DJ Times January 2016, Vol 29 No 1

Which Songs Make Your “Do-Not-Play” List?

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Evening: Oliver Heldens rocks Paradiso.

Big Three: ADJ’s trio of new lights.

NOTABLES…MILESTONES NEWS

Super Strobe: Martin’s Atomic 3000 LED.

Compact: Chauvet’s MiN Laser RG.

Pixel-Mapping: GLP’s impression X4 L.

LDI ’15: HOT NEW LIGHTING FOR DJS & NIGHTCLUBS

By Jim Tremayne Las Vegas – Thousands of industry professionals descended on the Las Vegas Convention Center this past October 23-25 for Lighting Dimensions International. The leading entertainment-lighting trade show offered exhibits, tutorials and seminars and, as always, LDI saw plenty of new lighting-related products for DJ and nightclub applications.

Testa Communications titles DJ Times and ClubWorld made the visit and here’s what we found: Los Angeles-based supplier ADJ celebrated 30 years in the business and released a dozen new products at the show. They included: the WiFLY Chameleon, a compact effect unit using three 15-watt RGBA+UV LEDs, 63 built-in colors and a variable beam angle; the Revo 4 IR, a Moonflower effect that uses 256 LEDs and a concise beam angle; and the COB Cannon Wash Pearl unit, which is fitted with a quad-color (RGBA) 150watt Chip On Board LED. Related company Elation Professional debuted several new fixtures, including the Platinum FLX spot/beam/wash light, the Emotion

digital moving head luminaire, the Satura Profile LED-based CMY color-mixing moving head, and the ACL 360 Roller 4-bar, LED moving head luminaire.

Denmark’s Martin Professional, a Harman company, showed its Atomic 3000 LED, a strobe that also incorporates backlight illumination with RGB-controlled LEDs pointing into the reflector. Martin also exhibited the RUSH-MH 6 Wash, a moving head ideal for nightclubs and live events. The unit offers a fully pre-mixed color system of 12 10-watt RGBW LEDs with a 10- to 60-degree zoom. It also features full electronic dimming, strobe effects and temperature-controlled fan cooling for quiet operation.

Sunrise, Fla.-based Chauvet DJ debuted a slew of products at LDI ’15. They include: MiN Laser RG, a compact laser effect that fits in the palm of your hand, but projects red and green laser beams over an 80-degree coverage area; the EZ Laser RB and EZ Laser RGFX battery-powered compact lasers; the LX-5X LED Moonflower effect light; the Intimidator Sport 455Z IRC

180-watt LED moving head spot for larger events; the Intimidator Trio fixture—a beam/wash/effects light; and the D-Fi USB transceiver, which gives you wireless control of fixtures.

Related company TRUSST showed its CT-CS60 Crank Tower 6.0, the CT290-DLYKIT Dolly Kit, the CT290-4VH Versa Hinge, and the CT-SCX X Stand Scrim.

Sun Valley, Calif.-based GLP (German Light Products) celebrated its 20th anniversary at LDI and debuted several new products. They included: the impression X4 Bar 10 and impression X4 Bar 20, a pair of high-performance battens that incorporate 15-watt RGBW LEDs packed tightly to give a full line of light; impression X4 L fixture, which offers a pixel-mapping LED luminaire with front-beam rotation and wide

color pallet; the impression X4 XL fixture, which uses an array of 55 RGBW LEDs; and the latest version of AirDMX, a wi-fi-based DMX system that runs from an iPad. Also, GLP’s Scenex Lighting, a range of scenic LED elements, will show a full range of pixel controllable LED tapes (aka ribbon lights), which range from 32 pixels per meter, up to a high resolution of 144 pixels per meter.

Blizzard Lighting, which won the show’s Best Large Booth Design Award (along with ModTruss), debuted the Snake Eyes moving-head fixture which projects a rotating cube of light via single LED light source per side. Blizzard also showed the KRYO Morph and the Flurry Beam moving yoke lights, plus the Stiletto Z6 and Z18 LED pancake fixtures.

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Orlando – Nearly 60,000 fans partied at Tinker Field this past Nov. 6-7 for Electric Daisy Carnival. Presented by Insomniac, the Central Florida version of EDC presented top DJs like Calvin Harris, Kaskade, and Tiësto.

For more on EDC Orlando, please see Page 24.

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VOLUME 29

NUMBER 1

12 Music’s Renaissance Man

Between a Nightly TV Show, a Weekly DJ Gig & a Slew of Side Projects, Questlove Juggles It All with Aplomb, Even Joy.

BY JIM TREMAYNE

DEPARTMENTS 7 Feedback

We All Have Songs We’d Rather Avoid Playing at Our Events—Until a Guest Offers a Tip.

BY JEFF STILES

26 Making Tracks

28 Sounding Off

Highlights from Central Florida’s Electric Daisy Carnival

BY ALIVE COVERAGE/INSOMNIAC

Novation’s Launchkey

30 Mobile Profile

24 EDC Orlando ’15

Cakewalk’s Rapture Pro

Post-Stroke, Milwaukee DJ Returns

32 Business Line

16 LinkedIn Tips for DJs

34 Gear

New Products from PreSonus, JBL Pro & More

38 Grooves

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

4

SAMPLINGS 8 Claptone Mystery Man

10 In the Studio With…

The Juan MacLean

Phat Tracks from Pan-Pot, Crookers & More

40 DJ Times Marketplace

Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies

41 Club Play Chart

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

Cover Image by Ben Watts. Contents Image By Artchick Photography.

20 Do Not Play

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

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FROM THE EDITOR

Stalking Questlove

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

A decade ago, I visited Seattle to report on the 2005 Red Bull Music Academy. Having sat in for a few RBMAs over the years, I can tell you that the event’s tutorials, presented by a variety of top music-makers, usually hold its cadre of hand-picked students in rapt attention. Indeed that was the case in Seattle, but easily the best thing we caught that weekend was a session with Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.

For almost the entire hour, Quest offered an impassioned dissertation on the merits of J. Dilla, the seminal beatmaker whose passing six month prior was obviously still on his mind. By the time he finished up explaining how and why Dilla’s work would be with us forever, any student unfamiliar with his music surely ran to the nearest laptop to get an earful. Quest’s spiel was that inspiring.

Later that night, I joined the RBMA students at a Capitol Hill venue to hear Questlove spin—and we got another dose of Dilla’s timeless music, in addition to a well-paced succession of dancefloor bombs. By the time I made it back to my hotel that night I decided that DJ Times should feature Questlove on an upcoming cover.

As I said, that was 10 years ago and for a variety of reasons too boring to discuss beyond the realm of the publishing industry, it certainly didn’t happen as soon as I would’ve liked. Nonetheless, we’ve finally cornered Mr. Thompson—thank you, Carleen Donovan—and, as luck would have it for him and for us, a lot of exciting things have happened since our first meeting… so all the more to discuss. For the mainstream culture, Quest’s group The Roots became Jimmy Fallon’s television house band for The Late Show and now The Tonight Show. But for DJ Times readers, Questlove further became a respected DJ in his own right. When he’s not sitting on a drum throne holding his Vic Firth sticks, Quest spins plenty of high-profile events and, for the past several months, we’ve been visiting his “Bowl Train” Thursday-night residency at Brooklyn Bowl. It’s unpredictable fun, just the way a proper residency should be. From the interview, we hope you enjoy his insights on music and the DJ scene. I can’t say this about every subject I’ve covered, but interviewing Questlove was more like a bar conversation—very comfy, very fluid, loaded with cultural and musical signposts that were always threatening to help push the topic in any number of directions. Simply put, very few exude Questlove’s kind of genuine joy when discussing music. He’s living his life’s dream, so why not?

Also, on the music side, we bring snapshots from Central Florida’s Electric Daisy Carnival Orlando, one of the year’s last big electronic-dance-music festivals. For the Sampling section’s “In the Studio” entry, Boston-based Duanny Medrano interviews John MacLean to discuss how he created “A Simple Design,” The Juan MacLean’s latest single—and check the tune’s remix package on Defected. Also, our Chris Caruso connects with mystery-man producer Claptone. Remember, he is Claptone and his main instrument is his mind.

From our gear-review sections, Denver-based Wesley Bryant-King handles the 49-note, MK2 version of Novation’s Launchkey keyboard controller in Sounding Off. Meanwhile, St. Louis-based Josh Harris runs Cakewalk’s Rapture Pro virtual synth through its unique paces.

From the world of the mobile entertainer, Iowa-based Jeff Stiles asks North American DJs which songs they’d very much prefer not to play. Then, he asks what it would take for them to break down and play them. In Business Line, we provide 16 tips for DJs looking to maximize their LinkedIn experiences. And for our Mobile Profile, we meet Milwaukee’s Brian Redd, who explains how he returned to his business and began to thrive after suffering a debilitating stroke. Obviously, there was plenty of perseverance, but he also got by with a little help from his friends.

With Winter NAMM on the immediate trade-show horizon (Jan. 21-24, 2016, in Anaheim, Calif.), we wrap up the ’15 convention calendar with our report from Sin City on LDI. While in Las Vegas at America’s top entertainment-lighting show, we caught plenty of debuts for the DJ and nightclubs sectors. Stay tuned for the February issue for a full preview of all DJ-related NAMM notables.

6

Cheers,

Jim Tremayne, Editor, DJ Times

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

art director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com

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assistant editor Chris Caruso ccaruso@testa.com chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Jody Amos Joe Bermudez Wesley Bryant-King Ally Byers Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Reed Dailey Chris Davis Tommy D Funk Michelle Fetky Josh Harris Greg Hollmann Robert LaFrance Michelle Loeb Evan Maag Duanny Medrano Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Natalie Raben Scott Rubin Deanna Rilling Jeff Stiles Reisa Shanaman Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO ORDER SUBSCRIPTIONS, CALL 800-937-7678 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.djtimes.com

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DJ Times (ISSN 1045-9693) (USPS 0004-153) is published monthly for $19.40 (US), $39.99 (Canada), and $59.99 (all other countries), by DJ Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 110503779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, NY, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DJ Times, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767 Design and contents are copyright © 2016 by DJ Publishing, Inc., and must not be reproduced in any manner except by permission of the publisher. Websites: www. djtimes.com and www.testa.com January 2016

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FEEDBACK

hop song; then you discover that this is where the sample came from. But with Dilla, you’re like, “What the hell?

I have that record, but I don’t remem‑ ber that part there!”

But Dilla would be like, “That’s a ‘Can‑ nonball’ Adderley sample for Slum Village’s ‘Hold Tight.’” But that’s one from an18-minute song and the sample doesn’t kick until maybe the

15-minute mark—and it’s so slow and spread out, you need to have the patience of Job to get into it.

So I’m like, “How did you hear those chords in this song? I hear it, but it didn’t hit me like… eureka!” He’s like, “Hmmm, I don’t know. Sometimes I struggle.”

I watched him struggle with the sam‑ ple for which Q-Trip’s “Breath & Stop”

belongs to. He listened and listened for about six hours, and gave it to me.

Then about five weeks later, he made it. I’ve never seen someone just listen like that, just spend a day listening.

But to watch him was an inspiration.

I know it’s been 10 years since his passing, but I’m not yet ready to spin a Dilla tribute set. It’s still too raw. I’ll just start crying.

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 question that is not asked.

As mentioned in the Editor’s Letter, we were really drawn to Questlove by way of a tutorial he gave to the Red Bull Music Academy a decade ago.

