DJ Times January 2017, Vol 30 No 1 by DJ Times Magazine

Remembering David Mancuso

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Gig-Getting Through Instagram DJ Expo’s 3-Time Champ 11 Small-Business Tips PLUS: Just Be/Bushwacka! Louis The Child * Vitalic Mixars’ Killer Combo * iZotope Neutron

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PIONEERING DJ/PARTY HOST DAVID MANCUSO REMEMBERED

Tomas Borbas

at playing at ear-splitting levels, he would make a point of doing it with utmost respect, elegance and delicate restraint, in a manner that let music’s natural beauty shine through. “There is nothing else out there in the ephemeral world of clubs,” he continued, “that quite compares to such a legacy, the wondrous realization that somehow what he created will outlast him—The Loft will go on.”

David Mancuso: Love Saves the Day.

James Lange Photography

endary soundman Alex Rosner, a frequent supplier of audio gear to Mancuso, who favored Klipschorn speakers, JBL tweeters, McIntosh amps and Thorens turntables. “What we all had in common was a desire to dance to terrific music and that’s what held the place together. There were no bouncers. The sound level was not too loud. It was conducive to having a conversation. The place sounded terrific. The owner’s ego was not on display. The price of admission was reasonable, though, not just anyone off the street could gain entrance. One had to have an invitation or membership card. No liquor. Juice and food were given away. Brightly colored balloons gave it a party ambiance. David’s heart was in the right place.” And Mancuso’s legacy, as it relates to DJing and pro audio? “A sound system doesn’t have to be so loud, but must be good,” said Rosner, who installed and maintained many of New York’s major venues before and after the disco era. “Mixing from record to record is not essential. Gimmicks are unnecessary. The DJ’s role is to select and play the stored music without embellishment or ego.” Siano described how a night at The Loft at 647 Broadway impacted his immediate future: “I danced under the largest mirror ball I had ever seen,” he recalled. “As the record played, I notice that David was controlling every light in the room, even the small lamp in the corner… and it was that night I realized I had to be a DJ, but not just a DJ, I wanted to control the atmosphere, as David was controlling it.” Longtime dance-music promoter Bobby Shaw recalls his time at the 99 Prince Street venue. “I learned from Mancuso how to throw a party without it having to be a lavish big room or a typical club setting,” he posted on Facebook. “I was also trained by David, as well as Larry Levan, that it wasn’t always about the mix from one song into the another, but rather about the program. You could keep the crowd and your set flowing, even if you went from 128 to 100 BPM, as long as it fit the mold of the night.” In a Facebook post, legendary DJ/ producer François K lauded Mancuso’s dedication to audio excellence and his ultimate legacy. “Where everyone else only seemed to aspire

Matthew Marks Gallery

By Jim Tremayne New York City – This past Nov. 14, David Mancuso, one of the world’s greatest DJ/club-culture pioneers passed away. He was 72. Best known for his private parties (like Love Saves the Day) at “The Loft,” which began in Manhattan in 1970, Mancuso’s legacy ran deep. Not only did his Loft parties set the standard for a variety of nightlife conventions—precise sound quality, rich musical programing, exclusive door policy, etc.—Mancuso also contributed to the nascent DJ culture by co-founding America’s first record pool, the New York City Record Pool, in 1975. But it was The Loft that most influenced the all-night dance culture that grew from 1970s/’80s venues like The Gallery and the Paradise Garage in New York and The Warehouse in Chicago. It was no accident that Gallery DJ Nicky Siano, Garage DJ Larry Levan and Warehouse DJ Frankie Knuckles were after-hours regulars at The Loft, where Mancuso threw private, rent-type parties with exacting standards for sound and ambiance. From those venues and a few others, the disco and house-music undergrounds took hold, eventually morphing and mutating into a slew of genre-led scenes we now know. But, as many who were there will tell you, it all started with David Mancuso and The Loft, where the music did all the talking—in his home and in one-off parties around the globe—for more than 40 years. In a 2007 interview with author Tim Lawrence, Mancuso said: “I’m just part of the vibration. I’m very uncomfortable when I’m put on a pedestal. Sometimes in this particular business, it comes down to the DJ, who sometimes does some kind of performance and wants to be on the stage. That’s not me. I don’t want attention. I want to feel a sense of camaraderie and I’m doing things on so many levels that, whether it’s the sound or whatever, I don’t want to be pigeonholed as a DJ. I don’t want to be categorized or become anything. I just want to be.” A few remembrances of David Mancuso were sent to DJ Times and/ or taken from Facebook posts immediately after his passing: “The music at The Loft had harmony, which created harmony among the people who came,” recalled leg-

In 1975: Disco-era Mancuso. In the Mix: Mancuso on the decks.

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VOLUME 30

12 Moving On Up

NUMBER 1

With Her Dark & Mesmerizing Sound, Canadian DJ/ Producer REZZ Has Become Electronic Music’s Latest Breakout Star BY BRUCE TANTUM

20 Photo Finish

DJs Are Finding Various Levels of Success Generating Gigs Through Instagram. Here’s How They Do It BY JEFF STILES

22 Just Be

Through a Number of Aliases, London DJ/Producer Matthew Benjamin Rolls with the Changes & Cranks Out Quality in a Variety of Genres BY JIM TREMAYNE

DEPARTMENTS 7 Feedback

38 Grooves

26 Making Tracks

41 Club Play Chart

iZotope Neutron

Phat Tracks from Above & Beyond, Josh Wink & More

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

28 Sounding Off

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

Mixars’ DUO & LTR Combo

30 Mobile Profile Jersey Jock Stays on Top

SAMPLINGS

32 Business Line

8 Louis The Child

34 Gear

10 In the Studio With…

Small-Biz Tips from the Experts

New Products from Pioneer DJ, ADJ & More

Teen Titans

Vitalic

Cover Image by Rukes.com Contents Image by James Cotta

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FROM THE EDITOR

REZZ: The Next Phase?

Sometimes in this job, you’re lucky enough to experience a young DJ who gets your attention right away, someone you just know will be around for a while. Such has been the case with REZZ, who, for much of 2016, was very much on our musical radar. In March, we caught the 21-year-old DJ/producer’s set at Winter Music Conference in Miami Beach for a packed mau5trap party at the Treehouse club. On the decks, she followed a famous fellow Canadian (minus his mau5head) and took the party in a darker, slower, but no less compelling direction. Two months later, at an afternoon Movement-festival performance in Detroit’s Hart Plaza, she hit it much harder and had fans moshing and stomping throughout the underground stage – from front to back for 90 minutes. And in New York City this past Halloween, REZZ rocked the costumed crowd with a collection of mesmerizing grooves from her latest release, Something Wrong Here, that had Webster Hall positively quaking. Yeah, she got our attention. And soon after that October show, our Manhattan-based writer Bruce Tantum connected with REZZ (aka Isabelle Rezazadeh) and discussed her sudden ascension, her artistic process and, yes, her hypno-goggles. This month, we also revisit things with London’s Matthew Benjamin (aka Just Be, aka Bushwacka!), one of club-music’s most talented and prolific underground DJ/producers. For years, he’d made music with partner Layo Paskin, as the tech-house duo Layo & Bushwacka! (gracing the cover of DJ Times along the way). But he’s been on his own for the past three-plus years and his approach to musical quality—in a variety of genres—has never wavered. Check out our playlist, plus his recently re-released catalogs from the Plank and Oblong labels and listen for yourself. In Samplings, Long Island contributor Michelle Fetky connects with youthful hitmakers Louis The Child, who broke big in 2015-16 and look forward to a bigger 2017. Meanwhile, Bruce Tantum completes some double-duty in this issue by engaging in studio talk with French DJ/producer Vitalic, who explains how his latest, more cosmic-leaning output serves as a reaction to “EDM’s excesses.” In our review sections, Chicago-based DJ/scribe Reed Dailey handles Sounding Off by taking on Mixars’ killer turntable-and-mixer combo—the LTR and DUO units. Also, for Making Tracks, Denver-based DJ/producer Wesley Bryant-King goes into the studio with Neutron, iZotope’s new mixing plug-in. On the mobile front, our Iowa-based correspondent Jeff Stiles asks DJs how they use Instagram to effectively generate gigs. In the Business Line column, we offer 11 tips for small-business owners. Additionally, we meet with Jack Bermeo, the New Jersey jock who won his third “DJ of the Year” competition at this past year’s DJ Expo in Atlantic City. As you’ll see in this month’s Mobile Profile, winning is no accident, as Bermeo is quite attentive to every detail and makes sure that his LJDJs Event Design & Entertainment retains a point of difference in his market. Extra, Extra: Subscribers will notice an additional present in their poly-bagged mailer – the latest installment of ClubWorld, our quarterly sister issue, covering the nightclub and festival market. Enjoy.

Cheers,

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ Times

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FEEDBACK

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This is Feedback, a monthly feature that fields questions from you, our readers, and funnels them out to in‑ dustry professionals. If you have any questions about DJing – marketing, mixing, equipment or insurance, any at all – drop us a letter at DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Ave, Port Washington, NY 11050, fax us at (516) 944‑8372 or e‑mail us at djtimes@testa.com. If we do use your question, you’ll receive a free DJ Times T‑shirt. And remember, the only dumb question is the question that is not asked. If you’re a mobile jock lugging and setting up gear, a club DJ mixing in the booth or a studio-bound music maker, you all have issues with health and wellness, posture and pain. Meet New York-based exercise physiologist Claudia Godi, developer of The Godi Method, a prevention method which focuses on posture, breathing and body awareness in your daily work and exercise routing. At DJ Expo in Atlantic City this August, Godi will present a seminar titled, “DJ Wellness: Posture & Prevention,” in which she’ll explain how to prevent what she calls “DJ Syndrome,” the all-too-familiar recurrent neck and shoulder pain that DJs experience. In this unique hands-on workshop, she will demonstrate prevention tech‑ niques for DJ-related health issues and explain the best ways for DJs to achieve maximum wellness. “DJs experience pain on one side of the neck,” she explains, “and often the shoulder on that same side with a shooting, sharp pain to the correspon‑ dent arm. ‘DJ Syndrome’ is normally due to the action of bending the neck to the side and lifting the correspond‑ ing shoulder in order to hold one side of the headphone closely to the ear, while the other headphone is loose and off the opposite ear.” Obviously, an accurate diagnosis and cause of the pain must be determined by a qualified physician. But anyone suffering from “DJ Syndrome” can

prevent or reduce the condition and its related symptoms by taking the following suggested preventive and corrective measures, which Godi rec‑ ommends: 1. Any time during the DJ session that you don’t need to mix, just break from the “DJ position,” drop the shoulder and place the neck and head straight. 2. Before and after a session, release and stretch the muscles of the neck and mid-back through proprioceptive exercises and appropriate stretching

exercises of those particular areas. 3. Establish a “ritual gesture” to break out of the position any time you don’t need to hold it – in other words, change the habit of maintain‑ ing that position, even when it is not necessary. For example, place your headphones around your neck any time you are not mixing; this simple motion could be your “ritual gesture,” reminding you to break from the ac‑ tion of tilting and lifting the shoulder. 4. Change or alternate the “DJ posi‑

tion.” Instead of tilting your head and lifting your shoulder, in order to listen to the music track you want to mix, you can bend your forearm, main‑ taining the head in the center, while pressing the headphone against your ear with the hand corresponding to the bent forearm. Even when adopting this new position, do not lift the shoulder corresponding to the bent forearm. Changing or alternating the “DJ posi‑ tion” will reduce the repetitive stress on your joints.

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SAMPLINGS like Coachella, Electric Zoo, Lollapalooza and Electric Forest to their live resume. They also opened tours for The Chainsmokers and Madeon. Additionally, Kennett and Hauldren have become in-demand remixers, with LTC mixes for Miike Snow (“Genghis Khan”), The Knocks & Matthew Koma (“I Wish”) and Ty Dolla Sign (“Blasé”) in 2016 alone. Later in the year, Louis the Child dropped another chilled-and-hookfilled electronic single—“Fire” featuring Evalyn on Ultra Music—then they retreated to the studio, from where they’ve concocted a batch of new music that fans can expect to hear in 2017. We caught up with Louis The Child’s youthful duo to talk about its

breakthrough and a bright future. DJ Times: You were both creating music before you met each other. What were your alias names and what did you focus on musically? Freddy Kennett: Robby was creating under the name Haul Pass, and he made mash-ups. I went under the name Fatboy, and I started with producing dubstep. DJ Times: What was it like juggling both school and pursuing a musical career? And how’d you two meet? Robby Hauldren: Definitely easier than juggling 13 chainsaws at once. We met at a Madeon concert.

