LAUNCHES
1988 2018
AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988 SUMMER 2019 ISSUE
VOLUME 32 NUMBER 5
30 YEARS STRONG
30 YEARS STRONG
Plus: Noizu || Midnight Kids || Denon DJ Prime 4 || Serato Studio || Moogfest ’19 ||
THE LATEST
1988 2018
AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988
SUMMER 2019 ISSUE
VOLUME 32 NUMBER 5
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MOVEMENT: AMERICA’S BEST DJ’S MOTOWN LAUNCH
NOTABLES…MILESTONES NEWS
By Jim Tremayne
Detroit – In spite of downpours both drizzly and torrential, more than 90,000 dance-music fans filled Motown’s Hart Plaza this past Memorial Day weekend for the Movement festival. Produced by local promoter Paxahau May 25-27, Movement presented nearly 100 DJs and electronic acts on five sponsored stages. As always, Movement fest also served as the kick-off event for America’s Best DJ, the fan vote that seeks to find the USA’s most popular jock. Presented by DJ Times since 2006, the three-month vote is supported by a summer tour that has fans cast ballots for their favorite DJ and win prizes. (To see the 2019’s 100 ABDJ nominees and vote, please visit americasbestdj.us.) At Hart Plaza, DJ Times maintained a dedicated activation booth that accepted fan votes and distributed the latest issues of the magazine. Additionally, DJ Times shared its booth space with Give A Beat, a non-profit, social-justice organization that, among other activities, provides mentorship programs (music and graphics) for recently released inmates. (For more info, please visit giveabeat.org.) At this year’s Movement festival, 13 nominees for the America’s Best DJ title graced the bill. They included: Carl Craig; Claude VonStroke (playing with Get Real); DJ Godfather; Dubfire (playing with Paco Osuna and Nicole Moudaber); Green Velvet (playing with Get Real); GRiZ; J.Phlip; Josh Wink; Kevin Saunderson; Matthew Dear (playing as Audion); MK; Soul Clap; and Stacy Pullen. Movement Highlights from ABDJ Nominees: At Saturday’s main stage, Josh Wink mixed relatively recent acid tracks like the tough, wobbly “Selecta” with classics like “Are You There?” Meanwhile, over at the Star Gate stage, locally based global jocks Stacey Pullen and Carl Craig rocked the hometown crowd with soulful techno and bumping beats – the stage was packed all day. On the Red Bull Presents stage, Soul Clap dropped a bootyshaking set of trademark funk and disco grooves. At Sunday’s Red Bull stage, DJ Godfather cut and scratched nasty ghettotech bangers that had the plaza people throwing shapes aplenty. Kevin Saunderson’s B2B set with his sons, Damarii and Dauntiez, had the Star Gate stage area raging; meanwhile over on the mainstage, Dubfire’s B3B with Osuna and Moudaber infused the crowd with moody techno that included plenty of crunching beats. Monday on the mainstage, MK dropped a soothingly soulful set that worked the late-afternoon crowd into an easy lather. Get Real followed up with its brand of quirky, but danceable beats. Later, GRiZ closed the big stage with plenty of funk, saxophone and posi-vibes. On the Star Gate stage, J.Phlip dropped a Dirtybird set that had fans dancing through raindrops.
Drizzle: Raindrops on Hart Plaza. Anthony Rassam
Ghetto-Tech: DJ Godfather cut it up. Bryan Mitchell
DJ TIMES
Carl Craig: True Detroit techno. Steven Pham
Highlights from non-ABDJ-nominees: Saturday’s Red Bull stage performance by Wajatta saw DJ John Tejada working formidable techno beats with MC Reggie Watts creating wild vocal effects on the fly; separate sets by Detroiters Kenny Larkin, Octave One and Seth Troxler kept the Star Gate stage area packed with mad revelers; Sunday’s Star Gate stage set from DJ Minx saw her drop classic house and disco, then Patrick Topping got edgier with a sturdy tech-house set; on the Pyramid Stage, Anna was followed by Nastia – and both infused the plaza with fresh techy beats; on the Star Gate stage, Danny Daze kept mid-afternoon crowd grooving with a tasty, elastic set of house grooves and taut techno beats; and on the Pyramid Stage, DJ Tennis and fellow Berliners Tale of Us transcended the raindrops with sets of edgy, occasionally bewildering tech-house. For more on Movement festival, please see our photo spread on Pages 22-23.
SUMMER 2019
Soul Clap: Booty-shaking funk. Xavier Cuevas
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1988 2018
VOLUME 32 NUMBER 5
FEATURES
14 Global Gal
After a Relatively Quick Ascension in the Techno World, Peggy Gou Expands Her Influence on Music, Commerce & More BY LILY MOAYERI
18 Game Changer
45 Ways to Change Your DJ Business – Courtesy of DJ Expo BY CON CARNEY
20 Hands-On
At Moogfest, DJ Times Got an Up-Close Education on Upfront Music & Tech BY CHRIS K. DAVIS
22 Movement
Despite Rain, Detroit’s Techno Fest Brought the Big Beats BY DJ TIMES PHOTOGRAPHERS
DEPARTMENTS
SAMPLINGS
9 Feedback
10 Midnight Kids
The Latest on DJ Expo – Aug. 12-15 in Atlantic City, N.J.
28 Making Tracks Serato Studio
Retro Remixers
12 In the Studio With… Noizu
30 Sounding Off Denon DJ Prime 4
32 Mobile Profile
Jersey Jock Makes Mitzvah Magic
33 Business Line
Recession-Proof Your DJ Business
34 Gear
Special Section: ClubWorld
38 Grooves
24 Spotlight
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
New Products from Pioneer DJ, Roland & More
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Phat Tracks from Soul Clap, M.I.G. & More
41 Club Play Chart
The Hottest Records, As Reported by Our Top U.S. Record Pools
Chicago’s Spring Awakening Brings the Stars
26 Hot Shots liL Ray: NYC’s House-Music Maven
Cover & Contents Images by Mok Jungwook
FROM THE EDITOR
Up from the Underground
If you pay attention to the global-DJ scene, a place where underground-leaning DJ/producers can thrive a little more than they might in the American festival milieu, you’ve no doubt come across the music of Peggy Gou. With convincing productions like her recent “Starry Night” and great mixes like her new DJ Kicks compilation, she’s earned plenty of notice in the DJ community. Musically, she’s an amalgam of many electronic sounds – modern techno, classic house, electro-’80s, world beats – and that’s what makes her mixes so terrific. Don’t believe me? Take a hopscotch across her many mixes available on YouTube and, before you know it, you’ll be listening all day. And, like many modern DJs, she’s begun to brand her name and take advantage of her notoriety. Our longtime L.A. correspondent Lily Moayeri connected with the Berlin-based Ms. Gou, who explained her influences and described her relatively quick rise in the global-DJ ranks. In the Samplings department, our Brian Bonavoglia handles both stories. For the “In the Studio” entry, he connects with mystery man Noizu – another talented DJ/producer who prefers to project an animated character as his public image. Additionally, he interviews Kyle Girard and Dylan Lee of the Midnight Kids, an upstart DJ/production duo making waves on the festival circuit. For our gear reviews, Wesley Bryant-King takes on both sections. In Making Tracks, he runs Serato Studio through its paces and gives a big thumbs-up to the unique entry-level production software. For Sounding Off, he praises Denon DJ’s robust, new Prime 4 controller. Also on the gear tip, Chris Davis, who curates and assembles DJ Insider (our twice-a-month e-newsletter), took a trip to Durham, N.C., for Moogfest – the annual celebration of all things Moog. In addition to taking in great electronic-music performances and informative keynotes/seminars, he got into the conception-and-assembly process that has made Moog products so legendary. His experience was a singular one and we think you’ll enjoy what he shared from the event. For mobile entertainers, we take a look at past DJ Expos and offer up a variety of advices from a long line of the show’s seminar participants. In Business Line, Maine-based DJ/banker Jerry Bazata offers four big tips on recession-proofing your DJ business – useful stuff, we think. Also, in Mobile Profile, we visit with Jersey jock Adam Hirschhorn who explains how he left teaching behind so that he could pursue a career in music and entertainment. In News, you’ll find a report from Detroit’s Movement festival where DJ Times kicked off its annual America’s Best DJ Summer Tour. Fans voted for their favorite U.S-based DJs and we got to hear some of the industry’s best – from Carl Craig to MK. We also offer a photo spread, which showcases many of the non-ABDJ nominees – from local talent like DJ Minx to global jocks like Nastia. For the quarterly ClubWorld section, Mr. Bonavoglia reports from Chicago’s Spring Awakening Music Festival, which brought out all of EDM’s biggest stars. Additionally, we follow up on our Jamaica Frenzy trip this past March, when we caught some of house music’s most legendary DJs, with an interview with event promoter/DJ liL Ray Mckayle. The Brooklyn-based music maven details his love for the genre, along with some of his future island dreams. Of course, there’s also DJ Expo on the horizon. Set for Aug. 12-15 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., the show is in its 30th year and will present an exhibit-hall full of DJ-related technology, 30 educational seminars, panels and keynotes, plus sponsored evening events. If you’re a DJ of any stripe – mobile, club, studio, upstart – DJ Expo has something for you. We hope to see you there.
editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne jtremayne@testa.com editor-at-large Brian O’Connor boconnor@testa.com assistant editor Brian Bonavoglia bbonavoglia@testa.com chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Wesley Bryant-King Chris Caruso Amanda Chavez Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Reed Dailey Chris Davis DJ Deets Tony Fernandez Tommy D Funk Michelle Fetky Mike Gwertzman Jennifer Harmon Josh Harris Ryan Hayes Greg Hollmann Mike Klasco Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri John Ochoa Jeff Stiles Bruce Tantum Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO ORDER SUBSCRIPTIONS, CALL 800-937-7678 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.djtimes.com
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
Cheers,
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Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ Times
DJ Times Sound & Communications The Music & Sound Retailer Sound & Communications ClubWorld Blue Book America’s Best DJ The DJ Expo IT/AV Report Convention TV News VTTV Studios
director of integrated advertising Paul Bozikis pbozikis@testa.com art director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com production manager Steve Thorakos sthorakos@testa.com digital art director Fred Gumm fgumm@testa.com social media coordinator Amanda Mullen amullen@testa.com traffic manager art production assistant Jeannemarie Graziano jgraziano@testa.com Circulation circulation@testa.com Classifieds classifiedsales@testa.com operations manager Robin Hazan rhazan@testa.com Editorial and Sales Office: DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York, USA 11050-3779. (516) 767-2500 • FAX (Editorial): (516) 944-8372 • FAX (Sales/all other business): (516) 767-9335 • DJTIMES@TESTA. COM Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, NY, USA, 110503779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care an d should be accompanied by return postage. DJ Times (ISSN 1045-9693) is published monthly except for February, July, September and December for $19.40 (US), $39.99 (Canada), and $59.99 (all other countries), by DJ Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050-3779. Periodicals Postage Paid at Port Washington, NY, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DJ Times, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767 Design and contents are copyright © 2019 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 Summer 2019
visit our website: www.djtimes.com
FEEDBACK 1988 2018
AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988 FESTIVAL 2019 ISSUE
VOLUME 32 NUMBER 4
House Music… in Jamaica Snapshops of EDC Vegas Will Photo Booths Save Your DJ Business?
