer, and it supports playback of MP3, u nprotected AAC, WAV les, and AIFF les.

So how is this software different from the others? For this review, I’ll break it down into four main reasons.

First, you have Re ex’s Smart Lists.

Think of this feature as a search engine on steroids. Initially, you have to add tracks/folders to the scanner. This will start a process, which will analyze

misprint. This program learns you and then helps you come up with alternatives to your old boring playlist.

(After DJing for 28 years, my show can get stale, too.)

Next is the Smart Search feature.

When making the old groups in your record case, you had to place each track in a group and that took a long time. The new way is by using tags that are queried by the group itself. So you would edit the group tag on the track or multiple tracks and then create a group that would include those parameters, allowing you to automatically include tracks in multiple groups.

A great tutorial about this feature can be found on PCDJ’s web site.

The next feature I really liked was the beat and quantize controls. One of the bits of info learned during the scan was the Beat Grid. This tells the program basically where the beats

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2008

that joysticks would be better suited for a vintage Atari, but it turned out to be an intuitive controller that proved incredibly useful. The effects section is not just an internal MIDI controller that activates functions within Serato, it’s truly an internal effects option that can be used with any audio source, including traditional CDs or vinyl. All of the effects can be upgraded via the u SB connection.

My only quibble was that using the effects can be a little confusing if you’re not actually using a computer.

It is dif cult to remember which buttons correspond with which function.

Rane has thought of a solution, and it has included a few nice overlays for the mixer that are quite helpful.

Also, it should be noted that I was amazed when I started playing with Video-SL, which quickly, easily and affordably allows entry into the visual

are and this is what allows for quantization. This is a bit different than sync, in which you sync the BPMs of the players. When using the quantize feature, you lock all players to a master BPM. This is a great feature because it really locks them tight and makes mixing really foolproof. This also locked the loops. For DJs just starting and needing assistance with their mix, this is your program. Just remember, it’s not the mix, grasshopper, it’s what’s in the mix.

The last two features were the Cue/Loop list and the Skin. Most every program allows you to set cue and loop points, but Re ex gives you unlimited points and the ability to name them. This is a great feature if you’re playing a club mix and you want to set cues that get you right to the verse. Or you found some good loops in a track for wedding party events and you need to find them fast.

Some would ask, “Who cares about the Skin feature?” I do. I’m getting older and I have a hard enough time reading the track list, so when a company gives me a user interface that is not crammed with everything I don’t need, I love it. Skin allows you to only have up what you want. Don’t need effects, mixer, third deck, and plugins? Then, just close them. Simple.

In closing, I have been a fan of PCDJ since it began. It has always been cutting-edge and open to its users. As of this writing, I have only had this program for a week but feel comfortable enough to gig with it tonight. I ran into no problems that weren’t answered by the manual. The new features are many and this is a complete overhaul of their software, not an upgrade.

One last thing: Denon has teamed up with PCDJ and offers Re ex Light bundled with their new DN-HC4500 controller. If you have a DAC 2/3 or any MIDI controller, Re ex will work perfectly with it. At $299 unit price ($199 for upgrade from previous PCDJ versions), this is a buy—and I’ll see you at the top.

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

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7/31/2008 5:01:35 PM

MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…Su CCESS STORIES

Mobile Vet: David Hascom has 10 years DJ experience.

All Angles: All Angles:ofJason Jason Jani Jani does does club, club, mobile mobile & & radio gigs.

to the dance oor and tell a memory about the bride and/or groom.

“I brought the bride and groom out and sat them comfortably on the dance oor and the fun really began.

For almost two-and-a-half hours, family and friends had everyone rolling on the oor laughing one minute and choking up with tears of joy the next.

It was truly one of the most amazing things I had ever experienced.”

The power never did come back on that evening, but Y Entertainment & Events succeeded at creating a different sort of electricity. Hascom said his experience is that a professional

By Jeff Stiles

JAX JOCK SOLVES PROBLEMS, WOWS CLIENTS Jacksonville, Fla.—It was a DJ’s nightmare come true. David Hascom arrived at the venue and set up his equipment on time. He announced the wedding party into the hall for the reception, and his upbeat background music was putting smiles on the faces of all the guests.

Suddenly, halfway through dinner, the power went out in that entire 30-block area of the city.

“Talk about a what-do-we-do-now moment,” recalls Hascom. “I hadn’t even re-

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

“I began to think about what I could do that would require no power at all, and suddenly it came to me.” ally had an opportunity to get everyone going yet, and the rst thought was that this had the potential to ruin the whole evening.”

Fortunately, this mobile’s decade-long experience at making parties work and thinking on his feet saved the event.

“I began to think about what I could do that would require no power at all, and suddenly it came to me,” he says. “I went over to the wedding party and told them I was about to ask the guests to come up

DJ should be able to make up for any bad situations—or even a tough bunch of guests.

“I honestly believe there is no such thing as a bad crowd,” he says. “Too often DJs get caught up in either the money they are making or the necessity to have an I-can-do-nothing-wrong ego. Once you have experienced a so-called ‘bad crowd’ a few times, it would be wise to realize that your job is not to make people dance, but rather to create an atmosphere that encourages the guests to enjoy themselves.

“Sometimes you have to adjust the lighting. Sometimes you have to decrease the volume of the music. Most importantly, sometimes you have to have more ideas in your arsenal than just ‘good music’ or ‘cool lights.’”

In a local market saturated with mobile DJs, including its share of bottom-feeders and y-by-night out ts, Hascom says Y Entertainment stands out from the competition on the Florida/Georgia border.

“I truly believe what sets us apart from others in our area is the fact that we have a full-time staff,” he explains. “We are available just about any time our client needs us. This is, as many people refer to it, our real job.

“We typically attract clients who have set their entertainment as one of their main priorities. We take the necessary time to really get to know them, their personalities and their relationship history, and to really discover what is most important to them.”

Besides his DJ business, Hascom runs a party rental store, is an instructor for the Florida Academy of Mobile Entertainment, founded several regional associations in the Sunshine State, and is an active member of national associations such as NAME, ADJA and NACE. With Y Entertainment, every client is offered a professionally trained entertainer who programs a music mix based on requests and whatever else

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very upbeat, friendly and often-hysterical environment.

“I always look forward to their next party,” he says, “because the theme is always something different and the event truly allows me to challenge my mind to be improvisational and provide an event that will be memorable for those who attend.”

When it comes to the future of Y Entertainment and his other ventures, Hascom says the sky is literally the limit.

“With the recent addition of our party rental store, we’ve been able to open up doors that we previous-

ly did not even know existed,” he says. “I love this business with all my heart, and I want to be remembered as someone who did everything he could to teach people how to be an example of integrity and professionalism in all that they do in their personal and professional lives.

“In 2008-2009 I’m personally focusing on projects that will allow me to give back to both my community and the industry that has provided me and my family with a lifestyle I can be proud of, friendships that I wouldn’t trade for the world and a true sense of purpose for my life.”

SEPTEMBER 2008

the rst person who could ‘rope the calf,’ and this immediately brought the guys out of the woodwork to attempt to be our first legendary cowboy for a day.

“We then decided to up the pot to $50 cash for the few ladies in the room to encourage their participation. While we did not have a female winner, it did really get them involved, which was our client’s main objective—to involve everyone.”

Throughout the rest of the event Hascom says the DJs would interview people who participated in the other contests and ended up creating a

DJ TIMES

they feel is appropriate to an event.

Hascom says the entertainer also serves as the event spokesperson to make any necessary announcements.

“Our highest-rate package includes all that, plus the entertainer has been trained not only in the entertainer/ DJ aspect, but has also received additional professional MC training,” he says. “We also provide upgraded sound and lighting by request, and we provide personalized dance songs and whatever level of interaction the client feels will be comfortable for their guests.”

Hascom himself hits the road with a Bose Speaker System, Virtual DJ, dual handheld microphones for speeches and a headset mic for himself, and a Numark CDMix-2 unit and dual-CD players for backup.

“I have ve other DJs on staff and their setups vary based on their personal preferences,” he says. “I don’t require them to have anything other than professional-grade, reliable equipment and a backup plan of their choice.”

Over the past 10 years, Hascom says he has learned two lessons about microphone use.

“First of all, use the voice that God gave you,” he says. “Learn how to use it effectively, but it is not necessary to be the typical cheesy announcer voice—unless that is requested/required by a client.

“And secondly, talk to your crowd, not above them or through them.

When you are speaking, look people in the eye. If you ask questions, be genuine in what you are asking and wait for a response.

“Probably most importantly, just be yourself—be real.”

Asked how interactive his entertainers are with guests, Hascom responds by saying that any contact a DJ has with a crowd is itself a type of interaction. How much entertainment a client wants or needs, therefore, is unique to a particular event.

