DJ Times August 2015, Vol 28 No 8

AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988 $4.95

US $6.95 CANADA

DESTRUCTO

AUGUST 2015

DOING IT THE HARD WAY

AMERICA’S BEST DJ TOUR GETS BIG

DJ EXPO

HOW TO MAX YOUR EXPERIENCE

BIG BOTTOM

WANT TIPS? WE GOT ’EM

PLUS CHUS + CEBALLOS MARIBOU STATE DJ GROWTH STRATEGIES NUMARK CANS & MONITORS XILS-LAB MINISYN’X

djtimes.com

INDUSTRY EVENTS…NOTABLES…MILESTONES

NEWS

ton-based VJ Joshua Carl, a panel of industry leaders and veterans clear up the rights and wrongs of the reels of steel, “Next Level Video DJing.” Industry pros dish on how to push the VideoDJ envelope with a healthy combination of future tech and good oldfashioned skills.

Mobile-Themed Sessions: “Same-Sex Weddings: A Primer.” The same-sex-wedding market is booming, so if you want to learn how to break into this emerging market, look no further.

“Get More Brides.” Rick Brewer explains the psychology of persuasion and how to put the relationship back in your marketing.

“The Art of Latin Events.” Presented

by Jack Bermeo, the DJ Expo’s twotime “DJ of the Year” will reveal the secrets of rocking Latin events.

“The Art of the Review as a Business Tool.” Maine mobile Jerry Bazata will share best practices and industry insight into what drives the review process and how to use it to grow your DJ business.

“All-Star MCs—Hosted by Steve Moody.” The popular Maryland mobile will gather some of the country’s best MCs to share unique tips that will take your events to another level.

“New Games with Jake Jacobsen.”

In this all-new, high-energy session, Jacobsen will showcase the best, new, party-starting games.

“The Keys to a Great DJ/MC Performance.” In this action-packed seminar, Mike Walter will offer tips and strategies to make you a better DJ and MC. “Mitzvah Massive with Big Daddy.” Sean “Big Daddy” McKee wows

Showfloor: Gear galore at DJ Expo.

Scratching: Talent on display in AC.

Expo attendees with his annual mock Mitzvah.

“Right on the Money: Spinning Country.” Connecticut DJ Alan Kohn will tackle a variety of genre-related topics.

Sponsored Seminars: “Creative Lighting, Creating Profits.” Presented

by Chauvet DJ, this seminar—hosted

by Jeremy “DJ Jer” Brech—will offer creative lighting tips and techniques

Art Chick

By Jim Tremayne Atlantic City, N.J. – After months of prep, DJ Expo is right around the corner.

Set for Aug. 10-13 in Atlantic City, N.J., DJ Expo will celebrate 25 years in the business by returning to the Trump Taj Mahal with the industry’s longest-running and most-successful annual trade show/exhibition.

Produced by DJ Times and its publisher Testa Communications, DJ Expo expects to draw more than 5,000 DJs of all stripes—club, mobile, beginner, remixer/producer. It will present: three days of exhibits, with over 100 companies showing their DJ-related goods and services; three nights of sponsored events, with top DJs and artists sharing their talents; and four days of educational seminars/panels, keynotes and sponsored sessions, all offering tips and insights that’ll make you a more successful DJ. Gear, Business & Legal Seminars: “Legal Q&A for DJs.” If you’re a mobile jock, club DJ or remixer/producer/artist seeking legal advice, this is the seminar for you. Coe Ramsey, entertainment attorney and former DJ, will tackle a bevy of topics.

“Making Your Own Breaks: How to Jump-Start Your DJing Career.” Linda Leigh is a Philly jock who has never taken no for an answer—when in doubt, she believes, do it yourself. So, in this panel—part motivation, part instruction—she’ll show you how to take control of your own path.

“DJ Technology: The Latest & Greatest.” Hear the latest news on tech topics from a distinguished panel of gear/software reviewers and DJ retailers.

“Video DJing 101.” Hosted by Bos-

Art Chick

DJ EXPO: SEMINARS TO EXPLORE ALL FACETS OF BIZ

that will light the way to higher profits.

“Turning Your Business into a MultiOp.” Presented by QSC Audio, this session will explain the benefits of expanding your business horizons, then offer specific ideas Other sponsored seminars will include sessions from show exhibitors ADJ, Eternal Lighting, Pioneer DJ, and the U.S. DJ Association.

www.SoundPro.com

Your DirecT Source For

AUGUST 2015

Las Vegas – More than 300,000 fans flooded the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this past June 19-21 for Electric Daisy Carnival. With 22 ABDJ nominees playing, EDC served as the largest stop on the America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times, which will continue through Labor Day. For more on ABDJ Tour, please see Page 20.

Sound BeTTer. Save Money. Sound ProducTions.

DJ TIMES

Insomniac

ABDJ Tour Gets Big

3

VOLUME 28

NUMBER 8

20 The Next Phase

DEPARTMENTS

America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times Rolls On

BY DJ TIMES PHOTOGRAPHERS

22 All About the Bass

Looking to Maximize Subwoofer Performance?

Here Are 7 Bottom-End Tips for Mobile DJs

BY JOHN SCHAUER

24 DJ Expo Tips

Ten Ways to Make your DJ Expo a Rewarding Experience That You Can Take to the Bank

BY JEFF STILES

12

HARD Again

After Laying Low for a Decade, HARD Events Founder Gary Richards (aka Destructo) Has Returned with Quite a Second Act

BY CHRIS CARUSO

DEPARTMENTS 7 Feedback

As Always, the Answers to All Your DJRelated Questions

26 Making Tracks XILS-lab’s miniSyn’X

28 Sounding Off

Numark’s Cans & Monitors

30 Mobile Profile

Memphis DJ Benefits from Mentors

32 Business Line DJ Growth Strategies

34 Gear

38 Grooves

Phat Tracks from Doorly, Dusky & More

40 DJ Times Marketplace

Shop Here for All Your DJ-Related Supplies

41 Club Play Chart

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

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

4

SAMPLINGS 8 Chus + Ceballos The Iberican Sound

10 In the Studio With…

Maribou State

Cover Image by Nikko Lamere. Contents Image by Oh Dag Yo.

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FROM THE EDITOR

Sad News in Clubland As we went to press, we were met with the profoundly sad and genuinely shocking news that longtime New York City club promoter Rob Fernandez had passed away. Details were still fuzzy as to the circumstances, but the painful reality was confirmed by a number of sources.

As many of you DJs know, there are club promoters and then there are CLUB PROMOTERS. Rob was certainly the latter, and even bigger than that. While it’s true that he had New York City as his palette, so to speak, and that in itself offers its own advantages and challenges, Rob managed to transcend. Unlike a lot of promoters known for one party, one sound or one DJ, Rob had the unique ability to roll with the musical changes and fickle tastes of clubland and somehow turn them all to his advantage. But more than anything, and probably more than anyone in the recent history of New York nightlife, Rob Fernandez knew how to throw a DJ-driven party, one that a very mixed audience could enjoy, would talk about and usually return to. The DJs were usually on-point, the atmosphere rarely less than authentic, and the night often memorable.

Yes, he booked a lot of the top global talents and there’s something to be said for consistently pulling off great nights and maintaining positive relationships with the top DJs. But on a local level, he could find a DJ, nurture that talent, expose him/her to the proper audience and turn that night into something special. He did it over and over.

Always the hustler, he served in a variety of clubland capacities, then created Robpromotions, which enjoyed successes with many legendary New York club nights, including Be Yourself (with Danny Tenaglia) and Subliminal Sessions (with Erick Morillo). There was Pacha NYC, the Manhattan mega-club where he served as the Director of Promotions and Bookings. Along with Pacha principal Eddie Dean, he ran RPM Presents, which produced larger, festival-sized DJ events at a variety of NYC-area venues. Along with Benny Soto, he ran Dance.Here.Now., a brand best-known for its nights of quality, thumping house music at Cielo.

And occasionally, if the night called for it, it became cheekily known as Trance.Here.Now. Remember, in our idyllic clubland there’s no discrimination, genre or otherwise, so some of the more manic evenings at Cielo in recent years were provided by the likes of trance heavies Paul Oakenfold, Cosmic Gate and Andrew Rayel. Not so many basslines perhaps, but plenty of hands in the air.

Through it all, there was Rob, the man behind the scenes by day, now striding through the club with his gleaming smile, glad-handing with the people, usually on his way to the DJ booth. And fairly remarkably, Rob always seemed to have a moment for you, even if it was merely a sharp aside, a joke, or just a quick little hello. He was his own little tempest of good vibes—beaming smile always out front, a force of his own.