We were familiar with much of his musical work already—we’d listened to The Roots’ terrific records in the ’90s and seen them play at Moby’s Area:One Tour in 2001. But to hear him go on about his musical pas‑ sions—like the musical brilliance of his late friend J. Dilla—it’s enough to light up a room. It’s no wonder he’s one of America’s go-to guys for al‑ most any music-related documentary.

He offers both encyclopedia knowl‑ edge and unending enthusiasm.

So, as you might imagine, the cover story had plenty of overrun—even though we couldn’t discuss every project that involved him—but we saved this one bit dedicated to the legendary beatmaker and we present it to you uncut.

DJ Times: Tell me about how Dilla impacted you?

Questlove: I know that technology’s making it hella easy for anybody to be a DJ, but there were even lessons that I had to learn. I’ll be honest with you… that that it didn’t even sink in until my thirties. When I met J. Dilla, he did something that just totally blew my mind: He sits and listens to re‑ cords. And watching him work, that taught me patience.

You know, when producers dig, they’ll cop the records and skip, skip, skip, skip, skip across the vinyl, listening to bits. Then later you hear some hip-

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In the age of smartphones, Wikipedia and TMZ, there’s nothing that can still be classified as a true mystery. An exception to the rule? Enigmatic DJ/producer Claptone.

Clad in a magician’s garb and a now-iconic gold mask, the entity is all but an intangible representation of late-night grooves and shadowy nightclub figures. No name, no gender, and no identifying features of the nocturnal creature have ever been confirmed, even to members of Claptone’s own management team.

Despite the complete shroud of secrecy that surrounds the persona, there are a few facts about Claptone that we do know. A string of releases on Germany’s Exploited label gave rise to the being’s prominence in recent years, all of which culminated with a Beatport No.1 remix of Gregory Porter’s “Liquid Spirit” earlier in 2015.

Most recently, the house maestro laid out a debut album so full of personality that it’s easy to assume that you may even know the being itself. Meshing together quirky house beats with indie-rock vocalists, Charmer represents the intriguing intersection of instantly accessible hooks and an underground dance aesthetic. We tracked Claptone down to crack into the man behind the mask and find out what goes into creating one’s first artist album.

DJ Times: The “Liquid Spirit” remix seemed like a huge “coming out” moment for you. Did you expect any of its widespread success?

Claptone: No, I didn’t expect the impact it had at all.

An interesting fact about this remix is that I turned down an offer to remix the track in late 2013 because I didn’t feel I could do the original justice, as I love Gregor y›s work. In 2015, I was approached again and managed to find a way to translate “Liquid Spirit” into a house record in a way I was pleased with.

DJ Times: What sort of opportunities arose from it?

Did you feel any pressure to try and create a follow-up?

Claptone: I don’t see myself primarily as a remixer of other people’s work. My debut album Charmer is my main focus at the moment. This is an

CLAPTONE: MYSTERY MAN

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

SAMPLINGS

album in a classic sense; you can lean back and listen through. With vocal features by many indie acts like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Peter, Björn and John, Nathan Nicholson of The Boxer Rebellion, as well as character artists like Jimi Tenor and Jay-Jay Johanson, you’ll easily fall under its spell. But I made sure all the single tracks can be played in the club, too, in their long, Beatport versions. Don’t get me wrong, I still like doing remixes—and with offers from Disclosure, Duke Dumont, and Rudimental, you can’t say no, can you?—so there will be more Claptone remixes in the future.

DJ Times: When/why did the idea of a full-length artist album come about?

Claptone: The idea of making an album came right after the success of “No Eyes” with the impeccable JAW of dOP. This song was laid out as a B-Side in 2013 and became bigger and bigger in the clubs—even though it had a full vocal on top. This gave me the confidence to think about making an album that works in the club, but is also a real album and not just a compilation of club tracks.

DJ Times: Was there an idea that guided the recording of the album?

Claptone: The first step I took after writing some instrumen-

tals that I felt would define the sound of Claptone was personally contacting people whose music I have enjoyed over the last decade. I wrote about 100 emails and talked to the vocalists I wanted involved. To me, it was very important to get the performers I was inspired by, the singers that managed to touch me with their music over the years.

DJ Times: The sonic textures of the album feel very organic and eclectic. What inspired the sounds and instrumentation?

Claptone: I am Claptone, and if you split my name in two and then perform it, you know why the album sounds organic. It’s the human touch that I’m after. The organic sound reflects my personal emotional involvement when creating the music, as well as my efforts to evoke emotions within the recipient. I don’t employ a ghost producer; I am the ghost myself, a real ghost. I am eclectic because I love music in general, and for me the separation into genres is not as important as my personal taste, which separates music that resonates with me from music that just doesn’t.

DJ Times: What sort of gear did you create the album with?

Claptone: My main instrument is my mind. Everything starts with an idea about rhythm and melody. I develop a groove until I have a beat that speaks to the body. Funk and soul are ingredients I don’t want to miss out on. Chords and melodies have to make me feel; they have to matter to me on an emotional level. On the technical side, less for me is more. I try to limit myself as much as possible to stay inventive.

DJ Times: What are some challenges of keeping things exciting and fresh over the span of 13 tracks, especially when compared to creating singles or shorter EPs? Claptone: The album gives me the opportunity to expand the sonic frontiers of what Claptone sounds like beyond the club world, beyond the world of EPs that cater solely to the DJ and the dancer. The main challenge is to keep the flow of an album, which order of tracks allows each song to breathe and have impact keeping an eye on the overall arc. The attention span of listeners today is much shorter, so you need to stay musically exciting within your musical realm. It’s one of the most exciting things I ever created.

DJ Times: With the album completed, what’s next for Claptone project-wise?

Claptone: I’ll clear my mind and hard drive; probably doing some club tracks and remixes and mentally preparing for a new approach towards a second album. But not even I know what the future brings.

– Chris Caruso

IN THE STUDIO

THE JUAN MACLEAN: A SIMPLE DESIGN

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

The Juan MacLean: (from left) Nancy Whang & John MacLean.

10

John MacLean isn’t much for trends. In fact, if you talk to the DJ/producer behind The Juan MacLean, he’ll tell you that his music is more about dance-music basics (Chicago house/Detroit techno) than umlauted fads (ahem, Nü-Disco).

So, after many well-received releases on New York’s DFA label, including the 2014 full-length In a Dream, the group’s latest single “A Simple Design” recently got a back-to-basics, remix release on London’s Defected Records. Fronted by Nancy Whang, the punchy cut enjoys tight new mixes from Purple Disco Machine and Jesse Rose—they join a package with the original track and Deetron’s buzzy remix.

We caught up with MacLean just as the single hit retail.

DJ Times: When making your tracks, especially “A Simple Design,” what gear do you use in the studio?

MacLean: I mostly use external hardware and synths, though I do use a bunch of stuff in the computer as well. I’m not really a purist. I just happen to have access to a lot of nice pieces of external equipment. On “A Simple Design,” the main riff in the song was done on an old [Sequential Circuits] Prophet-5. There’s also a lot of [Roland] SH-101, and the bassline is actually an ARP 2600. I suppose that song is a paradise of collectable synths!

DJ Times: How would you describe your sound?

MacLean: Something along the lines of “classic.” I like dirtier sounds and classic synths. I also like using live drums or some sort of live percussion, which

again gives it a bit of an oldschool feel.

DJ Times: And your DJ gear?

MacLean: I prefer to play vinyl. Again, I’m not some kind of purist—it simply works for me. The main reason is that I find that it keeps me more engaged in the process of DJing. I feel like you have to be more involved in the mix when playing vinyl. Also, it narrows down my music-buying options significantly, which is helpful for me.

D J T i m e s : Yo u ’ve b e e n stamped as a disco DJ—why?

MacLean: Because in the beginning of DFA, that’s what ever yone else was playing.

[DFA co-founder] James Mur-

phy spent a lot of time playing mainly old disco. I guess it was just easy to think that’s what I would be doing as well. I love disco, of course, but I’ve never been a disco DJ. The truth is I’m not a very good classic-disco DJ. I try to mix too much!

DJ Times: Any thoughts about the current EDM scene in the U.S.?

MacLean: It has nothing to do with me. It’s like asking me what I think of country music.

It’s not my world. I like dance mu s i c , a n d n o n e o f t h a t i s dance music. It’s festival music for young people. I like dirty, dark, late-night clubs that have a continuous groove that doesn’t change for 10 hours.

DJ Times: What reward do you find in DJing?

MacLean: The reason I DJ is because it is my favorite thing to do in all of life. I love the music, and I love the process of DJing. I also love finding new records, making the rounds at Hard Wax [in Berlin] or Phonica [in London]. I’m not concerned with gaining more fans.

I am terrible at social media—I just don’t have the motivation. I don’t really aspire to play bigger and bigger clubs because I love playing classic rooms with a history and a vibe. I’ve never been interested in prostituting myself or changing what I do to suit the times. I watch people come and go—they get big for a couple of years and then disappear. Chasing trends offers a short-term victory at best. I’ve always been interested in sticking around for the long haul because this is what I love. It’s the reason I stay alive.

DJ Times: What would you say to aspiring DJ/producers?

MacLean: Don’t get involved in this business unless you feel an overwhelming drive to do it based in your passion for music.

You should only do it if you feel like there is nothing else in the world you want to do.

– Duanny Medrano

Re

By Jim Tremayne

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

Photos by ArtChick Photography

12

New York City – By now, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson has become accustomed to attention, not to mention a frenetic pace.

With his iconic hair-pick jabbed into the side of his prodigious ’fro, which adds a few inches to his formidable 6-foot-4 frame, Questlove stands as recognizable as almost any athlete, actor or politician. At this point, he’s solidly enmeshed in America’s pop-culture fabric, perhaps as much as any modern musician not named Taylor Swift. But, of course, that’s what happens when you’re on national television five nights a week.

Indeed, since his group, The Roots, became Jimmy Fallon’s house band for NBC’s Late Night in 2009 and then The Tonight Show in 2014, life has gotten even more hectic. But, if you read his 2013 memoir, Mo’ Meta Blues:The World According to Questlove, wherein he details his youthful travels with his touring-musician parents, it’s easy to see why all of the work doesn’t overwhelm him. He’s literally been trained for it.

Obviously a precocious kid, he was navigating the family road map as a 1st grader, then operating the show’s lighting not long after that. He was DJing by the 6th grade and playing drums in dad’s band by 12. His first gig was at Radio City Music Hall. Pressure? What pressure?

Eventually, he began to make a notable career in music. As the drummer/band leader for The Roots since its 1987 inception, Questlove has seen his profile rise in a number of ways. Initially, the Philadelphia-based group—co-founded with MC Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter—gained notice as the slightly out-of-step hip-hop band pushing the political or philosophical, never appropriating the gangster lean of the moment. Fourteen albums later, The Roots continue to tour and record—occasionally with artists as wide-ranging as Elvis Costello, John Legend or Jay-Z. As a member of the neo-soul/alt-hip-hop collective The Soulquarians, Questlove helped produce a number of

enaissance

gold- and platinum-selling albums for D’Angelo, Common, Erykah Badu and Slum Village between 1999 and 2002. A walking encyclopedia of pop music, he’s shown up on musical documentaries of all genres—flip on VH-1 and you’ll see him at some point.

As a DJ, he started getting hired to play special events, high-end corporates, even some celeb weddings. In 2009, he began a DJ residency at Brooklyn Bowl called “Bowl Train,” a cheeky take on Quest’s enduring love for the seminal Soul Train TV show.