One of the more unique events Hascom has been involved with was when an Atlanta-based event planning company hired him to provide entertainment for a corporate event in Tucson, Ariz., with his pal Ray Martinez.

For this particular event the company went with a country theme that included a mechanical calf-roping contest, a tomahawk-throwing contest and a snake toss.

Again, Hascom was caught in a new and unexpected situation that challenged him to be creative. The DJs put on jeans, cowboy hats and plaid shirts, and got down to work.

“This company is about 95-percent male and 5-percent female, so typically there is a lot more standing around talking and a lot less dancing,” he says. “We started off the calf-roping contest by offering $25 cash to

43 7/31/2008 5:01:49 PM

Bu SINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLu TIONS…

By Stacy Zemon

WHY IT PAYS TO BE CHARITABLE The idea that giving makes you rich is a lovely sentiment, to be sure, but it’s quite backward-sounding to the average businessperson. You obviously have to be prosperous before you can give away your services for “free,” right?

Well, actually, no. There is quite a bit of statistical data that supports the contention that behaving generously stimulates prosperity—for individuals, businesses, communities and nations. Charity, it appears, really can make you rich.

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Why Giving is Good for Us

Both psychologists and neuroscientists have identi ed several ways that giving makes us more effective and successful. Helping others not only makes us feel good about ourselves; it can also increase our physical well-being. * Research by the u niversity of Oregon has found that volunteerism stimulates the parts of the brain that are associated with meeting basic needs—suggesting to researchers that our brains know that giving is good for us. * A study by Cornell u niversity found that volunteering increases a person’s energy, sense of mastery over life, and self-esteem. * S t u d i e s h ave d e m o n strated that positive feelings about yourself can actually strengthen and enhance the immune system. * Research has shown that people are often elevated by others into positions of leadership after they are witnessed behaving charitably.

So, is achieving wealth, health or becoming a leader the primary reason to give—or rather a byproduct of being generous? DJ Times asked some mobiles about their motivation and here's what they had to say.

Cap Capello of Saratoga, N.Y., has a very good reason to donate his time and talents to charity. His daughter has been institutionalized since birth due to severe physical and mental birth defects. Capello channels his desire to make a difference by performing several times a year for both the “Center for The Disabled” and the “Association of Retarded Citizens.”

“I've contributed my mobile DJ services to them for the past 20 years,” he says.

“Over the course of this time I have become good friends with the staff and the patients. The staff are angels, and the patients are so lled with love, they are positively the best audience anyone could dream of performing for. If I wasn't asked to entertain for these ne organizations, I would call them and beg to do so.”

Ever the consummate professional, Capello still uses a no-charge contract to ensure his liability coverage is in place, and that out-of-pocket expenses can be deducted and proven for tax purposes. Capello steadfastly maintains his business policies in strict accordance with the advice from his attorney and CPA. For Northern New Jersey's DJ Teddy Bear, the American Cancer Society's “Relay For Life” is an annual event on his calendar. The same goes for California's Ezra

“RESEARCH HAS FOu ND THAT VOLu NTEERISM STIMu LATES THE PARTS OF THE BRAIN THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MEETING BASIC NEEDS—Su GGESTING THAT GIVING IS GOOD FOR u S.”

“Not only do people feel a greater sense of purpose through giving, but philanthropy serves as a key to create a positive corporate image.”

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Mendoza of Rhythm & Rhapsody, who also donates his services to “Ronald McDonald House.”

“I had the unfortunate experience of being a guest at a RMH when my son was in the hospital for an extended period of time,” says Mendoza, “and I have also lost some very important people in my life from 'the big C.'” Mendoza challenges his clients to join him in giving. “I run a discount program,” he says, “whereby if my client writes a check up to $100 made out directly to the charity, I will match that amount in any entertainment package $700 and over. I also send part of the proceeds of sales from my company branded merchandise to RMH.” Popular Party DJs’ Charlene Burg’s friend was a victim of a double-murder during her senior year in high school. The family of one of the victims wanted to do something positive in remembrance of their daughter so they started a foundation for battered and homeless women. Burg knew immediately that she wanted to join the cause to help other women from being abused or killed, and keep their spirits alive to the public.

“I offered my services to assist with fundraising in memory of my friend,” says Burg. “The rst year we raised $50,000, and we have raised an additional $750,000 over the past 25 years. Various music artists have attended this event such as Sissy Houston [Whitney's mother]. I'm so glad to be part of such a wonderful cause and would never give it up for the world.”

Brand Aid

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2008

Not only do people feel a greater sense of purpose when expressing their abundance through giving, but philanthropy also serves as a key way to create a positive corporate image. It can have a huge impact on branding because today's consumers are more conscious than ever before about the companies they buy from, and are looking for more meaning in their purchases.

Donating your services or offering them at a reduced rate to charity is also a very good way to build your company's reputation and client roster. Here's how: Providing DJ entertainment for a charitable event is “free” advertising for your company, and everyone attending is a potential future client.

1.

Prospects can often be invited to a charitable event, giving them a unique opportunity to see your live performance—something that is usually not advisable with private functions.

2.

You can include your charitable activities on your company's website and in your company's marketing materials.

3.

In lieu of a cash payment for a charitable event, you can request an exchange in which you provide the entertainment, and the charity features your company's ad or information in all of their marketing, advertising, and publicity for the event in which you are performing.

If you don't have a personal reason for choosing a particular charity and want to check out different options, here are a few sites that will make your task easy: • www.guidestar.org • www.give.org • www.charitynavigator.org • www.ebaygivingworks.com Once you decide upon a few possibilities, contact their local branch in your community and nd out if they already have any annual events established. If they do, it could be a great volunteer opportunity.

If not, perhaps you might help establish a fundraiser for them.

Your DJ services are not tax deductible, even when providing event entertainment for a charitable, religious, educational, scienti c, literary or prevention of cruelty to children or animals organization. However, your out-of-pocket expenses such as mileage, parking fees, tolls, material expenses (supplies), cost of goods (merchandise distributed), payroll, dry cleaning, repairs, and reasonable expenses for meals and lodging are tax deductible.

Consult IRS Publication 526 or your accountant for more details.

The one who ends up getting the most from a giving may, ultimately, be The Good Samaritan.

It really does pay to be a DJ do-gooder because as famed motivational speaker Tony Robbins puts it, “Only those who have learned the power of sincere and sel ess contribution experience life's deepest joy: true ful llment. It's not what we get but who we become and what we contribute that gives meaning to our lives.”

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8/1/2008 3:03:51 PM

GEAR Au DIO…LIGHTING…STu FF

Smarty Pants Ready, Willing & Ableton Roadcase Runner Colorado Sound N’ Light 12061 Pennsylvania Street, B-102 Thornton, CO 80241 (888) 429-0418 www.csnl.com

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Colorado Sound N’ Light introduced its LCD Roadcase, which weighs in at 60 pounds.

It sports wheels, as well as an HDTV 32-inch LCD. Two rear access panels are included for cable connections and the Roadcase can be mounted on any speaker tripod stand.

O’Reilly Media, Inc. 1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472 (707) 827-7000 www.oreilly.com

Ableton Live 7 Tips & Tricks, published by PC Publishing, is designed for new users who want to learn about the program’s features, such as audio slicing, full video functionality, effects chains, and new software instruments. u sers learn to use Live with other music software, control Live wirelessly, prepare a set for a performance, and more.

Blood Transfuser

Faithfully Yours

Digidesign 2001 Junipero Serra Blvd Daly City, CA 94014 (800) 333-2137 www.digidesign.com

Fidelity Media, Inc. PO Box 6478 Champaign, IL 61826 (877) 634-2734 www.megaseg.com

Designed for use with Pro Tools, the Transfuser comes with 2GB of loops and phrases, as well as a variety of modular drum machine/ sound generators, dedicated sequencers, loop manipulation tools, and effects. The composition and editing interface sports a drag-and-drop design. Additional features include real-time beat-sync, auto-slice, stretch, pitch, tag, and resample functions. Transfuser supports WAV, AIFF, ACID, REX 1 and 2, and Apple Loops audio les.

Road Ready Cases USA 12662 Corral Place Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 (562) 906-6185 www.roadreadycases.com

The Road Ready line of Smart Stands features the RRBS and RRBL—which both come with a sliding mount bracket—as well as the RRFSS and RRFSL—which have a free-standing base. All models come with a tilting, pivoting base that’s adjustable from 11 inches to 18 inches. Vented trays are also included to prevent having the equipment overheat. These stands are designed for laptops, turntables, CD players, EFX controllers, and lighting controllers.

Fidelity Media has got a new update available for its Mac DJ mixer, MegaSeg. MegaSeg 4.5.1 has 25 improvements, bug xes, and optimizations in areas like library display, importing, event lists, MIDI control, preview/cue, logging, playlists, and sound effects. It also comes with an updated PDF manual.

