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KILLIN’ IT
Deep Grooves: Marques Wyatt at Movement.
Strike a Pose: Voters at Detroit ABDJ booth.
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NEWS
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Therapy: Boris on the late-night shift.
Prepare to Flash: Green Velvet in Detroit.
AMERICA’S BEST DJ: THE MOTOR CITY, RHODY & NYC By Jim Tremayne & Natalie Raben
flock of talent on the Beatport Stage: Justin Martin kept things groovy in the afternoon, while label boss Claude Von Stroke killed it as the night went on. On the Made in Detroit stage, Anthony “Shake” Shakir had us moving to Prince’s “Let’s Work,” while over at the Moog Stage ghetto-tech scratchmasters DJ Godfather and DJ Zebo ripped it up, as MC Flipside kept the party rolling. After Green Velvet flashed and took us to La-La Land, Tale of Us and Damian Lazarus took over the Red Bull Music Academy Stage (aka main stage) for some trippy grooves. But they really brought it later that night at their own shared afterparty at City Club. Over at TV Lounge, Soul Clap’s H o u s e o f e F u n k ( p re s e n t e d by Red Bull Music Academy) certainly dropped the tough grooves and extreme party vibes with a set of funky disco classics, which was followed by the legendary George Clinton himself rocking P-Funk faves like “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker” before a decidedly wobbly crowd. Day 2’s lineup aimed to please. Adriatique kept a steady vibe at Beatport, while Seth Troxler got things rocking at the main stage around 5:30. Back over at Beatport, Berlinbased techno practitioner Dixon got going in the early evening, then Maceo Plex dropped an epic set. At the main stage, Richie Hawtin didn’t waste a minute, starting in strong and riding the high energy wave with his brand of enthralling techno that offered up snippets of his classic “Spastik” throughout the set. Other Sunday highlights included DJ Psycho’s quick-mix frenzy at the Made in Detroit stage, Rai Knight’s ethereal beats and soothing vocals on the Moog Stage, The Martinez Brothers’ off-the-hook house vibe at Beatport, John Digweed’s growling, menacing mainstage set of prog-house, and Mike Huckaby’s all-vinyl set of
classic techno, which included Joey Beltram’s whopper, “Energy Flash,” at the Made in Detroit stage. That evening’s afterparty—at TV Lounge, dubbed “OK, Cool”—featured a rousing B2B set with Seth Troxler and the Martinez Brothers. It was a night of sexy beats from fellows who really—and very visibly—get into their grooves. And the great weather really contributed to great vibes in the venue’s two outdoor environments. Day 3 belonged to the U.K.’s techno godfather, Carl Cox. After Loco Dice warmed the decks with his infectious sound, Cox’s closing set was high-energy, dirty techno from start to finish. Throughout the set, industry heavies like MIDI pioneer Dave Smith and Detroit-based global DJ Carl Craig stopped by the stage to view
the proceedings and give their greetings—not a bad posse. Other Monday highlights included Marques Wyatt and Miguel Migs dropping deep and melodic house on the main stage, Kevin Saunderson’s ecstatic B2B with Seth Troxler (following his Origins presentation) on the Made In Detroit stage, and Jeff Mills’ three-hour, Underground-Stage set of relentless techno, which also closed out the festival with quite a wallop. The afterparty at nearby St. Andrew’s Hall found Loco Dice and Stacey Pullen going B2B in The Shelter downstairs, while Maceo Plex buzzbombed the upstairs contingent. Later, DJ Sneak entertained the last men and women standing with his brand of raw house music. And then, it was off to the airport.
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Detroit – And away we go. After launching this past Memorial Day weekend at Detroit’s Movement festival, America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times followed up with a pair of East Coast events. As usual, we had full days, late nights and plenty of fan engagement. On Saturday, May 31, the tour ventured to Club Therapy in Providence, R.I., for some late-night action with NYC-based DJ Boris. The recently re-opened club drew an up-for-it crew of afterhours devotees, as Boris worked the 3-to-8-a.m. shift, dropping groovy house and tough techno tunes along the way. The following week (June 6), the tour returned to “home base”— Marquee New York—for an evening with Stacey Pullen. Hitting the decks at 2 a.m., the Detroit-techno talent worked some thundering grooves and jacked the energy through the roof at the Manhattan venue. At both clubs, we set up dedicated tables to engage fans and solicit votes for the 100 ABDJ nominees. By casting their ballots, fans were automatically entered for a chance to win prizes from Pioneer DJ, G Shock and DJ Times, including a trip for two to Las Vegas’ Marquee Nightclub for the America’s Best DJ Award Ceremony/Closing Party. Back in the Motor City, more than 100,000 fans made it to Hart Plaza May 24-26 to enjoy three days of beautiful weather and banging beats from 17 America’s Best DJ nominees, not to mention international talent like Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin and Dixon. ABDJ nominees at Movement included Baauer, Carl Craig, Claude Von Stroke, DJ Godfather, Flosstradamus, Green Velvet, Jeff Mills, Just Blaze, Justin Martin, Kevin Saunderson, Lee Foss, Maceo Plex, The Martinez Brothers, Marques Wyatt, Mike Huckaby, Miguel Migs and Stacey Pullen. Day 1 at Movement started off strong with Dirtybird repping its
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12 Killin’ It!
Carnage, America’s Trap King, Has Gone from Bedroom Producer to Top EDM Draw in a Few Short Years BY LINA ABASCAL
VOLUME 27
NUMBER 7
16 Mountain Musique Non-Stop A Renewed Moogfest Brings a Deep Slate of DJs & Electronic-Music Legends BY JIM TREMAYNE & PHIL MOFFA
18 Watt’s Up?
When Shopping for Active Loudspeakers, DJs Should Trust Their Ears More Than Purported Power Ratings. Here’s How… BY COSTA LAKOUMENTAS
22 Pipeline Management How Successful Mobiles Guide Prospects Through the Buyer’s Journey BY JEFF STILES
DEPARTMENTS 7 Feedback
DJ Expo Seminars Revealed
24 Making Tracks iZotope BreakTweaker
26 Sounding Off
Ultimate Ears IEMs & Galaxy Audio’s Traveler PA
Maryland Mobile’s “NiceGuy30” Program
30 Business Line
How One DJ Uses “The Science of Marketing”
32 Gear
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SAMPLINGS 8 Pete Tong Living In America
10 In the Studio With… TJR
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The Hottest Records, As Reported by Our Top U.S. Record Pools
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FROM THE EDITOR
Upstarts, Legends, Technology & Travel In a lot of ways, Carnage very much represents our modern DJ/producer and the seemingly quick path to success some of these young talents have found. As a teen, Carnage (aka Diamante Blackmon) was enthused so much by music that his mother scored him some Fruity Loops software (now known as FL Studio) and he began to make hip-hop tracks as a bedroom beatmaker. He had some success in that genre, but before long, he’d visited some of America’s biggest EDM festivals and he became smitten with the huge sounds of trance, electro-house, dubstep and trap. Cut to the next scene, he’s become one of EDM’s big breakout acts with a slew of hits in 2013-14. He’s scored a show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, a weekly DJ residency at Las Vegas’ Marquee Nightclub and plenty of spots at the very festivals that initially inspired him. Our Brooklyn-based Lina Abascal caught up with Carnage and talked turkey (and nachos) with the leader of “The Chipotle Gang.” In Samplings, U.K. correspondent Ally Byers connected with Pete Tong and found out how dance music’s Master of the Airwaves is making out now that he’s moved to America. For the In the Studio Sampling, new contributor Julia Sachs connects with the super-hot TJR to discuss his hitmaking ways. On the topic of gear and technology, pro-audio industry vet Costa Lakoumentas explains how DJs should trust their ears more than marketing materials when shopping for active loudspeakers. In Sounding Off, Denver’s Wesley Bryant-King gets fitted for Ultimate Ears’ In-Ear Reference Monitors and offers up his results; meanwhile, Boston’s Paul Dailey takes Galaxy’s Any Sport Traveler portable PA for a spin. In Making Tracks, St. Louis studio maven Josh Harris shows you how to build your beats with iZotope’s BreakTweaker. In the world of the mobile entertainer, our Iowa-based scribe Jeff Stiles finds out how successful jocks guide prospects through the buyer’s journey. Mobile Profile visits with Maryland DJ Doug Sandler, who shows us how nice guys can finish first. And in Business Line, we find out from Illinois mobile KC KoKoruz how “The Science of Marketing” can bolster your bottom line. Also, stay tuned for DJ Expo, running Aug. 11-14 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., which will present seminars from KoKoruz and Sandler and tackle more than 20 other topics. Some of them are detailed on the opposite page. This issue also finds us reporting on some recent travels. One rebooted event, Moogfest, has turned into one of the better-curated festivals in America. Not only does it offer unique technologies and seminar discussions, but also a terrific slate of music. Phil Moffa and I offer our collective take on our trip down to beautiful Ashville, N.C., where we caught legends like Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder and Nile Rodgers (with Chic), plus much more. We also headed to Detroit’s Movement festival, where America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times kicked off. After catching 17 ABDJ-nominated jocks perform at Motown’s Hart Plaza, we ventured out for the rest of the tour, which included a stop at Therapy in Providence, R.I. for Boris and a return home to New York City for a gig at Marquee with Stacey Pullen. At all events, DJ Times maintains a dedicated booth to take votes for the nominees and hands out the latest editions of the magazine. Of course, one lucky voter will earn a chance to win a trip for two to Las Vegas for the ABDJ Award Ceremony/Closing Party on Oct. 12 when America’s Best DJ 2014 will be crowned. Please visit americasbestdj.us and stay tuned for a summer-full of ABDJ events.
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FEEDBACK in corporate events, private functions, collegiate and sporting events. Elite Entertainment’s Mike Walter, who will also host our “DJ of the Year” event on Aug. 13, will present a pair of panels: “Let the Music Play, Pt. 2” will offer fascinating stories about the songs and artists DJs spin on a regular basis, while “Maximizing the Marketing Opportunities of Social Media” will show DJs how to gain fol‑ lowers and fans, then market to them. Alan Kohn’s “DJ Country Dance Workshop” will discuss the genre’s music,
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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. DEAR DJ TIMES: What does the seminar schedule look like for DJ Expo this year? – Emails from Many Readers/Expo Attendees
Thanks for reaching out. At presstime, we have what we believe is a strong slate of confirmed Expo seminars and panels. Set for Aug. 11-14 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., DJ Expo will offer three days of exhibits, four days of seminars and three nights of sponsored parties. This year’s show will present more than 25 panels for mobile, club and studio interests. Additionally, sev‑ eral Expo exhibitors will present sponsored seminars that will offer an upclose look at specific products or topics. And don’t forget our “Keynote Q&A” on Aug. 12 with Lil Jon, one of America’s hottest hitmakers, who will discuss his rise to the top. Seminars: On the mobile tip, Mike Kindlick’s “The C.S.I. of Customers: Customer. Service. Intelligence” will teach you how to profile your potential customers. Steve Moody’s “All-Star MCs” will share unique performance tips that’ll take your parties to the next level. KC Kokoruz’s “The Science of Marketing” will offer insight into why customers might buy your DJ services. Doug Sandler’s “Spinning Connections into Lifelong Relationships” will show DJs the difference between how to close a deal and how to build a business relationship. Jerry Bazata’s “Business All-Star Panel” will help mobiles build additional core business
dances and unique culture—and show you how a DJ can thrive by spinning country music. Other favorites—like Sean McKee’s “Mitzvah Massive” and “Party Games with Jake Jacobsen”—will return to DJ Expo. Other annual favorites: “New Tech: Shopping for DJ Equipment,” mod‑ erated by D J T i m e s Editor Jim Tremayne, will discuss the latest tech‑ nology trends; Frank Garcia’s “The Myths & Methods of Beatmixing” will walk you through the most-basic pro‑ cesses of DJing; “Remixers/Produc-
ers: Dancefloor Hitmakers” (again moderated by Tremayne) will present a panel of professionals who will offer industry information and studio tips. Also, Joshua Carl’s pair of VJ-oriented seminars will include “Performance Video DJing & Technology” and “Video DJ Innovations for the Mobile/ Corporate DJ.” At presstime, sponsored seminars will also be presented by ADJ, Chauvet DJ, Event Chit Chat, German Lighting Products, Mackie Designs and Pioneer DJ.