And speaking personally, he did a lot for DJ Times and our sister publication ClubWorld, especially in its original incarnation. (Those trophies you see on his head in his promo photos are well-earned ClubWorld Awards.) Having someone like that on your side can never be underestimated, and should always be appreciated—we certainly did.

People who work in clubland, in dance music, with DJs— especially those in New York City—are constantly circling in their separate orbits. We’re connected by the music and the business, yet we’re all doing our own individual things—DJing, booking, managing, promoting, tech work, media, whatever. So, when someone from our family like Rob Fernandez passes, we all stop and shudder— still we also remember the joy that brought us all here in the first place. And Rob brought a lot of it, for a long time. It’s a helluva legacy.

At the moment, it’s hard to imagine that clubland—in New York and beyond—will ever be quite the same. We’ll miss you like crazy, Rob.

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

Best,

6

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 Ally Byers Shawn Christopher Paul Dailey Reed Dailey Chris Davis Tommy D Funk Michelle Fetky Jon Jay Robert LaFrance Michelle Loeb Evan Maag Duanny Medrano Lily Moayeri Phil Moffa Natalie Raben Scott Rubin Deanna Rilling Jeff Stiles Bruce Tantum Emily Tan Phil Turnipseed Ashley Zlatopolsky 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

brand design & web development manager Fred Gumm fgumm@testa.com social media manager Shane Jacobs sjacobs@testa.com

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

DJ Times (ISSN 1045-9693) (USPS 0004-153) is published monthly for $19.40 (US), $39.99 (Canada), and $59.99 (all other countries), by DJ Publishing, Inc., 25 Willowdale Ave., Port Washington, NY 110503779. Periodicals postage paid at Port Washington, NY, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DJ Times, PO BOX 1767, LOWELL MA 01853-1767 Design and contents are copyright © 2015 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 August 2015

visit our website: www.djtimes.com

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DJ EXPO: WHAT’S ON TAP?

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AMERICA’S BEST DJ TOUR ROLLS ON

collaborated with Afrojack and Da Internz.

On Aug. 11, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Robert’s Rooftop Oceanfront Bar & Lounge at Scores, Peavey Electronics and Jägermeister will present “The Art of the Mix,” featuring an impressive array of hip-hop legends. Hosted

by Public Enemy’s Keith Shocklee, the event will include performances

by Grand Mixer DXT (of Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit” fame), Grand Wizzard

Theodore (inventor of the scratch technique) and DJ Jazzy Jay (cofounder of Def Jam).

Later Tuesday evening, Aug. 11, Promo Only’s Summer Sessions will produce a slate of DJ- and artistdriven entertainment at the Borgata.

In previous years, Promo Only parties have presented acts like Lady Gaga, Krewella, Salt N’ Pepa and many more. At presstime, talent was TBA. On Aug. 12 at Scores, the Expo’s

annual “DJ of the Year” competition will bestow awards in a variety of mobile-oriented categories. Hosted

by Mike Walter, the event will include exciting performances from a variety of DJs, MCs and dancers. Who will take home the trophy this year?

Then later that night (Aug. 12), the inimitable DJ Skribble will take the party home on with his annual performance at the Trump Taj Mahal’s Ego Lounge.

djtimes.com

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6/22/2015 4:30:09 PM

This is Feedback, a monthly feature that fields questions from you, our readers, and funnels them out to industry 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.

DJ EXPO: WHAT’S HAPPENING? This year’s DJ Expo is set for Aug. 1013 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. The event—produced by DJ Times and Testa Communications— will celebrate 25 years in the business and it will feature nearly 30 educational seminars/keynotes, an exhibit hall full of the latest DJ-related topics, and sponsored evening events.

Keynotes: The 2015 DJ Expo is proud to present a pair “Keynote Q&A” sessions that will include several legends instrumental in the growth of hip-hop and the DJ industry itself. On Aug. 11, we’ll preset DJ pioneers Grand Mixer DXT, Grand Wizzard Theodore and Jazzy Jay. On Aug. 12, we’ll present Marley Marl and DJ Polo—two members of the influential Juice Crew.

Parties: The Expo Kick-Off party, set for Aug. 10, at Scores Atlantic City in the Taj, will offer attendees an opportunity to network, but it will entertain them as well. Hosted by Mike Walter of Elite Entertainment, the party will present DJ/singer/dancer Mandy Jiroux, who will perform her solo single, “My Forever.” Jiroux—a noted choreographer—will also walk eager partygoers through a new dance routine or two.

Jiroux began her ascent to stardom in 2008 with the launch of The Miley & Mandy Show with best friend Miley Cyrus. In the years since, Jiroux has been a member of the girl group BG5 and built a leading YouTube dance channel. Currently in the studio working on her debut album, Jiroux has

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SAMPLINGS

CHUS + CEBALLOS:

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

THE IBERICAN SOUND

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For the past decade-plus, Jesús “DJ Chus” Esteban and Pablo Ceballos have remained one of the globe’s most popular DJ/production teams.

Presented through their Stereo Productions imprint, percussion-driven productions and remixes, and marathon DJ sessions, Chus + Ceballos’ Iberican Sound—tribal house with techno elements—has spread well beyond their native Spain and earned a devoted fanbase.

With the release of their latest compilation— Balearica 2015, featuring new single “Abisinia”— we caught up with Chus + Ceballos to talk tech and more.

DJ Times: How did Chus & Ceballos come about?

Ceballos: We both grew up in the same neighborhood in Madrid and shared a similar love and passion for music. Chus was a resident DJ at one of the very first house-music clubs in the capital of Spain, while I was trying to make a name for myself in music production. A few years after our first meeting, we decided to make music together and it was pure magic ever since our very first track.

DJ Times: What was your first big break in the States?

Ceballos: Danny Tenaglia was our biggest mentor in North America and he invited us to play during his residency at Arc in New York.

That was our first time playing in the U.S. and it was a memorable night at a legendary club.

Playing at such a great venue with one of our longtime idols was a dream come true.

DJ Times: What gear do you use in the studio?

Ceballos: We still have a few pieces of classic hardware that we like to use, like the Avalon compressor; classic synths like the Moog, the Virus or the Nord Lead. We also like to use some of the new stuff like the AIRA series from Roland that takes the best out of classic analog pieces and adds a new digital flare. We believe that a good mix of both hardware and software brings a nice balance to music production.

DJ Times: And DAW, plug-ins?

Ceballos: We’ve been using Ableton Live in (continued on page 38)

C+C: (from left) DJ Chus & Pablo Ceballos.

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DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

MARIBOU STATE: MAKING “PORTRAITS”

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There are elements of Maribou State’s sound that defy the lines of electronic music. It’s an atmosphere, an organic flavor to the ears, a dynamic range that isn’t often achieved.

On a handful of tight EPs and with Portraits, their new LP, Maribou State’s Chris Davids and Liam Ivory make beautiful, groovy, soulful music. Aside from their deep knowledge of Ableton Live, their DAW of choice, how’s it done? “We steer clear of quantization and anything too heavily sequenced,” says Ivory. “And we always seek out sounds, samples and field recordings that sound really natural— not computerized or digital.”

We recently caught up with the British DJ/producers and investigated their process.

DJ Times: How do you build your drums?

Liam Ivory: Our drums are built up from single-shot audio samples, usually taken from drum breaks or recorded Foley sounds.We were lucky enough to acquire a very large collection of drum breaks that someone had spent hours sampling from old soul/ funk vinyl. We also record live parts where possible, too, not the whole kit, but cymbals, hi-hats, etc.

DJ Times: Your tracks often sound like there are so many layers—how do you manage these dynamics in the mix?

Chris Davids: We actually try and limit the amount of layers used in our music. When we first started writing music as Maribou State, all too often we would clutter a track with so many different elements, making the music hard to digest.

Ivory: Paying attention to changes in energy, volume and pace when creating music is something that can really breathe life into a track. We heavily rely on taking control of these dynamic parameters to make things sound and feel more natural. As an example, we often ride the volume faders of our drum parts, pushing them up and down, just to make things feel like they have more of a dynamic range that would have been present if, say, played by a real drummer.

DJ Times: Any organic instrumentation involved?

Davids: Yeah, we use a lot of live

Maribou State: Making synths sound un-synthetic.

instrumentation in our productions, mainly guitar, bass and all the synths that you hear. If there’s a certain instrument or sound we’re after that we can’t make live, we usually look to sample it.

DJ Times: Favorite plug-ins?