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7/31/2008 5:02:23 PM

S I O P X E J D E H T

Network all day and party all night at the World's largest annual gathering of DJ's.

August 11-14, 2008 The 2008 International DJ EXPO goes back to the Boardwalk at the

ARENA Get to the next stage in your career with our ALL-NEW Mobile System Operator and DJ Culture & Music Business panels!

Check out the HOTTEST and LATEST in DJ technology with over 100 booths from the Top Manufacturers in audio, lighting, studio and specialty products.

Presented by

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2008

For up-to-the-minute information, online registration, news, and updates log on to www.djtimes.com/djexpo or www.myspace.com/internationaldjexpo

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gear Au dio…lighting…stu ff

How Do You Do? Howaudio.com P.O. Box 3875 Orange CA 92857 www.howaudio.com

Electronic musician and DJ Steve Nalepa hosts Howaudio.com’s twohour tutorial on M-Audio’s Torq Xponent System. Called “Torq With Xponent,” the program features overviews of the mixer and sampler functions, as well as lessons on auto BPM mapping, built-in FX, MIDI mapping, VST effects, cueing, quick scratching, external control, and more.

Living for the City As the World Turntables Audio-Technica U.S., Inc 1221 Commerce Drive Stow, OH 44224 (330) 686-2600 www.audio-technica.com

Audio-Technica’s AT-LP2D-U SB LP-to-digital recording system is a U SB turntable and software package that connects to both PCs and Macs to record vinyl records to digital media les and CDs. It comes with a phono cartridge, U SB cable, and turntable with a 33-1/3 and 45 RPM speed selector. The turntable

also features a balanced aluminum platter, Dual Magnet stereo cartridge with replaceable stylus and a pickup arm with soft damping control. Cakewalk PYRO (for PC) and Audacity (for Mac or PC) software is included. These programs convert the audio to MP3, WAV, and Windows Media audio les. The PYRO software also features DeClicker and DeNoiser utilities.

Native Instruments USA 5631 A Hollywood Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90028 (866) 556-6487

www.native-instruments.com The latest Kore Soundpack from Native Instruments is U rban Arsenal, which features 40 hip-hop groove sets and 32 drum kits. Beatbox champion Mando also created an exclusive “human beatbox” kit for the set. In all, there are 15,000 groove variations in the set, which also comes with an Instant Remix function.

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

C’est La VLF Community Professional Loudspeakers 333 East Fifth Street Chester, PA 19013 (610) 876-3400 www.loudspeakers.net The VLF Series of Versatile Low Frequency loudspeakers is designed for situations where larger subwoofers are “impractical,” the company said. The line includes the dual eight-inch VLF208 and the dual 12-inch VLF212, both available in black and white nishes. The former sports y points and four rubber feet, and can function in pairs as a steered bass array. It offers a response down to 70 Hz in passive mode or 60 Hz using digital signal processing. The latter comes with slot-loaded woofers and offers an extended low frequency response down to 50 Hz in

passive mode or 43 Hz using digital signal processing.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

DJ TIMES

33

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GEAR Au DIO…LIGHTING…STu FF

X Marks the Spot American DJ 4295 Charter Street Los Angeles, CA 90058 (800) 333-0644 www.americandj.com

The X-Scan LED and X-Color LED, both part of American DJ’s X-LED Series, are mobile DJ/club effects powered by a 20W white LED light source.

The six-channel X-Scan LED has separate color and gobo wheels, with eight colors plus white and eight rotating gobos plus spot. It offers X/Y mirror movement, a strobe effect in every color, and a gobo shake effect. The three-channel XColor LED is a stationary color spot with eight colors plus white. It features a strobe effect and manual focusing lens.

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

M-Audio’s Fast Track u ltra 8R 8x8 audio MIDI interface is a 1u rackmountable studio product that offers high-speed u SB 2.0 connectivity, MX Core DSP mixer, and eight preamps with Octane technology. The unit comes in a metal chassis and delivers 24-bit/96kHz audio resolution throughout the recording and monitoring processes. There is a pull-out gain knob that activates a 20dB pad for recording at high volumes. In addition, the unit comes with two front-panel ¼-inch instrument inputs, +48V phantom power for condenser mics, signal/peak LED indicator lights, and two dedicated analog inserts so that users can insert outboard processing before A/D conversion.

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Chic of Araby DVJ Vision 55 Washington Street, Suite 702 Brooklyn NY 11201 (877) 385-8474 www.dvjvision.com

Retro Chic is VJ Bopa’s rst DVD, released in NTSC format

by DVJ Vision. The 30-minute disc features a “journey of colorful dreamy shapes loosely inspired by ’60s and ’70s title sequences and psychedelic animations” synced to a beat of 120 BPM. According to the company, this helps to make the DVD, which is available now, integrate easily into a DJ’s electronic music set.

Take a Hit Sound.org Inc. 2800 Merchants Drive Knoxville,TN 37912 (865) 909-9200 www.sound.org

Hit Record—An Inside Track to Music Production with Waves, is a book and DVD set that’s part of Sound.org’s line of OpenMix interactive courses. Producer and engineer Yoad Nevo offers some of his exclusive recording techniques and insights into topics like advanced waveform editing; creative instrumental arrangement; choosing and positioning the right microphone; comping the perfect vocal track; imaginative drum tracking techniques; innovative synthesizer processing; how, when, and why to use compression, equalization, and reverb; and effective multi-genre remixing.

Rock the Boat Waves, Inc. 2800 Merchants Drive Knoxville,TN 37912 (865) 909-9200 www.waves.com

Waves Version 6 software is available for free for users covered by the Waves u pdate Plan. It offers iLok.com Support, as well as the TLC Theft & Loss Coverage protection program. During the upgrade, users choose between three main installers—Essentials, Expanded, and Complete—each of which comes with a speci c subset of Waves plug-ins and bundles. Additional installers for 360° Surround Tools, Studio Classics Collection and Waves Certi cation are also available.

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Profile: Andrew Grant

7 of 20

Name: Andrew Grant Home: 2 bedroom, 1 bath, terrace apartment in Ibiza, Spain, from which I fell from last year.

Age: Forgot due to concussion caused by fall from aforementioned terrace.

Profession: Dreamer; Resident DJ, Circoloco @ DC10, Ibiza, Spain.

Affiliations: Circoloco, Religio.Audio, Barraca Music.

Hobby: Searching for people looking to get rid of old records.

Last Book Read: “How To Install Your M-Audio Oxygen8 v2 MIDI Controller” Last Film Seen: John Waters’ “Cecil B. Demented” Latest Accomplishment: A&R Manager for Barraca Music, a new music label offshoot of the club in Valencia, Spain.

Greatest Accomplishment: Only missing one flight this year.

One Tune That Never Leaves Your Record Box: “The Bells” by Jeff Mills MP3, CD, or Vinyl: Play more vinyl!

Best Party Moment: Playing after Norman “Fatboy Slim” Cook on the infamous DC10 terrace.

Worst Party Moment: Arriving at a snowy warehouse party in North Carolina after driving five hours, only to find 80 people and a generator to power the equipment, circa 1994.

Profile: It’s a long way from Baltimore to Ibiza, but Andrew Grant has completed the route. Beginning as a party DJ in his hometown, Grant became inspired by the DJs playing New York’s Twilo club and bought a one-way ticket to the Spanish party island with nothing but his records and an armful of mixtapes. It certainly worked out. Seven years on, he’s still a resident at Circoloco at DC10, the island’s top afterhours event and one of the world’s most influential parties. The Lesson: Hold on tight to your dreams, DJs. I Started Reading DJ Times In: 1998, the issue with Armand Van Helden on the cover.

DJ Times: Fits every Profile

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2008

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

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gear Au dio…lighting…stu ff

Pelican Brief

Pocket Protector American Audio 4295 Charter Street Los Angeles, CA 90058 (800) 322-6337 www.americanaudio.us

Two condenser mics are built into the battery-operated Pocket Recorder, which records in both WAV and MP3 formats onto 128MB of internal memory, or onto SD cards up to 4GB. There are also two small lavalier mics for recording interviews. The unit connects to computers via U SB and features volume control for the inputs and outputs, a stereo earphone jack, and DC power in.

Pelican Products, Inc. 23215 Early Ave. Torrance, CA 90505 (800) 473-5422 www.pelican.com

Laptops up to 15 inches from most major brands—including Apple, Dell and Sony— t inside the 1090 HardBack Case. The case itself is designed to t in most soft bags. It is watertight, crush-resistant, and heat-resistant. The case has a shockabsorbing plush form liner with impact-protection cell cushions. Additional features include an anodized aluminum latch and nylon shoulder strap.

Mr. Clean CAIG Laboratories 12200 Thatcher Court Poway, CA 92064 (800) CAIG-123 www.deoxit.com

DeoxIT is a solvent that removes contaminants without harming the metals or plastics in A/V, DJ and other products. The company says its product can be used on tight tting RCA audio/video cable connectors, battery contacts in microphones, faders, switches, and oxidized connectors. It’s RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant and available in a variety of applicators, including sprays, pens, needle dispensers, wipes and OEM squeeze tubes.