In early 2015, DJ Times started staking out Questlove. We didn’t realize it would take so long to actually connect—after all, he’s a busy man. But for the first nine months of the year, we caught a half-dozen Brooklyn Bowl shows, a Red Bull Guest House spot in Miami Beach during Winter Music Conference week, and innumerable TV appearances, including The Grammy Awards Show and the Super Bowl Halftime Show. And quite coincidentally, we even saw a cameo at a summer rock show, with The Roots sitting in with U2 for “Angel of Harlem” at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Eventually, we sat down with him at 30 Rock in Midtown Manhattan before and after a taping of The Tonight Show. Despite a schedule as harried as any campaigning politico and a TV show that imposes its own unique pressures, Questlove remained upbeat and magnanimous, posi-vibes all around. Above all, he just seemed happy to talk music—admittedly, his life’s addiction. But if Questlove is any measure, we should all find such joyful habits. It all went like this:

Between a Nightly TV Show, a Weekly DJ Gig & a Slew of Side Projects, Questlove Juggles It All with Aplomb, Even Joy.

DJ Times: What drew you to DJing?

Questlove: If anything, I think, I was always one. I took the backwards route to get to it because as a kid my parents found that it was easy to subdue me—not with a pacifier or games, but with anything that rotated. Anything that spun I was drawn to.

DJ Times: Grandmaster Flash had a similar story.

Questlove: Really? So, from me you’d get absolute silence. At one point, they were worried because I’d go to the record player and watch it rotate, but there wouldn’t be music playing. I was also obsessed with label design. A lot of my go-to records, at least until the age of 10, were definitely based on how I liked the design and the logo, the label rotating. If I didn’t like the label, I wouldn’t give it a chance.

DJ Times: You were traveling with your parents, who were working musicians, so your introduction to music was different from most.

Questlove: I spent a lot of hard time in my dad’s band organization. When I was six, I was doing navigation for gigs. When I was eight, I was doing lights in nightclubs. Now you can’t get into clubs because they’re strict about being 21, but back in the ’70s… [laughs] I was climbing ladders, cutting gels, working the booth. And some clubs were a little weird about me being in there at 1 a.m., so they’d let me hide in the DJ booth.

DJ Times: Did you go through the records?

Questlove: Well, there was a place called Cahoots nightclub in Valley Forge, Pa., and that was the first place I saw a setup – Technics 1200s, the records, the whole thing.

This was 1977.

DJ Times: So, a Bozak mixer?

Questlove: Yeah, definitely, it was the first model. And occasionally, the DJ would let me suggest which record to play. “Hey, man, play ‘Knock on Wood’ by Amii Stewart,” that kind of thing.

DJ Times: Deep in the disco era there.Tell me about the Philly DJs you grew up with.

What was that scene like?

Questlove: During the early ’80s, most Philadelphia areas had a lot of block parties.

Luckily, I lived in the area where a lot of pioneering DJs were. There was a crew called Astro Funk and they would throw neighborhood parties. Occasionally, Jazzy Jeff would play block parties. There was a promoter in Philadelphia named Bobby Dance and he was a pillar, the standard that you, as a DJ, wanted to reach. But he threw a lotta lotta lotta parties I wasn’t allowed to attend.

DJ Times: What about radio?

Questlove: Radio was also an important factor. Lady B had a show on WHAT-AM. That’s where I first heard Cash Money, Jazzy Jeff and DJ Cheese. Philly was well-represented in getting its fill of hip-hop culture, unlike other major cities where it was like an underground, covert operation happening. You had to mail tapes. Like my Down South cousins, I mailed tapes to them, things I recorded from the radio on weekends, commercial radio and college radio.

Producers: Questlove’s Faves for DJing

1. Dr. Dre. “For a club sound system, very effective. At first, I didn’t like The Chronic—too clean, like modern radio. But it’s almost unfair how clean and superior Dr. Dre’s mixes are . ‘Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)’ isn’t even my favorite Snoop song or Dre production, but that song will stand the test of time.”

2. Quincy Jones.

“Sounds cliché to say it, but it’s true. His productions, with Bruce Swedien’s engineering, are just very clean, very precise.”

3. J. Dilla. “For personal reasons, it’s hard for me to play too much of him— his passing is still too raw.

But I love the way his music charges me and, sonically, it’s still awesome.”

DJ Times: So, as a drummer, someone who comes from a more traditional musical background, what was it about those DJs that you found impressive?

Questlove: I really didn’t get that curious about it because the music was always blaring.

You could hear it from all corners of my house. I’d be on my porch and be immersed in it.

Then, one day, my cousin and I were almost about to have a fistfight over “Rapture.” You know that part that goes “Flash is fast,” right? He starts cutting it up on my dad’s turntable and I’m like, “Yo! We’re going to get in trouble!”

DJ Times: Like, do you know how much those car tridges cost?

Questlove: Right! So, he was trying to explain to me, “Yo! That’s how the record goes and when it gets to this part, he brings the record backwards.”

I didn’t believe him, but about two weeks later, I think Cosmic Kev was spinning on the block, playing “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel.” That paralyzed the shit out of me. I couldn’t believe what I heard. That’s when I first ran across the street.

DJ Times: So what was it about that record that flipped your lid?

Questlove: Sonically, I just

DJs: Questlove’s Inspirations

1. DJ Jazzy Jeff.

“Hands down, my No. 1.

He’s a perfectionist. I’ve never, ever heard a cleaner DJ. His timing is perfect.”

2. DJ AM. “He really had the biggest influence on me, in terms of range.

Saw him at a Super Bowl party in ’04 and I’d never seen anyone cross genres like that, and he made it sound so fluid. He taught me to connect the dots between Miles Davis and Benny Goodman, Jose Feliciano and Stevie Wonder, Public Enemy and Snoop, like, you should be able to travel through 80 years of music.”

3. Gary Dove & Cosmic Kev (tie). “Gar y was my grandma’s nextdoor neighbor and I’d always hear him practicing. I learned a lot about music from, say, ’76 to ’81. Got my DJ education on a lot of the disco stuff, Giorgio Moroder, things like that.

Cosmic Kev was kind of Philly’s Funkmaster Flex— just a really clean, street DJ. His cuts were precise and I patterned my style after him.”

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didn’t know you could do that. Instantly, it became an invitation to flirt with punishment. I mean, I had half those records [from Flash’s mix]. I had “Good Times.” I had “Another One Bites the Dust.” I had “Rapture.” I had “Monster Jam.” I had “Freedom” and “8th Wonder.” I had everything, but “Apache.”

DJ Times: Punishment?

Questlove: One day, I had to wait until my parents were gone and I had to get out my mono Radio Shack turntable. My dad also had a mono Radio Shack turntable and I had to put four records on top of it just to scratch it. That’s how I would practice. And I had a good half-hour before my sister came home to snitch on me…

DJ Times: But no mixer?

Questlove: No mixer and, for the life of me, I couldn’t figure it out. I thought, “Oh, maybe it’s three turntables!” So I had a Fisher-Price turntable in the basement and it took me the whole summer of 1981, but I mastered it. I was able to do that mix with no mixer, just three turntables, and cheating on “Apache” by using his version. After that, I’d ask dad, “Hey, if there’s turntables in here, can I DJ as well between sets?”

DJ Times: You mean when they were touring?

Questlove: Yeah, normally, they’d do five sets and, in between them, they’d usually throw on a tape. So, maybe at 11, I’d begin DJing in between sets and that’s pretty much what got me into it.

DJ Times: So you went out on got some gear at some point?

Questlove: Not really, no gear. I tried to do residencies between 1987 and 1994.

The “Throwback Culture” was starting to creep into clubs, things like Groove Collective and Giant Step events—that was coming to Philly via King Britt. So, King started the Back 2 Basics party about 1989 or ’90.

DJ Times: How’d he help?

Questlove: Somehow I gained the trust of King and thought, “Oh, King will let me do a half-hour.” But in order to kill it and earn respect, I needed a place to practice. So, unbeknownst to my parents, I would go to neighborhood bars in West Philly and they would let me play on their set-up and practice. At that time, I was selling insurance to pay for demos and I’d get home at 2 a.m., but sometimes I’d get home at 10 p.m. So that’s how I earned their respect.

DJ Times: Were you spending all your money on records?

Questlove: Absolutely. Actually, when I first heard “Wheels of Steel,” pretty much every day, my goal was to ask 30 people for 10 cents, because back then records cost about $2.99 each—or $3.17 with tax. I was in the 6th grade and that’s how I built my collection.

DJ Times: What were you buying?

Questlove: Sugar Hill, Trouble Funk, Grandmaster Flash, a lot of Enjoy Records.

And Philly was well-represented in the breakbeats. I didn’t understand that my dad’s record collection was legit until 1987-88, when hip-hop became “name-that-tune.” So

it was like, “Oh, I can spin this Bill Withers record?”

DJ Times: You talk a lot about your family’s record collection and how that informed everything that you do now.

Questlove: I grew up in a house with three very distinct record collections, not to mention that they had to collect music for work.

DJ Times: Your sister was into ’70s rock music, right?

Questlove: Exactly, and dad was into a lot of vocal stuff, any Brill Building-era stuff. He liked vocalists—he liked Streisand.

Then my mom was probably closest to me. If she were closer to my age, she would’ve been a crate-digger. She was strictly judging on design and how they looked. She was a big fan of, like, Mati Klarwein, who did the cover to Bitches Brew, things like Santana and Buddy Miles. My sister was trying to socially fit in her school situation. Her music tastes reflected what her girlfriends liked, go with the flow...

DJ Times: Well, in the ’70s, radio could be pretty diverse. You’d put on a pop station and you might hear Willie Nelson next to Tavares or something…

Questlove: Right, right— that’s what was going on, so it was about collecting all the pop 45s. So, even by the time I was (continued on page 40)

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According to Arizona wedding DJ Robert Starkey, he will never play “Watch Me (Whip/NaeNae)”… even if a gun were held to his head.

“I played it one time for a four-year-old’s birthday party at the request of the birthday girl,” recalls Starkey of Havasu Entertainment in Havasu City. “It was then requested again at another public function by another child, and I told the parent I would see if I had it—but still didn’t play it, even though I did have it.

“The parent didn’t know any better. I refuse to play that song at any public event; no money can pay me to play that song in public.”

But he’s not the only DJ who has contempt for a particular song. Just ask Brendan Fitzgerald of Rhythm Makers DJs in Tampa, Fla. “I don’t know,” he muses, “but every time I have to play ‘Hit the Quan’ [by iHeart Memphis] a little piece of me dies on the inside.”

Adds John (DJ Double J) White of Dubuque, Iowa, “‘Wobble’ [by V.I.C.] is another one that sucks, along with the ‘Cupid Shuffle’ [by Cupid].”

In fact, the desire to not have our ears (or those of our guests) exposed to certain songs or artists or genres is even felt among party audiences.

“If I was a DJ, no amount of payola would be enough for any songs by Celine Dion, the Princess of Wails,” says non-DJ Rod Langum, of Concord, Calif.

I’m sure we all have those types of tunes in our non-play list, songs that remind us of a fingernail scraping down a chalkboard, or that we might even refuse to play, based on our own private standards.

So, we asked DJs from all over North America: Which songs would you absolutely refuse to play?

Otherwise, at a private party, do we accept financial incentives if someone asks you to play their song next?

How do we determine which requests we honor at a gig? Do we take requests? Other than at a private function (wedding reception, birthday party, family reunion, etc.), are there times when we would absolutely refuse to ever play something?

Earlier this year, an 18-year-old was arrested for threatening those party-goers with a gun—merely because the DJ at a house party would not play his song request. And according to magneticmag.com, a DJ in India was shot to death earlier this year after refusing to play a song at a birthday party.

