DJ Times March 2014, Vol 27 No 3 by DJ Times Magazine

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AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988

MARCH 2014

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PERFORMS UNDER PRESSURE

REMIX-STATION 500 The REMIX-STATION 500 features a diverse range of effects to change the development of music and produce new rhythms by adding sound sources, etc. It also features a “PRESSURE Controller” with knobs that can be operated not only by rotation but also, in an industry-first, by intuitively pressing to change effects parameters, enabling various musical arrangements to be made with a single knob. The device can also be used for music production and as a plug-in controller when connected to your PC/Mac, allowing you to produce music with the same effects and feeling of control you get when using the device for DJ play. It’s official...the Remix-Station 500 Performs Under Pressure.

Remix music with Rhythm FX, Scene FX, Release FX, and intuitive control thanks to the “PRESSURE Controller”

Can be used as a MIDI controller with support for USB-MIDI standard, and can be mounted on the Pioneer DJ X-Stand

QUANTIZE function analyzes music in real time and synchronizes effects

Soundcard enables connection to headphones or speakers directly

AUTO BPM function automatically measures and follows music tempo

Bundled with VST/AU/RTAS plug-in and builtin soundcard for intuitive music creation

REMIX STATION 500

INDUSTRY EVENTS…NOTABLES…MILESTONES

NEWS

NAMM ’14: HOT GEAR FOR DJS OF ALL STRIPES By Jim Tremayne Anaheim, Calif. – The 2014 Winter NAMM show—held this past Jan. 23-26 at the Anaheim Convention Center—saw over 1,500 exhibiting companies display their products to more than 96,000 attendees, according to NAMM. As always, Testa Communications—DJ Times publisher— provided on-the-spot show coverage with Convention TV @ NAMM. Plenty of product debuts for the DJ market—what were they? Let’s get started: Pioneer DJ broke out its DDJSZ Serato DJ controller and the Remix Station 500 unit. Re-dedicating its commitment to the DJ market, Sennheiser released three new professional headphone models—the HD8 DJ, the HD7 DJ and the HD6 MIX. The inMusic booth was busy with new gear from various brands. Numark debuted the NS7II 4-channel performance controller, the DJ|iO 2 audio interface and the Numark Remix Toolkit, which includes over 380 audio samples from Prime Loops for new owners of Mixtrack II, Mixtrack Pro II, Mixtrack Quad and Mixtrack Edge controllers. Akai showed the MPK261 and MPK249 USB/MIDI Pad and Keyboard controllers. Alto Professional showed its Black and TS ranges of active speakers. Among other items, Chauvet DJ offered the Obey 6 lighting controller, COLORstrip Mini FX wash light, Geyser RGB Jr. effect fogger, and the EZ MiN Laser FX and EZ MiN Laser RBX battery-powered lasers. HARMAN’s Martin Professional showed its RUSH Series of lights, including the RUSH Wizard and RUSH MH 4 Beam. Related company JBL Professional showed the LSR310S monitor sub and the EON615 model from the new EON600 active series of speakers. A D J o f fe re d 4 0 n ew l i g h t i n g products, including the Inno Spot Pro scanner, Dotz T-Par LED Wash System and the updated Quad Scan Pro. Related outfit American Audio debuted the new CPX Series of active speakers and the ELS 15-Duo Bluetooth Wireless speaker system. Distributor Mixware showed products from Electrix, Decksaver, Magma and UDG Gear, which debuted the UDG Laptop Stand. Hercules showed the DJControlWave wireless controller customized for iPad. Stanton DJ showed the SCS.4DJ USB MixStation, which includes a Version 5.0 OS update.

Serato Control: Pioneer’s DDJ-SZ.

HD8 DJ: Sennheiser’s new cans.

At Stanton Booth: Dextrous One.

From JBL Pro: EON615.

Distributor American Music & Sound showed Allen & Heath’s Xone:23 2-channel mixer, Reloop’s Terminal Mix 8 pad-based Serato DJ controller, and Novation’s Bass Station II analog synth. Peavey Electronics released its RBN 215 Sub and RBN 112 powered speaker enclosures. Behringer released two new Eurolive active speakers (B110D and B108D), two new USB audio interfaces (UMC404 and UMC1820) and two new studiomonitor products (K6 and K10S sub). Audio-Technica showed the next generation of the M-Series headphone range, plus the ATH-M50x pro monitor headphones. Roland debuted the FA-06 and FA-08 Music Workstations and entertained journalists with a sneak preview of four exciting new products soon to be released—stay tuned. Mackie showed its new SRM Series of active speakers and four models of the new MRmk3 studio-monitor range. Electro-Voice introduced the ETX family of active loudspeakers, which includes three 2-way models, a 3-way model and two subs. PreSonus showed its new StudioLive AI-Series Active Integration Loudspeakers. Yamaha introduced a new generation of its MG Mixer Series, the STAGEPAS 400i and 600i portable sound systems and two models of the MOXF series of synthesizers (MOXF6

and MOXF8). Related company Steinberg showed the UR44 USB audio interface, plus Cubase 7.5 and Cubase Artist 7.5 production systems. Arriba Cases showed seven new lighting cases that accommodate products from brands like ADJ, Blizzard, Chauvet and more. Both Monoprice. com and Mr. DJ USA showed a variety

of budget-priced DJ gear, including mixers, controllers and CD players. Universal Audio introduced its Apollo Twin high-resolution desktop interface with realtime UAD processing. WaveDNA showed updates to version of Liquid Rhythm and Liquid Rhythm Intro MIDI sequencer and beat-generation software.

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VOLUME 27 NUMBER 3

12 The Sound of the Drum Nicole Moudaber’s Deep, Dark & Percussive Approach to Techno Has Heads Turning & Hips Swaying BY JIM TREMAYNE

20 Public Image We Asked DJs About the Imagery They’re Using on Websites & Social Media: Can a Picture Sell a Thousand Words? BY JEFF STILES

22 Bringing the Bounce Aussie DJ/Producer Will Sparks Helps Carry the Melbourne Sound Worldwide BY ALLY BYERS

DEPARTMENTS 7 Feedback

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

24 Making Tracks DSI Prophet 12 Synth

26 Sounding Off IK Multimedia’s iLoud

28 Mobile Profile

30 Business Line

Tactics That’ll Grow Your Business

32 Gear

New Products from MixVibes, Chauvet & More

38 Grooves

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

Phat Tracks from J.Phlip, Tensnake & More

40 DJ Times Marketplace

Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies

41 Club Play Chart

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

SAMPLINGS 8 Eton Messy YouTube Kings

10 In the Studio With… Martin Garrix

Cover & Contents Images By Massimo LoBianco

Chopper Rocks the House

FROM THE EDITOR

Techno Talk & More There are times when one DJ begins to reach critical mass in a particular genre and that seems to have happened for London’s Nicole Moudaber. Now known in some circles as “The Queen of Techno,” the Nigeria-born/Beirut-raised Moudaber has risen through the ranks from fan and promoter to global DJ and in-demand remixer/producer. Her 2013 artist debut Believe (Drumcode) topped Beatport’s techno charts and she’s been playing some of the globe’s top clubs and festivals ever since. Indeed, we saw plenty of Ms. Moudaber in 2013, beginning in the spring with Miami’s Ultra Music Festival, where she dropped a hypnotic, early-evening set in Carl Cox’s tent. Later in the summer, we enjoyed a tougher set at Aruba’s Electric Festival and then caught an abbreviated gig—someone pulled the fire alarm—at Brooklyn’s Output. The best was yet to come, however, as her exquisite performance at Gashouder during this past October’s Amsterdam Dance Event sealed the deal. It was time to talk, and so here we present one of the more dynamic DJ/producers in the techno world, Nicole Moudaber. As for other DJs we profile this month, Eton Messy might serve as the most instructive. The U.K.-based collective began with a YouTube channel to showcase favorite tunes—theirs and others. Within two years, it helped create a legit business model, one that includes touring and booking. We also catch up with Holland’s Martin Garrix, whose “Animals” was 2013’s most omnipresent festival track, and Australia’s Will Sparks, who has taken the Melbourne Bounce sound worldwide. In the mobile world, we meet Minnesota jock Greg “Chopper” Lammers, whose DJ console incorporates the grille of a 1967 Pontiac GTO. As you might imagine, it garners plenty of attention. In his monthly feature, our Iowa-based scribe Jeff Stiles asks mobile entertainers how to best use online imagery—can a picture sell a thousand words? Also, in Business Line, we connect with New Jersey’s Mike Walter and North Carolina’s Joe Bunn—a pair of annual contributors to our DJ Expo—and we discuss their upcoming PhDJ Workshop—a high-end, limited-capacity confab that’s set for March 10-11 in Raleigh, N.C. In our gear-review columns, Boston’s Paul Dailey revs up the iLoud speaker (from IK Multimedia) in Sounding Off, while New York’s Phil Moffa puts the Prophet 12 synth (from Dave Smith Instruments) through its paces. Of course, we recently returned from the Winter NAMM show where we saw plenty of new products for the mobile jock, club DJ and music maker. Please check Page 3 for that rundown. With Winter Music Conference and Ultra Music Festival just around the corner, we’re looking forward to another big season of music. Stay tuned.