Plus: West Coast Weekender Svdden Death PhaseOne QSC’s CP Series KRK ROKIT 7 G4 Monitors MWM’s Phase
RIDING THE WAVE
THE LATEST
30 YEARS STRONG
30 YEARS STRONG
This is Feedback, a monthly feature that fields questions from you, our readers, and funnels them out to industry profes‑ sionals. 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 re‑ member, the only dumb question is the question that is not asked. DJ Expo ’19: The Latest Atlantic City, N.J. – Now in its 30 th year, DJ Expo is set to run Aug. 12-15 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. Presented by DJ Times and Testa Com‑ munications, DJ Expo will present its popular slate of DJ-related exhibitions, educational seminars/panels/keynotes, and sponsored evening events, like the Opening Night Pool Party (Aug. 12), Bose’s Club B Party (Aug. 13), the annual “Entertainer of the Year” competition (Aug. 14) and The Official DJ Expo Afterparty with DJ Skribble (Aug. 14). In addition to great music from a variety of top DJs, Bose’s Club B Party will of‑ fer another incentive to attend – free pizza! Bose will rock the Eden Lounge in Harrah’s with the Bose Club B DJs: Sussie4 (Mexico’s top electronic act); Oscar Troya; REVO DJ; Chitown Shani; DJ Funsize; DJ Precisa; Edison Arias; and DJ Kharisma. Expect plenty of crisp beats to go along with tasty pizza! Also, you can be a winner at DJ Expo! In addition to daily giveaways on the showfloor, one lucky attendee will win the “Ultimate DJ Giveaway” – a full DJ sound-and-lighting system provided by major manufacturers. As America’s longest-running and mostsuccessful DJ conference/exhibition, DJ Expo draws more than 5,000 attendees. Just-announced DJ Expo sessions in‑ clude: Finding Success as a Gentlemen’s Club DJ: OK, DJs – admit it: You’ve definitely wondered what it was like to spin in a gentleman’s club. But, once you get past
the skimpy outfits, the lights and lap danc‑ es, the truth of the matter is that DJ work in these clubs can be very rewarding. For instance, did you know that adult-club DJs have the longest-lasting jobs in the DJ business? Did you know adult-club DJs can make anywhere from $150 to $1,000plus per night, depending upon certain factors. Did you know your deck skills are almost a non-factor in the audition pro‑ cess? And did you know that certain clubs actually offer healthcare insurance and real salaries? And there’s more. At DJ Expo, we’ll present “Finding Success as a DJ in the Gentleman’s Club Business,” a seminar that will give you the straight dope on this sexy and potentially lucrative
market. With our panel of seasoned experts, like moderator Phil Turnipseed (a longtime DJ Times contributor), we will reveal the ways and means of becoming a successful DJ in the adult-club business. We’ll show you how to you run your own business and build your brand. We’ll even give you an opportunity to get on the mic, showcase your MC skills and let our panelists offer their professional advice. There’s a market of work out there that’s waiting for you. Seize the moment. For the latest at DJ Expo, please visit the djexpo.com. Other seminars include: *Another 10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your DJ Business – Starting Tomorrow. *Party Games with Jake – Get the Party Started Right *Inside the Analytics: How to Analyze Numbers on Google, Twitter & Instagram. *Reputation Management: How to Effectively Counteract Bad Online Reviews. *Offering Digital Products to Upsell Your Wedding Packages. *How Influencer Marketing Can Improve Your DJ Business. *New Strategies: How to Increase Leads & Sales at Bridal Shows. *Be Prepared: How Your DJ Business Can Survive an Economic Downturn. Plus, sponsored seminars/tutorials from DJ Expo exhibitors.
SAMPLINGS
MIDNIGHT KIDS: RETRO REMIXERS
DJ Times: Midnight Kids got known with a string of hot remixes. When did you know you were ready to release an original production like “Find Our Way” in 2018? Girard: Honestly, the plan has always been to release original music. We’ve always felt that original music is what defines you. Once “Find Our Way” was finished, we knew that was
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
Midnight Kids popped onto the EDM scene in 2017 with a notable string of remixes that infused their ’80s-inspired touch into already-catchy tracks like the Chainsmokers’ “Young” and Jai Wolf’s “Lost.” In relatively quick fashion, the L.A.-based duo began to score with original productions like 2018’s “Find Our Way” and “Serious,” a recent collab with Matthew Koma. In addition to creating more remixes for high-flying acts like Porter Robinson and Gryffin, the pair began to hit summer festival circuit – upcoming gigs include a Sept. 1 date at NYC’s prestigious Electric Zoo. We recently caught up with Midnight Kids Kyle Girard and Dylan Lee (yes, he’s the son of Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson) to discuss their artistic journey and future plans.
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the first record we were going to put out. We’re so happy with the response we've received on that record – so glad everyone connected with it. DJ Times: Your latest single , “Those Were the Days” featuring Jared Lee, has summer anthem written all over it. How did that one come together? Lee: That came together quicker
than any record we’ve done before. Jared sent us the topline while we were in Miami for Miami Music Week. We started playing around with a new idea and then suddenly remembered an existing instrumental we had. So we tried putting the vocal over it and it was magic, felt like that’s where it belonged. Sent it to label and then boom – that was the next
record. DJ Times: You've already worked with Matthew Koma, one of the industry's top production talents. Anyone else you hope to work with one day? Girard: Working with Matthew Koma was amazing –he’s such a great singer, writer and person. We'd love to work with Betty Who, Halsey, Em(continued on page 42)
Midnight Kids: (from left) Kyle Girard & Dylan Lee.
DJ TIMES PODCAST PRESENTED BY SOUNDCLOUD FEATURES ICE-T & MR. X Hello, folks! DJ Times announces the second entry of the DJ Times Podcast – this time featuring Ice-T & Mr. X. Going forward with the DJ Times Podcast, we’ll give you the stories from the studio and DJ booths for the working and aspiring jocks out there, but we’ll also bring the broader music stories for the general fans. We believe that the DJ Times Podcast will be the place that you visit on a regular basis for info on your favorite DJ-related talents and personalities. Presented by SoundCloud & DJ Expo, our second episode of the DJ Times Podcast features two hip-hop legends – Ice-T and Mr. X (aka Afrika Islam), who discuss their trail-blazing hip-hop past and their immediate electronic future, which includes their new label, Electronic Beat Empire. www.djtimes.com/podcasts/
@djtimesmag
IN THE STUDIO WITH...
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
NOIZU: NEW WAVE HOUSE
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Whether it’s future house, bass house or a more recent understanding of deep house, the house genre’s currently enjoying a resurgence among younger dance-music fans. And one of the youth market’s current faves is the mysterious DJ/producer Noizu. Adopting a cartoon persona, the L.A.-based talent broke out in 2017 with “Lasers,” a banging earworm handpicked by Chris Lake and Skrillex for OWSLA’s HOWSLA EP. After that early success, Noizu followed up with a steady stream of dancefloor fillers, including his wonderfully buzzy co-remix (with Malaa) of Star-
with all the noise and worries in the world at the moment, Noizu can be your noise that makes everything feel OK – your noise of choice. DJ Times: How would you describe your music to someone who’d never heard it before? Noizu: My music is a new wave of house/tech-house. It has more energy than traditional house/techhouse, but isn’t as heavy as basshouse. I always try and make records quite weird and fun. I think I have a unique balance with my music, the people who support it are varied, and I love that. DJ Times: What is your studio
talented producer. I asked him if he would be up for making a song specifically for the EDC compilation. He sent me a demo and we worked on it until we felt it was ready. We are both really happy with “4 The People.” DJ Times: You've been popping up quite a bit in the 2019 festival circuit, but how did it feel to rock EDC Las
music at a young age. I always found the production side of music fascinating. Early Claude VonStroke and Justin Martin were a huge influence – I really like the weird house music they made. DJ Times: When did you know you wanted to make a career out of music?
dust’s classic “Music Sounds Better With You.” So, as he prepped for a busy summer touring in support of latest single – the rousing “Inside My Head,” a collab with Eli Brown – we caught up with the artist behind the animated character, Noizu. DJ Times: After your success with “Lasers,” what’s your life been like? Noizu: It’s definitely been an exciting journey since releasing “Lasers.” The response from people and other DJs has been overwhelming and really encouraging. My team and I have been working really hard since releasing “Lasers” and it feels like it’s paying off. We have taken it one step at a time with every release and every show, so it’s been very enjoyable so far. DJ Times: Where does the name Noizu stem from? Noizu: “Noizu” is Japanese for “noise.” Noizu’s music is feel-good, fun and trying to bring everyone together for a good time. The idea is
set-up at the moment? Noizu: I use Ableton Live to produce my music. I love using analog synths on my records. Everyone uses the same plug-ins because they are accessible, so using analog synths helps me find more unique sounds. I also love using Native Instruments when I do use plug-ins – their stuff is amazing quality. DJ Times: What role has sound design taken in your music? Noizu: It’s definitely helped me form my own sound. I think it’s important to make my records sound as best I can. I also think my mixdowns give my records a curtain sound, as I mix and master them all. As important as the sound design is, it’s important to have a good concept for a track… lyrics, structure, purpose, etc. DJ Times: You recently connected with Tony Romera for “4 The People” on Insomniac's EDC Las Vegas compilation – how did that come together? Noizu: I’ve always been a big fan of Tony Romera. His productions are really high-quality and he’s a really
Vegas’ stereoBLOOM? It was a windy one! Noizu: Playing at EDC has always been a big dream for me – it was an amazing debut show. I’ve never seen anything like it – it’s really special. It was an amazing experience playing on the stereoBLOOM stage. I really fed off the crowd’s energy, so we all had a good time. The feedback on social media from that set has been insane. DJ Times: House music seems to be finding a younger audience these days. Why do you think there’s been such a resurgence in its popularity? Noizu: House music has always been around – it never goes away. It has waves of popularity, but it’s never died a death like other genres. I think the reason it’s popular at the moment is that other dance-music genres have gotten stale and aren’t being innovative. I also think it’s more accessible to different age groups because its feel-good music. DJ Times: When were you first introduced to the genre? Noizu: I started listening to dance
Noizu: As soon as I started making music at school, I know I wanted to do it for the rest of my life. DJ Times: You've been on quite the tear so far this year. What would you say has been the biggest moment of your career? Noizu: This year has been crazy so far. I think the most surreal moments have been playing at Beyond Wonderland and EDC Las Vegas. Both crowds were huge and there was such a good response after both sets. It was overwhelming in a really good way. It’s very rewarding leaving the studio and playing shows like this. DJ Times: What else can we expect from you in 2019 and beyond? Noizu: This year I will release a few more singles on various labels, including my record label, Techne. I’ll also be touring around the U.S., Australia, and Asia more, so keep an eye on my socials for those show updates. I’m also looking for some artists to sign to my label – it’s definitely something I want to focus on next year. – Brian Bonavoglia
Animated: Noizu has taken on a cartoon persona.