Over in Lansing, Mich., Corey Vowels of Beagle Mobile DJs says playing a request largely depends on how well it will impact the dancefloor—though if a song is requested often enough he’s likely to break down and play it.

“For example, in my part of Michigan ‘The Electric Boogie’—even if it’s requested—clears the dancefloor,” says Vowels. “I can play ‘The Macarena’ and every other group song will work, but in my years of DJing I’ve grown to detest that particular song.”

In fact, Vowels says ‘The Macarena’ has been a strange issue for him for years. “I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone on this one, because it’s always been on the top playlists nationwide,” he says. “But in the end, if any song is requested enough, I’ll play it because that’s what I’m there for.”

Because after all, Vowels says, even a seemingly odd request can sometimes actually pack a dancefloor. “About a year and a half ago, I had a person ask me to play ‘In the Air Tonight’ by Phil Collins, and I gave them that ‘Seriously?’ look. But after some investigating, it was a song they all loved, so I played it.

“I can’t let my feelings about any song—even if

DO NOT PLAY WE ALL HAVE SONGS WE’D RATHER AVOID PLAYING AT OUR EVENTS—UNTIL A GUEST OFFERS A TIP.

BY JEFF STILES

JANUARY 2016

DJ TIMES

it’s offensive to me—play any part in my programming decision.

Although if a song will not work, and I know it won’t work, it will take the person who hired me to play it, or have a real good reason explain why I have to play a certain song.”

Because in the end, explains Vowels, if any tune clears the dancefloor it’s his fault, not the fault of the one requesting it. “For example, I would not play a lot of songs I normally would play at a kids party,” he says, “or for a crowd I know would be offended by a certain song.”

Adam Tiegs of Adam’s DJ Service in Seattle, Wash., says he typically has a really good idea of what his clients want musically, especially for weddings.

“I do my best to help create a soundtrack that not only conveys the bride’s and groom’s interests, but their family and friends as well,” says Tiegs. “One of the suggestions I give to my clients is to ask their guests for specific input ahead of time on their RSVP cards: ‘Songs You Will Dance To.’ Otherwise, I tell them I’m going to mix random tunes based on the crowd’s energy and take requests on the fly—of course, keeping them within the clients’ overall parameters.

“I really can’t stand playing the same song twice in a night, so sometimes I’ll play a different remix or edit if that comes up. I’m

not a big fan of modern rap for some reason, or really old country for that matter, but I love and appreciate all music for the most part. I’ll play whatever gets the crowd going and gets me going.”

As for overall requests, Tiegs says he would play for free any songs he knows for a fact guests will dance to.

For line dances, if someone really, really wants it, he’d maybe request a monetary tip, along with requests for playing a song next (especially if it sucks).

Then again, he admits there are times when he would absolutely refuse to play certain songs. “For example, if I’m at a wedding and grandparents and kids are on the dancefloor jamming to some disco and rock-n-roll and a very drunken friend of the groom steps up and asks if I can play some E40 and is swearing at me and wants to fight, I’ll turn off the music and get on the mic to ask my client to remove this guy from my area.

“But otherwise, I love most music, so I’m happy to work in a good, positive, fun, upbeat, awesome song if someone wants to hear it. But when someone just wants you to play something to look stupid, or to hear a song they know nobody else will appreciate, I won’t play it.”

The same goes for Canadian DJ Ken Bromley of Sound Choice Entertainment in St. Catharines, Ont., about five minutes north of Niagara Falls.

“Yes, anything inappropriate for the event,” Bromley says. “As an example, I would never play a 2 Live Crew or any Screamo crap at a wedding, regardless of the number of requests. After all, it only takes one offended guest or venue employee and a DJ may lose many, many gigs in the future, and I’m not willing to take that risk.

“Although if it was at a private party, such as a bachelor or stag party, with no children present, I may loosen the reigns a bit, and I would never charge for a request.”

Bromley, who has been DJing for over 30 years, most of them working for other entertainment companies before he started his own recently, says that as an entertainer a DJ must understand that whatever they refuse to play at an event is just as important as what they do play.

“As an entertainer,” he says, “the DJ must understand that the crowd they are playing to, especially at a wedding, could range in age from five to 105. Even though it’s next to impossible to please every guest at an event, we can work on not offending anyone through the music we play.

“If you wouldn’t play a particular song at a middle school dance or at a 13th birthday party, then maybe it shouldn’t be played at a wedding either.”

Then again, Bromley is quick to note that the United States and Canada can be very different in respect to music charts and interests. “Canadians tend to be more conservative and, for a wedding, they tend to stick to the tried-and-true songs, with very little rap or hip-hop,” he explains. “As a matter of fact, I’ve had many wedding couples specifically request absolutely no rap or hip-hop.

“Rap and hip-hop are an American thing, by and large. We like our rap also in the Great White North, but when I see gig logs from American DJs I’m blown away by the amount of urban music being played. And this is also true for country music—even though country music is popular in Canada, Canadians tend to gravitate towards Canadian artists versus American artists.”

According to Mark Haggerty, operations manager for the San Francisco Bay Area’s Denon & Doyle

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Entertainment, DJs are part of the “service industry.”

“It’s not much different than a bartender or waiter, wherein our clients or their guests order up a certain kind of party and we are paid to deliver,” Haggerty reminds us. “If a particular request goes against the good of the dance party, we can choose to act as the filter.”

Haggerty says he never promises to play a request from an audience member. “I use words like, ‘I’ll try,’ or ‘Let me see if I have that,’ or ‘I might be able to fit that in,’” says Haggerty.

“Of course, if a bride and groom have a do-not-play list, I’ll tell that person that their request will not be played. As an example, if someone asks if I can play the ‘Y.M.C.A.,’ I might tell them it’s on the do-not-play list.”

Haggerty says he also has songs that are definitely on his own do-not-play list—“gun-to-his head” songs, as he describes them—and those are nondanceable songs that would clear any dancefloor.

“I avoid playing some songs like the ‘Y.M.C.A.,’ ‘The Chicken Dance,’ ‘The

Macarena,’ ‘We Are Family,’ ‘Celebration’ and ‘The Bunny Hop’—basically corny, cheesy and overplayed stereotypical wedding songs,” he says.

“Though, if the client tells me ‘The Chicken Dance’ is a family tradition for them, I will play it—along with an announcement that gives the client 100-percent credit for the selection.”

Haggerty says he would never accept money to play a song next, although he does accept tips. “If a guest will tip a dollar to maybe $20 to play a song next, I’ll typically hand it back to them and simply say, ‘I can’t promise next.’ Many times, they’ll still give me the money and say, ‘Please play it when you can,’ and at that point I’ll play it as long as it doesn’t land in one of those categories I mentioned before.

“And many times a client will tip me at the end. For example, after last Sunday night’s wedding at the Fort Mason General’s Residence in San Francisco, my client was thrilled with the job I did at their wedding and reception, so the groom handed me a $300 tip as an extra thank-you.”

Across the nation in Plymouth

Meeting, Pa., Scott Goldoor of Signature DJs says he’s had a policy regarding tips and requests from the beginnings of his company.

“First, with regard to taking a request for money, tips or financial incentive, I’ve always instructed my guys that this is a no-no,” he says. “Sometimes a guest, family member, whomever, will simply drop a $5, $10 or $20 behind our DJ façade, while making the request or once it’s played, but if they hand it to us we respectfully decline it and basically say, ‘We’ll do our best’ or ‘I’ll try, but I have some more requests from the bride and groom, or another member of the wedding party.’

“As for refusing to play a song, if a customer wants an explicit version of a song, or if the lyrics are extremely inappropriate, I’ll remind them that grandparents, aunts and uncles may be present, and there may be young children in attendance as well. Many newer and contemporary artists put out very suggestive songs, and which are lyrically inappropriate. Think Katy Perry on the softer side, and basically every Nicki Minaj song she writes, pro-

duces or sings.”

Meanwhile , Adam Weitz of A Sharp Production in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., concludes that respecting requests is always a balancing act.

“When it comes to the mobile industry—not clubs—we have to be humble and play what’s expected of us,” says Weitz. “If we’re at an event, during which the parents wanted to walk into ‘Celebration’ by Kool & the Gang as their grand introduction, we had to play it. This particular grand intro song was from their wedding—and now a spoof 15 years later for their kid’s mitzvah—so it was funny and it had meaning.

“So, are we playing the music for you, or for our clients? We’re here to serve, so if we have the luxury of playing whatever we want to then so be it, and I’m sure we’ll knock it out of the park.

“However, it’s still an experiment to watch what works with the energy of the room. Once you’ve found that harmony of music and rhythm of the crowd, you stick with it regardless of opinion or ego.” n

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Highlights from Central Florida’s Electric Daisy Carnival

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11 Photos by aLIVE Coverage/Insomniac

Orlando, Fla. – An estimated 60,000 fans made it to Tinker Field this past November 6-7 for Insomniac’s Electric Daisy Carnival Orlando.

Complete with carnival rides, unique art, costumed performers and dazzling environments, the three-stage event presented 58 performing acts, including top talents like Calvin Harris, Tiësto, Kaskade, DJ Snake, Seven Lions and more. It all looked like this:

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1 Get Real: Claude VonStroke & Green Velvet.

2 Mainstage: Chuckie lets the bass kick.

3 Full-On: Ferry Corsten in the mix.

4 Atmosphere: Kaskade’s fire & ice.

5 Ka-boom: EDC Orlando launches.

6 DJ Snake: Turn down for what?

7 Andy C: Records… remember these?

8 Bigtime: Carnage brings the heat.

9 Alison Wonderland: Down the rabbit hole.

10 Full-Focus: Laidback Luke drops a beat.

11 Fan-Friendly: Dome sweet dome.

12 Headliner: Tiësto closes it out.

JANUARY 2016

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DJ TIMES

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MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

RAPTURE PRO: CAKEWALK’S IMPRESSIVE UPGRADE

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

By Josh Harris

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Rapture Pro: Synthesis, sampling & sonic frontiers.

I remember reviewing the original version of Rapture back in 2006, and very much appreciating the fact that Cakewalk was beginning to make software synths that could run in DAWs other than its own SONAR. In fact, it was quite unusual.

Now from Cakewalk, we have new version of Rapture, aptly named Rapture Pro. According to the company’s description, “Rapture Pro is the first performance synth to combine algorithmic and sample-based synthesis in an intuitive design for musicians of any skill level—whether simply browsing for the right preset, thrilling audiences on stage, or diving deep into sound design.”

Impressive, yes? The name of the game these days with virtual instruments is quality of content, not quantity—and unfortunately, that concept gets lost in the sea of products that are out there for producers.

Lucky for us, that is not the case with Rapture Pro. It comes with over 10GB of content, which includes the Rapture Pro library, as well as Rapture Classic and Dimension Pro libraries. Plus, there are over 40 expansion packs available. Installation is very easy and done through Cakewalk’s Command Center.

What It Is: At its core, Rapture Pro is a performance synth, combining oscillator and sample-based synthesis in a very smooth and streamlined user interface.

When browsing presets, users will notice and appreciate a clean four-column layout: Bank, Type, Program and Info.

The Bank column is where you are able to choose between the different sound libraries that are installed. Then, select Type, and then Program. The Info column displays some textual information about the selected sound.

How It Works: But, the Element view is where the real fun takes place. Rapture Pro has six different Elements, and each of the six Elements can have its own waveform. The different Elements can be blended together to taste. It’s extremely easy to edit sounds in Rapture Pro, as the Element view is well-designed, almost inviting you in to start tweaking.

