DJ Times June 2016, Vol 29 No 6

A M E R I C A’ S F I R S T M A G A Z I N E F O R P R O F E S S I O N A L D J s E S TA B L I S H E D 1 9 8 8

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NOTABLES…MILESTONES

Get Real: Claude VonStroke & Green Velvet.

MOVEMENT: AMERICA’S BEST DJ LAUNCHES IN DETROIT Twitter can win a slew of prizes. Additionally, one lucky voter (chosen randomly) will win a trip for two to the closing event. Vote ABDJ and win.

Visit ABDJ social media and win.

Out of the 100 U.S.-based jocks nominated for the America’s Best DJ title, 15 will perform at Movement. They include Carl Craig, DJ Godfather, Dubfire, Get Real (Claude VonStroke + Green Velvet), Honey Soundsystem, J.Phlip, Justin Martin, Kevin Saunderson, Kill The Noise, Matthew Dear, Mija, MK, Stacey Pullen and The Black Madonna.

At Chicago’s Addams/Medill Park on June 10-12, the Spring Awakening festival will present 2015 ABDJ winner Steve Aoki, plus 12 nominees.

They include: A-Trak, 3lau, Borgeous, Carnage, Cash Cash, Claude Von-

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Stroke, The Chainsmokers, Dillon Francis, Green Velvet, Kaskade, Morgan Page, and Tritonal.

On July 8-10 at Denver’s spectacular Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Global Dance Festival will present three days of music, including ABDJ nominees like Cash Cash and Tritonal (more to be announced). Global Dance Fest is produced by Triad Dragons.

On August 6-7 at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course—home of the Preakness—Moonrise Festival will present ABDJ nominees Bassnectar, Flosstradamus, GRiZ, Jauz, NGHTMRE, Tritonal, HeRobust, and Mija (with more to be announced). Moonrise is produced by Steez Promo.

Keep up with America’s Best DJ all summer long and maybe you, too, can be a winner. n

NEW RELEA SES

JUNE 2016

West Coast Weekender San Diego – DJ Dara drops a furious drum-n-bass set at the WorldBeat Cultural Center during West Coast Weekender. Held this past May 13-15, WCW produced three days/nights of topical seminars and fresh beats from the likes of Osunlade, Miguel Migs, MANIK, Aphrodite and more. DJ Times served as the event’s media sponsor and as a seminar participant on “Music for Positive Social Change,” which was moderated by new non-profit GiveABeat. org. (For more on Give A Beat, please see Page 37.)

C2: Carl Craig set to rock Hart Plaza.

DJ TIMES

By Jim Tremayne afterparties will keep the beats going Detroit – By now it’s become a all weekend long. Movement is proMemorial-Day-weekend tradition for duced by Paxahau Event Productions.

DJ Times. But yes, once again, we’re At Movement and other tour-reheaded to the Motor City. lated events—like Las Vegas’ ElecDetroit’s Movement festival—set tric Daisy Carnival, Denver’s Global for May 28-30—will serve as the Dance Festival, Baltimore’s Moonrise kick-off event for the America’s Best festival and a variety of major club DJ promotion and its Summer Tour. gigs—DJ Times will maintain a dediSponsored by DJ Times and Pioneer cated America’s Best DJ exhibition DJ, the 15-event tour will support an booth and collect paper-ballot votes online vote that will answer the anfrom fans supporting their favorite nual question: Who’s America’s Best U.S.-based DJs. DJ? (To vote and see the latest tour Both the voting and tour will run details, please visit AmericasBestDJ. from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and net.) the America’s Best DJ Award Show/ Expecting more than 100,000 fans Closing Party will take place Columto flood Hart Plaza, Movement will bus Day weekend. present many of the globe’s major Fans who vote (in-person and DJs and electronic acts (like KraftGet Lost: Guy Gerber at the 24-hour party. online) and fans who keep up with werk), who will perform on the fesAmerica’s Best DJ on Facebook and tival’s five stages—plus, a slew of

Stacey Pullen: Hometown beats.

www.newhousegrooves.com

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VOLUME 29

NUMBER 6

12 Best of Both Worlds

As a DJ, Label Co-Owner & Group Member, Lee Foss Succeeds in the Tricky Business of Reaching Large Audiences with Underground Tunes

BY CHRIS CARUSO

20 Nothing Compares 2 U

With Prince’s Sudden Passing, DJs of All Stripes Compare Notes on the Purple One’s Best Dancefloor Moments & Ultimate Legacy

BY JIM TREMAYNE

24 The Price Is Right

Thinking of Increasing Your Prices?

Mobile DJs Weigh In On the Pros & Cons

BY JEFF STILES

SAMPLINGS

DEPARTMENTS 7 Feedback

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

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

26 Making Tracks

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Denon DJ MCX8000

30 Mobile Profile

How to Win More Bridal-Show Business

8 Lauren Lane

Diary of a Madwoman

34 Gear

New Products from ADJ, Peavey & More

iZotope Ozone 7

28 Sounding Off

32 Business Line

DJ Learns the Art of Acquisition

38 Grooves

Phat Tracks from Joris Voorn, Tommy Bones & More

41 Club Play Chart

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

10 In the Studio With…

Mat Zo

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FROM THE EDITOR

R.I.P – Prince Rogers Nelson

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

We were all rocked this past April 21 with the sudden, shocking death of Prince. For me, he was one of the artists who was always there, his songs serving as signposts for life’s journey. High school? “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and Dirty Mind. College? Controversy, 1999, Purple Rain and Around the World in a Day. (Hell, I even camped out for tickets to see the Purple Rain tour come to Atlanta’s Omni arena.) Sign o’ the Times still blows minds. And really, how many pop artists have ever had a run like he did between 1980 and 1987?

Prince was the most transformative artist of my lifetime and I can’t tell you exactly how many times I’ve seen him live—and that includes a secret Miami club show I was lucky enough to stumble onto back in the mid-’90s. But I can tell you that there was never anyone like him. Great art confronts you and with Prince it began with a nice, disco-ey bassline of that first hit single, but also double-entendre lyrics that certainly told us what we should expect from him down the line. His mixture of salaciousness, spirituality, and sheer talent (songwriting, chops, performance) was incomparable. Even the last time I caught him, at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2011, he was magnificent. He strutted and pranced, howled and crooned, blazed and shredded—and the memories of experiencing the lit-up Garden singing along to “Purple Rain” will last forever.

So, in keeping with those precious times, we asked a slew of DJs—global superstars, club selectors, mobile jocks, the lot—to give us their memories and finest moments with Prince’s music. Despite the deeply sad circumstances, we think you’ll enjoy the walk down this musical memory lane.

First-time cover subject Lee Foss has been on an ever-ascending trajectory the last few years. The L.A.-based DJ/producer has earned favor from clubland as co-owner (with Jamie Jones) of the Hot Creations imprint. He’s also been active with the Hot Natured act (with Jones, Luca C, Ali Love and Anabel Englund). And as he’s recently launched Repopulate Mars—the label and the party—our Chris Caruso caught up with him one morning in Brooklyn and they discussed, among other things, how a DJ can make such devoutly underground music so popular.

In our Samplings section, Long Islander Michelle Fetky goes into the studio with eclectic producer Mat Zo to discuss Self Assemble, his latest full-length. Additionally, Mr. Caruso connects with up-and-coming DJ/producer Lauren Lane, a former New Yorker who’s found fortune on the Left Coast.

In our tech-review sections, our St. Louis-based studio scribe Josh Harris has another go with iZotope’s Ozone mastering software, this time with version 7. For Sounding Off, Denver’s Wesley Bryant-King tests out Denon DJ’s unique MCX8000 controller. And don’t forget to check out Wes’ hands-on video of the unit on DJ Times TV. Looking at the world of the mobile entertainer, our Iowa-based writer Jeff Stiles asks a panel of DJs, “Are your services priced correctly? When do you raise your price tag?” In Mobile Profile, we meet with Mike Alevras from New York’s Hudson Valley, who explains how he’s benefited from the art of the acquisition. And in Business Line, Angel Vendrell of New Jersey’s Diamond Productions previews his upcoming DJ Expo seminar, “How to Win More Bridal Show Business.”

Of course, you can catch this tutorial and nearly 30 more at DJ Expo. Set for Aug. 15-18 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., the Expo will also present a packed showfloor featuring more than 100 companies displaying the very latest in DJ-related products. Additionally, DJ Expo will present three full nights of sponsored events. If you’re a mobile, club or studio jock, you won’t want to miss the excitement in the forms of new products, unique career tips and vital networking. For the very latest on DJ Expo, please visit thedjexpo.net.

One More Thing: Once again, we’re kicking off our America’s Best DJ Summer Tour in Detroit at the Movement festival Memorial Day weekend. It will be one of 15 event dates that will support this year’s quest to honor the country’s top jock. Fans can vote at any of the ABDJ tour events or online at americasbestdj.net or via the America’s Best DJ Facebook page. We look forward to seeing you at some of America’s top DJ-driven events and, by voting, fans can win valuable prizes, including a trip for two to the ABDJ Closing Party/ Award Ceremony. Stay tuned for more details of the America’s Best DJ Summer Tour.

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Cheers,

Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ Times

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

art director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com

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

production manager Steve Thorakos sthorakos@testa.com

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

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

digital art director Fred Gumm fgumm@testa.com social media coordinator Matt Van Dyke mvandyke@testa.com

advertising manager Tom McCarty tmccarty@testa.com marketplace advertising sales manager Ricky Pimentel rpimentel@testa.com art/production assistant Ricky Pimentel rpimentel@testa.com Circulation circulation@testa.com operations manager Robin Hazan rhazan@testa.com Editorial and Sales Office: DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, New York, USA 11050-3779. (516) 767-2500 • FAX (Editorial): (516) 944-8372 • FAX (Sales/all other business): (516) 767-9335 • DJTIMES@TESTA. COM Editorial contributions should be addressed to The Editor, DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Avenue, Port Washington, NY, USA, 110503779. Unsolicited manuscripts will be treated with care an d should be accompanied by return postage.

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

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FEEDBACK AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988 MAY 2016

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On the Horizon: DJ Expo ’16

training ground for your staff and it help answer all your tech-related ques‑ can help close potential clients. New tions. Looking for answers about PA, York’s Mike Alevras will show you how playback, lighting, video, studio or trivia nights can help generate more accessories? Sit in and participate weddings, mitzvahs and corporate on this session. Helmed by DJ Times accounts. Whatever style of trivia you and including a panel of experts from use (self-produced, electronic or sub‑ retail, this confab will touch on the lat‑ scription service), it can easily improve est trends and offer tips and tricks for your bottom line, if done correctly. For DJs of all stripes. Bring all your tech-, more on Mike Alevras, please see Mo‑ retail- or system-related questions. bile Profile on Page 30.

“SpeedQuizzing USA Seminar: Ex“Talking Tech: What’s New for DJs?” tending Your Business Opportunities If you’re a mobile or club jock, pro‑ Is Not a Game…or Is It?” We live in MIPA10179 DXS18 Launch DJ5.qxp_Vertical 10:48 AM Pageand 1 statistics ducer or remixer, this seminar will a 5/24/16 technology based-era

prove that people remain drawn to their smartphones or tablets. Why not cash in on that fact? SpeedQuizzing is an engaging, fast-paced and fun software system that brings a gameshow-style trivia game to your client’s devices. It’s great for bars, restaurants, weddings, corporate events—and the list goes on. No pen or paper necessary!

Other sponsored seminars from DJ Expo exhibitors include sessions from ADJ, Chauvet DJ, DMP, and Pioneer DJ. Please visit thedjexpo.com for the latest on DJ Expo ’16. n

4/21/2016 2:14:08 PM

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.

Serious.

Bass.

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The Latest: DJ Expo ’16

DJs of all stripes, take notice: DJ Expo will run Aug. 15-18 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. Produced

by DJ Times and Testa Communica‑ tions since 1990, DJ Expo still stands as America’s longest-running and most-successful DJ conference. DJ Expo features: 30 educational semi‑ nars and panels; a showfloor full of the latest DJ-related technologies and accessories; and sponsored evening events, including the annual “DJ of the Year” competition which will bestow awards to the America’s top mobile talent.

At presstime, the DJ Expo seminar schedule added the following sessions: “How to Win More Business at Bridal Shows.” For mobile jocks, the bridal show remains a classic tool for lead generation. But how does a DJ compa‑ ny stand out from the competition and, ultimately, win the day? Angel Vendrell of New Jersey’s Diamond Productions will show you how it’s done. By giving careful attention to planning, perfor‑ mance and post-showcase follow-up, your entertainment company will im‑ press potential clients with an undeni‑ able “wow factor.” Check out Vendrell’s three-step process and apply it to your market. For a preview of the session, please visit Business Line on Page 32.

“Branding: How to Leverage Trivia Nights into Regular Business.”

Trivia is more than just showing up and reading questions to make a few bucks on a weeknight. Trivia nights can be a tool to market yourself and brand your company. Trivia can be a

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SAMPLINGS

When it comes to Lauren Lane, there’s a method to the madness.

Armed with an arsenal of floorfillers and an innate intuition on just how to turn a crowd inside out with the drop of a beat, the L.A.-based Lane has been one to watch since she first cut her teeth on the New York City club scene years ago. Thanks to her top-notch skills as a selector and key releases on revered labels like Visionquest and Saved Records, she’s caught the approval of—and played alongside—no shortage of industry legends, including Pete Tong, Jamie Jones and Nic Fanciulli.

Now, the Philadelphia-born DJ/producer is in the midst of a career renaissance, effortlessly riding her ongoing hot streak with no end in sight. Her track “Diary of A Madwoman” (taken from an Edible EP of the same name) has taken off, popping up in sets of everyone from Marco Carola to Eats Everything. Coupled with some massive gigs—from The BPM Festival to Miami Music Week and beyond—2016 is poised to be one of the biggest years so far for Lane, with a busy summer of performances and releases slated. We recently caught up with the busy DJ/producer.