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DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
Global Gal
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By Lily Moayeri Photos by Mok Jungwook
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
Peggy Gou swings into her bedroom, her dress a burst of flaming red, her eyes hidden behind cat-eye black sunglasses. These aren’t ones from the limited-edition collection she created with RayBan, but they are pretty fabulous. She whips off the shades, swapping them for a similarly shaped pair of seeing-eye glasses, giving her the air of a studious Korean scholar—albeit one with tattoos scribbled all over her body. Gou may be done with formal schooling, but she is always taking lessons, whether it’s in music or dancing or producing, to better her knowledge and her skills. The South Korean-born, Berlin-based DJ/producer has just returned from a whirlwind of spinning at four festivals in four days, and she is amped. There is a lot for Gou to be hyped about. In 2019 alone, she has launched her own Gudu Records with the excellent two-song Moment EP with the breezy and bumping lead single, “Starry Night.” The song features Gou’s vocals in Korean on the verses and in a spoken-word of sorts in English on the chorus. She also launched her own clothing line, Kirin, which is Korean for giraffe, her spirit animal. This is in addition to the aforementioned partnership with Ray-Ban. In the middle of a packed schedule of festival dates this summer, Studio !K7 is releasing Gou’s installment of its revered DJ Kicks series. For this special collection, Gou casts her widest net pulling together pioneering electronic tracks like Shades of Rhythm’s “Exorcist,” Aphex Twin’s “Vordhosbn,” Spacetime Continuum’s “Fluresence,” Sly and Lovechild’s “The World According to Sly and Lovechild (Andrew Weatherall Soul of Europe Mix).” She couples these with unreleased material from I:Cube (“Cassette Jam 1993”) Hiver (“Pert”) and Gou herself, in the form of her first-ever produced track, “Hungboo.” It seems like Gou appeared on the international dance music scene in a flash. Prior to 2016, you hadn’t heard of her, then, all of a sudden, after the release of her Art of War EP, she was everywhere. Single after single, EP after EP, each one besting the last, and on credible labels such as Rekids, Phonica, and the Ninja Tune offshoot, Technicolour. She both commissions thoughtful remixes of her material and, on occasion, will do a signature remix for a fellow artist. Even with her criss-crossing the globe on a weekly basis, if you
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don’t catch her in-person, her far-ranging mixes online are plentiful and muchplayed. Her Instagram is addictive, showing off her style as much as her travels and her shows and generating many #goals. Her fans and followers have a never-ending stream of loving puns her on name, “Just Gou It,” “Wake Me Up Before You Gou Gou,” “Gou-ci Gang,” to name a few. It is not unexpected that with this combination of achievements, Gou is uber-confident. Camped out in front of her computer in her bedroom, which from one angle is a stylish boudoir and from another, a working studio, she speaks in irrevocable proclamations, her delightful accent making you want to agree with everything she says. The more you listen to her talk, the more you realize, she was born with this confidence. And that not only is Gou-mania real, but it is justified, and it’s here to stay. DJ Times: What was your first exposure to electronic dance music? Gou: I was always into music, but growing up in Korea, I didn’t really have a chance to listen to house and techno. It was more EDM. I moved to London to learn English and later go to university, and I started clubbing. It wasn’t the music I was used to dancing to, but I could dance to that BPM. I started knowing about genres. A friend of mine gave me a Roman Flügel album, Fatty Folders, in 2011. I had never heard anything like it, and I fell in love. I listened to everything he made in one day. It was a nerdy moment. DJ Times: Your first release, the Art Of War EP, was released only three years ago, which makes your rise to the top of the electronic dance music seem super-swift, but you had been working on music for a while before that release, hadn’t you? Gou: Because my first EP was in 2016, people thought I started making music in 2016, which isn’t true. When I was at London College of Fashion, I was already learning production, which is why I failed my fashion course – because I wasn’t going to university anymore. I wanted to do more music, so I went to Berlin in 2014. DJ Times: How did the move to Berlin affect your pursuit of music? Gou: I was working in the record store during the day. When I wasn’t at the record store, I was working on music at home. And every Sunday, I was going to Berghain. I was living in the music, every single day. Working at the record store gave me a chance to find out a lot of artists, a lot of labels, a lot of different music. Watching people play music in a place like Berghain, which is the best club in the world, also taught me a lot. It changed my taste. It upgraded me. DJ Times: You put a marked effort into understanding the history of electronic music and educating yourself on what came before you. Why do you feel this is important? Gou: Most of my inspiration comes from the music that came out before I was born. I play older tracks in my sets. I spend a lot of time thinking about how the sounds and the inspiration came to the producers. The people I respect are those that have been in this industry longer. DJ Harvey is a good example of someone who is my hero. I recently met Laurent Garnier. Without them, we wouldn’t even exist. It’s important to know the roots. I watch documentaries and read books on the culture. I want to make music that you can listen to in 20 years, and still like it. That’s my goal. To understand this, I need to understand what came before. DJ Times: How did you get started in production? Gou: My hobby was going out every weekend. I met a promoter and a friend of his on Facebook asked if I was interested in learning production. He taught Ableton Live. I started going for lessons every week. I was at his studio instead of at school. DJ Times: You have classical training on the piano. Did that help when you started producing? Gou: Knowing how to play Beethoven or Chopin doesn’t help you in production. You need to take lessons for jazz chords and house chords, all these necessary keys. I started taking lessons when I moved to Berlin, then I listened to the demos I made in London and I realized a lot of things were missing. Basslines used to be the most difficult part when I started making music. It became the easiest thing after learning jazz piano. DJ Times: What is your studio set up? Gou: I have an iMac with Ableton Live and Roland Jupiter 6 is the main synthesizer I use. I have a Yamaha digital synthesizer, a Koto synthesizer, a Waldorf synthesizer, which I used to use a lot. I’m planning on buying a Clavia. I have a piano, I have a MIDI keyboard, I have a Roland 606 drum machine. I use KRK speakers and recently, on one of my trips, someone gave me a new IK Multimedia UNO Drum. It’s really good and easy to use. I might use it for my live set in the future. DJ Times: Do you use all the synthesizers? Gou: These days, I only use what’s in Ableton and Jupiter 6. I used to want a lot of stuff, but you don’t need that much.You need to find something that you
Part 3 will be last weekend. I have a “happy” folder, a “to end” folder, a “beginning” folder, a “130-BPM” folder, a “140-BPM” folder, all these different ways of organization. I have the history of what I played because of rekordbox, so I can have those sets as a reference. DJ Times: What are some determining factors in what you decide to play? Gou: What time I play, who I play with, which slot I have, how many hours I’m playing… I try to be as eclectic as possible. Island people, they love techno, they like kicks, so I use that folder. Paris, I’m playing early, it’s going to be sunshine, I’ll play happy music. Primavera [in Barcelona], I’m playing 4 a.m. to 6 a.m., it’s dark, but there’s going to be a sunrise, I start with dark, but by the time sunrise comes, I’m playing happy music. DJ Times: How does a festival set differ for you from a club set? Gou: Usually the festival gives you shorter time. The average time is an hour-and-a-half to two hours. In a club, two to three [hours] to longer. The atmosphere is different. Usually, the festival is daytime, so it’s sunny, people are happier. Club is nighttime. But it all depends on which club, which festival, which city. At a festival, you have big acts that aren’t DJs. The stage I play, they book DJs, but you reach a different crowd. When I played Primavera, a lot of people tagged me in their story and they were people that you wouldn’t be able to meet in a club. I got messages saying, “My son and I enjoyed your set” – and, “Me and my dad enjoyed your set,” which is a cool thing. It’s a varied crowd. Clubs are more the DJ’s thing. DJ Times: You have been curating your own stages and tents at festivals for the first time this year. How’s that been? Gou: It’s a big opportunity. I send the festival promoter my list. They will also suggest a list to me, but I’m a control freak, so I want the people that come from my list. It shows what kind of artists I like to play with and what kind of artists I support. I also try to book completely different artists. I was able to curate a live stage, not just DJs, at All Points East and Nuit Sonores, a band to a house music section to a techno section. DJ Times: Your DJing schedule from spring into summer is mainly festivals, sometimes even two in a day. (continued on page 40)
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love. It takes time to master even one synthesizer. Until you have mastered one synthesizer, there’s no point getting another one. Once you’ve mastered it, if you think it is limited, then get a new one. But there’s no point in having too much stuff. I bought an Akai MPC3000 that I don’t know how to use because it is so difficult and it takes time for me to learn fully. DJ Times:You were DJing prior to producing, weren’t you? Gou: I learned how to DJ in Korea. My first love was a DJ and he showed me how to use turntables and beatmatch. I wasn’t very good at it. My first experience is a funny story. Every university in London has a Korean community. These communities always do parties to welcome new students. My university wanted a DJ, but didn’t have one and I was like, “I know how to DJ.” They gave me a chance to play – I was playing shit music. But, people loved it, and I loved it – the reaction, the interaction, people dancing to the music I was playing. Then another university asked me to DJ their party. DJ Times: How did you make the shift from those kinds of events to playing clubs? Gou: Through going out, I met promoters and they became Facebook friends and saw how much I liked music and gave me a try at clubs. I was always one of those kids with an MP3 player, taking my earbuds and telling other people to listen to the music, but I wasn’t trying to be a DJ. My mom jokes now that she planned for me to be a DJ because she went clubbing when she was pregnant with me. DJ Times:Your selections on the DJ Kicks compilation span a longer time period than a current club set would. What was your intention with it? Gou: I used Ableton to mix it because it is so eclectic, from 90 BPM to 150 BPM – and it wasn’t easy. It was a long process to put the mix together because, you know, once it’s out, it’s out. There are new, exclusive mixes and classic tracks. It shows my music journey. I kept changing my mind, but I like it the way it is now. DJ Times: How do you have your USB organized? Gou: I have a 2019 folder and inside that I have Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, which are chronological. Part 1 will be earlier in the year. Part 2 will be last month.
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My mom jokes now that she planned for me to be a DJ because she went clubbing when she was pregnant with me.
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From August 12-15 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J., the DJ Expo is poised to once again offer an abundance of seminars and educational opportunities for its attendees – mobile jocks, club DJs, musicmakers and bedroom upstarts. So, with the upcoming show in mind, let’s take a look back at Expo’s past and some of the valuable insights these seminars have provided, especially for the mobile entertainer. In 2014, Mitch Taylor, a panelist for “MC Secrets Revealed,” offered some workable ideas for weddings. “At a ceremony, buck tradition and have the bride’s parents sit on the groom’s side of the aisle,” said the Michigan-based mobile. Seated this way, a parent can observe their child’s facial expressions during the ceremony. Taylor also described a fun game called “What’s in Your Wallet?” that can be used to select the next table to visit the buffet. The premise is that the first person from a table to produce an item that the MC calls (e.g., “picture of Ben Franklin”) gets to eat. Finally, Taylor recommended wooden golf tees as the perfect tool to pin down a wedding runner on a windy day. North Carolina’s Joe Bunn shared a harrowing tale from the field that stressed the importance of backup equipment. After arriving by boat to a remote island, his gear fell off the back of a golf cart into a puddle, and he was forced to rely on creative backup solutions. While performing at this wedding was awkward, the client never knew of the equipment issues until after the fact. The upshot? Joe strongly suggests putting lists of popular songs on one’s mobile phone. In “The 5 Moves of DJs Who Dominate,” Charlotte, N.C.-based wedding marketing expert Rick Brewer made his debut at the DJ Expo. Brewer’s tips included:
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1) Act as a consultant to the bride, not a salesman. In the consultation process, willingly share advice. 2) Be empathetic to brides — they are often under a lot of pressure, and 3) “Sell the appointment.” Selling the appointment offers the highest closing rate of any means of contact with a prospective bride. By booking more sales consultations, a DJ will naturally book more weddings.
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Upstate New York’s Jimmie Malone spoke about the benefits of incorporating humor into wedding entertainment programming. Such humor should be accessible to all guests and not represent inside jokes. MCs are advised to develop a script with
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final dance. Then, as if by surprise, audio clips from the day’s ceremony and speeches are played over the music, producing an emotional moment for all. Bartlett then ends by saying, “Congratulations and have a happy life together.” Typically, guests then begin charging the DJ booth asking Bartlett for business cards. New Jersey’s Mike Walter delivered an impressive seminar, “Maximizing Marketing Opportunities with Social Media.” Based on the teachings of Gary Vaynerchuk, Walter recommends that DJs pepper followers with conversational posts (i.e., jabs) before occasionally going for the gusto with a right hook. For example, a DJ might post about a new hit song each #MusicMonday or share a photo from a recent event on #WeddingWednesday. These types of posts represent jabs. To promote an important bridal show or sales event, DJs should deploy their social media to deliver a potent hook. As mentioned by other speakers, Walter reminded attendees that marketing is a conversation. He also urged DJs to be creative. “All-Star MC Secrets Revealed” began in 2010, and became one of the most popular seminars of the Expo. Chaired by Maryland’s Steve Moody, in 2014 the panel included Jason Klock (Klock Entertainment), Jimmie Malone (Exceptional Receptions), Mike Kindlick (Jam on Sound Productions), Vinny Liotta (Events by Cool Cat) and Adam Weitz (A Sharp Production). Moody shared several terrific ideas. First, for those DJs who have difficulty smiling, get into character by thinking of somebody who you love and adore. Second, an ordinary reception announcement like introducing the father of the bride can be dramatically improved with advance preparation. For example, at consultations, Moody learns about the bride’s relationship with her father and incorporates these findings into his introduction. Personalized introductions like this make Moody feel more like a family friend than just a wedding DJ. It’s common for wedding guests to send Moody personal Facebook friend requests after an event, again thinking of him more as a friend. Pennsylvania’s Jason Klock spoke about the importance of knocking a wedding grand entrance “out of the park.” To sustain energy, Klock recommends interjecting rhythmic hype phrases. At a wedding reception, he and his staff introduce themselves to various tables, making the reception more personal.
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Tony Tee Neto is an accomplished voice-over artist and wedding entertainer. To warm up his voice before a wedding, the New Jersey-based talent breathes deeply 20 times through his nose and stretches his face and tongue. In addition to wearing a smile on your face, Tony says that it’s critical to put a smile in your voice. When speaking, don’t go too fast and use punctuation to allow guests time to absorb your words. Develop a cadence (i.e., a rhythm) for your speaking and remember that “physical movement orchestrates vocal expression.” When performing in front of an audience, focus on connecting with a single guest and the rest will follow. Tony strongly advises wedding MCs to make their bridal party introductions from the other side of the DJ booth in order to connect with guests and gain command of the room. In 2015, Randy Bartlett brought his “1-Percent Solution” series to the DJ Expo, the underlying premise being that small and easy-to-implement changes can yield vastly improved performance results. The Bay Area-based DJ illustrated through video examples how proper research and staging can produce superior results for wedding moments like “a surprise parent dance” or “anniversary dance.” If an MC is just running through the motions on these dances, they are missing out on a far more powerful emotional moment for guests to enjoy. For the anniversary dance, MCs can break up the monotony of calling out years with periodic announcements — for example, wishing those couples who have been married at least 25 years a happy silver anniversary. The MC should also know in advance who the longest married couple is so that the dance can be properly paced and not end abruptly. With advance preparation enlisting the help of the bridal party, Bartlett is also able to stage standing ovations at strategic moments of a wedding reception One Randy Bartlett mantra is that of the strong finish. One technique that he recommends is having the guests circle the bride and groom for the
multiple laugh lines and revise and edit. In the world of stand-up comedy, only 10-percent of jokes are winners, so it’s important to make sure that your humorous script is tight (test it on your spouse), so that you don’t bomb at the reception. Mike Kindlick of Reading, Pa., seeks to be memorable at weddings and to that end likes to present variations on normal wedding traditions. Kindlick presented three creative, alternative cake-cutting ceremony methods. For example, in the “trust factor” variation, guests determine by a round of applause whether the bride or groom will feed the other first. If the bride received the loudest round of applause, then she would feed her husband first — with his eyes closed! Then the trust factor reverses with the groom feeding the bride with her eyes closed. New York’s Vinny Liotta (the 2014 DJ Expo “DJ of the Year” winner) offered a wealth of great advice to be a successful wedding MC. One creative idea for weddings is to deal hands of blackjack during cocktail hour. Guests who win receive a chance to win a prize later (for example, a scratch-off lottery ticket). Interacting with guests early on helps him to bond with guests and dissolve any pre-party jitters. Importantly, Liotta practices a culture of caring at his company. Genuinely caring about his couples allows him to gain their trust and friendship. If ever there are problems at an event, clients are much more forgiving to a friend than to a mere wedding vendor. Other simple, but fundamental practices that Liotta recommends: 1) Be nice when fielding requests; 2) Be kind, all the time; 3) Go the extra mile; and 4) Smile. Philadelphia’s Adam Weitz encouraged DJs to think of themselves as professional speakers. He spoke about the importance for our words to look and sound great when shot on video. As an example, he showed a Whitney Houston music video where her face was static, but huge emotion was imparted by the movement of her lips and words. An MC’s public speaking style should be different and distinct from how he or she speaks at home. As you can see, the DJ Expo has a reputation for ultimately transforming the performances of its mobile-DJ attendees. So, this Aug. 12-15 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, join us and continue to n grow your business.