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PETE TONG: MASTER OF THE AIRWAVES
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It’s an established fact that Pete Tong is one of the most influential DJs ever. For Brits, he’s been the undisputed voice of the weekend since 1991—his Essential Selection program on BBC’s Radio 1 remains among the most iconic shows in the history of dance music. And for American listeners, he’s fast become the go-to authority on what’s hot on this side of the pond as well. In 2012, he joined Clear Channel with a nightly program on iHeartRadio’s “Evolution” EDM format platform—he eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he currently resides. Also, he continues to play branded “It’s All Gone Pete Tong” parties across the U.S. So far, 2014 has been a big year for Tong. For his services to broadcasting and music, he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) this past New Years by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Later in May, his International Music Summit in Ibiza completed its seventh incarnation—we caught up with him soon after. DJ Times: You’ve been part of the U.K.’s iconic Radio 1 for over 20 years. How does programming to the U.S. market differ? Tong: In the U.K., from an old-school perspective, my show on the Fridaynight time slot was the start of the weekend—it was people coming home from work, getting ready to go out. Then the big revolution came—the BBC iPlayer—so people could listen out of the time slot. That had a particularly strong effect on the more specialist shows myself and Annie Mac had—I think we were both second only to the Top 40. I built that into my thinking: I still bought into the “time slot.” DJ Times: And for the U.S. show? Tong: For the first time in my life, I’m on daily and it’s a different thing. Not every show here is live anymore and, for actual listenability, the pre-recorded shows are often better—they’re slicker, they repeat better, and we’re learning about that all the time as people’s listening habits change. I’m on five days a week on the iHeart platform, and five days a week locally in Miami, Boston, and I’m also on 150 stations a week with a kind of Top 40 Trojan horse— teasing people to come over to the stuff we’re playing on our other platforms. I’m almost creating a radio station within a radio station. DJ Times: With streaming and social media—the instant access to specific tunes as a part of the culture—do you think that’s affected attitudes to music in general? Tong: Interesting observation. I think the side effect of giving people much more choice is you do get this effect where people don’t tolerate what they don’t want. But then how quickly will they do that for before they get bored by their own intolerance? I think about
this all the time. What I do at the start of my show might kill off the people that would wanna listen to what’s coming up at the end. But I’ve managed somehow to contain that successfully enough. I wouldn’t say completely so, but successfully enough to walk the tightrope of getting away with it! DJ Times: These days, electronic music is dominating the charts. Has the concept of “underground” become outdated? To n g : U n d e r g ro u n d i s a f u n ny thing—it still revolves in my head as being about the hottest party in town. It’s not the busiest, it’s not the best-known, but the hottest party in town was always the party that no one else knew about. It was about doing something not everyone else was doing, because that’s what made it interesting. Underground can be a hugely creative place—something like Panorama Bar Berlin, which has its own ecosystem, for example. I also think that the underground gets more accessible at different times of year. In Ibiza, Marco Carola at Amnesia and Richie Hawtin at Enter are doing the same kind of numbers during peakseason as Avicii, so it’s hard to tell. DJ Times: There’s been an uptick in techno tourism in recent years, too. How have you seen Ibiza change in recent years? Tong: Ibiza’s more competitive than it’s ever been. It’s gone through more change in the last five years than it has in the last 15. There are new clubs opening up—daytime clubbing’s back on the agenda. It doesn’t matter what the naysayers say—whatever Ibiza used to be like is irrelevant now. There’s a new order in Ibiza. I think to an extent there was a lot of slack previously. You had people getting away with things because they didn’t have to change— technology, decor, just one way of doing things. Competition from within Ibiza and around the rest of the world means Ibiza can’t operate on those rules anymore. Now, for the first time ever, you’ve got some DJs that don’t visit Ibiza ever because there’s so much for them in America or elsewhere. That’s not a judgment call saying it’s a bad thing; it’s just a fact, and Ibiza has to deal with that, too. DJ Times: Is it harder or easier nowadays for DJ/artists to establish themselves? Tong: It’s easier to get music up on a blog, up onto YouTube, up into circulation—whether that means people are going to notice it or that you’re relevant is a different thing. I think it’s inspiring for people starting out, seeing other people getting in the game so quickly. But I think a lot of the old rules apply— getting into the right slots and playing the right way on the right night to get noticed by the right people. – Ally Byers
IN THE STUDIO WITH Originally an underground DJ/producer with a taste for acid house and tough techno grooves, TJ Rozdilsky (aka TJR) has seen his profile rise dramatically in recent times. The breakout happened in 2012 when Pitbull discovered TJR’s hit reggaehouse-flavored “Funky Vodka” and incorporated it into his pop smash “Don’t Stop the Party” (ultimately, a studio collaboration with TJR, Chris Lake and others). TJR followed up in 2013 with two more dancefloor smashes—the electro-housers “Ode to Oi” and “What’s Up, Suckaz.” So far this year, we’ve seen a hot remix for Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty” and a collab with Vinai on “Bounce Generation.” These days, TJR finds himself with a whitehot career in the studio and the DJ booth. We talked with the Connecticut-bred/L.A.-based TJR in Indio, Calif., this past April, just after his set at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival. DJ Times: What initially got you into DJing? TJR: I’ve been DJing for 19 years now. It’s weird. I started, but then I kind of stopped because I went to the corporate world.Then I picked up the bug for producing [in 2008], which is why I say I kind of started my career then because that’s when I started making things people knew me for. All of the sudden I had this whole new audience. DJ Times: So 2008 was when you turned it into a career vs. more of a hobby? TJR: Yeah, it’s funny. I’m probably the oldest considered “rookie.” DJ Times: What’s your DJ set-up today? TJR: I’m pretty simple—I’m just like a traditional DJ at heart. I have an SD card and I use recordbox by Pioneer. I also have three [Pioneer] CDJs. DJ Times: You started as more of a funk artist. Why make the switch to more pop-oriented tracks? TJR: I don’t know. When I first started getting involved, I hated mainstreamdance music. All of the sudden, I just started to really get into the creative side and I started feeling like it was a challenge to make pop music as a producer. People dis mainstream music, but to make a song that actually goes over with the masses is just a fun challenge. People in the pop world like my sound—I didn’t [have to] convert to them. What I wanted to do was make cool-sounding records that weren’t so far out there that people didn’t understand, but still make something cool. DJ Times: Since you started producing, you’ve gotten quite big. How did your collaboration with Pitbull come to be? TJR: [My single] “Funky Vodka” had such a big impact at the time it came out [2012], especially because there were all of these big, heavy electro records and here was this reggae-sampled house song that was super vibey and topped the Beatport chart. Pitbull and his DJ [Chino] were already [doing vocals] on the record and my label found out they were interested in it. A few days later he had recorded everything [re-imagined as “Don’t Stop the Party”] even though he was touring in Europe at the time. DJ Times: Do you see even more EDM producers working with pop artists? TJR: I work a lot with Atlantic Records and they have their pop producers, but a lot of those guys aren’t used to what we [EDM producers] do. To make your sounds and synths and basses sound booming, to go over well in festivals and clubs, is a lot different than radio. [The A&R guys] know that’s what’s big right now, so that’s why I think they’re recruiting more and more of us to produce. DJ Times: Will you work with pop artists more in the future? TJR: Just production credits—I’m not a featuring artist. I have a song with Flo Rida called “Freaking Out” on the “Neighbors” film soundtrack. Right now, like I said, they’re into what I do, so it’s not like I need to change [my sound]. DJ Times: So, the A&R guys give you a lot of artistic freedom? TJR: I think a lot of the A&R guys kind of give these descriptive terms and you give them what they say they want, but it doesn’t come out right. I just give them my sound and they like it. DJ Times: In terms of your sound, what is your production process like? TJR: I strictly use Ableton Live 9. I used to be all hardware because I love making acid house, but I ended up converting everything to digital. I have this Access hardware called TI that has this software interface to it. It’s virtual analog. It’s very hard to replicate and I think that’s what helps me have an identifiable sound. —Julia Sachs
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TJR: His Pitbull collab put him in the pop world.
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By Lina Abascal
K Carnage, Amer
As I’m talking to Carnage , who’s in Miami for a quick one-off show, I can hear him move the phone away from his mouth midconversation… then order some nachos from his waiter. It’s a revealing, unguarded moment because, unlike many dance-music producers, Carnage is not the jaded type, certainly not someone with a precious brand to fastidiously nurture or an image to tenaciously guard. He’s all about the music and he’s not going to strain his brain about ordering food in front of the media, even if there’s a 1,000 miles of
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separation. The man’s hungry. But these days, life is that good for Carnage (aka Diamante Blackmon), a man whose professional musical leanings have veered from hip-hop and launched full bore into the EDM explosion. A successful production life has morphed into a heavy schedule of DJ dates—including a coveted residency at one of America’s top venues, Las Vegas’ Marquee Nightclub. “This year we wanted something new and fresh added to our roster, and I felt that Carnage really stood out,” says Marquee music director Sol Shafer. “With his vast musical style and his amazing energy, this made it very appealing.” High praise, indeed. During our conversation, it was apparent that he was excited about his new partnership with Marquee, in addition to almost everything in his evolving professional life. However, he did admit that he’s had to learn how to sleep on planes and deal with the constant fatigue of nonstop touring. While all of this almost sounds like a humble brag from the L.A.-based talent, we’ll forgive him. Carnage’s story of how he fell in love with dance music is not much different from many of ours. While still living with his parents as a high-school student, he was taken by tough tracks from Dutch hardstylers like Alpha Twins and Headhunterz. Then, he was overwhelmed by his first massive fes-
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ica’s Trap King, Has Gone from Bedroom Producer to Top EDM Draw in a Few Short Years
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“The first time I ever experienced dance music at a show,
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it was a festival. I went to EDC, and it was life-changing.”
tival experience at Electric Daisy Carnival. Sufficiently impressed, the teen hip-hop producer suddenly began to toy around with house and trap beats. So, what appears to many to be a one-year catapult to the main stage actually came after years of under-the-radar production work. Carnage’s success became visible to the public around 2012 when his work for mainstream rappers such as A$AP Rocky and Theophilis London (“Big Spender”) got major play. But like many hip-hop tracks, it left many listeners unaware and mostly uninterested in who had produced the beat. Transitioning to more underground work, he began beat-making for the likes of Bay Area rapper G-Eazy (“Loaded”), whose career has been progressing at the same warp speed, and Chicago-based Katie Got Bandz (“Kat!e”). His production for Bandz was released on Fool’s Gold Records, beginning his ties to the hip-hop side of electronic, an obvious platform for his “trap” tracks like his late-2012 smash, “Bang!” Then in 2013 alone, he dropped big bombs like “Incredible” (with Borgore) and “Signal” (featuring New & Used)—both on Spinnin—plus “Michael Jordan” (with Tony Junior) on Dim Mak. He’s even been added to the list of Sirius XM Satellite Radio hosts with the “Carnage pres. #Incredible” show, which airs twice weekly on Electric Area. By now, the road from opener to headliner has been well-paved for the leader of the Chipotle Gang—the name Carnage has given his loyal and growing fan base. (Yes, it’s named after the Mexican-grill chain of restaurants that he adores.) Keeping his love for stadium-style bangers in the forefront, Carnage’s natural path was to hit the ground running, touring any and everywhere. Whether he is playing for a small club or a mega festival, a Carnage set is characteristically fast, loud, vocal-heavy— and the crowd eats it up. Back to the interview: When I tell Carnage that he’s going to be on the cover of DJ Times, I get an enthusiastic, “Hell, yeah!” Finally, it’s clear Carnage is starting to get used to his chaotic life. Pass the nachos. DJ Times: How has your day-to-day life changed in the past year? Carnage: My life used to be that I was home all day making music—
now, I’m never home. I barely ever have time to make music because I’m on the road in a different city every day—eating horribly. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. Traveling every day and playing music is the best thing ever—I love it. But the traveling component of the DJ life is the worst part ever. I never sleep and I’m always sitting on a plane. DJ Times: So with all that travel and playing gigs and more travel, have you had time to work on music recently? Carnage: The album I am releasing on Ultra has been in the making. I took some time off recently. I had been going really hard to finish the record. I’ve been working on a lot of collaborations. It’s going to be really awesome. DJ Times: Your next album has a track with rap group Migos called “Brick.” How did you link up with them? Carnage: I was randomly one day thinking, “What rapper that is poppin’ right now has been untouched by all of the dance guys?” And I came up with the Migos. They’re pretty hard to contact, but somehow my management and friends made it happen. And now we have a master record with the Migos coming out.