You also have the ability to load an outside waveform, which is then recognized

by Rapture Pro and automatically mapped across the keyboard. It’s extremely convenient and easy to do. Simply select the load button from within the Waveform window and direct Rapture Pro to the audio file of your choice.

The Element view is also the place where you can access and edit some of the other critical parameters like Pitch, Amp, Filter FX, EQ and Modulation. The Edit view is where Mixer adjustments are made. Each of the six Elements has its own fader, pan and send controls. There are two sends and over 30 different FX to choose from.

Right above the Mixer is the Insert area, where you can select the sound’s global effect. Above the Insert area is the Step Generator area. Rapture Pro’s library sounds great and is very usable. It’s so usable, in fact, that right after installing it, I used four sounds from it on an original track that was then passed along to one of my co-writers.

Conclusions: Hats off to the professional sound designers that were brought in to develop this library: Dom Kane, Andrew Hlynsky and Ben Cantil. These guys did a nice job in creating current sounding patches that range from robust and textural to sharp and edgy.

Pricing is very reasonable, at $199 for new users and $99 for owners of Rapture, Dimension Pro, ZETA, or any version of SONAR. And, it runs on both Mac and Windows platforms.

Rapture Pro was definitely worth the wait for this substantial upgrade, and I look forward to using more of Rapture Pro’s sounds in my tracks.

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

WATCH IT NOW! DJTimes.com/watch Catch interviews and live performances from Dawn Richard Justin Martin Goldfish Blond:ish andhim J.Phlip Pan-Pot Firebeatz The Partysquad Joel Mull Victor Calderone and more!

SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING

Launchkey 49: Novation’s 49-note, MK2 version.

LAUNCHKEY: CONTROL FOR LIVE OR STUDIO APPS

By Wesley Bryant-King

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

The seemingly ever-expanding prevalence of Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software, such as Ableton Live, BitWig, Logic Pro, Cubase, Pro Tools, and many others, has established the importance of a MIDI keyboard controller for virtually all music-production workflows.

And, as some DAWs have grown to support massive user bases, tighter integration between hardware and software has not only become justifiable in terms of product development, but virtually essential to maximize usability far beyond the basics of piano keys, paired with pitch and modulation wheels.

Such would appear to be the exact motivation behind the recent introduction by Novation of the latest iteration (Mk2) of its Launchkey line.

Novation, part of the U.K.’s Focusrite group, starts with the basics: a 25-, 49- or 61-note keyboard, and the required pitch and mod wheels.

But to this Novation adds dedicated transport buttons, and an array of faders, knobs and multiRGB-color-illuminated pads.

I recently had a chance to play with the 49key Launchkey, and here’s the scoop on what I discovered.

First Impressions: I could make a case that

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MIDI keyboard controllers can be a whole lot of sameness, given the fact that price points, country of manufacture (usually China), and frequently even buttons and pads don’t vary a whole lot.

But the devil is in the details, as they say, and it is on that score that the Launchkey stands out a bit for me. The overall physical design of the controller shows a clear focus on aesthetics, and the unboxing process delivered a physical product that seems to balance a solid feel with maintaining portability. It just plain looks nice and feels nice.

The Launchkey works with virtually any DAW, but the target is clear—Ableton Live. In fact, the product is bundled with Ableton Live Lite, but existing Ableton users will find the set-up to be minimal and the integration tight. (Note that Version 9 of Ableton Live is required.) While Novation’s web site suggests it’s plug-and-play, it’s not quite that easy; some configuration within Ableton is, in fact, required for it to work optimally. I found that the documentation didn’t quite match what I saw in Ableton either, and it wasn’t immediately obvious to how to map what was shown in writing vs. what was on the screen. Eventually I got past it; presumably, it’s easier for people using the bundled Lite version.

Once hooked up, I jumped right in. The keyboard and the various controls (buttons, knobs, etc.) had the expected feel—that being a bit on the “light” side of the spectrum, but not cheap feeling, either. Playing the keyboard itself also had a typical, pleasant feel one expects from keyboards of this type.

Use & Operation: Like many (if not most) Ableton-specific or Ableton-targeted controllers, the Launchkey is designed for use in Live’s default, clip-oriented Session View. The arrangement of the faders and knobs somewhat echoes Session View, and the pads are designed to support the triggering of clips in this view. For this purpose, the Launchkey is a great companion to Ableton Live. The “issue” (if there is one) is that the Launchkey has just 16 pads in a 2x8 configuration, and for more complex projects in Live, using these pads to control loop playback could become a bit cumbersome in practice, depending on the user’s specific workflow.

For those (like me) who primarily use Live’s Arrangement View, the utility of the Launchkey is a bit diminished. While the faders and knobs still have their intended effect, the pads have less practical value, in my view.

Launchkey Range: High-value keyboard controllers.

Novation refers to the Launchkey as having two modes: InControl mode and Basic Mapping mode.

For Ableton Live and certain other DAWs, InControl mode allows easier pre-mapping of functionality, but Basic Mapping mode simply provides standard MIDI assignments to all the controls, which can be mapped as desired by the user in their DAW of choice.

With InControl mode, the faders act as level controls for each track in the DAW (eight in total). The buttons function as mute and solo controls (again, eight in total) depending on a mode selection button. And finally, the rotary knobs serve as pan controls (once again, eight tracks total). There are track forward and backward buttons to allow these controls to be used on more than just eight tracks through a sort of “scrolling” operation.

Ableton Live users can choose other functionality for the knobs, and the pads have alternate functions as well. This is where things get a little complicated; knowing which key to press and hold and how to make the selections requires referring to the owner’s manual, as not everything has a full explanatory legend silkscreened beside the control.

I can’t really fault Novation for the design decision, since it’s endemic in many controllers on the market. But using a limited number of human interface elements (buttons, knobs, etc.), and then mapping multiple functions to them in a way that can be difficult to explain and not always intuitive, presents some usability challenges. Clearly, there are limits to the number of controls you can integrate, and variations in DAWs make it tough to “hard” label each function on the device itself.

Still, it means that there’s definite ramp-up time for new users.

Finally, two more items worth a quick mention. First, the Launchkey 25 provides a subset of the functionality described here; most notably, the faders are not provided as they are on the 49- and 61-note models. And secondly, thanks to its class-compliant USB implementation, the Launchkey series not only works “driver-less” with Windows and Mac, but can also be used with iOS devices through the Apple Camera Connection Kit, allowing the product line to be used with the growing number of music applications for the iOS platform.

Conclusions: The Launchkey series offers great integration with Ableton Live and, in particular, its Session View mode, allowing users to reach for the mouse or trackpad much less often, and improving productivity—especially during live performance. With the compact size, balanced weight, and “more-

than-just-a-keyboard” functionality, the 25-key model makes a great studio companion where desk space is tight, while the 49- and even the 61-key models would make ideal gigging controllers for the performing musician.

With MIDI support for virtually any application, and tighter integration for specific DAWs (notably Ableton Live), it makes one a high-value choice in keyboard controllers. And finally, with a street price of about $200 for the 49-key model I evaluated, it’s an affordable choice, too.

“The Launchkey works with virtually any DAW, but the target is clear—Ableton Live.”

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MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES

POST-STROKE, DJ RECOVERS & THRIVES

Since his return, Brian Redd has streamlined his system.

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

By George LaBute

30

Milwaukee – They always say you can’t put a price on your good health.

But Brian Redd has a better sense for that saying than most people—certainly most DJs. In 2011, Redd was a 20-year DJ vet, owned his own DJ business, for which he had developed a vast social-media network, and YouTube channel, and then something went terribly wrong.

He had a stroke. He was 39.

At first, he didn’t really have a fear for himself, just for his daughter and the rest of his family. “I had accepted it was very possible that things could go very bad, but I was afraid for how they were going to deal with it,” he says. “When those are the types of things you are up against, a business or money or material possessions are the last things on your mind.”

When he went into ICU, he was a legally blind paraplegic. Five weeks later, he was lucky enough to go home with 20/20 vision and a heavy limp. He was resigned to the idea that “recovery” wasn’t the operative word—“adapting” was.

“No matter what a person’s physical situation is, they’ll have a much better quality of life if they can work out how to at least be as functional as possible,” says Redd, who had compromised ability in his right arm and leg as a result of the stroke.

While in inpatient rehab, bath time consisted of people wheeling him into a shower stall and spraying him down. When he got home, and wanted a bath really bad, his girlfriend helped him do it a few times. It took about 45 minutes start to finish.

Then Redd started to ask myself: If he had to do this himself, how would he do it?

“I thought real hard about it and one night when there was no one around to tell me ‘no,’ I did it,” he says. “It took me an hour and a half, but I did it. The next night, I did it in 45 minutes. The night after that, under half an hour.”

About a month later, Redd was driving. The following spring, he was DJing on

the road again, by himself, with a specially designed “Micro System.”

“Nobody told me how to do any of this stuff,” he says. “In fact, most people said none of it was even possible.”

The driving force? “It was my close friends and family,” he says. “It’s important for me to be an asset to them rather than a liability.”

Redd’s YouTube and social-media audience was watching as well. “After something like this, you kind of have this realization that you can either be the one everyone feels sorry for, or you can be something else.”

He decided to be something else. Redd credits his DJ-industry friends, Brian Dowdle at ADJ, Mike Ryan at Frankenstand, and John Krupa at FBT Italian Speaker Imports for helping put together a more streamlined DJ system. The FBT ProMaxX 10A—a 900-watt RMS, 10-inch, 2-way system that weighs less than 25 pounds per unit—has been a particular help in the P.A. department.

“The list really goes on and on,” he says. “People like these stepped up and offered their knowledge and support when I first got the idea to build this compact mobile-DJ system I could handle on my own… even if at first, they thought I was nuts!”

Redd has always been a little “nuts,” like most DJs. The infatuation with the DJ lifestyle began in the early ’80s, when he was 13. He was standing in line at the local skate rink when the owner walked by and asked him if he wanted a job. The regular Friday-night DJ has called in sick. He did the gig.

Then in high school, a mobile-DJ company offered him a job. That’s where he learned how to DJ for wedding receptions. About a year later, he was spinning in bars and lounges.

“It’s funny because I don’t think I chose to be a DJ,” he says. “It kind of chose me. I wasn’t asking for any of these jobs. Word just kind of got around that this is what I did, so I went with it.”

Redd didn’t think of DJing as a career option until he was in his early 20s.

People who knew him from his school days kept calling and asking him to DJ their weddings.

“I’d try to explain that I had moved onto clubs,” he says, “and wasn’t working for mobile DJ companies anymore.”

Redd credits his mom for stepping in and suggesting that he start his own DJ company. “She gave me a Visa card with a $2,000 credit limit to build my first mobile system,” he says. “The cool part was that I was able to pay off the entire card in a matter of weeks with security deposits alone.”

He says starting the business was relatively pain-free. “I think I had it pretty good,” he says. “There was plenty of work to be had.”

The one challenge that he cites is building a mobile-DJ system (in the early ’90s) that would fit in his two-door 1978 Cutlass.

“One thing I had going for me was that I had worked for a few different mobile DJ companies, and each one of them had their own version of a mobile system,” he says. “I took all of that, decided what I liked, didn’t like, and got creative with the rest of it.”

We asked Redd if he often thinks back on his health experience, a health “event” by any definition. “I think of it,” he says, “in the way that there are a whole lot of good people out there and it’s really all about the attitude.”

One thing the stroke has changed is the way he thinks of the future. “Who knows?” he replies when we ask him where he sees his business in five years.