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Dance Party: Stephan Bodzin at Armory.
Getting Busy: Synth-building workshop.
Garrett Poulos
Chad Wadsworth
By Chris K. Davis
Inspecting: Moogfest’s Modular Marketplace. Garrett Poulos
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Durham, N.C. – Moogfest, the annual celebration of electronic-music technology inspired by the pioneering Dr. Robert Moog, presented a diverse group of musician and DJ showcases this past April 25-28. Notable DJ performances at Moogfest ’19 came from Juan Atkins, Marshall Jones, Matthew Dear, Mount Kimbie and Stephan Bodzin. Held at a range of Durham venues, Moogfest also offered an impressive slate of panel discussions, keynotes and hands-on workshops. Notable sessions included keynotes from Mute Records’ Daniel Miller, Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore and the ubiquitous Questlove. And on the workshop side this year, DJ Times participated in a unique way. Beginnings: The late Dr. Robert “Bob” Moog (1934—2005) was an American engineer who invented the first modular, voltage-controlled commercial synthesizer, the Moog, in 1964. That synth, produced by Moog Music, was followed by a portable model in 1970, the Minimoog, which was wildly successful with musicians thanks to its playable keyboard and small form-factor. Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, and others were among famous musicians who used the Minimoog and elevated it to a legendary status. Beyond the Minimoog, Moog also invented many fundamental synthesizer concepts that have permeated modern music
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Techno Legend: Juan Atkins onstage.
Keynoters: Martin Gore & Daniel Miller.
Ryan Bell
Chad Wadsworth
other audio signals. Per Dunnington’s instructional documents, "vocoder" stands for VOice EnCODER. The technology was developed in 1928 by a Bell Labs scientist, Homer Dudley, for the purpose of data compression to transmit speech across a trans-Atlantic telegraph cable. It was also used by the Allied forces for data encryption during WWII and during the Cold War. We also learned: Dudley’s vocoder device, first shown at the 1939 World’s Fair, captured the imagination of Walter Carlos (later known as Wendy Carlos). Carlos worked with Bob Moog to design a vocoder used in an electronic rendition of Beethoven’s “9th Symphony,” and the recording was featured in the soundtrack for the classic 1971 Stanley Kubrick film, A Clockwork Orange. The vocoder became familiar to many DJs and producers, and was featured prominently in music productions by the likes of Kraftwerk, Newcleus, and Midnight Star, a group whose music single-handedly brought many freak-a-zoids out to the dancefloor. With demand very high, the workshop was broken into four separate groups of engineers, and each group had two build sessions. In the first session, we soldered 48 components to the pre-printed circuit board, totaling 246 solder joints — a daunting task for someone like myself, who had never soldered before. But don’t worry, if you don’t have soldering experience and want to attend in 2020, know that I finished with a perfect circuit board and compliments from Moog engineers on my craftsmanship! My key takeaway from the first session was that soldering isn’t as hard as it looks on YouTube. The first session was capped off by quality-assurance testing, soldering inspection, and instrument calibration, all led by Moog engineers. Session 2 focused on the full assembly of the many Spectravox components. This consisted of 81 fasteners and washers, two LED light pipes, four rubber feet, and slapping a shiny silver label on the underside of the unit. Moog kindly left space for each engineer to proudly sign their names onto their instrument.This thoughtful touch, among many others, is something that you become accustomed to throughout the festival. Once everyone completed their Spectravox, Dunnington reviewed the research and work that went into the instrument's design, then shared specific usage tips and tricks. To end the Engineering Workshop on a high note—quite literally—we participated in a fun tradition: a group activity where everyone fired up their instrument and played a massive chord in unison. But doing so this year wasn’t as simple as in the past.The Spectravox (continued on page 40)
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Garrett Poulos
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the live builds, the Pop-up Factory & Modular Marketplace featured a music-tech playground that showcased a variety of boutique electronics manufacturers, with most devices available for demo and purchase. Notable units included: the Sensel Morph, a force-touch sensor for various music production applications; Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere software synthesizer; Folktek’s very strange object-based noise generators; and the latest models in Pioneer DJ’s Toraiz series, like the Squid, which allows users to connect, sync and simultaneously control up to 16 instruments via its multiple input/outputs. For the 2019 edition of Moogfest, I was lucky enough to snag myself an Engineer Pass, an expensive ticket that provides VIP access to the festival and a unique opportunity to work alongproduction, including the concepts Moogfest, which has run since 2004, side Moog Music engineers during of an envelope, pitch wheel, modular when it was first held in New York a two-day synth-building workshop. functionality, and using voltage to con- City. Pivotal performers who have Participants of all skill-sets and backplayed at the festival in the past include grounds—some DJs, some producers, trol hardware synthesizers. Moog’s legacy didn’t stop with the Bonobo, Brian Eno, Floating Points, others simply synthesizer enthusidevelopment of his synthesizer com- Green Velvet, Jon Hopkins, Kraftwerk, asts—are taught the foundations of pany. It continues on today through Moby, and Sasha, to name a few. analog synthesis (if they don’t know While heavy on the technology it already) and are patiently guided side, Moogfest ’19 featured quite a through the process of building an unfew other creative events for ticket- released analog Moog instrument that holders, and several events free to they get to take home with them. The the general public.Whether you are a unique, behind-the-scenes experience DJ, producer, or fan, there was some- gave Moog fans the opportunity of a thing for everyone at the Moog Pop- lifetime to engage with Moog engiup Factory & Modular Marketplace, neers and gain insight into the design, a large space where the company planning, and manufacturing process. live-builds a new, unreleased synthePast Moogfest Engineering Worksizer every year. Moog announced shop instruments included the Broththe Moog Matriarch to the world er From Another Mother (BFAM) in on the first day of the 2019 festival, 2016, the Drummer From Another and attendees watched them build Mother (DFAM) in 2017, and the Subthe instrument across all four days. harmonicon in 2018. Lucky particiThe Matriarch is an expanded, para- pants in the 2019 Moogfest Engineerphonic version of the acclaimed ing Workshop built the Spectravox, Moog Grandmother synthesizer, and a vocoder and spectral modulator, it follows last year’s release of the which was inspired by Homer Dudgargantuan, polyphonic Moog One. ley’s developments in speech syntheWhile it's not fully polyphonic, the sis during the 1930s. So far, only the Matriarch is another nail in the coffin DFAM has been made commercially Music Man: Questlove drops a beat. of Moog’s all-mono synthesizer past. available by Moog Music, which makes Chad Wadsworth In addition to being able to watch attending the workshop very special, as the company doesn’t always elect to release these experimental builds. The Spectravox's all-analog design was built around a 10band spectral analyzer section with a few unique twists that make the synth an unorthodox tool for creating unique vocal sounds and alien sonic timbres. This year's Engineering Workshop experience was led by Steve Dunnington, a Moog Music employee who several people described as “the closest living person to Bob Moog himself,” and he gave an overview of the history of vocoders, Showcase: Mount Kimbie in the mix. devices that allow users to anaPooneh Ghana lyze and resynthesize speech or Synth Mania: Moog One analog units.
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1 Detroit – This past Memorial Day weekend, the annual Movement festival drew more than 90,000 music fans to the Motor City’s Hart Plaza. Produced by local promoter Paxahau May 25-27, Movement presented nearly 100 DJs and electronic acts on five sponsored stages. It all looked like this: 1 Pyramid Stage: Stephan Bodzin & raindrops. Katie Laskowska
2 Red Bull Stage: DJ Holographic brings the funk. Katie Laskowska
3 Jackathon Jams: Heidi on the Star Gate stage. Doug Wojciechowski
4 City Scape: Josh Wink on the mainstage. Stephen Bondio
5 Certified: Carl Craig gets honored by the city. Stephen Bondio
6 All in the Family: Kevin Saunderson & Sons. Bryan Mitchell
7 Closer: GRiZ on Monday’s mainstage. Bryan Mitchel
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8 Propaganda: Nastia on the Pyramid Stage.
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Chris Soltis
9 Get Real: Claude VonStroke & Green Velvet.
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Bryan Mitchell
10 Hot Creations: Patrick Topping at Star Gate. Steven Pham
11 DJ Minx: Detroit’s First Lady of Wax. Bryan Mitchell
12 Local MC: Danny Brown throws down. Anthony Rassam
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Chicago – Spring Awakening, ChiTown’s largest EDM festival, drew an estimated 80,000 fans to its new home at Poplar Creek in Hoffman Estates, a northwest suburb, this past June 7-9. With over 80,000 dance-music lovers making their way to the expanded festival grounds, the soundtrack to their weekend was curated by more than 90 DJ/artists performing on five unique stages with one of the most diverse lineups you'll see throughout the summer. The 8th annual event was produced by local outfit, React Presents. While Spring Awakening provided a bevy of interactive art installations and carnival rides for fans, it was the music that took center stage – and all the major genres were represented. For those who fiend for guttural bass beats, Ghastly, Zomboy, HeRobust, Dion Timmer, Rusko, and Crankdat unleashed their fury. Looking to get your dance on? Dom Dolla, Malaa, Nora En Pure, and Chris Lake had festival goers moving and grooving all night long. Want headliners? Top talents like Illenium, Zedd, Kaskade, Dillon Francis, REZZ and DJ Snake delivered the goods. Also, a dozen America’s Best DJ nominees played at SAMF. They included Audien, Crankdat, Destructo, Dillon Francis, Flosstradamus, Gabriel & Dresden, Ghastly, G Jones, GRiZ, HeRobust, Illenium, and Kaskade. It all looked like this:
Blast Off: Kaskade blows away the crowd.
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Mass Manipulation: REZZ makes her magic.
24 Up Top: Excited fans get psyched up.
Cool Cats: Galantis guys drop a beat
True Colors: Zedd delivers a big bang.
DJ / CLUBWORLD / Spring Awakening 6 On Fire: SAMF closes the show alight.
High Steppin’: EDJ Snake lords over the mainstage.
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Groovin’: GRiZ plays a hot sax.
25 Road Warriors: The freaks come out at SAMF.
Bright & Sunny: SAMF’s Day 1 in daytime.
DJ / CLUBWORLD / Hot Shots
By Jim Tremayne
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Brooklyn, N.Y. – For more than three decades, liL Ray Mckayle has been a vital fixture of the NYCarea house-music scene. As a DJ and club/festival promoter, liL Ray has pushed the music in ways that only a true believer can. Each year, he co-produces Clubhouse Jamboree in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. In 2018, the event celebrated 25 years and, over that time, it has presented top genre talents like The Martinez Brothers, Kenny Carpenter, Louie Vega, Jamie 3:26 and many others. It remains the longest-running outdoor house-music event of its kind in New York City. In recent times, he’s developed the Brooklyn Frenzy series of club events, which also includes a like-branded online radio mix show. In 2019, liL Ray stepped it up with Jamaica Frenzy, a six-day event in Negril, Jamaica, that brought out some of the biggest names in house music, including Body & Soul (François K, Joe Claussell and Danny Krivit), David Morales, Ultra Naté and more. Held at the WAVZ beachfront stage during daylight hours and at the Jungle Hut nightclub afterhours, the event offered a week full of great grooves with plenty of magical moments. As we went to press, details for the 2020 Jamaica Frenzy came to light. Set for March 31 to April 5, again in Negril, Jamaica, the event’s confirmed lineup will include Timmy Regisford, Spen, Spinna, Ultra Naté,Tyron Francis, Jihad Muhammed, Frankie Feliciano, Del from Philly, Donna Edwards and, of course, liL Ray. (For the latest, please visit www. jamaicafrenzy.com.) We caught up with liL Ray to discuss his love for house music and his ways to
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keep it alive. Why Jamaica, the home of all things reggae, for a deep-house festival? I vacation in the Caribbean quite a lot, and every time I’m there, I always say these were the perfect settings for a house-music week of partying. Negril is a great location with its picture-perfect, seven-mile beach, crystal-clear ocean water, some of the very best all-inclusive resorts, and some of the most wonderful and “irie” people in the world. Also, there’s some of the world’s best foods and, of course, the rum. The first year of Jamaica Frenzy delivered some top-notch talent. How do you expect this event to grow? Jamaica Frenzy will concentrate on quality over quantity and we’ll gradually grow the event with this in mind. We consider Jamaica Frenzy as a boutique music festival that will always have the very best house music, played by the very best DJs and performing artists in the world. This will mix with a top-quality, five-star, all-inclusive-resort-quality experience. How do you view the state of deep-house music in the America now? It’s very healthy with growth in not just your top cities like New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Boston, Atlanta, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco. We are also seeing real growth with new party promoters in places like Houston, Charlotte, Orlando, and many other cities that were not necessarily known as house-music hotbeds. Also, you have new producers such as DJ Beloved from BPM and Jihad Muhammad with his Bang the Drum brand putting out really great music, as well as solid productions coming from longtime producers such as Timmy Regisford and the Shelter brand, Louie Vega, Spen, Teddy Douglas, and Josh Milan to name a few.