DJ Times: How did you get into DJing?

Lauren Lane: I grew up with music as a prominent part of my life because—from when I was a little kid—my parents’ record collection was amazing: disco, Motown, ’70s classic rock. I was just fascinated with records. It was down in our rec room. I remember being really little and being fascinated with this really huge pair of headphones. When I was a teenager, I played some instruments, like the piano and flute, but it never stuck. When I was 15, I went to a club and heard a DJ for the first time, and I was just instantly fascinated. I wanted to know what they were doing and how they were doing it.

DJ Times: Are you from New York?

Lane: I grew up in Philadelphia. I moved to New York when I was 18. I was just fascinated with DJ culture. When I moved to New York, I met a couple of DJs and would go record shopping with them and would help them find music. One day, I was just like, “You know what? Why am I helping everyone else? I want to try this myself,” so I started

LAUREN LANE: DIARY OF A MADWOMAN

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

teaching myself how to spin records.

DJ Times: The late New York promoter Rob Fernandez played a role in your DJing beginnings, correct?

Lane: He did give me a chance—the first gig I had for him was at this party called Asseteria that was on Sundays.

I came carrying my records and he just laughed at me because I could barely carry them. After that, he just kept booking me to play at Pacha in the basement, in Pachita, and then finally the main floor, where I started opening for Erick [Morillo] and Danny [Tenaglia]. It was the beginning of everything for me.

DJ Times: What makes the New York clubbing crowd different from anywhere else?

Lane: New Yorkers are super-educated. When they go out, they’re going because they really want to hear a DJ or they’re going to go four different places to catch so many different people. In one night, there’s always so much talent here, so I think that if you can make it here, you can play anywhere because New Yorkers are very cynical. If you can win them over, you’re doing OK! In Europe, the music scene has been going for such a long time, so it’s almost the same vibe.

DJ Times: How did you end up in Los Angeles?

Lane: I thought I was a New York lifer. But there was an opportunity when Sound opened [in 2013] for me to go there and become a resident DJ. I just thought it would be nice to check it out. I never thought about moving to L.A. before, but it was actually a pleasant surprise. I thought I would come kicking and screaming back, but I ended up really liking it. It was a fresh scene—the scene there is an infant compared to New York—and it was cool being part of it. A lot of people were just getting into deep house and tech-house when I was moved there.

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(continued on page 40)

Lauren Lane: Festival fave, underground darling.

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Mat Zo’s latest CD offers a variety of electronic flavors.

IN THE STUDIO

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

MAT ZO: SELF-ASSEMBLED

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Before scoring a Grammy nomination in 2013 for his debut album, British DJ/producer Matan Zohar (aka Mat Zo) began his career as a trance artist, signing his first track to a:Loud Recordings at 16.

He was soon picked up by Anjunabeats, releasing his first EP with the label in 2008.

Simultaneously, Zo began making waves in the drum-n-bass world with releases on Hospital Records under the pseudonym MRSA. In 2013, when it was time for his debut album, Damage Control, he’d already become a genre-scanning dance-music renegade.

This past March, Zo released his second studio album, Self Assemble, under his own Mad Zoo label. As one might expect, the album offers a mélange of electronic flavors, from catchy pop fare (“The Enemy” feat. Sinead Egan and “Sinful” feat. I See Monstas) and soundscapes (“Smacked Up on Jack” and “Patterns Emerging”) to glitchy breakbeat (“Killing Time”) to dubstep (“Ruffneck Bad Boy”). The first single, “Soul Food,” samples the Brothers Johnson’s 1976 funky-pop hit “I’ll Be Good to You” and carries that vibe to the dancefloor.

We caught up with the 26-year-old Mr. Zohar just after the album’s release.

DJ Times: Tell us a little bit about what went into Self Assemble.

Mat Zo: It was a project three years in the

making. It was pretty much finished last year, so it has been sitting around for a year waiting to be released. It feels good to finally get it out.

DJ Times: How would it compare to Damage Control, your first album?

Mat Zo: The production is slightly better and it is a little bit darker than Damage Control.

Whereas Damage Control was light and fluffy, Self Assemble has a bit of darker tone to it, for sure.

DJ Times: The initial single was “Soul Food.” Why that track and what went into making it?

Mat Zo: I just took the Brothers Johnson sample and filtered, then bitcrushed that. For a single, I wanted to start with the track that I played out the most. This is the track that has gotten the most reaction at the clubs, so I decided to release it first.

DJ Times: Within the studio, what type of gear do you prefer to use?

Mat Zo: I’m pretty much an all-software type of guy. I have hardware stuff, but I hardly ever use it and I usually just play around on it. To actually create my music, though, I use Ableton.

DJ Times: What equipment do you use within the DJ booth?

Mat Zo: Just Pioneer CDJs, a USB stick and headphones—pretty simple. There is typically CDJ 2000s and a DJM-900 mixer, which are pretty much standardized.

DJ Times: How did you start DJing?

Mat Zo: I was 14, and someone came into school for a special music lesson, DJ Pied Piper.

He’s actually quite a famous DJ in the U.K. He came in because one of the music teachers knew him and he taught our class the basics of mixing and, from that moment, I was hooked. It was vinyl mixing back then, but I really got addicted to the feel of mixing.

DJ Times: Can we expect a tour to support the album?

Mat Zo: I won’t be heavily touring this album because there are only like two or three tracks that I can actually play out. I will be doing album celebration gigs, but I wouldn’t call it a full-on tour. Maybe later in the year, but we shall see.

DJ Times: When you’re not producing music or traveling, what do you like to do?

Mat Zo: I like to go to the mountains a lot. Lately, I haven’t had much time to go out due to work. Some people would say that’s pretty boring, but I have a job that I love and it keeps me rather busy.

– Michelle Fetky

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DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

Call it fate, but Lee Foss’ perfect alignment in the universe of dance music may as well have been written in the stars since the beginning.

Foss’ eventual dominance of the club scene isn’t surprising, given his origins in Chicago, where he spent his formative years listening to hip-hop before cutting his teeth on the local DJing circuit in house music’s windy home.

Naturally, a few seasons spent living the Balearic clubbing life in Ibiza had a monumental impact on the young selector’s life, setting off a string of events that directly led to bigger and better creative endeavors. After finding a kindred spirit in fellow reveler (and future musical partner) Jamie Jones, Foss eventually packed up his Midwestern life and settled into the re-emerging dance scene of Los Angeles in 2008.

In the years since Foss’ move, he and Jones launched the seminal tech-house label Hot Creations (plus its two imprints: the underground-focused Hottrax and vocal-leaning Emerald City) and came together as the collaborative duo Hot Natured. In the years following, Hot Natured further expanded into a full-fledged band complete with a globally touring live show, thanks to the addition of Luca Cazal and vocalist Ali Love. Additionally, Foss has tripled his pleasure by teaming up with house legend Marc “MK” Kinchen and Californian songstress Anabel Englund in forming the super-trio Pleasure State.

It goes without saying that all of this success has come in addition to his thriving solo DJing and production career. Anyone who’s caught a DJ set from Foss is sure to realize his wildcard quality: you truly never know what might come next.

Bouncing basslines, otherworldly soundscapes, and packed rooms are hallmarks of any of his performances, and the entranced crowds at clubs and festivals all around the globe are proof.

With so much already accomplished in his illustrious career, Foss is no longer content to just shoot for the moon; he wants to rocket even further into the galaxy. More specifically, he wants to Repopulate Mars. What originally began as an interstellar party series in Los Angeles has trans-

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DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

formed into Foss’ latest label endeavor. The Repopulate Mars imprint aims to deliver a varied brand of dancefloor-ready fire the West Coast jock has dubbed “alien funk,” and its alumni already includes dance stalwarts Patrick Topping, Sonny Fodera, Justin Jay, and MK (under his 4th Measure Men alias).

We caught up with the dancefloor commander on a sunny Brooklyn morning this spring to get the full lowdown on the new label as well as the transcontinental journey his career on which his career has taken him.

DJ Times: What’s some of the inspiration behind the Repopulate Mars party series?

Lee Foss: I think it’s always been important on a party aspect for me to create something— especially in America—that wasn’t apart of Hot Creations, Emerald City and Paradise. I’m not always everywhere Jamie [Jones] is, and we each have our own ethos. I just wanted to do something that stood out from a production standpoint [on the party side] that took people and put them somewhere. It could take places where people haven’t been and deliver them to a beach party on Mars via staffing and production. [Repopulate Mars] is kind of a tongue-incheek thing because I’m interested in environmental causes because the Earth is worth saving, but it’s funny how much of modern media talks about looking for the next place to live. It’s very prescient and in-the-moment; people are interested in this stuff. People want to be somewhere where they’re next to a cyborg or a robot or an alien, but in this club where they had to come through a star gate to get in, while I’m in the back working some machine that looks like nuclear reactor while wearing a cyborg mask.

DJ Times: Why did you decide to make it a label?

Foss: There’s been a lot of music I wanted to sign that I didn’t for [my other] labels or I was holding onto for something of my own.

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It became clearer and clear to me—and to Jamie—that we were just passing on so much music. We started Emerald City to do more song-based stuff and not have Hot Creations really cluttered by so many different genre styles.

Me launching Repopulate Mars—which is really going to be across the board, too—was just because there was so much good music I was passing on. I’ve been really focused, and I just thought as a natural progression of growing this brand and creating an ethos behind it.

DJ Times: The first EP’s got Eskuche & Nu Sky, MK (as 4th Measure Men), Sonny Fodera, and Flavio Acaron. What was behind the decision to launch it with a multi-artist compilation?

Foss: I’ve had those songs the longest, and it’s taken me the longest to get those songs out. I think they fit well together, but it’s a varied EP. DJ Times: Are those first three tracks setting the tone sonically for the label, or is it going to be even more varied in the future?

Foss: Oh, it’ll definitely be more varied, but I thought they fit well. I thought it was a cohesive little EP. There’s all kind of stuff coming that I think is a wide variety.

DJ Times: Did you have a musical upbringing?

Foss: I took a couple years of piano when I was, like, nine, but I lied and said I was learning to read the sheet music, but I was too lazy to, so I was just memorizing it to get the free piece of candy at the end. I’ve never taken that leap to learn music theory, but I feel like that actually assisted me and Jamie Jones and some of my friends because we kind of learned it on the back-end and came to things from another angle. I’ve had a lot of friends who were classically trained who said that if I hadn’t practiced it was an advantage because you’re not thinking why something should work—you’re just thinking if it does or doesn’t work.

DJ Times: Were you parents musically inclined?

Foss: My parents liked music. They played music in the house, but it certainly wasn’t— when I discovered “black music,” as it was—it

was a revelation. My parents listened to ’60s rock. I grew up in a university town [DeKalb] about an hour outside of Chicago. I could get Chicago radio stations, and in the early 1990s, hip hop was using all of those old funk samples.

Sometimes, radio stations playing the original songs they sampled was mind-blowing.

DJ Times: It’s interesting that you grew up near Chicago, which was such an epicenter for house, but you were drawn to hip hop and R&B. Foss: I liked house when I could hear it.

We also didn’t have cable or MTV, so [what I heard] was very controlled until I had access via radio. I really liked the house that I heard, but I was more initially to artists drawn that were sampling jazz and disco and funk. And then the house that I liked initially did that same thing.

DJ Times: How did you cut your teeth in the club scene?

Foss: At the end of high school, I started going to raves and to a friend’s house who had turntables. He blended two hip-hop songs, and it blew me away. My freshman year of college I bought turntables and a little crappy DJ setup and started spending lots of money on records. I was pretty lazy on learning to mix. After I graduated college, I went to Ibiza for the first time. I got hooked; I stayed there for the summer, met my best friend Jamie Jones and a lot of my other friends to this day. That became my life. I loved being there and being in these clubs for days, but I knew something was lacking in the DJ. DJ Times: Why? Foss: I heard people and thought, “I know I can do a better job. I know I have better taste than this. If it was me up there, I know I could be doing something special.” After that, I started forcing myself to actually learn to DJ. After the third year that I was in Ibiza, I really forced myself to start DJing locally in Chicago. I came back and saw myself to start making music.

DJ Times: What spurred the move to L.A.?

Foss: I was working a lot locally in Chicago as a DJ, probably one of the most successful local DJs. I was playing around 20 hours a week, which is a lot of DJing. It’ll make you good fast.

I earned a lot of money from local DJing, so I

for seven or eight hours. But yeah, we really struggled with venues that had a two o'clock closing time. It still doesn't make a lot of sense in several respects because you're also flooding the street with drunk and high people at 2 a.m. in these congested areas. That seems a little unsafe, and artistically obviously it doesn't foster the artistic side of nightlife, but I don't think that's something they care about. It's just damage control.

DJ Times: Are there more venues now than there were seven or eight years ago?

Foss: I never have a problem with it clearing out, but for some artists it may clear out early and there may not be any reason to play after 2:30 or 3 a.m. I've played to houses that were packed until 4, so it just depends on if you can keep that energy up there. But yeah, there are venues that stay open until 4—more than there were—but it's still not normal. More and more of these house music clubs are opening that play quality music and stay open after the alcohol stops selling. But, it's a liability for these clubs. I can understand why they're not jumping at the opportunity. It's an uphill climb in L.A., but it's certainly a burgeoning scene with a lot of young, artistic people.

DJ Times: Going back to when you met Jamie Jones in Ibiza, what drew you two together initially?

Foss: We were both kind of music snobs back then, and we could stay up longer than everyone else [laughs]. We liked good music and had some sensibility for fashion and a "dowhatever-it-takes" attitude to stay out there for the season and to keep the party going.

We've definitely changed a lot since then. We've become really good friends over the years. I think when you're going to own a business in this industry—especially with Type A personalities—you’ve got to know each other and trust each other and be able to listen to each other

and not take the stressy parts too seriously. You see a lot of DJ duos that split up or these labels where people who are best friends will split up or leave, and I just think it takes a strong friendship and the ability to communicate to keep those things going.