“I mean, five years ago, who would have thought I’d be talking about being a disabled DJ? Our industry changes so fast, we never know what’s new around the corner. It’s an exciting time to be a DJ!”

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BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…

By Claude Lamineaux For the DJ industry, Facebook and Twitter are the preferred social media channels—at least until someone figures out that brides are on Snapchat.

But many DJs have been using LinkedIn—especially now that its targeted paid advertising component can return specific inquiries, by location, title and position. It’s

#1. Before attending conferences—say, for catering execs—use LinkedIn to search people involved with the conference and check out their profile. LinkedIn will send them an email notification that you’ve seen their profile; this makes a connecting at a show more familiar. #2. Cross promote on LinkedIn from your company blog. This is a great way to connect with people outside of your network. As long as you follow tips #3 thru #5.

CONNECTIONS: LINKEDIN TIPS FOR DJS

your business because these audiences are often competitors and not prospective customers. #8. If a LinkedIn paid, targeted campaign is too pricey, search terms that are relevant—”corporate events,” for example.When you find a director-level connection that would benefit from knowing about your DJ service, personalize a link request explaining your service and the value to them. #9. Personalize a request to connect. Most people just connect without really knowing who they’re connecting with. But it’s much more effective to remind that potential connection who you are, why you want to connect and how you add value. At the very least, remind them who you are so they know you’re not just adding contacts en masse. That way, they’re not left wondering who you are or, worse, questioning your motives. #10. People who are successful with LinkedIn always know something about a potential connection before they make the request. Read their content, check out their website, listen to their podcast. Use some of the poignant facts you learn in the initial contact message or InMail. The recipient is usually more open to connecting with someone who has done their research.

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

#11. When people “like” or comment on your posts, visit their profile and explore who within their network would be good to network with.

If the mutual relationship is strong, request a virtual introduction—they work well.

32

more expensive than Facebook ads, but it’s also more targeted, and it’s a great way to meet event planners at corporations, as well as catering executives, most of whom are always looking on the network—very often for their next job.

Tactics on LinkedIn vary in sophistication. Many people just blast requests without knowing who it is they’re making the request with.

In a services industry like DJing, it’s important that the connection knows precisely who you are, what you do, and what your values are.

Here are some LinkedIn tactics— from the simple to the sublime—that can help you make those connections less elusive:

#3. Publish articles that are educational, not promotional. Use a strong headline, with a compelling, clear picture. #4. Post the article, which first appears as a status update so your 1st-degree connections see it. #5. Over the next few days, post the article in various LinkedIn groups you’re in. To capture that specific audience’s attention, give your post an introduction that relates specifically to the subject matter of interest to the group. By posting in groups, people beyond your 1st-degree connections will see it and learn about you and your services. Many people who use LinkedIn have had people “follow” them and reach out to them about their services as a result of articles they’ve posted. #6. Join groups that your customers (or prospective customers) are members of. Then, make it a point to share content that is helpful and educational, not salesy or self-promotional. Place a link to your website, as you’ll want to drive traffic there and convert your LinkedIn contacts into leads for your business. #7. Don’t make the mistake so many people make: joining groups that are comprised of your peers. While this is useful for professional growth and career development, it’s less helpful when it comes to marketing

#12. Become familiar with the LinkedIn InMail feature.

It allows you to send a message to anyone, even if you are not connected to them. For a fee you get a certain amount of InMails and if you don’t get a response you receive a credit. #13. The day after any networking event, input the names from all business cards you’ve collected into LinkedIn. Don’t send a generic connection request.

Rather, thank them for attending the event and make the suggestion that you stay connected. #14. Use LinkedIn’s mobile app Connected to alert you of birthdays, job changes, and work anniversaries. Do requisite congratulations to keep yourself top of mind. #15. Develop targeted keyword phrases that reflect your brand, business goals, and target audience. Tag your profile with keyword phrases (“corporate event coordinator,” for example). When a new prospect inquires about your services, and they tell you they found you on LinkedIn, it is often because their search returned your profile. #16. As far as connections, more is definitely not merrier. What’s the point of having 500-plus connections if you don’t truly connect with them? You should have business relationships with all of them. At every event, you should personally LinkedIn with the bride and groom, stay top of mind in a professional networking setting, to help your chances of repeat business.

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GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Bouncing Off the Walls ADJ Products 6122 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 582-2650 www.americandj.com The ADJ Ricochet is a 20W hybrid LED scanner/beam effect that creates beams, cones and wave-style effects through the use of precision stepper motors, dual mirrors and an array of color/pattern options. The unit features a color wheel with 10 color choices, which users can split for a varied dual-color effect. Additional features include 29 pattern macros, 0-100-percent electronic dimming, strobe effects, sound-active and 12/15-channel DMX modes, and IEC in/out connections that allow users to daisy chain up to 16 units at 120V.

Circuit Training Novation/American Music & Sound 925 Broadbeck Dr. #220 Newbury Park, CA 91320 (800) 431-2609 www.AmericanMusicAndSound.com Novation’s Circuit combines a two-part synthesizer and a four-part drum machine with a 4x8 RGB velocity-sensitive grid-based sequencer in a standalone groove box. Users can create an entire tune by combining up to 128 steps of synth and drum patterns, then adding built-in effects and saving to one of 32 slots. The unit features eight endless macro knobs that allow users to change their sound with RGB LED feedback.

Velocity-sensitive RGB pads allow for total control over pitch, decay, distortion and EQ.

An Eye for an iTwo PreSonus Audio Electronics 18011 Grand Bay Court Baton Rouge, LA 70809 USA (225) 216-7887 www.presonus.com PreSonus introduced the AudioBox iTwo Studio Recording Kit, a two-channel kit that makes it easy to start a home or mobile studio.

The system includes a USB bus-powered interface, Studio One Artist DAW software, Capture Duo recording software for iPad, monitoring headphones, a large-diaphragm condenser microphone, Nimbit Free account and all necessary cables. The kit is designed for PC, Mac and iPad users and in addition to the included software, it will also work with other audio software that supports ASIO (Windows), Core Audio (Mac), or MFi (iPad).

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

Ask You Out on an Update

34

Serato Private Bag 92015, AMSC Auckland 1142 New Zealand +64 9 379 4944 www.serato.com Serato released Serato DJ 1.8, a free update for all DJs with supported Serato DJ hardware or licenses. This update adds support for the Pioneer DJ DJM-S9 mixer, as well as a key detection function that analyzes the root key of tracks, organizes the library by key and creates a colored key display for quick key matching. Users also get an update to Pitch ‘n Time DJ that allows for key shift, match and key sync. It utilizes a studio-quality algorithm and offers visual representation of compatible track keys on deck for harmonic mixing.

Ready to Wear

Slimline Shady

Subpac 540 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94105 (323) 306-5620 www.thesubpac.com

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

The new wearable SubPac M2 allows DJs to monitor low frequencies by feeling the difference between bass, kick and sub-bass with accuracy while also preserving their hearing. It sports a new ergonomic shape for “maximum body contact and comfort,” according to the company, and comes with a flexible control cable. Additionally, the SubPac M2 features a Bluetooth 4.0 input with A2DP streaming and it runs on a high-capacity Li-ion rechargeable battery that runs for over six hours on a single charge.

The XDJ-700 from Pioneer DJ is a slimline rekordbox-ready player that features a full-color LED touch screen with a QWERTY keyboard word search, as well as a removable stand. Utilizing Pro DJ Link, the XDJ-700 allows users to upload tracks via USB or Wi-Fi and share one source with up to four players or laptops. The XDJ-700 comes with a variety of features from the XDJ-1000, including Hot Cues, Auto Loops, Slip Mode and Beat Sync.

Fit to a FBT

The Birds & The JBLs

FBT USA/Italian Speaker Imports P.O. Box 856 Armonk, NY 10504 (914) 219-4180 www.fbtusa.com

JBL Professional 8500 Balboa Blvd.

Northridge, CA 91329 (818) 894-8850 www.jblpro.com

FBT’s SUBline series consists of the 12Sa, 15Sa, 18Sa and 218SA active subwoofers, as well as the 18S and 218S passive loudspeakers. Models in the line are housed in birch 5/8-inch plywood and sport a scuff-resistant paint finish, wheels and ergonomic integrated carrying handles. Designed in 18-inch bass-reflex, 15-inch and 12-inch band-pass, they include Class D amplifiers, IN/OUT stereo, switch mode power supply and a digital signal processor.

The JBL EON618S is an 18-inch, 1,000W powered subwoofer that offers a maximum SPL output of 134 dB, with a frequency range of 3Hz – 150Hz ( -10 dB) and a frequency response of 42.5Hz – 150Hz ( -3 dB). Weighing only 78 pounds and featuring premium, the unit is easily transportable. It can also be controlled wirelessly using a Bluetooth app for iOS and Android. The JBL EON618S is tuned for optimal performance with the JBL EON610, JBL EON612 and JBL EON615 full-range systems.

JANUARY 2016

GEAR

DJ TIMES

AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

35

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Deep 6

Barrel of Laughs

Reach for the Sky

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

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

LOUD Technologies 16220 Wood-Red Road NE Woodinville, WA 98072 (425) 892-6500 www.mackie.com

Native Instruments’ REAKTOR 6 modular DSP environment features a set of diverse modules called Blocks, which let users “create custom synths in the same way a modular synthesizer is patched,” according to the company.

REAKTOR 6 comes bundled with 30 blocks in a variety of categories. Additionally, REAKTOR 6 comes with scoped buses that allow wireless connectivity across multiple structure levels and a Table Framework feature that allows flexible data sharing throughout REAKTOR. Also included, bundled wires are like multicore cables, making intra-level patching cleaner.

The Intimidator Barrel 305 IRC and the Intimidator Scan 305 IRC from Chauvet are scanning effects that utilize a 60W LED source to create a bright, powerful beam that can be split using a built-in three-facet prism. Both feature seven interchangeable rotating gobos (five metal and two glass), plus a palette of eight colors plus white. The Intimidator Scan 305 IRC produces a 15-degree beam with a 180-degree pan and 90-degree tilt. The Intimidator Barrel 305 IRC also pans 180 degrees and is capable of continuous 360-degree tilt motion with a beam angle of 12 degrees.

The Mackie Reach Professional PA System combines ARC (Amplified Radial Curve) high-frequency array technology and the EarShot personal monitoring system to offer a total of 250 degrees of room coverage. The unit features a built-in sixchannel digital mixer that offers wireless streaming and control capabilities via the Mackie Connect app for iOS and Android devices. Additional features include threeband channel EQ, a built-in feedback destroyer, th ree recallable memory settings and 16 vocal/instrument effects.

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

Arts & Mixcrafts

36

Acoustica 40291 Junction Drive, Suite 204 P.O. Box 728 Oakhurst, CA 93644 (559) 692-2224 www.acoustica.com Mixcraft 7.5 from Acoustica is the latest update to their Mixcraft recording software, which is available as a free upgrade for all registered Mixcraft 7 users. The latest version includes full support of the new Windows 10 advanced audio capabilities. According to the company, Mixcraft 7.5’s audio mixing threads are now given the absolute highest priority on Windows 10, so other system functions won’t interrupt the music. The update includes two loop kits—the Theremin Loops kit and the Dub Reggae song kit—as well as FLAC file support.

AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

GEAR

Elektra La La

The Princess & the Fog Martin/Harman International 400 Atlantic Street Stamford, CT 06901 (203) 328-3500 www.martin.com Harman released two new Martin Professional fog machines. The Rush SM 650 features a 700-watt heater element that heats up in five minutes, while the Rush SM 850 features an 850-watt heater element that heats up in eight minutes. Both feature a blue LED-illuminated fluid container that has a level indicator. On the Rush SM 650, it holds 1.3 liters of fluid for a 160 m3 per minute output. On the Rush SM 850, it holds 1.6 liters of fluid and boasts a 200 m3 per minute output.

Package Deal VocoPro 1728 Curtiss Court La Verne, CA 91750 (800) 678-5348 www.vocopro.com VocoPro announced two new wireless microphone and transmitter packages. The UHF-5800-C12 offers 12 available microphone channels with independent volume control on each channel. Features include 12 balanced XLR outputs and three ¼-inch mixed outputs.

The UHF-8900-C16 features 16 available channels, each with adjustable frequencies, and it operates in both 600 and 900 MHz bands.

LED screen displays give relevant information for each channel, including frequency and signal strength. Both packages come with all the necessary hardware needed for assembly, as well as a flight case to protect receivers.

elektraLite 70 Sea Lane Farmingdale, NY 11735 (516) 249-1399 www.myelektralite.com The elektraBar Mini is a full-featured linear LED strip fixture that measures 23.6 inches, making it half the size of the original elektraBar. The elektraBar Mini is designed with eight professional-grade, 12-watt, six-in-one LEDs capable of generating red, green, blue, white, amber and indigo. There are individual controls for each pixel, allowing for more than 16 million possible colors. The unit is available in 10-, 25-, 40- or 120-degree beam spreads and up to 16 of them can be connected on one 20-amp circuit and run in standalone or master/slave configurations.

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

DIARY OF A MADWOMAN u Lauren Lane u Edible Lane steps back into the production ring with a killer three-song collection for Eats Everything’s new label. The metallic echoes and entrancing hi-hats of the title track keep things energetic from the get-go, but it’s the sinister tech-house haze of “FOMO” that kicks things up a notch. On the track, Lane proclaims that she’s “just trying to stay home for once,” but this corker’s hypnotic groove will drive you right to the dancefloor.

– Chris K. Davis THE OTHER REMIXES u Pan-Pot u Second State The German duo revisits its just-released sophomore LP The Other with a stunning collection of eight remixes (10 on the digital release).

A who’s who of techno all-stars deliver expectedly solid reworks, with Nicole Moudaber’s apocalyptic take on “Attention” and Joseph Capriati’s Drumcode-styled, festival-ready remix of “Fugitives” standing tall. Stephan Bodzin’s hyper-melodic soundscape odyssey on his remix of “Sleepless” is the one you simply can’t miss, though.

VRRS

Demarkus Lewis

Lauren Lane

Pan-Pot

– Chris Caruso STRICTLY RHYTHM PRES. STRICTLY MOOD II SWING

u Mood II Swing u Strictly Rhythm

This 33-track retrospective will remind DJs why Lem Springsteen and John Ciafone will go down as one of house-music’s best studio duos.

Highlights include: the Carol Sylvan-fronted “Closer” (Swing II Mood Dub); Wall of Sound feat. Gerald Lethan’s “Critical” (Club Mix); and Kim English’s “Learn 2 Luv” (Mood II Swing Mix).

– Tommy D Funk “PURPLE CAPS” EP u Primitive World u R&S The title track stands out far from the pack, so check this deep, dark, melodic noise-techno journey, best served during afterhours.

– Chris K. Davis “TACOS PER MINUTE” EP u Acid Mondays u Rumors Guy Gerber’s imprint delivers an innovative package from the Acid Mondays duo. The title track is a pulsating pumper poised to take clubbers into deep hyperspace. “Mezcalid” stands out as a booty-grabbing, deep-techno floor-filler. Finally, “Techno Wellies” concludes the EP with its upbeat, percussive techno rotations.

– Chris K. Davis “WITHDRAWALS” u Crookers feat. WILLS u Defected A stormer. Tempered by a beautifully restrained vocal performance from WILLS, this bass-heavy, house trip offers some thunder not to mention razor-sharp percussion. An underground floor-filler.

– Tommy D Funk “WHAT YOU WANT” EP u Huxley & J.Phlip u Nothing Idea’s Original

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

Huxley launches his new imprint on a joint effort with Dirtybird’s resident booty-bass queen. The EP’s title track shrouds rattling synths and sizzling basslines in an air of mysterious production flourishes, while the accompanying Vin Sol remix adds a bouncy garage-flavored flair.

B-side “Salvia” delivers even more tech-house goodness, with a major drop three minutes in that’s sure to make the floor come alive.

38

– Chris Caruso “SOMEDAY” EP u VRRS u DFTD Dedicated vocal riffs explode on the ferocious title track, a tune destined for peak-time greatness. The bouncy bassline in “Need Luv” cuts deep under the track’s nostalgic vocals which, when coupled with techy overtones and toe-tapping hi-hats, creates a moody dancefloor weapon.

– Tommy D Funk

Guest Reviewer: Andy Pry “Catrina” u Pollyester u Disco B With efforts from Abe Duque and The Emperor Machine, plus a good, old-fashioned dub version, this remix package ramps up an already exciting original version that recalls the Andy Pry electro-dance leanings of Glass Candy or Goldfrapp. Full of vibes, Duque’s mix gets spaced out, while Emperor Machine’s 11-minute mix drops some dark tech.

NO REGRETS u Darin Epsilon u Perspectives Digital On this mini-album, Epsilon drops an intoxicating blend of tech and progressive sounds – it’s a line he walks impeccably. The title track has a hard edge and plenty of energy from the throbbing low-end that’s backed by swirling synths. “My Own Time” features Alice Rose’s lovely vocals floating above a myriad of hypnotizing horns.

– Evan Maag “LOSE AGAIN” EP u DrumTalk u Crosstown Rebels

Acid Mondays

Darin Epsilon

The title track, featuring vocalist Josa Peit, is a wonderful, hope-filled warm-up tune. “Wildcard” is a playful melodic techno romper pushing clubbers to an elevated Konstantin Sibold BPM. But the real highlight is “Gamma,” an instrumental groover tinged with Latin rhythm and flavor that makes you work your way up its drawn-out hills and valleys.

– Chris K. Davis MANY FACETS OF DEMARKUS

u Demarkus Lewis u GuestHouse Music A fantastic house album that offers up a variety of flavors—underground, vocal, funky, techy and dark. Check top track “Move Like the Shadows,” plus other winners like “Vibe Low” and “Trip Hop.”

– Tommy D Funk “EP ONE” u Oxen Butcher u Muskox Records Beautifully crafted EP that features three subtle deep house/nu- disco cuts that will definitely move the soul. We love the vocals of “Leave It Alone,” which glides over a light, percolating vibe. Both “Inhale Exhale” and “On the Cards” offer up lush chord work and subtle, deep, bass beats.

– Phil Turnipseed “DOME” EP u Konstantin Sibold u DFTD On this storming underground-house EP, the title track marries a chugging bassline with fizzing hats to make an effectively hazy track. “New For U” maintains that ethereal vibe, but “Leif” drops a more driving, classic-house sound.

– Tommy D Funk

Mood II Swing

Questlove

(continued from page 16) the age of three, I knew Bowie, I knew Aerosmith, even Kiss—all that stuff was in my vocabulary. The funk collector was my mom. Pop and rock was my sister. Vocals was my dad—I call it the yacht rock of his day.

DJ Times: Of course, there was Soul Train…

Questlove: Yes, then there was the TV—I wasn’t allowed to really watch television, just things that were musical. On top of that, my dad, who had the second phase of his career with the nostalgia phase, would take us for weekly binging trips to the record store. There was always a mom-and-pop store in West Philly. We’d pick out 20 to 30 records, 45s, every week.

DJ Times: What do you think about the modern DJ scene? Where do you fit in?

Questlove: I think good DJs respect what I do. I mean, I was a hard sell. A lot of DJs have those rites of passage. You gotta carry crates for Funkmaster Flex or Jazzy Jeff—that’s how Vikter Duplaix got his start, carrying records. Or you gotta open for this DJ. You gotta pay your dues.

DJ Times: So you had to pay your dues differ-

ently…

Questlove: I paid dues, but there’s a whole other room that nobody went into [laughs]. In the beginning, people had one eyebrow raised skeptical, like, “Oh, you’re The Roots’ drummer—you’re not a real DJ.” So I figured maybe the best way to display what I have is through my [knowledge].

There’s no way I’m ever going to cut “Rock the Bells” or “Peter Piper” like Jazzy Jeff does, or like Cash Money. However, I use my knowledge of music…

DJ Times: That’s your angle.

Questlove: Yeah, my angle is that I’m going to teach you music lessons without you knowing. The thing is, I’m not dumbing it down, but I’m not letting you know that I’m so earnest. A lot of people get criticized for being too earnest, like, “Oh, I wanna teach the world music.” Nobody wants to hear that. It’s like, “Play the song I want to hear.”

DJ Times: Just rock the crowd…

Questlove: And that’s the challenge. My challenge is never… what’s right record to play? My challenge is: What’s the wrong record to play?

I’ll focus on one person and just read their body

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language. I’ll know when I play a good record and they’ll be into it. Then I’ll say, “OK, let me play a down record,” and they’ll still move to it. Then I’ll say, “OK, let me play a riskier down record next.”

And I’ll let ’em down so much, but then I’ll play that record they like and… pow!

DJ Times: They can’t leave.

Questlove: They play the “1 o’clock game,” which is, “OK, I’m going to leave on the next song,” but then they like this song, then that song, and so on. The whole thing is that you’re going to miss something. But I even go a step further. I have to predict the night before I get to the place—I don’t even real-time DJ anymore. I have an initial plan of how I’d like the night to go—I have 200 songs—and then, for some gigs, I have to figure out what I call “potholes.”

DJ Times: What’s that?

Questlove: So, like, whenever ESPN calls [for me to play their party], it’s risky. I know where I want to take them, but then, I’m like, “Alright, what if one of the Knicks wives insists that I play something?” I have to adjust to a B plan…

DJ Times: They’re forcing you to turn a corner you don’t want to take?

Questlove: Nobody ever forces me, but also “50 million Elvis fans can’t be wrong,” you know?

It’s my integrity vs. their insistence. I still believe the customer’s always right, but I have to figure out how to give us both what we want.

DJ Times: What’s the balance between a spinning a regular residency like Brooklyn Bowl, where it’s a more artistic endeavor perhaps, and playing corporate events? It’s a nice check, but you know what they’re looking for, musically.

Questlove: I hate to say this, but the corporate gigs are so much fun now! The corporates— and I mean things like the Viacom office party or the Def Jam Christmas party—have a lot of people who believe in me and what I do. I got a lotta these people in college. I mean, The Roots survived on money from college gigs from about 1994 to about 2004 or 2006—that was our meatand-potatoes. So if all our audience came from colleges, they all became professionals. A lot of times, these corporate gigs are when they get the babysitter and, you know…

DJ Times: Right, they’re not clubbing anymore, but it’s the big night out for them.

Questlove: Yeah, I got them. When were they in college? Like ’94 to ’98? Play this exact stuff and it works like gangbusters. It just comes off as really fun. But I use Brooklyn Bowl just as a testing ground. All my life, I’ve always had that one spot where I can just experiment. People expect a lifechanging set every time, and I hate to disappoint them, but I’m there to experiment, really.