DJ / CLUBWORLD / Hot Shots
spillover into the deeper house scene. Are you seeing that? The longer you are around this music scene the more you understand everything goes in a circle. EDM has grown out of house music and many have called EDM the “stepchild of house music,” so it is inevitable that there will be spillover.
There will always be opportunities for house music to grow because it offers the younger generation something different after they get with the mainstream or the “hot thing” of the moment. What about house music remains so attractive? House music just speaks to your
spirit and your soul – it doesn’t change much. That is the beauty of it and what makes it so attractive. In the right DJ’s hands, house music can program emotions. That one record/ tune played at the right moment can bring back a flood of good or bad memories, or can make new memories that will last.
DJ TIMES
And worldwide? Worldwide, it continues to grow with the resurgence of the South African sound and new artists entering the scene, as well as new audiences continuing to discover and love our sound. In the U.S., the EDM-festival craze seems to have some
SUMMER 2019
True Believer: Jamaica Frenzy founder liL Ray.
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MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…
SERATO STUDIO: NEW ENTRY POINT FOR PRODUCERS
By Wesley Bryant-King
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
While I’ve written for this magazine for over a decade now (it’s true that time does fly when you’re having fun), my history with music production goes back much farther — farther than I generally care to admit in public, in fact. And if there’s an advantage to that long history, it’s being able to appreciate just how much things have changed over the years when it comes to options for making and performing music. These days, we have numerous DAWs, tons of virtual instruments, endless arrays of sample libraries, and both hardware and software designed to make it even easier. But the barrier to entry for music making is still high, so not surprisingly, there are companies aiming to make it all easier still; witness the new Serato Studio, from the makers of Serato DJ. Unsurprisingly, given the company behind it, Serato Studio is designed specifically for DJs who want to get into music production. It’s intended to dramatically lower the barrier to entry into beatbased song construction by adopting — and adapting — a DJ-like workflow. Like Serato DJ, you have what appear to be two decks, some mixer controls, a library, along with DJ effects. But instead of loading whole tracks (although you can, given the product’s support for your Serato DJ libraries with all your crates, cue points, etc., intact), you can load samples, drum machines, and instruments, and begin your musicmaking journey with speed and ease. Taking it for a Spin: Chances are quite high that by the time you read this, the product will be
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Serato Studio: Building songs is easy, fast & fun.
shipping, but as I write this review, Serato Studio is technically still in beta, and not necessarily completely finalized. But the latest beta available to me is numbered 1.0.0, suggesting that this is in fact the product they intend to ship, feature-wise, and validating the sense I have from Serato’s recent communications that release isn’t very far off. Indeed, the product seems solid and complete at this point, although beta test notes suggest some known issues still do exist that presumably will be addressed prior to actual release. Prior to loading the software, all I did in preparation was watch a couple of videos on Serato’s web site, which candidly just didn’t go into much detail. I figured I’d give myself the steepest possible learning curve for software that Serato would like us all to believe doesn’t really have one. It took me a little time to figure out what was going on, and how things were structured. The software’s integrated guided walkthrough mode was helpful in pointing out a couple of items I’d missed. The software comes with a fair amount of content already in place and ready to use. The library offers access to your Serato DJ Library, Studio projects, drums, samples, effects, and instruments. There’s also access to plug-ins; the software supports VST and AU plugins, but as I wanted to focus
on the capabilities and content built into Serato Studio itself, I didn’t choose to tinker with the plugins; broadly, they work the same way as the built-in instruments I explain below. The right-hand “deck” allows you to construct what Serato calls Scenes, for which the software provides a sequencer. Scenes are segments or chunks of a song of up to eight bars in length (the default is one). In each Scene, you can load any combination of drums, samples, instruments or plug-ins. When content is selected in the Scene in the right deck, in the left deck, you’ll see some controls and perhaps cue points that can be manipulated in real time; what’s there depends on the content type. But on the right side, you can program the playback of any part using the sequencer tools. For drums, the software offers myriad pre-made patterns that you can use as-is or tweak — or you can just program your own. The approach is much like any sequencer; just click where you want to place a drum shot (kick, hat, snare, etc.) with 16and 32-step resolution, as well as triplets. Programming samples can be similarly done by triggering the sample’s cue points as if they were discrete notes, making it easy to access and manipulate the results. Instruments can be “played” by simply painting the notes in-place. Users can also play them properly with a MIDI keyboard, SDJ hardware or even just a laptop keyboard. The available notes are based on the currentlyset song key, preventing you from hitting a wrong note — another bit of useful “training wheels” with song construction that even I can truly appreciate. The cool part is that everything snaps not only to the set song key, but the tempo as well. And with Serato’s Pitch ‘n Time algorithms built-in, everything shifts with incredible accuracy and fidelity. Once you have a scene crafted the way you want it, you’ll find it already available in the song timeline view, which by default is hidden at the bottom area of the screen. In that area, you can switch back and forth between the song view, and your library view. From song view, you can stretch the amount of time the scene will play, and it loops accordingly. Adding a new Scene is simple; just click a button at the bottom of the right-hand deck. The previous Scene is cop(continued on page 40)
All the Music. One Source. Now in an App. Introducing the BPM Supreme Mobile App – the new app that is redefining the way DJs discover music. Stream high quality audio, add to your crate, get inspired with curated sets, create custom playlists, read the latest industry new, and much more. www.bpmsupreme.com/app
Bose S1 Pro Multi-position PA Sound great anywhere with the ultra-portable Bose S1 Pro Multiposition PA. Designed for musicians, DJs and general PA use, the S1 Pro is the ultimate all-in-one PA, floor monitor and practice amplifier that’s ready to be your go-anywhere Bluetooth® music system. www.professional.bose.com
Add Prints to Your Playlist DNP's flagship DS620A dye-sublimation printer is the world’s most compact professional digital photo printer. With its wide range of print size options, quick output, and innovative print technology, the DS620A is an extremely valuable revenue-generating asset for professional photographers and retail store operators offering photo-printing services. www.dnpphoto.com/en-us/Products/Printers/DS620A
QSC CP Series The CP Series delivers stunning performance in an incredibly compact package making it easy to load, carry, lift and set up for a wide range of DJ applications. www.qsc.com/live-sound/products/loudspeakers/powered-loudspeakers/cp-series/
SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING
By Wesley Bryant-King
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
DENON DJ PRIME 4: INNOVATIVE CONTROLLER
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It’s been several years now since Cumberland, R.I.-based inMusic Brands first started corralling some of the biggest names in DJ under one roof, and the stable now contains Denon DJ, Numark and Rane (in addition to the non-DJ-specific brands in the group, like AKAI Professional). As I’ve observed in previous reviews, behind the scenes, inMusic has also been accumulating some serious chops in embedded software. Also referred to as “firmware,” it’s the software embedded into the chips that form the brains of the hardware controllers, media players and mixers that the company is putting out. And while early DJ controllers relied on laptops and DJ software to do the heavy lifting, inMusic has seen fit to shift more and more of that lift into the hardware itself. Denon DJ’s MCX8000 took some baby steps in that direction back in 2016, then the SC5000 Prime media players extended it farther in 2017, and now, the Prime 4 takes a pretty significant leap by bringing to market a standalone DJ controller that seems to do it all. While standalone controllers have been available before — meaning those that don’t require a laptop and DJ software — Denon DJ’s Prime 4 takes the entire notion of standalone and amps it up orders of magnitude. So, what makes it so special? Let’s dig in… First Impressions: The Denon DJ Prime 4 is a beast – let’s just start with that. It brings together two very capable dual-track media players, a 4-channel mixer, and a beautiful, 10-inch, multitouch, color touchscreen into a single unit, adds in some capable embedded software, along with some seriously interesting innovations, and delivers it all in a roughly 29- x 20- x 4-inch package that weighs in at a hefty 21 pounds, plus a few ounces given its metal chassis. It’s big, and it makes a big first impression. On the back side, you get pro-level connectivity. XLRs for zone (more on that later), booth and master outs, along with RCA for the master, if you need it. RCA stereo inputs for all four channels — two with phono capability. Combi jacks for microphones (XLR or TRS). An ethernet “link” jack (more on that later too). USB-B and USB-A jacks are available for media and connecting the unit to a computer. And because the unit has its own power supply, you can plug a standard power cord straight in vs. using an inconvenient “wall wart.” The engineers at inMusic have thrown pretty much everything they’ve learned since the introduction of the MCX8000 into this impressive package that sports a stunning $2,500 MSRP — but that thankfully hits the street at around $1,700. That still represents some new heights, price-wise. But I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to suggest that the Prime 4 gives you virtually all the key capabilities of an X1800 Prime mixer and a pair of SC5000 Prime media players — but it’s roughly half the cost of the total of those three units. You get a fantastic, and very responsive 10-inch multitouch gesture-controlled color display. You
Live Streaming: Prime 4 partners with major services.
Prime 4: Great feel, solid functions, unique features.
get a pair of 6-inch jog wheels with the same round color LCD displays you find on the SC5000, used to display album art (or your own custom DJlogo art).You get custom-configurable color coding (light rings, buttons, etc.) of the four playback decks, which are controlled in pairs, of course.You get the sweep effects and filters at your fingertips, with full effects engines as well that Denon DJ pulled from the X1800 mixer. You get tons of inputs: four USB and one SD card. You get all the on-board music analysis, along with support for the offboard Engine system Denon DJ offers. You get the usual multifunction pads for looping and rolling and cues. You get dual channel microphone inputs — a requirement, in my view, for any mobile jock. But… you get more than that. Denon DJ has built a 2.5-inch SATA drive bay into the belly of the unit. With a nice, large hard disk of your choice installed, you can load a seemingly infinite amount of music into the unit itself and never have to worry about USB keys or external drives again. And Denon DJ has come up with another interesting innovation: zoned playback. Now, I don’t know how useful this would be to the average DJ, but zoned playback basically lets you play different music into two different rooms
Rock-Solid: Fun, intuitive, responsive.