Mr. Big Stuff

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Namba Gear P.O. Box 544 Monrovia, CA 91017 (626) 840-5173 www.nambagear.com

The Big Namba Studio Backpack ts a laptop computer measuring up to 17 inches, as well as most two-octave MIDI controller keyboards or computer DJ controllers.

Sporting what the company calls a “security design,” the bag has a cable management system, including cable ties, and a secret stash pocket, lockable zippers, a phone pocket integrated into its extra-wide shoulder straps, and a carry handle. It comes in three color options— Mayan brown with blue interior, charcoal grey with red interior, and olive green with bronze interior.

Grand Total IK Multimedia US LLC 1153 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy Sunrise, Fl. 33323 (954) 846-9101 www.ikmultimedia.com

IK Multimedia and Muse Research collaborated to come up with the Total Workstation Rack, which combines Muse Research’s Receptor hardware plug-in player with IK’s Total Workstation line of “Powered By SampleTank” instruments. The unit features 10,000 sample-based sounds such as acoustic grand pianos, strings, brass, vocals, percussion, drums, basses, guitars, synths, ethnic samples, and electric pianos. Total Workstation Rack can be integrated with any DAW as a normal instrument plug-in using Muse’s U niWire technology. Among the IK titles pre-installed in this product are SampleTank 2.5, Sonik Synth 2, Miroslav Philharmonik, SampleMoog and SampleTron.

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SEE U

DJ E X B OO T

S AT

PO

H 32 0

COOKIN’ UP HISTORY – AGAIN. Grandmaster Flash is not just the Creator of the Quik Mix Theory – he’s a Scientist.

From his groundbreaking appearance in Wildstyle cutting, rubbing and mixing in the kitchen to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Flash demands the best from himself and his gear.

Over the last 25 years, Flash has evolved as a DJ and Producer, and naturally so has his DJ setup. In anticipation, he waited for a digital vinyl system that could deliver the purest analog feel while giving him new tools to take his technique into the future.

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

DJ TIMES

Catch Flash live at DJ EXPO August 13th, 5 pm, main stage!

SEPTEMBER 2008

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

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7/31/2008 5:03:11 PM

gear Au dio…lighting…stu ff

Play Twin

Tour Guide

Kreate & Barrel

Guillemot Inc 180 Varick Street, Suite 1614 New York, NY 10014 (646) 443-8148 www.hercules.com

CERWIN-VEGA!, Inc. 3000 SW 42nd Street Hollywood, FL 33312 (954) 316-1501 www.cerwin-vega.com

Fixed Noise, Inc. 3461 Waverly Dr. #105 Los Angeles, CA 90027 (323) 663-1984 www. xednoise.com

The Hercules DJ Console MK2 is a twindeck mixer that can be used to play, mix and create audio on either a PC or Mac. The portable unit has jog wheels, as well as controls for volume and pitch, on each deck.

There is one cross fader, two line/phono inputs for mixing analog and digital formats, microphone input with talk over function and headphone monitoring. The console comes with a customized version of Virtual DJ 3 DJ Console Edition PC/Mac.

Understanding Bass Management in PA Systems: A Guide for Performers is Cerwin-Vega’s new bass management guide. Performers get information on topics including: bass frequencies and their properties, why subwoofers are important, the types of subwoofers available and their characteristics, the history of bass in PA systems, system con gurations for various applications, setting up powered and non-powered subs and full range cabinets, cables and connectors, and setting up crossovers. The guide is available for free on the company’s Web site.

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Loopmasters Of ce 46 11 Marlborough Place Brighton BN1 1UB 0845 094 1460 www.loopmasters.com

Loopmasters is distributing a host of new products in the second half of the year. Among them is Drumdrops in Dub Vol. 1, the rst title that’s part of the remastered Drumdrops label collection of multitrack drum libraries from reggae, world and contemporary drummers. Also available is a 24-bit dance sample CD from new label Wave Alchemy called Electro House U nderground.

Techno and dance artist Speedy J, aka Jochem Paap, designed a new sound library called Kreate. More than 4GB of sounds are included, such as uid pads, drum kits, individual hits/tones, loops, sequencer-based instruments, dance and minimal electronic rhythms, FX and Konstrukt instruments.

The library is made up of over 500 instruments mapped out in Native Instruments’ Kontakt Player 2.

Dock of the Bay Grif n Technology 1930 Air Lane Dr. Nashville,TN 37210 (615) 399-7000 www.grif ntechnology.com

The PowerDock 2 and PowerDock 4 charge iPods and iPhones in any combination of two and four, respectively. The product is made out of aluminum and charges the units simultaneously via U SB. According to the company, there is a single charging station to “eliminate confusion and cord clutter.” It’s compatible with a variety of iPod and iPhone models, including iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano with video, iPod with video, iPod nano 2G, iPod 4G and iPod mini. Both models are available now.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

DJ TIMES 55 048SE08_p001-068.indd 55

7/31/2008 5:03:33 PM

grooves tracks…mixes…compilations

Andrew Phelan & Origami

DJ Emerson

DJ Fresh

cer & Hill all offering up remixes. No doubt the highly accessible version from the Freemasons will be the one most played, but all versions should have their fans.

Benjamin Fehr

– Curtis Zack “Stressed Out”

Chris Lake

 Mass Destruction feat. Terisa Grif n  Ill Friction House legends Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez and Terry Hunter team and whip up a classy, deep-house piece. Clever, hard-hitting drum programming and funky, playful keys combine with Grif n’s erce, soulful vocals for winning effect.

Supertight  DJ Emerson  Micro.fon Consistent as ever, Emerson drops another class release, this time on his own imprint. While I enjoyed “Truckvolume,” the deep, lush, eminently funky title track is the one doing it for me and my dance oor.

– Shawn Christopher

– Paul Dailey

“Drive Out”  Sunfreakz  Oxyd Records Belgium producer Tim Janssens draws on Mia J’s vocals to bring us a feel-good record for 2008.

Of the 11 mixes here, the Schwartz/Starchaser remix is the fave. The soft vocals and smooth bassline are sure to make this a true summer anthem.

– Dave Fairman “Crash and Burn”  Nadia Ali  Smile in Bed The voice behind iiO’s smash, “Rapture” returns with another hypnotic dance oor winner. Dean Coleman and Justin Thomas offer worthy rerubs, but DJ Shah’s remix weighs in a massive trance track.

– Dave Fairman

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Memory Tree  Mike Shannon  Minus Ontario native and long time EDM guru, Shannon brings his immense talents to bear on this fulllength release. Standouts include the deep tech of “The Love Fry,” the jazzy house of “U no Para Del Sol” and the driving techno of “Japanese Censorship.”

– Paul Dailey

Nadia Ali

“Disco Lies”  Moby  Mute The big guns are out for Moby’s latest release with the Freemasons, Eddie Thoenick and Spen-

“Dark Hour”  Spectrasoul  Critical On the lighter, more downtempo side of d-n-b, “Dark Hour” comes complete with crisp beats and rhythmic melodies. This track is perfect for both the dance oor and bedroom listening.

– Jen Shapiro “Mamadu” EP  Tony Lionni  Wave Music Once again, Wave Music brings its signature, lush, analog goodness, this time from Madrid’s Lionni.

As advertised, both tracks (title tune and “Deep Odyssey”) bring a deep, trippy, silky vibe, perfect for your next rooftop party or poolside soirée.

– Paul Dailey “Love Tonight”  Chick 2000  Knee Deep The brothers return. The remixes are where the damage is done here, with Knee Deep doing what they do best with a smooth soulful take, while Lorenz Rhode pays homage to the ’80s with a heavy synth interpretation. All good stuff.

– Curtis Zack From Rave to the Grave  Ben Parris  Foundsound Nothing here will set your club on re, but if you are looking to establish the mood for a dark, hard set, “Yo No Ronco” should to the trick.

– Paul Dailey

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SEPTEMBER 2008

DJ TIMES 57 048SE08_p001-068.indd 57

7/31/2008 5:03:52 PM

GROOVES TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

DJ Jeroenski

Moby

“COntigO O Sin ti”  Panevino & O-Jam  Purple Looking at the title, no prizes for guessing—this is a Latin-in uenced workout destined for sunset in Ibiza. In addition to the original version, New York’s Alix Alvarez supplies a solid and soulful remix to round off the package.

– Curtis Zack “GANGSTA”  Future Prophecies  Bezerk An absolute beast of a track, “Gangsta” is loaded with heavy bass, punchy beats and rough basslines—perfect for prime-time play. De nitely ip this in your set.