DJ Times: Who are some artists that influences you? Kennett: Kanye West. Hauldren: Flume, Porter Robinson, ODESZA and, of course, Madeon. DJ Times: Tell us how it is being some of the youngest DJs in the industry. Hauldren: As long as you work hard enough, it shouldn’t matter your age. DJ Times: What type of DJ equipment do you guys use? Kennett: We use Pioneer CDJs when we perform, but we will be putting together a live set and playing instruments on stage once we have more music out. DJ Times: You are best known for your singles, “It’s Strange” and “Weekend.” Did you ever imagine that those two songs would be the kickoff to your career? Hauldren: We definitely felt those songs were special and that people would like them – but you never know (continued on page 40)

Louis The Child: (from left) Kennett & Hauldren

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

On the strength of two supercatchy singles, Louis the Child burst big onto the EDM scene in the past year. The Chicago-bred DJ/production duo—Freddy Kennett, 20, and Robby Hauldren, 19—met in high school and musically bonded in an after-class DJ club. As Louis the Child, the pair began playing at small venues through 2013-14. Then, in 2015, the group rose to popularity with the Ultra Music release of “It’s Strange” featuring K.Flay, which highlighted the soundtrack for the FIFA 16 video game. The single garnered additional notice with its praise from artists like Taylor Swift, who included it on her list of “Songs That Will Make Your Life More Awesome.” The duo followed up in 2016 with another earworm—the Big Beat single, “Weekend” featuring Icona Pop—and before the summer was over they’d added major festival slots

LOUIS THE CHILD: TEEN TITANS

IN THE STUDIO

DJ TIMES

DECEMBER 2016

VITALIC: COSMIC VOYAGER

In the early days of this millennium, Pascal Arbez-Nicolas (aka Vitalic) was one of the reigning kings of dance-music maximalism. Beginning with 2001’s Poney EP and culminating with 2005’s OK Cowboy long-player, the French producer shook up clubland with an aggressive new sound, one that wed the late-night joy of disco and to fist-pumping exuberance of rock-n-roll, with buzzsaw basslines, stomping kicks and a keen sense of dynamics underpinning his adrenaline-rush melodies. It was a big, brawny, powerful sound that, arguably, helped paved the way for much of the EDM that followed. Following 2009’s relatively subdued Flashmob, Vitalic came roaring back with 2012’s Rave Age, an album that signaled a return to his maximalist roots. But with the new Voyager, released through his new Clivage Music label in early 2017, he’s reversed direction once again with a release that references the kind of synthetic sound pioneered by electronic explorers like Tangerine Dream and Jean-Michel Jarre, and later perfected by the likes of synth-disco godfathers Giorgio Moroder and Patrick Cowley. There’s a kind of synth-disco classicism that runs throughout Voyager, with decidedly retro cover art to match. Minor-key melodies, stately rhythms, emotive arpeggios, and an aura of late-night neon glistening against black leather are the LP’s ingredients; even the more raucous tracks, like the stomping “Nozomi” or the squelching “Levitation,” have a sophisticated patina that may come as a shock to those who know the producer through his gut-busting older material. He’s hinted at this direction before, notably on Flashmob—but on Voyager, Vitalic’s committed himself fully to the sleek, sexy pleasures of this sound. “It’s music that I have to make right now,” he says. “I needed to tell stories again, and I wanted to put synthesizers in the front.” He also sees Voyager as a reaction to the over-the-top feel of much of today’s electronic music. “It is a reaction to excesses of EDM, and also even to some of my own music,” he claims. “Focusing on energy and power, we may forget to give some depth and tell stories.” In interviews, Vitalic described Flashmob as “experimental and romantic,” and the second half of that description certainly holds true for his new material as well—it’s some of his most seductive music yet. “But I don’t think its romantic in the cheesy way,” he’s quick to say. “Its romantic because of the man-machine marriage, and all the projections and fantasy we put into that. This man-machine aspect appeals to me, and it’s how I perceived that when I was a kid and started to listen to music, thinking about cosmos and travelling is also about hope and evasion.” In practice, actualizing that “man-machine” symbiosis meant a reliance on analog synths, with Vitalic utilizing a mix of retro equipment and synths of newer vintage to achieve the album’s classic sound. “I (continued on page 40)

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G N I V O N O M

By Bruce Tantum

In the percolating world of electronic-dance music, a young artist can make the jump from learning the ins and outs of bedroom-studio production to playing fist-pumping festival-size sets at a speed that would have been unthinkable in the pre-Internet era. Take Isabelle Rezazadeh, better known as REZZ, for instance: Less than two years ago, she was making tracks on her laptop in her Niagara Falls, Ontario, home and uploading them to SoundCloud; today, she’s one of the scene’s nascent superstars. She’s made that leap with a self-assured poise that’s rare among up-and-coming producers. But what makes REZZ’s story stand out is that she’s managed to make her mark despite, or perhaps because of, a brash style that’s far from the pain-by-numbers music made by many of her peers. She’s been perfecting her singular sound—one that’s dark, tough, and mesmerizingly paced, generally hovering around a creepy-crawly 100-BPM range—since the days of those early SoundCloud uploads, and she’s been perfecting it ever since. She’s enlisted some heavy hitters to aid in that effort: Her debut EP, Insurrection, came in July 2015 via Nest, the label arm of the Skrillex-associated Next HQ website, and subsequent work has been released on the deadmau5helmed mau5trap label. REZZ unveiled the six-track Something Wrong Here, released on mau5trap, this past October—and it’s perhaps her strongest, most fully realized work yet. The march-step stomp of “Selector” recalls the sound of mid-’90s, way-before-stardom Daft Punk; the spiraling synths of “Cryptic” are punctuated by pummeling, dancehall-laced rhythms; “Paranoid,” accompanied

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e Electronic Musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Latest Breakout Star

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DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

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“Melancholy” is an EBM-tinged stormer, with vocalist Laura Brehm’s sweet, slightly breathy vocals floating above a throbbing bass. REZZ has grown ever more sure of herself at gigs, too—wearing her trademark hypno-goggles, she works the crowd like an a at a and born in the dUkraine, old pro. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that a n a ve ry ung age. C and th toister I were en we yo m the she’s has only been at this for a couple oved o s DJ Times: What’s your pre-music-career background? n ia ? s ts ldTimes reaches sTi uid RDJ shwhaleDJ , rasen tig d e y me o wh of years, but when DJ Times reaches her by s: t r u Yo bu ’d rs, t we e e mexrep an uple of yea wooahm nenaakhsea kmakect someone phone, the 21-year-old producer is as gide ’s a t re ir h e t th e o t f confiwa be . Yet wl an it sition to sayst.r“aIve dily enthusiastic about her success as you’d usic thdesnycoeuastowbe Z Z a E “I t o I lovneg.”e ellm . e expect someone in her position to be. Yet t ”R d r d , e a ioc us there’s an air of confidence as well. re, “When I make music, I don’t make it to basically be mediocre,” REZZ says. “I want to make music that I love.” DJ Times: What’s your pre-music-cadropped evreer background? REZZ: I’m Persian-Ukrainian. My mom er ything for was raised in the Ukraine and my dad was raised in Iran. My dad used to travel the world a bit when he was younger, and he music. met my mom when he went to the Ukraine. He actually learned Russian so he could speak with her. Both my sister and I were I wouldn’t let born in the Ukraine, and then we moved to Canada at a very young age. DJ Times: You were an athlete as a kid, myself have right? REZZ: I did a lot of track and field in any distracelementary school. It was a very big part of my life when I was a kid. My favorite events were long jump, and the 100-, 400-meter tions. I had and 800-meter runs—anything more than that and I would basically just die. And I did a lot of other sports, too, but I was really, found my really good at basketball. I once made 30 free throws in a row! It was kind of insane. passion.” People actually thought I was going to be become big in basketball. I enjoyed doing it and I was good at it… but practice was

really early, and sleep was more important to me than practice. That made me realize I wasn’t passionate enough about it to really do it. DJ Times: But music was a whole different story, obviously. REZZ: When I found music, nothing else was important anymore. I didn’t care about sleep, and at that time I didn’t even care about food. DJ Times: That’s serious! REZZ: Yeah! Especially if I was trying to finish a song, I would forget to take care of basic human necessities. I grew up as a very social person, but I stopped going out with friends. I basically dropped everything for music; I wouldn’t let myself have any distractions. I had found my passion. Nothing had ever felt that way before. DJ Times: How did you first discover that passion? Had you had any musical training as a kid? REZZ: No, I had never taken music up at all. I had only done stuff like music class in elementary school. But I can remember this one situation when we all had to sit in a circle, and we all had drumsticks. Somebody would have to do a drumbeat, and the next person would have to copy that drumbeat as exactly as they could. That was when I noticed that I was really good at rhythm, and maybe above-average at keeping a beat. I never thought would really mean anything, though. DJ Times: And when did it finally start to mean something? REZZ: That was years later, when I was 18 and first had Ableton on my computer. Fooling around with that, that’s when I thought to myself, “OK, I really enjoy this. I enjoy the process.” DJ Times: It’s a long way from that to putting out EPs on Nest and mau5trap, though. How did it go from making music for fun to actually releasing that music? REZZ: It happened because of the Internet, basically. I was releasing a lot of music for free on my SoundCloud page, and a lot of blogs were picking up on it. Those blogs surprisingly attract a lot of people who are in the industry. One of the guys at Nest HQ found me, and then Skrillex ended up following me and said, “We have to do something with you.” So we made a three-track EP and released it on Nest. DJ Times: And then? REZZ: Shortly after that, ATTLAS from mau5trap heard my music, and he sent it over to Chris [Johnson, general Manager at mau5trap], who loved it. And just like with Skrillex, he said “We have to do something with you”—and so we released “Serenity.” Then that first real EP for mau5trap, The Silence Is Deafening, did really well for me. It attracted a lot of new people to my music. And there were a few bits and pieces, remixes and revisions—and now, the Something Wrong Here EP. DJ Times: You make it sound easy! REZZ: Things just happened, but it was a lot of work, and you just have to keep working. I made a lot of noise really fast, but I’m still making music constantly and trying to figure out how to get it out there, to get more exposure. And once you do that, you’d be surprised who will hear that music. Once you put stuff on the Internet, and if it’s really cool and unique, you’ll get some recognition. But you have to continue to prove yourself. Like, I’ve made literally hundreds of songs, a lot of which I still haven’t released. And I continue to make songs, all the time. DJ Times: That’s one way to do it nowadays—just constantly keep yourself in the public’s mind. REZZ: Yeah, but it depends on who you are. There are artists who haven’t released in years who can still remain relevant—a good example would be Gesaffelstein. He hasn’t put anything out lately, but to me, he’s already an icon. He doesn’t need to release all the time, because what he’s already done with his music and his brand and his image makes him timeless. DJ Times: A lot of people have actually compared you to Gesaffelstein. REZZ: I don’t know how he feels about that! It’s good for me because he’s really rad, and I can hear the similarities, like with the kick-snare patterns at 100 BPM, but I think we are inspired by different visions. My sound is heavier and bassier, and maybe a little bit more hard-hitting. DJ Times: But I’m sure you wouldn’t mind reaching his iconic status. REZZ: Well, I would never say that I want to become an icon. [laughs] But a lot of the people who I idolize are on that level, and I respect them for getting there. DJ Times: Trent Reznor seems to the latest point of reference that people seem to fall back on when talking about your music. REZZ: There’s been a lot of that lately. And I’m even more flattered by that. I really love Nine Inch Nails. That whole vibe is really incredible, and to be compared to somebody like that is huge. DJ Times: Speaking of icons, it was deadmau5 who inspired you to produce in the first place, right? REZZ: Oh, yeah. Everything comes down to deadmau5. The funny thing is, the first time I went to see him, I didn’t think he was anything that crazy. The second and third time, he started to grow on me. And when it hit me, I was like, “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen!” Then I started watching his live streams and whatever he had, and I just thought, “Yes, I’m definitely going to start making music.”