Ivory: We try and avoid plug-ins where possible. For effects and processing, though, we have the Waves bundle and there’s a lot of cool stuff in there. We use a set of Lexicon reverb plug-ins for some stuff, too, usually for a quick fix when we can’t be bothered to send the part out to our outboard stuff. They sound great, so sometimes it’s just easier to throw on quickly, saves you upsetting the work flow on a new idea.

DJ Times: How do you get that fuzzy wash of atmosphere that’s so typical of your sound?

Davids: Once we’ve recorded, say a guitar part or synth part, we create a channel beneath it, running some form of tape hiss or field recording and, using a gate with a sidechain option, make the other element play at the same time as the part above it. It’s a really good way of making things sound like they’re sampled when, in fact, they were live recordings. It also just makes the part sound a lot warmer.

DJ Times: What type of gear did you use on Portraits?

Ivory: We used our DSI Prophet 08 a lot. We just bought it at the start of writing the LP, so was always really excited to use it. It has a really powerful capability of producing synth sounds that don’t sound synthetic! We have a Fender Jag Blacktop 90 [guitar] in the studio with a Hot Rod III Deluxe amp and a Fender Jaguar Deluxe Bass, with a Markbass rig. We also have a Lexicon MX300 that you can make some pretty crazy effects patches with—again that sound very organic and non-synthetic.

DJ Times: Let’s talk about “Midas.” How does the approach to production change when you’re working with a vocalist like Holly Walker?

Ivory: They actually caused us quite a lot of grief! The vocals felt quite disconnected at first. Of all the tracks on the album, we really struggled to sit the vocals properly in the mix on “Midas.” There was something about either the vocal recording or the backing track that really made it feel like it was just an a cappella laid onto a backing track, which, of course, is true. But that wasn’t how we wanted it to sound. We went through a number of recordings to try and remedy the issue. In the end, we hired a Neumann U87 mic for a few days, and it seemed to do the trick.

– Rachel Skotarczyk

BY CHRIS CARUSO

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

There isn’t anyone quite as deserving of the title Rave King as HARD Events founder Gary Richards.

After cutting his teeth at the underground warehouse parties of Los Angeles and discovering electronic music, Richards set his sights on getting in on the action himself. Picking up the mantle of DJ Destructo, Richards took matters into his own hands and began booking and throwing his own parties in California. This all culminated in 1993 with Rave America, an 18,000-plus person New Year’s Eve blowout at SoCal’s Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park.

He bowing out of the scene for the better part of a decade to work for record labels—including an A&R stint for Rick Rubin’s American Recordings. But then, Richards returned to the electronic music event planning in 2007 when he launched HARD Events with a festival in downtown Los Angeles. Over the past eight years, the brand has become one of the biggest players in the festival industry, blending the sounds of today’s hottest DJs with cutting-edge live acts that span from alternative to hip-hop at gatherings like HARD Summer, HARD Day of the Dead, and the floating rave that is known Holy Ship!!!

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AFTER LAYING LOW FOR A DECADE, HARD EVENTS FOUNDER GARY RICHARDS (AKA DESTRUCTO) HAS RETURNED FOR QUITE A SECOND ACT

HAR

DJ TIMES

RD

AUGUST 2015

Again

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Erik Voake

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

In 2012, the company was acquired by Live Nation, which has allowed the empire to expand even further with events across the country and beyond. With over 100,000 tickets to this August’s HARD Summer already sold, it’s fair to say that the HARD nation is only growing stronger with time.

Amongst all of this, Richards has further explored his musical endeavors under his Destructo alias. While he’s still a mainstay at most HARD events, his tours and discography—including his 2014 G-House soiree the West Coast EP—have landed him in the middle of a career renaissance over 20 years since it began. DJ Times connected with Richards to chat about how he went from the seedy warehouses of the 1990s to some of the world’s biggest stages of 2015.

DJ Times: Your beginnings lie in the warehouse rave scene of the early 1990s. What kinds of attributes were particularly appealing to you in those events?

Gary Richards: There were so many things about it that were appealing, but the number-one most important thing to me was the music. I never really heard it. I’d heard elements of electronic music in different music I was listening to, whether it was hip hop or even Kraftwerk. I loved Electric Café and Computer World so much, but I didn’t really know why. Then I went to the underground warehouse scene and I heard all of these records that were like that, but even pumped up more. You couldn’t even really hear electronic music, so I never really heard it or knew about it other than going to those events. Then I started digging and going to record stores, and the people were just crazy—just off-the-wall weird. This was something I’d never seen in life. I was born on New Year’s Eve, so I always felt I was born to throw a party and have a good time, but this was like the next level.

DJ Times: What was the coming-to-the-light moment when you were thought, “I want to throw my own?”

Richards: There were two. I’m a bit of an entrepreneur. One time where I was with my buddies and

14

these people were trying to get drinks, but no one knew how to get beer out of a keg. There was a long line of people waiting to get a beer with nobody pumping it out, so I jumped behind the bar and I tapped one of the kegs and just started pouring. All of a sudden, people starting tipping me and giving me a dollar for a beer. I grabbed my two buddies and said, “Get back here,” and we all started pouring. We left that night and got home with all of these beer-soaked $1 bills. I thought maybe there was a way to go to these events and make money at the same time.

DJ Times: And the other?

Erik Voake

Richards: People would come to our apartment afterwards. [The party] would end at like 4 a.m. or something and then everyone would come back to our apartment. Our apartment started getting destroyed, so me and my two roommates kind of came up with this idea to start our own club, like an afterhours thing. In Los Angeles, you can serve booze at 6 a.m., so we did and started a club called The Sermon. Me and my two buddies, Greg and John, would dress up like priests and we would go to the big underground warehouse party and tell people to come to The Sermon on Sunday morning. We started that way, and in the beginning nobody showed up, but after the third or fourth week it started getting pretty packed and I started making good money. I was delivering pizza at the time, so I said, “Fuck it, I’m just going to do this.”

DJ Times: What about Rave America at Knott’s Berry Farm? It’s such an iconic event in the pantheons of American electronic music events. Looking back, what kind of significance do you place on that event specifically?

Richards: Well, number one… the sheer num-

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August 10-13

Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City

Oh Dag Yo

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

“Musique” by Daft Punk [Virgin Records, 1996]: “One of D a f t P u n k ’s b e s t t u n e s t h a t y o u n e v e r h e a r p l a y e d . W h e n I d r o p p e d t h i s o n H o l y S h i p ! ! ! w i t h t h e F r e n c h c r e w, t h e e n t i r e p l a c e w e n t n u t s .”

“Energy Flash” by Joey Beltram [Transmat, 1990]: “Classic electronic music staple since the early days. I try to drop it in my sets whenever I can—it’s great to mix on top of everything.”

“Higher” by Destructo [Boysnoize/Owsla, 2013]: “If I don’t play this in my set people always seem disappointed and ask, ‘Why didn’t you play it?’ Sometimes I get so lost in the mix that I forget. I always feel like there isn›t enough time to play everything I want to.”

– C.C.

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Erik Voake

Three Tracks: Always in Destructo’s Crate

bers of it. We had sold out in advance with 17,000 or 18,000. I remember telling Knott’s Berry Farm that we never even sold advance tickets before, so if we had sold 18,000 tickets already, they’re would probably be another 18,000 people walking up and they better be prepared. They were laughing at me like, “Oh, we know how to run our park and we know what we’re doing,” so I think just the sheer numbers of it really caught the attention.

DJ Times: What about after the event?

Richards: The Los Angeles Times ran this big piece about how 18,000 raving fans can’t be wrong. Rob Light from [Creative Artists Agency] came and had a meeting with me, and he couldn’t figure out how I got that many people there with no headliners, and no acts. It was like a changing of the guard where it was more about the brand and the event than what acts were actually playing. For me, the reason why I did it—how I thought about it in my head—was I felt like the scene wasn’t underground anymore. It was getting played out, so what I thought was, “You know, I don’t really want to be a part of this anymore because it’s not really what it stood for.” I thought I’d just do one big sellout, and then I went to work in the record business and got out of being a concert promoter for a while.

DJ Times: How did that happen?

Richards: My dad and my brother were in the music business, so those guys were always trying to get me a job at a label, which I really didn’t want to do. My dad somehow figured out a way to tell the people in the industry about me and what I was doing, but it didn’t come through that. Rick Rubin was coming to all my events, and he would come and watch me DJ. I couldn’t believe that was fucking Rick Rubin! I mean, I love the Beastie Boys. Licensed To Ill, that was like my album, and I couldn’t believe this dude’s here! We just went to lunch one time and he just kind of threw it out there: “Hey if you ever know anybody that would want to publicize some groups in this genre of music, I’d love to get more involved.”