25th Anniversary Moments
Breakthrough Product: Mixed in Key “Version 1.0 was first released in 2006 and, within a five-year period, Mixed In Key has garnered testimonials from dozens of top-name DJs. (Now we’re up to Version 5.0.) The premise is simple: Mixed In Key scans your entire music Karl Larson/Powers Imagery
library and provides you with a list of keys for every song. Then, use your favorite DJ software to mix your tracks. “The classically trained musician in me still believes that all DJs should push themselves to develop their musical ears and not rely on the computer to do the thinking for them. But I cannot dispute the efficiency of using a program like Mixed In Key. Whether you’re a DJ mixing live in DJ Times: So, that means that Ultra—America’s biggest dance label—is releasing a hip-hop song. Carnage: I’m giving Ultra a big facelift. It’s going to be cool. This is Carnage World. DJ Times: I know you’re working on dance music now, but your background is in hip-hop music. Is this upcoming track and album going to be a throwback to your older style? Carnage: I’m going to be making a lot more vocal records. I’m just going to be doing a bunch of random stuff. My album is going to be really random. DJ Times: There are some tracks out there that you rap on yourself. Carnage: I have a bunch of songs out there where I rap. I used to rap—I still rap. I’m actually going to have a rap song on my album. DJ Times: Would you ever perform vocals live? Carnage: I don’t know. The new song on my album, I probably will. DJ Times: What kind of music got you into DJing? Carnage: Above & Beyond’s OceanLab [vocal trance] project. I heard that and just thought, “Wow, this is so fucking good!” That, and a lot of hardstyle, early Headhunterz like “Scantraxx Roots” [from 2006] and Alpha Twins’ “Smack My Derb” [from 2005]. I was 18-years old, in high school. DJ Times: How did you initially learn how to DJ? Carnage: By hanging out with my friends who DJ. By watching people, just sitting there watching tutorial online and practicing. I would go to 12th Planet’s house [in Los Angeles] and practice over there. I even practice on the road. I have those rough nights, but at the end of the day it works. DJ Times: What is your hardware and software set up? Carnage: I used to use a Native Instruments S4 controller with Traktor, and now I’m more into using the Pioneer. I’m using the DJM-900NXS mixer and four CDJ-2000NXS players—pretty simple and standard. DJ Times: Every year there seems to be a different trend in dance music and sometimes certain artists fade away if they stick to one trend. How do you feel about that? Carnage: I honestly just make whatever is on my mind at the moment. I try to make a house song, then if I can’t make that, I’ll try to make a rap beat, and if I can’t make that, I’ll try to make a trap beat. It depends what I’m listening to at the moment and what my inspirations are. DJ Times: What have you been listening to now, while you’re on the road? Carnage: I listen to anything good. I listen to a lot of ghetto shit, whatever is good music. I don’t really say, “Hey, I listen to this.” The new Porter [Robinson] is amazing. The new Rick Ross album and the YG album are, too. DJ Times: You live in L.A., where a lot of the current dance-music community calls home. What is that like these days? (continued on page 42)
front of an audience or creating a mixed compilation of tunes for official release or just promotion, Mixed In Key is extremely useful software.
– Josh Harris, Making Tracks, March ’12
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By Jim Tremayne & Phil Moffa Asheville, N.C. – After taking an 18-month break, Moogfest returned to the Blue Ridge Mountains with quite a bang. Running April 23-27 at a variety of venues throughout Asheville, N.C.—the home of legendary manufacturers Moog Music— Moogfest delivered a deep mix of educational seminars, tech exhibits, and musical showcases. According to co-producers Moog Music and Paxahau, the event drew over 7,000 badgeholders per day, including 25,000 attendees to the free events. DJ Times dropped into town Friday afternoon, April 25, and caught some of the talk and heard plenty of the music. This is what it looked like through our eyes: Friday Highlights: After traipsing past the Broadway Outdoor stage and catching a few booming electro-beats from Egyptian Lover, we walked up the hill to Thomas Wolfe Auditorium to score early seats for the first Kraftwerk 3D show. (The group had played the previous night and would perform still another show later that evening.) A good 75 minutes before the first tune, a line ran down Haywood Street with fans who apparently shared our thoughts. (In addition to many wide-eyed Kraftwerk firsttimers, one notable fan we ran into was Michael Lachowski, bassist for seminal Athens dance-rock outfit Pylon, whose minimalist aesthetic certainly owed a nod to the Kling Klang crew.) Onto the show: What’s to say? If you love Kraftwerk, this was a special treat. With 3D glasses passed to all attendees, fans got to experience the clever visuals to go along with the quartet’s proto-electronica. Having now played several recent retrospective shows in various cities where each gig tackled a different album, Kraftwerk certainly seems to possess 3D visuals of its entire post-1974 catalog—from Autobahn to Tour De France Soundtracks. And on cuts like “Spacelab,” the synced video show took you to outer space and eventually launched interplanetary craft “into the audience.” At one point, the nose of one space module “hit” us right between the eyes. And the music? The 29-song set included the obvious title cuts from each album (again, since Autobahn), plus enduring faves like “The Robots,” “Neon Lights,” “Numbers,” “The Model” and “Radioactivity.” While it can be sometimes hard to understand what the four members are up to behind their podiums, it’s apparent that Ralf Hütter—the only remaining original member—is responsible for keyboard melodies and the oft-processed vocals. As the group closed the show pre-encore with “Musique Non-Stop,” the audience got a glimpse into what the other band members (Fritz Hilpert, Henning Schmitz and Falk Grieffenhagen) were doing, as they offered brief solos by manipulating filters and effects in the multi-track. Outstanding stuff—vielen dank, Kraftwerk! Still amped from the Kraftwerk show, we scooted back to the Broadway Outdoor stage—stationed in front of the Moog factory—to catch the second half of a show from another legend, Giorgio Moroder. DJing solo on a laptop, Moroder mixed the crowd-pleasing hits (Donna Summer, Blondie) with some not-so-obvious cuts (relatively obscure soundtrack selections from
A Renewed Moogfest Brings a Deep Slate of
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DJs & Electronic-Music Legends
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the films “Metropolis” and “The Never Ending Story”). It must be said: His closing tune , Summer’s 1975 electro-disco anthem “I Feel Love,” can still produce chills, no matter when or where you hear it. Time for some late-night action, so we cut over to the New Earth club to catch an evening of Detroit techno with Mike Huckaby and Underground Resistance presents Timeline (live). Spinning
all vinyl, Huck hit the decks with a bit of a brutal beginning—his tough tunes garnered little response. But when he dropped the BPM a tad and hit a smoother groove, the room began to give it up and that hands-inthe-air vibe carried throughout his 90-minute set. Then, set up as a quar tet, UR/ Timeline dipped into its jazzy treasure trove and offered a tasty hour-long mix of sleek electro beats and flavorful
saxophones. An outstanding musical nightcap. Saturday Highlights: After a failed attempt to see Nile Rodgers’ “Musical Masterclass” at the Diana Wortham Theater—it reached capacity just as we arrived—we decided to ease over to the Masonic Temple for an all-out geekfest of scifi and bended circuitry. Billed as “Science Fiction & The Synthesized Sound presented by OMNI Reboot,”
the upstairs event included discussion on the “rebooted” science monthly, plus some otherworldly sounds from DJ King Britt’s Fhloston Paradigm project. Playing with Ableton and the Push controller for the first time, he said, the Philadelphiabased DJ/producer offered up a trippy half-hour journey of spatial sounds and broken beats—experimental, occasionally off-kilter, and wildly cinematic. Close your eyes
and be taken away—far, far away into the cosmos. Immediately afterward, the Q&A with OMNI editors careened into the super-esoteric world of sci-fi, so… time to jet. After popping into the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design for Dan Deacon’s “Durational Pe r fo r m a n c e ” — a n d j u s t catching the wind-down of his visually enhanced set— we stopped by the Moog Music building to connect with
The Robots: Kraftwerk in 3D.
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“Good Times” to Rodgersproduced chart-toppers from Madonna, Diana Ross, Duran Duran and David Bowie, the platinum-plated set had the room standing and boogying with abandon—grandparents and hipsters alike. A rare feat, to be sure. Though we scooted before M.I.A. hit the Wolfe stage, we still managed to catch some rather diverse grooves in smaller venues the rest of the evening. Over to
the Asheville Music Hall, we enjoyed Escort, another “live disco band.” Fronted with élan by vocalist/bassist Adeline Michèle, the group presented a stripped-down version of its regular 19-piece set-up. Still, like Chic’s set a few blocks away, Escort’s elegant, retro-disco grooves had the joint jumping. (Attention Nile Rodgers: Could this be your next hitmaking project?) Afterward, DJ Mark Farina included a nod
to the late Frankie Knuckles by dropping “The Whistle Song” on the packed club, which sported a line down Patton Avenue at peak hour. A quick trip back to the (very dark) Diana Wortham Theater included a tight set from techno duo Blondes, w h i c h d ro p p e d g ro o ve s that were alternatively taut and housey. While mixing in sweeter flourishes that included chimey effects to match the rumbling basslines,
Blondes showed the full dimensions of great techno: tough, yet musical, listenable, yet danceable. Only regret: We wished the performance had been set in a different, less academic-feeling venue—mainly to accommodate more dancing. Nonetheless, it was a satisfying cap to the Moogfest proceedings. T h a n k s , M o o g fe s t a n d Asheville—we hope to see you again next year! n
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industry colleagues. While t h e re , we re - v i s i t e d t h e Broadway Stage and bobbed our heads to some funky jams from Higher Learning and booming bass bombs from Two Fresh. Back at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, we settled in for Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, and the show didn’t disappoint—the band cooked and the hits kept coming. From the original Chic disco smashes like “Le Freak” and
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The Legend: Nile Rodgers on stage with Chic.
The Headliner: M.I.A. at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.
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By Costa Lakoumentas
According to one recent research study, 90-percent of consumer-buying decisions are influenced to some degree by social interaction. It’s no wonder, then, that so many people are taking to online forums seeking buying advice from their peers. Along those lines, I recently read one such post from a DJ looking for a powered-loudspeaker system, asking the online community for advice. As I read the post, I was struck by the user’s only stated technical requirement—that the speakers “be at least 1,000 watts.” To most of us in the professional-audio industry, that one statement underscores just how much confusion surrounds power claims. But it also exposes a discouraging movement within the industry away from verifiable specifications to arbitrary and often-inflated claims, particularly with powered speakers.
Compare & Contrast
The conundrum facing our DJ friend is one that plays out every day in music stores and online. Whether they are DJs, traditional musicians or church elders, people are looking for a reliable means of comparing powered speakers between models and among manufacturers. In the cited example, the consumer quoted power, expressed in watts, as the definitive parameter. The user didn’t specify if the 1,000 watts was the amplifier power or speaker’s rated power handling capacity. Regardless of which it is, the specification is meaningless because it comes with no details about the manner in which the measurement was made. By adjusting the test conditions, one could just as easily quote 500 watts, 1,000 watts or even more.
When Shopping for Active Loudspeakers, DJs Should
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Trust Their Ears
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More Than Purported Power Ratings. Here’s How…
The more cynical among us may think that, generally, inflated specifications come from the marketing department—and we’d be right more often than not. After all, if consumers are comparing products with these
The Right Way to Compare
Forget what’s printed on the box or emblazoned across the grill— that’s not how to compare powered speakers. Since they are a closed system, you’ll need to compare their performance and not their specifications. There are three essential criteria on which you will judge the speakers: 1) How loud they play (sound pressure level) 2) How clear they sound (distortion) 3) Whether they deliver sound true to the original source (frequency response). Start your evaluation process by deciding how much you’re willing to spend, and then narrow down the models that fit within that budget. With few exceptions, a $500 speaker will perform better than a $300 model, so pick your price band and stick with it. If you find that all of the speakers within your budget fall short on performance, then you’ll need to find more money—or settle for less. Once you have your list, go to your local store with your own music source and ask to listen to the speakers. Where possible, you should audition all of your short-list models at the same time, in the same store.