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JANUARY 2017

DJ TIMES 16

DJ Times: You mentioned Something Wrong Here earlier. How’s the reaction been? REZZ: The feedback has been great. It really seems to be satisfying my existing fan base, and also bringing new people to my sound. DJ Times: That’s always a tough balance, to attract new fans while satisfying your old ones. REZZ: Yes, it is. But when we were putting this EP together, I was thinking that there were two tracks on it that my existing fan base would absolutely love, “Purple Gusher” and “Selector.” And I was totally right—sure enough, those two are the fan favorites. And the new fans like “Melancholy,” which is softer side of me, or maybe one of the other tracks. I think the idea was to make sure all the tracks were different from each other, yet still have that consistent REZZ type of vibe or sound that I’ve had throughout my production career. I think the EP accomplished that—and, by now, I’m onto the next thing, of course. DJ Times: How do you describe the REZZ sound? Do you have a name for it? REZZ: I’m still trying to figure that out, to be honest. I don’t really have a name for it. But I know how to describe it. DJ Times: Go for it. REZZ: Spacey, slow-paced, heavy, dark, creepy, peculiar—alien music, maybe? But I definitely wouldn’t call it “techno,” even though so many other people have called it techno. DJ Times: They might be people who don’t actually know what techno is. REZZ: Exactly. A couple of years ago, I might have made a couple of techy tracks, but I don’t make techno, and it’s definitely not the direction I’m heading. DJ Times: Did you always have the REZZ sound, or was it something you had to develop? REZZ: It’s funny, but my very first track ever sounded like a cheap kiddie version of what I’m making now. [laughs] I think I’ve had this vision all along, and I’m always getting better and learning how to do it. But when I started, I was just learning how to do it—how to get that vision out. DJ Times: What is it about low–BPM music that appeals to you? REZZ: I don’t know. I just really like that vibe. I can remember a long time ago seeing Pretty Lights open for Skrillex. We were in the back of the crowd, behind everyone, and we were all just vibing and doing all these crazy movements—actual full-blown dancing, not just jumping up and down. It was more dynamic than that, and it inspired me so much. You can do so much more within the space of those slow beats. Chill, head-bobbing music is what defines me. DJ Times: And the music’s dark tone was always there as well? REZZ: Yeah, straight away. DJ Times: It’s funny, because you don’t seem like a very dark person. REZZ: I know—I’m really not! Just the sound that comes naturally to me, and I’m not sure why. DJ Times: Even the words to your songs that have vocals are pretty morose. The first three lines to “Melancholy,” for instance, are: “All these thoughts are running through my head/I can’t control it, they are taking me down with them/Wish I knew why I am haunted.” Do you write the lyrics? REZZ: No, Laura [Brehm, the track’s singer] wrote the lyrics. She sent me the vocals, and then I based the music on the vocals. DJ Times: Do you foresee releasing more vocal tracks in the future? REZZ: Well, I have actually done four vocal tracks already. There’s my remix of that Marilyn Manson track [“This Is the New Shit”]; there’s my remix of Kill the Noise’s “Without A Trace,” which has an amazing vocal on it; and there’s the two originals, “Melancholy” and “Lost” from The Silence Is Deafening, with Delaney Jane. I’ve also remixed a Metric track that has vocals, which is unreleased. So there have been a few already, but to answer your question—definitely. The only problem is that I am really picky about vocalists. There has to be a certain sound to the vocals. But you can expect to hear more vocals—it’s part of my evolution as a producer. DJ Times: You have a pretty simple home-studio set-up, right? REZZ: Yeah, it’s just a MacBook and Sol Republic headphones. I have studio monitors, but I hardly ever use them. DJ Times: And you still are mainly using Ableton Live, right? REZZ: I use pretty much everything Ableton has to offer, and then some software synths—[Native Instruments’] Massive, [Propellerhead’s] Balance, [Xfer Records’] Serum—and a few other random things, like iZotope [Ozone 7] for mastering. I’ve kept it pretty

Will Selviz

“I like repetition. I like music that’s simple, but hard-hitting. I like music that’s hypnotizing.” (continued on page 40)

DJS ARE FINDING VARIOUS LEVELS OF SUCCESS GENERATING

Photo GIGS THROUGH INSTAGRAM.

BY JEFF STILES

HERE’S HOW THEY DO IT.

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

For Matt Majikas of World Record DJs in Fitschburg, Mass., using Instagram is not about getting gigs at all—at least not directly. “It’s about building a portfolio to show future clients,” he says. “I’ve received many compliments about it. It’s free and a great way to showcase your dancefloors, lighting, etc.” We reached out to club and mobile DJs from across that nation to ask how they’re using Instagram to promote their businesses. Is it an important part of their social-media-marketing portfolio? Has it helped them generate gigs? “I use my Instagram (@SignatureDJ) to promote all the weddings I do,” says Jay Friese of Signature Sounds in Warren, R.I. “I use a ton of targeted hashtags to drive views to my content, and have booked two wedding receptions through brides who have seen my images based on the hashtags I used. “I use local hashtags such as #Newportweddings as well as wedding specific hashtags such as #heasked and #isaidyes.”

Sharing content using hashtags has worked well for Jason Jani, of SCE Event Group in West Long Branch, N.J. He says connecting with people who are friends or “friends of friends”—or are interested in a specific tag—has allowed his company to grow its network and attract people who are interested in their services. “Instagram is heavily used by the 25-to-35-year-old target demographic, and that’s the age group where most of my company wedding clients fall,” Jani says. “Creating unique hashtags for venues, services and events have allowed us to slowly build a universe of followers that we’ve been able to retain over the years.” Although Jani doesn’t claim to have booked many events directly through his use of Instagram, he says it’s definitely a major marketing platform. “I love Instagram because it’s visual and allows us to visually connect with people,” he says. “I feel like we’re in an age of people who read less and scroll more. And when you can connect with someone with visual content, they’re more often likely to check out the text or call to action—following, going to a site or clicking a link in the bio, etc. “It most certainly has generated events and built opportunities for different facets of the business.”

For Artem Lomez of NinetyThree Entertainment in Roxbury, N.J., Instagram is not atop his social-media priorities, though he says it can be a nice touch-point to have with those who follow him on that platform, including other vendors. “It allows for my brand to remain within the users’ mind and sight,” explains Lomez. “It has indeed helped me connect with other vendors, but I don’t view it as a platform that will generate events. “I believe our business still heavily relies on word-of-mouth and referrals, as opposed to how nice your photos and videos are. I also feel that it could help garner interest for your brand, which would lead potential consumers to continue exploring your brand by jumping onto your website or other social media pages.”

Down in Silverhill, Ala., Jason Bishop of Code3 Entertainment has spent a number of years working in print, television and radio journalism, so he has a lot of experience in promoting messages. “Instagram is a new landscape, and I think it’s a necessity to harness the power of social media to connect with our customers, fans and prospective clients,” he says. “I only post my best photos to it, and I make sure to network with my couples and vendors, and then we all tag each other. “And I do get referrals from my linked vendors—especially photographers.” Being located on the Gulf Coast, Bishop says the landscape features a backdrop like no other, which is perfectly suited for photos posted to Instagram. “Our sugar-sand beaches, emerald waters and hand-painted sunsets,” he says, “all lend a hand in creating the backdrop for a wedding that many brides have dreamt of since they were small princesses.” During consultations, Jani urges his couples to create an Instagram hashtag exclusive to their event. “The simpler the better,” he says, “so people can remember it later.” When setting up the big day, Bishop says couples will often have a sign on their sign-in table with their Instagram hashtag so guests can tag and share their photos with the couple. “From our vantage point as wedding DJs, we’re in a prime position to see just about everything,” says Bishop. “This gives us the ability to capture great moments and share them instantly—not only with the couple, but with those who could not make it. This shares with the world the fairytale as it unfolds.”

Over in the Midwest, K.C. KoKoruz of Chicago’s Keith Christopher Entertainment Group says they use Instagram the same ways

they use any other social-media platforms. KoKoruz says his company posts a variety of interesting special event-related

photographs which include their DJs in action, décor lighting and the like. “Anyone can create jpegs with pic-

tures and text,” he says. “However, paying to promote it to specific audiences can be tricky, since a jpeg

can’t contain more t h a n 2 0 - p e rc e n t text. But since Instagram is owned by Facebook, a person can utilize all of the

audience-targeting available via Facebook— age, gender, relationship status, geography and interests.” W i t h 9 0 - p e rcent of Instagram users under 35-years old, there’s no question that wedding couples are indeed on Instagram.

Finish

Blake Eckelbarger (DJ Sticky Boots), of the syndicated mix-show The HyperMiXx, is known to be on the forefront of all things digital. He’s been on Instagram for over four years. “It’s become very important to me as both a branding tool and also for building a connection with potential clients, especially younger fans who will be clients in the future,” says Sticky Boots, who also operates The Music Place in South Bend, Ind. “My Instagram account (@DJStickyBoots) is a great way for me to give people a look into my life, while still showcasing what I do professionally.” For Eckelbarger, more and more of his target audience is now on Instagram, and are much more active with it than with Facebook. “Facebook is still a powerful platform to post information that, if someone is looking for it, they can find,” Eckelbarger says. “But Back up in the Northeast, Gregg Hollmann of Ambient DJs in East Windsor, Instagram is a great way to have a real-time personal connection N.J., says Instagram has been the top focus of his company’s social-media-marketing with followers. campaign for the past two years. “However, I really think the best way to build that relationship “It’s also the most personally enjoyable platform, providing a creative challenge to with followers is to not constantly post about your gigs, or your telling a story through visual media that effectively brands our company,” says Gregg. mixes, or your business, but instead to just post interesting things “At present, our Instagram account (@AmbientDJs) has about 1,200 followers, and we about your life and what you’re really like as a person. Then occaaverage 30 posts per month. sionally you throw in a subtle promotion to let people know they “Posts are skewed towards the weekend, when parties occur, and also to special days can hire you. of the week such as #MusicMonday and #WeddingWednesday. Instagram is the perfect “This is the reason I keep my Instagram just for DJ Sticky Boots platform to showcase our work and maintain top-of-mind awareness among past clirather than a company name—it keeps that brand forefront in folents, event pros, banquet hall managers and even fellow DJs.” lowers’ minds and keeps the connection warm and personal, not Hollmann says some of the keys to building a successful Instagram campaign is to cold and corporate.” optimize your brand (“Make sure your selected images are telling the proper story”), Sticky Boots says he’s a firm believer in making our audiences be consistent (“By consistently showcasing photos from events, you demonstrate that part of our social media, so he utilizes Instagram heavily with wedyou’re a DJ who’s in demand”), create collages (“Rather than posting six separate imding hashtags, the bride and groom’s personal hashtags, and actively ages from a wedding, I often create a collage with the best images of the night arranged encouraging people to connect and tag him at events. in an artistic fashion”), and don’t forget that Instagram is a two-way street (“Using “I try to focus on people in my event-related posts, rather than Instagram to promote your business is great, but don’t forget to like, comment and gear,” he says. “Probably 95-percent of my followers don’t care at all share other people’s posts. Strike up conversations that lead to doing real business”). about my lights or turntables or speakers, but they do want to see themselves and their friends and then share it. “What better way to show that you can rock the party than to After 13 years with a small DJ company based in Massachusetts and as a nightshow people actually on the dancefloor, having a blast?” club DJ in Rhode Island, Joseph Anthony decided to form his own business—Joseph Eckelbarger says it’s imperative to make sure all Instragram conAnthony Weddings and Events in Providence, R.I. In order to promote his DJ company, tent is real and true to a company’s brand, and to focus on building he says he typically posts images from his events. real connections with real people on social media. “As I post, I utilize pertinent hashtags such as #riwedding or #photobooth or what“I think today’s social audience—especially the younger audiever else is relevant,” he says, “From there, it’s all about seeing people like the picture ence—is becoming more and more savvy as to what’s real and or comment on it. The more that happens, the more exposure your posts get. what’s fake on Instagram,” he explains. “You can easily buy followers, “Sometimes people are searching on hashtags and that will actually drive your imbut it’s so easy to spot: If a DJ has 10,000-plus followers, but is only ages into their feed, and I’ve actually had a couple of bookings from people who have getting 100-200 likes on each post, for example, that means no one found me on there.” is looking at them. Anthony says the other key to utilizing Instagram successfully is to follow other “I’m still in the early stages, but building my audience on Insvendors, and to engage them by liking and/or commenting on their posts. tagram has already paid off from people seeing the energy at my “It helps build community while also getting more reach,” he says. “You just have to events and reaching out to find me for their own. They see what I do be genuine and/or connective about it—not just posting on someone’s stuff strictly for for my clients, get to know what it’s like to work with me, and want the exposure. People can see through that quickly. to have the same experience for themselves. “To be honest, I even find myself following other DJs. I can’t help but to give them “As my audience grows and matures, I expect even more concompliments when they do cool stuff. I guess I’m weird like that, in that I’m a huge fan version as my fans who are kids today will be brides, grooms, and of community over competition.” n corporate decision makers tomorrow.”