I just said I’ll do it, and so he hired me.

DJ Times: HARD came into existence in 2007. What was going on personally then?

R i c h a rd s : We l l , my b ro t h e r passed away and I really didn’t know what I was going to do with my life.

As it progressed in 2005 and 2006, no one was buying records and no one was buying electronic music, so I was pretty much ready to throw in the towel. I was just pretty low on life in general. I was like, “What am I going to do?” I told my wife maybe we’ll move to Portland and just chill out. Then (continued on page 40)

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1 HDJ-2000MK2

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Old Glory: DJs flying the flag at EDC. Freedom Film/Insomniac

The Scene: EDC Vegas.

Marc van der Aa/Insomniac

The second leg of America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times upped the ante a bit with appearances at Spring Awakening Music Festival at Soldier Field in Chicago (75,000 fans) and Electric Daisy Carnival at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (345,000).

Highlights From America’s Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times

Jack Ü: Skrillex & Diplo on the mainstage.

Greg Rothstein/Da Black Swan

SAMF: Audien finds his groove.

Da Black Swan/SAMF

I’ll House U: MK in the mix.

Greg Rothstein/Da Black Swan

Local Hero: Derrick Carter in Chi-Town.

Da Black Swan/SAMF

EDC Scene: A look inside the insanity.

Marc van der Aa/Insomniac

Audien, Bassnectar, 3lau, Carnage, Dieselboy, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Dubfire, Flosstradamus, Get Real (Claude Von Stroke & Green Velvet), Justin Martin, Kaskade, Krewella, Moby, Pretty Lights, Saeed Younan, Seven Lions, Soul Clap, 12th Planet, Victor Calderone and Z-Trip.

As always, DJ Times was there, collecting ballots for the DJs and giving fans chances to win plenty of prizes— like Pioneer gear and a trip for two to San Diego for the ABDJ Closing Party/Award Ceremony at Omnia Nightclub on Oct. 11.

It looked like this:

the next phase

Held June 12-14, SAMF included nine ABDJ nominees: Audien, Derrick Carter, Flosstradamus, Jack Ü (Diplo & Skrillex), Justin Martin, MK, Morgan Page, Seven Lions and TJR. Held June 19-21, EDC Vegas included 22 nominees: AC Slater, Blackhawks Up: TJR backstage.

Da Black Swan/SAMF

Onstage: Diplo rocks SAMF. Da Black Swan/SAMF

All Love: EDC fans send the signal.

Da Black Swan/Insomniac

Stadium Rock: Seven Lions in Soldier Field.

Da Black Swan/SAMF

SAMF: A voter at ABDJ booth.

DJ Times

LOOKING TO BY JOHN SCHAUER bass to your sound system standing of low-frequency energy, MAXIMIZE is aAdding must for most DJ applications, so here are seven things that DJs should some explanation of how low freto maximize subwoofer perSUBWOOFER quencies are created and how they consider formance. in your environments will help PERFORMANCE? act you get the most from your system 1. Make sure that you have and deliver the best audio perforthe subwoofer(s) on the floor. If HERE ARE 7 mance. you use caster boards or carts for First, let’s get a few basic facts remove the subwoofers BOTTOM-END about sound out of the way. We all transport, and place them directly on the floor. that sound is a pressure disturRaising a subwoofer cabinet even a TIPS FOR know bance in the air, and frequency meafew inches off the floor will reduce sures how often these disturbances performance because they are MOBILE DJS occur. Higher frequency sounds, like its designed to use the floor as a 90-decymbals or female vocals, produce shorter wavelengths since they happen more often.

An Example: The sizzle of a hi-hat cymbal can be up near 10,000 Hz or cycles per second, and it will have a wavelength of slightly over one inch.

At these high frequencies, two characteristics should be noted: first, these disturbances are easily absorbed by soft items in the listening area (including people, drapes and carpeting) and second, they are directional, so placement of your main speakers needs to cover your desired listening area— the dancefloor, of course!

The lower the frequency, on the other hand, the less directional the energy becomes. Consider the low E note on a bass guitar: The wavelength is a little more than 27 feet long.

Clearly, a lot more energy is needed to create the sound at the same perceived level. In addition, these longer, slower pressure disturbances tend to stay in a closed listening area for a much longer time and aren’t absorbed as quickly in the same manner as higher frequency sounds.

Now that you have a basic under-

gree waveguide to help maximize the energy produced.

2. If you are using multiple subwoofers, placement is crucial for getting the most from your system. Since the lengths of bass sound waves are so large, separating multiple subwoofers will affect the performance. While it might look better to put the subwoofers out underneath the main speakers, performance will almost certainly be improved on the dancefloor if the subwoofers are placed together near the front center of the dance floor. You might not immediately hear the improvement early in the event, but when you are really pushing the system hard in the third and fourth set, your audience will appreciate the extra acoustic output coupling the subwoofers will provide.

3. Subwoofer systems should be operated in mono. All subwoofers need the same signal to maximize their effect. A lot of manufacturers now offer stereo inputs on subwoofers.These two inputs are summed into a mono

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

ALL ABOUT THE

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signal to feed the subwoofer. Some DJs like to have the subwoofer on a separate send apart from the stereo output so they can control levels of the subwoofer separately. If your mixer has a spare auxiliary output, or if you have a mono output, this is a great place to hook them up.

LOOKING TO MAXIMIZE SUBWOOFER PERFORMANCE? HERE ARE 7 BOTTOM-END TIPS FOR MOBILE DJS

4. Phase vs. Polarity. Over the years, these two terms have been confused. Phase is a measure of both frequency and time, so it is less absolute. A switch marked Polarity on a subwoofer determines whether a positive signal applied to the subwoofer will make the speaker cone move forward, or toward the front of the cabinet. Reverse polarity will send the driver the opposite way when the same positive signal is applied. Because of acoustic abnormalities in various rooms, the ability to invert the polarity to improve dead spots, or nodes where bass response is diminished, is readily available by using this switch. If you choose to place all your subwoofers in one place near the center of the dancefloor, be aware that they operate as a single unit, so reversing polarity should be done on all subwoofers the same way.

5. Cardioid Mode. Lately, manufacturers are offering a cardioid mode on powered subwoofers. It is a method to use one subwoofer to work with another of the same type to help steer the energy forward by reducing the output of the system at its rear and increasing the output from the front of the system. Bear in mind that this treatment is more often needed for live-music reinforcement, where bass buildup can be a problem onstage. It is often used in arena concert sound systems to help reduce the “power tunnel” of bass buildup in the very front of the stage that extends forward into the audience area, but this is the exact area that most DJs require increased bass response, so the cost and complexity often rule out the need for DJs to use this feature.

6. Subwoofer Designs. Manufacturers have a lot of choices for subwoofer enclosure designs. In the early years, when amplifiers delivered relatively low power levels, a horn-loaded design helped make the most efficient use of the limited power, but horns offer a limited frequency response and the cabinets remained relatively large. As amplifiers became more powerful, manufacturers adopted the bass-reflex design, which provides a wider frequency response in a more compact, easy-to-move cabinet. Another design called bandpass incorporates the best of the other configurations mentioned above, where the woofer is mounted in a traditional bass-reflex-design cabinet with a separate compartment in front of the woofer to increase acoustic output while retaining a wider frequency response. This new design allows remarkable output from a relatively small package.

(Example: Subwoofers from Yamaha’s new DXS line are bandpass designs.)

John Schauer is the longtime product manager for MI Professional Audio at Yamaha Corporation of America in Buena Park, Calif.

DJ TIMES

By gaining a better understanding of how subwoofers operate, you will be able to make a more informed choice on your next purchase and provide your audiences with all the bass response they need to feel the music on the dancefloor.

AUGUST 2015

7. Make sure to use the high-pass filters on the main speakers. When using subwoofers, this is the way to maximize the main speaker’s ability to produce the full range of the music.

A system that is set up this way will play at higher levels with a cleaner sound.

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DJ EXPO TIPS TEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR DJ EXPO A REWARDING EXPERIENCE THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO THE BANK This Aug. 10-13, DJ Times and Testa Communications will produce DJ Expo at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. As it celebrates its 25th year, the Expo will present 30 industry seminars, more than 100 exhibitors and various sponsored events each evening. More than 5,000 jocks attend and each year they return to their markets richer for the experience.