from the same sources, deck and location – perhaps the main dancefloor and a chill room, for example. Seems like a lot of music juggling and a little overwhelming for me to wrap my head around, but nevertheless, I can see the potential for the capabilities among some users. Denon DJ has even more tricks up its sleeve, but before I get to that, a little hands-on time is needed. As a regular user of the X1800 and SC5000 decks, I felt very, very much at home with the Prime 4. The software interface that Denon DJ built into it is not identical to the SC5000 decks, but it’s close enough that I was immediately familiar. Denon DJ chose to fully duplicate, rather than mirror (or partially mirror), the deck controls as some controller makers have done (including Denon DJ itself with the MCX8000). That means it actually feels like two identical media decks sitting on either side of the mixer — even though it’s (obviously) a single unit. For source material, I keep a pair of pre-loaded USB keys around for DJ gear reviews, and they’ve been previously used with SC5000 and SC5000M players. As a result, the previous analysis of the tracks was done and ready to go, and it was quite literally seconds before I was jamming out an EDM session with the Prime 4. Swapping out for a pair of keys I use for mobile gigs, I was able to immediately navigate and access the multi-genre material I keep on them. Playback was available after a brief onboard analysis of the tracks as I loaded them. While I’d certainly have expected it to work this way, I value the ability to just put digital media on a key, plug it in, and get moving without any requirements for pre-processing offline, conversions, etc. (continued on page 42)
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DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES
JERSEY JOCK MAKES MITZVAH MAGIC
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
By Stu Kearns
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Marlboro, N.J. – Adam Hirschhorn is 35 now and has been in business as AJH Entertainment for 22 years. That's not a typo. “AJH Entertainment has been in business since 1997,” said Hirschhorn. “My father and I registered the company as DBA when I was 13-years old.” Apparently, the entrepreneur bug bit early. “I loved the idea of working for myself,” he says, “and loved the idea that one day I would be able to hire employees who would work for me that shared the same passion for entertaining.” As he recalls, Hirschhorn wanted to create a successful event company and be a big name in the mitzvah industry. “I would be in competition with the entertainment companies that entertained at the events I was going to when I was 13,” he says. He DJed throughout elementary school, high school, and also college. After graduating Rowan University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in education, he taught for a short while and decided it wasn’t for him. “I knew the entertainment business was my full-time career,” he says, “and I had to do this 100-percent.” When Hirschhorn first started, he says that clients and industry folks didn’t take him seriously. “The competition wanted me to work for them and I refused,” he says. “The clients I met with often tried to take advantage of me by asking for lower pricing, since I wasn’t in business for a long time like my competition.” Over time, by doing “amazing” mitzvah events, having a staff, professional equipment, renting a small office space, meeting with venue catering directors to recommend my services, he established the beginnings of a successful business. “Also, showing my talents as an entertainer,” he says, “and going full-time with the business gave me a step up in the industry.” Once he did go full-time, the business grew as a multi-op with MCs, DJs, dancers and sound/lighting techs. He fully registered AJH as an LLC in 2013. The focus was on bar/bat mitzvahs, which have evolved through the years. Sure, it continues to be a large celebration with traditional formalities such as grand entrance, candle lighting, hora, parent dance, and toasts by the host/hostess, maybe a video montage, games, dancing and ending the evening with a grand finale. But today, mitzvahs are highly branded with specialty logos; there are themes. You can’t miss the elaborate centerpieces and décor, lounge furniture, and novelty gaming along with a massive DJ production. “The DJ is not just music, but we are now the full event planning company,” says Hirschhorn. “We educate our clients about the mitzvah event. We are now a one-stop shop offering all services. Our DJ setups are extravagant. We offer MC, DJs, dancers staging, multimedia displays, video walls, intricate video montages, LED DJ facades, intelligent lighting, special effects, and multi-talented performers.” On the audio-gear side, a typical AJH Entertainment event would include: Pioneer DJ DDJ-SZ controller; MacBook Pro with Serato DJ Pro software; Shure BLX288/ PG58 wireless system; JBL Pro VRX Series tops and subs;
Adam Hirschhorn quit teaching, sought his DJ dream.
and a dbx DriveRack PA2 PA management processor. For lighting and staging, AJH uses: a 5-panel acrylic LED façade; four LED stages; Chauvet DJ Freedom Pars; Chauvet DJ Intimidator Spot 350 moving-head fixtures; Chauvet DJ Xpress 512 Plus wireless transmitter; and a variety of Global Truss products. Of course, with such a production, there are problems that Hirschhorn and company run into. “Sometimes, venues don’t give us enough time to set up major productions,” he says. “Event planners will create a schedule of events that do not flow for a mitzvah event, or a host/ hostess will micro-manage the event and doesn’t allow you to do your job and show your expertise.” And then there’s the perennial problem of teen guests and behavior problems. Says Hirschhorn: “You have to be the babysitter/disciplinarian because you are in control of the event.” That’s part of the deal being a business owner: the good and the bad. Hirschhorn considers himself an MC/ DJ entertainer first — who owns a successful business. “The business was created due to my passion for entertaining, dancing, and also the music,” he says. “I always have to remind myself that I am a business owner that provides DJ-entertainment services. There is a clear difference between the ideas. One idea is the operational side of the business, providing the actual customer service/entertainment, while the other is thinking like an entrepreneur and building a sustainable income.” To run a successful event company, Hirschhorn says you can’t look at the DJ business as a hobby where you make money on the side. “If you’re serious about making a living as an entertainer,” he says, “you need to look at
this as a company with a full strategic approach, you have to be all-in.” Hirschhorn and his wife Denise run the business – how’s that for allin? “We make a great team and we are able to balance each other out,” he says. “Denise handles the bookkeeping, finances, and client care. While I am out entertaining or meeting with potential clients she is able to keep the organization running along with our office staff.” Hirschhorn sees the overall mitzvah business stepping up production year after year — the “wow factor” will be in constant demand. “I can’t imagine what else we will come up with next,” he admits. In the future, Hirschhorn thinks many of the in-person meetings will be all virtually-based and a lot of his advertising will become all social-media-based. “Conversations will be mainly text messaging or on some different interactive communication platform,” he says. “Having an office may be pointless, other than storing equipment.” But one thing will never change, he says, “I am just blessed that I am able to do this and make money — and plan some spectacular events.”
BUSINESS LINE
SALES… MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…
4 TIPS: RECESSION-PROOF YOUR DJ BUSINESS
company, it’s a good idea to target at least three to six months of reserves on hand to give the company some breathing room. Expand Your Customer Base Depending upon a few sources of business is dangerous to your sustainability in the event of a recession. Everyone is hit differently, and you have to have variety in your customer or client base to survive. This step means doing what you can to attract new customers through marketing, creating partnerships, and potentially re-defining your target audience. This does not mean you need to immediately discount your services, offer incentives or eliminate offerings, which is often the knee-jerk reaction that most small-business owners make during a recession. Focus on Core Competencies Business consultants have spoken and written numerous articles during the Great Recession on diversification as a strategy for small-business success. However, all too often smallbusiness owners simplify the concept of “diversification” to “different.” Just adding other services to your DJ business, such as photography, videography and event planning is not
diversification. At best, it's a waste of time and money. Worse, it can damage your core business by taking your time and money away from what you do best and/or damaging your brand and reputation. Drop the extras and focus on what you do best that is most profitable to recession-proof your business. Ramp Up Your Marketing Efforts During a recession, many small businesses, both large and small, make the mistake of cutting their marketing budget to the bone or even eliminating it entirely. This is the most critical error that a business owner can make, as lean times are exactly the times your business most needs marketing. Consumers, like business owners, are looking to make changes in their buying decisions. You need to help them find your services and choose them rather than others by getting your name out there. So don't quit marketing. In fact, if possible, step up your marketing efforts. These four ideas are just the tip of the recessionary iceberg that you,
as a business owner, should be considering as financial prognosticators weigh in on the next recession. During my seminar at the DJ Expo, I will expand further on these concepts, provide you some best practices and share some additional thoughts. The wedding industry is not recessionproof and, as we rely upon discretionary spending for our livelihood, being prepared will keep food on the table, heat in our homes and money in our pocket. In summary, being a successful business owner takes planning, review, discipline and foresight to achieve your financial goals. As a commercial lender and business banker, I’ve seen businesses that I’ve financed become successful brands. I was only able to achieve this by looking forward and being prepared for either the bull or the bear to dominate the market. Look forward to seeing all at the DJ Expo in August. At the DJ Expo (Aug. 12-15) in Atlantic City, N.J., Jerry Bazata will present “Be Prepared: How Your DJ Business Can Survive an Economic Downturn.” For the latest on DJ Expo, please visit thedjexpo.com.
DJ TIMES
Our economy has been in a growth mode for the past 11 years with the bull markets far outperforming the bear markets. For many of us, it easy to forget the cyclical nature of the economy and the Great Recession that hit its peak 10 years ago. Any economist will tell you that a recession is inevitable and its impact on small-business owners is often the hardest. So, how can you, as a DJ-company/small-business owner, prepare yourself and your company to stay above water in the event of a recession? At the DJ Expo – set for Aug. 1215 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. – I will be present “Be Prepared: How Your DJ Business Can Survive an Economic Downturn,” a 90-minute seminar on preparing your DJ business for recession survival. As a commercial lender for the past 30 years and also being a small-business owner, it’s a fact that during economic instability small business owners are less likely to receive loans to keep the company afloat. Because small-business owners are the hardest hit, with lenders tightening credit standards, interest rates on the rise and the consumer reducing discretionary spending, you, as a small-business owner, need to be prepared. During the seminar, I will share a multitude of tips and best practices to align your financial, business and marketing strategy with any downturn in the economy. Here are four tips to get ready for an economic slowdown: Have a Cash Reserve Much like an individual, it is imperative for small-business owners to build up cash reserves to lean on in rocky economic times. In a recession, it is almost certain that sales will dip and couples will be looking for discounts as they feel the pinch in their own wallets. Credit-card companies will be less likely to give out large credit lines and rising rates will affect the bottom line. Therefore, small businesses have to acquire backup cash to take care of expenses and continue to pay employees. As the owner of a
SUMMER 2019
By Jerry Bazata
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GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
SoundCloud
Arturia
Pioneer DJ Roland
Head in the SoundCloud
Hey DDJ
Let It V
Get TR-READY
SoundCloud Limited Rheinsberger Str. 76/77 10115 Berlin +49 30 467 247 600 www.soundcloud.com
Pioneer DJ Americas 2050 W. 190th Street Suite 109 Torrance, CA 90504 (424) 488-0480 www.pioneerdj.com
Arturia www.arturia.com
Roland Corporation 5100 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 890-3700 www.roland.com
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
SoundCloud added DJ performance software integration to its platform. Called DEX 3, the program is available to those who have a SoundCloud Go+ premium consumer subscription, which can be purchased via the Soundcloud website, Google Play or the iTunes App Store. It provides DJs with streamable content from SoundCloud’s catalog of original tracks. The high-quality audio can be searched, mixed and streamed instantly.
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The DDJ-800 from Pioneer is a compact 2-channel DJ performance controller designed to work with rekordbox version 5.5.0. The DDJ-800 suppor ts rekordbox DJ’s Feedback Reducer feature, which automatically lessens the “howling” sound of microphone feedback. The controller also features a Color On Jog Display, giving users such information as playback time, BPM, and waveforms on high-definition LCD screens in the center of each jog wheel. Additional features include 16 tactile illuminated rubber pads that trigger Hot Cues, Pad FX, Beat Jump, Sampler, Keyboard mode and more.
Arturia released the latest addition of its V Collection, featuring 24 software instruments and thousands of preset sounds. Among the new instruments found in this latest collection are the Mellotron V, which features all original Mellotron tapes and also lets users import and play their own samples with authentic tape emulation; Synthi V, which the company says is a spin on modular synthesis with advanced component modelling, modulation and effects; and CZ V, an easy-to-program phase distortion synthesis with a custom editor.
Roland has collaborated with BPM Supreme to create Serato x Roland TR-SYNC ‘READY’ tracks within the BPM Supreme music librar y. There are currently 100 TR-READY MP3 files, with more to be uploaded on a daily basis. The tracks, which are available in a range of genres and decades, are marked with an official TR-READY icon and are “grid-verified by BPM Supreme's in-house team of audio editors and quality assurance experts,” according to the company.
AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
GEAR
On All 4s Propellerhead Software Hornsbruksgatan 23 SE-117 34 Stockholm Sweden www.propellerheads.se Propellerhead Software released the Rigs 4 series, an update to the company’s Rigs series bundles for Reason 10. The Rigs 4 series offers three custom-curated bundles—Backline Rig 4, which features realisticsounding organic instruments, including drums, guitar, keyboards and more; Synthetic Rig 4, which features a collection of synths and signal processors; and Mix & Mastering Rig 4, which features a collection of studio-grade effects. Each Rig comes with three hours of tutorials, hundreds of presets and a collection of 30 hand-selected products made by leading developers.
Light the Fusion Erica Synths Andrejostas 43 Riga LV-1045 Latvia www.ericasnyths.lv Erica Synths has released Fusion VCO V2, the latest addition to the company’s Fusion series lineup of Eurorack modules. The Fusion VCO V2 functions as a full analogue sound source, featuring an AS3340-based VCO with three simultaneously available waveforms, transistor-based suboscillator and detune function. There are two BBD delay lines, which can function as a frequency shifter, and an audio input feature that lets users mix an external audio signal with the principal oscillator.
Ring of Digitone Keys
DJ TIMES
Elektron’s Digitone Keys is an eight-voice polyphonic digital synthesizer that features a 37-key velocity and pressure sensitive keyboard with aftertouch. Housed in a sturdy steel casing, Digitone Keys includes one multimode filter, one base-width filter, overdrive and two assignable LFOs per voice. The unit features a variety of send and master effects, including Panoramic Chorus, Saturator Delay, Supervoid Reverb and Overdrive. The unit sports a USB port, assignable pitch and modulation wheels, and dedicated outputs per track.