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

Bt s E u J ... T wi hr o By th ug Jim the h a N T r Cha um em ng be ay es r o ne & f A Cr li an ase ks s, O Lo ut nd Q on ua D lit J y /P in r o a du Va c rie er ty M of att G he en w r e Be s n

lls

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

Matthew Benjamin may not be as well-known as many of the festival faves gracing the globe’s biggest stages, but as a DJ/producer he’s probably accomplished more, and certainly for a longer period of time. Operating under a number of solo aliases (Matthew B, Just Be, Bushwacka!) and as one-half of the hitmaking duo Layo & Bushwacka!, the London-based Benjamin has been instrumental in a variety of successful studio projects, memorable club residencies and seminal underground one-offs for nearly three decades. Benjamin’s dance-music bona fides are unimpeachable. After playing percussion as a schoolboy for the London School Symphony Orchestra, he had his mind blown by the original U.K. acid-house scene of the late 1980s. Hopelessly absorbed into the nascent underground culture, he began to work for The Rat Pack, London’s legendary rave crew, first handing out flyers, then DJing for the collective. He spun raves, played on pirate radio, then learned his production chops at studio-engineering school. After landing a job working at the studio run by Mr. C of The Shamen, he began to release his own music. In 1995 with partner Mark Varney (aka DJ Vorn), he opened Plank Records and, a couple years later with record retailer Lewis Copeland, he unveiled its subsidiary label, Oblong. Both imprints released quality tech-house and breaks material that flooded U.K. clubland into the following decade. Before long, he met Layo Paskin and formed Layo & Bushwacka!, which went onto global status as leaders in the original tech-house movement. Additionally, in 1995, Paskin and Mr. C became principals in The End, one of clubland’s greatest venues and the epicenter of a variety of genre scenes – tech-house, drum-n-bass, U.K. garage, dubstep and more. L&B’s residency at The End became one of the highlights of the venue’s 13-year run, which ended in early 2009. After four albums with L&B and club hits like 2002’s “Love Story,” Paskin retired from the music scene in 2013. But Benjamin forged ahead, releasing solo music and remixes for influential underground labels like Get Physical, Crosstown Rebels/Rebellion, MOOD, Suara, Intec, Tronic and others. Additionally, he’s remained an in-demand DJ at major clubs around the world, like DC10 and Space in Ibiza. Now Benjamin has returned with the digital re-release of the catalogs from Plank and Oblong, which ceased production in 2003. Now, via download and streaming services, DJs and fans can enjoy classic techhouse and breaks tracks, plus they can expect new releases in 2017. “I started these labels basically 20 years ago as an extension of me,” says Benjamin. “They gave me the freedom to put out music I loved, made alone or with close friends, and explore the fusion of breaks, jazz, trip-hop and house. These were tracks I could incorporate into my sets or form entire performances from to create a very special energy on the dancefloor.” In a recent interview with DJ Times, Benjamin details how a Ladbroke Grove kid from West London became a global DJ/producer, rolling with all the changes thrown his way. DJ Times: Doing the digital re-releases of these catalogs must bring back some memories. For younger DJs who may not know, what was it like for a DJ/producer to run a label back in the days of vinyl/physical product? Anything you miss about those days? As a label guy? As a DJ? Benjamin: For us, it was about making really exciting music and turning it into physical product, getting it cut, test pressings, giving them to our heroes and peers, and finally releasing the records. And with Plank, for the most part, it was me and my close friends that made the music, whereas with Oblong that was more of a label to put other artists’ music out on, too. It was very different back then, the whole procedure. I miss the human connection in the record shops. That was such a massive part of the experience – going in to buy tunes, and that day when you walk in and one of your tunes has made it onto the wall! DJ Times: What were the biggest challenges in making all this music available again? Benjamin: This has been a labor of love. It’s taken two years to get to this point. From the DAT tapes going missing, to the whole DAT being recording in wrongly, to the guy given the job of archiving it disappearing with all the music for six months, to the studio getting

flooded and all the original records getting damaged. It’s been and still remains a challenge. But it’s going to be worth it to have this music available for all to hear. DJ Times: In the recent resurgence of dance music—especially as a commercial entity—breakbeats seem to have been left behind a bit, unlike the original Electronica scene of the late-’90s. Is that something you’ve noticed? Benjamin: That happened a long time ago. The scene hit a wall. In fact, I think it regressed. There was nothing new developing there and people either got stuck in a time warp or moved onto other things. It’s not as easy to drop a full-on breakbeat tune in a house set anymore, but I still do! DJ Times: DJs like Lady Waks seem to be spearheading a breaks resurgence – are you seeing that now? How do you view the current breaks scene? Benjamin: I’ll be honest with you: I have no idea about the current breaks scene. I have just been steaming ahead with this project, on top of my tech-house and techno productions and my venture into the world of futuristic ambient electronica and soundtrack work. I am curious, now you mention it, to check it out. DJ Times: Tech-house, as it’s currently described, does seem to be enjoying a bit of favor, from the likes of Patrick Topping and others. Do you see any difference from its original breakthrough back in the ’90s/ early ’00s? Benjamin: It’s not different. There is just so much more of it and so many more people playing it. I am proud to have been a part of it the first time around and I still love it now, but it’s no longer new for me.

M a t t h e w

B e n j a m i n :

Michael Jackson – “Billie Jean” (Bushwacka! Remix) [Bootleg, 2001]: The iconic, loping groove morphs into a hypnotic, tech-house monster – clocking in at an epic 11-plus minutes. Layo & Bushwacka! – “Deep South” [XL Recordings, 2003]: Dropping Nina Simone’s angelic vocal sample into a simple, but soul-deep groove, this single from L&B’s second full-length, Night Works, can still make a dancefloor shake. Bushwacka! – “Long Distance” [Olmeto, 2007]: A standout on L&B’s Global Underground 033 mix comp, this nervy track descends into a trance-like breakdown, then launches back into a scintillating tech-house loop that careens and crashes.

from the Vault + 1

Just Be feat. Jess Monroe – “Don’t Make Me Wait for You” [Crosstown Rebels, 2013]: Trippy and spacious, then suddenly soulful and garage-y, this sexy spoken/sung track is deep, dark and dodgy for any 5 a.m. space. Bushwacka! – “Whiplash” [Plank, 2017]: New and nasty techbreaks track with an ominous bent – and its old-school vibe will get heads boppin’ right away. – J.T.

JANUARY 2017

DJ Times: As a DJ, what are you using in the booth – software and hardware? Why do you choose this route? Benjamin: I use USB with music recorded from vinyl and WAVs of my new productions and promos. There’s no special hardware—I have gone back to basics. For me now, all that matters is what is coming out of the speakers, and I make sure it’s quality music. DJ Times: What advice would you give an up-and-coming DJ who wants to make music? Are there some do’s and don’ts? Benjamin: Take what inspires you and make it your starting point, then run away with your imagination. Feel the music – don’t stare at the laptop. DJ Times: Can you give our readers three DJs who had the most impact on you and your career – and why? Benjamin: Mr. C because he showed me the way to stick to my guns, go against the system, experiment, and believe in myself. Carl Cox for always being the best DJ, best personality, and best friend to me, all in one – and treating me like part of the family. Richie Hawtin, for inspiring me with his incredible sound, leading the way technologically, and being so innovative. DJ Times: What are your favorite venues of all-time and why? Benjamin: The End. It’s an obvious choice – our home in London and the best club the city has ever seen. It was my partner’s club [Layo Paskin] and my monthly residency for 13 years. Space Ibiza – I’ve played some of my best sets there, and the sound system was incredible. Had so many amazing nights and days there. Also, The Underground in Ibiza. The best club in the world that runs with no advertising, no promotion, no nonsense, and no gimmicks – and it’s the space we have thrown some of the craziest parties in. DJ Times: Anybody from the producer world who’s impressing you these days? Benjamin: I’m trawling Spotify regularly, searching for new things – nothing has blown my mind for a long time, except the time-honored godfathers of the hip-hop scene – De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. The production there is so, so, so good on their new albums. DJ Times: For someone who has experienced a variety of global scenes over the years, how do you view the health of dance music today? Benjamin: I think its exploded and now imploded a bit. There are 50 times as many festivals now just in the U.K. as there were 10 years ago. It’s nuts! But people want to go out. They want to dance. For me, I love to play, and to make music. I think that for DJs doing well, it’s better than ever; but for producers, it’s a nightmare to sell music. DJ Times: Obviously, the festival scene is still going relatively strong, but the most interesting offshoot I’ve seen—in America anyway—is the rise of the underground again, and much of it has come from the kids who started at the festivals. It’s a long way from the renegade Acid House days in the U.K.—and certainly not a perfect analogy—but ultimately do you believe that the U.S. EDM scene been an entry point for fans to discover more challenging/interesting sounds? Benjamin: No, I think it’s the work of the devil! I think that most of the people that go to listen to that music are going to listen to pop music – hits, Rihanna, etc., with a dance beat. And they don’t really care – but they are having a great time and, of course, statistically there will be some people that will get into other stuff. For me, when I was 10, I listened to pop music; when I was 11-12, I listened to electro, hip hop, and Depeche Mode; and when I was 16, I listened to DJ Pierre and Derrick May. It was a different experience. DJ Times: What impresses you about a DJ and his/her performance? Benjamin: The energy. The connection with the crowd. And keeping it real... DJ Times: What do you think a DJ’s job is? Benjamin: To select great music and put it together in a way that makes people want to dance, and come together. DJ Times: What’s next for you? Benjamin: Tour of Asia and Australia, then back to the studio for a few weeks. Then Brazil, then more studio and preparing for summer n 2017.

DJ TIMES

DJ Times: Let’s talk about “Whiplash.” How did you put that track together in the studio? What was your process? Benjamin: I felt it had been so long since I wrote an old-school, electro-style track, and this came together pretty quickly. But it’s almost a 4/4 track at the same time – there is a house kick pattern underneath it, so hopefully it can cross over for some people. My process was to get the 32-bar loop sounding evil, and then push the production on it so it hits the right frequencies and cuts through. DJ Times: What are the most vital pieces of your studio? Hardware? Software? Benjamin: I love my UAD Apollo interface and the UAD plug-ins – for mixdown. It’s such good quality. Software? Apart from Logic, which I use most of the time, I am always changing the plug-ins I use to create and play sounds with. DJ Times: What’s the biggest change for you as a producer/remixer, in the way you approach a project? Benjamin: Now, I stop wasting time writing fresh house beats and just get a simple rhythm going with some greatsounding loops, and just get on with writing the music itself. Before, I used to spend hours and days on the drum tracks. House music is a feeling, not an exam [laughs]. I am also now working with a vocalist friend of mine on an album of actual songs, rather than tracks aimed at the dancefloor. They’re songs people can sing along to, rather than tracks that go bleep. But, I still do those, too!

MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

NEUTRON: UNIQUE MIXING PLUG-IN By Josh Harris

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

The latest mixing plug-in from iZotope is Neutron and, in some ways, it picks up where Ozone—the Boston-based company’s mastering software—left off. While iZotope’s Ozone has been widely used as a mastering and instrument bus plug-in, Neutron aims to assist us in solving some of the mixing issues that challenge us on a daily basis. Designed in a CPU-efficient channel-strip format, Neutron has a Standard version and an Advanced version. The Advanced version allows for individual use of the channel strip’s plug-ins (Compressor, Transient Shaper. Exciter, and EQ with Masking Meter). It also supports up to 7.1. Simply stated, iZotope wanted to create a smarter way for us to mix! Main Features: For this review, I want to focus on what I believe are the plug-in’s two most important features – Track Assistant and Masking Meter. Let’s begin with the Track Assistant, which has the ability to automatically detect different instrument types, and provide custom starting points for mixing, based on the instrument detection.

iZotope’s Neutron: Analysis, metering, processing.