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

art director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com

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

production manager Steve Thorakos sthorakos@testa.com

chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Lina Abascal Jody Amos Tom Banham Joe Bermudez Wesley Bryant-King Ally Byers Chris Caruso Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Reed Dailey Chris Davis Josh Harris Robert LaFrance Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Natalie Raben Scott Rubin Jennifer Shapiro Jeff Stiles Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack Innes Weir President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO ORDER SUBSCRIPTIONS, CALL 800-937-7678 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.djtimes.com

Cheers,

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

Jim Tremayne, Editor, DJ Times

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

brand design & web development manager Fred Gumm fgumm@testa.com digital media manager Chris Davis cdavis@testa.com advertising manager Jon Rayvid jrayvid@testa.com art/production assistant Douglas Yelin dyelin@testa.com Circulation circulation@testa.com Classifieds classifiedsales@testa.com operations manager Robin Hazan rhazan@testa.com Editorial and Sales Office: DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York, USA 11050-3779. (516) 767-2500 • FAX (Editorial): (516) 944-8372 • FAX (Sales/all other business): (516) 767-9335 • DJTIMES@TESTA. COM Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, NY, USA, 110503779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care an d should be accompanied by return postage. DJ Times (ISSN 1045-9693) (USPS 0004-153) is published monthly for $19.40 (US), $39.99 (Canada), and $59.99 (all other countries), by DJ Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 110503779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, NY, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DJ Times, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767 Design and contents are copyright © 2014 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 March 2014

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FEEDBACK

PRESSURE AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988

FEBRUARY 2014

$4.95 US

In other markets, EDM’s viability in clubs may have more to do with what’s popular on radio (especially the terrestrial kind). Your area—Tampa Bay—may trend a little older than most overall, but it still has a deep history with this music, going back to the ’90s when Tampa was one of America’s real rave capitals. Still, some 35-plus folks—even some who grew up on earlier forms of dance music—might hate it. Maybe they’re

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development of music and produce new er” with knobs that can be operated not ge effects parameters, enabling various sed for music production and as a plug-in h the same effects and feeling of control 0 Performs Under Pressure.

used as a MIDI controller with for USB-MIDI standard, and can ted on the Pioneer DJ X-Stand

rd enables connection to headphones ers directly

with VST/AU/RTAS plug-in and builtcard for intuitive music creation $4.95 US

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REMIX STATION 500 ww www.djtimes.com w. d j t i m e s . c o m

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

still underground dance snobs—Lord knows I’ve met plenty. Instead of EDM, maybe the party music of their day was all urban. Maybe they still listen to old-school hip hop or R&B. Remember, EDM (as described above) is a generational movement. It’s actu‑ ally part of a complete cultural di‑ vergence from the previous decade’s music—we’re talking rock and hiphop, specifically. EDM is what this generation wants to dance to and what

it wants to party to. To them, Jay-Z and U2 are considered relatively an‑ cient—it’s not their scene. But back to the 35-plus crowd: As any‑ one attends clubs, bars or festivals can tell you—where there are girls, there are going to be boys, including those over 35. And, after going to these events at a multitude of venues, I can tell you that the girls really like EDM. It’s not going away anytime soon. – Jim Tremayne, DJ Times

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Without getting into a treatise about the very definition of EDM, we’ll just assume that you mean the kind of electronic dance music that you’re finding on crossover radio stations, on bar jukeboxes and at the megafestivals that are drawing multitudes of Millennials. We’re talking DJ/artists like David Guetta and Calvin Harris, Tiësto and Ar‑ min van Buuren, Disclosure and Diplo. While most of these acts are very dif‑ ferent—Diplo’s tunes, for example, have very little to do with Armin’s— they all remain popular with relatively young audiences to varying degrees. So, as a club consultant, if you’re wondering if the more-monied 35-plus crowd is going to seek out these types of music in clubs, I’d have to say that it very much depends on your market. If you’re in the New York City area or South Florida, Chicago or Detroit, the Bay Area or Los Angeles, the mid30 crowd is pretty hip to what’s new musically and they’ll go for it. (From attending events on our America’s Best DJ Summer Tour, I can tell you that I see patrons of all ages in the major cities.)

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DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

SAMPLINGS

It’s a common complaint among DJs. In between the producing and the performing, looking after one’s social media—that multi-channel A.D.D.-centric funhouse of updates, hashtags and misinterpreted quotes—begins to feel like a chore. Unless, of course, you’re Adam “DJ Beluga” Englefield or Charlie “Wedcha” Wedd, co-founders of the Eton Messy collective. Starting out purely as a YouTube channel for obscure, underground or personal-favorite tracks, the Eton Messy channel now is considered one of the web’s unquestioned authorities on all things bass music. Twenty-five-million views later, the Bristol-based fellows have broken out as performing DJs in their own right and the Eton Messy brand has become a revolving tour, booking some of the bass genre’s emerging talents. Now meet the keynote speakers of Britain’s new garage and urban-flavored house movement, Eton Messy. DJ Times: How did Eton Messy Start? Charlie Wedd: Completely unplanned. Adam set up a YouTube channel with the random title in July 2011 and just started uploading songs he liked the sound of, purely to share with friends at house parties. Suddenly, it began picking up a serious following. The two of us had DJed student nights before as a duo, so he brought me on board and we started DJing under the same name. Before long, we had enough fans to start putting on regular nights, and soon I found myself booking emerging DJs to play as guests as well. Suddenly, less than two years later, we’re here! DJ Times: As DJs, you play a future-garage sound— what inspired that? Adam Englefield: Future garage popped around off the back of dubstep, and we were lucky in that we got into it just before it began to really pick up, merge with house and become a really club-friendly sound. We got in early, so we’ve managed to come up with it. DJ Times: Your whole profile as a duo—photos, logos, artwork—feels very

stylized and matched to the music. How did it all come together? Wedd: Because the music has quite a nostalgic, urbanedged feel, we felt that it would work very well with a particular type of similarthemed imagery. The funniest thing is, as with the music on the channel, once we’d put a few of our own favorites up onto our YouTube, aspiring photographers and designers began to send in their artwork, too, which we now credit and use just as we do the music. The whole channel has become very self-sufficient. DJ Times: You’ve come full circle in a way… Englefield: We certainly do a lot more DJ sets now. As our parties have got more popular and widespread, we’ve gone with them. So we’ve gone from playing out every few weeks to doing 11 gigs in a row on one occasion, and our skill level has just gone up with that. DJ Times: What was the turning point for you? Wedd: When we began doing our own events, like our first-ever “Eton Messy Presents” show in June 2012 in a little 150-capacity bar in Bristol. We had Bondax and Maribou booked and it was out of student season, so it was a real test. It was a sellout! We had people queuing around the block. That felt like the beginning of something amazing. DJ Times: Talk us through your set-up. Wedd: We’ll play backto-back on shorter shows, and two- or three-on-three in longer sets. We went backwards compared to traditional DJs. We started out purely on Traktor with MIDI controllers—now we’re on Traktor Scratch with CDJs. For our style of music, Traktor is ideal—looping samples, especially vocal cuts into the mix, is a big part of what we do. DJ Times: Advice for DJs? Wedd: Don’t put stuff out there until you yourself are ready. Do you really want to send your first-ever track to a label? Get some serious opinions; learn from your first attempts. Then, if you really want to do this, wade on in! – Ally Byers

Eton Messy: (from left) Wedd & Englefield.

ETON MESSY: ONLINE PHENOMS

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IN THE STUDIO WITH Apparently, age is simply just a number for Martin Garrix. With a U.K. chart-topper and two Beatport No.1’s under his belt before his 18th birthday, the Dutch DJ/producer entered 2014 on the heels of a prolonged hot streak. After the mega-success of “Animals,” one of 2013’s biggest festival anthems, Garrix managed to make lightning strike twice with a raging follow-up—“Wizard,” his collaboration with fellow Dutchman Jay Hardway. With that in mind, we caught up with the 17-year-old DJ/artist (aka Martijn Garritsen) during his recent visit to New York City and talked about his huge year, as well as his beginnings and upcoming plans. DJ Times: What came first for you—DJing or producing? Martin Garrix: They both came about at the same time. But when I actually played my first show in front of other people, I had already been producing. I got started producing six years ago when I downloaded FL Studio onto my computer and just started messing around.

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

MARTIN GARRIX: STUDIO ANIMAL

DJ Times: Do you prefer one over the other? Martin Garrix: I love them both. I like DJing because I can test out new music and see what works live. I mean, I play a lot of my own productions in my sets when I DJ to see how crowds respond, but I really can’t say that I like one over the other. DJ Times: “Animals” started as one of the biggest festival tracks of the year before crossing over to the pop realm and charting at No.1 in the U.K. Any inkling that you’d have that kind of success? Garrix: Not at all. About a year ago, I got signed to Spinnin’ Records and just started putting out multiple tracks, with “Animals” just being one of those releases. I was making tracks for use in my sets at clubs and festivals, and then radio just started picking it up, so it was a big surprise. I set out for it to exclusively be a club track, so I had no idea that it would catch on in the pop world. DJ Times: Your latest single “Wizard” has made its own impact by being your second Beatport No.1. So you’re not a one-hit wonder… Garrix: It takes away some pressure, for sure. After “Animals” started going worldwide, I started thinking to myself what I needed to come up with next. Jay Hardway is a really good Dutch producer and also a close buddy of mine, so we just came together to work on a track.The reaction’s been really nice and it was just great being No.1 on Beatport for two weeks. DJ Times: What about your remix of Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike’s “Project T”? How did that come to be? Garrix: I really liked the original, and [Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike] really wanted something in the style of “Animals.” The original is really sweet, soft track so I tried to turn it into a club track. DJ Times: All of your success is coming at such a young age. What’s it like to hear some of the world’s biggest DJs playing your tracks at global festivals? Garrix: It’s unreal. To me, this all started as just a hobby, and then exploded

Dutch Touch: Garrix creates with the Sylenth1 synth.

from there. I created and launched “Animals” from my bedroom with some plug-ins on my computer, and now it’s something that’s getting recognized by huge DJs at festivals that I have yet to play. It was the most-played track at Tomorrowland [in Belgium] last year, which is awesome. DJ Times: There’s a tight-knit community amongst many Swedish DJs. Is there a similar feeling between Dutch DJs, or is it more of a singular experience? Garrix: It’s pretty much the same—everybody is helping one another. Everyone also knows each other, so it’s like one big family. I give tracks to Hardwell or Tiësto and they’ll give me feedback or—if they like it—play it live in their sets. It’s really good because we’re not really competing with each other. It’s more like we’re competing together. DJ Times: What products are you using in the studio currently? Garrix: Right now, I’m using Lennar Digital’s Sylenth1 virtual analog VSTi synthesizer. I also really like products from iZotope, as well as [u-he’s] ACE system. DJ Times: Is there a particular producer whose material you’ve been particularly fond of over the past year? Garrix: Deorro. Definitely Deorro. DJ Times: What are your plans for 2014? Garrix: I’m not sure if I’m going to do an album next year or the one after. I want to, and I have some songs ready, but I’m going to go on headline tours in the U.S. and Australia this year. After that, I’m planning on playing at some big festivals I haven’t gotten a chance to play yet. I’ve got six tracks that should be coming out in the next few months, of which a couple are collaborations I’m excited about, including ones with Dillon Francis and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. So really, I’m going to spend the year touring a lot and debuting a lot of new material. – Chris Caruso