DJ Times: Hot Creations launched in 2010.

What caused you guys to go from DJing together to working together?

Foss: We started Hot Natured, and that was pretty exciting. We were making so much great music, but Jamie was younger—he didn’t want to have a label. He thought it was too much work, but he had friends like Robert James who were giving him music that he liked. He saw that I was making too much music, but he had a lot of backlog music and he started to realize he wanted a little more control. I just had a bad breakup and was going to be in the U.K. a lot more, and it just made sense for us to start our own thing.

We saw the strengths of what it was going to be and how much music there was, and we already had this Hot Natured project started together.

Initially, Hot Natured was going to be a disco and edits label and a party, but then we decided the name was too good and used it as the project name. We still had the label, but then there was just too much good music around us and we said, “We need to start an originals record label.” It just all tied in really well.

DJ Times: Hot Creations grew from a sort of quirky alt-tech house label to a massive force in the underground scene. What do you think caused people to latch onto it so heavily?

Foss: I think there’s always been a consistent high quality, but especially at the nascent, very important first 20-25 releases. It was different from what was coming out, and it created a lot of emulators. At the same time that it had a consistent sound, it was varied enough to keep people interested and surprised. It launched the careers of so many new artists, and you also had these charismatic, identifiable people behind it.

It wasn’t faceless. You had two of the biggest (continued on page 42)

Photo by Gustavot Remor

reached this point where it would’ve seemed crazy to leave it, but I met some people in L.A. who were like-minded. I also saw some of the venues there—like the roof of The Standard— and I had enough nascent friends in the scene that had burgeoning careers like Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler, Lee Curtiss, Matt Tolfrey. I had a lot of friends who would come out to play for me in Chicago. Jamie and I went out to L.A. together after we had met some of these people, and I saw the little scene they had growing with the afterhours and the venues. He even said to me, “You should move out here,” and I started talking to these guys Droog who were doing the events. Before I moved, we collaborated, they brought me to play a few more times, I brought them to Chicago, and it felt right.

DJ Times: From your perspective—having moved from Chicago to L.A.—what sort of effect did the early last-call time at the clubs and the city's spread-out nature have on the growth of the scene there?

Foss: These guys had this really nice afterparty house, but yeah, the struggle was always to find work with venues where we could go ’til 4 a.m., instead of 2, because you want to showcase yourselves. That's the struggle: America has all these cities with these little scenes and they get big or don't grow based on the local DJ promoters who want to become these traveling house and techno DJs. L.A.—from that perspective— was and is seemingly a little hamstrung because people leave as soon as the booze stops being served at 2, and most places won't stay open after 2. If you have a little collective and you guys want to open up, it's hard to even just put on the one DJ's set, and certainly you'll struggle to have lineups up with multiple touring artists because no one's going to be there before 12.

Last call's at 1:45. That's not a lot of time to showcase music at all. But there were other options, you know.

DJ Times: Like what?

Foss: We were residents at Avalon, which went later, and The Standard [in Downtown LA] had a longer Sunday afternoon party that went

With Prince’s Sudden Passing, DJs of All Stripes Compare Notes on the Purple One’s Best Dancefloor Moments As everyone knows by now, Prince Rogers Nelson passed away this past April 21. He was 57.

When you consider that the guy wrote all his timeless songs, oftentimes playing all the instruments, and performed like no other during his nearly four-decade career, it’s not a stretch to say that Prince stands as our generation’s most accomplished pop artist. As all DJs know, he also unleashed some wicked dancefloor tunes.

In “Under the Cherry Moon,” Prince sang, “Maybe I’ll die young, like heroes die.” Sadly, he did, but we want to celebrate his music and artistry, so we asked DJs of all stripes for their musical memories with three simple questions: 1) Which Prince song made the most impact on your dancefloor and why?

2) Which deep Prince cut (preferably a non-megahit) did you like to play and why?

3) What’s his legacy?

Here we go:

Claude VonStroke, dirtybird, San Francisco Impact: “Erotic City” is the funkiest dance tune. It’s just got all the right sleaze in all the right places. If you don’t get down to that, then you don’t get down.

Deep Cut: “Darling Nikki” got me to blush in middle school. I never played it out, but I certainly listened to it a billion times—another supersexy tune, but not a hit. At that time, it would never make radio—it was too sexually suggestive. But these days it could probably be on regular Billboard Top 40 with everything that’s out now.

Legacy: It’s the way the notes are played & his voice fits into the groove.

Nobody can really copy it, even though they really want to—trust me, I’ve even tried to get a Prince groove going. Also, his songwriting genius is undeniable.

left. Simple funk jam, with a bad-ass bassline, always rocks the house.

Deep Cut: “Lady Cab Driver” embodies everything that is Prince: killer synth line, futuristic drum patterns, roaring guitar solo, back-in-the-cut vocals & three minutes of sex in the back of a cab. Fave Prince song ever.

Legacy: Original & always true to himself.

Carl Cox, Intec Digital, London Impact: “I Wanna Be Your Lover” was a new brand of funk & it blew the dancefloor away.

Deep Cut: “Sexy MF” was, for me, pure Prince.

Legacy: He was ahead of his time.

DJ Dan, InStereo, L.A. Impact: “Controversy” because dancing to it was like a therapy session.

Deep Cut: “Uptown” is special because it reminds me of having big dreams in the big city.

Legacy: He would make you hear music in a new way & put a funk on it that only he could achieve.

Paul Dailey, DJ Times, Boston Impact: In ’81, I bought my first belt-drive Technics & added Controversy to my record collection.The song entered my personal Top 10 & never

Bruce Tantum, DJ/Writer, NYC Impact: “Get Off” is just so damn funky & kinda dirty, which never hurts.

Deep Cut: “Sugar Walls” by Sheena Easton—just the weirdness of a good girl singing about her nether-regions is a plus. But it’s still a chugging, prime-time Prince tune. Also, Apollonia 6’s “Sex Shooter,” for similar reasons.

Legacy: In 100 years, we'll be looking at him as our Bach or Beethoven.

Garry Trio, Trio Productions, NYC Impact: For 25 years, I've been playing “Kiss” during my funk sets at both

mobile & club events. The beat, sound & Prince swag is what keeps people moving.

Best Moment: Back in ’99 on New Year’s Eve, when everyone thought the world was ending, Prince’s “1999” track got you into a feel-good mood.

Legacy: The music, the videos & style can never be replaced.

Tommy D Funk, DJ Times, NYC Impact & Best Moment: “1999.” My first gig after moving to NYC was New Year’s Eve ’98/’99 & I’ll never forget playing an extended mix to a packed room as the ball dropped—fantastic.

Deep Cut: “Batdance”—just superb. It had every musical genre, which made it a great, underground dance record for me— funk, rock, hip-hop & a great 4/4 beat.

Legacy: A genius who didn't believe in boundaries.

Tr a v i s S e i b e r t , M a d i s o n Mobile DJ, Madison, Wis. Best Moment: “Erotic City.” For the late-night crowd that was promiscuous. It would make them grind & show a side of their sexuality that only that song could uncover. It allowed people to feel like the dancefloor was the bedroom.

Deep Cut: “Pop Life” because of the beat—just a fun song.

Legacy: Masterful, because he found a way to take all elements of music & make them his own.

Rissa Garcia, Cielo, NYC Impact: Always loved “I Wanna Be Your Lover” as a toward-theend-of-the-night song. It’s all very sexy, which makes you feel sexy & when you feel sexy, you feel confident—those are moments you really let loose.

Deep Cut: “Get Off (Flutestramental)” is a forgotten gem—so funky & upbeat, always works the floor into a frenzy. It has the “strut factor.”

Legacy: He made original, forward-thinking music that’ll stand the test of time.

Joshua Carl, CrooklynClan. net, Boston Impact: “1999,” hands down. People never stop being excited on that opening keyboard riff.

Deep Cut: “Darling Nikki” was the track as a kid I had to close my bedroom door to listen to—pretty sure it kick-started my puberty.

Legacy: Prince transcends age, race & so many other walls we

have built in our society.

Crash, Crash Entertainment, L.A. Impact: “Kiss” is the funkiest & most danceable, but “Erotic City” is No. 2.

Deep Cut: OK, it was a hit, but “Delirious.” Love that mind-altered vibe.

It showed his genius & his quirky, funny side.

Legacy: Unique. You can hear Prince's signature on each song.

Oscar P, Open Bar Music, San Diego Impact: “Kiss” & “When Doves Cry” always packed the floor. Easy to see why they worked so well—they were love songs. They are also among the most sampled Prince songs of all time.

Deep Cuts: “Controversy” [1981] & “Just as Long as We’re Together” [1978] were Paradise Garage classics. Any serious vinyl collector had these original 12-inches sealed in their collection.

Legacy: He was a real songwriter.

Dave Dresden, Gabriel & Dresden, Oakland, Calif.

Impact: “When Doves Cry” always got people moving, but there was “Erotic City,” “Little Red Corvette,” “Let's Go Crazy” & “1999.”

Deep Cut: "Controversy" wasn't a huge megahit, but it was funky & suited for the dancefloor.

Legacy: Prince was the total package. He understood songwriting, producing, playing, & arranging songs equally. He also never repeated himself.

Sean Cormac, Forward Disco, NYC Moment: One of the most moving Prince music experiences I ever had was at Tunnel in the mid-’90s. It was when the club was transitioning to after-hours. The new DJ really broke everything down after a bit & people started to leave after a few minutes of real ambient tones & spaced-out textures. But out of nowhere came “Little Red Corvette” on the main floor—the place damn-near melted in sweat & sex. I'd say it was equal parts Prince & the loved-up masses of the ’90s.

Deep Cut: “One Man Jam” by 94 East feat. Prince—what an amazing piece of music! It's a structured, experimental disco record, but it's a psychedelic & electronic with live instrumentation.

Legacy: There's rarely a situation that a Prince track can't solve.

Paul Oakenfold, Perfecto, L.A. Impact: I think the first one was “When Doves Cry.” The tempo wasn’t obvious & it was difficult to play in the clubs, but when you dropped it, the whole place went crazy.

The Experience: What I loved about Prince was listening to the album as a whole. That’s where the true journey began & ended. I never felt that he just put 13 songs together. I felt there was so much more thought into it. That’s why I would always buy his albums & not singles.

Legacy: What makes him unique is how he brings various different genres & sounds together—funk, rock, blues & pop can all be heard.

The lyrical content is deep & meaningful—of course, the overall sound is very unique. Where we are today with music, it’s so throwaway & disposable, society is always onto the next thing. We, unfortunately, forget too soon about true great artists like Prince & it’s important to share their legacy with the next generation.

Herbert Holler, Freedom Party, NYC Impact: "Kiss" or "I Wanna be Your Lover." Both are fun, positive & accessible dance tracks. Bona fide classics—they'll always connect.

Deep Cut: "Controversy." I love how lo-fi it is—in an electronic sense.

It feels like you're standing next to an amplifier with a bad hum in a little basement studio, but then that chorus... it just becomes so uplifting, so beautiful.

Legacy: Authentic music, so different, so unique. It defines an era that a lot of us are afraid we won’t see/feel again.

Nick Haddad aka Captn20, Detroit Impact: “Let’s Go Crazy” gives me chills every time. Also, “1999” made people go wild on a particular New Year’s Eve. Deep Cut: I do remember playing "Insatiable" in my high-school years when I really wanted to get freaky with a girl.

Legacy: Prince answered it best when he said, "In the beginning, God made the sea, but on the 7th day he made me..."

Dimitri Craven, Zona, L.A. Impact: “I Wanna Be Your Lover” because it was so funky & the lyrics so sexy. Also, “Controversy” because the lyrics spoke to me.

Deep Cut: “Lady Cab Driver” has a crazy, funky beat, like a marchingband beat that they play in the ’hood.

Legacy: It’s was music to dance to, rock out & make love to. It reached & touched all races & sexes.

DJ Pauly D, Rehab, Las Vegas Impact: “Let’s Go Crazy”—such a fun tune, very relatable & that beat is so recognizable. Yup, everyone goes crazy.

Deep Cut: “'I Would Die 4 U”—I love to play this song, the production on it is so legendary.

Legacy: He challenged people with his authentic approach & he refused to compromise his vision.

Loczi, Rehab, Las Vegas Impact: “Kiss” has the iconic intro guitar riff, but it also dictates the mood on a dancefloor. When the first drum hit drops, people’s faces change—eyes squint, lips pucker & the attitude shifts.

Deep Cut: “Controversy” has a great juxtaposition of elements— low-tone vocals, dirty bass & funky rhythm guitar, plus thought-provoking lyrics: “We’re all just the same.”

Legacy: A pioneer, a man of deep faith & an artist in the truest sense.

DJ Sojo, Senate DJs, Atlantic City, N.J. Impact: “Kiss” is the weapon of choice—consistent beat & sex appeal.

Deep Cut: “I Would Die 4 U” for its energy & dynamics. From the double-time hats to power chords, every time I mix it, I get chills.

Legacy: His musicality & style will be studied for the rest of time.

Joe Bunn, Bunn DJ Co., Raleigh, N.C. Impact: On “Kiss,” I would loop that intro as I mixed out of the previous song & then release it right when the fader hit the other side & Prince would hit that lyric, “You don’t have to be beautiful, to turn me on.” Love it.

Deep Cut: “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” a great tune that’s often

overlooked.

Legacy: Funky music like that never dies.

D’Julz, Bass Culture, Paris, France Impact: “Erotic City” is a very striped-down track, very hypnotic & sexy. Together with “Controversy,” these are Prince's most housey tunes.

Deep Cut: “The Dance Electric,” a song Prince produced for André Cymone—that Linn Drum groove is no joke. “17 Days,” a favorite B-side track, works great on the floor.

Legacy: He was never afraid to mix genres, break musical frontiers & reinvent himself.

Kervyn Mark, The Real, NYC Impact: “Let's Go Crazy.” The opening sermon stops all in their tracks to take notice.