This technology is the first of its kind and it’s designed to help you work optimally, while allowing you to remain in charge of mixing. Here’s how it works: You engage Track Assistant and play about six or seven seconds of your audio, allowing it to process and analyze, and the end result is that the instrument type is detected and tagged in the lower righthand corner of the UI. Track Assistant will also engage a “suggested” signal chain within Neutron’s channel strip, providing starting points for each of the plug-ins used. Let’s take the EQ section, for example. As Track Assistant analyzes the audio, the EQ nodes will automatically move and settle on the frequencies that require attention, as well as add and subtract gain and setting Q amount. It’s a very smooth process and, for many of you who are upand-coming engineers, this is a fantastic ear-training tool. You have the ability to solo each node, to better understand why the specific frequency was chosen. Within Track Assistant, you can choose between three algorithm modes: Subtle, Medium and Aggressive. And, there are over 500 presets to choose from once you’ve selected your algorithm mode. Presets can serve as a wonderful starting place, but you should always take the time to explore the settings on a deeper level. In other words, don’t take a “set-it-and-forget-it” approach to using the presets. Masking Meter will help you focus on the entire mix, uncovering competing frequencies, and it does it in a very creative and intelligent way, using the histogram. I’ve always felt that the low end of a mix is one the hardest areas of a mix to dial in, and I spend the most amount of time on it. All instances of Neutron are visible through a dropdown menu in the middle of the UI, so when I open up the plug-in on the kick drum, I can quickly select the bass track from the drop-down menu, and now I can see both histograms from within the kick-drum UI, with the kick drum on top and the bass on the bottom. As I play the mix, I can zero in on frequencies that need boosting or cutting. This is an extremely useful way of viewing frequencies for two different instruments within one UI. And, having this visual display will definitely allow for some important discoveries about how different instruments interact with one another from a frequency standpoint. Other Features: Not to be overlooked are Neutron’s great-sounding compressors, exciter, limiter and transient shaper. All are extremely useful tonal shaping tools, and the compressors have three bands, so multiband compression is an option if you need it. At the very end of the signal chain is the limiter. A nice bonus feature is an “undo history” function, so you can always go back a few moves, in case you made some adjustments that you don’t like. Wrapping Up: Neutron Standard has an MSRP of $249, while the Advanced version lists at $349. So, I must say that iZotope has done it again with Neutron, another incredibly powerful mixing tool, one that will surely find a home with mix engineers, post-production engineers and DJ/musicians. If you have any questions for Josh Harris or Making Tracks, please send them to djtimes@testa.com.

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SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING

MIXARS: KILLER COMBO By Reed Dailey

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

While I will be the first to admit I do like controllers, the touch of vinyl and the feel of the crossfader is the reason why I fell in love with DJing – and to this day it’s still my favorite way to play. So when Mixars presented me with the opportunity to review its latest Serato DJ-enabled mixer (DUO) and turntable (LTA), I immediately jumped at the chance. When reviewing these two pieces of technology, I wanted first to look at them individually, then discuss how they work as a collective unit. The initial focus will be to tackle the Mixars’ DUO two-channel mixer, then concentrate on

DUO: Mixars’ Serato-enabled mixer.

Straight-Arm: Mixars’ LTA turntable.

the LTA high-torque, straight-arm Scratch Turntable, finally focusing on the two products as a collective offering. DUO: Jumping into the layout, the Mixars DUO comes equipped with two channels and four hot-cue buttons located on the left and right side of the of the volume faders, respectively. Each hot-cue button is RGB backlit, easily assignable and feels great. A multi-functional button and turn knob are present at the top of the mixer with load and sync buttons to each of the two channels. For someone who isn’t a beat juggler, I found the hot-cue buttons on the side of the channel faders to be an absolute game-changer – let me say that again, game-changer. For the first time, I was able to play vinyl, perform finger drumming, layer effects, and filters all at the same time. Never before have I had this much flexibility and ease of use. It took my DJing to the next level and made me think about playing sets in a whole new light. The DUO comes with an aux audio input. Most companies have chosen to put these features on the back side of the mixer. It was an excellent decision from Mixars to place this particular feature on the front side of the mixer, which makes it easy to connect an iPhone or iPod for those slow starts and never-ending nights where you just need a break. It is important to note you can use the shift button to turn the two channels into four channels accessing the full power of Serato via a compact mixer. If there were two things I wished Mixars would have done differently it would have been to swap the Sampler knob with the Track selection knob. Some might see the value of the Sampler knob more closely located to primary mixer functional-

ity. Easier Track navigation allowing for the ability to jump from track to track, playlist to playlist, is something I just prefer, as it makes my workflow faster and easier. The second thing I love… three knobs for effects. In Serato, a user can select and assign various effects parameters in the Serato software. Due to most controllers coming standard with three effects knobs, I have come to like and expect that all mixers and controllers will come standard with three physical effects knobs to match the three digital-effects controller parameters available in Serato. If there’s only one control knob for effects, I feel like I’ve been cheated. If you are not a big effects person or just like having big fat filter knob, then the Mixars DUO will meet the need. Both the desired features I mentioned are less of an issue and more of personal preference based on my workflow. With that said, being that this a battle mixer, users should focus on the DUO’s hyper-exact crossfader, hot cue buttons, and ease of use when paired with Serato. LTA: OK, onto the LTA hightorque, quartz-controlled, directdrive turntable. When I first opened the box, I was surprised to see a straight-arm turntable, as I had never used one before. This monster truly delivered. With its 4.5KG motor, it provides the ideal feel for scratching and was responsive as all hell. The high-resolution pitch (plus/ minus 8-percent, 16-percent and 50-percent) allows for a precise mix and perfect matching. What does that all mean? When I stacked this turntable up next to my Technics SL-1200, I found myself using the LTA. Why? The responsiveness of the platter, but also because it didn›t give me that awful humming noise I often hear from 1200. But that is all table stakes. Where this LTA shines is the exclusive feature of two RCA outputs, allowing you to connect one turntable into two mixers at the same time, perfect for scratch battles. The System: OK, let’s talk about these units as a whole. For years, DJs have been living in a hybrid world of legacy mixers and turntables all hooked up to modern technology, i.e. – a laptop. The Mixars DUO ($1,299 list/$949 MAP) matched with the LTA ($799 list/$599 MAP) is a significant step towards bringing a synergistic experience to the digital and analog worlds. As I mentioned before, having the cue buttons on each side of the channel faders has to be my favorite fea-

ture on DJ equipment in years. The ability to play records all while adding drum patterns and samples on top of records is something I would have only dreamed of years ago. The bonus

of not having to lug around a controller in addition to my mixer is one less thing to worry about. Mixars made a statement with the DUO mixer and LTA straight-arm

turntable combo. For someone who prides himself on knowing the ins and outs of Serato DJ, I must say that the integration between software and hardware was exceptionally high. If you are a DJ or turntablist, you will love this combo and will be thrilled to have all this functionality in two pieces of cutting-edge gear.

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MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES

JERSEY JOCK STAYS ON TOP

By Stu Kearns

Jack Bermeo: Reigning DJ Expo champ.

“ALLOW

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

YOUR CLIENTS

Belleville, N.J. – In the beginning of his DJ career 17 years ago, Jack Bermeo considered himself just a nightlife/club DJ. He had no experience as an MC. But boy, has that changed. At this past year’s DJ Expo in Atlantic City, Bermeo—owner of multi-op company LJDJs—won his third “DJ of the Year” competition. Considering that he again impressed a panel of judges that included some of the mobile-entertainment industry’s most-respected/most-successful DJs, that’s no small feat. Good thing Bermeo realized all those years ago that he lacked essential skills to being a profitable career DJ. “I had no experience as an MC, lighting technician, dancer, or even in sales,” he says. “I was content and pretty stable, but eventually realized I wanted to tap into things I had never done before.” First, Bermeo had to overcome an obstacle many share – his fear of public speaking. It was the best decision he made. “I overcame my fear by just doing it,” he recalls. “It felt like an old Kool Aid commercial where I just had to go head-first in order to break that wall holding me back. It took me some time to understand how powerful a voice can be.” Bermeo next endeavored to create a new business goal and mission statement. “I would continue to create a different type of experience at every event for the guests and the team—whatever the cost is,”

TO TALK WITHOUT YOU INTERRUPTING. SOMETIMES THEY JUST WANT THEIR VISION—NO MATTER HOW CHAOTIC— TO BE HEARD.”

10 Chauvet Intimidator Wave lights and eight Chauvet DJ Intimidator Spot 455Z IRC units. Also, we are doing some trials on the Aryton DreamPanel Twin lights that are double-sided. One side has 36 LED diodes and the other side is a LED video screen.We feel that these will complement our customized video wall that we carry.” Bermeo says about 80-percent of his business is derived from a combination of word-of-mouth and guests who attended an event. He credits his ability to paint a picture to prospects of their DJ entertainment as a good way to close them. “We start by describing the venue the client is having their event at,” he says. “We walk them through the ceremony, cocktail hour and move them right into our duties as a host. Every minute of their day means a lot, so we take our time talking about their day. After all, if your potential client feels comfortable that you know the venue, you’re more than likely going to gain their trust.” He loves leaving his clients with a feeling of excitement after they sit down with him. “My only words of advice are to remember… it’s like a job interview. Allow your clients to talk without you interrupting. Sometimes the clients just want their vision—no matter how chaotic—to be heard. It’s your job to guide and plan with them so they are in great hands with you.” Over time, like all DJs, Bermeo’s been through the good and the bad. The Good: In 2009, he was tapped by the Trump organization and has since hosted many events. The Bad: A client once asked Bermeo to welcome her guests. It was beyond scope, but he agreed. As he paced back and forth

JANUARY 2017

thinking of what to say, the client grabbed him and, with an angry look on her face, said “Don’t do that, it looks like you don’t give a damn about my party!” Bermeo says he’s been scarred ever since. “I share this experience with my team because, to us, we are not doing anything wrong, but to the guests, on the other hand, it’s a totally different view.” Through it all, though, he gives most credit to one person: His wife Sophia. “She has been there for me since the first win,” he says. “The amount of time that we’ve put into LJDJ’s branding and style was due to her. She’s allowed me to work religiously 24/7 at the office, because she knows how important it is to give attention to our clients and staff. As she puts it, ‘You’re married to your business.’ I’m so thankful for her because she understands my passion and determination.”

DJ TIMES

he says, noting that he settled on the branding statement, “Redefining life’s celebrations!” Bermeo says one thing that differentiates his company from the competition is his willingness to explore new ideas, to avoid doing the “cliché wedding.” “Why do we have to do the first dance right after introductions? Whoever said the first dance has to be done first?” he asks. “To me, it means it’s the ‘first dance as husband and wife.’ We can do this any time during the reception as long as I announce, ‘And now ladies and gentlemen, our bride and groom are now going to do their first dance together as husband and wife.’” The delivery of all formalities, says Bermeo, is the key to executing a different style of event. Less traditional are the additional services Bermeo offers, like a Junk Truck or photo booth, which he feels all companies should offer. “They also help secure some deals with your clients,” he says of the junk trucks, photo/video booths, custom DJ booths, custom LED video wall, CO2 guns and cannons he offers. “They’re excellent options to help build your brand.” Bermeo projects that these options generate $150k of revenue per year. And when talking about revenue, we asked Bermeo about his biggest expense. “We’ve been asking ourselves, ‘What are the future trends for DJs?’ Well, we didn’t see it, so we decided to start our own trend,” he says. “Our custom crystal-chandelier DJ booth, video-control command center, and multi-functional LED Video Wall represents an investment of $100K.” He customized the video-command center—with a slide-out coffee machine—in order to connect enough video sources so he can “punch out 4K resolution.” The 8- by12-foot video wall is set up directly behind the DJ. “Some may find it weird, but we look like a fly on the wall,” he says. “We do same-day edits, candid images, and montages never looked better than with this—especially during key moments of the night, such as parent dances or a candle lighting for a Sweet 16. It wasn’t easy to invest in such a big expense, but being different is being the best.” On the gear front, the Bellville, N.J.-based company uses a variety of solutions. “For playing music,” says Bermeo, “we use Serato DJ software with Pioneer DDJ-SZ controllers. For audio, we carry active loudspeakers – four Electro-Voice ETX-35P 15-inch, three-way speakers, plus ETX-18SP 18-inch subwoofers. “As for lighting, we currently own

BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…

SMALL-BUSINESS TIPS FOR 2017 By Stu Kearns

Here are some tips from business owners — both iconic and otherwise — to provide some inspiration for the coming year. John D. Rockefeller said, “Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing.” In other words, if you’re not out there promoting yourself, you’ll never make an impact. A themed event went spectacularly well? Post pictures on Facebook and Instagram and the tweet the heck out of it.

Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, says to repair the roof while it is still sunshine. “When the company is good, change the company. When the company is in trouble, be careful, don’t move,” he says. “If the storm comes, you don’t go up and repair the roof – you’ll be destroyed.” How does this apply to your DJ business? When your wedding business is booming is the time to invest in up-sell opportunities.