DJ Times: I’ve been going to the Brooklyn Bowl gigs a lot this year and I’ve really enjoyed the different kinds of approaches I’ve seen. One night, Das-EFX played before you, then you spun a set of that old-school thing. Another night, it was more regulation funky. Then, right after Valentine’s Day, it was all slow jams—Atlantic Starr, Norman Connors, Prince…

Questlove: That’s my favorite party of all time, the slow jams! I wish I could find a way to do that, maybe, monthly. It’s such a winner. The only downside is that I can’t slow dance with anyone. Every ex comes that night, so I like the setup of being in the fishbowl [laughs].

DJ Times: Tell me about “Remixing the Clips” on the Late Night show. That was with a Pioneer

12/10/15 1:49 PM

MP3s in 6

Compiled As November 11, 2015

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NATIONAL URBAN POOL CHART

1 Calvin Harris 2 Badar F/ Duncan Morley 3 Dave Aude F/Olivia Newton-John 4 Duke Dumont 5 Hailee Steinfeld 6 Lucas Nord F/ Tove Lo 7 Taylor Swift 8 Punch Inc. 9 The Weekend 10 Demi Lovato 11 Faithless 12 Bob Sinclar & Dawn Tallman 13 Major Lazer F/ DJ Snake 14 Jess Glynne 15 Adele 16 Ellie Goulding 17 Nick Jonas 18 Nervo/Kylie Minogue/ Nile Rodgers 19 Audien F/ Lady Antebellum 20 Justin Bieber 21 Assia Ahhatt 22 Sted-E/Hybrid Heights&C.Waters 23 Andy Grammer 24 Paris Hilton 25 Leona Lewis 26 David Seyer 27 Dj Jellyfish 28 Rudimental 29 Lady Gaga 30 Zhu F/ AlunaGeorge 31 Disclosure F/ Sam Smith 32 Peter K 33 Hilary Duff 34 JoJo 35 Spandau Ballet 36 Aki Starr 37 Goldhouse 38 Dark Intensity F/ Liz Primo 39 Hollway F/ Scott Day-Vee 40 One Direction

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Most Added Tracks 1 Adele 2 Lady Gaga 3 Goldhouse 4 JoJo 5 Natali Yura 6 Kosca F/ Kyshona Arm 7 Paris Hilton 8 Demi Lovato 9 Seinabo Say 10 Peter K

How Deep Is Your Love You Gave Me Love You Have To Believe Ocean Drive Love Myself Run On Love Wildest Dreams Heaven (Beautiful Life) Can’t Feel My Face Confident Insomnia 2.0 Feel The Vibe Lean On Hold My Hand Hello On My Mind Levels The Other Boys Something Better What Do You Mean 6 Oclock In The Morning Synergy Good To Be Alive High Off My Love Thunder All About Me Boom Boom Jellyfish Lay It All Till It Happens To You Automatic Omen Fighting For Your Love Sparks When Love Hurts This Is Love Tonight Over Dance With Your Heart When I Found You Drag Me Down

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REPORTING POOLS Masspool - Saugus, MA; Gary Canavo n OMAP - Washington, DC; Al Chasen n Dj Stickyboots - Goshen, NJ; Blake Eckelbarger n Victors - Milwaukee, WI; Chris Egner n Nexus Radio - Chicago, IL; Manny Esparza n MetroMix - Pittsburgh, PA; John Hohman n DeeJay Creativity - Los Angeles, CA; KSXY KPAT n Next Music Pool - Los Angeles, CA; Bob Ketcher n Soundworks - San Francisco, CA; Sam Labelle n New York Music Pool - Levittown, NY; Jackie McCloy n Dixie Dance Kings R - Atlanta, GA; Dan Miller 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

Looking for these titles? You can hear them and buy them at www.dancekings.com. Just click on the links in the chart.

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Drake Future F/ Drake Weekend Fetty Wap F/ Remy Boyz Chris Brown J. Cole Jeremih F/ J. Cole Tory Lanez Ty Dollar $ign F/ Future & Rae Sremmurd Travis Scott Dej Loaf F/ Big Sean Post Malone Drake Rae Sremmurd 2 Chains Omarion F/ Kid Ink & French Montana Young Dro Big Sean F/ C.Brown & Ty Dolla $ign Drake & Future Curren$y F/ August Alsina & Lil Way

Hotline Bling Where Ya At The Hits 679 Liquor No Role Modelz Planes Say It Blase Antidote Back Up White Iverson Back To Back Come Get Her Watch Out I’m Up We In Da City Play No Games Jumpman Bottom Of The Bottle

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Tory Lanez Drake & Future Alesia Cara Chris Brown Missy Elliott F/ Pharrell Williams

Say It Jumpman Here Back To Sleep WTF

Interscope Republic Def Jam RCA Atlantic

NEW NATIONAL LATIN DANCE POOL CHART 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

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Rey Chavez Poeta Callejero JayCool Juan Magan ft Paulina Rubio Layla Jesse Medeles Paty Cantu Grupo Niche J Balvin Los Jugadores Daddy Yankee Elvis Crespo ft. Farruko Alex Sensation ft Yandel, Shaggy 24 Horas FransheskA Joey Montana Los Hermanos Moreno Grupomania Zion & Lennox Alx Veliz

A Primera Vista La Calle Ta’Que Pica La Chica Que Quema Vuelve Locuras Sucia Valiente Te Enseñare A Olvidar Ginza Pasame La Botella Vaiven Si Tu Novio Bailame Aun Me Perteneces Me Enamore Picky Bochinchosa Te Vi Ganas De Ti Dancing Kizomba

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PPE MR R7 Music Latin Pulsu Group Latin Hits

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David L Maelo Ruiz Juan Estevan Rolf Sanchez Silvester Dangon ft. Nicky Jam

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.

DVJ-1000, right?

Questlove: Yeah, oh man… When we first came aboard, there was skepticism [among the network]. I mean, they knew that we [The Roots] were good for what we do, but they didn’t know if we had the range and the knowledge.

Can they play with Bruce Springsteen?

Do they know jazz and ragtime? Now they’re used to it. It’s like, The Roots can do anything, but back then… no.

So after we had knocked it out of the park, one of the writers asked me,“Hey Ahmir, can you drum and DJ at the same time?” I thought, “Well, in theory, yeah—I once drummed and ate cereal at the same time…”

DJ Times: And… Questlove: He said, “Great!

So we have this new sketch called ‘Remixing the Clips’ and blah-blahblah…” [laughs] I’m so happy that bit is over! It was like tightrope walking above earth—you better not mess up. All I wanted to do was get past that 30-second bit and get on with my week. [laughs] DJ Times: So what is a DJ’s job?

Questlove: I always thought it was our job to make people forget, just for a little while. To channel into someone’s inhibitions and to let them get loose… I think people just want to forget what life is handing them at that moment and just escape.

DJ Times: And what’s in it for you?

Questlove: People all the time ask, “You have one job too many— so how the hell can you do a [TV] show for three hours, then DJ for five hours?” I joke about it, but really, DJing is my recreational drug. That’s my cocaine. That’s why people develop problems, especially on the road; it’s all the downtime. But I learned from [The Beastie Boys’] Mike D on the Check Your Head tour—The

Roots were opening for them. And Mike would wear these silly disguises and go out and DJ. Word got out that it was him and eventually he let me DJ. I just thought it was cool that, “Oh, you set the mood. You’re actually in control. You affect people’s mindstate for a two-hour period.”

DJ Times: How much music do you have?

Questlove: About 90,000 records. Digitally, I’m not quite terabyte-status yet, but I have about 982 GB of scrutinized, well-thought-over music. People say it’s the danger of so much access that anyone can come onboard, but I feel like I’m the good part of that. Back in the day, I’d have to bring my 150, 200 good records…

DJ Times: Less isn’t more, then?

Questlove: Tell you a story: One of the most amazing things that I learned at the Playlist Retreat [this past summer] with Jazzy Jeff was that I was in the room with some of my favorite current beat makers—JoRun Bombay, Stro Elliott, Tall Black Guy, Z-Trip—and I’m wondering, “What studio are you using? Are you using Reason? Logic? Ableton?” Naw, dog, they are using, like, ACID by Sony…

DJ Times: Software that’s more than 15 years old…

Questlove: Yes! These guys are changing my life with creativity, but the lesson is that less is more. So yeah, when you’re given too many options…

DJ Times: Some DJs have told me that they like the challenge of bringing limited music to a gig and making a two- or three-hour set with it.

Questlove: Where I go with that—and I don’t know if this is selfish or not—but I am going to force my will on you. I know my celebrity affords me a pass or two to make me a mistake or two. Sometimes I’ll

use that to my advantage, like I just came across an awesome collection of 8-bit stuff. Yeah, I’ll play this 8-bit version of “Rock With You” or “Give It Away” that I almost like more than the original. And I know that if I weren’t me, I wouldn’t get away with that. I mean, there was a time when I was playing all Muppets songs. [laughs] DJ Times: Get out…

Questlove: “Moving Right Along” from The Muppet Movie was in my set. It that really worked in the ’90s, but now, Kermit is more of a meme drinking tea than he is an iconic figure [laughs]. But the Nintendo 8-bit shit works like gangbusters. I never heard anyone front on the “Golden Girls” theme—everyone just knows it. But does it have to come right after Easy E? [laughs] DJ Times: You’re a Serato guy.

What would you like to see in future versions?

Questlove: Oh-ho-ho, it’s coming! The revamped version that’s coming… it’s everything that we’ve ever wanted Serato to do. This next version will be the standard, I believe. I’ve seen it and it’s almost too scary. They’ve improved so much, from the hardware to the software to the mixer. Now I’m just looking at the endless possibilities.

They have, what I call, this “Donuts option”—you can make anything sound like Dilla’s Donuts. It’s a compression thing and you can just start beat-jumping all over the song. You get to choose your samples and put them in rhythm. I can’t wait to see what a 13-year-old will do with this!

You wanna see what’s next? Go to YouTube and watch 13-year-olds flip shit on Ableton.

DJ Times: For someone who’s getting into DJing and wants a ca-

reer in music, what’s your advice?

Questlove: You have to have a relationship with music. Knowledge never hurts you, but you have to start with genuinely loving music. That’s where the relationship starts.

DJ Times: And that started for you as a kid, of course.

Questlove: A lot of the greatest memories I have as a kid is bin shopping. When all is said and done with me—if I have an untimely demise, whatever—I’m certain that a lot of the common stories will be, “Yo, one time he took me bin shopping!” That’s my favorite thing to do, so when I’m with people I really care about… I buy for everyone. This year alone, there’s six or seven tweens, 11- and 12-year-olds, who have very mature starter kits. I get ’em all The Beatles, all Dylan, all the Stones. Now when I go to Amoeba, I call ahead and they’re like, “I got you, Ahmir!” [laughs].

DJ Times: You’re on national TV every night. You play with and produce top artists. You tour with your band. You DJ exclusive events. You’ve played the Super Bowl. You’ve backed The President of the United States.

You’ve even done a beer commercial.

Look at where you are… any idea any of this could happen?

Questlove: And I don’t even drink beer! It’s the tortoise-and-thehare journey. [The Roots] were at the starting gate in 1991-’92 and just went on and on. Some people passed us along the way and I’ve had some breakdowns about that. But nobody could’ve called this. People are like, “Oh, you’re the new Doc Severinsen or Paul Shaffer…” I just learned to accept it. I’m not perfect, but every day’s a new adventure and I’m open to it. I never thought that all this could happen, no, but it keeps happening. n

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2016

Blond:ish… Working Hard/Hardly Working

42

The CD? Oh, we’ll finish it…

To record our album, we went to Mexico…

Eventually.

Beautiful, right?

Blond:ish, Next Month in DJ Times

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