Deep Cut: "If You Feel Dancing" is Prince with 84 East. It is the beginning of him as recording artist & it’s a dope, underground dance track that just has that groove in the pocket.

Legacy: This music is inviting for all to experience & love. It speaks to all social, physical & sexual topics.

Carl Williams aka DJ Carl, NYC Impact: "Kiss" because you can slam or beatmix it. With a midtempo BPM of 112, it can easily be mixed into other genres, too.

Deep Cut: "Controversy"—love the melody & message.

Legacy: A genius who created music that people from all walks of life could enjoy.

Sam Smite. The Inspirational DJ, Huntsville, Ala. Impact: “1999,” the party anthem.

Deep Cuts: Tamar Davis feat.

Prince – “Beautiful, Loved, & Blessed.” Also, I love “The Cross”

by Prince. These songs displayed his spiritual side.

Legacy: He was the ultimate open-format artist, crossing all genres.

Chris Alker, DJ Times, NYC Impact: “Kiss” is funky & so iconic that everyone on the floor gets down inside of the first measure.

Helps that it’s so easy to sing to— people love to join in.

Deep Cut: “Black Sweat” off the 3121 album. It’s stripped down to bare essentials & the stop/start to the beat makes for some superb dancefloor posing.

Legacy: His music is equal parts fun & sex—two things people never get tired of.

Demarkus Lewis, Grin Music, Dallas Impact: “Controversy.” The lyrics describe what our whole dance-music culture was built upon—the concept of being ourselves & not judging others on race, sexual preference or religious beliefs. Also, it's just so funky!

Deep Cut: I sang “Insatiable” to the ladies on the school bus, which did wonders for my mack game.

Legacy: Close your eyes & listen to Prince, you become who you really are.

DJ Shorte, Hot4Ever, L.A. Impact: “1999"—the lyrics help you forget your troubles.

Deep Cut: "I Would Die 4 U," a classic that mysteriously describes God’s love for us.

Legacy: He stood up for himself & his creative works.

Yotto, Anjunabeats, Helsinki, Finland Impact: As a DJ, "I Wanna Be Your Lover" because it's one of the best songs ever made. As a fan, "I Would Die 4 U" because it makes me want to party & cry at the same time.

Deep Cut: “The Mutiny,” a bit of a goofy funk tune he made with The Family. It just sounds like a party, even though it has a message in there.

Legacy: He was something that we'll never comprehend.

DJ Sun, Soular Productions, Houston Impact: “Let's Work.” In 23 years of DJing, this is the consistent dancefloor hit.

Deep Cut: "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" works in any downtempo or chill set.

Legacy: His effect on the overall pop landscape was groundbreaking.

Mike Walter, Elite Entertainment, Tinton Falls, N.J. Impact: “I Wanna Be Your Lover” brings everyone back to that post-disco era when dance music was figuring out which direction it was going to go. Awesome beat, incredibly high falsetto & blatant lasciviousness.

Deep Cut: “Gett Off”—I like to sneak it in on the right crowd.

Works perfectly with old-school or today's hip-hop (both in terms of BPM & theme) & the bass is just so booming it grabs an audience & doesn't let go.

Legacy: Prince's lyrics got right to our most prurient & insatiable desires, while couched in some

of the most infectious rhythms & unstoppable beats ever recorded.

2 U,” a universal song about love.

Legacy: Relentless, soulful, genius

Logan Lynn, Logan Lynn Music, Portland, Ore. Impact: "Let's Go Crazy" or "1999" make everyone else go wild & it’ll most likely be that way forever.

Deep Cut: I love "Manic Monday"

by The Bangles, which was written

by Prince. I think, no matter who is performing Prince's songs, that energy he owned has always been there.

Legacy: He moved us lyrically while also making us move all our feet. That was his magic.

Cassy, Circoloco, Amsterdam Impact: All the tunes that are not slow! If he wanted to make you dance, you would be dancing!

Deep Cut: “Under the Cherry Moon.”

Legacy: All great music is simple, there are core elements that are infectious & Prince’s music was exactly that.

Robby Hauldren/Freddy Kennett, Louis The Child, Chicago I m p a c t : We a l w a y s p l a y “FUNKNROLL” from 2014—everyone goes crazy for it.

Legacy: He dared to be different & always pushed music into a new direction.

Jerzy, B96, Chicago Impact: "Kiss" is timeless. From corporate events to nightclubs, young or old, guaranteed to get people moving.

Deep Cut: "Partyman," off the Batman soundtrack.

Legacy: Artists still draw inspiration from his work.

Anton Bass, Sea to Sun, Wolcott, Conn.

Impact: “When Doves Cry” & “1999.”

Deep Cut: “Darling Nikki,” dirty & sexy!

Legacy: He was the soundtrack for a generation.

Toyboy & Robin, Big Beat, London Impact: “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” a feel-good classic.

Deep Cut: “Sexy MF” just oozes coolness.

Legacy: His songs still sound like nothing else out there.

Joe Bermudez, DJ Times, Boston Impact: “When Doves Cry.” The groove is undeniable. Your body can't resist moving.

Deep Cut: “Gett Off.” A filthy song & people would always act the part when it came on.

Legacy: Prince is one of a kind.

Sin Morera, Big Mamas House, NYC Impact: “Purple Rain,” I often close my sets with this. People always feel the connection—very powerful.

Deep Cut: “Nothing Compares

Johnny Siera, Tiger Tooth, NYC Impact: “Erotic City.” So porno, so sleazy & just right for the sexual tension of the club.

Deep Cut: “Sign o’ the Times.”

Legacy: Unparalleled stylistic confidence & songwriting genius.

Sacha Robotti, Robosonic, Berlin Impact: “Kiss” is a perfect track.

Also, I'm a sucker for those reverberated snare drums.

D e e p C u t : " A n o t h e r L o n e ly Christmas," but not to play out at a party. It's sad, honest & emotional, but true & honest.

Legacy: R.I.P., you sexy MF. El Dusty, Corpus Christi,Texas Impact: "P Control." As a club DJ, when everyone is already wasted, throw that song on & the floor would get lit.

Deep Cut: “Batdance.”

Legacy: He wrote classics.

Jordan Rogers, Tiger City, Memphis Impact: “1999" has those powerful opening synths. Next up are “Controversy” or “Seven.”

Legacy: No boundaries.

Chili Davis, 718 Sessions, NYC Impact: “Erotic City.” Played at the right time to the right crowd, a DJ can set the tone for a party.

Deep Cut: “How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore” is a great track to close a night with.

Legacy: Never anyone like him.

Linda Leigh, BurstRadio.net, Philadelphia Impact: “Hot Thing.” The girls love it & when the girls love it, the guys do, too—such a funky groove!

Deep Cut: Herbie Hancock's instrumental version of “Thieves in the Temple” – jazzy goodness.

Legacy: Timeless appeal.

Jackie McCloy, NY Music Pool, Long Island Impact: “1999”—it was the song to play at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Al Pizarro, Heavy Rotation Promo, NYC Impact: “When Doves Cry.” As soon as the crowd heard the opening guitar lick, they went crazy.

Deep Cut: “I Would Die 4 U” was always a great change of pace into a dance-rock segment.

Legacy: Songs you can play anytime.

Jae Murphy, Jason Derulo Tour DJ, L.A. Impact: “1999” has timeless energy.

Deep Cut: “Alphabet Street” with the screams, the harmonies and the guitar.

Legacy: He’s timeless.

Trayze, 107.3 FM, Washington, D.C. Impact: “Kiss” because the girls lose their shit to that one.

Deep Cuts: The songs he wrote or performed on, like "777-9311"

by The Time or “Stand Back” by Stevie Nicks.

Legacy: Genius & a visionary.

DJ ShadowReD, Chateau, Las Vegas Impact: “Erotic City” definitely makes the dancers get closer on the floor.

Deep Cut: “Sexy MF,” such a cool/ slick song.

Legacy: Timeless music.

Richard Vission, Powertools, L.A. Impact: “When Doves Cry” & “Erotic City” always keep the dancefloor sexy.

Deep Cut: “Controversy” is an all-time fave. My bootleg remix became a big tune for me.

Legacy: He never followed any trends sonically.

Miguel Campbell, Sankeys, Leeds, U.K. Impact: “1999.” The stereo effects & the sound quality of the guitars & vocals are amazing.

Deep Cut: “Erotic City,” the original or Wolf + Lamb’s house remix.

Chus + Ceballos, Stereo Productions, Madrid, Spain Impact: “Let’s Go Crazy.” The tension brought on by the speech & the organ breaking into the guitar & the lead vocal is epic, one of the most powerful dance-rock pieces ever made. It brings your energy up, no matter the circumstances.

Deep Cut: “Nothing Compares 2 U.” The music & lyrics touch the deep corners of the soul like no other Prince track.

Legacy: Total musician who wrote universal music.

Matador, Rukus, Dublin, Ireland Impact: “1999.” I don’t know anyone on the planet who doesn’t like this.

Deep Cut: “Sexy MF.” I love the simplicity of this track & its clean, smooth groove—plus, I have a soft spot for a bit of brass.

Legacy: Prince embodied music & his level of attention to his craft makes his music timeless.

Felguk, Sony Music, Rio de Janeiro Impact: “Kiss” is just a memorable, sexy, groovy, fun song.

Deep Cut: “Sexy MF” is just a straight-up, funky track, James Brown-style, with a big, groovy bass.

Legacy: A real artist.

Joe Stone, Spinnin, Almelo, Holland Impact: “Kiss” is irresistible in its grooviness.

Deep Cut: “I Wanna Be Your Lover” for its intro & guitar part.

Legacy: Prince was always ahead of his time.

Redondo, Spinnin, Amsterdam Impact: “Kiss.” We used to play the René Amesz bootleg a lot— had a breakbeat/tech-housey vibe.

Deep Cut: “Musicology” is a combo of Prince’s old stuff and the hip-hop/pop stuff that Pharrell produced.

Legacy: Most of his tracks are evergreens.

The Sol Brothers, Drenched Records, London Impact: A remix of “When Does Cry.” Deep Cut: “I Wanna Be Your Lover” usually surprises the crowd & gets a reaction.

Legacy: Funk, soul, originality.

Fox Feltman, BTA Entertainment, New Bern, N.C. Impact: I have three: “1999” & “Let’s Go Crazy” because they’re so fun & “Purple Rain” because it’s a sing-along.

Deep Cut: “The Beautiful Ones.”

I’m a sucker for a great ballad.

Legacy: He tells stories people can relate to.

Georgia Sinclair (aka DJ Saint Clair), L.A. Impact: “Controversy” has catchy synths, drums & lyrics, plus it slots so well with modern songs.

Deep Cut: “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” At the right moment to the right crowd, you can get the whole crowd to sing along.

Legacy: Everything he created was authentic—an innovator.

JES, Unleash the Beat, L.A. Impact: “When Doves Cry,” for its meditative, mysterious & funky groove.

Deep Cut: “Hot Thing” has that dirty, electro groove. Also, “Starfish & Coffee” because he was so cute with The Muppets.

Legacy: He connected with his audience with his heart & soul.

Lauren Lane, Edible, L.A. Impact: “When Doves Cry” or “1999,” which is the perfect party song.

Deep Cut: “Raspberry Beret” paints a vivid picture.

Legacy: Music that’s memorable, sexy & catchy.

DJ Cassidy, Big Beat, NYC Impact: “Kiss” for its minimal simplicity & relentless groove. Like BBD’s “Poison” & Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” the intro guitar lick is a calling card to the dancefloor.

Deep Cut: "Anotherloverholenyohead" is a funky, mid-tempo song that rises in energy.

Legacy: Genius can’t be explained, only appreciated.

Jerry Bazata, DJ Jaz Music, Ogunquit, Maine Impact: “I Wanna Be Your Lover” always kept the dancefloor packed.

Deep Cut: “Adore,” a strong R&B ballad that showcases his vocal mastery & range, and end-of-thenight song.

Legacy: His music helps create memorable experiences.

Lucas Med, Temple, San Francisco Impact: “When Doves Cry” connects—I can see it in their faces.

Deep Cut: “Nothing Compares 2 U” always gives me goosebumps.

Legacy: He brought out real feelings & emotions—can’t beat that.

Phil Turnipseed, DJ Times, Newark, N.J. Impact: “When Doves Cry,” with its piano-laced hook, has a childlike cuteness & no bassline!

Deep Cut: “Erotic City,” the darker, dirtier stepchild of “When Doves Cry.” Legacy: He never cheated us.

B Jones, Privilege, Ibiza Impact: As an audience member, gotta be “Kiss.”

Deep Cut: “Cream” works due to its amazing rhythm and house bassline.

Legacy: Can an artist be more complete than Prince?

Grace Chatto, Clean Bandit, London Impact: The chord progressions on “I Wanna Be Your Lover” are super-feel-good, and the vocals make it sexy.

Deep Cut: “Purple Rain.” Perfect, so slow, so deep, so huge.

Legacy: It’s real music.

Thomas Pough (aka DJ Polo), NYC Impact: “When Doves Cry” because the guitar spoke to me.

Deep Cut: “Alphabet Street,” a fun, let-loose song.

Legacy: He’s timeless.

Cristian Varela, Pornographic Recs, London Impact: Playing “Purple Rain” on a beautiful Ibiza beach club… the reaction was huge.

Deep Cut: “Do It All Night” from Dirty Mind.

Legacy: Spiritual music made from the heart.

DJ Roonie G, Roonie Tunes, Columbus, Ga. Impact: These days, I’m dropping “FUNKNROLL.” Deep Cut: Years ago, it was “17 Days.”

Legacy: Provocative, but in a very artistic way.

VENIICE, Los Angeles Impact: “Sexy Dancer.” Just listen to that bassline—it runs through your bones!

Deep Cut: "Computer Blue" has one of the best breakdowns ever.

Legacy: He originated new sounds & didn’t follow trends.

Sydney Blu, Blu Music, Toronto Impact: “Erotic City” has a real dance beat & it’s the most electronic record he ever made.