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

Greg Ponder, former owner of S&P Capital, says that proper accounting is critical. “As a business owner, you’ll want to keep good records of financials on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. Invest in software to help you get organized. Plus, having good financials will help you command a higher premium for your business when you decide to sell.”

Jim Hood, Founder of Hood Business Law, has some advice on determining the type of legal structure for your business. “This can be daunting for entrepreneurs and small business owners,” he says. “Deciphering between an ‘S Corp’ or an ‘LLC’ can be tricky but the structure of your business depends on your needs. If operational ease and flexibility are important to you, an LLC is a good choice. If you are looking to save on employment tax and your situation warrants it, an S corporation could work for you.”

Barbara Corcoran has an abundance of advice for small business owners. She starts with “Don’t be afraid to make big mistakes.” The “Shark Tank” star says all the best things that happened in her business happened on the heels of failure. “Don’t be afraid to fail,” she told Forbes. “It’s proof that you are meant to be a successful entrepreneur. The only difference between people who are hugely successful and those who aren’t is the time it takes them to get back up after getting knocked down.”

Little companies always move faster. Corcoran says the big guy may have the corner on money, but the little guy usually has the corner on creativity. “Take some time to sit down and figure out how your big rival is promoting their brand and plan something smarter and more creative for yours,” she says.

Take full advantage of social media— it’s free. This one’s a no-brainer. Corcoran says that before you go out and blow money on advertising, capitalize on the free online access that leads you direct to your customers. “Blog, Tweet with humor, and make as many friends as you can on Facebook,” she told Forbes. “You can quickly build a huge following of customers willing to try your new product without spending a dollar on advertising.”

Make a Marketplace Report. Corcoran told Forbes that the best way to get some attention for your brand is to publish an industry report chock-full of statistics. “You’ll be surprised how much you know about your industry once you start putting some numbers down on paper,” she says, adding that reporters need stories. “If you put your report in a short, easyto-read format and name it after your company, you’ll soon become the expert reporters call when they need a quote. The easiest way to steal market share from your competitors is to steal the limelight, and nothing does that faster than being quoted in the press.”

Choose Only Really Good People. Corcoran says that your employees will determine 80-percent of your success. “The best people are honest and have lots of enthusiasm,” she says. “Don’t worry too much about their level of experience when you’re interviewing, as the right attitude always delivers much more than just experience.”

There Are Only Two Kinds of People in Business –Know the Difference. Corcoran told Forbes that there are expanders and containers, and that learning to separate them quickly into the right category will save you a lot of time. “Expanders like to push the envelope, take risks, make new friends, and test how far they can go,” she says. “They also like to spend your money. Containers like to keep things in order and stay on top of the details. They keep you from losing your money. If you match the right person to the right position that takes advantage of their natural talents, you’ll build a powerful team of workers with all the strength needed to build a huge business.”

Focus On What’s Already Working for You and Do More of It. When you look for ways to expand your business, Corcoran says the real pot of gold is usually the same stuff that’s already proven successful. “So before you move on to the next exciting project or a new strategy, s-l-o-w down,” she told Forbes. “Do a lot more of what’s already working and then do the new stuff.” If you have any questions for Business Line, please send them to djtimes@testa.com.

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GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Face Your AtmosFear

Mixers & Shakers

Blizzard Lighting N16 W23390 Stoneridge Dr. Suite E Waukesha, WI 53188 (414) 395-8365 www.blizzardlighting.com

Pioneer DJ Americas 2050 W. 190th Street Suite 109 Torrance, CA 90504 (424) 488-0480 www.pioneerdj.com

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

The AtmosFear Hex Jet from Blizzard Lighting is a vertical fogger that can send bursts of fog up to 25 feet in the air utilizing 1,500 watts of fog pumping power. This fixture has a large-capacity 0.7 gal (2.5L) fluid tank that is designed for use with any safe, water-based non-toxic fog or haze fluid. It comes with 12 15-watt RGBAW+UV LEDs and features 32 builtin colors, on/off fog control, R/G/B/A/W/UV color mixing, strobe effects, and two separate auto color change modes with 10 preset speed settings.

Pioneer’s DJM-450 mixer is designed to be partnered with XDJ-700 multiplayers or PLX-1000 turntables. It comes bundled with license keys for rekordbox dj and rekordbox dvs and includes a built-in sound card so users can connect the mixer to their PC or Mac with a single USB cable and use rekordbox to control digital tracks with turntables. The DJM-450 features Sound Color FX and Beat FX with parameter control, as well as a 64-bit digital signal processor and a Magvel crossfader.

JAM Packed

Merrily We Roland Along

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

Roland Corporation U.S. 5100 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 890-3700 www.rolandus.com

MASCHINE JAM from Native Instruments is a music-production system designed for “quick, intuitive track arranging and advanced performance,” according to the company. MASCHINE JAM’s workflow centers on an 8x8 multicolor click-pad matrix made for advanced sequencing. It features eight dual-touch Smart Strips that offer gestured, tactile control of MASCHINE software’s eight new Perform FX units. Additional features include Notes Mode, which allows for strumming melodies and chords with the Smart Strips, and a Lock function that stores parameter snapshots that can be instantly recalled at any point during performance.

The Roland DJ-808 for Serato DJ is a four-channel DJ controller designed as part of a collaboration between Roland and Serato. It comes with built-in drum sequencing, vocal processing, external instrument connectivity and Serato DJ integration with no additional licenses required. The unit comes equipped with RGB colored performance pads, 100mm pitch faders, 1/8-inch and ¼-inch headphones jacks, combo XLR input jacks, built-in phono pre-amp, and two AIRA link USB ports. In addition, the integrated TR-S drum machine offers 606, 707, 808 and 909 drum sounds in a 16-step sequencer.

AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

GEAR

Ask the Panel ADJ Products 6122 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 582-2650 www.americandj.com The AV6X from ADJ is designed as an improvement upon the company’s original AV6 LED video panel. The AV6X features darker black masking for improved contrast, as well as higher-quality LEDs for better color consistency than its predecessor. Any number of AV6X panels can be linked together using quick-locking connectors, and each panel has a pixel density of 96 x 96 thanks to 3-in-1 RGB SMD2121 LEDs. Each unit is fitted with a PowerCon input and output socket, allowing the power supply for multiple panels to be linked together.

Stay on Target OmniSistem 6403 S 208th St Kent, WA 98032 (253) 395-9500 www.omnisistem.com The Target One mini moving-head from OmniSistem features a compact design that is only 11-inches tall and weighs five pounds. The unit is designed with a 32W 4-in-1 RGBW LED and comes with a variety of features, including RGBW color mixing, 0-100-percent dimmer and strobe. It features DMX with fine control as well as both sound active and master/slave modes.

The compact, floor-mounted H1 Hazer from Mega FX can quickly fill up a space with haze at 9,000 cubic feet per minute when operating at full intensity. Designed to create haze with long hang times and even particle dispersion, the H1 holds 1/4 gallon of Mega Nectar, the company’s signature water-based haze fluid, and can be warmed up and ready for use in just one minute.

DJ TIMES

Mega FX 18668 Hwy 16 N. Helotes, TX 78023 (210) 684-2600 www.mega-lite.com

JANUARY 2017

Hazer Shade of Winter

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Come Out and PLAY 5

Mixar We There Yet?

EastWest www.soundsonline.com

Mixware, LLC 11070 Fleetwood St, Unit F Sun Valley, CA 91352 (818) 578-4030 www.mixware.net

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

PLAY 5 is the latest version of EastWest’s PLAY engine, featuring an optimized engine for “dramatically improved load times,” according to the company. The latest version comes with the SSL/EW FX Global Suite, an Amp Simulator and the Ohmicide multi-band distortion for the EastWest Goliath collection for free. In addition, there are 726 new reverb impulses for the EastWest Convolution Reverb and a variety of SSL tools, including a filter, EQ, compressor, gate/expander, transient shaper and stereo bus compressor.

Distributed by Mixware, the Mixars MXR-2 compact club mixer is a two-channel mixer that features a low latency USB 2.0 4-in/4-out, 24-Bit/96kHz sound card for recording and playback from virtually any DJ software. Housed in a full metal casing and brushed aluminum front panel, the unit comes with eight built-in digital effects including Flanger, Pitch Shifter, Stutter and Vocoder. Additional features include an auto-BPM counter, dual-rail 45mm channel input faders and a three-band Kill-EQ with 10-LED level meters.

Songs in the Keyscape of Life

Up & Atom

Spectrasonics P.O. Box 7336 Burbank, California 91510 (800) 764-9379 www.spectrasonics.net

iZotope 1 Kendall Sq Cambridge, MA, 02139 (617) 577-7799 www.izotope.com

Keyscape is a new software virtual instrument from Spectrasonics that is available as a download or boxed USB drive edition. Keyscape operates as a self-contained software plug-in and also integrates fully within the company’s flagship synthesizer, Omnisphere 2. It includes a collection of 36 keyboards that have been carefully restored and then deeply sampled and behavior modeled by the company. Additionally, Keyscape includes more than 500 sounds and hybrid duo patches, as well as software that features high quality, authentic circuit modeled amplifiers and effects.

Neutron is iZotope’s new mixing plug-in, which features a Track Assistant that can automatically detect instruments, recommend the placement of EQ nodes, and set optimal settings for other modules. Neutron features five mixing processors integrated into one CPU-efficient channel strip. It is able to automatically detect different instruments and then apply the spectral shaping technology to provide subtle clarity and balance to each track. In addition, an advanced option is available, which includes surround support and individual plugins for the Equalizer, Compressor, Transient Shaper, and Exciter.

AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

GEAR

Let’s Get Digital VocoPro 1728 Curtiss Court La Verne, CA 91750 (800) 678-5348 www.vocopro.com The Digital-1 digital wireless microphone system from VocoPro operates in the 900 MHz frequency band. The handheld microphone sports an aluminum body and is powered by a 1200mAH lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which can operate for up to 14 hours on a single charge. The receiver comes with a built-in frequency spectrum analyzer with a graphic readout, as well as a high-resolution color LCD display that shows radio and audio signal strength, group and channel, as well as microphone battery status.

All About That Bass Engine Output, Inc. 5640 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 www.output.com SUBSTANCE is a bass engine from Output that combines three layers of sources and blends them together with layer and global FX, filters, modulation, an advanced arpeggiator, flux control and macros. This playable instrument sports a three-layer engine and comes with 300 presets, each with four unique central macro sliders. Features include Monophonic and Legato modes, and a preset menu with smart tagging.

Amped Up Behringer/MUSIC Group 5270 Procyon St. Las Vegas, NV 89118 (702) 800-8290 www.behringer.com Behringer released two new models in its series of KM Series Power Amps— the 1,700-Watt KM1700 and 750-Watt KM750. The KM1700 features XLR and ¼-inch TRS input connectors, while the KM750 features XLR, ¼-inch TRS and RCA inputs. Both units are housed in an all-steel 2U rackmount chassis and they come with ATR (Accelerated Transient Response) technology, as well as a highcurrent toroidal transformer and independent DC and short circuit protection on each channel. Power, signal and clip LEDs are also included to monitor performance.

PreSonus’ AIR-series active loudspeakers are available in three full-range loudspeakers (AIR10, AIR12, and AIR15) and two subwoofers (AIR15s and AIR18s). The full-range loudspeakers feature 10-, 12-, and 15-inch low-frequency transducers, respectively. All three are designed with a 200W Class A/B amplifier to power the high-frequency driver and a 500W Class D amplifier to power the low-frequency driver. The subwoofers are housed in a birch enclosure. They have DSP presets for normal front-of-house use and a detailed bottom end all the way down to 35 Hz.

DJ TIMES

PreSonus Audio Electronics 18011 Grand Bay Court Baton Rouge, LA 70809 (225) 216-7887 www.presonus.com

JANUARY 2017

In the AIR Tonight

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

deadmau5

W:/2016ALBUM/ u deadmau5 u mau5trap A real return to form for EDM’s favorite rodent, this satisfying full-length offers plenty of sharp electronic flavors, tasty melodies and dancefloor kick. On the dancefloor front, check the twinkly/ bouncy “4Ware,” the tweaky electro “2448,” and the wobbly synth/thumping drive on “Imaginary Friends.” Also, the broken-beat “Glish” stands out as a warped and dubby brainscrambler. Best Track: The epic “Let Go” feat. Grabbitz starts cinematically, drops into a tasty prog-house groove, then breaks down in symphonic/hypnotic fashion. A beautiful tune.