Although he won't be attending his first DJ Expo until this August, Seattle mobile DJ Adam Tiegs has gone to many other trade shows over the years— from the NACE Experience to Wedding MBA and others—and says he's gained a lot from attending those industry-related events.

“Whether it’s chatting with manufacturers about new products or ideas,” says the owner of Adam’s DJ Service, “Or sharing stories and experiences with other DJs, absorbing knowledge in the classrooms, or at a pool, those are all great things about tradeshows—not to mention the parties at night and good times, and all the memories I've had with all the DJ brethren.”

Are you a DJ Expo Ninja? Which of us DJs have had our businesses forever changed by the DJ Expo in Atlantic City?

Adam Weitz of A Sharp Production in Huntingdon, Pa., says that, although he's not a DJ Expo Ninja, he is indeed a “DJ Expo Yoda.”

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AUGUST 2015

“I may not be the sexiest beast,” he says, “and I may not win the battle when it comes to mixing or scratching, and I certainly may not be the individual that has more muscles in his chest than the next person, but what I can do is offer any newcomer—or someone who has only been here for a few years—is the best in business advice.”

We spoke to DJ vets and a trade-show coordinator (Weitz's aunt, incidentally) and came up with the following ways to maximize your time at the DJ Expo:

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3 PARTICIPATE, PARTICIPATE, PARTICIPATE.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE SEMINARS. Top DJs from around the country are at the Expo to spread their wealth of knowledge. “If you're not educating your mind,” says Adam Weitz, “you're wasting your time.”

Jeff Jones of Direct Sounds DJs in Gilbert, Ariz., has attended his share of DJ shows.

“The things I tend to go for are workshops or seminars,” he says. “I look for a workshop or seminar that will really impact my performance or business. Performance workshops include MC classes and music-mixing classes.

I want to learn something I can take back and use right away.”

1 2 MAXIMIZE YOUR TRADE SHOW.

Do your research on the products you want prior to coming to the Expo, so that when you get there you can minimize the amount of strolling time and maximize the amount of testing you do on specific equipment. “ D o y o u r h o m e w o r k ,” e x plains Arleen Weitz of ARW Events in Philadelphia, who since 2004 has acted as event planner and consultant to several local hotels, as well as for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Research parking arrangements at every venue to make sure you can haul away products in an easy manner.”

Gregg Hollman of Ambient DJ Service in East Windsor, N.J., has other tips. “Make a list of people who you'd like to meet at the Expo and try to schedule a time to speak with them over coffee or lunch,” he says. “During this time, you can pick their brain and learn from our industry's very best. You may also forge some lifelong friendships.”

Get involved in any kind of interactive activities that the DJ Expo is hosting—and there are plenty.

(This year, check the “Mobile Networking Party” on Aug. 10 and the “DJ of the Year” competition on Aug. 12.) Getting your hands on things and interacting are the greatest ways to learn and to be involved.

“DJ Expo attendees are also recommended to attend the keynote presentations/Q&A with performance legends,” says Hollman. “Past interviewees at the DJ Expo have included Jazzy Jeff, Lil' Jon, Jellybean Benitez and Grandmaster Flash. Their fascinating stories, and success secrets are hugely inspirational.”

4 NETWORK.

If you're not bringing a full box of business cards, you're not bringing enough.

“Ironically, I just hired a karaoke engineer for a party I have tomorrow,” says Adam Weitz, “and I met him at the DJ Expo. I already know in advance what an awesome job he's going to do. And I wouldn't have met him if I wasn't here at the Expo.”

Adds Jones: “Networking is what’s most important to me when going to a show. I do also look forward to meeting others from around the country and listening to their stories—both good stories and war stories.”

Says Tiegs: “Expanding to a national network of peers and resources is valuable. Being able to ask other DJs questions and answering their questions can help those who are passionate become even better.”

7

After you've attended your seminars, your Expo activities, and tested out all the equipment on the exhibit floor, you'll want to go home with all this information and apply what you've learned.

“Call the people you've met and start to interact on a whole new level,” says Adam Weitz. “Because that's where your game changes and that's where your business grows.”

Although social media is a key player in today's world, Arleen Weitz suggests bringing your best lead generator to the show and then decompressing with that person after the event.

“Human connection is still, and will always be, the most important part of any event planning,” she says. “Respond as quickly as possible to all leads and requests. Set appointments immediately.

Your time spent at the Expo will pay off.”

9

BE BOLD AND BRAVE

If you feel you have something you can offer the industry—we're looking for people just like you.

“We may be the ones who are a little older and a little more knowledgeable,” says Weitz, “but it's the young, upcoming talent that we always look forward to helping carry the industry to the next decade. Is that you?”

Suggests Hollman: “DJ Expo attendees should enter with a totally open mind and be ready to learn. At my first Expo in 2007, that was my mindset and that’s how I stumbled into a meeting of the New Jersey Disc Jockey Network [NJDJN] in one of the smaller ballrooms. At this meeting, I was inspired by success stories from the likes of Darryl ‘Jake’ Jacobsen, Marcello Pedalino and Jeffrey Craig Siber.

“This inspiration gave me the courage to go full-time in the business. The NJDJN helped put my business on a fast track. Fast-forwarding to 2015, I now serve as the president of this very organization that benefited me so much.”

“When applying your new gear, or programming, or ability to sell, change something about yourself that you've learned during the seminar,” says Adam Weitz, “and see how it works in your new business. You'd be surprised how much you're not doing.”

Adds Tiegs: “Talking to manufacturers is important so that they can help make tools that will help us do our jobs better, easier and perhaps be more creative. Giving feedback hopefully helps them out.”

CHANGE YOUR GAME.

8

BRING A LARGE VEHICLE

or at least a huge suitcase! “Not only will you be probably going home with new gear or packages, but taxis can be expensive,” Adam Weitz says. “Bringing your own vehicle is a gift to your crew and other people, but it's primarily for packing in new gear—and a large one will help you carry all that stuff home.”

Like most other mobile DJs, Jones describes himself as a gear guy. “I like going through the exhibits and checking out all the new gear,” he says. “Photo-booth additions to our business seem to be all the rage at the moment. I have a couple, and the upsell on them is awesome additional cash flow.”

And additional cash flow, after all, is what you can take to the bank. n

AUGUST 2015

FOLLOW UP WITH VENDORS AND FELLOW DJS.

DJ TIMES

5

BECOME VULNERABLE.

6

“The DJ Expo is really fun, because no one is judging you,” says Weitz. “You're in a room with thousands of DJs with egos just as big as yours, so drop the facade and get real, have fun, get stupid and enjoy life. It's a great way to meet people and to enjoy yourself while educating your mind—if you can remember what you did the night before!”

And maybe even bring some of your own staff?

“For those who run multi-ops, bringing staff to the DJ Expo is a great way to educate your staff and boost morale,” says Hollman. “A huge show like the DJ Expo will leave them inspired and ready to do their best work. I use the DJ Expo as an opportunity to bond with my staff in a more social environment.”

10

Disclose some information about your company to others that are not in your direct market.

“You'd be surprised how they will get vulnerable, too, and disclose information to you,” says Adam Weitz. “There's nothing wrong with a little bitching and complaining. It's comparing those stories that help you learn and grow for your future.”

Adds Arleen Weitz: “The best piece of advice I've ever received from a most-valued mentor is to pay close attention to every detail and leave nothing to chance.”

Says Jones: “For first-timers, I would say just go with an open mind and take notes. Not everything will make sense or even be right for you, but you'll be amazed afterwards at the things that do make sense and do click that will take you to the next level.”

GET STUPID?

25

MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

CLASSIC SOUNDS: XILS-LAB’S MINISYN’X

By Josh Harris

Robust: miniSyn’X allows 10 oscillators per patch.

“The modeling is really terrific, the UI is incredibly easy to navigate and editing

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AUGUST 2015

is a blast.”

26

One of the biggest perks of living in the digital age is the continuing emergence of boutique software companies.

One of them, the Grenoble, France-based outfit XILS-lab, is the brainchild of software developer, Xavier Oudin, and over the last 20 years, he has worked for a variety of software companies that specialize in virtual instruments. This year marks the release of a virtual instrument called miniSyn’X. Inspired by the classic sound of Italian music from the 1980s, this virtual synth is all about the DCOs (Digital Controlled Oscillators). As a child of the ’80s, my first keyboard was an Oberheim Matrix 6, and my early days of synth programming revolved around DCOs. So, when I had a chance to install miniSyn’X, and take a trip down nostalgia lane, I was pretty excited.