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

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over the decks from Jon Rundell—he drops a punishing set of rolling grooves, accentuated by trippy loops—Moudaber changes the musical atmosphere and digs a little deeper. While occasionally calling up some kick-drum thunder, her set offers more percussive breakdowns and a darker, sexier vibe. Unlike the set itself, the booth histrionics are minimal. You just see Moudaber in her zone, her thick mane of jet-black hair moving purposefully to the powerful groove she’s created, the occasional finger in the air. The 3,500 fans stuffed into the former refinery ride along with enthusiasm and, by the time Cox assumes the decks at 3:45, Moudaber is feeling an effusive outpouring of approval. Cox, then, revs up the buzzbombs that fly deep into the morning. When we connect the next evening for the interview, Moudaber was rested, but still obviously on a natural high from the

MARCH 2014

DJ TIMES

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Photo: Randon Vannucchi

Amsterdam, Holland – Getting out of a taxi and striding through Amsterdam’s Westerpark neighborhood, you’re soon struck by the massive Gashouder building peeking through a dense set of trees. Built in 1902, the cylindrical edifice once served as a gas factory and now it’s a main venue of the Westergasfabriek Culture Park, which includes a variety of entertainment and leisure facilities. And on this October night, the steady stream of partiers—many of them Amsterdam Dance Event attendees—heads to the Intec Digital event, part of the week’s series of Awakenings techno parties. On the bill: the legendary Carl Cox (Intec label co-founder) and Nicole Moudaber, one of the genre’s fastest rising talents. The round room finds fans filling a vast dancefloor and jamming up to a DJ stage. Above and behind it, a huge videoscreen backdrop displays a rotating set of mind-bending creations. After taking

DJ TIMES 14

previous evening’s proceedings. Reflecting on the Intec/Awakenings gig, she still had a glow as she explained the triumph of the evening and the series of high points she’s experienced in the past two years. In her husky voice, the Londonbased/Beirut-raised/Africa-born Moudaber details how she rose up from fan and promoter to musicmaker and international DJ. After a series of EPs on Intec Digital and Kling Klong, plus remixes for artists like Cox, Mauro Picotto and Layo & Bushwacka!, Moudaber really broke out with Believe, her 2013 artist album. Released on Adam Beyer’s deeply respected Drumcode imprint, Believe topped Beatport charts and dropped a series of dancefloor bombs like the tribal, ethereal “Movin’ On,” the slinky-tough “Come and Lay” and dark-n-dirty “Fly With You.” It’s put her front and center in the techno world, and she’s making the most of it by playing the globe’s top clubs and festivals. It’s her time. Here’s Ms. Moudaber: DJ Times: So, how did you think last night went? Moudaber: It went incredible, actually. It was my third or fourth time

I’ve played Awakenings at Gashouder—Carl Cox’s night, the Intec Digital party there. It’s just incredible— thousands of people there waiting for amazing music and being with the Intec people and Carl Cox, obviously, it’s like a family reunion. We’re all just sharing the love of the music. DJ Times: And it must be very encouraging to see so many dedicated techno fans filling such a large venue. Moudaber: Yeah. Awakenings obviously are the biggest techno promoters in Europe, without a doubt. It was really magical last night. Amazing. DJ Times: Let’s go back to the beginnings of your inspiration for this music. I’d read that it had to do with a late-’90s visit to The Tunnel in New York City. Moudaber: Yes, it was 1999 and [Danny] Tenaglia was playing and it turned everything I knew about music completely to the other side because I’m very much influenced by anything that’s drum-based and rhythmic. And Danny, this is what he plays, and New York, this is that sound—percussive, tribally, drums. It really reached me at a deep level. DJ Times: And you really caught him at a good time.

Moudaber: Yes. It was really a turning point in my life. I was supposed to get into a traditional job, given my education, and I completely turned to the other side. DJ Times: What was your direction at that point? Moudaber: I graduated in Combined Social Sciences, which is a combination of sociology, politics, anthropology—all those sciences. I was supposed to be—probably, I don’t know—in the House of Commons or Amnesty International, some job like that. So, on that night, the artistic side of me came out and the artist was discovered in me. That night in New York, listening to house and techno, turned my passion into music. DJ Times: But that love for music was always there, right? Moudaber: Yes, and to talk about my love for percussion… I was born in Nigeria and my parents are originally Lebanese, so all that music is very rhythmic, very percussive, very tribally. It was stamped in my head and this is what I feel. This is what attracts me to play or produce—it’s always there. DJ Times: Tell me about how you began throwing parties in Beirut, a

place that’s seen some pretty tough times. Moudaber: Well, you know, after the [Lebanese Civil War of 19751990], nobody was subjected to that kind of music at all. So I literally introduced that culture over there and pretty much all over the Middle East. So I brought DJs and dancers from London. I spoke to the city and they gave us this outdoor area in the middle of the city—I chose a mosque and a cathedral right next to each other and we threw the party there. And these were bombed-out, the mosque and the cathedral—after the war, they didn’t have time to do anything with them. We propped them up. We put lights, built the stage for the DJs… DJ Times: Created an atmosphere… Moudaber : Yes! And we drew 1,000 people—Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, all the kids, basically. And this is how we used to live, in the past. We never had issues before. So we all joined forces and we just danced all night under the stars, as you would say [laughs]. It sounds idealistic, but that’s exactly what happened. We were all united, ready for

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BOOM change. We wanted to have fun and return to normal. DJ Times: You were a fan and a promoter, but at a certain point you wanted to make music yourself, right? How did that transition happen? Moudaber: I took on a project in Ibiza. I bought a house, which required that I be there physically to oversee that project. That made me step out because I couldn’t promote monthly nights in London anymore. And during that time, I stepped out from the music scene, the promoting; I was involved with creating and design and architecture, which is still

in the same family of art. When that was done, I wanted to come back to music, because that’s my passion. I always wanted to create, so I took a chance and locked myself in the studio, not knowing where that was going to take me. I just immersed all my feelings and things just spiraled from there. DJ Times: So you were making music first, before you began to DJ? Moudaber : Yes. I mean, I had decks and an amazing vinyl collection at home—I was just a bedroom DJ. I’d just play for friends, invite other DJs from my parties. It was afterpar-

ties—I remember I had DJs like Steve Lawler, Nick Warren coming back for these parties. The decks were always there, but I was a producer before actually becoming a DJ. I just wanted to create music. DJ Times: Do you remember your first DJ setup? Moudaber: Two Technics turntables, a Pioneer DJM-600 mixer and the first CDJs—the MK1s. DJ Times: At what point did you feel proficient enough to play out? Moudaber : I was never really confident enough, but I did throw myself out there. I took my time. I

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was very careful. I wasn’t used to it, like all the other guys and girls who have been doing it for 20 years already. I practiced a lot and I got coached after not wanting to play on CDs anymore. I contacted Native Instruments and got coached by one of their instructors to start using software, to update my setup and to start competing with all the big boys out there by learning Traktor and learning what’s out there, getting familiar with the technology that’s available. It opened my eyes to a whole different spectrum of how you can deliver your music. The possibilities are endless. As long as you know what to do with it, the creative side is just… infinity. DJ Times: So many features, like four decks, if that’s what you want or need… Moudaber: I mean, listen, there are people who still drive stick-shift cars and there are people who drive super-cars, which are controlled by your little fingers on the wheel. You can compare it to whatever you want, but we’re still driving the car [laughs]. DJ Times: How did your DJ career progress? Was there one moment that really pushed you forward? Moudaber: I’d say signing my first EP [“The Reason Why” in 2010] with Intec Digital—that charted. After that, I remixed one of Carl Cox’s singles [“Chemistry” in 2011]. That stayed on the charts for about three months and it won [an International Dance Music Award] last year in Miami. Since then, things have blown up in a different level. DJ Times: The past few summers have seen you really get busy in Ibiza. Moudaber: Obviously, I wasn’t playing the mega-parties at first because I was an unknown DJ—but I knew everybody. The first breakthrough was when Carl invited me to play at Space, where he was playing on Tuesdays. I’d played smaller events, but that was it. And now I’m playing there every year. DJ Times: How has Ibiza changed since you’ve been there? Moudaber: It’s growing. There’s a lot of commercial influx. There are a lot of investors. Ibiza is not only about music—it’s the No. 1 tourist destination in Europe. And yes, it’s the hub for dance music in Europe, so promoters make money. But also property developers make money, but also restaurants, cabs, you name it. For three months, I think we have about 6 million people coming in and out of this tiny island. It’s changed in that everybody wants to be there, everybody wants a piece of it. Unfortunately, we have things like Hard Rock Café opening, Hard Rock Hotel opening… DJ Times: You can’t hide forever! Moudaber: [Laughs] I know! But (continued on page 42)

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We A s k e d D J s A b o u t t h e Imagery They’re Using on Their Websites & on Social Media: Can a Picture Sell a Thousand Words?

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

By Jeff Stiles

To promote his DJ business, Dave Stephenson of A Time For Music & Memories often posts photos on social media outlets, and is amazed at how many people he can reach to promote his availability in the Douglassville, Pa., area. “You can show what your venue looks like, and you’d be amazed as to how many people it can reach,” says Stephenson. “I’ve posted vlogs—mostly private for my customers and venues—with table ideas and views outside, plus I can even tag or mention the site where I’m at and other vendors I work with. “I get great feedback from bridal shows, as when I sit down with clients they can visualize what they want and we can incorporate that into the event they picture. I’ve done casino nights and even holiday theme events, and when I show pictures to brides or when I do an event at a local venue, I send pictures out to my clients from the event if I have them on my list for that site. I’ve been able to upsell a lot just from sending that information out.” Of course, using images on social media when there’s the opportunity of a resulting financial gain can result in legal issues. Says Stephenson: “When I send out my contract, I have them sign a model waiver, if they want to allow pictures and videos.” We contacted mobile DJs from around the country to find out how they’re using imagery, be it on their web sites or on social media—including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and vlogs—in the 21st Century. How are we getting our clients to agree to have their images used? Are we making agreements with our photo vendors to use their images online? How are we using imagery to sell our products, and to differentiate our businesses from our competitors? In short, does a picture actually sell a thousand words? Greg Nauman in Dubuque, Iowa, is a professional photographer who has been in business for over 35 years, ever since he was in high school. “First of all, you need to use professional images, because you only have a short time to make a first impression,” Nauman explains. “If you want to promote yourself, you should use the best photos available. There’s just too much junk out there. It’s the good, clean, professional images that will catch the consumer’s eye.” Legally, Nauman says a DJ can potentially face a lawsuit and resulting serious financial setbacks for using images online without written expressed permission. “Depending on whatever you’re using a photo for, whether it be promoting a DJ service or wedding service, you have to have a copyright release,” he says. “Just because you take a shot of these folks, if you’re going to use it for personal gain then you have to have a copyright release. “You can’t just take someone’s image, even though you’re hired to do it, and use it for financial gain. You’d have to reimburse them for the use of the image