– Jennifer Harmon “MEDITATION WILL MANIFEST”

Josh Wink u R&S Records Josh Wink dug the original DAT from the depths of his studio, remastered it for R&S, and it’s now seeing its first official digital release. This classic acid-house masterpiece from ’94 is an unforgettable journey of hypnotic repetition and deliberate groove. Snag it for your digital record bag and help bring the dancefloor to a higher state of consciousness.

– Chris K. Davis “OUT OF MY HEAD”

DJ Able & Angela u Johnson TR Records The unmistakable vocals of Angela Johnson light up this sleek house cut on Tony Humphries’ imprint. Crisp beats and lush synth lines ensure this brings a little summer to winter.

– Curtis Zack “I USED TO LOVE YOU”

Jack Wins feat. Francci Richard u Mixmash Armed with Richard’s strong vocal, a tasty hook and a trumpet-like synth, this catchy deep-house tune builds gradually, but picks up the pace quickly. Before long, the classic house-piano accompaniment creeps into the mix making it a feel-good tune sure to get the dancefloor grooving.

Jack Wins

Terry Farley

Yotto

Red Rack’em

Groove Assassin

Josh Wink

– Jennifer Harmon “DIE 4 U” u Terry Farley u Bonanza Records A riveting, four-on-the-floor peak-time house track that brings a bouncing bassline, acid embellishments, and soulful vocals –what’s not to like? A future classic.

– Tommy D Funk

“HOLD ON” (REMIXES) u B-Ayce feat. Stephanie u Duffnote

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

The unstoppable force of Duffnote keeps rolling on, with this remixed re-release – another anthemic winner. Label kingpin Richard Earnshaw delivers a skippy interpretation, while Soulfuledge drives the energy up for a devastating workout. Both mixes are simply class acts.

– Curtis Zack “DROP N SPIN” EP u Groove Assassin u Things May Change The U.K.’s Nick Moss (aka Groove Assassin) dons his disco hat for two tracks of pure fun. “Office Party” funks things up for the holiday season, while the second track, “I Really Want You,” is pure disco heaven.

– Curtis Zack “ANOTHER CHANCE” u Above & Beyond Pres. OceanLab u Anjunabeats Another anthemic gem featuring the angelic vocals of Justine Suissa. After a gentle, orchestral opening highlighted by a humble request (“All I ask for is another chance”), the tune builds into a full-on trance party. The hopeful lyric (“Only the brave find hope, in a second chance”) reminds us all that, through music, we can leave the past behind and find redemption on the dancefloor. And check the ecstatic “Above & Beyond Club Mix.”

– Jennifer Harmon “WONKY BASSLINE DISCO BANGER” (REMIXES)

Red Rack’ em u Classic Music Company Red Rack’em’s beautiful and glorious banger gets some tweaky remix treatment from KiNK. Meanwhile, Luke Solomon delivers a more undergroundhouse sound on the “Leopard Eats Luke Edit.” Full support.

– Tommy D Funk “LET ME APOLOGIZE” u So What feat. Kenny Bobien u Loveslap One for the heads on this latest Loveslap gem. Charles Spencer and Gregory Del Piero (aka So What) present Kenny Bobien, who delivers a trademark vocal performance. Backed by quality bass and lush keys, the deeply soulful vocal carries the track, but don’t sleep on the groovy “Guilty Dub” either.

– Curtis Zack “LIVE UP TO YOUR LIFE” EP u Izzy La Vague u Nylon Tracks A fantastic five-track EP of Afro-soul/house that’s already doing big things on the underground scene. Sure to uplift any dancefloor, each track offers deep, sexy grooves that’ll take you on a journey. Top cut: the “Liberation” (With Nelson Mandela Speech) feat. Opokid (Leandro Deeper Mix).

– Tommy D Funk “FIRE WALK” u Yotto u Anjunadeep The final track in Yotto’s trio of “Twin Peaks”-inspired singles, this one drops a soulful groove certain to make your body move. Sprinkled with celestial “ooh-ahh” vocal samples throughout, the track features a syncopated, monotone bassline that creates a sense of urgency. But with its dark and rich melody, the track exudes a triumphant ring.

– Jennifer Harmon

Soundstate This remix package offers heavyweight stuff with re-rubs from Full Intention, Antonelo Ferrari & Also Bergamasco, Richard Earnshaw, and John Khan & Earl TuTu. There is something for all dancefloor bases and, to be honest, all four mixes rock.

– Curtis Zack 4 TO THE FLOOR, VOL. 01 u Various u Defected Defected’s brand-new series presents timeless house sounds, ranging from ’90s classics to pure underground-house cuts. Of the 53 club gems, highlights include: After Hours’ “Waterfalls” (3 A.M. Mix); Chez Damier’s “Can You Feel It” (Steve Bug Re-Dub); Black Riot’s “A Day in the Life” (Club Mix); Jazz-N-Groove’s “Keep Givin’ Me Love” (Marc’s Tribe of Lunch Pail Mix); and Soul Vision’s “Don’t Stop” (Remix).

– Tommy D Funk

Rukes.com

“WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE” (REMIXES) u DJ Paul Newman u Above & Beyond

GUEST REVIEWER: Anthony Quinn “KEEP PUSHING”

Full Intention u Defected U.K. house duo Full Intention returns with this huge new tune for Defected. The pairs work up an effortless and infectious sound, with a sprinkle of ’90s synth chords and rolling beats. This is a record for house heads of all backgrounds, a real main-room charger. Todd Terry brings a remix that is both nostalAnthony Quinn gic and classic-sounding. Fine stuff.

Vitalic

(continued from page 10) used mostly analog stuff, not by snobbism and because it’s fashionable,” he explains, “but because I like to use real machines that have some kind of life inside. I have two Buchlas—and those are tricky to use, but they are very special. I also used Polymath from Analog Solutions, the Arp 2600, the Moog, and the Boomstar from Studio Electronics.” The instrumentation, not to mention the sound, of the album might set it apart from his earlier work— but Vitalic doesn’t feel he’s strayed all that far from the productions of his early days. “Really, I could still make it with an MPC 2000 and record on an eight-track Roland thing,” he claims. “The core elements are always there: melodies, energy and a kinky twist. I go around those three elements, but approach them in different angles. I am very proud of ‘Poney Part 1,’ of course, and that was a good song in 2001.We are now in 2016, and Voyager

Louis The Child

(continued from page 8) how well a song is going to do. We had no idea people like Taylor Swift and Lorde would be talking about “It’s Strange,” or that “Weekend” would land in an Apple ad. It’s really awesome that people like the songs and have connected with them in such a great way. DJ Times: You have opened for ar tists such as Madeon and The Chainsmokers and have played at

is like a different juice from the same fruit—elements assembled in a different way.” The analog feel of Voyager imbues its tracks with an elegant humanity, one that’s enhanced by the occasional inclusion of vocals. Miss Kittin lends her chilled-to-the-bone coo to “Hans is Driving,” while “Waiting for the Stars to Arrive” features yearning vocals from David Shaw, and Mark Kerr adds a distinct sense of drama to “Use It or Loose It.” And then there’s what’s probably the album’s toughest, oddest tune, the “Warm Leatherette”–esque “Sweet Cigarette,” featuring a somewhat ominous spoken-word diatribe equating the joys of smoking with those of amour. (“I suck you in, I blow you out—I’m always in the mood for a long, slim and smooth… sweet cigarette.”) Says Vitalic: “I met the singer for that one in parties in Paris, where he is also known as a freak called Blanche

Poubelle. These people come from very different horizons, and that make the whole thing interesting and rich.” That richness comes despite Vitalic’s rather relaxed approach to songwriting and production. “There is no real process,” he admits. “Sometimes I do have everything in mind, and I just have to arrange everything. Sometimes I make drafts with some elements and I finish that later—some tracks take one year! And sometimes I just let myself go and there is a nice accident, but that doesn’t work very often. The most effective solution is simply accumulating some ideas that might lead to a finished track sometime later.” That methodology can sometimes mean that the finished product may not be exactly what Vitalic had in mind when he embarks on a production. For instance, most of Voyager’s cuts are, to varying degrees, clubworthy—but the original intention

was to make music that wasn’t really dance music at all—that were more Vangelis, perhaps, than Cerrone. “Well, I wanted to make a try,” he says, “but there was too much melody and not enough energy. I guess I am just not ready to make an album of ambient music.” He’s equally ambivalent about returning to his maximalist roots. “I don’t know,” he admits. “I still play maximal stuff in my show, but at the moment, I’m into cosmic stuff. I’ve also set up my label, Clivage, as a place to promote this pervert disco I like.” But whatever the case, we’ll be hearing from Vitalic in one form or another for years to come. “Of course!” he says. “I’ve devoted most of my life and I feel I am well rewarded.” And his followers, whether they’re fans of his balls-to-the-walls sound or his new, lustrous direction, are remunerated in kind. – Bruce Tantum

major festivals, such as Coachella, Electric Zoo, Electric Forest and even Lollapalooza in your hometown. How were these experiences? Kennett: These were all such amazing experiences. Touring with Madeon was really crazy for us because he’s always been a big inspiration – and it was our first time touring on a bus with an artist. Lollapalooza in Chicago was probably the greatest experience ever. Getting to play in

our hometown to all the people who have been with us since Day 1 and supported us was really special. We had our families with us, the crowd was huge and the energy was amazing. DJ Times: Do you guys intend to complete a college degree? Hauldren: At the moment, we are 100-percent focused on music and art. It could be cool to teach sometime down the road, though. DJ Times: Currently, you guys are

working on an EP. What was the inspiration behind this new music and when can we expect for it to drop? Kennett: The EP is finished and we have a new single that we’re going to be dropping soon. With the EP, we tried to make it very diverse, while still maintaining our sound and style throughout. There’s a little something for everyone on it and we feel our fans are going to love it. – Michelle Fetky

DJ Times: You seem to be gigging constantly. Are you essentially DJing when you play out? REZZ: I’m basically DJing on CDJs, nothing too special. But the more I continue to find myself as an artist, and the more experience I get, I think that I’ll start to branch out into doing something live. I have no idea what that will be yet—but even deadmau5 is trying to get me to do it. He tweeted something about me once, saying something like, “So far, she just DJs,” implying that he thinks I’ll be doing something more in the future. DJ Times: None of which is to say that DJing isn’t a worthy art in itself. REZZ: Oh, of course not! [laughs] That’s so true. DJing itself is supersick, and obviously my career could just continue to be a career if I kept doing it. But I do want to challenge myself. And I feel that if you are acting as a real musician onstage and doing something live, you’re more credible. Like Porter Robinson: For me, what he does live is like a career goal for me. He wasn’t my original, but right now, he’s probably my biggest inspira-

tion. DJ Times: Why him? REZZ: There are multiple reasons, but it’s mainly because he’s gone exactly where his vision has led him. It’s almost like he doesn’t care anymore about what the fans expect; instead, he’s totally changed his sound because that’s what he wanted to do. Right now, he’s making the music that he’s meant to be making, and when he plays, he’s mainly doing it live nowadays. I think he’s well on the way to becoming one of electronic music’s icons. He’ll be on the same level as other people who have made a huge mark, like Daft Punk, deadmau5 or Bassnectar. DJ Times: What’s the most fun gig that you’ve played so far? REZZ: There’s been so many of them. A lot of them are fun because they’re in really good venues. I really like Concord Music Hall in Chicago, for instance. But the date that really captured my attention was the Shambhala festival [in British Columbia]. I’ve technically played gigs that were more fun, but the thing about

Shambhala was that when I got onstage, I was actually really exhausted because of touring. I couldn’t believe I had to play after not having slept for so long. But midway through my set, the energy in the air there was so real and so crazy… I don’t know how to say it. Basically, Shambhala really understood me and my sound, and I think that it really ended up impacting my career. DJ Times: That festival was in the middle of this past summer, which seems like people beyond your core fans first really started to get excited by your music—and now you have this really big, really rabid group of followers. Does it feel that way to you? REZZ: I think it was around that time, but really, I didn’t notice that happening as much as other people noticed it happening. It’s other people who say things like, “Wow, you’re blowing up!” But now, there’s stuff like a group on Facebook called The Cult of REZZ, which has over 6,000 members. And the group just started! These people aren’t just fans—their really diehard. They know every single

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

REZZ

(continued from page 16) simple so far. I do want to branch out and experiment at some point—but right now, I like what I use. DJ Times: Do you ever get the urge to mess around with hardware? REZZ: I’ve messed around with a bit of hardware, and it’s definitely fun. But it’s very time-consuming and involves a lot of patience. In the future, I’ll probably have a bunch of hardware, though. DJ Times: Just before speaking with you, I was rewatching that crazy “Paranoid” clip. Is that your first video? REZZ: It is—and it’s pretty sweet, I think! DJ Times: How much did you have to do with the creation of the video? REZZ: I had everything to do with that video! The whole concept was my idea. When I make a track, I’ll name the track—and then as soon as I name it, everything else starts to come together. I’ll start to imagine visuals for the track, a music video for the track… basically, I’ll think of all these different angles that could go along with that specific track.