The Layout: The UI (User Interface) is very clean and easy to navigate, and if you have any previous experience with editing synths, you may not even need to crack the manual. The miniSyn’X utilizes two independent synth engines, allowing users to create thick, stacked sounds, split sounds, or use it in a classic single-sound mode. Each synth

engine has its own single-panel UI, and up to 10 oscillators per patch are allowed, which opens up the door for creating some really robust sounds.

The included presets sound great, and the patch browser is setup with a series of drop-down menus at the top of the interface. You can organize the sounds

by Author, Project, Type, Style or Feeling.

In Action: I played a handful of presets that not only sounded good, but inspired me to do some quick editing and tweaking. The benefit to a clean user interface is that sound editing is so seamless. Loading and saving presets is a breeze and, as mentioned, miniSyn’X allows for presets to be saved with all relevant project information.

The two envelope generators are designed so that one controls the filter’s cutoff value, while the other controls the output level stage. Glide, portamento and velocity parameters are easy to access and edit.

My favorite feature of miniSyn’X is its built-in polyphonic sequencer. Four independent monophonic lines can be recorded with an external MIDI controller, and the sequencer can be synced to your DAW’s clock. The built-in chorus effect is a nice touch as well.

There are three different types of chorus settings, and I found myself gravitating to Setting 2 most of the time.

Conclusions: In my future production work, this synth will most likely be a “go-to” for bass sounds. At $65, it’s a deal, and it does run on both Mac and Windows platforms respectively. The modeling is really terrific, the UI is incredibly easy to navigate and editing is a blast.

Hats off to XILS-lab on a job well-done.

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CANS & MONITORS: NUMARK’S DUO

By Wesley Bryant-King

Since the 1970s, Numark has been known as a maker of affordable products for DJs. Today, the Cumberland, R.I.-based company—a brand within the inMusic corporate umbrella—makes everything from DJ controllers to media players, mixers, headphones, and more—including its venerable vinyl turntables and cartridges.

Among the company’s newer offerings are a series of DJ monitors, called N-Wave, and the HF series of headphones. In this article, I’ll be taking a look at the top-end of each of those new series—the HF350 around-the-ear DJ headphones, and the N-Wave 580 powered desktop DJ monitors.

First Impressions: When you’re just starting out as a DJ, or if you’re one of those who’ve been at this game for a while, but don’t do it as your sole source of income, price can be one of the main considerations for acquiring DJ gear. And it’s on that basis that I formed my first impressions of these products before I even opened the boxes.

The HF350 is the most expensive of Numark’s three new HF Series headphones, but “expensive” is relative. With a street price of around $100 (or less), the HF350 is within the reach of virtually anyone. And what you get for the price is a pretty sexy-looking pair of cans, to be honest—on par with pricy status-symbol consumer brands. I’ll look at their performance a bit later.

Pricing is aggressive with the N-Wave 580 monitors as well. Street pricing is around the $175 mark, and while perhaps not pocket change, it’s an affordable enough price that it, too, is within reach of a pretty broad spectrum of DJs. The 580s are pretty attractive, all in all, with prominent blue LED illumination on both speakers that serves both as a power indicator, but also as physical protection for the soft, silk dome tweeters on each unit.

Set-Up & Use: The HF350 headphones come with a 4-foot removable cable, terminated with a 1/8-inch plug, along with a supplied ¼-inch adapter. The product features 40mm drivers and an around-theear design that helps provide some isolation from outside sounds. Nu-

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HF Series Headphones: Good looks, good price.

28

N-Wave Monitors: Impressive performance.

power’s on—a novelty, perhaps, but an easy way to add a nice, balanced, aesthetic touch.

In the right cabinet, one finds a built-in power supply, along with both ¼-inch and RCA stereo inputs, as well as the jacks for the left cabinet cable runs. Numark provides cables of adequate length to connect to the left speaker, along with the power cord, and a frustratingly short 1/8inch stereo to RCA cable. Just a few inches long, it’s really all but useless in my view—the only complaint I

T R U M P T R U M P

had with the 580s, but easily solved by digging out a longer one from my mobile-DJ cabling box. (For actual ongoing desktop-DJ use, I’d likely use the ¼-inch jacks anyhow.)

Numark reports that the monitors are magnetically shielded to prevent interference, and the front-panel volume control on the right cabinet is a nice usability touch. The main power switch is located on the back panel of the right cabinet; front-mounting might have been preferable, but it’s easy to locate by touch on the back.

T A J T A J

M A H A L M A H A L

Conclusions: For the priceconscious, Numark’s new HF headphones and N-Wave monitors both make a solid addition to the gear setup of new, up-and-coming, or occasional DJs, and for anyone looking to supplement existing gear. The HF350 headphones offer decent price/performance combined with great looks, while the N-Wave 580 monitors deliver impressive performance in a small form factor. Bottom line? It’s nice to have options for decent gear that doesn’t break the bank.

A T L A N T I C A T L A N T I C

C I T Y , C I T Y ,

N J N J

AUGUST 10-13, 2015 AUGUST 10-13, 2015

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mark states a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Aesthetically, the HF350s are striking. The über-soft leatherette earcups and contrasting red headband cushion make for a comfortable fit, and the chromed plastic accents on an otherwise flat black design give the headphones a rich appearance.

And Numark’s logo device—patterned after a snap-in spindle adapter for 45 RPM singles—adorns both earcups in a sort of music-nerd-chic sort of way that I really like.

On the design front, however, while I appreciate the removable cable, it’s unfortunate both because it’s just 4-feet long, and because it’s attaches only to the left earcup. The ability to swap the side it’s plugged into would be nicer, but moreover, a longer cable seems a necessity to me when standing in front of a table with my DJ controller on top; I found myself having to use a short extension to get any freedom of movement.

Acoustic performance is acceptable for a DJ headphone in this price range, but even with that proviso, I found the low-end to lack the quite the punch I’m normally looking for in DJ headphones. It was present enough to do successful mixes, but in listening environments where there’s strong low-end in the room, mixing could end up being a bit challenging. For home and general use (like typical mobile gigs), however, that’s unlikely to be an issue, and the HF350 provides a solid price/ performance ratio to go along with its striking physical appearance.

The N-Wave 580 monitors impressed me both with their price and their performance. While I generally tend to prefer monitors with 8-inch drivers, let’s be honest: They’re big, they’re not exactly portable, and they can stretch the budget for a lot people.

The N-Wave 580s feature 5-¼inch main drivers that offer a surprising amount of punch, and they’re packaged in plastic-laminated MDF cabinets that’ll fit on virtually any desktop. With the 1-inch silk dome tweeters and up to 80 watts of total system power, I found the overall sound quality to be solid and pure, rendering a variety of familiar tracks just as clean and even I would expect them to sound.

As you might assume, the N-Wave 580s are self-powered and, perhaps typical of monitors in this size and price range, one is for the left side and one is for the right—with the bulk of the electronics in the right cabinet, and a cross-connect cable for the audio. Make that two crossconnect cables; there’s a mono 1/8inch cable that serves no purpose other than to illuminate the blue LED in the left cabinet when the

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MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES

By Pat Matthews

MEMPHIS DJ BENEFITS FROM MENTORSHIP

Jordan Rogers runs Tiger City Entertainment.

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

“Growing up, I always thought DJing was this thing cooler kids did, and something I could never do.”

30

Memphis, Tenn.—When looking for personal backstory to provide insight as to why Jordan Rogers took to DJing for a profession, one need not look further than his upbringing.

Of course, every DJ has a history. Many of them include stories of an influential parent or uncle who was a music fan, with a trove of vinyl records that a young, budding DJ could poke through for hours. Or a mother who worked for a record company in the ’80s, and came home with stories of Stevie Wonder calling into the office.

But Rogers’ background is different. He comes from a family of traveling ministers in Wilkes Barre, Pa. So, the evangelist’s gene—common to almost every DJ, who believes in the power of music to evoke emotion and bring people together—has not skipped a generation.

“After my dad decided to relocate our family to the South, I began playing music and running sound in our church,” he says. “I was a drummer and guitar player, so being on stage was second nature for me.”

After graduating college, Rogers had a few options to make a living, but sitting in an office 40 hours a week just didn’t sound like the life for him. That’s when he was

introduced to the DJ world.

“I’ve been collecting music my whole life, but began a strong interest in DJing at the age of 22,” he says. “Growing up, I always thought DJing was this thing cooler kids did, and something I could never do. It always looked like so much fun.”

A friend—a local DJ legend around the Mid-South— taught Rogers how to create seamless mixes. Soon, Rogers got in touch with a local DJ business owner, who took the rookie under his wing for a short period of time.