“My strategy is to provide beautiful images, but also to include links, great music mixes and voice-overs which help to differentiate me from not only local competition, but from national competition to travel throughout the country.”

ticipation in the event is “by default” permission to use this footage. “If anyone has concerns,” Maloney informs the guests, “please see me after the event.” For photos at any other events, Maloney says he typically takes pictures of his setup, and then when the dancefloor is full he take photos and posts a congratulations to the bride and groom. “I’ve never had a complaint, and in fact I’ve gotten compliments and thank-yous,” he says. “I don’t use anything other than Facebook, as far as social media is concerned. I know that makes me a dinosaur in this day and age, but I’m busy as I can be and what I’m doing is working just for me.” Ten years ago, Carl Williams of DJCarl.com Entertainment in New York City said pictures were great for selling a product or service online. Nowadays, he says business owners need to take things a step further if they desire to see a profitable result. “Today, I believe one has to incorporate short videos with a clear message and call-to-action to sell any type of service or product to stand out from the competition,” DJ Carl says. “When I’m looking to purchase, I want to see and hear about the benefits and value of a product and service. “I would think educated consumers would be interested in benefits and also value, too. For the future,

short videos will be the norm to sell one’s benefits, in order to connect with people emotionally to buy.” Williams says he unfortunately cannot post photos of his clients online, mostly due to these celebrities’ requests for privacy. “Many of the images and videos that I use on www.DJCarl.com come from the photo/video vendors,” he explains. “I’m only able to show the vendors how I use past photos and videos to market the site, and then assure them that I’ll give them photo credit with an optimized link that will help market their services, too.” Basically, DJ Carl says he’s taking everything to the next level, which essentially is an expectation of his high-end clients. “As the content director for the website, I try to provide a variety of rich-media content for diverse, highend clients,” he explains. “My strategy is to provide beautiful images, but also to include links, great music mixes and voice-overs which help to differentiate me from not only local competition, but from national competition to travel throughout the country. “The optimized, rich-media, content on the website has allowed me to perform in Atlanta, Denver, California, Florida, Houston, Mexico, the Cayman Islands and even half-way around the world in Tokyo, Japan. “Many of my past clients, in fact, have said, ‘I have never seen a DJ n website like this!’”

DJ TIMES

if you don’t have a release signed— otherwise they can come back and sue you.” Mark Maloney of M&M Entertainment in South Portland, Maine, says he typically does precious little when it comes to social media, but does have a few ideas related to using images that may be helpful to others. Similar to Dave Stephenson in Pennsylvania, Maloney includes a statement regarding the use of images in social media in all his contracts: “M&M Entertainment reserves the right to use any photo or video footage taken during your event for promotional purposes.” Says Maloney: “Clients may opt out, and kids’ events are handled differently. I never post kids events on social media. However, I do have the parents sign a waiver agreement, letting them know photos will be taken for promotional purposes. “It’s rare for someone to refuse, but it does happen, and the child who does opt out becomes a chaperone’s helper. This helps me know who the child is who doesn’t want to be photographed, plus it makes the child feel better because they’re still actively participating.” Meanwhile, for camp events, Maloney says he typically makes two announcements—one at the beginning of an event and another in the middle of the scheduled time—letting everyone know that photos and video will be taken during the event for promotional purposes, and that par-

MARCH 2014

– DJ Carl

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

By Ally Byers

Just a couple of years ago he was a guitarist in a local Melbourne rock band. Then, the discovery of an unguarded back entrance to a local club playing techno so inspired a teenaged Will Sparks that he started pestering mates to teach him Ableton Live. Obviously, he learned well because his 2012 track “Ah Yeah!” blew up and, before too long, Sparks became one of Australia’s fastest rising EDM stars. Along with fellow DJ/ producers Joel Fletcher and TJR, he began to gain notice as a prime practitioner of the Melbourne Sound—think dub- and trance-tinged electro with thick synths, whopping kicks and fat drops. This past year, Sparks sets his sights internationally with an official remix of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” which reached No. 2 on the Beatport charts, and a four-month European tour. And now in early ’14, he’s serving as the support act on Avicii’s current tour Down Under. DJ Times caught up with the 20-year-old Aussie shortly before he played to an utterly packed (and noticeably female-heavy) Pacha London. DJ Times: Tonight is the end of your fourmonth tour. How has it gone? Sparks: It’s been incredible. It’s been both very quick and yet it still feels like ages since I’ve been home and seen everyone. It’s a funny one—it does feel like you’re living the dream, yet it also very tiring. But, I still can’t think of anything better. DJ Times: You’ve had quite a year, touring internationally, your remix made it to No. 2 on Beatport. Your thoughts on it all? Sparks: It all began just over two years ago. I’d been a guitarist for as long as I could

in Sydney, and just thinking, “This is all so bizarre.” DJ Times: Speaking of which, you’ve put photos up joking about how your studio is always a hotel room. How does your workflow go when you’re travelling? Sparks: I think it’s better. I get more creative when I’m travelling on a plane and bopping about on a seat.

A u s s i e D J / P r o d u c e r Will Sparks Helps Carry the Melbourne Sound Worldwide tralia. But I’m going to [laughs]. You have to! Look at Tommy Trash, Dirty South—they’re now in L.A. Australia’s funny. Even though it’s really blowing up, there definitely is a stronger tallpoppy culture here, people are very quick to hate on artists who rise quickly. Each to their own and I know it happens everywhere, but it’s hard. Plus, America is booming... DJ Times: What are your plans for the future? Sparks: I can see me going fully into live performances rather than straight DJing. It’s the logical next step. In addition to that, I’ve got a label I’m creating. I’ve got an album signed to Ultra that’s almost done, and I’m in Australia, America, Europe and Asia next year. The album’s been an experience, it’s so structured. Even six months ago, it was a case of make a track, put a track on Soundcloud, boom, done. Now there’s serious process. I love it, though—it’s all very different and new. DJ Times: What advice would you give aspiring DJs? Sparks: Keep your passion. The times you find hardest, the times you can’t get a sound right, or it’s just not coming together, are actually the best times because that’s when you learn the most. Watch motivational videos! Just keep going—you will make it if you do not stop. n

MARCH 2014

It is all to do with what your ears are used to. If I went home now to my old studio I put together, I couldn’t make good music because I’m so used to using my headphones. My advice to anyone producing now is get used to your headphones because that’s all you can use when you’re touring. DJ Times: Tell us about the Australian scene. Sparks: The Australian dance scene, commercially speaking, a few years ago was just radio tracks playing in main-room clubs for teeny boppers and rich kids. But there was this ongoing side project of underground stuff mostly out of Melbourne that’s evolved a lot. It’s become a lot more big-room friendly, lot more accessible. A number of local and national names started playing more progressive stuff, rather than straight-up techno, and that got interest from a wider group of people. Now it’s reversed—commercial is in the small room, and electronic music is in the big room. DJ Times: Why’s that? Sparks: It’s taken a while to grow because of the distance. Australia is one country almost the size of Europe, so going from city to city as an Australian DJ is a huge undertaking. Which is why we love Europe: It’s the strangest place for us, you fly for 45 minutes and you’re in a different country, where they eat different food, speak a different language, have a different culture. There’s so much history, there’s castles made in the 1300s. I look at stuff like that and my mind blows! DJ Times: Will you leave Australia? Sparks: I could never leave Aus-

DJ TIMES

remember. Then one night I snuck into the back of a club. I was still underage at the time, and I was so amazed by what I heard [Melbourne’s underground sound] that I ended up sneaking in this side door two or three school nights a week, for three months straight, by myself, just to watch this same resident play. From then, all I wanted to do was make electronic music. DJ Times: How did that progress? Sparks: Then, by coincidence, a friend came over one day with this Ableton program and, well, that was it. I started skipping school. I started pulling allnighters, just so I could learn how to make beats. It was as if I had some kind of drug problem—with music! That obsession just drove me. When I started blowing up around Melbourne, I’d do eight gigs in two nights, back-to-back with a total of two hours sleep, with nothing to keep me up except music. DJ Times: So how did you go from production to DJing? Sparks: DJing happened in tandem. The same time I was sneaking into that club, I started playing on mates’ CDJs. Then in 2011, I played one house party— I was so nervous—and I played a bootleg I’d made of Charlie Sheen’s then-recent meltdown over the top of a known techhouse track, and off the back of that I got asked to play a club, then a residency and things got serious. DJ Times: Between DJing and production, is there one you prefer? Sparks: DJing these days is not really a live performance. I mean, sure, I use three CDJs, and sure, there’s mixing it properly. Yes, I play with some live samples, but other than that, these things are usually thought-out. Production-wise, when you make something and you can’t stop listening to it, it’s just… you just can’t explain it. Then, when you go out and play that track live, well, that’s good in a different way, too! So, the end feeling of either is the same. DJ Times: Some of those who learned DJing at the same time as production tend to veer toward using Ableton or at least mixing software to play out. Sparks: I couldn’t think of anything worse! I love jumping around the stage. I love the feeling of tapping CDJs, bringing stuff into the mix, rather than turning a plastic effects knob on a pre-made mix. DJ Times: Tell me about your remix of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” Sparks: The boys at Interscope got in touch. They’d been following me, they liked my sound and, well, they just offered me the remix, straight out. It was surreal, really. The Melbourne sound was all about a cappella bootlegs playing over driving house and techno, which, I guess, is what inspired my Charlie Sheen bootleg, and why it was successful. At any rate, as soon as I heard the rap-like vocals to “Blurred Lines,” I knew I had a big opportunity here. I just remember making it—this licensed remix of an incredibly famous song—in a hotel room

MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

DSI PROPHET 12: NEW LANDMARK SYNTH

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

By Phil Moffa

Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of reviewing many Dave Smith Instruments products, including the company’s renowned synthesizers and its Tempest drum machine that Smith helped his fellow pioneer, Roger Linn, create. The heralded Prophet name has a new flagship, the Prophet 12. Gone from the feature list of its lineage and DSI brethren is the sequencer, but the beautiful new build and extra voices might certainly make up for that. The unmistakable red illuminated buttons, mod wheel, LEDs, and “12” logo grace the large, knob-laden front panel of the keyboard synthesizer. Some 50 knobs and 50 buttons are used to sculpt sound. Clearly, this is a tweaker’s paradise. The wood sides and the piece below the keys are pure class. Also immediately noticeable is the black & white OLED display. Almost all parameters have a dedicated knob or button with the four soft knobs and buttons around the screen either doubling them or providing a few extra features. For such a powerful synth, the layout and architecture are fairly straight forward. Off the bat, it’s worth noting (to the collective dismay of many analog purists) that this is a hybrid synthesizer with digital oscillators as its source material and analog VCAs and filters. I do not think this takes away from its organic sound, though. In fact, this is the most alive-sounding synth I’ve ever heard. Many patches, when held with sustain, could be listened to and enjoyed on their own, almost like a song, thanks to the large amount of oscillators and modulators. Each of the 12 voices is made up of a whopping five DSP-based oscillators, one of them being a sub-oscillator to oscillator 1. Their shapes can be one of four classics (sine, triangle, saw, or square), 12 more complex ones, or three types of noise. Each oscillator has a large variety of independent settings and it is possible to make chords by tuning the multiple oscillators—and this is only utilizing one of the 12 voices! By pressing and holding an oscil-

Space-Friendly: P12 module uses four soft knobs & buttons.