That way you’re hearing them in the same space, on the same day and are more likely to hear the real differences between models. For the most realistic response, play the speakers at the volume levels at which you’ll be using. For a mobile DJ, let’s say, that would likely include both blisteringly loud with dance music, as well as a tamer level with “first-dance” material. Take along a microphone or use a known mic in the store to ring out the vocal performance of the speakers—and remember to move around to get a sense for off-axis response. When you’re listening to the speakers, pay attention to the bass response at low levels, followed by high volume. Listen for changes in the tonal balance of sound as you increase volume levels. Finally, ensure that the speakers play as loud as you’re going to need, without audible and annoying distortion.
No Rocket Science Here
It has been said that you can’t compare speakers by specifications alone and that listening can yield very different results than one might expect from the numbers. This axiom is especially true in the case of powered speakers, where verification of the rated specifications requires ripping the product apart. Skip that step and use your ears instead. Your local retailer—and your customers—will thank you for it. Costa Lakoumentas is a pro-audio-industry veteran with a deep background that includes design and product development. At presstime, he was appointed by inMusic to oversee the recently acquired D&M Professional brand. n
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Where Do These Numbers Come From?
numbers, then it follows that “better” numbers will result in more sales. As long as engineering can substantiate the numbers with some kind of measurement, then they’re not really deceiving the public – right? The truth is that most of the numbers can be substantiated somehow, even if not through some broadly accepted test method. Power amplifiers can be tested with signals that bear no resemblance to actual program material, but are injected for mere milliseconds, thus generating huge power outputs. Similarly, speakers can take lots of power for short durations and render phenomenal numbers. In 1974, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tried to bring order to the power claims made by manufacturers of consumer electronics. While the FTC’s measurement criteria did help produce numbers that could be compared among different models, those numbers were arguably not the best at representing actual use with program material. Over time, the industry seems to have descended into what can only be described as a “free-for-all” of specsmanship.
DJ TIMES
Let’s assume for a second that the user meant amplifier power. There are plenty of powered speakers that list 1,000 or more watts as their amplifier power these days. But without any parameters on how that power was measured, the number means nothing. I recall extracting over 1,200 watts from a 200-watt amplifier in the lab as an experiment. And no, you would not want to hear what that sounded like! The same issues apply when referencing a speaker’s power-handling capacity. Depending on the signal source and its makeup, duration, shaping and other parameters as well as the resulting distortion, the power specification could vary wildly. Again, the number is meaningless as a comparative specification. Powered speakers are a combination of an electrical system (amplifier) and an acoustic system (speaker and box) that work together to deliver a result (sound output). Whatever power advantage one amplifier may hold over another could easily be negated by a performance disadvantage in the speaker. Knowing one of the numbers alone, even when accurate, tells you nothing about how they work together.
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How Successful Mobiles Guide Prospects Through the Buyer’s Journey
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By Jeff Stiles
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When it comes to creating a reliable sales pipeline, Adam Tiegs of Adam’s DJ Service in Seattle, Wash., is quick to give his two cents: Like the Jackson 5, it’s important to remember our ABCs. “Always Be Closing,” explains Tiegs. “Don’t be afraid to ask for the business, although don’t be overly pushy. I’ve had people book me online, sign my contract and pay in full, and without ever speaking to them. But most clients require hand-holding, education and time. “In fact, I just learned yesterday that a potential client I met with initially two months ago is still interested. If I were to give one piece of advice, it would be see things though until the end.” We asked DJs from throughout the country what we can do to better guide our potential customers through the sales pipeline. How specifically do we track our prospects? And after that, how do we move our prospects through our pipeline? How often do we reach out to them—without scaring them away? What is a reasonable timeline, and how many socalled “touches” are too many? Tiegs says his sales process for booking events is actually quite simple. “From the initial inquiry, replying with a personalized letter or note explaining why we’re different, and thereby prequalifying the client further, may or may not put them in our pipeline,” he says. “Once they’re there, I always look to meeting in-person first. “And if that’s not possible, a phone call is the next best thing— to get to know each other and to find out their needs and wants and putting together a solution that makes sense. “In other words, can you provide what they are looking for?” Of course, Tiegs says there still may be objections (usually related to price) that he has to overcome, but that’s usually easy to
do if his company is charging a fair amount for what they provide and for which services the client in fact really wants or needs. “If they like you and feel you can provide what they want or need for their event, and if you’ve explained your booking process, voila!—you have a new client,” he says. “Sometimes some follow-up is necessary, but for the most part if you’ve had all this interaction and they still don’t sign up, they most likely have gone another route. Just remember, some people move faster than others when making decisions, especially on big purchases that impact their important events.” We found a number of mobile DJ companies utilizing contract management software to keep track of inquiries. Scott Goldoor of Signature DJs in Plymouth Meeting, Penn., has actually been using the ACT tracking software for over 15 years. “When I originally purchased the software I also hired an ACT-certified consultant to come in and help me customize the database to suit my needs and my business,” says Goldoor. “Basically, I just told the guy what I wanted to accomplish and what I wanted it to look like.” “So when a customer calls Signature DJs—or, in today’s society, 75-percent do so through e-mail—I have the database set up so I can ask them questions, in order, about the who, what, where, why,
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‘prospective client’—to set up an in-person meeting. Though it’s not always possible, as some prospects are from out-of-state, it’s the goal for the majority of our leads.” Moody explains that after an initial contact, the prospect is set up to receive a total of ten e-mails from his company over the course of the next several weeks, unless he does hear back from them in the meantime. “It only takes a few seconds for us to set them up in the EWebmin program, as opposed to having to do it manually for each follow-up,” he says. “In addition to more information on our service, some of the planning tips that we refer to range from ‘Helpful Hints On Keeping Both Sets Of Parents Happy’ to ‘Helpful Hints On Creating A Seating Chart That Will Keep Everyone Smiling.’ Some of these articles were found on wedding websites—we include the link and give appropriate credit—while other articles were written right here by yours-truly. “The idea is that we want our brides to be excited to receive emails from us and not feel like we’re just hounding them to buy.” Moody adds that his company’s e-mails not only include a “call to action” for them to make an appointment, but it also gives them a link so that they can do it right away online. “We began using a service called ‘Time Trade’ a few months back, so when the prospective client clicks the link in the e-mail it takes them to a calendar where they’re able to see my personal availability over the next few weeks, and then select a date and time that fits their schedule. “This generation of brides is all about convenience. Honestly, I think that this one feature alone makes us instantly stand out from others in our market. They choose the date and time, it gets blocked off on the calendar so no one else can use it, and then I get sent an e-mail directly with their scheduled appointment. “It’s super-easy for both the client and for us.” Moody says that every prospective client also gets a free book if they eventually stop by the office: Gregg Hollmann’s new book, titled “The Bride’s Guide To Selecting The Perfect Wedding DJ.” “The book does a great job of selling us to prospective clients,” says Moody. “Honestly, it makes me look like a million bucks when I can hand this to a couple, it reinforces every detail that I talked with them about during our consultation, and it brings certain things to light that they may have never considered about hiring a DJ. “Though we do not offer a discounted price for those who come into our office, we do offer special deals on lighting and other upgrades for those who may have been on the fence about booking with us, if we still have the date available. “Lead follow-up can take a huge chunk out of your daily business tasks, and has been especially crazy for us as our business continues to grow. However, having the automated templates has helped out more than you can ever imagine. We get the leads set up in the system and then let the program do most of the rest.” n
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how and when. Or, more specifically, their names, date, location, number of guests, how they heard about us and 40-50 other fields. “I don’t go through all 40-50 at first; usually, I want to get the basic 10-15 priority items, so I can provide them with an accurate price quote.” Goldoor says he then makes a note to follow up with a phone call or e-mail about a week after the initial inquiry, and then a third time with another call or an email a week after that. “I read somewhere that it takes about six or seven ‘touches,’ as you call them [or points of contact] before you may expect a response,” he says. “I don’t like to be too overbearing by calling or e-mailing too frequently, and have found the once-a-week mentality has been working nicely for me over the last several years. “I would say this method has helped me with my follow-up calls and e-mails considerably over the last 10 years or so. While it is tough to say exactly how much of an increase this has attributed to my sales, I would say conservatively it would be around 10-percent.” Several of our readers suggested we contact Steve Moody for input on this subject. “Steve has an automated, systematic process of communicating with prospects,” said Gregg Hollmann of Ambient DJ Service in East Windsor, N.J. Steve Moody operates Steve Moody›s Entertainment Connection in Ridgely, Md., and has acquired quite a reputation for growing his business throughout the greater Maryland market. He says that, as he’s been expanding his DJ business, they’ve put into place a few new concepts that have been a huge help in saving time and truly streamlining the process of turning his company’s leads into actual clients. “After attending so many seminars at DJ Times’ DJ Expo each summer, one key element brought up over and again is the use of templates,” says Moody. “When I was working alone I never really gave it much thought, but as we continue to bring in more DJs there are just way too many leads to follow up with, using my older methods. “If you get nothing else mentioned in this article, just know that creating templates for our follow-up e-mails has been one of the best things we’ve ever done—ever.” Moody is correct. The most successful franchises, such as fastfood restaurants and grocery stores, follow strict formulas and repetitions that have proven over time to work (as Cyndi Lauper sang) time after time. “We use templates in all areas of our business, but they’re especially helpful in trying to turn leads into clients,” he says. “In fact, in the past year we’ve created an entire series of e-mails that are automatically sent out at specific times to the prospective clients. “Think of how much time we save by not having to type these e-mails out time and again, saying the same thing over and over to each new lead. Our company currently uses the E-Webmin program, but I realize that there are so many others such as DJ Event Planner (and even simple programs like Mail Chimp) that allow business owners to set up a series of automated e-mails. “This is such a time saver!” Moody says these templated e-mails not only provide more information on their services and prompt prospects to get back into touch, but they also provide his potential clients with helpful tips as they begin their journey in planning their wedding reception. “Though we have an opt-out feature at the bottom of every email, it’s very rare that prospective clients ask us to remove them from our mailings,” Moody claims. “And I’m guessing that’s because we continue to provide them with so much useful information. “I realize that every company across the country is set up differently. In our case, most of our leads come directly through our website, and in the end our goal is to try to get the lead—or
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MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…
By Josh Harris After the success of Stutter Edit, it was inevitable that iZotope and BT would collaborate again on another innovative audio-manipulation plug-in. So, here we are…introducing BreakTweaker, a drum machine, beat sculptor and beat sequencer—all rolled into one. BT (aka legendary musician/DJ/producer Brian Transeau) has always been a bit of a mad scientist when it comes to editing audio, and that aesthetic is alive and well in BreakTweaker. Users have the ability to rework beats, plus edit rhythms, pitch and texture with incredible detail. While most EDM producers, DJs and remixers will most likely gravitate to BreakTweaker, producers and composers in other genres of music may find a use for it as well. And, with a $249 MSRP, it’s not a bank-breaker. There is also the option of buying (for $299) the expanded package, which includes BreakTweaker, plus three add-ons—Cinematic Textures, Vintage Machines, and Kicks and Snares by Beatport Sounds. The regular BreakTweaker package comes with a limited amount of Factory Sounds. But, fear not, because you can import your own sounds and get started that way. What follows are BreakTweaker’s system requirements. Supported operating systems: For Windows, XP (32-bit Service Pack 3), 7, 8, and for Mac, OS X 10.6.8 or later (Intel only). Plug-in formats: AAX (Pro Tools 11), RTAS (Pro Tools 7.4-10), VST and VST 3, Audio Unit. Host compatibility: BreakTweaker works as a virtual instrument in popular hosts like Pro Tools, Cubase, Nuendo, SONAR, ACID, Ableton Live, and many more. Also note: The Discover feature requires an internet connection. Getting Started: Installation was a breeze and, within minutes, I had a clean Studio One session open with BreakTweaker staring me in the face. The user interface is very streamlined, with the step sequencer front and center. Building sequences is as easy as pointing and clicking your mouse on the desired beat of the measure. There is a nice time-line overview right above the sequencer. Track names, along with track solo and mute buttons reside on the left side. Pattern selection is available in the lower right-hand side of the user interface,
BREAKTWEAKER: BUILD YOUR BEATS
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BreakTweaker: BT & iZotope’s latest innovation.