Deep Cut: “Baby I'm a Star”—so much soul, groove & energy.

Legacy: There will never be another artist like him. n

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Tony Fernandez, Sowndwave, Richmond, Va. Impact: “Erotic City.” Great energy, great melody & crazy lyrics.

It’s just funky & the content didn’t hurt.

Deep Cuts: Everything on Sign o’ the Times.

Legacy: Brilliance.

Legacy: Innovative, provocative & evocative.

DJ TIMES

Deep Cut: "Extraordinary," a slow jam that would work as a transition back in the day.

Legacy: He appealed to all audiences.

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Thinking of Increasing Your Prices?

DJs Weigh In On the Pros & Cons

By Jeff Stiles

When a bride named Susan called DJ Shani Barnett in Northbrook, Ill., this past March to book entertainment for her forthcoming wedding reception, it was because Barnett had been highly recommended by the venue.

But when Shani informed Susan of her company’s prices, there were concerns.

“When I quoted our basic wedding package, Susan asked if that was the best I can do—because her friend had given her the name of a DJ whose price was a lot cheaper,” she says.

“I asked her if the other DJ was on the preferred-vendor list and she said no. I asked her if she knew the other DJ and she said no. Trying not to laugh, I told her I have no problem meeting with her and her fiancé to explain why my price is what it is, but she asked again if I could do any better with my price.

“If a potential client only wants to book on price alone, then I’m sorry we are not the DJ company for her.”

Everyone is wondering about the current economy. Unemployment is down and other economic indicators remain good for the moment, but should we be worried about interest rates rising? What about gas prices?

In a similar way, every year mobile DJs must make a decision about raising their rates due to increased costs.

Raise our prices too much and we lose business. Reduce them too much and we lose income.

We asked DJs from around the country how they’re dealing with prices in 2016. Who has raised their rates?

What kind of response did they receive from their prospective clients? And finally, how have our competitors responded to our price-rising?

Barnett says that, although Shani Barnett Productions didn’t raise its package pricing in 2016, it did increase the prices of most of its upsells by at least 10-percent, and plan to increase its overall pricing in 2017.

“Most of our clients don’t come to us because of price,” Barnett says. “They come to us because of our talent and customer service, so we haven’t had a lot of negative feedback from our prices. If a client wants to only spend a certain amount of extra money after the initial package is booked, I’ll simply find the best upsells that’ll fit the party’s needs.

“Whenever I receive the phone calls in which a potential client says, ‘Well, I got a better a price quote from another company, so can you give me a discount?’ my response is always that my price is my price, and if

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JUNE 2016

The Price Is Right

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only have shows on Saturday, while my fellow friends on the other side of the country have them every Thursday through Saturday.

“I’m in heaven when I get a call for a Thursday wedding, or even a Sunday.”

In his market, JD the DJ says that as changes in the industry cause more and more increases in quality, more companies are doing the all-inclusive packages and no more upsells.

“Ever since I started doing this in 1992 as a single operator, I wanted to do the works and provide the best package and price,” he says. “There are countless companies across the U.S. that charge one price for the day and are getting top dollar because they’re providing uplighting, sound, video and more.

A lot of clients like not worrying about what’s included or not.

“My reputation is that I bring the entire party. Yes, I charge $3,500 for a wedding, but I do a lot and there are guys who charge more than I do.

“I’m not the right DJ for everyone, but I’m a single operator and this is what works for me.”

Also in the state of Washington, Adam Tiegs of Adam’s DJ Service in Seattle says pricing is different for everyone due to the fact we’re all in unique situations. “For example, when I had a full-time job and only DJ’d on the side for extra money, I felt I charged plenty,” he says. “But looking back, I wasn’t charging enough. Now that I’ve DJ’d full-time since 2007, pricing is something I look at every year.

“As a multi-op, I have DJs with different talent levels, experience, personalities and skill-sets at my disposal. I found myself offering the ‘least-expensive’ solutions in my area in order to compete. Since 2012, however, I’ve been a solo-op and changed what I’ve done drastically.

“Why? Because now I’m selling myself— the uniquely skilled DJ and MC with lots of experience—and what’s that worth? To some folks, it might only be worth $500$1,000. But to me, $1,750-$3,000 is my range for what I charge for weddings.Where you’re doing geographically compared to your competitors, along with where you want to do your events, will have an impact on your prices.”

Tiegs says he plans on upping his prices again for 2017 by $300-$500 per gig. “Not only do I want to do less events,” he explains, “but I feel that my value in this market calls for that raise. Not to mention, our costs continuing to rise due to inflation and other economic factors.

“I remember being stuck in a certain rut, not wanting to raise my costs at all, because I thought I charged a good going rate and thought I’d lose opportunities if my prices were too high. What I found is that they really weren’t high enough! Know your market – what your ideal clients are spending on average. Offer something different than your competitors and show more value, and then you’ll be able to charge more.”

Back over the Midwest, Blake Eckelbarger (DJ Sticky Boots) in South Bend, (continued on page 42)

JUNE 2016

his services increase, his investment must reflect those facts. “If it’s repeat clients, such as corporate customers, we’re always looking for ways to bring something new to the table—either as an additional offering or a different flow and/or pacing of the event, which will create something new and give an intrinsic value increase.”

Over in the Midwest, Corey Rusch of Rusch Entertainment in the Detroit, Mich., area says his company’s goal is to continuously be increasing their rates every year— or at least maintaining them, and especially for their veteran entertainers.

“Each market is different, but we try really hard to not go backwards in pricing,” he says. “As a legitimate business, there are certain costs/expenses involved per event and it’s really hard sometimes to keep up with the-fly-by-nighters who don’t have any of these costs or expenses. But we try to emphasize our quality.

In Rusch’s market, he says upsells rarely exist, which can cause difficulty in raising his prices. “Every DJ in this area is throwing in everything—including the kitchen sink—in order to get a gig,” he explains. “Free photo-booths, free uplighting, free ceremony sound, etc. All these should be legitimate upsells, of course, but the bottom-feeder DJs toss all this in for free in order to get business.

“Our pricing is set to be in the middle, which keeps us very busy and can still make us great money at the end of the day. Sometimes clients read our material, see our product firsthand and are nervous to call because they expect our prices to be much higher. In fact, in some cases they actually mention this to us—but then again with other clients we can tell our price is out of their budget, so we feel we’re in a good place as far as pricing goes.”

As for his competition, Rusch says he knows for a fact they’re using his company’s stringent pricing to their advantage, but he’s OK with that.

“Most of them don’t attend wedding expos, but they’ll sponsor ads on Facebook saying they’ll beat any quote given at the wedding shows during the expo season. We know what everyone around us is charging as well, but we don’t aggressively undercut the competition. We just try to explain things to clients and show them the reason we charge what we charge and then show them the results.”

Over on the west coast, JD Fields of Chase the Beat in Snohomish, Wash., says party bookings have been declining in his part of the Northwest during the 2016 election, yet inquiries for 2017 are booming.

“After attending a majority of DJ Times’ DJ Expos and other related conventions,” says Fields, “I seem to laugh all the time when fellow DJs say, ‘What do you charge?’

Pricing has so many variables, but the biggest variable that people don’t seem to take into effect is cost of living. Cost of living is a lot higher in Washington than a state such as Montana, and I would say cost of living is one of the primary things that effect pricing.

“The market is so different and it all depends on supply and demand. I seem to

DJ TIMES

someone is just shopping on price—and not any other factor—then good luck with your event with that other company.”

Up in Gorham, Maine, David Dionne of Dionne Entertainment says his company has not raised prices at all this year, due to the amount competition. But at the same time, neither have they reduced prices.

“I’ve judged that the appropriate mechanism for achieving this is to keep my price structure the same until 2017,” says Dionne, “though since some of my primary competitors may read your story, I can’t go into more detail.”

Jay Friest of Signature Sounds in Bristol, R.I., says his company charges an event minimum on prime days to ensure that income is maximized for the limited number of dates they have available.

“As a mobile DJ, our calendar is our inventory,” he explains. “The event minimum has helped us increase revenue by over 30-percent from 2015, and we’ve also raised our DJ-only rates for when a minimum is not in place by almost 20-percent.

“Bob Carpenter has been a huge inspiration for me in this area.”

Never one to hold back his opinion on the subject of pricing, Bob Carpenter of Main Event Weddings in Greenville, R. I., is continually encouraging mobile jocks to charge more for their events. He reports that he’s raised his own company’s rates for add-ons and has not seen a reaction at all from his clients.

“I don’t worry about my competitors,” Carpenter says. “I take the approach that I’m responsible for the outcome. While there’s stiff competition, I’m nearly double the price of 90-percent of my competitors. However, by the use of branding, marketing and improving our offerings, we’re able to charge way above the average.

“Our competitors just seem to be focused on offering the cheapest service, so they cut lots of corners. They seem to only be focused on what can fit into an SUV or van, while I take the approach that people actually want to spend money. They want something big and beautiful and are willing to spend money on something different.

“People pay for what they desire and not for what they need. So if you make a desirable product, people will want to pay for it.”

Some DJ companies adjust their prices annually based on inflation, and that’s how Artem Lomaz of NinetyThree Entertainment in Roxbury, N.J., handles pricing.

“Our pricing structure is based on the service level that we provide and, of course, on the elements that are needed and required to produce the event that the client desires,” Lomaz says. “There’s a saying that there’s always someone who will do something for less, but we don’t really concern ourselves with this type of business model.

We know that our customers appreciate our service level and are willing to invest accordingly.

“I also prescribe to the business concept of many of my mentors, which is ‘quality over quantity.’”

His clients understand that, as his business continues to grow and demand for

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MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

By Josh Harris Longtime audio-tech outfit iZotope has returned to the market with Ozone 7, the update to its flagship mastering software.

Its previous version, Ozone 6, marked a change in the plug-in’s appearance and functionality, and version 7 picks up where 6 left off. Both standard and advanced versions are available with the former version boasting a few more features, mainly in the form of new modules. As I have done reviews for Ozone 5 and Ozone 6 in previous issues of DJ Times, this review will highlight what I feel are some of version 7’s most exciting new additions.

What’s New: Four new vintage-style modules are included in the advanced version: Vintage Tape, Vintage EQ, Vintage Compressor and Vintage Limiter. As a longtime user of Ozone, I had always hoped that iZotope would eventually give users the ability to add a bit of warmth to their tracks. Well, they must have heard me, because the new vintage-style modules sound great.

The Vintage EQ is modeled after a Pultec, one of my favorite analog EQs. Vintage Tape captures the phase and saturation characteristics of analog tape, without the noise or flutter often found when using analog tape machines.

Vintage Compressor is not modeled after any specific analog compressor; however, it does have that sonic roundness that you get when using a vintageperiod compressor.

Vintage Limiter is inspired by the ultra-high-end Fairchild 670 and offers three different modes: Analog, Tube and Modern. This is a wonderful limiter.

It’s very easy to use and I really like what it brings to the table sonically. Tracks sound punchy, but not overly crunched, like some digital limiters tend to do when pushed.

GUI & More: The vintage-style modules have a different GUI than the other modules, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the addition of the IRC IV algorithm to the Maximizer. IRC IV utilizes spectral shaping and filtering to better analyze your audio as it’s being treated.

An Example Scenario: If your track has a bit too much low end in the mix, applying a maximizer can often cause other parts of the track (like the vocals

or synths) to distort. The IRC IV has ability to analyze the audio, make adjustments and help tame the low end, so that the rest of the track does not suffer when being maximized.

Classic, Modern and Transient are the setting options. And, here’s where Ozone raises the bar even higher: Codec Preview. You now have the ability to preview your audio file at the desired bit rate before exporting it. This is a huge time-saver, as you no longer have to export a file, listen to it, and then go back into your session, make your adjustments, and re-export it.

Codec Preview also allows you to solo the artifacts that are introduced into the file when exporting a WAV of AIFF file to an MP3 or AAC file for some sonic perspective. It’s always interesting to me to hear what artifacts are induced into a track when exporting the file as an AAC of MP3. The inclusion of MP3 and AAC as exporting options is also a new feature in version 7.

Prices: The standard version only includes the Vintage Limiter module, the updated Maximizer with the new IRC IV algorithm, and the MP3/AAC export option. The MSRP is $299, and the advanced version is $499.

Conclusions: Truth be told, iZotope’s Ozone is one of my “desert-island” plug-ins and I’m excited to take advantage of all of the new features packed into this latest release. I’ll be using this one in my studio through 2016 and beyond... n or until we see Ozone 8. Hats off to the team at iZotope.

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iZOTOPE OZONE 7: MASTERFUL PLUG-IN

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New Features: Ozone 7 offers four vintage-style modules.

SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING

MCX8000: SETTING NEW STANDARDS

By Wesley Bryant-King

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

It was just over two years ago that the seemingly always-growing, Rhode Island-based inMusic Brands added Denon DJ to its portfolio, following the execution of a licensing arrangement with Denon’s owner, D&M Holdings. The move brought Denon DJ under the same roof as Numark—the acquisition of which inMusic head Jack O’Donnell made back in 1992 that essentially started the entity that now carries the inMusic name.

At the time of the Denon transaction, there was a lot speculation about what might happen with the move—would the two brands be folded into one?

In the time since, however, inMusic has chosen to keep Numark and Denon DJ on separate paths.

At Winter NAMM 2016 in Anaheim, Calif., Denon DJ was proudly displaying proof of the company’s strategy to keep the brands distinct—and of the synergies that inure from what is certainly an ability to share creative and technical expertise within the family—in the form of the new MCX8000 controller. This new offering is posi-

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tioned firmly at the high end, giving the Denon DJ brand a four-member controller family that covers a lot of territory in both price, and capability.

First Impressions: The MCX8000 makes a pretty powerful first impression when unboxed.