“I got mentored from the best of both worlds,” says Rogers, who realized when he started working for the multi-op DJ business that spinning music was not just a lark. “It was at that point I knew I could and would make this my career.”

He invested in his own gear and “solid transportation,” knowing they’d be the biggest asset for his fledgling business. Today, as of a year ago, Rogers is a full-time DJ, owner of Tiger City Entertainment. “For about two or three years, I was gigging while working another part time job,” he says. “There were endless late nights of gigs when I’d have to be back at work the next morning. I certainly paid my dues.”

And Rogers certainly paid his dues when he started his own DJ business. “I had to figure out how to find clients and sell myself to them with little credibility,” he says.

“And then choosing the right paths to advertise and get PR. I can’t stress that one enough. Sometimes you just have to learn the hard way when it comes to advertising.”

Luckily, Rogers is a “slight extrovert,” so he would network as much as possible, looking for probable clients to play for. “I would take anything,” he recalls, “from birthday parties to Bar/Bat Mitzvahs to karaoke gigs.”

It helped that he had a few

friends in high places around town that gave him a shot on some bigger gigs—two of those being the NYE Guitar Drop on Beale Street and Thursday Squared. “Those were,” he says, “two defining moments in my career.”

This year, Rogers expects to book between 100-150 gigs in a Memphis market that he describes as not particularly competitive. “A lot of the guys who are event DJs are older and have been around for years,” he says. “I am one of the younger guys, so I think that plays to my advantage sometimes.”

Also playing to Rogers’ advantage is his ability to “lose his ego” and work under or beside someone that he can learn from. “I have learned so much from watching others—mentors are ever ything.”

That mentorship extends to his parents. “They know that DJing makes me happy and they pretty much support anything I do,” he says.

“My mother and step-father try to come to most of my shows.”

When I ask Rogers what kind of plan he has for his business, how or if he plans to scale it, something funny happened. This son of traveling ministers replied just as you might expect.

“I would love to be on tour with an artist,” he says.

“Traveling and touring has always been a huge passion of mine. If I don’t tour, I’ll be happy playing events, and taking mini-vacations throughout the year to see the world.”

And the beat goes on.

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DJ GROWTH STRATEGIES: FROM FIRST GIG TO THE BIG GIG

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

By Joe Molineaux

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Over the past several years, attending and presenting at the DJ Expo in Atlantic City I have met many DJs. The group I meet each year always represents a solid cross section of skills, experience and size of operation.

Beginner, intermediate or expert describes the demonstrated skills and experience of these DJs. The more you work and hone your craft the more experienced you become. Principles, mission statements and size of operation are choices entirely up to you—as are whatever genres, events or venues you wish to play.

But the length of time working in the industry is one of the few things about DJing that you cannot speed up. Unlike your skill level— which can be enhanced through practice and performance—actual time in business is measured in months, years and decades.

At this point in your DJ career, you are either: u Starting out and looking for your first gig. u Been there, done that and looking for your next gig. u Currently playing small gigs and dreaming of the big gigs. u Actually playing the big gigs and ready to headline major events.

Wherever you find yourself on this list you are in a growth mode.

So what is your growth strategy to reach your next level of measurable success? And how is it you plan to get there?

For those of you whose first gig was back when two turntables and a microphone were your weapons of choice, sit back and enjoy the ride down memory lane. Those still waiting to jump in professionally or the hobbyist ready to take the plunge, take note.

The first gig can be hard to get and will most likely not be your best gig. But it is a paying gig and that is a very good thing when you first start out. The expectations you place on yourself may be high, and the pressure to perform may get to you a little bit, but remember that you were chosen to do a job so give it all you’ve got and try to meet those expectations. Even if you wind up south of there, you

will still be in a pretty good place.

Take note of what is going right and what does not go so well. This starts during your first interaction with the potential client. Think about your approach to discussing the aspects of the event and overcoming possible objections when it comes to pricing your services. You don’t want to lose the gig by charging too much, but you can’t afford to give away your services either.

When it comes to the actual day of the event, arrive early and be ready to work. Try your best to plan for unforeseen or hidden problems so should they occur you will be prepared.

On the performance side, when a certain mix works and has the crowd calling for more, make sure you remember that combo. Utilize technology to make recording what works easier.

To leverage your first gig into your next gig, you will need to collect some positive feedback from the people that hired you for your first gig. Most people will take more stock in the words of a past customer than they do in the marketing you do yourself.

Be sure to learn from any mistakes or miscues that occurred at the first gig. Insanity can be described as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The concept of doing better at each gig is what builds the skills and experience. More experience can lead to an opportunity to book more gigs.

Make it easy for people to contact you by having plenty of contact information available, but not on display. When you meet someone or they stop up to ask you a question or request a song, make sure you have business cards or postcards with you that include all of your contact information as well as the best ways to reach you using social media or the Internet.

While pricing is usually based on numerous factors like geographic location, competition, and your costs to set up, perform and break down (as well as upsells like lighting, props and additional equipment), more in-demand DJs can and do command a higher fee. Aspire to become an in-demand DJ. Many times DJs are asked to perform in intimate settings and for smaller groups. Working a small gig can and sometimes does lead to big opportunities. First, you are still being paid a good rate to perform. Whether it is a small corporate party, a fundraiser or providing some background music at a “wallpaper” gig, play it to the best of your ability. You never know what future potential clients are in the room and will want you for the big gig.

Most DJs want to play the big gig, the big room, the show.

And whether they admit it openly or not, part of the dreams most DJs dream are doing just that: Playing in front of the masses and moving them with every mix.

If it is part of your plan, the big gig brings the energy and the feeling that you have made it to the Promised Land. And everything changes because you have played and been paid for the big gig.

Ask any DJ about their biggest gig and they will be able to tell you all about it. They will be able to share all the details, the mixes, the movements and more. That date will be forever burned into their memory cells. Until, of course… the next big gig!

Joe Molineaux, Director of the Small Business Development Center at Stockton University, is a columnist for the Atlantic City Press, Public Speaker and Host of a weekly Business & Music talk radio program. He’ll be presenting “DJ Growth Strategies: First Gig, Next Gig, Small Gig, Big Gig” at the DJ Expo, Aug. 10-13 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J.

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DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

ADJ’s Jelly Gressor is a derby moonflower that offers two-in-one effects and sports six 1W LEDS—two red, two green and two blue— with a transparent plastic case that provides an additional, colorchanging feature. The unit comes with built-in sound active effects, including having the unit’s moonflower effects jump to the beat of the music, while the case continually changes color. The unit produces a wide 140-degree beam angle and users can daisy-chain the power supply for up to 17 at 120V.

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The Reloop RMX-22i is a 2+1 channel, compact club-style DJ mixer.

The unit features four integrated Instant Sound Color effects—White Noise, Filter (low and high-pass), Bit Crusher and Gate—that can be used for any channel. There is an iPad split input in the rear of the mixer that lets users include an iPad, Android tablet or smartphone directly into their DJ set-up via 3.5 mm jack. Additional features include threeband EQ, eight inputs and five outputs.

FL ’Er Up

See the NEON Light

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

FL Studio 12 is now available for download. FL Studio 12 features a redesigned, resizable mixer with six layout styles and three userconfigurable docking panels. It is now 100 percent vectorial, allowing it to be used on multiple monitors with high fidelity. Additional features include improved 32 and 64 Bit VST plug-in support, an improved browser layout with user-configurable category tabs, and a variety of updated plug-ins.

NEON DRIVE is the latest MASCHINE Expansion from Native Instruments. NEON DRIVE features 80s-inspired chord and pad sounds, melodies and retro-inspired drums for use in contemporary pop, electronic, and R&B styles. The expansion also comes with new presets for the MASSIVE synth, REAKTOR PRISM and MASCHINE 2 Drum Synths.

NEON DRIVE is currently available at the NI Online Shop, while a compact version for iMASCHINE is available via the in-app store.

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Matter of TRUSST TRUSST 5200 NW 108th Ave. Sunrise, FL 33351 (954) 577-4455 www.trusst.com The TRUSST Tent Clamp is an adjustable zinc-plated steel clamp that creates secure connection points for hanging lighting, audio gear and décor elements on clear span tents that use Keder-type framework. The clamp can safely support weights up to 330 pounds.

It features a built-in safety cable attachment point, as well as a permanently-attached eye bolt that the company says allows for a quick and easy connection with standard rigging shackles and round slings or wire rope.