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and you have the ability to create 24 different patterns per sequence. Switching from one pattern to another is as simple as clicking the desired pattern number. Micro-editing occurs by selecting a single step from the step sequencer, and I love how the mirco-editing window is built into the main user interface—so that you can look at your sequence while you edit. Several dropdown menus and parameter knobs make up the editing section, and you have the ability to preview your edits as you work. iZotope’s MediaMined technology is built into BreakTweaker, which allows users to discover and display similar-sounding samples, while browsing for sounds. Editing samples occurs by clicking on the little sine-wave-type icon to the right of the track name. An editing window appears with a waveform display of your audio. Here is where you can edit the LFO, envelope, filter, and distortion settings, as well as choose the generator type from a drop-down menu located above the waveform. You also have different playback speed settings, which can result in some very unique-sounding audio. BreakTweaker runs on its own internal clock or can sync to the host’s clock. I am only scratching the surface on BreakTweaker’s features in this review, and for those of you out there who have worked with Stutter Edit, you know how passionate BT is when it comes to mangling audio. Now it’s your turn to dive in and start tweaking your sounds. Hats off to iZotope and BT for creating a very wellthought-out tool for sound design and beat-making. If you have any questions for Josh Harris or Making Tracks, please send them to djtimes@testa.com.
SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING
In-Ear Monitors: Superb for studio apps.
IEMS & PORTABLE PA By Wesley Bryant-King & Paul Dailey
This month’s entry comes courtesy of Denver’s Wesley Bryant-King, who tests out Ultimate Ears’ In-Ear Reference Monitors, and Boston’s Paul Dailey, who takes Galaxy’s Any Sport Traveler portable PA for a spin.
DJ TIMES
JULY 2014
Ultimate Ears IEM
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If you’ve attended any concerts (or seen any concert videos) in the past 10 or 15 years, you’ve no doubt noticed that stage performers almost universally sport discrete in-ear listening devices that, under normal circumstances, one might confuse for an old-fashioned hearing aid. Used in place of the classic wedge monitors sitting on a stage floor, these devices—in-ear monitors, or IEMs for short—are also widely used by concert audio engineers, and are increasingly getting the attention of producers, musicians and engineers outside of the live performance setting. Even some DJs are trying them out. The indisputable market leader in the IEM segment is Ultimate Ears. Founded in 1995 by a touring audio engineer, it was sold some 13 years later to Logitech—the company famous for its mice, keyboards, and computer audio gear. (UE also makes a line of consumer products, including premium wireless speakers, and a non-custom, highend earbud called the UE 900s.) After an introduction at Winter NAMM 2014, I had the opportunity to evaluate a pair of UE’s “In-Ear Reference Monitors.” The company makes a variety of models at a variety of price points, intended to cover varying needs among its customer base, including the UE11 Pro (with enhanced bass, perhaps a good DJ choice), as well as the Cadillac model, the “Personal” Reference Monitors (whose audio profile and response curve can even be custom-tailored). I chose the model I did because my plan was to use them in the studio in those “your music ‘stuff’ is disturbing the rest of the family” moments. The
In-Ear Reference Monitors were developed and tuned in collaboration with Capitol Studios, and provide 26 dB of passive noise isolation, as well as a natural, percieved flat response curve that goes from an impressive 5 Hz floor all the way to 22 kHz. Each one sports three independent balanced armature transducers and two separate physical audio pathways to the ear canal. The design provides startlingly authentic reproduction. Ordering & Manufacturing: Across the line, the UE IEMs are custom-made to order, and the process begins with a visit to an audiologist to have your ear canal and outer ear molded, in much the same process as the one used for custom hearing aids. UE’s web site has an audiologist finder tool; while it’s what I used to find the audiologist I used, I did find that the data was a bit dated in some cases. (Editor’s Note: Ultimate Ears tells us that the list is being been updated.) If you decide to go for a pair, I’d also call around a bit, as pricing varied—a
lot. In the end, I selected an audiologist who’s taken impressions many dozens of times for UE IEM customers. The cost was $75 for the mold pair. The process was a bit… weird. It begins with the placement of foam “stops” deep in the ear canal, with strings attached to allow easy removal. The molding material is then injected into the ear canal, and squirted and pressed into the outer ear area. You’re then instructed to open your mouth slightly while the material cures—a process that takes several minutes. The audiologist then works the finished mold out of your ear. Mine looked like mangled pink worms. (Is that really what my ear canal looks like?) With the molds taken and mailed off to UE, I completed the rest of the ordering process. It’s high-touch, indeed… Customizations vary depending on the specific IEM model you choose, but many can be customized in colors, or with graphic overlays. You can choose your preferred cord length, and you get to customize the imprint on your metal carrying case, among other options. My order took only a couple of weeks, and was replete with timed e-mail messages from UE that went into detail about the product, and how to wear it. And that bit does take some practice—and some getting used to. The IEMs are a hard plastic, and the only way I can describe it is that they screw into your ear canal. UE’s support material explains it, but they essentially start in one position relative to your ear, and rotate about 90-degrees into place.The feeling with them in is hard to describe; my ears simply feel “full.” But after a short period of putting them in, taking them out, and using them, you rapidly get used to the process. And some of the initial discomfort I experienced largely wore-off. Performance: My assessment of my UE IEMs can only be subjective (an audio engineer with a laboratory full of gear I’m not). So let me make this succinct: They sound freakin’ amazing. The overall clarity is unlike any headphone or earbud I’ve ex-
Any Spot Traveler: Galaxy’s great sound solution.
perienced in the past, with a purity and crispness of sound that is simply startling. Since receiving my IEMs, I’ve used them in the studio, and nearly every day for just casual listening with my iPhone. I’ve also tried DJing with them. Given the price point, I can’t imagine anyone buying IEMs for casual listening, but they excel at this use-case scenario. Frankly, my digital music collection has never sounded so good. This is a dual-edged sword; suddenly, poor-quality MP3 files stand out rather like a sore thumb—as do poorly mastered tracks (which in these days of growing DIY production come up way more often than they should). But when you match a well-mastered track with the UE IEMs, the quality simply sparkles. For studio use, as expected, they were superb. Speaking of poorly-mastered tracks, I pulled-up one of my old projects that made it out of the studio in somewhat rough shape, due largely to the lack of a tuned monitoring environment for my conventional desktop studio monitors. I suddenly found it easy to isolate and fix the problems I simply couldn’t hear before. This is, frankly, where I think UE’s IEMs justify their cost very easily— it’s simply very, very difficult for the average producer or musician, working in a home studio, to properly tune their listening environment to attain accurate, flat sound. That issue is rendered moot by using IEMs (provided they are flat and even across the spectrum, as UE’s In-Ear Reference Monitors are designed to be). The only potential issue I found is dealing with the low-end. What’s easy to forget is that so much of the low-end of the spectrum is, at the end of the day, felt more than heard. While these IEMs are rated down to just 5 Hz, what you’ll actually hear depends on your aural acuity. (How much has loud music affected your hearing over the years?) Without an ability to physically feel the very lowend, I can foresee it being necessary to check a mastering project in conventional environments when you’re done with an initial pass through the IEMs. (Of course, listening to a mix in a variety of environments is always good practice.) Speaking of low-end, this is where I suspect that IEMs may struggle to get the attention of DJs, depending on the environment. In the club environment, there’s occasionally slight audio latency through the house audio system, but moreover, the pronounced physical thump of the house audio can skew perceptions during a mix. Typical DJ headphones accentuate the low-end, helping overcome some of that when trying to match beats. That could be an issue with IEMs, I suspect. While I used them for a DJ workflow, it was in the studio—not in the club—so while they were awesome, I’m not sure my results would necessarily translate to most working club DJs. Mixing
approach and style can have an influence here, too, as can the fact that big, visible headphones with over-the-ear cans are simply part of the DJ ethos that would go missing with IEMs. Conclusions: At $1,000 a pair (not including ear molds), the Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors represent a serious investment for most of us. For my money, however, it’s an investment worth making—especially for home studio producers, remixers and musicians who may not have ideal environments for desktop monitors, or who may have family members to keep happy by keeping the sound to themselves. Add in the superb sound reproduction, and utility for casual day-to-day music listening? I find myself considering a second set—this one for the studio, and the other to carry
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around pretty much everywhere else.
Galaxy Any Spot Traveler TV 8
“So excited to work with you, Mr. DJ, and thanks for agreeing to not only deliver entertainment for our event, but provide sound for our ceremony, which is being held in a field overlooking a mountain, on a hill beside a bay. And, oh by the way, there is no power out there and it is 1,000 feet away from the nearest outlet.” Last-minute changes or not, wedding Djs are often asked to provide music and amplification for the officiant at weddings, many times in places where power is not readily available. The idea of running a cord from the hall is unsightly, unsafe, and often (continued on page 42)
MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES
Doug Sandler has developed a “NiceGuy30 program.”
CAN NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST IN DJ INDUSTRY?
DJ TIMES
JULY 2014
By Stu Zimmerly
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Ellicott City, Md.—Do nice guys really finish first? DJ Doug Sandler thinks so. He’s so convinced that he’s created a business around the idea—a program called the NiceGuy30. “Thirty days is all I need to create new habits,” says DJ Doug. “Anyone willing to invest 30 days in improving themselves can accomplish this. Best of all, it’s free. I wrote a short e-book called ‘5 Biggest Mistakes Made By Sales and Customer Service.’ I’m also writing a book due out this fall, about providing award winning, exemplary service.” Before you consign this to a mere shill, know that DJ Doug has been behind the console since 1984, when he filled in for a friend working at a local bar called the Straw Boss in College Park, Md. He was 19-years old, not old enough to work in a bar, but from the moment he put on his first tune, he was hooked. “I was making $75 playing records,” he says. “I loved music, so it was an easy gig.” He was motivated by the way people danced to his tunes. “The fact that I had control over a dancefloor was magnetic for me,” he says. “I wanted more of this DJing thing and I asked my friend if I could fill in all the time. She said yes, and the rest is history.” As a bar DJ, he soon got a call from a multi-op DJ, along with calls from people that saw him playing at the bar. “The more positive vibes I brought out to the dancefloor, and the better relationships I built with the bar patrons, the more business I would get,” he says. “In the early 1990s, I connected with a few great referral sources that hired talent and they started keeping me busy most of my weekends. As I would go into venues, I’d leave my card with anyone and everyone that would take it. By doing a great job for my clients, they would refer me business as well.” DJ Doug was well on his way to career choice. By the mid-1990s, he was making a great income working the weekends, but he kept thinking that if he truly focused on being a career DJ, he could make it work. “I connected with several great sources for business, including an agency in Rockville, Md., and in 1998 I made the jump from part-time to full-time. Back in those years, I would do 110-130 gigs a year. I was cranking out gigs and getting my name known in the social circles in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.” Over the years, working the bar and bat mitzvah business in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area, the competition grew fierce. Dozens, if not 100-plus competitors in the area do what he does. “And the competition is very talented,” he says. “We run into each other a
lot. I really respect the guys that do this for a living.” He began to develop a unique selling point. “I’m a bit nerdy,” he says, “and definitely don’t have the hip-hop swagger of most of the other guys in my market. But here’s the secret: Those guys focus on the four hours of the party— period. I focus on the party as well, but I spend 12 to 18 months helping each of my clients work on a great plan for that four hours. My competition thinks it’s all about the party. Reality is, the party is important, but not as important as helping your client get to party date anxiety-free. I joke around with my clients, telling them, ‘Those guys are ver y cool and
great at what they do, but I give much better phone than they do.’ If you focus on the relationship, you will always win.” Which leads us to Nice Guys Finish First, a program developed over the last 30 years, as a way to start creating a “next step” in his life. “Don’t get me wrong,” says Sandler, “I love the party world. I would never consider hanging up my DJ rig. The money is too good, the relationships are awesome and the fun factor is huge. Nice Guys is another way for me to express myself and teach others how to create lifelong relationships.” Nice Guys Finish First mantras include: 1) Focus more on your customer
than your equipment— your customer will not care about your equipment if they love you; 2) Look for the freebies. If they are even remotely in your market or potential market, take the gig. “To this day I still do free events when everyone else runs from them. And those events always come with a future reward. Besides it’s the right thing to do.” 3) You are always “On,” regardless of who you are dealing with, a loading-dock worker, a front-desk person at the hotel you are working in or catering staffer. “Treat everyone like they are your source for your next gig.” DJ Doug has been promoting his workshop program and keynote addresses by networking with all the connections he’s made these last 30 years. He has a weekly blog and is a member of several industry associations. “My DJ clients subscribe to my blog as well, so there has definitely been a positive impact on my DJ business,” he says. “I have always run my DJ business as a business, and while I love a great party, it is extremely important to create a level of service second to none. My Nice Guy program provides an easy to follow system that has been the foundation for running my business all of these years. Invest in your clients, inspire them to take positive action and execute a plan excellently on party day. Nice guys really can finish first. Build relationships with your prospects and your customers. Get to know them and what really makes them tick. You will be amazed at how few DJs in our markets focus on the people. It’s not just about the party, it’s about the people.” Come watch DJ Doug’s “Nice Guys Finish First” seminar at the DJ Expo in Atlantic City, N.J., Aug. 11-14.
BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…
DJ TIMES
JULY 2014
Keith “K.C.” KoKoruz, owner of Keith Christopher Entertainment in Schaumburg, Ill., will be presenting “The Science of Marketing” at the DJ Expo, scheduled for Aug. 11-14 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. So, we asked KoKoruz what went into the creation of the seminar, and he gave us some insights that the program will provide for attendees. DJ Times: What is “The Science of Marketing” and how can it help a DJ business? KC Kokoruz: Marketing experts have spent millions of dollars and years of research investigating how our brain processes information. For example, 45-percent of the world thinks with the left side of their brain; 45-percent of the world thinks with the right side of their brain. One side values facts, figures, etc. One side values emotions, artistic creativity, etc. If your DJ company’s marketing and advertising comes from only a point of facts, price, insurance, etc., you won’t be as likely to attract the brides looking for the DJ who is creative, colorful, and delivers emotion in their MC skills. Once you understand how the brain processes information you can adjust your marketing to cater to both. What experiences did your company go through that prompted you to put together the program? When I started my first DJ company, I learned how to make the phone ring by trial-and-error. I found myself as passionate about creating a brand and an image as I was about filling a dancefloor and MCing in such a style that made guests scream and shout. When I started my second company, I used all of my experience as well as what I have learned by reading an endless number of books, blogs, newsletters, etc. over the years. My passion for marketing has exceeded my passion for entertaining. Our marketing materials are designed to entice a consumer just enough to form an opinion about our company and then call our office or visit our website for more information. What principles have you applied to your company that have yielded results? The biggest principle I have applied is more of a business principle, but it applies to marketing and that is the use of statistics. I measure everything. One example is that I measure the traffic on my websites using Google Analytics. It measures how many views my site gets, where the viewers are coming from, what pages were the most popular, what zip codes the viewers are located in, what operating system is being used which tells me if they are using a smart phone, tablet, or computer. Can you share some of the statistics that you’ll be presenting that make the science of marketing a compelling case? Here is one statistic that goes for all of the DJ Expo attendees: Less than 5-percent of American adults will willingly take continued education for their personal or professional growth. This means to me that the DJs who choose to invest their time and money into coming to the DJ Expo places them in the top 5-percent of the DJ industry. • Customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating for all types of content marketing, with a rating of 89-percent. • 82-percent of small business owners have said their main source of new busi-
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ness is referrals. This is simply untrue. 47-percent of people say they open an e-mail because of the subject line. Why do I like one TV commercial over another? You tend to like certain commercials based on which side of the brain that you use. If you tend to enjoy the connection of a love story highlighted in a Hallmark commercial, you think with the right side of your brain. If your eyes and ears perk up to the warranty and monthly low payment of a specific car that is being advertised, you think with the left side of your brain. Miller Lite accomplished the ability to cater to both sides years ago with their “Tastes Great Less Filling” commercials. The right-brained people enjoyed the taste and enjoyed the commercial’s comic rivalry, while the left brained enjoyed the fact that they were consuming fewer calories. Can the science of marketing be applied to Internet marketing, too? The science of marketing certainly can be applied to Internet Marketing. Let’s use color, for example. The color red is a warm and positive, associated with our most physical needs and our will to survive. Red is energizing. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action. That being said, if your product or service warrants these types of emotions, you would want your website to reflect this color to excite the buyer into purchasing from you or at a minimum requesting more pricing information. CNN, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Virgin and Disney are all brands that use the color red. What theme park is more exciting to a little child than Disney? Red Bull is an energy drink. Can the science of marketing be applied to social media? Yes. The mistake that most businesses make regarding social media is that they simply talk about themselves. The special offers that they have, the awards they have won, etc. Social Media is conversational. It is about educating and entertaining your followers. If you are a wedding DJ, not everything needs to be about your DJ company or even DJing. It should keep people’s interests by talking about wedding related topics, ideas, inspiration, etc. 69-percent of consumers are more likely to use a local business if it has information available on a social media site. Does one’s “gut feeling” still account for anything? It still counts for a lot of things, but to ignore the amount of data readily available today is simply foolish. I think a gut feeling is still in place when someone is trying to sell you something or when you are meeting with a client and you need to determine if they are as good of a fit for you as a customer as you are for them as a vendor. If you follow the statistics, however, of the last bridal show that your company participated in, you know whether there were enough brides in attendance to make the amount of money you would like to make on your investment. Your gut may tell you the place was packed, you saw advertising in a lot of places, but the statistics ultimately tell you if your gut was right or wrong. What are two key insights an attendee of the “Science of Marketing” seminar will leave with? My seminar will not tell anyone what to do. It won’t even tell you what you are doing right or wrong. It will show you marketing examples from large companies that sell billions of dollars to women specifically. It will explain the use of color, the way the brain works, the history of marketing, the difference between a marketing plan and a marketing calendar, and will give attendees a lot to think about with regard to what they are doing right and what they could improve on. Bring a pad of paper because you will want to take a lot of notes. DJ Expo is set for Aug. 11-14 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., and will present semiBy Stan Leary nars, exhibits and evening entertainment.
HOW THE SCIENCE OF MARKETING BOLSTERS YOUR BOTTOM LINE
THE BOLD SHAPE OF PERFORMANCE
M U LT I P U R P O S E S E L F - P O W E R E D S O U N D R E I N F O R C E M E N T
More than just another great JBL sound system, the new EON615 is a true step forward in technology developed specifically to deliver the best sound possible regardless of its application. Completely rethinking how truly good an affordable selfcontained, portable PA system can be, JBL engineers purposely designed and built the EON615 from the ground up featuring JBL’s advanced waveguide technology, JBL designed and manufactured transducers, and convenient, wireless remote control of its onboard DSP EQ parameters via Bluetooth. This total redesign of the EON platform leverages the latest technologies in cabinet materials, acoustic science, transducer design and user friendliness that delivers the extraordinary quality of a high-end studio monitor in a fully professional, highly flexible, easy to use, portable system for today’s working musicians and sound providers.
REVOLUTIONARY WAVEGUIDES The EON615’s extraordinary performance results from a breakthrough approach to waveguide design for both high frequency and low frequency components. The result is consistent HF and LF response and high intelligibility throughout its entire 90 degree coverage pattern. These characteristics are the foundation of high-end studio monitor sound, now available for the first time in a portable, affordable system.
BLUETOOTH CONTROL
PURPOSEFUL DESIGN
© 2014 HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
Learn more at jblpro.com/EON600
TYPICAL EON615
FLEXIBLE BACK PANEL
GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
Jumpin’ Jack Flashback ADJ Products 6122 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 582-2650 www.americandj.com The Flashback 4 from ADJ sports a retro look mixed with modern LED technology, featuring one green, one blue, one amber, and one red cluster of 36 10mm LEDs. These fourbank LED fixtures fold up into a transportable rugged hard case and, according to the company, take only 30 seconds to set up. Various top-hat mountings allow the unit to operate in freestanding, portrait or landscape positions. Features include 11 built-in programs, two operational modes, a recessed control panel and XLR sockets that allow the two fixtures to be connected.
Cross My Heart MixVibes 4 rue de la sablière 92230 Gennevilliers France +33 (0)1 58 37 33 61 www.mixvibes.com Cross DVS, a new timecode vinyl record package from Mixvibes, lets users switch to the company’s flagship Cross Mac/ PC software without changing hardware. Cross features 14 effects, two eight-pad samplers, four full-featured decks and MIDI control with more than 80 mappings. According to the company, Cross works without a soundcard, allowing it to be compatible with any existing setup. Cross DVS includes two timecode records and a license key to Cross.
Without Missing a BeatMix
DJ TIMES
JULY 2014
American Music & Sound 22020 Clarendon St, Ste 305 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (800) 431-2609 www.AmericanMusicAndSound.com
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Reloop BeatMix 2 is a plug-and-play 2-channel pad controller for Serato. The unit sports a two-mixer layout, as well as dedicated equalizer and gain dials, line faders, a crossfader, a 14.4-centimeter diameter touch-sensitive jog wheel, and 16 multi-color drum pads. Two separate FX units are each equipped with three rotaries and an endless encoder. There are also three centimeter drum pads that are used to control cue points, trigger loops, select various loop lengths, and also trigger samples.
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.
©2013 Harman International Industries, Inc.
GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
Good Day, Cerwin Gibson Corporate 309 Plus Park Blvd. Nashville, TN 37217 (800) 444-2766 www.gibson.com Cerwin-Vega added three new products to its XD Powered Desktop Speaker Series. The four-inch XD4 and five-inch XD5 desktop speakers feature ¾-inch and one-inch tweeters, respectively. They feature the company’s Vega-Bass Boost Switch, which engages an enhanced bass EQ circuit, and come housed in solid MDF wood enclosures. The eight-inch XD8s powered subwoofer ships with a remote control and features an extended bass response and high SPL.
Guiding Light iZotope 1 Kendall Square Cambridge, MA, 02139 (617) 577-7799 www.izotope.com i Z o t o p e re l e a s e d a n ew instruction guide for people wanting to learn the process of mixing recorded audio. Called “Mixing with iZotope: Principles, Tips, and Techniques,” the 70-page guide teaches users everything from how to properly set up equipment to how to work with clients. The guide focuses on different elements o f m i x i n g — i n c l u d i n g l eve l , EQ, panning, and time-based effects—and offers advice on how to tackle the vocals, drums, bass and more. “Mixing with iZotope: Principles, Tips, and Techniques” is available as a free download from the iTunes Store or the iZotope website.
Razer Burn Razer 2035 Corte Del Nogal, Suite 101 Carlsbad, CA 92011 (760) 579-0180 www.razerzone.com Razer teamed with Grammy Award-winning DJ/producer Afrojack to create the Afrojack Production Studio music app. Exclusively designed for users of the Razer Switch Blade User Interface, the app includes tips and tricks from Afrojack that guide users through the process of creating tracks from start to finish. The app also includes a project template containing samples and effects from Afrojack. The Afrojack Production Studio can be downloaded for free as part of Razer’s Synapse 2.0 software.
Mashup Potatoes
DJ TIMES
JULY 2014
Mixed In Key www.MixedInKey.com
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Mashup 2.0 software from Mixed in Key helps both Mac and PC users to beatmatch tracks and save the results to new MP3 files. The software allows you to split tracks and rearrange the segments, as well as edit volumes and EQs. Users can select and move multiple tracks at once, and also add FX using Audio Units on Mac and VST plugins on Windows. According to the company, the software creates “100-percent harmonically-compatible mashups and will eliminate key clashes.”
GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
A Rush of Blood to the Head Martin Professional 700 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy Sunrise, FL 33325 (954) 858-1800 www.martinpro.com Martin Professional expanded its line of Rush Club and DJ effects with the RUSH MH 5 Profile and RUSH DC 1 Aqua. The RUSH MH 5 moving head creates a variety of effects and colors utilizing two color wheels, a rotating three-facet prism and two gobo wheels, fixed and rotating. The RUSH DC 1 Aqua is an ultra-compact effect that features full electronic dimming, variable manual focus, variable effect speed/direction control, and five selectable colors, including open white and split color options.