In short? This is no toy; it’s serious gear, with a serious footprint. It’s a big, beefy unit, solidly constructed, with a metal cabinet, four channels, and enough buttons, knobs, sliders and displays to make a DJ standing in front of it wonder for a

moment if he or she is at the controls of a small jetliner. (Thankfully it’s not that intimidating in practice, nor does it require that level of training to use quite effectively.)

Perhaps the primary feature of the MCX8000, and certainly arguably its most important, is the ability to provide a full set of capabilities without a laptop or computer of any kind. With a pair of onboard color displays, USB connectivity, and much more, it’s essentially ready to use the moment you set it down and power it up. And to test that theory, that’s how I started my evaluation of the unit, but more on that in a moment. It’s important MCX8000: No laptop needed, new Engine software & more. to note that the MCX8000 is also a full-function controller for Serato, the full version of which is included in the purchase.

The MCX8000 is dominated by its two rotary encoders, full-size platters reminiscent of CDJs with which most DJs will be quite familiar. On the back panel, evidence of the pro-level target market is in evidence with the connectivity options there; booth and master outs are predominantly XLR (although RCA is also provided for the masters), various RCA inputs for external signals (such as CDJs) across all the four channels (two of which are phono/line switchable), plus mic inputs.

Set-Up & Use: As is the case with virtually all DJ hardware these days, software (to the extent you need it) and full documentation are not provided in the box; rather, you’re directed to the company’s web site for a download. I decided to skip all that, and see what sort of success I might have just throwing a small collection of EDM on a USB key, plugging it into the MCX8000, and firing the unit up. So how’d it go? Seamlessly. It was simple enough to figure out how to load tunes from the stick, and quite literally within a few minutes of unboxing I was able to knock out a capable performance. Snap!

Denon DJ refers to the standalone capabilities as “Engine mode,” and this mode is greatly enhanced through the use of the Engine music management software on a computer of your choice, available via free download. The Engine software provides music library preprocessing to support the MCX8000, as well as the Denon DJ SC2900 and SC3900 media players (or “CDJ” in the usual parlance, although that term is often associated with one of Denon DJ’s competitors). Through the use of the Engine software, the MCX8000’s Engine mode provides a much fuller set of capabilities, allowing you to navigate your music by other attributes, notably key (great for people like me who use the popular Mixed in Key software to tag their (continued on page 40)

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DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES

By Ron Burke Hopewell Junction, N.Y. – Mike Alevras started working as a mobile entertainer in the Hudson Valley of New York in 1997, for a multi-op company, first as a DJ assistant and then eventually as second-incommand to the owner.

After eight years, he was hired by another small multi-op to take the VP position. After helping grow

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JUNE 2016

DJ LEARNS THE ART OF ACQUISITION

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that company to eight crews and five full-time staffers, the owner chose to move on from DJing in late 2010. Alevras had his opportunity. He took over the company and rebranded it HVE Associates (Hudson Valley Entertainment Associates) and made a strategic decision.

“I wanted to focus on one event per day,” he says, “and to give that client the best possible performance.”

Taking ownership of a company came suddenly and without any long term planning. He had a bit of personal savings to invest, but not much, which made educating consumers on the new brand and identity a challenge. “Also, taking on the responsibilities of the overall finances was new to me,” he says. “As a VP working for an owner, I never dealt with the overall economics of the business. I dealt with specific budgets or went to the owner on things that needed to be done. He made the final call on finances. It was a bit overwhelming at first.”

One of the differentiators for HVE is that it chose not to indulge in what Alevras refers to as “cheesy” DJing. “I consider a ‘cheesy’ DJ one that in our market is still is doing the ‘Chicken Dance’ or ‘Macarena’ and ‘YMCA’ at weddings,” he says. “Or a DJ who will play ‘Celebration’ as the first song of the first dance set every week. Or they’ll use the over-exaggerated, over-the-top ‘radio’ voice when making announcements. I have no problem if clients still want some of these songs—they are classics. But the company I first worked for had this approach—and it got stale, repetitive and old, real quick.”

When we ask Alevras if there’s a gap in the marketplace to accommodate clientele who don’t like “cheese,” he replies resoundingly in the positive.

“Potential clients see this ‘non-cheesy’ in our branding and they immediately know that we are not going to play some of those songs I mentioned,” he asserts.

“They immediately get the idea that we will be different and will cater to their vision. It certainly fills a gap. There are plenty of clients who still want the ‘Chicken Dance’ at their event and that’s O.K. I will still play it with a smile if the client asks. But our clients know that it isn’t a ‘go-to’ song and more than likely, if they do not specifically ask for it, it won’t be played.”

A few years ago, Alevras seized on another opportunity when the owners of another DJ company, The DJ Solution, decided to step away from performing weddings and private events. “They had built a great reputation, excellent social media and SEO results and their outlook on weddings and being a single op were a natural fit for HVE Associates,” he says. “They were booking clients that were similar to the clients I book. I was also in the right place at the right time…

Mike Alevras founded his local DJ association.

the owner had casually mentioned to me that in the future they may sell. I simply told him that I wanted to be the first call he makes.”

The price, he says, was also too good to turn down.

The result? The acquisition has been profitable, helping Alevras gain new clients and additional exposure through venues that the company had built relationships with.

Not everyone has the opportunity to make such an acquisition, but Alevras says anyone can adopt a similar formula in getting experience in the industry.

“Make contact with an established company in your market and go work for them,” he says. “Whether as an assistant helping with set up or as a photobooth attendant, get in on the ground floor and learn. Ask questions and get involved with someone who has already put the time in, made mistakes and has learned from them. The worst mistake would be to invest a large sum of money and then say, ‘I’m a DJ.’ I am always open to chatting with and mentoring young people who want to get into this industry. I was 18 when I got involved and the best education I got was from working for others and networking.”

For networking, Alevras has benefited from his founding the Hudson Valley DJ Association. “It has helped my business in improving my skill set as a performer and educated me as a business owner,” he says. “It has also allowed me to showcase to my clients that I am dedicated to my career and, more importantly, their events. As one of the founders and first president of the Hudson Valley DJ Association, I can position myself as a leader that cares about not only his clients and business, but that I truly care about all entertainers in our area. I want to do what I can to improve our industry as a whole.”

On the gear side, Alevras’ set-ups include Serato DJ software with either a Pioneer DDJ-SZ or DDJ-SX controller, plus a wireless system from Shure, ElectroVoice or Audio-Technica. For larger events, he uses the QSC Audio K Series active loudspeaker system (K12-and-KSub combo); for smaller gigs, he employs a pair of RCF 312-A active speakers. For lighting, his prime pieces include four Chauvet Intimidator Spot Duo fixtures, two American DJ Fun Factor LED effect lights and uplighting from Colorado Sound N’ Light.

When we ask Alevras where he sees his company in five years, he says being a mobile entertainer and refining his skills and approach to giving clients the best possible experience is a priority. “I am slowly adding a second crew for additional events,” he says.

“I don’t see myself trying to be the largest company, but I certainly see myself continuing to meet the goal that is our company mission statement: ‘When Nothn ing Short of Perfection Will Do.’”

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BUSINESS LINE SALES…MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…

WIN MORE BUSINESS AT BRIDAL SHOWS—IN 3 STEPS

By Stu Kearns

For all the talk of businesses increasingly generating customers online, as opposed to the old outbound methods, it’s tough to argue with the efficacy of one of the classic tools of lead generation for DJs: the bridal show.

It’s been around for generations, and some DJs swear by it, others say they can do without it. Not Angel Vendrell, owner of Diamond Productions in Edison, N.J. He’s been asking himself for years, “How can I differentiate myself at a bridal show?”

Adds Vendrell, “I always think to myself about how I can create an experience at a bridal show that future couples want and desire for their own weddings. By mixing talent with technology, you can bring two worlds together. Your bridal shows need to be fun and exciting, and leave prospects with a ‘wow’ factor.”

Vendrell has developed a three-step process of Planning, Performance and Post-Show best practices, which he’ll be discussing in greater depth at a seminar at the DJ Expo. We asked him to elaborate:

PLANNING

PERFORMANCE

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POST-SHOWCASE FOLLOW-UP

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Branding: Develop a brand that is attractive to your target clientele.

Sales Tools: Develop branded brochures, business cards, promotional cards, video demos, website and social media.

Production: Develop a show/routine of what highlights your company. Develop and test the production (sound, screens, lighting, etc.) you are going to bring to the show. Try to stand out from your competition by producing video content to go along with your presentation.

Shows: Meet with the show company and speak to other vendors about picking the right shows that would be optimal for you. Depending on your company brand and culture, being selective with shows is crucial for not wasting time and money.

Practice: From top to bottom, practice everything. Do role-playing and have your sales staff practice how they are going to sell clients and deal with questions. Practice your performance so you and your team know that it’s solid. Lastly, rent out a space and practice a full dress rehearsal with lighting, video and sound.

Attitude: Make sure that from beginning to end everyone is “on.” Be positive and energetic. Most couples are overwhelmed at a showcase, so wear big smiles and be very approachable, or approach them.

Positioning: Get to the show early and position yourself where you feel there will be the most traffic. This is important for your “sales booth” and “DJ performance area.” You might have to plan this out early with the showcase company.

Create Fun: Have a giveaway/ promotion, do some party motivation, and have a rocking VJ spinning some awesome content on screens. Make a custom snapchat app filter.

Lead Generation: Instead of just pen and paper, use an app like iCapture that automates your marketing process.

Execution: Be sure that your team has a clear plan of what all their roles are, and perform the show accordingly. Bring energy and show prospective clients why they should choose you.

Email: Use an email service like Constant Contact. We send seven emails over a six-month timeline. We actually send our first email one hour after the show ends. Do not send emails that just promotes your company. Position most of your emails as educational so your audience gets a benefit from opening it. For example: “Top Songs for Parent Dances.”

Call/Text Cycle: Get onto a CRM system. We use an app called BASE. You need to track your calls and texts to clients (and yes, text your clients). We have a system of seven calls and five texts. Being able to recall all your contact with a client makes your team much stronger and helps close more sales.

Social Media: Showcase content on social media about what you did at the show and what shows you’re going to be at in the future. Brides are still gathering in huge numbers on Instagram and Facebook, but Snapchat is definitely growing. Use your social media to drive couples to your website.

Private Showcase: Rent out a venue and host your own private showcase. Invite all the couples you met at the showcase as well as any current customers you have. Invite a small amount of vendors to help balance the costs. At the show, offer exclusive “show only” pricing and giveaways. Here you can take as much time as you like to showcase your company to new clients. Take advantage of that. Also, showcase some enhancements to your current clients to get them to upgrade their packages.

Sales: Invite prospects to your office and book the contract there or at your showcase.

Want to hear more? Check out Angel Vendrell’s seminar, “Win More Business at Bridal Shows,” at the DJ Expo, which will be produced by DJ Times at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., Aug. 15-18.

WHY WOULD YOU BUY ANYTHING ELSE? RELOOP RP-8000

FEATURES > On board midi buttons ( 8 – Cues, Latching loop, Loop rolls, Sample mode, and User/Slice mode ) > Adjustable torque > Adjustable start and brake > On board digital display for BPM and pitch control > On board trax’s encoder and USB link for linking turntables > Two start and stop buttons with removable light > Reverse button “With the RP-8000 Reloop hit a home run!”

— DJ Times

“This is the turntable I would purchase in a second.“

“We fell in love with the streamlined design and ease of use.“

— Mobile Beat

— DJ City

PIONEER PLX-1000

Yes

No

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

No No No No No No

“The RP-8000 is the postcontroller revolution deck that people have been waiting for.”

“The best of both analog vinyl and digital worlds in one powerful package.”

— DJ Booth

— DJ Worx

A division of Jam Industries Ltd.

For more information visit: www.americanmusicandsound.com

Pioneer and PLX-1000 are registered trademarks of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

XONE+SERATO DJ=PERFECTION

Xone 43

Xone 43C

Created for DJs and electronic music purists, Xone:43 is a 4+1 channel DJ mixer offering the very best of analogue audio quality, including the legendary Xone filter with resonance control, 3 band EQ, crossfader with three curve settings and X:FX for send/return to your favourite FX unit.

Xone:43C is the perfect gateway to the full spectrum of digital DJing. The mixer is supported by leading DJ Software, Serato DJ, by purchasing the Serato DJ Club Kit - eliminating the need for any external interface. Whatever your workflow, Xone:43C delivers a uniquely fluid mixing experience.

A division of Jam Industries Ltd.

For more information visit: www.americanmusicandsound.com

www.allen-heath.com

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Off & ON-X

Odesi and Oracle

ADJ Products 6122 S. Eastern Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90040 (323) 582-2650 www.americandj.com

Odesi 3250 NE 1st Ave #305 Miami, FL 33137 www.odesi.mixedinkey.com

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

The ON-X from ADJ is a mobile LED effect that creates dense, cutting beams with the help of eight three-watt LEDs in red, green, blue and white. The unit offers eight-zone chasing, a four-degree beam angle and 270 degrees of tilt. ON-X units can be mounted vertically or horizontally and they are controlled via three operational modes—Show, Sound Active and six channels of DMX Control—which can be selected from the unit’s four-button LED display.

34

Odesi is a music-software program from Mixed In Key that helps producers, vocalists, songwriters and DJs create melodies, hooks, basslines and chord progressions in Ableton Live, Logic, Reason, Pro Tools and all other music-production software. The program, which runs in a web browser, features a MIDI editor that lets users save a session and open it up in any other DAW. In addition, users can access a bank of 138 progressions in a variety of styles, such as pop, hip hop, rock, Caribbean and Latin.

Eye of the Tiger

Dynamic DUO

Mega Systems Inc. 5718 Kenwick St. San Antonio, TX 78238 (866) 460-MEGA www.megasystemsinc.com

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

The Mega-Lite Axis Cyclops is a moving head fixture that comes equipped with a single 4.5-degree lens, 60W RGBW LED, an L C D d i s p l ay a n d single quick-release clamp mounts. Featuring infinite pan and tilt, the Axis Cyclops also comes with three- and fivepin XLR connectors and an auto switch power supply 100V240V 50/60 HZ. The unit is controlled via DMX and has 15 channels.