SUMMER 2019
Elektron Music Machines 1340 E 6th St #632 Los Angeles, CA 90021 (213) 935-8521 www.elektronmusicmachines.com
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GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
MAGIX Software
Kurzweil
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
Mixware
36
IK Multimedia
Forge Ahead
Cover to Cover
Stay a Kurzweil
Uno Dos Tres
MAGIX Software GmbH Quedlinburger Strasse 1 10589 Berlin Germany +49 30 293 92 -200 www.magix.net
Mixware, LLC 11070 Fleetwood St, Unit F Sun Valley, CA 91352 (818) 578-4030 www.mixware.net
American Music & Sound 925 Broadbeck Dr. #220 Newbury Park, CA 91320 (800) 431-2609 www.AmericanMusicAnd Sound.com
IK Multimedia 590 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy. Sunrise, FL 33325 (954) 846-9101 www.ikmultimedia.com
Kurzweil Music Systems released its PC4 performance controller and production station. The unit comes with an 88-note, hammer-action keyboard that is fully weighted and velocity-sensitive. It features a large color display with six soft keys and includes dedicated front-panel transposition and tempo controls, nine programmable knobs, sliders and switches, and dedicated arpeggiator and sequencer transport controls. The PC4 includes more than 1,000 factory programs, a 16-track sequencer, 16 arpeggiators, 16 riff generators and a six-operator FM Engine that imports 80's/90's FM SysEx files.
IK Multimedia expanded its Uno Series with the Uno Drum machine. The unit offers 100 pre-programmed and fully editable drum kit presets that include such elements as six analog drum sounds—two different kick drums plus snares, claps and hi-hats—as well as 54 selectable samples, including toms, rims, cowbells, rides and crash cymbals for creating complex, unique and full rhythm tracks. Additional features include 12 touch-sensitive pads with two velocity zones, 2.5mm jacks for USB and traditional MIDI with cables included, a 64step sequencer and two analog master audio effects—Drive and Compressor.
Sound Forge Pro 13 from Magix comes with an enhanced VST2/3 engine and an ARA2 interface extension for faster audio data processing. There is also a new, fully-customizable interface that can be adjusted in four color levels—White, Light, Medium and Dark—depending on differing environmental and lighting conditions. The program comes with iZotope Ozone 8 Elements and RX 7 Elements plug-ins, in addition to a variety of new coreFX mastering and delay effects, including Delay, Chorus, Limiter, Expander, Compressor and Flanger.
Decksaver designed a new cover for the Akai Professional Fire Controller. The lightweight polycarbonate shell, which comes in a smoked clear color, has been precision molded for an exact fit. It shields the controls and internal components from damage , in addition to protecting the instrument from dust, liquid and accidental impact, while still accommodating cables. While using the cover, users can slide their instrument straight into a flight case or bag ready for transportation.
TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS
Doug Wojciechowski
Nicole Moudaber
“SEEING IT THROUGH” EP
u Nicole Moudaber u Mood
The title track booms with a big, rolling groove, then gets tickly and atmospheric before it goes full-on twisted. “The Sun at Midnight” clicks and rumbles with mindscrambling efficiency, but the fave here is “Common Dreams,” a techno track that rocks a massive kick, then brings a cinematic, action-film vibe – arresting.
– Jim Tremayne GUEST REVIEWER: Romain Gowe
LOVE YOURSELF
CAR PARK IN THE SKY u M.I.G. u All Day I Dream From its smooth, housey breakbeat to the atmospheric backing and trippy accents, this max-chill track has a little bit of everything. Also, its breakdown pushes a gorgeous, orchestral groove, but the overall tone is classic and progressive. The “Lee Burridge & Lost Desert Remix” delivers a more pumpy vibe, while the “Funk D’Void Remix” slinks and slides with ethereal ease and showcases a familiar, catchy bassline.
– Jennifer Harmon
“CLEAR BLUE WATER” (TRANCE WAX REMIX)
I CAN HANDLE IT u Fabio Vela feat. Liz Hill u DFTD With Hill out front, Vela delivers another underground house anthem. And check the “Extended Old School Mix,” where Vela combines with fellow Italian Gianni Bini. Melding a formidable bassline with sexy, looped-up vocal, this one’s hot.
YEARNING u Roog u Simma Black
– Tommy D Funk
A fabulous, garage cut that uses a great vocal sample – and it fits like a glove. Roog brings the goods and rocks the dancefloor again. Top marks for this big, bouncy house track.
– Tommy D Funk Pat Bedeau
Pat Bedeau feat. The Self Love Witch BedFunk This gem comes in at No. 1 on my list of most-played tracks this month. It’s one of those great house cuts you can play when you are about to switch up the vibe to maybe Afro-house or something deeper. It’s a good transition track with peaks and dips – perfect for when you want to warm the room up with Afro flavors and deep chords. If you crave deeper flavors, this is a must-have in your collection. Romain Gowe
u Above & Beyond pres. OceanLab u Anjunabeats
Of course, the guys from A&B/OceanLab are known for the beautiful, swirling, emotive melodies and angelic vocals displayed on this 2009 favorite. But here, Trance Wax puts a welcome spin on the tried-andtrue method by spicing up the low-end with an addictive, rolling, tribal breakbeat. Tasty.
– Jennifer Harmon A THOUSAND TIMES u JBen Gold & Richard Durand u Armada Music A killer collab of trance heavy-hitters, this splendid track begins delicately and quickly rises with a relentless, overdriving melody that’s nothing short of delightful. Bright and uplifting, this cut will leave you with a smile and sense of joy.
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
– Jennifer Harmon
38
“DON’T YOU WANT MY LOVE” (REMIXES)
u Debbie Jacobs u Glitterbox
Above & Beyond
Jacobs’ monster disco classic gets reconstructed and remixed to perfection here. Check the delightful extended efforts from Cratebug and Full Intention, but don’t sleep on Joe Claussell’s wonderful “1986 Reel to Reel Edit.” Available on limited-edition vinyl, this one will light up any dancefloor.
– Tommy D Funk
TAKE 8 u Longlost u Honey Soundsystem Records The original’s a gorgeous, ethereal, piano-driven groover that would work well at opening an evening or serving as a moody interlude. Taraval & Jackie House’s remix ramps up the kick drums and offers a more disorienting, almost psychedelic take – madly effective. Meanwhile, Kevin Devine’s “Interpretation” offers spare, piano chords that work as an ambient, Eno-like companion.
– Jim Tremayne “MY HEART BELONGS TO YOU” (REMIXES)
u Melba Moore u Soulphuric
Ferreck Dawn remixes this Ron Carroll-penned, soulful-house monster from 2005, and the results are outstanding. With a jumpin’, pumpin’ groove, Dawn’s mix livens up the floor with his trademark rolling-house sound. Superb.
Roog
Joe Claussell
– Tommy D Funk READY TO FREAK u Soul Clap feat. Kathy Brown u Soul Clap Records A sassy trip back to the Gotham dancefloors of yesteryear, this one namechecks hotspots and lays a thick, unrelenting groove. Morgan Wiley’s “Disco Mix” percolates with gusto, while “Lonely C’s Club Electronique” (from Soul Clap’s Charlie Levine) chugs harder and doesn’t scrimp on the sass. – Jim Tremayne HIGHER u Henry Hacking feat. Effs u Vicious On this riveting, piano-house vocal track, ATFC and Konsin deliver walloping remixes. ATFC drops a rubbery bassline, while Konsin ramps up the tempo and offers a big drop for full effect. Hands in the air here.
– Tommy D Funk
Fabio Vela
Jackie House
Richard Durand & Ben Gold
Ferreck Dawn
SUMMER 2019
Henry Hacking
DJ TIMES
Soul Clap
39
Making Tracks
(continued from page 28)
ied forward, which is a nice, logical way to approach building out songs of various EDM styles, given the structured elements that tend to repeat, while building up or dropping down. You can add more material to the Scene, change the beats, take things away — it’s up to you, but it maintains an easy path to continuity as the structure of your song starts to take shape. The Scenes, as you get more of them created, can be arranged in the song view however you choose. Once you have a project crafted how you like it, you may wish to export the stems and develop the concepts further in a conventional DAW. With this workflow, it’s a nice way to prototype some ideas in a simple environment. But even if you remain in Serato Studio, you can get some amazing results with incredible speed. I think the key point here is that once I got the hang of the interface, playing with Studio was incredibly fun, and incredibly easy. I was also sur-
prised and impressed that just layering some stock stuff at random from the library resulted in a composition that actually sounded great. Perhaps I got lucky, but the more I played with it, the more on-board I got with the creative approach that Serato has developed here, and in short, it seems like they’ve achieved exactly what they set out to do. Pricing: As much as I love Serato Studio and believe that the New Zealand-based company is onto something, Serato has chosen to go to market with a subscription-based licensing model vs. a traditional perpetual-license model. I’m very much on-record as hating subscription software, for myriad reasons — chief among them being that the cost of ownership is generally far higher over the long run. Of course, the marketing spin is that end users benefit from a constant flow of new features, and that’s what Serato is promoting in this case as well.
The company has chosen to price Serato Studio at $10 a month when paid annually, and has promised regular drops of new content for subscribers to keep everything fresh. Perhaps that’s more palatable to many users vs. a one-time investment followed by paid expansion packs, but I don’t think I’d find myself very willing to shell out $120 a year for it based on the utility I’m seeing in this “1.0” version. Alas, I’m not the target demographic for Serato Studio; your mileage may vary, and the financial calculus is obviously going to be different depending on your needs and expectations. Regardless, much as Avid does with its Pro Tools DAW, I would have preferred the ability to choose how I want to pay for the software vs. being forced into a subscription. Conclusions: My attitude about subscription models aside , from watching Serato’s promotional videos, you’d get the impression that
building songs with Serato Studio is easy, fast, and fun – and, I have to say, that impression would be correct. Playing with the base content of Studio, I was amazed at how great the results sounded, and how quickly it came together. As a musician already, I can’t really speak to the effectiveness of Serato Studio in terms of lowering the barriers to entry into music-making, but I have to believe that this product is going to put a huge smile on the faces of a lot of people who’ve never before been able to experience the thrill of crafting a song. Serato and its content partners have provided some ver y nicely crafted samples, drums and drum programming that’ll provide hours of creative fun, and Serato itself has done a pretty amazing job of making the software intuitive and accessible. And given all of that, I have no doubt that the company is going to find a lot of fans for Serato Studio.
bays. Once that was done—resulting in a very dangerous spiderweb of cables across the room— Dunnington walked around and tuned each oscillator to a different note in the same chord. Finally, Dunnington spoke into his
Spectravox, the first one in the monstrous super-chain, triggering them all at once, and then flipped his hold switch. Flipping that switch while the Spectravox is generating audio freezes the current signal, which prevented the group from needing to talk into our
microphones. The group then modulated our synths to our hearts’ desire for around five minutes, resulting in one of the most unique, largest synthesizer symphonies I’ve ever witnessed, let alone actively been a part of. It was an incredible experience. n
before last year or was that the first time? Gou: It was the stress and the pressure. It was happening for three months, but it’s gone now. I even went to the hospital and they gave me some medication to take when I’m feeling really anxious, but they said there was no cure. It’s something inside that needs to be fixed. Once I fixed it, it was gone. At the start of 2019, I was going through my new goals, and one of them was to listen to my body. This is very important and people try to ignore it.Your body send you signals, and sometimes, I don’t listen. But that is something I tell myself: “If I want to be in this business for a long time, I have to listen.” I can be a diva, but I’m also trying to keep my feet on the ground. DJ Times: Are there people you listen to and whose advice you take? Gou: I don’t have a manager because I don’t like people telling me what to do. People told me if I didn’t have a manager, there was going to be a glass ceiling I wouldn’t be able to break, that nobody would buy my
records. I proved everyone wrong. I have a great team, but I did this on my own. I have mentors, but they don’t know they’re my mentors because I never told them. Mentors are people you can ask for advice whether you’re in a good or bad situation and, hopefully, you will listen to them. DJ Times: It may not have planned it this way, but you are the first Korean-born artist to accomplish many milestones in electronic dance music, not the least of which is playing Berghain. Do you feel a responsibility toward representing Korea and its people? Gou: People knew China and Japan, but not Korea, until BTS. I don’t listen to their music, but sometimes I’ll get in a taxi and the driver will say, “You’re Korean? Do you know BTS? My daughter is crazy for them.” It makes me very proud to be Korean. But I don’t differentiate between Asian nationalities. I want to be a representative of all Asia. When I have a gig, there are a lot of Asians and they are very supportive. If I can have an effect on Asian producers or artists
or the Asian scene, I would love to be a good influence and a good example. DJ Times: How do you envision your goals in a way that makes them both attainable and so you can keep track and stay on track to reach them? Gou: I put my goals on Post-its. And when I reach a goal, I take the Post-it off. DJ Times: Is there one, or more, specific things to which you credit your success? Gou: A lot of people think I’m successful. Success has a different meaning for everybody. I have a lot of things I want to do and a lot of things I want to achieve. Until I do that, I don’t think I’m successful. I always want to do more, create more, whether it’s music or clothes or art or anything. I was always telling myself to do what I love, but I was really focusing on not doing things I don’t love, which is the opposite, but ended up being the same thing. As long as you’re happy with what you’re doing and with people around you, that is also success. n
Hands-On
(continued from page 21)
is a vocoder, so it requires audio input to make noise. My group consisted of around 30 engineers, so instead of having us all shout into our microphones at the same time, Dunnington had the brilliant idea to chain all 30 instruments together via their patch
Gou
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
(continued from page 17)
40
Gou: Last week was my biggest weekend: Nuit Sonores in Lyon, Primavera in Barcelona, We Love Green in Paris, Forbidden Fruit in Dublin. When I came home, I cried. I had a lot of messages from DJs and promoters saying, “You realize what you did this weekend was something incredible?” I don’t take it for granted. I was proud, but very emotional. DJ Times: Is it difficult to keep up this kind of full-on lifestyle? Gou: People think I’m living the life, but I had problems last year, anxiety problems. I was going through a lot of stress. I couldn’t breathe very well. I lost friends because of money. There are bad sides. I don’t talk about it much, but there is a dark side. When you’re getting more attention, you are also getting more shit and people will more likely take advantage of you and want to use you and there are a lot of snakes around you. I am aware of that. Every day is a lesson and I try to be positive. In the end, I believe people deserve what they deserve. DJ Times: Did you have anxiety
Tocaito
MM
2. Ely Holguin
Desilusion
Cookie Empire
3. Edwin
Que Te Lo Crea Tu Madre LMM
4. Hector Acosta
Antes Del Lunes
El Torito Ent.