Tweaker Paradise: Loads of knobs/buttons sculp sound.

lator button, the fo u r d i g i t a l o s c i llators are all controlled together by the parameter knobs for making fat uniform sounds. Unison mode allows either six or 12 voices to be utilized to create a single note. Each oscillator can also be made to be very different from each other for complicated timbres. Oscillators can be hard-synced and modulated in a great variety of ways including their shape, FM, and AM. The large sound palette does not end there by any means. Following the oscillators is a unique collection of five knobs that are known as the “Character” section. Girth and Air are low and high shelves, respectively. Drive is a soft saturator and Hack and Decimate handle sample and bit-rate reduction. These Character effects are pre-filter. Also, on the top left of the synth is a stereo analog distortion (per layer) for more dirt. And at the end of the signal path after the VCA (but before L-R panning) is a feedback loop with its own tuning knob. Also post-VCA is a large set of four independent and tempo-syncable digital delays. These, too, can be universally controlled by holding any one of the four delay buttons. Combining all of these sound-shaping effects gives such vast potential from subtle coloration to

full-on experimental noise composition. Of course, the Prophet is equipped with the legendary Curtis 2- or 4-pole lowpass filter with a full-featured dedicated set of envelope knobs. A most welcome feature is the 2-pole high-pass filter that follows the LPF for further sound shaping. Both of these filters sound warm and have a large range. Having the two filters eliminates the need for a lot of EQ in post-production. It’s remarkable how well some of these sounds fit into the mix—yet they stood out and still sounded huge. Modulation is always a DSI specialty and the P12 does not disappoint with four envelopes and four LFOs. The entire modulation matrix is thought of as 16 x 2 with 26 sources and 97 destinations. This might explain why some of the sounds seem to have a life of their own, never repeating and always evolving. It’s not short on player modulation control either, with a mod wheel, pitch wheel, two pressure-sensitive touch sliders, and aftertouch. The semi-weighted keys offer a quality feel—something you’d expect from a high-end synth. The sequencer was a great feature of the previous models. It would have been nice to access all this voice

power and other modulators with it. Having four LFOs does open the door to some ver y alive and sequenced-sounding patterns, though. The arpeggiator is OK, but pretty basic in terms of patterns. The back panel has two stereo outputs which can play either Part A or B of a program. These separate parts can either be independent, stacked, or split. When sequencing the Prophet, it’s a huge bonus to have two sounds with six voices each that can happen simultaneously. It is the type of synth you want to utilize as much as possible, excelling as a bass, pad, lead, and both subtle and noisy effects. A slew of programs (792) are spread amongst four factory and four user banks of 99 programs each. There are jacks for two different expression pedals, a sustain pedal, headphones, and MIDI in/out/thru. A USB jack allows the P12 to be a MIDI controller and medium through which MIDI can be received. The new Prophet 12 ($2,999 MAP) is nothing short of incredible, with its creator Dave Smith saying that it is his favorite Prophet of all time. That might irritate some hardcore Prophet 5 owners, but this synth is not trying to be that—it is its own landmark in synthesizer history. It is a beautiful instrument in its build and creates many moments where you are blown away by its lush sound. Also available for those with no need or space for a keyboard is the Prophet 12 module ($2,199 MAP), which utilizes four soft knobs and buttons surrounding the display to handle most synthesis parameters.

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Visit sxsw.com/trade-shows/gear to learn more about the exhibitors and how to participate at the Music Gear Expo!

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DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

Walk into the Apple Store—or any electronics shop—and you’ll see that the number of available wireless, Bluetooth speakers is nearly endless. One is the size of an iPod, one looks like a bass tube, one has a charging dock, while another comes in myriad colors to match your mood and outfit on the day. For playing back limited-quality MP3s and catching up on missed podcasts, these are all fine avenues. But pro-level options were seriously lacking. Enter Italy’s IK Multimedia to fill the gap and do so in flying colors. The iLoud is the first portable, wireless monitor that was designed with musicians and DJs in mind. It offers all the usual features you might expect on a compact speaker, like: rechargeable battery, Bluetooth receiver (for wireless operation), and stereo speakers.

“Easy to set up, easy to transport, affordable and great sounding—I really like the iLoud.”

But where the iLoud really excels is in its ability to push not just high-quality sound, but lots of it. The company claims 40 watts, which is impressive in such a small box. But in the real world, all that matters is that iLoud is both loud and clear with plenty of bass, which allows it to reproduce modern dance music and hip-hop tunes very well. As simplistic as it seems, another great feature is the well-positioned (backlit) volume control on the front. Many monitors rely on your ability to access a “booth volume” knob of some sort on your mixer or controller. But IK Multimedia’s iLoud has taken this out of the equation by giving the DJ an easy to way to regulate the volume. There is a very-easy-to-pair Bluetooth system and an ingenious little retractable leg on the back, which helps with stability and placing the speaker in nearly any space in your booth where it will fit—without worrying about it falling over. One other impressive feature, which will appeal to traditional musicians more than DJs, is called the iRig dynamic microphone/instrument input. This ¼-inch plug-in allows you to run a guitar or microphone through the iLoud unit—and then process that signal in any number of external digital iOS audio processing applications (AmpliTube/VocaLive for example). In the studio and just playing tunes at home—in a bedroom-DJ situation, say—the iLoud is outstanding. The sound was strong and rich, the battery took a strong, long-lasting charge and delivered sound at fairly high volume levels for three-plus hours (more than nine hours at home playback volume levels), and the range was surprisingly good. I got more than 25 feet from my Mac, and the speaker was still working flawlessly. In the field, I was equally impressed. Of course, this isn’t going to deliver the kind of earthshattering monitor sound that you’ll require in a top-flight nightclub and this certainly won’t replace professional monitors in loud settings. But at a wedding or smaller club/bar venue as a means to project your program material and make mixing easier, the iLoud was exceptional. There were a couple omissions that kept the iLoud from getting full marks, however. There is no battery indicator, so you have no idea if you have 99-percent or 1-percent of your available charge left. In addition, there is no way to mute the sound quickly or to know where you are in terms of volume level. But those relatively minor quibbles aside, IK Multimedia’s iLoud is a really great piece of gear. Easy to set up, easy to transport, affordable ($299 MSRP) and great sounding—I really like the iLoud. If you have any questions for Sounding Off, please send them to djtimes@testa.com.

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MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES

By Stu Barnicle Waverly, Minn.—When you ask Greg “Chopper” Lammers what sets his DJ business apart from the rest, he’ll tell you what you might hear a lot of DJs say—or not. “The comedy show I do,” he says. “But more importantly, the way I do it. I always take my microphone and go into the audience and spend as much time as I can with my guests, handing out glow stuff, LED rings and putting beads, fun novelty hats and goofy sunglasses on my guests.” Sounds typical, right? Sure, until you see Chopper’s real unique value proposition: in front of his DJ console, the front end of a 1967 Pontiac GTO. “I get some of my guests behind my car’s front end and console and make it look like they took over the DJing duties,” he says. “And I encourage people to get on top of my car hood. It’s big enough and strong enough to get people up on that and dance. I have two road guys, so they help people up and make sure they don’t fall down. It’s so beat up from women in their spiked high heels dancing on it that I need to have

it refurbished every three months.” We’ve never heard of anything quite like that. “Neither have I,” says Lammers. “I get people going nuts on it every week. I once had a 96-year-old woman up there, and her 65-year-old son with her. Their conservative family just went wild. Cars are a universal thing. I can get five or more people up there stomping away. I don’t know what it is about it, but when people get up there on the car, the whole place goes nuts. They get so excited. It’s all about whatever I can do to make the people the show and just plain having fun. I do believe my greatest strength and God-given talent is I know how to get people excited.” Lammers cites as an influence in this auto endeavor the 1960s rock group Paul Revere and the Raiders. “Paul Revere had the front of an old Ford Edsel in front of his keyboard,” he recalls. “He inspired me, and then when he went to a 1966 Mustang, that’s where I got the idea. The first show I used the car front was my second gig, in 1983—the nose of a 1957 T-Bird.”