25th Anniversary Moments
Paul Oakenfold & Sin City “I personally think Las Vegas is the future [of dance music in America]—I do. If you look at what Ibiza was before the laws all changed, there were a lot of beach bars and music during the day. That’s what Vegas is now. “Every hotel has reinvested in its pools. In Vegas, you’ll get there, get up and go hang out at the pool where the music’s playing. Then you change and shower, go to dinner, and then go to bars and clubs—and the clubs go ’til 4, 5, 6 in the morning. Then, there are afterparties until 9 in the morning. Then, you can literally start again. Vegas very much reminds me of Ibiza.”
– Paul Oakenfold, September, 2009
’09 int’L dJ expo issUe
AmericA’s First mAgAzine For ProFessionAl DJs estAblisheD 1988
Is There an Octa in the House? Elektron Music Machines 1340 E 6th St #632 Los Angeles, CA 90021 www.elektron.se Octa Pak 6 - Indie Dance is a sound pack custom built for the Octatrack eight-track sampler. It features pre-arranged 24 bit/44.1 kHz samples from Loopmasters that are inspired by the disco era and the sounds of the 1980s. The 376 Mb sound pack includes an Octatrack set featuring 16 built-in patterns. Additional features include 38 bass loops, 52 drum loops, 19 bass shots, five cymbals, 48 hi hats, 26 kick drums, 39 percussive hits, 61 snares and claps, 14 toms. 24 FX, 20 synth one shots and more.
september 2009
$6.95 CANADA
$4.95 Us
Paul Oakenfold takes on sin city
hoW MichaeL Jackson transforMed the dJ biz What’s LegaL? tips on Using Web MUsic Why creative visUaLization inspires dJs
Presented by
winner announced soon
n Damian lazarus n chris lake n cubase 5 n akai’s ableton controller
$4.95 Us
$6.95 CANADA
www.djtimes.com
048SE09_p001-060.indd 1
7/23/2009 8:33:37 PM
READ ENTIRE INTERVIEW ONLINE djtimes.com
GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF
Zoom In
Dynaudio-Mite
Chauvet 5200 NW 108th Ave. Sunrise, FL 33351 (800) 762-1084 www.chauvetlighting.com
TC Group Americas 335 Gage Avenue, Ste 1 N2M5E1 Kitchener, ON, Canada (519) 745-1158 www.tcgroup.tc
Chauvet released two new moving head wash fixtures, the Intimidator Wash Zoom 250 IRC and the Intimidator Wash Zoom 350 IRC. Both models are fitted with 20-watt quad-color RGBW LEDs and feature built-in auto programs with sectional control. The Intimidator Wash Zoom 250 IRC includes manual zoom for short-throw or long-throw applications, while the Intimidator Wash Zoom 350 IRC has motorized zoon control. Both are capable of wireless nonDMX control using the optional IRC-6 remote.
Dynaudio Professional announced four new near-field monitors— BM Compact mkIII, BM5 mkIII, BM6 mkIII and BM12 mkIII—and two new precision subwoofers—BM9S II and BM14S II—that have been optimized to compliment the new monitors. BM Compact mkIII and BM5 mkIII models both feature expanded frequency response and SPL. They come with an ISO-L8R 155 stand. The BM6 mkIII and BM12 mkIII have been revoiced and now include the company’s wave guide. They come with an ISO-L8R 200 stand.
Shake Your GrooveMaker 2
DJ TIMES
JULY 2014
IK Multimedia 1153 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy. Sunrise, FL 33323 (954) 846-9101 www.ikmultimedia.com
36
Native Instruments’ GrooveMaker 2 version 1.1 mobile loopbased music-making app now has adds universal compatibility for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The program features more than 3,600 loops from more than 60 collections that span such genres as house, dubstep, hip hop, techno, electro, D-n-B, trance, reggae and rock. It uses groups of 60 loops, called songs, to build grooves and gives the user “total control over the creation, mixing and remixing process,” according to the company. GrooveMaker 2 features a suite of up to 16 effects and a redesigned iOS 7 style interface.
“Keynote Q&A” Aug. 12 at
Be at The Taj on Wednesday, August 13, for DJ Expo’s annual DJ of the year competition, when the best of the best from the Mobile Nation compete in a variety of performance categories, including “DJ of the Year.” If you’re a mobile DJ/entertainer/performer & you think you’ve got the goods to compete in Atlantic City, please contact us (djtimes@testa.com) with a Subject Line reading “DJ of the Year.” Maybe you’ll take home this year’s honors!
August 11-14, 2014 | Trump Taj Mahal | Atlantic City, NJ REGISTER AT THEDJEXPO.COM /THEDJEXPO FOR
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GROOVES TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS WANKELMOODS, VOL. 2
u Waklemut u Get Physical The follow-up mix-comp to the excellent Vol. 1 delivers deep grooves and rich melodies with whispery vocals, creating some ethereal and elegant moments. But with winning entries from Booka Shade, Ian Pooley and Wankelmut himself, there’s nothing bourgeois about these beats. Addicting.
– Jim Tremayne “YOUR RULES” EP
u Edu Imbernon u Suara Imbernon is back on the kitty label, this time bringing a polyrhythmic, deep-house vocal groover and dub mix. Dubspeeka’s take outshines them both, the dancefloorready remix so wrought with tension it will have you rising and falling nonstop.
– Chris Davis
Bassnectar
Few Nolder
Edu Imbernon
ProX
Live Performance Gear
“NOBODY” u Dan K u PANM Here’s an absolutely brilliant take on a classic that many would consider “untouchable.” But Dan K pulls it off quite nicely and turns the Chaka Khan/Rufus classic into a rugged, chunky and soulful house thriller. With wicked sample arrangement throughout, all the mixes are top-notch and deserve attention. Our picks: The original, the “Gorkiz Remix” and “Sans Sommeil Remix.” Big fun, a pure dancefloor filler.
– Phil Turnipseed NOISE VS. BEAUTY u Bassnectar u Amorphous Music Lorin Ashton is back following an extended break from touring with a wildly varied excursion. With each track intended to symbolize a point along the noise spectrum, the mood vacillates from raging to esoteric after nearly song. The aptly titled “Noise” is sure to satiate bassheads everywhere, but the sexy electro-rock of “Mystery Song” proves to be the dark horse of the record.
– Chris Caruso LIFE IS EASY u Bright Light Bright Light u Self Raising/Megaforce Part DJ, producer, and singer-songwriter, the London-raised Rod Thomas spreads a year’s worth of New York City living across a cinematic set of 11 tracks. Marrying a Pet Shop Boys aesthetic with a ’90s house-diva heartbeat, tracks “Good Luck” and “Too Much” are ready for club’s peak and after hours, respectively. The trip-hop
Hercules & Love Affair
Wankelmut
DJ Tennis
influences of the Elton John feature “I Wish We Were Leaving” are perfectly counterbalanced by the glorious euphoria of post-EDM lead single, “I Believe.” Nervo
– Chris Caruso
LOCAL u DJ Tennis u Life & Death
“You Closed My Eyes” is a total standout select on this collection from DJ Tennis. The beat is hypnotic with a mellow elocution and the vocal adds a requisite amount of emotion. “Williamsburg” is the most fervent of the collection, while still maintaining a downtempo mood. “Love Child” brings it down even further, adding even more lowkey vibes. Tennis’ strengths shine through on this set of complementary tracks.
– Natalie Raben “ROAD TO RECOVERY” EP u Clarian u Turbo Recordings On his first EP for Turbo, the Montreal-based producer drops a pair of originals and accompanying remixes. The title track is a bittersweet splash of emotive deep-house featuring prominent drums and stunning ambiance—Sei A’s remix turns it into a dancefloor weapon. But “Who Are They To Judge Us” is slightly more club-ready, while still sharing similar aesthetics.
– Chris Caruso THE FEAST OF THE BROKEN HEART ...with our
BLACK on BLACK
DJ TIMES
JULY 2014
hardware option!
38
Hercules & Love Affair u Big Beat/Atlantic Records Tech-disco is in limitless supply from the third album from Andy Butler’s eclectic musical project. This outing is focused on keeping it the dancefloor pumping all night, with guest appearances from John Grant, Rouge Mary, and Gustaph. The sassy “5.43 to Freedom” is a highlight, while the gender-bending “My Offence” laces vulgarity with sizzling synth grooves.
– Chris Caruso “CLOUDS”EP u Few Nolder u Boso Check out this four-tracker of saucy, summer scorchers. Standouts include the title track with its emotive bassline and “Chall” with its celestial vibe, mind-bending effects and thumping four-to-the-floor kick.