– Jen Shapiro My FavOrite ShOp iS Me  Benjamin Fehr  Catenaccio Label boss Fehr dregs the bottom of the River Spree for the darkest, grittiest, most subterranean minimal Berlin can deliver. Not immediate, but give it a chance, as the deep goodness is sure to grow on you.

– Paul Dailey “LOve & LuSt” ep  DJ Jeroenski  Tempogroove Next up on the Audiowhores’ edging label is DJ Jeroenski. Although his biggest tracks to date have been tougher workouts, Jeroenski shows

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

Download

Corner

he can go deeper with the best of ’em and he delivers three tracks of great maturity and style.

– Curtis Zack “intrOLeCutiOn”  Mike DeVellis  Blunted Funk NYC producer/sax player DeVellis returns and he’s wailing away over a killer broken beat on the original. The other standouts here include Gabriel Black’s funky house remix, and an outstanding stripped-down tech dub from Anthony Mans eld and Sneak-E Pete. Another gem from Blunted Funk.

– Paul Dailey “EXHALE” (INHALE’S REMIX)

 DJ Fresh  Breakbeat Kaos Equipped with deep, synthetic bass, driving erce rhythms, and sick drum roars, “Exhale” is a slammer. On the ip, “Clap” offers plenty of d-n-b madness to cause mayhem on your dance oor.

– Jen Shapiro “i’LL Wait”  Dalminjo feat. Lenny Hamilton  Papa Records On the original, Hamilton’s fresh, soulful vocals highlight a vibey, funk- lled house track that also includes a beautiful hook by Dalminjo. Ian Friday drops a harder, New York-style, tribal mix that

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).

“Paddy’s Revenge” (Club Mix) by Steve Mac [3Beat Blue]: Grab a Jameson and a Guinness, but don’t leave your love for Berlin minimal behind, since this track combines them all. A sparse groovy beat drops into a breakdown and, out of nowhere, comes an Irish jig—accordion and all. A great way to inject some lightness into a heavy set. Found at beatport.com.

“Beyond The Line” (Christian Malloni Guitar Mix) by Andrew Phelan & Origami [Eight Tracks]: A warm and indulgent way to start your evening—this track has it all. A deep bassline, atmospheric pads, and lush melodies build to a breakdown lled with guitar-stutter effects, a moody vocal, and even a touch of break beat. Close your eyes and feel the vibe! Found at stompy.com.

“Start Again” (Dub Mix) by Chris Lake featuring Nastala [Rising Music]: Chris Lake de nes house music—classic, genre defying, body-shaking house. Here, he takes the progressive angle and turns in a beautifully melodic, vocal driven, true song. The dub focuses on the synth harmonies, chord progression, and subtle vocal effects. Turn to the vocal mix for Nastala’s angelic vocals a la Nadia Ali. Found at beatport.com.

– Robert LaFrance

Mike Shannon

features chugging drums, jazzy keys and a blasting baseline while maintaining its soulful avor.

Dalminijo brings a remix of his own with a more laid-back, house vibe.

– Shawn Christopher Our MuSiC iS a SeCret Order  Jason Fine  Kontra Musik Deep techno is the order of the day and Fine is at the controls. From the lush opening notes of “Half” to the chunky beats of “Inuit” and the ambient closing of “Puttin’ It Out,” this is one of the best discs I have heard in a long time. Quality.

– Paul Dailey “WOrKed up”  Brian Anthony  Sogni Don’t know much about this, other than remixes come from Raul Rincon and Mark Pichiotti—and it’s hot! Both producers serve up pumping remixes with tight drums and catchy grooves and will de nitely appeal to the housier oors.

– Curtis Zack “tOuCh Me”  Bingo Players v Chocolate Puma  Strictly As the re-launched Strictly Rhythm continues full steam ahead, it’s now the turn of Dutch pair Bingo Player and Chocolate Puma to take up the reins. This is trademark stuff, with a repetitive and almost devastating synth groove over pumping beats.

– Curtis Zack “pure eMOtiOn”  Mr. Fix It  S.S.R Music Smart use of a Simple Minds samples ties in with Amanda Wilson’s strong vocals, making it a sure re club hit. The “Club Mix” is the fave, as it showcases great break points and buildups to keep you dancing all night.

– Dave Fairman

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Presented By

2008 NOMINEES FOR

D:Fuse (2007 #33) Dieselboy (2007 #29) DJ Rekha (2008 New Entry) DJ Dan (2007 #24) DJ Irene (2007 #27) DJ Craze (2007 #38) DJ Icey (2007 #14) DJ Shadow (2007 #34) DJ AM (2007 #39) DJ Sneak (2007 # 78) DJ Crème (2007 #73) DJ Theo (2007 #7) Donald Glaude (2007 # 31) Dubfire (2007 #8) Erick Morillo (2007 #16) Felix Da Housecatt (2007 #32) Filo & Peri (2008 New Entry) Francois K (2007 # 69) Frankie Bones (2007 #59) Frankie Knuckles (2007 # 67) Funkmaster Flex (2007 #53) Gabriel & Dresden (2007 #8) Garth (2007 #79) Grandmaster Flash (2007 #43) Green Velvet (2007 # 54)

Hector Romero (2008 New Entry) Ivano Bellini (2007 #48) Jeff Mills (2007 # 56) Joe Bermudez (2007 #20) Johnny Vicious (2007 # 58) Jonathan Peters (Winner, 2006. Re-entry for 2008) Josh Wink (2007 #28) Junior Vasquez (2007 #26) Kaskade (2007 #18) Louie Vega (2007 #64) Mark Farina (2007 #35 ) Markus Schulz (2007 #23) Martinez Bros. (2008 New Entry) Matthew Dear (2007 #70) Micro (2008 New Entry) Miguel Migs (2007 # 51) Mixmaster Mike (2007 #52) Moby (2008 Re-entry) Monk (2007 #6) Nick Terranova aka Starkillers (2008 New Entry) Peanut Butter Wolf (2008 New Entry) Oscar G. (2007 #15) Q Bert (2007 #37) Quentin Harris (2008 New Entry)

?uestlove (2007 #72) Rachael Starr (2007 # 45) Rapture DJ’s (2008 New Entry) Reid Speed (2008 New Entry) Richard Vission (2007 #30) Robbie Rivera (2007 #25) Roger Sanchez (2007 #22) Roonie G. (2008 New Entry) Saeed Younan (2007 #66) Sandra Collins (2007 #36) Satoshi Tomiie (2007 # 40) Scott Henry (2007 #80) Scotty Boy (2008 New Entry) Serge Devant (2008 New Entry) Sharam (2007 #8) Skribble (2007 #5) Stacey Pullen (2007 #65) Steve Aoki (2008 Re-entry) Steve Porter (2007 # 49) Sticky Boots (2008 New Entry, Top Online Votegetter) Three (2007 #19) Tommy Lee & DJ Aero (2008 New Entry) Tommie Sunshine (2007 #63) Tony Touch (2007 #71) Victor Calderone (2007 #17) Z-Trip (2007 #42)

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2008

A-Trak (2007 #74) Adultnapper (2008 New Entry) Armand Van Helden (2007 #13) Baby Anne (2008 New Entry) Bad Boy Bill (2007 #3) Bassnectar (2007 # 46) Behrouz (2007 #41) Boris (2007 #4) BT (2007 #2) Carl Craig (2007 #68) Cedric Gervais (2007 #11) Charles Feelgood (2007 #61) Chris Fortier (2008 New Entry) Christopher Lawrence (2007 #9) Claude Von Stroke (2007 #50) Colette (2007 # 57) Crystal Method (2007 #21) Cut Chemist (2007 #62) Danny Tenaglia (2007 #12) Dave Aude (2007 # 60) David Morales (2007 # 47) Dean Coleman (2007 #77) Dennis Ferrer (2007 #75) Derrick Carter (2007 #55) Deepsky (2007 #44)

Presented By

2007 Winner George Acosta can not win 2 years in a row.

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60 048SE08_p001-068.indd 60

8/1/2008 8:47:08 AM

For advertising rates and deadlines...

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MARKETPLACE

DJ TIMES

SEPTEMBER 2008

SUPPLIES

61 048SE08_p001-068.indd 61

8/1/2008 11:42:32 AM

Profile: Mile Walter 8 of 20 Name: Mike Walter Alias: None—I was never that cool.

Name Of Your Company: Elite Entertainment Home: Originally Queens, N.Y., been in New Jersey since ’88.

Age: (Gulp) 41 Profession: Mobile disc jockey, business owner.

Hobbies: Writing, reading, movies, traveling.

Last Book Read: “Before I Get Old: A History of The Who” by Dave Marsh Last Film Seen: “Sweeney Todd” Latest Accomplishment: My DVD entitled, Training Your Next Great DJ. Greatest Accomplishment: Building Elite Entertainment to where we are—over 1,200 gigs a year and a strong enough reputation to make all the “Best Of” lists every year.