Four years before that first gig, Lammers was a bar back at a nightclub. The live band that played there regularly had a habit of extending their breaks. The owner asked if Lammers could play some records on the turntables. It was 1979. “I can’t just play music,” he says. “I have to goof around and have fun. I had a few hats at home that I brought in. I never picked up the mic and talked, I just ran around with my hats like a jack-in-the-box. I was so nervous to speak I was shaking as I put the album on the turntable. Eventually, I got up the nerve to make drink announcements, and little by little I got more confidence.” After two years the place closed down. But by then, Lammers had an inkling—and he had his own equipment, for which he had borrowed $5,000 to purchase. He had previously driven a beer truck, so the local bar owners were no strangers to him. “There were no DJs then, it was all bands. I asked this one bar owner if I could come and play, and he said, ‘There are people eating here now, but come af-

L A E R T I S P E E K J D T S E I T T U N D’S

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

THE WORL

ter.’ I played for nine people that night, and they loved it. I came back week after week—for $25 a night—and the crowd went to 50, 100, 125, 150, just like that. I started at the low end of the pole, and went into places and played for free just so I could show them what I can do.” The fact was that everyone liked what “Chopper” did. A typical reaction was: “You’re fun—and you’re nuts.” “Nuts” in this business is good. A solo operator who performs 150 gigs per year, Lammers resides in Waverly, a tiny town about 40 miles west of the Twin Cities, and books his share of bar gigs to supplement the weddings and corporate gigs. For the bar gigs, social media has been a savior. “I try to get wedding and company parties, that’s where the money is, but I play bars,” he says, “and I get bar owners to pay decent money. The key is you have to fill the place up, and there’s no better way to do that than to promote it on Facebook. I do pretty well because I’ve got about 5,000 Facebook friends.” That’s just one of the changes Lammers has seen in the DJ industry—digital music and YouTube being the others. “Guests now come and ask for a specific song and, if I don’t have it, they can download it right there or they might have it on their phone,” he says. “This can be good or bad, depending. When I started, I used 45s and albums and I still use mostly CDs and some digital. “I have been DJing for a long time, since 1979, and I have my mountain of information and experience built. But I am always looking for pebbles to throw on top. In other words, I’m always looking for a new wrinkle or two. It’s important to keep yourself interested and as excited as your audience. I have my slow months and things got a little slow during the first part of the recession. But I believe my business is strong because I believe DJs are the backbone of the entertainment industry. We entertain more people than anybody.”

BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…

The contributions that Mike Walter and Joe Bunn have made to the DJ industry are well known to attendees of DJ Expo, DJ Times’ annual confab and exhibition in Atlantic City, N.J. Walter, owner of Tinton Falls, N.J.-based Elite Entertainment, has produced the Expo’s DJ of the Year competition and he’s contributed with

THE BENEFITS OF GETTING YOUR PhDJ By Con Carney

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

“At the PhDJ Workshop, we are talking about performance, but the main emphasis is running a more effective and profitable company that leaves the business owner a little more quality time in his life.” – Mike Walter

various mobile-operator tutorials. Meanwhile, Bunn, owner of Raleigh, N.C.-based Joe Bunn DJ Company, has frequently appeared as a moderator for various business-related seminars. Aiming to parlay their experience and expertise, the pair will produce PhDJ, an intensive two-day workshop March 10-11, in Raleigh, N.C., at the Hampton Inn. “We both thought there was a glaring hole for this type of advanced workshop for the business owner,” says Walter. “There are a number of guys doing one- or two-day workshops for DJs, but they are mainly performance focused. We are talking about performance, but the main emphasis is running a more effective and profitable company that leaves the business owner a little more quality time in his life.” Originally, Bunn had been planning The Unconventional DJ Convention in Raleigh in November

2013. “I had several speakers lined up and was even going to do a couple of panels—one with wedding planners and the other with venue owners.” Coordination of the events was hindered by a busy fall season, and Bunn scrapped the idea for something smaller and more impactful. “That’s how the PhDJ Workshop was born,” he says. “Even though I have spoken at all of the major wedding and DJ conferences, I still felt like I needed to bring in a bigger name in the DJ community and only thought of one name, Mike Walter. I actually hired him years ago when Joe Bunn DJ Company was going through growing pains. We had a few phone conversations, and this idea began to take shape.” We asked the pair to unpack some of the workshop’s takeaways. DJ Times: Can you give us an overview of the PhDJ program? Bunn: Strategies to build better relationships with the banquet people who can refer you better; How to put videos together of your staff that will help you sell them when clients call in; Unique ways to incentivize your key staff members that will keep them loyal and working for you exclusively. These are just some of the things we’ll touch on. Walter: We’re focusing a lot on marketing and selling to the millennial client. This generation has different expectations, different forms of communication and different ways of judging talent. We’ll discuss all that. DJ Times: Can you unpack that a bit? DJs today are dealing with clients who have done a lot of research on the Internet before they’ve reached the DJ. What are some things they can do to get ahead of that? Bunn: Having as much on your website is important. It’s true, many clients nowadays have done tons of due diligence before they call, and not just on DJ sites, but they’ve scoured the review sites, too. Having as much out there as possible, so they can find you and study you is key. DJ Times: Every DJ has received a complaint. Should they tell the client that they’re sorry and try to allow them to vent? What if they’re simply wrong? Walter: I don’t believe that the client is always right, but they’re always the client. In the rare situation of a complaint, it’s vital the client be listened to and understood, and communicated with on time. They may or may not deserve a refund—that’s obviously case-by-case—but they have to be heeded. DJ Times: If a prospect is coming to me from the Internet vs. old-school way (referral), do I do anything differently? Bunn: You communicate the way she wants to communicate. Old-school selling called for mirroring—i.e., if she spoke softly, you spoke softly, etc. It’s the same today with different forms of communication. I hear DJs say, “I insist on meeting with my prospects in person!” Well, what if they don’t want that? If a client wants to shop from home, let her. If she prefers text message only, text her. DJ Times: Are there any sure-fire ways to increase my odds of generating referrals via performance? Walter: Yes. Be dynamic. Break the third wall. Get out into the crowd. Interact. Be different than the last four DJs they saw. Let your personality shine. DJ Times: As a DJ, I recognize I need to be where the crowd is (social media), but what are strategies I can employ that won’t be a waste of time? Bunn: Build a following first. Get clients to “like” you or “follow” you, so that when you do throw out the occasional “sales pitch” it’s not a tree falling in a forest. Also, learn the algorithms of Facebook. Know that pictures get more play than straight text and links to outside of Facebook are favored right now. DJ Times: Twitter? Facebook? Pinterest? Walter: For brides, Pinterest and Instagram. But, of course, you can’t ignore Facebook. Because other than teens, everyone’s on Facebook. DJ Times: What’s the goal of PhDJs? Walter: In many of my seminars, I use stories that I hear about DJs from wedding vendors. It actually hurts my soul to hear some of these insane stories because bad mobile DJs bring the entire DJ industry down, not just themselves. My goal over the past few years has been to help DJs “raise the bar” professionally. DJ Times: Doing something like this further positions you as thought leaders. Can you speak to the importance of thought leadership to a DJ business? Bunn: I’ve been called a lot of things, but never a “thought leader.” I think that Mike and I share similar ideologies and policies for our companies and operate at an extremely high level of customer service. As thought leaders, we are going to teach people how we have built our businesses. For more information on the PhDJ Workshop, please visit www.phdjworkshop.com.

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Go With the Flow Nuthin’ But a G-Club Thang Gator Cases 18922 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Lutz, FL 33548 (813) 221-4191 www.gatorcases.com The G-Club Control 25 from Gator Cases is specifically designed to carry the Pioneer DDJ-SB controller. The nylon bag sports orange interior lining, as well as thick padding on the front and back of the controller sections. The large zippered laptop pocket fits laptops with up to a 17-inch screen. It is also heavily padded. Additional features include an EVA rubber foam bottom, zippered headphone pouch, adjustable shoulder strap and side accessory pockets.

Flow DJ Software www.flowdjsoftware.com Flow DJ software was designed specifically for professional DJs. The program, which works with most MIDI controllers, analyzes the DJ’s music and splits the songs into smaller parts for live remixing. According to the company, Flow can automatically detect the musical key, BPM and energy level of every track. It also automatically records every DJ set so that they can be exported and shared.

AI of the Tiger

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

Lights, Camera, Action Strikes

Native Instruments North America 6725 Sunset Boulevard, 5th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90028 (866) 556-6487 www.native-instruments.com Action Strikes is an intuitive, playable orchestral percussion instrument from Native Instruments that runs in KONTAKT 5 or the free KONTAKT 5 player. It features 12 ensembles, and high, mid, and low sections from different ensembles can be mixed and matched. Users get an assortment of 105 rhythms with five variations, as well as 12 playable sets of single hits and 65 individual instruments, each with 32 playable rhythms.

PreSonus Audio Electronics 7257 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70806 (225) 216-7887 www.presonus.com Presonus introduced a line of StudioLive AI-series Active Integration Loudspeakers that includes the full-range StudioLive 312AI, 315AI, and 328AI and the StudioLive 18sAI subwoofer. Each of the loudspeakers includes an eight-inch speaker with a 1.75-inch titanium compression driver, as well as triamplified Class D power amplifiers that deliver a combined 2,000 watts of power. All models include an Ethernet port and a USB port with a Wi-Fi module to connect to SL Room Control software over a wireless network.

Two top players, one crowd-pleasing system: Crown’s XLS DriveCore™ Series amps and JBL’s new JRX200 Series speakers. Portable and powerful, the XLS Series provides crossovers, limiters, and multiple inputs to plug in anything and play anywhere. With an updated high performance compression driver and JBL designed low frequency woofer, the JRX200 series ensures you sound great every time you play. For high performance that’s highly affordable, take the stage with Crown and JBL.

For more information please visit www.crownaudio.com LIFE IS A STAGE. ROCK IT. EVERY DAY.

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Back to Quad Head ADJ Products 6122 S. Eastern Ave Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 582-2650 www.americandj.com ADJ has released the Quad Scan Pro, a lighting unit offering four compact scanner heads on one system. An upgrade from the Quad Scan LED, the Quad Scan Pro uses 10-watt LEDs and each scanner is equipped with one unique gobo pattern inside a removable gobo holder. The unit has three operational modes: DMX controlled, Master/Slave or Sound Active.

Now & Denon D&M Professional 1100 Maplewood Dr. Itasca, IL 60143 (630) 741-0330 www.d-mpro.com The Denon DJ MC6000MK2 digital mixer and controller is designed for out-of-the-box plug-and-play control of Serato DJ Intro software, which comes bundled with the unit. The MC6000MK2 features four independent deck layer keys, as well as eight assign keys. There is an independent vinyl button, beats parameter knob and FX tap button that adds BPM data. Users are able to add record decks, table top CD players, USB audio and other auxiliary input devices.

Flight of the Concorde RELOOP USA American Music & Sound 22020 Clarendon Street, Suite 305 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (800) 431-2609 www.americanmusicandsound.com Reloop and Ortofon collaborated on three new Concorde cartridge systems. The Reloop Concorde Black and Reloop Concorde Blue both come with a large spherical stylus, direct SME mounting and a frequency range of 20 Hz - 18 kHz. They have an output voltage of 5 mV and 8 mV, respectively. The Reloop Concorde Green is optimized for timecode records and low vinyl wearout. It offers a frequency range: of 20 Hz - 20 kHz and an output voltage of 8 mV.