Mixars, distributed in the U.S. by Mixware, has released the DUO professional 2-channel plug-andplay mixer for Serato DJ. DUO is DVS-enabled and includes a pair of Serato control records. The integrated 24-bit/96kHz audio soundcard also includes an ASIO driver, so it can be used with any software.

DUO features: eight RBG backlit performance pads for triggering cue points, loops, rolls and samples; one central push-encoder for track browsing and selection; two push-encoders for looping; and two push-encoders for effects controls with beat buttons to select speed.

AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF GEAR

The Sound of SilentSymphony VocoPro 1728 Curtiss Court La Verne, CA 91750 (800) 678-5348 www.vocopro.com

Engine Room

SilentSymphony is VocoPro’s latest allin-one wireless headphone system designed for public speakers, bands and silent disco/rave parties. SilentSymphony uses a radio transmitter to broadcast audio in the 900 MHz band to wireless headphones within a 300-foot radius. Five configurations are available.

A single transmitter can be bundled with one, two, five or 30 headphones, or users can purchase two transmitters and 100 headphones.

Up to three transmitters can be uses simultaneously, and each of the SilentSymphony headphone sets is powered by two AAA batteries that last approximately 18 hours.

Denon DJ/inMusic 200 Scenic View Drive Cumberland, RI 02864 (401) 658-3131 www.denondj.com/engine Denon DJ released an updated version of its Engine dynamic music management software. Engine 1.5 is a desktop software utility that is optimized for use with Denon DJ’s new MCX8000 player/controller, and also offers support for the Denon DJ SC3900 and SC2900 Media Players. The program supports up to 100,000 playable files, up to 512 playlists and up to 512 crates with seven sub crate layers. Users can import Serato DJ cue points and also use high-resolution color waveforms to visually identify the sonic frequencies in the music.

EON ONE & Done JBL Professional 8500 Balboa Blvd Northridge, CA 91329 (800) 397-1881 www.jblpro.com

Pixellicious Dust

The Pixellicious Mini from Blizzard Lighting is a pixel mapping LED effects fixture that features 80 tri-color SMD 5050 LEDs and 29 built-in programs. The ½-meter fixture is equipped with Art-Net, ArKaos KlingNet and DMX, giving users many options through which to control the lights, which have a life span of over 50,000 hours. Features include auto mix mode and sound active capabilities, a wide viewing angle and color rendering. It comes with AC power In/Out connectors, 3-pin male input and 3-pin female output connectors.

JUNE 2016

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

DJ TIMES

JBL’s EON ONE all-in-one linear-array PA system provides detailed, distortion-free audio.

The unit features an unobstructed 10-inch bass-reflex subwoofer and a 6-channel mixer that offers bass, treble and reverb controls. The system, which JBL says can be carried with one hand, is equipped with Bluetooth audio, a maximum SPL of 118 dB and JBL’s patent-pending Directivity Control Geometry, which “optimizes the spacing and angles of the six 2-inch high-frequency drivers,” according to the company.

35

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Filter Up

Walk the Accessory Line

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

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

iZotope has released Mobius Filter, an effect plugin based on “the auditory illusion of the Shepard Tone,” according to the company. Users are able to adjust the host tempo sync to anything from eighth notes to eight bars, as well as widen the stereo field via the stereo slider.

Using the X/Y pad, users can make fluid adjustments to both Center Frequency and Resonance using a single control. Currently available for download, Mobius Filter can be added to any audio source.

Roland has announced a new line of more than 100 premium music accessories. Among these accessory products are instrument, microphone and MIDI cables that are available in two different levels. Black Series cables are hand-assembled with top-quality connectors, while Gold Series cables are outfitted with 24k gold-plated contacts and premium-grade audio cable. The line also includes seven different models of KS stands, which can be used by DJs, as well as keyboard players. Additional items include LED lamps and clip-on lights, and a barstool with the Roland logo.

Peavey Does It Peavey Electronics 5022 Hartley Peavey Drive Meridian, MS 39305 (601) 483-5365 www.peavey.com

The Replacements

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

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

36

Pioneer DJ announced the availability of replacement parts for users looking to extend to life of some of the company’s most popular headphone models. The company is offering leather ear pads, as well as both coiled and straight cables for the HDJ-2000MK2s; and leather ear pads, headbands, coiled cables and straight cables for the HDJ-C70s. For the HRM-7s, the company is offering velour ear pads and new leather ear pads, which Pioneer says deliver enhanced sound isolation for recording.

From its RBN range of active loudspeakers, Peavey Electronics has released the RBN 112 enclosure and the RBN 215 subwoofer. The 1,500-watt RBN 112 offers Peavey’s proprietary 120mm true ribbon high-frequency driver on a low-coloration wave-guide, 12-inch dual-voice coil neodymium Scorpion speakers, which feature the company’s exclusive field-replaceable basket technology.

The 39-pound unit includes program EQ presets, side and top handles, multiple side and top fly points and an ultrabraced molded enclosure .

The 125-pound RBN 215 sub maintains full output down to 36Hz with 2,000 watts total peak power and includes 15-inch woofers, assignable crossover, heavy-duty locking casters, ultra-braced cabinet assembly, ground lift, pole mount and a heavy-duty steel perforated grille.

37

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

Hannah Holland

Carlos Funn

Dave Mayer

Rochelle Fleming

Tommy Bones

“YOUR LOCAL NEWS” u Oscar P u Doing Work/Open Bar

“THE STORY UNTIL NOW” EP u Joris Voorn u Green

San Diego’s Oscar Poche flexes his production skills on this funky new release.

Featuring five terrific mixes, you can drop the needle on any of them. Soul Minority’s “Deep Mix” delivers a smooth chord vibe and a rugged bass. We’re also digging the original and dub mixes—both deliver a flangy piano hook and a dirty groove. Deep and soulful and we love the spoken-word vocal.

Hot new two-tracker from Voorn, one of the globe’s top tech-house DJ/ producers. Lead track, “Looks Fake Obviously,” burbles and grooves until it suddenly launches into another realm – numbing atmospherics mixed with hypnotic synth washes push this one further out there until it morphs into a thrilling journey. Not fitting neatly into any category, “Looks Fake” is a brain-tickler, a real wowzer. “Dawn (Green Mix)” is more of a sure-fire peak-hour track. With its simple groove and always-rising hook line, “Dawn” can work any dancefloor.

– Phil Turnipseed “ARRIVAL” EP u Tommy Bones u Strictly Rhythm On this true underground-house package, Bones delivers a pair of tracks that are seamlessly smooth, driven by funky beats and seductive vocal refrains. Bouncy house track “Aisha” offers a catchy rhythmic hook—very “French Kiss”—and gets deeper and more inviting, whereas “T’s Jazzy Joint” does what it says, dropping jazzy instrumentals over a pulsing rhythm. Super cool and well-crafted EP.

– Jim Tremayne “PAY” u Ramsey u Ramsey Sounds With Ramsey’s smoky, trip-hop-style production, “Pay” brings to mind artists like Portishead, Lana Del Rey and Kat Dahlia. But her heart-wrenching vocal on this bittersweet long song has a unique style all its own.

– Phil Turnipseed

– Tommy D Funk “NOBODY’S FOOL” u Rochelle Fleming u Basement Boys

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

The legendary lead singer of First Choice teams up with Teddy Douglas again for another vocal stomper. An uplifting piano line lends its support to Fleming’s strong vocals, and with some classic-sounding dubs rounding the package off, this should do well.

– Curtis Zack

38

“MONEY” u Gorgon City u Crosstown Rebels After the success of spectacular soulful tracks like “Ready for Your Love” and “Go All Night,” Gorgon City brings a tougher tech-house sound here—and check the two excellent mixes. We love the slow, burning build on David Morales’ “Red Zone Remix” that eventually jumps into a straight, progressive groove. The “Riva Starr Remix” is a rugged, deep-house adventure that’s dirty, thick and plenty soulful. Gorgon City does it again.

– Phil Turnipseed

“I’M FREE” u Angel Mora & Tatsu u Moodyhouse Get some ’90s-style deep-house here as the “Acid Mix” and the “90s Mix” both deliver some seriously Balearic beats. Future classics.

– Tommy D Funk TEKNOFONIC ESSENTIALS, VOL. 1

u Various Artists u Teknofonic Records Essentials, Vol. 1 features 20 tracks that define what this adventurous little label is all about. The styles go from dubstep and house to trance and ambient—and there are some gems. Check the dreamy dance groove of Hypnotriq’s “Taken,” the progressive pulse of Addlis’ “The End” and the chilled vibes of Sonic Fear’s “I’ll Be Your World” and Jon Lambousis’ “Confusion.” A compilation full of unique and fresh sounds.

– Phil Turnipseed

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

GUEST REVIEWER:

Ziggy Funk

ZIGGY FUNK “Turn It Out” thatmanmonkz feat. Dave Aju Delusions of Grandeur From the thatmanmonkz’s superb Columbusing album, this one’s got funk, soul, occasional weirdness and the kind of trippy lyrics you can’t help but get down with.

I love the whole nature of this record and its overall sound quality – definitely something for the dancefloor. Dave Aju, who’s also a wicked producer, offers his unique, twisted funk appeal. Point blank and simple… it’s a smashing tune.

Gorgon City

“DON’T YOU KNOW WE’RE LOCAL” EP u Local Group u Get Up The London-based duo brings a unique blend of house flavors – ’90s U.K., classic NYC and old-school Chicago – and delivers tracks with bass-heavy beats and dancefloor-ready grooves. Top track: “Discredit to the Edit.”

– Tommy D Funk “BURN THIS DISCO OUT” u Dave Mayer u Deeptown Mayer delivers the goods here with chunky drums and classic synth stabs— no gimmicks, just pure, unadulterated house. A solid track through and through.

Oscar P

– Curtis Zack “RE-WERKED” u Hannah Holland u Classic Music Company

“CLAP YO HANDZ” u Joeski feat. E-Man u DFTD E-Man delivers hypnotizing vocals over a rumbling bassline and a funky, sweet, ’90s-sounding stab—a special groove for any dancefloor. And don’t sleep on the stomping dub version—it’s hot.

– Tommy D Funk “NINETEEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE” Paul McCartney & Wings vs. Timo Maas & James Teej Virgin Sir Paul’s album-closing opus from 1973’s Band on the Run gets rediscovered, reborn and remixed by Maas and Teej, who turn it into a funky, soulful club killer. With a dark, chunky beat and an almost Gnarls Barkley-like production, this one catches fire from the outset. The piano from the original gets erased, but the bassline gets looped and the classic vocals remain intact, though they’re enhanced and filtered a tad for good effect. Not to be missed.

– Phil Turnipseed “IF ONLY I COULD” (REMIXES)

Fusion Groove Orchestra feat. Steve Lucas u Strictly Rhythm Originally released in the filter-disco era of 1999, this one got a crafty reedit last year and now we have this superb update. Bumpin’ mixes come from Liem and FGO themselves to complete a terrific package. Smooth, but plenty kickin’.

– Curtis Zack “YOU GIVE ME FEVER” u JC Unique u Unique 2 Rhythm The U2R stable gets stronger with every release, and this one’s a great cut from JC Unique and Sheree Hicks on vocal. Stabby chords and a strong vocal performance combine for a solid release.

– Curtis Zack

Here we go! Featuring the unique vocals of IMMA/MESS, “High Over You” (Huxley Remix) takes us down the warehouse route with a twisting, infectious bassline and thumping kick drum. Also check the bumping mix from Luke Soloman and the “Catz N’ Dogz Club Tool Mix” of “Lush,” which gets sassy in a hurry.

– Tommy D Funk

Sounding Off

(continued from page 28) music with Camelot key notation) and BPM. Definitely worth the time and effort if your usage model is this standalone mode.

As I mentioned earlier, however, the popular Serato DJ software can also enter the picture, and it, too, is a free download away. Connect the MCX8000 to a computer or laptop via USB, and Serato automatically recognizes it and unlocks its full feature set, without the need to register, enter serial numbers, or anything else— a nice touch, frankly. Virtually everything about the MCX8000 remains exactly the same once you fire up Serato, and if you’re familiar with the software (or truly, even if you’re not), you’ll be DJing with it within minutes.

The MCX8000’s four channels can be used as Serato channels, or external input channels. The middle two channels can be used for Engine mode, with content from either of two USB devices plugged into the unit’s dual USB ports conveniently located on the top panel. The cool part is that you can freely mix and match any of these, at any time, providing extraordinary signal source flexibility.

What’s more, the USB devices can be independently ejected, removed and replaced without cycling power or affecting playback from other sig-

nal sources. Not only does this allow a single DJ to segment a music library across multiple USB keys or drives for different types of gigs, but makes handoff between DJs incredibly easy—and it all happens (literally) without skipping a beat. (That includes, by the way, Serato support; you can plug or unplug the MCX8000 from your computer, while playback continues in Engine mode.)

The entire transition between everything is seamless. Quite honestly, the only single thing you notice right off is that the selection of effects is greatly expanded via Serato; you can access its full set of effects capabilities on any channel that’s set for Serato playback. Engine mode does provide three basic effects that seem a bit oddly chosen to me, but they’re still useful.

One obvious standout when you look at the MCX8000 would be its dual LCD color displays. On the surface, at least, these displays more or less prove the point I made earlier about inter-brand synergies within the inMusic family. While the functionality isn’t identical, it seems relatively apparent that both the displays and the technology behind them are leveraging the same R&D that brought these displays to inMusic’s Numark

brand with the NS7III and Dashboard.

Be that as it may, the displays prove their worth in the MCX8000 and then some, allowing visibility into the USB-based music libraries you might choose to use, as well as visibility into effects, playback waveforms, music metadata, and general status. While quite powerful as-is, I would have liked to have seen more configurability in the types of information that are displayed on-screen. It also seems like a natural candidate for a touchscreen, as opposed to the array of physical buttons and controls that wrap each display.