Why I Do What I Do: On the business side, I really enjoy teaching people how to DJ and watching them grow as entertainers. On the performance side, I still enjoy doing events and getting the accolades that go along with them.

One Tune That Never Fails To Get The Party Started and Why: “Jump Around” by House Of Pain Best Event/Gig Moment: Every year, doing the “DJ of the Year” competition in Atlantic City during the International DJ Expo. It’s such a high-profile, high-pressure event and, on top of that, my parents are always there, which only adds to it.

Worst Event/Gig Moment: Doing my monthly “networking” event on September 13, 2001.

Profile: One of America’s more successful mobile operators, Walter has become the permanent host of the International DJ Expo’s prestigious “DJ of the Year Awards,” which bestows honors to mobiles in a variety of categories. His upbeat demeanor, can-do attitude and MC abilities help make the show an annual success.

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

I Started Reading DJ Times In: 1988. My first job in the Mobile DJ Industry was working for John Murphy at Star DJ’s.

He started getting the magazine right away and it was always around the office.

DJ Times: Fits every Profile C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

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Compiled As Of August 5, 2008

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

Kimberley Locke Lady Gaga Rihanna Mariah Carey Velvet Craig David Jenna Drey Pussy Cat Dolls Robyn Seal Jordan Sparks George LaMond Madonna Lenna Madonna Britney Spears Alanis Morissette Anane’ Elena Jupiter Rising Jesse McCartney Donna Summer Ashlee Simpson MrTimothy F/ Inaya D Sentenela P/ Lipglos Alyson Sergio Mendes F/Ledi Janet Tamia T2 F/ Jodie Aysha Fragma Janice Grace Rikah Nemesis Rising Barry Love Jennifer Hudson Sia Crystal Waters Vs Sp Miley Cyrus Loveless F/ Amanda W

Fall Just Dance Take A Bow Touch My Body Fix Me Hot Stuff (Let’s Dance) All Out Of Love When I Grow Up Handle Me Remixes The Right Life No Air Don’t Stop Believin’ 4 Minutes I Can Hear The Money Give It 2 Me Break The Ice Underneath Shake It Before I Sleep Wicked Leavin’ Stamp Your Feet Little Miss Obsessive Stand By Me Over The Night Here With Me Waters Of March Feedback Me Heart Broken Toca’s Miracle Frequency Everything Is Changing Fool If You Think Its Ove Let The Music Play Spotlight The Girl You Lost Dancefloor See You Again Found A Miracle

National Urban Pool Chart

Curb Interscope Def Jam Island Robbins Reprise Robbins Interscope Interscope Warner Brothers Jive Robbins Warner Brothers Dauman Warner Brothers Jive Maverick Tommy Boy Robbins Chime Hollywood Burgundy Geffen Tommy Boy Mamahouse PM Media Concord Def Jam Plus 1 Next Plateau Ultra Jaguar Capp Curb Capp Arista Ultra Trackworks Hollywood Groove Factory

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

Usher Jessi Malay V.I.C. Alicia Keys Mariah Carey Rihanna Girlicious Pussy Cat Dolls Janet Jordan Sparks Cherish Jennifer Hudson Qwote N.E.R.D. Keri Hilson Khia Usher Snoop Dog Eximus Sean Garrett KC Jockey Danity Kane MerceeLow K-Lethal Soulja Boy Beast The Reverend Plies f/ Ne-Yo Turf Talk Erk Tha Jerk Mr. Serv-on Mario Chris Brown Elephant Man Gwop Boyz F/Elijah Rah Element Ne-Yo Daddy Yankee Nellie The-Dream Chris Brown

Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Loveless F/ Amanda W Alyson Madonna Donna Summer Karissa Noelia Rihanna Anavi Dj Skillmaster Plumb

Found A Miracle Here With Me Give It 2 Me Stamp Your Feet Moved By The Music Caribbean Queen Take A Bow Sweet Caress Summertime In My Arms

Love In This Club Cinematic Get Silly Teenage Love Affair Touch My Body Take A Bow Like Me When I Grow Up Rock With U No Air Amnesia Spotlight Don’t Wanna Fight Everyone Nose Energy Be Your Lady Here I Stand Lp Sexual Eruption Move Grippin’ Don’t Go Baby Damaged Lemme Holla At Ya Da-System Yahhh!

Everybody Get Down Bust It Baby We All Gettin Paid You Already Know Stacks Up Crying Out For Me Take You Down Let’s Get Physical Tonight Please Forgive Me Closer Caribbean Connection Party People I Luv Your Girl Forever

LaFace Warner Brothers Warner Brothers J Records Island Def Jam Geffen Interscope Island Jive Capitol Arista Jive Interscope Interscope Big Cat LaFace Geffen Rellik Interscope Sweet Sadies Bad Boy Burn Unit Amathus Interscope SOW Slip N Slide Big Rich Big Rich Lightyear J Jive VP Next Plateau Megablast Def Jam Machete Universal Motown Def Jam Jive

Most Added Tracks Groove Factory PM Media Warner Brothers Burgundy Nashfilms Pink Star Def Jam EsNtion Capp Curb

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

V.I.C. Keri Hilson Jessi Malay Rah Element Eximus K-Lethal Qwote N.E.R.D. Pussy Cat Dolls Lil Haze

Get Silly Energy Cinematic Please Forgive Me Move Da-System Don’t Wanna Fight Everyone Nose When I Grow Up Girls In Da Club

Warner Brothers Interscope Warner Brothers Megablast Rellik Amathus Jive Interscope Interscope Birmingham

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

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

048SE08_p001-068.indd 63

DJ TIMES

✦ Masspool - Revere, MA; Gary Canavo ✦ OMAP R - Washington, DC; Al Chasen ✦ Central Ohio R - Columbus, OH; Fred Dowdy

SEPTEMBER 2008

Reporting Pools

45791 63

7/31/2008 5:12:01 PM

DT

(continued from page 30) Tenaglia: Avant-garde. It’s not even driven by a kick drum, more like a tom that does play into a four-onthe-floor kind of thing, but it doesn’t have the boom-boom of club music.

[Futurism] was going to be about vocals, but I don’t really have the token “Safe From Harm” for this one, or [David James’] “Always A Permanent State” [on Back To Basics], or [The Return’s] “New Day” [on Global Underground London], like I did for my other CDs. So even though this is Futurism and reflects more of the techno side of me, which is more reflective of my sets in nightclubs, I still

you hear it first?

Tenaglia: I was at a listening station. You could tell they’re getting really experimental again in a not-souptempo kind of way. It’s a downtempo kind of track. This is not me pitching it down, it’s the actual speed.

DJ Times: What’s the operative message? Darkness?

Tenaglia: Aesthetic meaning.

DJ Times: Chaos?

Tenaglia: Antranig is very in tune to how each sound comes in, and how it doesn’t conflict with the other, and I’ve learned from that. For the element of surprise, Yello comes to mind first. They take you on a jour-

the rhythms too. Without a doubt I can’t have this CD come out without giving special mention to my Aunt Nancy, my godmother who passed, because she put the music in my life, without a doubt. I tell people, whether they got to meet her or not, had it not been for my Aunt Nancy you wouldn’t know me. She taught me piano by ear when I was a kid, and the guitar. It could have been The Mamas & The Papas, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett. But no matter what it was, my ears were open. I didn’t care about what was on TV, I didn’t care about cartoons, I didn’t care about sports, I didn’t care about checkers, board

“It’s in my blood and my nature to be a trainspotter. ” felt a burning, burning desire to start out with tribalism, drums. It always starts with the drums. So the first three and four songs on CD One, Yello…just saying their name excites ForIf househeads like toI jourme! you look in who my iTunes have ney deep end, Quentin Haroverinto 200 the songs

by Yello.

You see that? ris is no stranger to that world. [points to large section of large record In addition toYello his status as one of shelf] That’s the section. ourAntranig more popular vocal-house DJs, and Burchan knew maybe he’s become for“Ferris soul“Bostich” andthe “Ohgo-to Yeah”guy from ful remix Day work.Off,” He’sbut re-rubbed cuts Bueller’s I said, “You from pop stars like Mariah Carey need to listen to ‘Vicious Games,’ and (“Don’t Us”), Justin so many Forget more.”About “Lost Again,” that Timberlake (“What Goes Around bass that starts out? Yello Live at the Comes Around,” “My Love”) AliRoxy 1983 doing “Bostich?”and Unbecia KeysThen (“Diary”), plus he’s why doneI lievable. they understood defi nitive mixes forBay” clubrecord artistsfrom like needed this “Indigo King labelmate Dennis Ferrer their Street new album [The Eye]. (“Touched theDid Sky”).

DJ Times: you buy the whole Harris’ own fairly unique album when it story came is out?

When did

ney: Their records can turn around and be this really wacky drum solo, or sound like a movie score, or like jungle breakbeat.