5. Karol G
Punto G
Universal
6. Amarfis & La Banda Atakke
Calma
Amarfika
7. Diego Val feat Domino Saints Feeling Real High
Digital Launch
8. Domenic Marte
Todo Tiene Su Fin Direct Balance
9. Chacal & Srta. Dayana
Apagame La Luz
La Corp. Music
10. Daddy Yakee feat Snow
Con Calma
El Cartel
11. Jehu El Rey
Despues Te Perdi
Unlick Music
12. Carlos Vives feat Wisin
Si Me Das Tu Amor Sony
13. Wisin feat Jon Z, & Don Chezina 3G Sony 14. Charlie Cruz
Tu Con El
CC
15. Prince Royce & Marc Anthony Adicto
Sony
16. Luis Fonsi y Ozuna
Universal
Imposible
17. Alsikiatra
Polola
Swing Factory
18. Andy Andy
La Manzana
Wepa Music
19. Juan L. Guerra
Kitipun
Universal
20. Jaudy
Te Va Caer
Cutting
Most Added Tracks 1.
Lunay
Soltera
Star Island Inc.
2.
Thomaz
Al Natural
Latina
3.
Rey Ruiz
Vengo
Luna Negra
4.
Mike Towers feat Farruko
Si Se Da
Casablanca
5.
Marc Anthony
Tu Vida En La Mia
Sony
REPORTING LATIN POOLS n Latinos Unidos Record Pool n Salsamania Latin Record Pool n Lobo/Bass Record Pool
n Urban Tropics Music Pool n North East Record Pool n Mixx Hitts Record Pool n Ritmo Camacho Record Pool n Ritmo Internacional Record Pool n DJ Latinos Record Pool n Mass Pool n Record Pool Latino n V.I.P. Chicago Record Pool.
NATIONAL CROSSOVER POOL 1 Khalid Talk 2 Ariana Grande Break Up With Your Girlfriend 3 Pink Walk Me Home 4 Avicii F/ Aloe Black SOS 5 Jonas Brothers Sucker 6 Billie Eilish Bad Guy 7 Klaas & Londonbeat I've Been Thinking About You 8 Taylor Swift / Brenddon Urie Me! 9 Jennifer Lopez F/ French Montana Medicine 10 Fletcher Undrunk 11 Madonna & Maluma Medellin 12 Sam Smith And Normani Dancing With A Stranger 13 Mabel Don't Call Me Up 14 Calvin Harris I'm Not Alone 2019 15 Lil Nas X F/ Billy Ray Cyrus Old Town Road 16 Ed Sheeran / Justin I Don't Care 17 Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry Con Calma 18 Dido Give You Up 19 Oliver Heldens F/ Shungudzo Fire In My Soul 20 Alan Walker F/ Sabrina On My Way 21 Panic At The Disco Look Ma I Made It 22 Ava Max So Am I 23 Sigrid Don't Feel Like Crying 24 Vassy Concrete Heart 25 Heather Small Proud 26 Bryce Vine La La Land 27 DJs From Mars Gam Gam 28 Rob Thomas One Less Day 29 Jaguar Grace After All 30 Meduza Piece Of Your Heart 31 Low Steppa You're My Life 32 Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike Selfish 33 Katy Perry Never Really Over 34 Jack Back Put Your Phone Down 35 Shawn Mendes If I Can't Have You 36 Kc & The Sunshine Band, T. Moran F/ N. Rodgers Give Me Some More 37 Don Diablo / Jessie Brave 38 Omar Veluz Send Me An Angel 39 Kim Cameron Didn't Know I Was Fallin' 40 David Guetta F/ Raye Stay (Don't Go Away)
Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Shawn Mendes David Guetta F/ Raye Kim Cameron Alan Walker F/ Sabrina Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike 5 Seconds Of Summer Jaguar Grace Kylie Minogue Robin Schulz F/ Harloe Chainsmokers F/ Bebe Rexha
REPORTING POOLS Gary Canavo Blake Eckelbarger n The Dance Environment n Manny Esparza n Howard HK Kessler n Sam Labelle n Dan Mathews n Brian Stephens n Peter K. Productions n Steve Tsepelis n Randy Schlager n Jackie McCloy n Al Chasen n Ilan Fong n n
ATTENTION DJ TIMES READERS: DJ Times is currently looking for DJs that are interested in reporting to the DJ National Dance/Crossover chart and the DJ Times National Urban Dance chart. Reporterships are open to Record Pools and individual DJs. For more information contact: Dan Miller, dmiller@testa.com
RCA Republic RCA Interscope Republic Interscope Radikal Republic Funky Club Capitol Interscope Capitol Capitol Columbia Columbia Atlantic Capitol BMG RCA RCA Big Beat Atlantic Island KMV Swishcraft Warner Bros. Radikal Atlantic Jaguar Capitol Defected Arista Capitol Defected Island Sunshine Casablanca Quinn Coleman Side FX Warner Bros.
LOOKING FOR THESE TITLES? YOU CAN HEAR THEM AND BUY THEM AT WWW.DANCEKINGS.COM. JUST CLICK ON THE LINKS IN THE CHART. DDK HAS LIMITED MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR QUALIFIED DJS IN THE US. WE SERVICE CDS AND MP3S IN DANCE Looking AND URBANfor FORMATS. FEEDBACK these titles? AND MEMBERSHIP DUES REQUIRED. 770-740-0356 You can hear them and buy them at www.dancekings.com.
If I Can't Have You Stay (Don't Go Away) Didn't Know I Was Fallin' On My Way Selfish Easier After All Step Back In Time 2019 All This Love Call You Mine
Masspool Dj Stickyboots Powered By Spectrio Nexus Radio In The Mix With HK Soundworks Klubjumpers / RHYTHM 105.9 FM KRYC Mixxmasters Peter K Pacific Coast DJs Music Manager NA / Soundtrack Your Band New York Music Pool OMAP Kahoots
Just click on the links in the chart. s limited memberships available for qualified DJs in the US. We service CDs and MP3s in ance and urban formats. Feedback and membership dues required. 770-740-0356
Island Warner Bros. Side FX RCA Arista Capitol Jaguar BMG Atlantic Columbia Saugus,MA Goshen,NJ Chicago,IL Minneapolis,MN San Francisco,CA Sacramento, CA Lithonia,GA Long Beach,CA Seattle,WA New York,NY Washington, DC Columbus, OH
Compiled As June 30, 2019
NATIONAL LATIN DANCE POOL
1. Grupomania
Midnight Kids
(continued from page 10)
ily Warren, bülow, Bastille and Kim Petras, to name a few. DJ Times: Walk us through a studio session with Midnight Kids… Girard: We usually go into the studio with a vocalist to get a topline on something that we’re working on. Recently, though, we’ve been going in and creating something from scratch with the artist, so the connection to a potential record is there from the get-go. Usually, Dylan will noodle something on the guitar or I’ll play something on the keys, and we’ll simply see where things lead. One small idea can set the tone for an entire session. DJ Times: What gear and programs do you use when it comes to production?
Lee: We use a lot of analog-emulation software to make sure that whatever we’re writing will have that signature ’80s touch. We’ve recently been tracking a lot of guitar through an [Fractal Audio Systems] AxeFx II [preamp/effects processor], as well as recording with a [Roland] Juno we got. DJ Times: The group has a very distinct, ’80s-inspired style of production. What is it that made you fall in love with that sound? Girard: There’s something that feels inherently nostalgic about it. There’s something magical about the way vintage synths and atmospheres sound. It's all about channeling those sounds that make you feel something. DJ Times: Will there ever be a
time where you explore different genres? Lee: Absolutely! We want to experiment with everything. We plan on experimenting a lot more with a full body of work, such as an EP or album. DJ Times: You've been on the road quite a bit this year. How do prepare for festival sets compared to playing at clubs? Girard: The preparation for both sets is kind of the same, in the sense that a lot of time goes into both – ha! Really the only difference from a festival set to a club set is the music selection. With festivals, we play pretty much all of our own music and things that align with what we are doing, while in the club scene, we are bit more loose with song selection.
We’ll experiment with some music we wouldn’t tend to play in other settings, which is super-fun as well. DJ Times: Would you say you're more festival or more club guys? Lee: Definitely festival guys. While we’ve only played a handful of festivals so far, they’ve been some of the most incredible experiences of our lives. People go to festivals to dance and enjoy great music, and it’s always so awesome that people really connect with our sets. DJ Times: What can fans expect from Midnight Kids in the near future? Girard: More music and shows. We're also beginning to put together a body of work that shows all sides of the Midnight Kids sound. – Brian Bonavoglia
Heretofore not activated, a software update (not available at press time, but perhaps available by the time you read this) will enable the WiFi hardware, while also allowing you to stream live from its partners: Soundcloud, Beatport, Beatsource and Tidal, all within the touch interface of the hardware. (The hardwired ethernet port can be used for this connectivity as well.) When I got the press release, I was stunned. While any working DJ will have to be prepared for Internet connectivity issues, the ability to stream both leading sources of EDM and leading sources of mainstream, multi-genre material has some interesting implications for DJs of all stripes. As a working mobile DJ, the bane
of my existence has always been requests from partygoers for songs I don’t have in my collection. Since the advent of Spotify, I have to confess that I resort to using it quite a bit during mobile gigs via iPhone or iPad. Having that built-in via Tidal? You don’t have to sell me on the concept. My base collection of music, plus the expansive world of streaming, I feel like I’d be ready for anything. (Of course, it begs for partnerships with Spotify and Apple Music as well, but maybe someday.) Finally, while there was a minor hardware issue in the pre-release unit I received (which Denon DJ quickly rectified), the pre-release beta software in the Prime 4 that I evaluated was rock-solid throughout
my testing. As I said at the outset, it seems clear that inMusic is developing some serious expertise around embedded software, with its polished visual design, relatively intuitive user experience, and great reliability in my SC5000 experience, so I wasn’t surprised to see the Prime 4 working so well. Conclusions: Between the great feel, solid capabilities, unique features, and the availability of onboard streaming, inMusic is setting a new bar with the Denon DJ line as a whole, and the Prime 4 specifically. It’s going to be interesting to see how they could possibility top themselves in the next year or two. In the meantime, we DJs are benefiting from their innovative thinking.
Sounding Off
(continued from page 30)
Some Additional Tricks: At the risk of starting to sound like a car salesman, “but that’s not all,” I offer the following… Through the Engine software Denon DJ provides for download, not only can you pre-analyze material, you can import music collections (crates) from Serato DJ, Native Instruments’ Traktor, and Pioneer DJ’s rekordbox, making it easier to get started. As if that wasn’t enough, Denon DJ recently announced partnerships for bringing streaming music directly to the Prime 4 — as well as the previous SC5000 and SC5000M standalone media players. While all these hardware devices have ethernet on-board, inMusic’s engineers smartly, but quietly, included something else: WiFi.
DJ Expo 2019: What’s On Tap?
42
At DJ Expo, we see new gear…
MetroMix Media
DJ TIMES
SUMMER 2019
And we make winners!
We meet industry legends…
DJ Expo Preview in the Next DJ Times
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