One of the standouts of the MCX8000 for me may seem strange for some potential users of the controller : Dual microphone inputs.

While not of great value in a club setting, perhaps, mobile jocks like me will likely appreciate the touch.

For weddings and event work, I always like to have one mic for me, and a separate one that can be used for best man toasts and the like. The MCX8000 does it all one better with two-band EQ—separate controls for each mic—plus a variable echo effect.

It’s collectively a rather nice (and useful) capability set.

It goes without saying that the MCX8000 offers the full array of

functionality one might expect, and which don’t really need calling out.

But to mention a few, you get 3-band EQ on all the channels, a single-knob HPF/LPF filter on each channel, all sorts of looping and cueing capabilities, and so on. I found the response curves for the rotary encoders to be dead-on and natural, and a touchstripbased “needle drop” function was also a great and truly useful addition.

Also of note: The unit’s headphone connection has “split-cue” capability and the controller offers natively Serato’s “Pitch Play’ feature via Serato’s Pitch ’N Time DJ Expansion Pack.

Conclusion: With a street price right in the neighborhood of $1,300, the MCX8000 represents an investment to be sure, but for mobile DJs it’s an outstanding choice with its range of signal sources and dual mic support. For those reasons, as well as its superior ability to allow DJ handoffs to happen transparently, it makes a great pick as the “standard” set-up for a club or bar environment. Even solo DJs willing to deal with a bit of extra heft will find it packs enough power to justify both the expense and the extra effort required for its transport. In short, the Denon DJ MCX8000 establishes a wholly new n standard in DJ controllers.

huge festival, and I have all different sorts of music, so it’s nice to be able to go into the arsenal or vault and pick and choose depending on the scene and setting.

DJ Times: You seem to have a knack for being able to switch up the energy levels of a crowd.

that time, it was very expensive for me to always be ordering records, so the ease of digital took over. I switched to Traktor because of the functions that CDJs don’t have—like some of the looping and Beat Jump and the ease of being able to try and find tracks in a second. I’m not the most organized

Lane: I have a lot music that I’ve worked on over the last few years that I haven’t released because I like it, but I don’t want to release anything unless I really like it. That track, from the moment I started testing it in sets, always got a good reaction, and I always felt good playing it.

With that combination, I had a good feeling about it. The title is fun, and I think that everyone has that mad side to them. And it has that hooky little part that’s melodic enough so that it’s memorable—it’s not just a straightforward beat—but it works in a lot of different types of sets so a lot of different people can play it even if their sound is different. From the EP, that’s my favorite track by far, but it’s interesting to hear from different people which track is their favorite.

DJ Times: It’s on Eats Everything’s new Edible imprint. How did the track get in his hands?

Lane: They just asked me to send them music. I sent them six tracks and they literally got back to me that day.

I remember I was DJing in Hawaii. It was the day before I was playing, so I was on a fun excursion day, and they got back to me saying they were signing the EP and I was so happy. It was a good day. n

Lane

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

(continued from page 8)

40

DJ Times: How does the early last-call time affect how you play?

Lane: Yeah, because the prime hours are 12 to 2, which is such a small amount of time. In New York, if you’re DJing, you want that later slot because everyone’s more into it and they’ve been drinking a while, so the vibe is a little bit different. It also depends on the party; some of the warehouse parties stay open late. At Sound, you have to stop drinking at 2 a.m., but the club stays open until 4 a.m., so the die-hard music people stay, which is cool. The people who are just there for drinks… obviously, they leave.

DJ Times: You were a resident at the club for a while. What’s it like to go from opening a club to playing headlining sets there?

Lane: I’m very thankful for all of the years I opened because there is a sort of respect level and art to it, and I think it trains you to be a good DJ and a conscious DJ. Now, I still take that into my judgment when I play because I like so many different kinds of music, so I like to take the opportunity when I play a smaller room to play some deeper vibes. Like when I play BABËL tonight, I’m going to play a little differently than when I play a

"New Yorkers are very cynical. If you can win them over, you’re doing OK!" Lane: Honestly, I just try to feel what I think should come next. I don’t pre-plan a “1, 2, 3, 4, 5” setlist, I just kind of go with the flow. I have different playlists, and I’ll know, “Oh, this is working now, so I’ll keep going down that route.” Or I’ll just change it up if I feel that the room is ready for a shift.

DJ Times: Your DJing gear is a laptop, Traktor and a pair of Pioneer CDJs. Why? Lane: I started with vinyl, but I switched to CDJs when all the record stores in New York started closing. At

person all the time, so I like to be able to go, “Oh yeah! What’s that track?” and then I can just search it and find it.

But now, the new [CDJ-2000NXS2’s] are so crazy; they have a touch screen with a search function, so I’m actually switching back to just USBs and rekordbox because it’s just so much easier than having to bring Traktor and a laptop.

DJ Times: The release of “Diary of a Madwoman” was a very big comingout moment for you this year. How did the track and EP come to be?

MP3s in 6

Compiled As April 18, 2016

NATIONAL CROSSOVER POOL CHART

NATIONAL URBAN POOL CHART

1 Rihanna F/ Drake Work 2 Justin Bieber Love Yourself 3 WTS F/ Gia One Night 4 The Chainsmokers F/ Rozes Roses 5 Adele When We Were Young 6 Coldplay Adventure Of A Lifetime 7 99 Souls F/Destiny’s Child & Brandy The Girl Is Mine 8 Athena Lithium 9 Troye Sivan Youth 10 Camille You’re So Beautiful 2016 11 Karine Hannah & Dave Aude I’m Burning Up 12 Jonas Blue F/ Dakota Fast Car 13 KC & The Sunshine Band I’m Feeling You 14 Adam Lambert Another Lonely Night 15 Pet Shop Boys Pop Kids 16 Beyonce Formation 17 Primo Cruz Don’t Stop 18 Tori Kelly Hollow 19 DNCE Cake By The Ocean 20 Dillon Francis Kygo F/ James Hersey Coming Over 21 Selena Gomez Hands To Myself 22 Empire Of The Sun Walking On A Dream 23 Philip George & Dragonette Feel This Way 24 Dirty Disco F/ Inay Day Stranded 25 Philip George & Anton Powers Alone No More 26 Lukas Graham 7 Years 27 Kwanza Jones Shatterproof 28 Dj Sun Junkie F/ Ce Ce Peniston Piece Of That 29 David Guetta F/ Sia Bang My Head 30 Dave Aude F/ Andy Bell True Orginal 31 Disclosure F/ Lorde Magnets 32 Sia Alive 33 Sheila Gordhan Smile 34 Melissa Manchester F/ Al Jarreau Big Light 35 Peter K F/ Mariah Simmons Stare Into The Sun 36 Gladys Knight Just A Little 37 Justin Bieber Company 38 Win Marcinak Look Up To The Sky 39 Kim Cameron But You 40 Rihanna Needed Me

1 Beyonce 2 Jeremih 3 Chris Brown 4 Rihanna F/ Drake 5 Bryson Tiller 6 Yo Gotti 7 Bryson Tiller 8 Kevin Gates 9 O. T. Genasis F/ Young Dolph 10 Weeknd 11 Young Thug 12 Drake 13 Ro James 14 Fetty Wap 15 Future F/ Weekend 16 Dj Luke Nasty 17 Kent Jones 18 Tyga F/ Rick Ross & 2 Chainz 19 Belly F/ Weeknd 20 Drake & Future

Most Added Tracks 1 DNCE 2 Win Marcinak 3 Empire Of The Sun 4 Justin Bieber 5 Pet Shop Boys 6 Gwen Stefani 7 Dj Sun Junkie F/ Ce Ce Peniston 8 Sheila Gordhan 9 Beyonce 10 Lukas Graham

Cake By The Ocean Look Up To The Sky Walking On A Dream Company Pop Kids Make Me Like You Piece Of That Smile Formation 7 Years

Roc Nation Island/Def Jam Global Groove Columbia Columbia Atlantic Columbia Dauman Capitol Zarion Republic Capitol Sunshine Warner Brothers X-2 Columbia 4-Power Capitol Republic Columbia Hollywood EMI Motown DRD Motown Warner Brothers Innovation TDG Atlantic Audacious Capitol RCA Reach Dauman VMG ShakeBoodie Island Burning Tyger Side FX Roc Nation Republic Burning Tyger EMI Island X-2 Interscope TDG Reach Columbia Warner Brothers

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The Price Is Right

(continued from page 25) Ind., says that he’s recently been raising his prices on packages. “We’ve held steady pricing for the last few years on our core packages and enhancements, but this year we raised prices on packages about 13-percent on average,” he says. “We raised the lower-priced packages more than the highest-priced packages based on other prices in our market, plus the fact our economy locally is strong and growing stronger.

“With strong demand, I felt an adjustment was necessary.”

However, Eckelbarger says his company did not raise their charges on enhancements such as uplighting.

“Uplighting, in particular, is becoming

Foss

(continued from page 16) personalities on the electronic music scene playing the songs and generally being fun while they played, and I thing that resonated with people in a post-minimal world. It was the opposite of what they’d been watching; it was a bit more ’60s rock-inspired personality.

DJ Times: Is the solo record popleaning or club-leaning?

Foss: It’s hard for me to say yet because I don’t know what’s going to have vocals added to it. I’m in the process of making a lot of beats. There was a lot already finished. It’s definitely not an all techno album, but I don’t think anyone would expect that from me. I just want to make something like in the sense of the Hot Natured album and how you could always sit down and listen back through, but more varied types of beats and BPMs, which probably makes it even less clubby. I make an effort to make my music timeless, sometimes at the expense of what’s in the moment.

DJ Times: What’s your studio set-

more of a commodity in our market now, and even though we have more sophisticated gear than our competition, uplighting is still a profit center that I don’t want to jeopardize by overpricing, relative to our market.

“We did our latest pricing change in January, and so far it’s had no negative effect on our bookings. In fact, some prospects who had initially inquired last fall at the lower prices and didn’t make a decision are now ready to book—and are happily paying the new rates and haven’t even asked about the previous pricing.”

Meanwhile, down in Rock Hill, S.C., Kevin Porter of Elite Entertainment reports that he’s raised his rates for any bookings eight months out and rolling into 2017.

“My reasons are a few,” says Porter.

“First and foremost I haven’t raised my rates in probably six or seven years. Another reason is because I have heard that other companies are charging more and I always try to be very competitive. And thirdly, I’m testing the market to see how much I can increase. I’ve a few venues that I’m working with almost exclusively with, so it’s time to grow.”

Of course, Porter admits that his situation is a little different than others. “Two years ago, I started something that most DJs don’t ever think about,” he explains. “I decided I was tired of going into venues and hearing the B.S. about how they refer me to so many clients all the time and they love when I’m here, yet I’m rarely

there or rarely get a call from their clients. So I scaled back to five venues with which I want to do business.

“I purposely started slow, and beginning with this year it’s now paying off.

I’ve made these decisions wisely, purposely, and in an educated fashion. And now, it’s time to raise my price for the services that I offer—instead of giving a discount just to give them a discount. I only offer a discount for three different types of audiences— education, first responders and military.

“Through this process, I’ve been able to build a relationship with a few venues that have either started to refer only me or a few other DJ companies. It’s great watching and seeing the process go into effect and the positive effect it’s been having on my business.”

up for the album been like?

Foss: It’s in my house [in LA]. It’s been great: I’ve been flooding money back into my studio. I’ve only been in the house for two years, but I just took the step to finally acoustically treat the room. It wasn’t cheap. It’s cool, I flew out my friend from Chicago to paint the panels, and I’ve just been treating myself with outboard gear and synths. It’s been great. I’ve been working all this week with Lee Curtiss, so it’s also been fun to have a few dates where I have different producers—Lee Curtiss, Tensnake— come in. I’ll have a few collaborations on the album, too. I’ve been able to really focus over the winter on my own music, and it’s really exciting when you’re excited to listen to the songs in the car or on the airplane.

DJ Times: With your career, you seem unafraid to exist both in the underground dance sphere as well as the pop realm. Is that something you’re consciously fine with?

Foss: Oh yeah, I’m fine with that. I don’t put a whole lot of stock in it. I mean, I enjoy underground success to

an extent.

DJ Times: The dichotomy is interesting. You can go and play at a Paradise party in Miami one day and then open for Gorgon City at Terminal 5 in New York another.

Foss: I think more than anyone, I probably represent the best possible scenario of a DJ who can reach the widest possible audience and can play the most universal and be underground. I don’t shy away from that.

A long time ago, I made the decision that being underground for the sake of being underground is kind of silly. You should be trying to reach the most people possible, but you should still be yourself. I don’t ever play anything I don’t love; I don’t ever play something because I think it’s cool, but I do follow the crowd. I don’t go up there and masturbate. I go up there to be an authentic performer and creator, but at the same time, I try to be really in touch with the crowd and to understand their energy. It’s not something I shy away from, but I personally don’t care what Resident Advisor thinks. I don’t give a shit. I

don’t care what the message board people say about me. On the underground tip, I like playing the parties, but I’m not here to serve the people who like me because no one knew about me in 2009 and think I’ve sold out. I don’t care, and I think that’s the weakest kind of fan. I’m not interested in trying to keep them, but I’m happy for them to like my music if they want.

To me, it’s just the same quality. If you can reach more people, that’s more utility for others. Begrudging them that happiness is weak.

DJ Times: You’d rather the music be the focus and not the hype around it.

Foss: Yeah. Hype can be useful in utility to reach more people, but I just feel like underground fame is sometimes capricious in nature. Liking something because nobody knew about this band and then saying the band is bad because more people know about it? No one should listen to those people. They’re not real music fans. People who like things to make themselves cool are not who you should worry about. n

DJ TIMES

JUNE 2016

Model 1: How to PLAYdifferently…

42

I have an idea...

Hey, I have an idea, too…

Great minds think alike, right?

Richie Hawtin/Andy Rigby-Jones, Next Month in DJ Times

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