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

Walking on AERO

Pioneer Electronics 1925 E. Dominguez Street Long Beach, CA 90810 (310) 952-2000 www.pioneerdjusa.com A new firmware update for Pioneer’s XDJ-AERO Wi-Fi DJ system is now available for download from the company’s website. The update allows users to control the XDJ-AERO remotely using a smartphone or tablet device with either an iOS or Android operating system. Using Wireless Direct, the system allows for reliable wireless connectivity. Users can access the system’s effects and

25th Anniversary Moments

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Old Faithful Chauvet 5200 NW 108th Ave. Sunrise, FL 33351 (800) 762-1084 www.chauvetlighting.com

QBert on Scratch Techniques: “Imagination. Anything is possible.

Chauvet has introduced a compact version of its Geyser RGB. Called it the Geyser RGB Jr., Chauvet describes the effect fogger as a “pyrotechnic-like fixture.” It produces a stream of safe, water-based fog that can reach as high as 15 feet into the air. The fog is illuminated in a mix of colors thanks to nine high-power, three-watt LEDs in red, blue and green.

You gotta be like a child and let your mind be totally free. Just as a sculptor looks at a block of clay and forms it into a beautiful sculpture, I first hear the little in everything. In Buddhism, they call it the ‘middle path.’ I try to find the medium ground in everything.” – QBert, March 2001

WESDJ EX T IS PO SU E

Win a Studio! EntEr our rEmix ContESt, PagE 64

App Quest Serato Private Bag 92015, AMSC Auckland 1142 New Zealand +64 9 379 4944 www.serato.com The Serato Remote Mini is Serato’s first official app for iPhone and iPod Touch. The app includes three performance tabs—PADS, SP6 and FX—and comes with library control, as well as the ability to manipulate tracks using cue points, loops, samples and FX. The app works with Serato laptop software, as well as all supported Scratch Live and Serato DJ hardware, and users can connect either wirelessly or via USB.

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Lucky No. 7 Walking on AIR AIR Music Technology 200 Scenic View Drive Cumberland, RI 02864 (401) 658-5771  www.airmusictech.com The latest AIR Instrument Expansion Pack, which is compatible with the latest Pro Tools AAX format, includes two of the company’s new virtual instruments— Loom, a modular additive synthesizer, and Vacuum Pro, a polyphonic analog tube synthesizer. Loom allows users to combine any of the 30 editable modules into 10 available cells. Its features include onboard effects and on-screen pop-up tool tips. Vacuum Pro features six virtual vacuum tube circuits, as well as a front panel that is filled with filters, oscillators and envelopes.

Arriba Cases 15356-B East Valley Blvd. City of Industry, CA 91746 (626) 330-6100 www.arrivacases.com Arriba Cases has released seven newly-designed lighting cases. Made to “address the need and desire for one bag/ case to accommodate multiple fixtures,” the cases come with multiple dividers so they can accommodate more lights per case. They also are designed to fit a wider variety of lighting products, including offerings from American DJ, Blizzard, Chauvet and other brands.

Cross Multiply

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

MixVibes 4 rue de la sablière 92230 Gennevilliers France +33 (0)1 58 37 33 61 www.mixvibes.com

Mixvibes has made its Cross DJ iOS app available for Android. The app, which has been optimized for 4-, 7- and 10-inch screens, features the same engine as its desktop version. It replicates the industry-standard DJ setup with two decks, one crossfader and a three-band EQ mixer. Users get 16 hot cues, 15 effects, and a Quantize mode that keeps all of the user’s actions on the beat. Music can be sorted using multiple options—including title, artist and BPM—and all mixes can be recorded in high quality.

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GROOVES TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

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WE GOT A LOVE u Shit Robot u DFA

“CTRL+ALT +DELETE” EP u Michael Woods u Diffused Music

Comedian Reggie Watts, featured vocalist on several tracks, opens up the album with the tone-setting question, “Does disco go up to 11?” Yes, yes it does—all the way. Aside from the title track, be sure to check the indie grooves of “Do That Dance,” the off-kilter house vibes of “Do It (Right),” and the funky disco throwback “Feels Real.”

With this quick 1-2-3 punch of progressive house, Woods showcases his strengths and looks toward expanding them. “Ctrl” is a slow burn with its delicate build that gives way to a triumphant drop, topped with rising synth blasts. “Alt” and “Delete” hint at a slight shift toward minimalist electro stylings, but will still please fans with Woods’ signature rushes and huge soundscapes.

– Chris Davis

– Chris Caruso

“WARNING” u Rhemi & Lynn Lockamy u Rhemi Music Quentin Harris knocks it out of the park with this NYC-flavored, deep-house anthem. Rolling, chuggy, floor-moving bassline, massive effects, gritty guitar licks, slick keys and breathtaking, provocative, soulful vocals from Lynn Lockamy. Monster mix here!

– Shawn Christopher “SAY MY NAME” u J.Phlip u dirtybird Trading the Euro-techno influence of “Coefficient” for a slower, Detroit-inspired mentality, J.Phlip delivers a sound as commanding as the vocalist barking, “Bitch, say my name!” The track’s off-kilter bassline is quintessential dirtybird, while the zig-zagging electro squeals give it a personality all its own. Aidan Chambers collaborates on the “On Acid” B-side which is plenty ripe for club play.

– Chris Caruso “YS” EP u Gardens of God u Ellum Audio Maceo Plex's Ellum Audio brings Garden of God’s eerie ambient sounds on this EP. Title track "Ys" creates a moody vibe, and that’s followed by "Are We," featuring vocals by Egle Sirvydyte—a splendid selection for building up a room. "Apnea" closes out the EP with the most energy of the bunch.

“COMING BACK TO ME” (AT JAZZ REMIXES) u Magic Number u Numb Records At Jazz lays down a hot, deep-house remix with clever, wicked, live drums, relentless, moving bassline, sultry, soulful vocals and awesome, underground vibes.

– Shawn Christopher “BREATHE” (REMIXES) u Anna Lunoe u Fool’s Gold The five-track EP repurposes the Australian DJ/producer’s house-goes-pop aesthetic for nearly any club. Treasure Fingers’ dirty tech-house feels decidedly Miami Vice, while Sleepy Tom zaps the track with a skittering, electro makeover. The slinky, garage-influenced remix from Cosmo’s Midnight is the standout with its lounge vibe reminiscent of Disclosure’s early cuts. – Chris Caruso FABRICLIVE 73: PANGAEA u Pangaea u Fabric Records Pangaea presents a thunderous instrumental mix that conjures up images of the Earth’s earliest days, weaving chugging techno amidst breakbeat, heaps of bass and generally off-kilter grooves. Following an exploratory introduction, we’re dropped into the fire from track 12 on, and Pangaea doesn’t relent until the extra-crispy finish.

– Natalie Raben

– Chris Davis “ONE DAY LATER” EP u Nicole Moudaber u Intec Digital Moudaber presents us with a serious techno thumper for the title track, the subdued sass in the background layered with dark percussion and a deep sense of impending devilry as the alarm sounds just over halfway through.

– Chris Davis GLOW u Tensnake u Astralwerks His disco-tinged house rhythms hark a modernized ’80s essence that is uniquely his own. The album is bursting with impressive collabs including Nile Rodgers, Fiora, Jacques Lu Cont and Jamie Lidell and there’s get-down disco with "Love Sublime" and let it all out with the Prince-tinged "Selfish." This gives you everything you need.

– Natalie Raben

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

“CIRCLES EP: VOL. 1” u NAPT u Rising Music

The British duo’s first release for Chris Lake’s label is a stylish, if quick, two-track affair. “Cafe” recalls label mate TJR’s smash “Ode to Oi” with its Melbourne Bounce funk and aggressive low-end, while the sputtering, pitch-bending drop of “Tyrannosaurus” is frustratingly addictive in its unorthodox replayability.

–– Chris Caruso “TIDAL/MOOT POINT” EP u Chymera u Ovum Chymera kicks off this two-tracker with a bubbling, pulsating techno journey that ebbs and flows as it reaches high tide, then slowly recedes to leave room for a beautiful, sparkling epic—almost 12 minutes long—best served up at sunrise.

– Chris Davis

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V-Moda........................................18-19 Winter Music.................................... 29

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MP3s in 56

Compiled As January 28, 2014

National Crossover Pool Chart 1 Pitbull F/ Ke$ha 2 Icona Pop 3 Cher 4 Kim Cameron 5 Katy Perry 6 Ayah Marar 7 Zedd F/ Hayley Williams 8 Kwanza Jones 9 John Newman 10 Hannah 11 Britney Spears 12 Jade Starling F/ Lee Dagger 13 Martin Garrix 14 Cindy Valentine 15 Lea Michele 16 Avicii 17 Ariana Grande 18 One Republic 19 Miley Cyrus 20 Empire Of The Sun 21 Rihanna 22 Dvbbs & Borgeous 23 MAOR 24 Dj Sammy F/ The Jackie Boyz 25 My Crazy Girlfriend 26 Bastille 27 Celine Dion 28 Audio Playground 29 Amy Weber F/ Sean Kingston 30 Fall Out Boys 31 Alina Artts 32 Peppermint Heaven 33 Foxes 34 Madame Freak 35 Lorde 36 Adam F. & Cory Enemy F/ Margot 37 Carlos Mojica F/ Asherah 38 Wesley King F/ Carol Hahn 39 Sir Ivan 40 Madame Freak

Timber All Night Take It Like A Man Now You’re Mine Unconditionally Beg Borrow Steal Stay The Night Vicious Love Me Again Good Feeling Work Bitch Insomniak Animals Wicked Ways Cannonball Hey Brother Right There Counting Stars Wrecking Ball DNA What Now Tsunami Exit Shut Up And Kiss Me Go F**k Yourself Pompeii Love Me Back To Life Hands Up In The Air Dance Of Life Alone Together Bounce So Unbelievable Youth Ride It Royals When It Comes To You Take A Look I Love My Radio La La Land 2014 Ride It