DJ Times: Times change, music styles change, but you always manage to find the records that have those pieces that are so you. You might add more in the compilation process, but the basis is there. What are those pieces? Do you know what they are, and how do you find them?

Tenaglia: I can say it’s the infl uences that go way, way, way back, as far as I can go back, to everybody from the ’60s that infl uenced me— from Sergio Mendes to The Beatles to Pink Floyd to the Isley Brothers to Gladys Knight And The Pips to Manu Dibango and Patti Labelle. These voices—it was the voices, but it was

games. Kerri, I swear to you—it was music, music, music.

So what comes out of the speakers as a DJ, or what comes out my records as a producer, is just influences and influences and influences, from jazz to samba to bossa nova to salsa.

DJ Times: The thing I always take from our conversations is that this is all based in music, not just dance music. This is a dance interpretation of a love for music.You go to some of these indie-rock shows, and the kids are dancing, but so self-consciously, like it’s very ironic to dance.

Tenaglia: This is why I’m really glad I’m not shy about being myself in every way, even jokingly performing some of these songs, lip-synching in a way. Because they’re not just listening anymore—they’re watching the DJ.

So I’m like, “You want a show? I’ll give you a show.” I played an LCD Soundsystem song at Coachella, and everyone just kind of looked at me. But quite often I get on the microphone and I say, “I need to see you people dance, I need to see this room dance.

I need to see some pulsing, because you’re all just standing there staring at me, and I’m the one dancing. You’re looking at me like you can’t believe that I dance!”

I don’t want people to think that I’m on the microphone that much because I’m not. If anything now I hear a lot of DJs on microphones.

DJ Times: They do it because you do it.

Tenaglia: A lot of them, I don’t understand what they’re saying. If you’re going to do it, do it right. I used to work in a roller disco, and I had to get their attention. “The next song is for backwards skaters only!”

Between that, plus being raised in Brooklyn, and being Napolitano.

DJ Times: Do you still go out?

Tenaglia: I still love to dance, I still love going out. I have the best time at 718 Sessions and Body & Soul, because those are mature-type events. You got a dancefloor with people not disrupting my groove. We have a whole bunch of fun when it’s the crew.

I feel like I’m just a DJ mailman delivering other people’s music to other people’s doorsteps in countries and cities, and I feel secure about it. I’m sure once upon a time in my life I was concerned that other DJs would blow me away, but I don’t feel like that anymore. At the end of the day, when the headphones are off, I’m just a punter. If I see people dancing, I want to be where that is, even if they’re playing spoons and a triangle.

Sin-City Switcheroo

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So, where do I “officially” reside?

Photos by Mikey McNulty

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

My home in Columbus, Ga., is far from the big-time.

Vegas, baby!

Roonie G, Next Month in DJ Times

7/31/2008 5:12:05 PM

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

Profile: Miguel Migs 2 of 20 Real Name: Miguel Steward Alias (if applicable): Miguel Migs Home: San Francisco Age: 35 Profession: All things music.

Profile: Josh Wink

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Affiliations: Salted Music Hobby: Juggling chainsaws on Venice Beach for spare change.

Last Book Read: “The Secret Life of Water” by Masaro Emoto.

Last Film Seen: “American Gangster” Favorite Quote: “Be the best person you can be, treat

Profile: Roger Sanchez

others with kindness and respect and be a creative individual with your own mind!” (Migs)

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Greatest Accomplishment: My friends and my music.

Real Name: Josh Wink Alias: Variations of Wink and some other names thrown in.

Home: Philadelphia, PA. Age: 26 ;) Profession: Producer/DJ/Owner, Ovum Recordings

Home: New York Age: 40 Profession: DJ / Musician Affiliations: Release Yourself / Stealth / Pacha Hobby: Reading Last Book Read: “Century Rain” by Alastair Reynolds Last Film Seen: I Am Legend Favorite Quote: “Nice to be important but much more important to be nice”

MP3, CD, or Vinyl: I’m cool with CD and vinyl.

One Tune That Never Leaves Your Record Box: My Mikey Dread reggae accapellas. My Big Musical Project for 2008 Is: My label Salted Music,

Hobbies: Cooking/Athletics Last Books Read: “Stealing Buddha Dinner” by Bich Minh Nguyen; “Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life” by Steve Martin; and “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson Last Film Seen: “Zeitgeist” Favorite Quote: “I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.”

Latest Accomplishment: Doing what I do! Greatest Accomplishment: Still doing what I do!

MP3, CD, or Vinyl: All baby! However, digitally speaking...MP3 is easier to store! One Tune That Never Leaves Your Record Box: “Higher State of Consciousness” by Wink. To this day, people still want to hear me play it.

My Big Musical Project For 2008 Is: Working on new WiNK LP on Ovum. First in a long time!

Best Event/Gig Moment: In 1992, my first gig outside of the USA, a New Year’s Eve Party in Rome when electronic dance music was very new for people. A great line-up and a great party.

Worst Event/Gig Moment: Happy to say it doesn’t happen too often. But, I try not to remember them when they do.

Profile: In the mid-’90s, Wink rattled off a series of global hits that are now considered club classics—“Higher State of Consciousness,” “I’m Ready” & “Don’t Laugh.” He also founded Ovum Recordings, and in the new decade he cranked out faves like “How’s Your Evening So Far?” and “Superfreak (Freak).” When he’s not jetting to the world’s top venues, the Philly native can be found spinning his monthly “Last Wednesday” party at cozy hometown club, Fluid.

I STARTED READING DJ TIMES IN: 1988! I WAS A MOBILE DJ IN THE ’80S. HAPPY IT’S STILL AROUND!

my new 8-piece band, Petalpusher, and my upcoming album Those Things Remixed. I will probably also start on a new album later this year as well.

Latest Accomplishment: I’m a Daddy and soon to be Husband !!

Best Gig Moment: Performing with my new band, Petalpusher, right after Lenny Kravitz at the Oracle event last December.

Greatest Accomplishment: My beautiful daughter Soleil

Worst Gig Moment: Having to play super sick with a horrible stomach

Why I Do What I Do: For The Love Of House MP3, CD, or Vinyl: All 3 are fine with me!

flu in Miami in 1993, getting some kind of shot from a nurse in the DJ booth while I’m almost vomiting and hallucinating from the high fever I had.

One Tune That Never Leaves Your Record Box: “Turn On The Music” by Roger Sanchez My Big Musical Project For 2008 Is: Working on a single for Billie Ray Martin and my new album.

Profile: As a DJ, Migs found fame playing chilled, Cali-flavored deep house. Later, his productions (like his Petalpusher tracks for Naked Music) became staples for global DJs who appreciated his funky, soulful grooves. Migs has also done remixes for a slew of artists (from Macy Gray to Lionel Richie) and in 2004 he founded his own imprint, Salted Music. In ’07, he released Those Things, one of the year’s top US electronic albums. He continues to pursue a busy international schedule.

Best Gig Moment: Release Yourself @ Pacha, Ibiza Profile: Just another mobile DJ from Queens who found astronomical success? Hardly. Before he gained the glory afforded by a Grammy Award (for his remix of No Doubt’s “Hella Good”) or a long-running Ibiza residency (Release Yourself at Pacha), the Dominican-American DJ/producer was inspired by NYC’s deep house-music tradition. His first club hit, 1991’s “Luv Dancin’,” set him on the path and his international pop smash, 2001’s “Another Chance,” solidified his status as one of our greatest global DJ/producers.

I STARTED READING DJ TIMES IN: 1998.

DJ Times: Fits every Profile C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

I STARTED READING DJ TIMES in: 1999

DJ Times: Fits every Profile

DJ Times: Fits every Profile

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

Profile: DJ Dan 6 of 20

Profile: Colette 4 of 20 Real Name: Colette Marino Home: Los Angeles, CA

Alias: DJ Colette

Age: 32 Profession: DJ/Vocalist

Profile: Russ Harris

Hobby: Cooking. I’ve become somewhat of a foodie in the past two years.

Last Book Read: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire Last Film Seen: Wristcutters

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Name: Russ Harris Home: Chicago / Aurora, IL Age: 35 Profession: Owner, Show On The Road Productions; DJ / Artist / Remixer / Producer Hobby: Stephen King collector Last Book Read: “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows” Last Film Seen: “No Country For Old Men”

Claim To Fame: Singing live while deejaying, one of the founding members of the Superjane collective.

Latest Accomplishment: My second artist album, “PUSH” on OM Records

Real Name: Daniel Wherrett Alias: DJ Dan Home: Los Angeles Age: Timeless Profession: International Partier of Mystery

Greatest Accomplishment: I put together a band last year with three of my writing partners. We’ve been working on music for the last eight years and to be able to perform on stage together has been incredible. I’ve always wanted to be in a band and to finally have that experience is thrilling and frightening all at the same time.