MP3s in 6

Compiled As December 14, 2016

NATIONAL CROSSOVER POOL CHART

NATIONAL URBAN POOL CHART

1 Weeknd F/ Daft Punk 2 Tinashe 3 Christina Aguilera F/ Nile Rodgers 4 Chainsmokers F/ Halsey 5 Stonebridge F/ Therese 6 Bruno Mars 7 Bello Boys And Dan Donica F/ Seri 8 Katy Perry 9 Lady Gaga 10 Jonas Blue F/ JP Cooper 11 Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha 12 Dj Snake F/ Justin Bieber 13 DjGozzi & The Extraordinary Gentlemen 14 Betty Who 15 Major Lazer F/ Justin Bieber& Mo 16 Pet Shop Boys 17 Dawn Tallman 18 Crystal Waters F/ Sted-E & Hybrid Heights 19 Lodato & Joseph Duveen 20 Manuel Riva And Eneli 21 Tony Moran F/ Jason Walker 22 Bastille 23 X-Ambassadors 24 Kristine W. 25 Hailee Steinfeld & Greg F/ Zedd 26 Ralph Rosario & Frankie Catalano 27 Salt Ashes 28 Dj Pebbles 29 Ralphi Rosario & Aneeta Beat 30 DNCE 31 Bonnie Anderson 32 Britney Spears F/ G Eazy 33 Calvin Harris 34 Twenty One Pilots 35 Jessica Sanchez 36 Arianna Grande F/ Nicki Minaj 37 Galantis & Hook N Sling 38 The Pool Kids 39 Kim Cameron 40 Gia 7

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

Most Added Tracks

1 X-Ambassadors 2 DNCE 3 Throttle F/ LunchMoney Lewis & Merrygold 4 Alesso 5 Kim Cameron 6 Empire Of The Sun 7 Fifth Harmony 8 David Guetta 9 Khalid 10 Tony Moran F/ Jason Walker

Starboy Superlove Telepathy Closer Put ‘Em High 2016 24K Magic It Aint Over Rise Perfect Illusion Perfect Strangers In The Name Od Love Let Me Love You Beautiful Life I Love You Always Cold Water Say It To Me Teardrops Believe Older Mhm Mhm Say Yes Good Grief Unsteady Out There Starving F*ck Your Boyfriend Save It To Not Love You Button Pusha Body Moves The Ones I Love Make Me My Way Heathens Stronger Together Side To Side Love On Me Heartbreak O It Starts Raining Sweet Something Unsteady Body Moves Money Maker Take My Breath Away It Starts Raining High & Low That’s My Girl Would I Lie To You Location Say Yes

Republic RCA RCA Columbia Stoney Boy Atlantic Radikal Capitol Interscope Capitol RCA Interscope Overdrive RCA Def Jam Kobalt Slaag 418 Music Overdrive Radikal Sugar House Capitol Interscope Fly Again Republic Carrillo Radikal Friendship Carrillo Universal Republic Radikal RCA Columbia RRP Republic Republic Atlantic Side FX Stiletto 7 Interscope Universal Republic Spinnin Def Jam Side FX Capitol Epic Atlantic RCA Sugar House

REPORTING POOLS Peter K. Productions n Masspool - Saugus, MA; Gary Canavo n OMAP - Washington, DC; Al Chasen n Dirty Pop Productions - San Diego, CA; DJ Drew n Dj Stickyboots Goshen, NJ; Blake Eckelbarger n Nexus Radio - Chicago, IL; Manny Esparza n Soundworks - San Francisco, CA; Sam Labelle n New York Music Pool - New York, NY; Jackie

Rae Sremmurd F/ Gucci Mane Black Beatles Beyonce Hold Up Tory Lanez Luv Interscope Dj Khaled F/ Drake For Free Weeknd F/ Daft Punk Starboy Drake F/ Popcaan Controlla Dj Drama F/C Brown/ Skeme & Lyquin D.R.A.M. F/ Lil Yachty Broccoli Lil Uzi Vert You Was Right Partynextdoorf/ Drake Come And See Me Dae Dae Wat U Mean (Aye Aye Aye) Drake F/ Rihanna Too Good Steven Streeter F/ Gucci Mane Prolly Jidenna Little Bit More Kanye West Father Stretch My Hands Usher F/ Young Thug No Limit Wale My PYT T.I. F/ Marsha Ambrosius Dope Rihanna Love On The Brain Ayo Jay Your Number

Interscope Columbia Epic Republic Republic Wishing One Empire Atlantic Warner Brothers Playmaker Republic Atlantic Epic Def Jam RCA Atlantic Roc Nation Roc Nation RCA

Most Added Tracks 1 Partynextdoor 2 Jezzy F/ Bankroll Fr 3 A Tribe Called Quest 4 Big Sean 5 Khalid

Not Nice All There We The People Bounce Back Location

Warner Brothers Def Jam Epic Def Jam RCA

NATIONAL LATIN DANCE POOL CHART 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Rey Chavez ft El Chacal Adassa feat Ayrin 24 Horas Hector Acosta Prince Royce ft G Ortiz Toño Rosario LT ft Don Omar, Maluma, Sharlene Kinito Mendez Grupo Niche J Balvin ft Pharrell Juanes Eunel Nueva Era Yanel Cruz ft Neyo & J Alvarez Jerry Rivera Daddy Yankee De La Ghetto Gupo Mania Pirulo ft Ozuna Sebastian Yatra Silvio Mora

Ella Tiene Tu Complice Por Favor Amorcito Enfermito Moneda Dale Vieja La Fila Las Mujeres El Coco Safari Fuego Si Tu Te Ves Sin Miedo Vuelve Shaky Shaky Acercate Otro Loco Yo Soy Yo Traicionera Como Duele

RC Music Warner/Vale/Kult La Oreja Media Group Dam Music Sony Cerro Music Universal J&N Select O Hits Universal Latin Hits EQS Universal Crossove Universal Warner Music GM Latin Hits Universal Mayimba

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

Osmani G ft J Quiles Piso 21` ft Maluma Vakero Feid ft. J Balvin Oscarcito

Baila Toma Me Llamas Oh Miami Que Raro Al Baile

Latin Hits Warner Mayimba Universal 360 Music Group

McCloy n Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller n Mixxmasters - Lithonia, GA;

REPORTING LATIN POOLS

Brian Stephens n Pacific Coast - Long Beach, CA; Steve Tsepelis

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.

LOOKING FOR THESE TITLES? YOU CAN HEAR THEM AND BUY THEM AT WWW.DANCEKINGS. COM. JUST CLICK ON THE LINKS IN THE CHART. DDK HAS LIMITED MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE

song that I’ve done, they know every show I’ve played, they know everywhere I am, they know what I’m doing, they know all these random facts about me… they know absolutely everything about me. I’m attracting that kind of fan. DJ Times: Does that frighten you a bit? REZZ: No, I really like that! It’s what I envisioned and hope for. When you have such loyal fans, they’ll be introducing their friends to my music, and those people will be introducing their friends to my music. It’s really organic, which I think is really nice. DJ Times: Why do you think you have such hardcore devotees? Do you think it has anything to do with the fact that your music is a little bit different than most of what’s out there? REZZ: Absolutely. It has a lot to do with my music having a very particular sound, almost a niche kind of sound. It exists in its own lane. When your sound is so peculiar, people either hate it or they love it. And if they love it, they really love it. That’s been true of some of my favorite artists, actually. DJ Times: Like who? REZZ: Do you know Grimes? I really like her. I saw her live a long time ago, way before I started producing music. Some people around me were like, “Oh my God, I love Grimes!” And other people around me were literally plugging their ears. The point is that I love Grimes, and I love how her sound is very different, which means that not everyone is going to like it. But if you do like it, if you do understand it, you related to it on an almost spiritual level. I think that’s now my music has been coming off to people. If they like it, they feel it in a way that’s kind of beyond words. DJ Times: Do you think about

your own music the same way? REZZ: Yes, I think so. I feel my music a lot; I feel it when I make it, and I feel it when I play it. You can see that when I’m onstage, and when you look at the crowd, you can see in their reactions, in the way that they move, that they’re super-passionate about it as well. They love it just as much as I do, which is a really good feeling. DJ Times: They also seem to love those hypno-glasses that have become your trademark. Besides their obvious fun factor, do you wear them to emphasize the hypnotic nature of a lot of your music? REZZ: Exactly. I’ve always been inspired by that hypnotic feeling that music can have. I like repetition; I like music that’s simple, but hard-hitting; I like music that’s hypnotizing. And with those goggles, people can associate me with that kind of feeling pretty easily. DJ Times: Can you actually see what you’re doing when you have those glasses on? REZZ: The first time I ever tried them on, I was with the guy who made them, and I was like, “Oh my God—how am I gonna see out of these things?” But you get used to things. The first show where I wore them was in Boston, and I was really nervous. I actually needed to get the security guy to walk me onstage. But once I got in there and plugged my USB in, I was totally fine. The peripheral vision is fine, and I can see down, so the decks themselves are no problem; I can see them clearly without any obstruction. DJ Times: How about seeing the crowd? REZZ: There are these little seethrough areas on the goggles, and I’ve gotten used to seeing through them. And I always prove to the audience

that I can really see them. I’ll point to certain individuals who are doing something noticeable, like repping me with a t-shirt or poster. I’ve done 50 shows with them by this point, so it’s totally natural. DJ Times: It’s hard to believe that it’s been only a year and a half since Insurrection came out on Nest, and you’re playing all these gigs, at big clubs and major festivals. REZZ: I’ve seen it happen even faster to other people, really—people like Marshmello, for instance. So when people talk to me about everything’s happened so fast, I’m like, “I don’t know, dude!” But yeah, it’s the craziest thing ever. It’s still amazing to me. DJ Times: Have you been overwhelmed at all by your success? REZZ: Not really. I’m really enjoying the pace. I can keep up with it. DJ Times: Why do you think you’re able to handle it? REZZ: When I did my very first tour with Destructo, nobody knew who I was. I was just the opener. And I’m glad that I did those shows, because I got to start at the bottom and experience what it’s like, and then work my way up. But there are other people who skip that, who just get thrown right up to the top, headlining stadiums or whatever. That would be tough, I think. But with the way it happened for me, it’s kept me sane. And it’s kept me humble. DJ Times: With success often comes haters. Have you acquired any yet? REZZ: I’ve experienced just a little shit-talk about being a girl— but for the most part, not really. A lot of people who have been following me have been following me from the very beginning, so they know me from my earliest productions,

and they’ve had all my information all that time. So the only shit that I get is from people on the Internet who are just finding out about me, and they’re just making very quick assumptions about me. But I usually either prove those people wrong, or they just kind of go away. I don’t pay attention to it, anyway. Especially now—I’m way too busy! DJ Times: With no time for haters. REZZ: Not at all. My whole life is coming together, and I don’t have time to think about anything negative that somebody might say about me. I’d rather give my attention to people like the freakin’ Cult of REZZ! With people like that around, why would I waste my time on people who don’t like me? DJ Times: Where do you see yourself in five years? REZZ: I’ll definitely be doing what I’m doing now, but on a higher level. I think my productions can still drastically improve and reach a whole new scale. I want my visuals to continue to evolve; I want my live show to continue to evolve; I want the overall onstage production to evolve. I want my shows to be an experience, like the kind of experience that artists like Excision or Porter Robinson or Bassnectar give people. People like that create an entire vibe that’s beyond just the music—and five years from now, I want to do that, too. DJ Times: Do you foresee doing this for your entire life? REZZ: Absolutely, in some way, shape or form. And I have other plans that I would like to talk about, but I’m not going to yet. It has something to do with my character—the petite girl with the hat and hypno goggles. We’re going to take this character and take it to places that people might not expect. n

TR-808: The Drum Machine Speaks

DJ TIMES

JANUARY 2017

But that’s just what I did.

It’s hard to believe that…

One machine could so change our world… “808" Film, Next Month in DJ Times

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