– Shawn Christopher
CAST YOUR VOTE Win a Trip for 2 to Las Vegas for the America’s Best DJ Closing Party! t Alvin Risk t Armand Van Helden t A-Trak t Baauer t Bad Boy Bill t Bassnectar t Blake Jarrell t 3lau t BT t Carl Craig t Carnage t Cedric Gervais t Christopher Lawrence t Claude VonStroke t Crizzly t Crystal Method t Danny Tenaglia t David Morales t Dennis Ferrer t Derrick Carter t Designer Drugs t Dieselboy t Dillon Francis t Diplo t Disco Fries t DJ Bl3nd t DJ Boris t DJ Craze t DJ Creme t DJ Dan t DJ Enferno t DJ Godfather t DJ Shadow t DJ Shiftee t DJ Skribble t Dubfire t DVS1 t Erick Morillo t Faust & Shortee t Felix Da Housecat t Filo & Peri t Flosstradamus t François K t Gabriel & Dresden t George Acosta t Girl Talk t Grandmaster Flash t Green Velvet t Jazzy Jeff t Jeff Mills t Josh Wink t Just Blaze t Justin Martin t Kevin Saunderson t Kill The Noise t Krewella t Kristina Sky t Lee Foss t Louie Vega t Maceo Plex t Manufactured Superstars t Mark Farina t Markus Schulz t Marques Wyatt t Martinez Brothers t Matthew Dear t Max Vangeli t Mike Huckaby t Miguel Migs t Mix Master Mike t Moby t Morgan Page t Nicolas Jaar t Porter Robinson t Pretty Lights t QBert t Reid Speed t RL Grime t Robbie Rivera t Roger Sanchez t Roonie G t Saeed Younan t Seven Lions t Sharam t Shogun t Skrillex t Sleepy & Boo t Soul Clap t Stacey Pullen t Steve Aoki t TOKiMONSTA t Tommie Sunshine t Tritonal t Trouble & Bass Crew t 12th Planet t Vice t Victor Calderone t Wolf + Lamb t Wolfgang Gartner t Z-Trip
2007 Jonathan Peters
2008 George Acosta
2009 Christopher Lawrence
2010 Z-Trip
2011 QBert
2011 & ’13 Kaskade
2012 Markus Schulz
Inaugurated in 2006, America’s Best DJ is a competition presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times that determines the premier US-based DJ. Each year, DJ Times nominates 100 DJs, and fans can vote for their favorites from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
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DJ_Times_February_2014.indd 1
Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, 12/5/13NJ10:23 AM August 11-14, 2014
DJ TIMES
JULY 2014
IDJNOW • Holiday Ad • 4c, 4.125” W X 4.375” H • Ad Runs in DJ TIMES for NAMM 1/15/2014 • 631-585-1100 x 7460
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For print or digital go to www.djtimes.com/subscribe
MP3s in 6
Compiled As June 10, 2014
NATIONAL CROSSOVER POOL CHART
NATIONAL URBAN POOL CHART
1 Gia 2 Beyonce 3 Cher 4 Calvin Harris 5 Tiesto 6 Alina Artts 7 Engique Iglesias F/ Pitbull 8 Bimbo Jones And Beverly Knight 9 Kylie Minogue 10 DJ Cassidy F/ Robin Thicke & Jessie J 11 Jason Derulo F/ 2 Chains 12 Duke Dumont 13 VenSun 14 Beyonce 15 Pharrell Williams 16 Daft Punk 17 Katy Perry 18 Zedd F/ Matthew Koma & Miriam Bryan 19 Bastille 20 Mariah Carey 21 Ariana And The Rose 22 Naughty Boy F/ Sam Smith 23 Amy Weber F/ Sean Kingston 24 Katy Perry 25 Lady Gaga 26 Chromeo 27 Katia 28 Avicii 29 Afrojack F/ Wrabel 30 Diva Demolition 31 Jennifer Lopez 32 Malea 33 Lady Gaga 34 Havana Brown 35 Idina Menzel 36 Iggy Azalea F/ Charli XCX 37 Rita Ora 38 Neon Trees 39 Janine Berenson 40 SilverLand And Stix F/ Lankee
1 Chris Brown F/ Lil Wayne & French Montana 2 Beyonce 3 Young Money F/ Drake 4 Jhene Aiko 5 Ty Dolla $ign F/ B.O.B. 6 Trey Songz 7 Future F/ Pharrel/ Pusha T / Casino 8 KCamp F/ 2 Chains 9 Young Thug 10 Tinashe F/ School Boy Q 11 Kid Ink F/ Chris Brown 12 Jason Derulo F/ 2 Chains 13 Yo Gotti F/ Rich Homie Quan 14 Lil Boosie & Webbie F/ Kiara 15 Jay Z F/ Beyonce 16 Snootie Wild F/ Yo Gotti 17 K. Michelle 18 Future F/ Kanye West 19 Usher 20 Lil Wayne F/ Drake
Bombs Away Partition I Walk Alone Summer Red Lights Bounce I’m A Freak I Found Out Into The Blue (Remixes) Calling All Hearts Talk Dirty I Got You The Dragon Flies Blow Happy Give Life Back To Music Birthday Find You Pompeii You’re Mine In Your Bed La La La Dance Of Life Dark Horse Do What U Want Jealous (I Ain’t With It) Erase Replace Addicted To You Ten Feet Tall Can’t Wait I Luh Ya Papi Give G.U.Y. Warrior Let It Go Fancy I Will Never Let You Down Sleeping With A Friend Strong Golden
Global Groove Columbia Warner Brothers Columbia Casablanca REC Universal Radikal Warner Brothers Columbia Warner Brothers Astralwerks Sea To Sun Columbia Columbia Columbia Capitol Interscope Capitol Island Pookiebird Capitol Dauman Capitol Interscope Warner Brothers Global Groove Island Def Jam Spitfire Capitol Water Music Interscope 2101 Hollywood 19 Ent. Sony Island/Def Jam Global Groove Ryal
Most Added Tracks 1 Jennifer Lopez 2 Janine Berenson 3 SilverLand And Stix F/Lankee 4 Katy Perry 5 RPM Project F/ Eva Solas 6 Cascada 7 Neon Trees 8 Rita Ora 9 Tujamo 10 Tensake
REPORTING POOLS
I Luh Ya Papi Strong Golden Birthday Sara Blink Sleeping With A Friend I Will Never Let You Down Hey Mister Love Sublime
Capitol Global Groove Ryal Capitol Panache Robbins Island/Def Jam Sony Robbins Astralwerks
n Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller n Masspool - Saugus, MA; Gary Canavo n OMAP - Washington, DC; Al Chasen n Dj Stickyboots - Goshen, NJ; Blake Eckelbarger n NW Dance Music - Shoreline, WA; John England n Fusion Radio - Chicago, IL; Manny Esparza n MetroMix - Pittsburgh, PA; John Hohman n Pittsburgh DJ - Pittsburgh, PA; Jim Kolich n Soundworks - San Francisco, CA; Sam Labelle n New York Music Pool Levittown, NY; Jackie McCloy n Dirty Pop Productions - San Diego, CA; Drew Montalvo n WPTV-Prty 105FM Frd MdMx - New York, NY; Mike Rizzo n MOOD Spins - Seattle, WA; Randy Schlager n DJ Laszlo - Las Vegas, NV; Laszlo Szenasi n Northeast Record Pool - Revere, MA; Justin Testa n Pacific Coast - Long Beach, CA; Steve Tsepelis n DJ Mike D Adachi - Honolulu, HI; Michael Adachi n Let’s Dance - Chicago, IL; DJ Kevy 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
Loyal Partition Trophies The Worst Paranoid Na Na Move That Doh Cut Her Off Stoner 2 On Main Chick Talk Dirty I Know Show Da World Part II ( On The Run) Yayo Can’t Raise A Man I Won Good Kisser Believe Me
RCA Columbia Republic Island/Def Jam Atlantic Atlantic Epic Interscope Atlantic RCA RCA Warner Brothers Epic Trill Rock-a-fella Epic Atlantic Epic RCA Cash Money
Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5
Ne-YO F/ JEEZY Rae Sremmurd Adrian Marcel F/ Sag Jeremih F/ YG Jennifer Hudson
Money Can’t Buy No Flex Zone 2AM Don’t Tell Em Walk It Out
Capitol Interscope Republic Def Jam RCA
NEW NATIONAL LATIN DANCE POOL CHART 1. J Martin Ni Una Lagrima Mas PPE 2. Gallardo & Falcon Pegao’ (Remix) 3rd. World Music 3. Adassa Vs Don Candiani Young Love Kult Latino Music 4. Angelucho Copacabana Soy Latino Mr. Yuca 5. DJ Cubanito feat Oba Frank lords La Casa De Pepe Toy Robot 6. Enrique Iglesias feat Gente de Zona Bailando Universal 7. Don Omar Pura Vida Universal 8. David Bisbal No Amanece (Remix) Universal 9. Johnny Sky One More Night Premium Latin 10. Yvi Queen Cuando Las Mujeres (Remixes) Granda Ent. 11. Gabriel Coronel Yo Te Ame (Remix) Warner 12. Romeo Santos feat Drake Odio Sony 13. Prince Royce Te Robare Sony 14. Benavides Tu principe Azul Benavides 15. Wisin, J-Lo & Ricky Martin Adrenalina Sony 16. Chan Junior Margarita Chanson 17. Gretchen feat Gocho Tu Princesa Universal 18. Magic Juan Embrujado Top Stop Music 19. Marc Anthony Cambio De Piel Sony 20. Toby Love El Aire Que REspiro Sony
Most Added Tracks 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Muzik Juanes NG2 Froilan Jay Grupo Karis
Junkies feat Adassa Mil Pedazos Y Ahora Me Voy La Suegra La Persona Ideal
Soy Soltera Universal 360 group Bungalo/Universal Grupo 360
REPORTING LATIN POOLS n Latinos Unidos Record Pool n Salsamania Latin Record Pool n Lobo/Bass Record
Pool n Urban Tropics Music Pool n North East Record Pool n Mixx Hitts Record Pool n Ritmo Camacho Record Pool n Ritmo Internacional Record Pool n DJ Latinos Record Pool n Mass Pool n Record Pool Latino n V.I.P. Chicago Record Pool.
Carnage
(continued from page 15) Carnage: I live on the same block as 12th Planet, LA Riots, Dillon Francis—a bunch of people live in downtown L.A. We hang out, we collaborate a lot, we all hang out at 12th Planet’s house. If we go out in Hollywood, we’ll take the same cab back. DJ Times: I know you have ties to the restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill. Can you tell me about that? Carnage: They’re the homies. I just like Chipotle. Do you like Chipotle? I called my fans “The Chipotle Gang,” and Chipotle was like, “Whoa! We need to show love back to Carnage,” and they gave me a lifetime supply of Chipotle. Chipotle Gang is the best. It’s like a cult. My fans go really hard on the homemade gear. DJ Times: One of the easiest ways for DJs to gain a fanbase is through an online presence. Has that been an influence for you? Carnage: Hell, yeah! Social media is a big part of who I am. I think it’s helped me a lot. A lot of people live on that. It helps with everything—literally everything—holler at girls, get food, hit up your homies, collaborations. DJ Times: You have a new residency at Marquee Nightclub and Dayclub in Las Vegas. How is that going? Carnage: Marquee is awesome. They take care of me. I have a great night—Carnage: Black & White. It’s kind of one of those nights where you can do anything. If you want to do sexy-type shit, you can do that; if you want to get ratchet, you get ratchet. It’s on Monday nights, so it’s like an extra Saturday that Marquee has added to the week. DJ Times: You’ve been playing a lot of big shows like Marquee, not to mention the festivals like Ultra.
What is your favorite environment to play in? Carnage: The first time I ever experienced dance music at a show, it was a festival. I went to EDC, and it was life-changing. That’s why a lot of the music I do and represent is festival music. The environment with thousands of people jumping is amazing. The energy that I bring and the energy that my fans bring could make a place with 100 people feel like a festival-size environment. DJ Times: Right now, what is your priority? Producing or touring? Carnage: Producing… and touring. But I’m really trying to get back into producing. DJ Times: With touring, is it difficult to retain your focus on the production side? Carnage: It is so hard—I never knew that. I thought it would be easy. When you get home from being on the road, you don’t want to make music—you want to sleep. Some people produce on the road and the guys who do that are lucky. I used to be able to produce on headphones when I lived at my parent’s house. I used to work on music at night there. After I moved to L.A. [from Maryland], I had so much time and got used to producing on speakers, and now I’m used to that. DJ Times: People who don’t understand the DJ game often say that DJing is the easiest thing in the world. What is something that those people may not realize? Carnage: What it is, is making the set your own. You have to cater to a crowd. If the crowd’s energy is up, switch it up. If they don’t like the record, switch it up—that’s the art of DJing, you know. DJ Times: Just from the sound,
how can a listener tell they’re listening to a Carnage track? Carnage: I’m a pretty obnoxious DJ. I’m pretty fast. I like a similar style to Laidback Luke, Chuckie and Borgore. I use the microphone— I like to hype the crowd up. But I learned slowly not to talk too much. DJ Times: What do you think was the turning point that shifted
you from being an opening act to a headliner? Carnage: Determination, and putting everything on the table. Going hard and saying, “I’m going to demand these slots; I’m going to let people know that I am the headliner.” That is just the beginning. That is a process that my agent helped me with a lot, and its worked out. n
Sounding Off
(continued from page 27) untenable. Enter the Galaxy Any Spot Traveler TV 8—a battery-powered, portable PA system to the rescue. The Traveler is a versatile, self-contained system built into a handy 8-inch speaker (50 watts RMS)—complete with pole mount, retractable telescoping handle and wheels, mic inputs, a simple mixer, and CD/MP3/ USB player with wireless capabilities. The system was designed around a high-capacity battery, capable of delivering six hours of use on a single four-hour charge, and plug-in modules which allow buyers to fully customize their unit from a list of available Function Modules. Selections include wireless mic receivers (with handheld, headset and lapel options), a CD/MP3 player, and the choice of an echo/delay unit or an audio link module, which wirelessly transmits the entire audio mix from one Traveler to any number of satellite Travelers. Since all the modules are internally wired, no external patching is necessary. Simple and easy, this allows the Traveler you order to be designed to the exact specs of each customer. My Traveler arrived and I gave it a charge overnight. When I fired it up in the morning, I was surprised at not only the slew of playback options,
but at the very useable mini-EQ and mic faculties. The Sound was equally impressive, with plenty of volume and enough bass for to handle most background audio requirements with ease. I took it with me and used it as a monitor at a small party and it performed well – until the battery faded and died without warning. While a battery indicator or “timer” of some sort showing the remaining charge would have helped, I was able to plug in the unit and have it back up and running in just a few minutes with very little issue. From then on, I ensured I had a full charge the night before a gig, and never again had any issues. The Traveler sounds much better than I expected and, while its 50 watts of RMS are not enough to replace a speaker in your main set-up, the Traveler does exactly what he promises: It provides a solid option for use in locations where power is limited or where running wires would ruin the esthetics of your event. No matter the reason, the Galaxy Any Spot Traveler is an affordable option—$299 MAP for basic unit, $1,029 MAP with installed components—that would prove useful for nearly any mobile DJ. n
DJ TIMES
JULY 2014
Tiny Bubbles: Tiësto Lights It Up
42
Having a big softdrink sponsor…
Ha$ been ju$t marvelou$ for me.
What? You think I did it for the free 7 Up?
Tiësto, Next Month in DJ Times