Affiliations: InStereo Recordings/AM Only/The Ascot Club Hobby: Over-the-top theme parties at my house Last Book Read: “The Power of Intention” by Wayne W. Dyer Last Film Seen: “Juno” Claim To Fame: Being one of the first West Coast DJs to travel internationally, spawning the fusion of funky house and breaks. Favorite Quote: “Your playing small does not serve the world.”

Why I Do What I Do: Music is my greatest addiction. I’ve been enthralled with music since the age of three and thirty years later I can’t picture myself doing anything else.

Latest Accomplishment: Releasing my debut album Ear Therapy this past year.

One Tune That Never Leaves My Record Box: “What Will She Do For Love” is probably the only track of mine that I have performed at every single show. It’s one of my favorite songs to sing and is usually my most requested track to play.

Greatest Accomplishment: Hitting #5 on Billboard’s Club Dance Chart last year with “Drums In The Club”.

Why I Do What I Do: I’m always picking music apart and tell myself “I can do that”. I love the creative process of starting out with an idea, forming it & molding it & tweaking it on a computer & keyboard, & then having a crowd rock out to it.

There’s nothing more satisfying.

I’m doing a bigger band

tour this year.

Best Party Moment: Coachella 2006. I’ve always been a huge fan of this festival and having the opportunity to be a part of it was phenomenal.

This Tune Never Leaves My Record Box: “Zombie Nation” by Kernkraft 400.

Best Event/Gig Moment: Getting to take pictures & sign autographs after my set like a superstar at my first record release party.

Worst Party Moment: I played a rave in Detroit and 30 police officers in riot gear stormed the DJ booth and yelled at me to shut the music off. Definitely not a fun way to end a party.

Worst Event/Gig Moment: Playing at a wedding during a heat wave in a un-air conditioned hall and moving my sound and light system outside & inside of the hall trying to beat the heat only to have the air conditioning fixed later on.

Profile: A founding member of the female DJ collective SuperJane, Colette has toured the world as a singing DJ and scored chart-topping hits (like “What Will She Do For Love”) and best-selling albums (“Push” and “Hypnotized”). Her music has been licensed for national ad campaigns (Motorola) and film projects (“The Devil Wears Prada”).

Profile: As one of the Midwest’s more successful mobile operators, DJ Russ Harris and his Show on the Road Productions have kept Chicagoland parties hopping since 1988. In recent years, Harris began to create special remixes and mash-ups for his company’s events and he later parlayed that studio experience into an artist career.

I STARTED READING DJ TIMES IN: 1994

I STARTED READING DJ TIMES IN: 1995

MP3, CD, or Vinyl: WAV files on CD and Serato One Tune That Never Leaves Your Record Box: “Disco Muff” by The Dirt Diggers.

My Big Musical Projects For 2008 Are: Aside from releasing new tracks on my InStereo label and my artist album, I’m launching the label’s podcast by re-releasing some of my old classic mixtapes.

Best Gig Moment: The Funky Tekno Tribe reunion party at The Endup in San Francisco this past New Years Day. I wasn’t originally on the line-up, but when I went on at around 7a.m., I surprised the crowd and it was amazing! I had never played at The Endup before and had always wanted to—getting to do it with the Funky Tekno Tribe crew made it extra special.

Worst Gig Moment: Arriving at consecutive gigs in Venezuela and Mexico City that were shut down by police, flying on very little sleep, and then being stranded at the hotel in Mexico City by the promoters with no transportation, no explanation, and no pay. Then arriving back home and getting tons of angry emails from fans in Venezuela and Mexico saying that they’d heard that I’d refused to play.

Profile: As one of the first indigenous West Coast DJs to break out from the Pacific Time Zone, Dan’s been called “The People’s DJ” and “America’s Hardest Working DJ.” Over the years, he’s been a member of the legendary Funky Tekno Tribe and his productions like “Needle Damage (The Zipper Track),” “Loose Caboose” and “The Phone Track” have lit up clubs and the rave circuit alike.

I STARTED READING DJ TIMES IN: 1995

DJ Times: Fits every Profile

DJ Times: Fits every Profile

Latest Accomplishment: Starting production on my first artist album, and being able to work with so many other talented producers Greatest Accomplishment: Becoming one of the top DJs in the world and re-launching my record label, “InStereo”.

Why I Do What I Do: I’ve loved music since I was born and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I still have the same fiery obsession to put music together, create energy, and see it light people up on the dancefloor.

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

DJ Times: Fits every Profile

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

Profile: Andrew Grant

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

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Name: Andrew Grant Home: 2 bedroom, 1 bath, terrace apartment in Ibiza, Spain, from which I fell from last year.

Age: Forgot due to concussion caused by fall from aforementioned terrace.

Profile: Mile Walter 8 of 20

Profession: Dreamer; Resident DJ, Circoloco @ DC10, Ibiza, Spain.

Affiliations: Circoloco, Religio.Audio, Barraca Music.

Hobby: Searching for people looking to get rid of old records.

Last Book Read: “How To Install Your M-Audio Oxygen8 v2 MIDI Controller” Last Film Seen: John Waters’ “Cecil B. Demented” Latest Accomplishment: A&R Manager for Barraca Music, a new music label offshoot of the club in Valencia, Spain.

Greatest Accomplishment: Only missing one flight this year.

One Tune That Never Leaves Your Record Box: “The Bells” by Jeff Mills MP3, CD, or Vinyl: Play more vinyl!

Best Party Moment: Playing after Norman “Fatboy Slim” Cook on the infamous DC10 terrace.

Worst Party Moment: Arriving at a snowy warehouse party in North Carolina after driving five hours, only to find 80 people and a generator to power the equipment, circa 1994.

Profile: It’s a long way from Baltimore to Ibiza, but Andrew Grant has completed the route. Beginning as a party DJ in his hometown, Grant became inspired by the DJs playing New York’s Twilo club and bought a one-way ticket to the Spanish party island with nothing but his records and an armful of mixtapes. It certainly worked out. Seven years on, he’s still a resident at Circoloco at DC10, the island’s top afterhours event and one of the world’s most influential parties. The Lesson: Hold on tight to your dreams, DJs. I Started Reading DJ Times In: 1998, the issue with Armand Van Helden on the cover.

DJ Times: Fits every Profile C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

Name: Mike Walter Alias: None—I was never that cool.

Name Of Your Company: Elite Entertainment Home: Originally Queens, N.Y., been in New Jersey since ’88.

Age: (Gulp) 41 Profession: Mobile disc jockey, business owner.

Hobbies: Writing, reading, movies, traveling.

Last Book Read: “Before I Get Old: A History of The Who” by Dave Marsh Last Film Seen: “Sweeney Todd” Latest Accomplishment: My DVD entitled, Training Your Next Great DJ. Greatest Accomplishment: Building Elite Entertainment to where we are—over 1,200 gigs a year and a strong enough reputation to make all the “Best Of” lists every year.

Why I Do What I Do: On the business side, I really enjoy teaching people how to DJ and watching them grow as entertainers. On the performance side, I still enjoy doing events and getting the accolades that go along with them.

One Tune That Never Fails To Get The Party Started and Why: “Jump Around” by House Of Pain Best Event/Gig Moment: Every year, doing the “DJ of the Year” competition in Atlantic City during the International DJ Expo. It’s such a high-profile, high-pressure event and, on top of that, my parents are always there, which only adds to it.

Worst Event/Gig Moment: Doing my monthly “networking” event on September 13, 2001.

Profile: One of America’s more successful mobile operators, Walter has become the permanent host of the International DJ Expo’s prestigious “DJ of the Year Awards,” which bestows honors to mobiles in a variety of categories. His upbeat demeanor, can-do attitude and MC abilities help make the show an annual success.

C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

DJ Times: Fits every Profile C E L E B R AT I N G 2 0 Y E A R S

DJ TIMES

DJ Times: Fits every Profile

SEPTEMBER 2008

I Started Reading DJ Times In: 1988. My first job in the Mobile DJ Industry was working for John Murphy at Star DJ’s.

He started getting the magazine right away and it was always around the office.

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8/1/2008 8:47:43 AM

Reaching more DJs than ever.

From party to party, city to city, one thing all DJs have in common is that they’re always on the move. To keep pace with our audience, we’ve launched Insider—the interactive arm of DJ Times. Wherever they go, Insider keeps DJs in the know with

product information

business tips

music

news

and everything else that matters to the international DJ community… informative and entertaining… up-to-the-minute content... all delivered twice

DJ TIMES SEPTEMBER 2008

a month to inboxes of pro DJs everywhere.

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Keep a lookout for the DJ Insider online newsletter in your inbox!

For sponsorship opportunities with Insider, contact jgrecco@testa.com.

8/1/2008 8:47:50 AM

SEPTEMBER 2008

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7/31/2008 5:12:06 PM

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7/31/2008 5:12:11 PM