National Urban Pool Chart Universal Atlantic Warner Brothers Side FX Capitol Radikal Interscope Innovative Ent. Republic Tazmania RCA Chemikal Ent. Casablanca DGR Columbia Island Republic Interscope RCA Astralwerks Island/Def Jam Doorn 27 Robbins Capitol Capitol Columbia Sony/Canada Dauman Island/Def Jam REC Megahit RCA Madame Freak Lava Robbins Tazmania Moonworks Peaceman Madame Freak

Most Added Tracks 1 Audio Playground 2 Lea Michele 3 Bastille 4 Beyonce F/ Jayz 5 Peppermint Heaven 6 Kwanza Jones 7 Amy Weber F/ Sean King 8 Carey Nokey 9 Eddie Amador 10 Katy Perry

Reporting Pools

Hands Up In The Air Cannonball Pompeii Blow So Unbelievable Vicious Dance Of Life Incredible You Better Work Dark Horse

Sony/Canada Columbia Capitol Columbia Megahit Innovative Ent. Dauman Last Quarter Citrusonic Capitol

n Masspool - Saugus, MA; Gary Canavo n OMAP - Washington, DC; Al Chasen n NW Dance Music - Shoreline, WA; John England n Pittsburgh DJ - Pittsburgh, PA; Jim Kolich n Soundworks - San Francisco, CA; Sam Labelle n New York Music Pool - Levittown, NY; Jackie McCloy n Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller n MOOD Spins - Seattle, WA; Randy Schlager n Pacific Coast - Long Beach, CA; Steve Tsepelis n NE Record Pool - Boston, MA; Justin Testa n DJ Laszlo - Denver, CO; Laszlo n DJ Jeremy - LA, CA; Jeremy Martorano n DJ Creativity - USA; Syndicated n WPTY - Mike Rizzo; NYC

1 John Legend 2 Sevyn Streeter 3 Tamar Braxton 4 R. Kelly 5 Drake F/ 2 Chains & Bif Sean 6 Toni Braxton & Babyface 7 YG F/ Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan 8 August Alsina F/ Trinidad James 9 Lorde 10 Eric Benet 11 Drake F/ Majid Jordan 12 TGT 13 Jayz 14 Chrisette Michele 15 Beyonce F/ Jayz 16 French Montana 17 Rico Love 18 Kid Ink F/ Chris Brown 19 T-Pain F/ B.O.B. 20 Eminem F/ Rihanna

All Of Me It Won’t Stop All The Way Home Genius All Me Hurt You My Hitta I Luv This Sh*t Royals Runnin’ Hold On We’re Going I Need Tom Ford A Couple Of Forevers Drunk In Love Ain’t Worried About They Don’t Know Show Me Up Down The Monster

Columbia Atlantic Epic RCA Cash Money Motown Island/Def Jam Island/Def Jam Lava Capitol Cash Money Atlantic Roc Nation Motown Columbia Interscope Interscope RCA RCA Interscope

Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5

Beyonce F/ Jay Z Rick Ross F/ Jay Z Justin Timberlake T-Pain F/ B.O.B. R. Kelly

Drunk In Love The Devil Is A Lie TKO Up Down Cookie

Columbia Island/Def Jam RCA RCA RCA

NEW National Latin Dance Pool Chart 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Juanes La Luz (Remix) Jorge Santana feat Aki S. Gracias Madrecita (Remix) Grupo Niche Tocando El Cielo J Quiles Orgullo (Remix) Gabriel Coronel Desnudo (Remix) Charlie Zaa Digo Yo Mauro Mosquera La Ruñidera Brenda K Starr Te Voy A Enamorar Kalimente Interesada Leslie Grace Odio No Odiarte Marc Anthony Cambio De Piel Joey Montana feat Pitbull Love & Party (Remix) Jau D Un Vaje Prince Royce Te Robare Enrique Iglesias & Romeo Santos DLG feat. Ricky Luis Fuistes Ken & Tony Otra Noche Los Cadillacs Bom Bom Aniceto Molina La Jerigonza Toby Love Hey

Universal The Misha Music Co. PPM USA Rich Music Warner Musica Entity Codiscos The 360 Site Sueño Top Stop Music Sony Universal Cutting Sony Locos Universal Platinum Web. Crossover Promo Crossover Promotions AJ Music Top Stop Music

Most Added Tracks 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Victor Manuel Johnny Sky Chan Junior Daddy Yankee Gloria Trevi feat Yunel Cruz

Ando Por Las Nubes With Or Without You Margarita La Nueva y La Ex No Queria Lastimarte

Sony Premium Latin Salsa Y Timba Akela Familia Universal

Reporting Latin Pools n Latinos Unidos Record Pool n Salsamania Latin Record Pool n Lobo/Bass Record

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 and urban formats. Feedback and membership dues required. 770-740-0356

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.

Moudaber

(continued from page 16)

we’re not happy about that! They’re trying to turn it into a mini-Vegas, and that’s not what Ibiza is. But the credible music is still there and there’s a little bit for everyone. If you want commercial, it’s there. If you want underground, it’s there, too. DJ Times: With all the money that Vegas can spend on the topdrawing DJs, how has the rise of Vegas impacted the island? Moudaber: It hasn’t impacted the island at all because we were doing fine without that for many years. It impacted the States, I think you could say, but not Ibiza. We pack up more the credible kind of music, more than the commercial, to be honest. We have nights, like, at Amnesia that is packed with Cocoon and Marco Carola’s night. We have nights like Richie Hawtin and Carl Cox at Space… DJ Times: Let’s talk about your 2013 album, Believe. What studio gear did you rely on most? Moudaber: There aren’t really any secret weapons. I use Ableton Live. I do everything on there and, obviously, I have a whole library of sounds. I have tons of plug-ins and it’s just a case of laying them together and creating. It’s a bit like sound design, basically. It’s just taking your time to get the sound right and that’s what I did with the album. I didn’t do it in one day—it took me eight months. And there’s the matter of selecting the right tracks for the album. It’s exactly what I do with all my tracks— it’s not rocket science in there. DJ Times: Can you tell me how you get that big, rumbling percussion going? Moudaber: I layer a lot of my drum sounds. I filter so many layers on top of so many other layers to get

that low end going in my subs and my kicks. I just don’t choose one sound and lay it there and leave it, no. I have, like, five different ones—filtered on the filtered on the filtered [laughs]. I put them all on top of each other to get that chunkiness. DJ Times: How do you know when it’s right for the club? Moudaber: I test it out and I listen to it on various different speakers. So, when I’m out of the studio, I play it at home and then I play it through my headphones. I listen on different, other monitors, and I tweak as I go along like that. DJ Times: There’s a very hypnotic element to that kind of percussion in a club and I don’t think producers or DJs can understand that unless they’ve been in the middle of the dancefloor themselves. Moudaber: Yes, and, like I’ve said, it’s stamped in me. This is what I feel. If it doesn’t move me, I will not play it or put my name to it. DJ Times: To my ears, you have a lot more percussive dynamics going on than some of the techno jocks who can sometimes really over-emphasize the basic kick. You play hard, but you seem to know when to drop things out and make things a little more sensitive and emotional. On the album, I think that’s best represented by “Fly With You.” Moudaber: Totally. That song has got a lot of chords and I found that I’m attracted to melodies, chords and the epic kind of drops—it’s a bit orchestral, if you want to say. It’s just a case of making it work with a techno record, obviously. Some people might think it’s cheesy, but if it’s done the right way it’s so not. DJ Times: What’s your current DJ setup?

Moudaber: I currently use the Traktor software to play and two Traktor X1 controllers. I’m just starting to use the [Traktor Kontrol] F1 controller in my setup. I always play four decks at a time and I loop a lot. As I said, using technologies is another form of blending different stuff together and sounding unique and this allows me to do that. DJ Times: Is there something new for the DJ, technology-wise, that you’d like to see created? Moudaber: Oh, like add another two channels, so we can play on six decks? That would be amazing! [Laughs] DJ Times: OK, three DJs that you love? Moudaber: Carl Cox for his techno. The first time I heard his F.A.C.T. CD [1995], it turned me onto techno. Actually, I told him that last night. What he played the last hour-and-ahalf was exactly what I knew him for. So, that was really a turning point in my life when I heard that. For house music, definitely Danny Tenaglia for his slow groove, chunkiness, vocals and depth—the way he plays them. Obviously, Adam Beyer for that European techno sound—and technically, he’s amazing. He inspires me a lot. DJ Times: OK, producers or remixers? Moudaber: Alan Fitzpatrick—I rate him a lot for in he does. He’s got that unique sound in his productions. I love Carlo Lio for his rolling, deep, techy sound. And I love Anja Schneider for her deep house and groove-ness. She’s fantastic. I have every single record that she’s done. DJ Times: Favorite venues? Moudaber: Stereo in Montreal has to be my No. 1—great sound. I just played an eight-hour set there. I

can play forever in there because my ears don’t get hurt. On that system, I can hear every single sound and noise on the records I play. Also, Space in Ibiza—that’s where it all started for me. The sound system is incredible—the vibe, the room is just crazy. Output in New York—I love that place and the sound system. With DJs, obviously, the sound system is very important to enjoy what they’re doing. DJ Times: Now that you’ve become an in-demand DJ/producer, someone who travels around the world and someone who’s developed a dedicated fanbase, what’s it like for you? Moudaber: The love that I get from fans, obviously, is incredible because I’ve never had this before. But I don’t see it really in a fan kind of way, really. I just see it as someone giving me love and I want to give it back. I dig them on a personal level, each and every one of them, because it’s like they’ve become friends, I guess. DJ Times: All those years of being a fan and a promoter haven’t left you, then? Not much difference between the performer and the fan, in your eyes? Moudaber: Right, that’s exactly where I come from. I don’t put myself on a higher pedestal in any way. No, I want to be with them. I want to talk to them. I want to get to know them. That’s what I always do after my show. I just want to hug them [laughs], and say, “Hi, how are you doing? Did you have a good time?” Like we were all partying in a club. Back in the day, I used to talk to everybody. I used to work the room and be friends with everyone. I want to make thousands of friends every night. n

Top This: Armin van Buuren’s Next Move

DJ TIMES

MARCH 2014

In ’13, I sold out MSG & scored a Grammy nom...

...you obviously don’t know me very well.

But if you think I’ve run out of goals... Armin van Buuren Next Month in DJ Times

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DJ Times March 2014, Vol 27 No 3

Articles inside

Nicole Moudaber, The Sound of the Drum!