Better 8 Than Never Yamaha Corporation of America 6600 Orangethorpe Ave Buena Park, CA 90620 (714) 522-9011 www.steinberg.net Cubase Elements 8 from Steinberg is the latest in the company’s Cubase range. This new version includes window docking for the VST Instrument Rack and MediaBay, a redesigned track list and inspector, a new plug-in manager for customization and a flexible window layout for PC versions. Cubase Elements 8 features an enhanced EQ module on each channel strip, displaying values for gain, frequency and note pitch.

Additional features include an MP3 codec for unlimited encoding and decoding of MP3 files.

Audio Artery Arabiankatu 3 00560 Helsinki, Finland +358 41 7264209 www.audioartery.com Audio Artery released a starter version of its One DJ professional software. One DJ Start features both two- and four-deck internal and external layouts and comes with built-in FX, loops, hot cues, sync, BPM detection, grid editing, and live recording capability. In addition, One DJ Start offers full MIDI mapping capabilities and Timeline Live Mode, which allows for live mixing using the One DJ Timeline.

AUGUST 2015

Let’s Do the Timeline Again

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Dynamic Duo

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

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The Intimidator Spot Duo 150 from Chauvet features two Intimidator Spot LED 150 moving heads pre-mounted on a single bar. The unit comes with separate color and gobo wheels, as well as separate built-in movement macros for sound and automated modes. Thanks to a built-in pass-through hole, Intimidator Spot Duo 150 can be safely mounted on tripods and multiple units can be power linked to save time running cables, according to the company.

Social Studies

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

Line 6 26580 Agoura Road Calabasas, CA 91302 (818) 575-3600 www.Line6.com

36

Propellerhead Software, the makers of the world-famous Reason DAW, developed a new music-making tool called Propellerhead, which uses social media to create a collaborative music-making experience. Users can upload sounds, beats, or any original piece of music for other Propellerhead users to remix or edit. The goal, according to the company, is “to help turn people's music making dreams into a reality” by allowing them to “collaborate with people of all different ages and cultures, across the world, in the collective art of music-making.”

Harman’s Martin Professional released a new hybrid smoke and haze machine called the RUSH Club Smoke Dual. This multi-head system utilizes up to six heads across three zones via DMX or an onboard digital display. According to the company, the Club Smoke Dual eliminates the need for fluid changeover as a specially-formulated fluid allows users to deploy fog, haze, or a combination of both. The separate base unit holds up to 10 liters of fluid and can be installed in a remote location.

Countdown to LaunchKey American Music & Sound 22020 Clarendon St, Suite 305 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (800) 431-2609 www.novationmusic.com/us Novation's Launchkey keyboard controller has been upgraded to feature RGB velocity-sensitive pads that match users' clip colors, making workflow in session view more intuitive, according to the company. Launchkey is available in 25-, 49- and 61-note versions, with nine dedicated full-size faders included on the 49- and 61-note models. The unit comes with a 1GB collection of production-ready samples, as well as Ableton Live Lite, Novation Bass Station and VStation virtual instruments.

WATCH IT NOW! DJTimes.com/watch Plus, catch interviews and live performances from J.Phlip Paul van Dyk Julian Jordan Kill Frenzy Dada Life Cosmic Gate Pan-Pot Pete Tong Gorgon City Seven Lions Nicky Romero and more!

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

“SATISFY” u RedSoul u Playmore Following up “I Can Do Better,” Dave “RedSoul” Wareing takes it back to the underground with a very satisfying cut.

Deep vibes and a swinging groove combine for an essential late-night groove.

– Curtis Zack “THANG” EP u Doorly u Toolroom One of the U.K.’s top producers, Doorly brings us the goods with classic disco samples layered over a tough and funky tech groove. Dropping his trademark breakdowns and sweet underground vibes, Doorly offers another classic.

– Tommy D Funk “LIGHTS DOWN” (REMIXES)

u The New Sins u Defected

Full-on electro-house with some fantastic mixes, including the wonderfully warped “Waze & Odyssey Remix.”

Another Defected floor-filler.

– Tommy D Funk PHARMACY u Galantis u Big Beat/Atlantic Big, radio-friendly dance anthems are the name of the game here. The Swedish duo adopts a song-based approach here, delivering undeniable choruses and stunning progressive-house melodies in spades. Previously released singles “Runaway (U&I)” and “Gold Dust” are just the tip of the iceberg, with the massive “Firebird” and disco-fueled “Peanut Butter Jelly” further showcasing the duo’s comprehensive skills. Wildly original and entirely unforgettable, the record is sure to be one heard for months to come.

– Chris Caruso “DIAMOND” u Rhemi feat. Hanlei u Rhemi Music The team of Neil Pierce and Ziggy Funk has been destroying the soulful clubs over the past few years with a steady succession of vocal gems. Their latest offering raises the quality bar even further with a super slick-baseline and devastating vocals from Hanlei. Pure and simple class.

– Curtis Zack

René Amesz

“SKIN DEEP” u Dusky u 17 Steps Dusky has hit the perfect chord, incorporating nostalgic lyrics, a lush and liquid ambiance in his breakdown and a nice bouncy bassline to groove to. This track will indeed “make you wanna move!”

– Chris Davis

GUEST REVIEWER: KENNY SUMMIT

Aphrohead/Felix Da Housecat

“SEEIN’ YOU”

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

u Eli Escobar u Night People NYC

38

Escobar’s been on fire lately with his superb deep-house productions. He did a remix for Good For You Records that we absolutely loved, and I’ve been following him Kenny Summit closely ever since. This soulful, vocal track’s part of an album (Up All Night) that’s one of the best entries to the genre I’ve heard in a while—all solid releases, one just as good as the next.

Bontan

“SLOWLY BURNING” u Cristoph feat. Jem Cooke u Defected The top U.K. house DJ/producer teams up with Jem Cooke, who drops some alluring vocals over his distinctive trancey house sound for some hypnotic effect. And check the dub mix—it’s hot.

– Tommy D Funk “LET’S PRANCE” EP u Aphrohead u Crosstown Rebels On this dark, deep and creative four-tracker, Aphrohead (aka Felix Da Housecat) gets some weird and wonderful remixes. Don’t sleep on the tweaky, trippy, tribal Art Department/BLUD remix— a real floor-filler.

– Tommy D Funk

Dusky

“BIG” EP u René Amesz u Toolroom Amesz returns with a top-quality two-tracker that offers an oldschool, deep-house feel. With its preacher-sermon samples, tight drum patterns and smooth bass, “Big” can be a quirky floor-filler.

And don’t sleep on the churning and groovy “Rewind.”

– Tommy D Funk “GHETTO JAZZ” EP u HR & SKI u I’m A House Gangster This two-track EP offers a fusion of cool, funky, soulful jazz with a slick breakdown and a fierce four-to-the-floor beat. This is some good quality New York underground house music at its best. Full support on this.

– Tommy D Funk

RedSoul

“FIREFLY” u Bontan u Toolroom This superb single offers lush, old-school piano chords, haunting vocals, incredible hooks and a grooving rhythm. For its classy underground-house feel, check the Christian Nielsen remix.

– Tommy D Funk “THE MAGIC ROOM” EP u Dino Lenny & Doorly u Fine Human These two masters of house create a monster of a three-track EP here. Check the fine mixes from Dino Lenny, Doorly and The Deepshakerz with classy piano, funky house basslines, and peak-time breakdowns. Fave track: “The Magic Room (Doorly Re-Chunk Mix).”

Galantis Doorly

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

– Tommy D Funk

39

Chus + Ceballos

(continued from page 8) more recent years. It’s very fast and intuitive, and it’s perfectly oriented for electronic music and DJs. As for plug-ins, just to name a few, we love the stuff from Native Instruments, FabFilter, SPL, Arturia and Soundtoys.

DJ Times: What’s your DJ set-up?

Chus: We started out with vinyl, then moved onto CDs, and now we play with Traktor, our computers and a few gadgets. We respect every different way of playing music, but right now it’s the Traktor’s expert system that allows us to be

more creative and enables us to create a different story through our music every night. We still play vinyls at home and at parties once in awhile. It brings back good memories and it’s still is the most beautiful and romantic way to playing records. Our vinyl collection is an endless source of inspiration in the studio, and it’s also the best sound library we can have.

DJ Times: How has Traktor impacted your DJing approach?

Ceballos: Before performing with Traktor, it

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was easier to identify who was playing what because of our different styles. But now with Traktor, it’s just like one big jam session, where we’re always adding loops and a cappellas when we feel like it.

So it’s become harder to differentiate between our two sounds. Like we’ve said before, Traktor has completely changed the way we play and it’s made everything a lot more creative and fun for us.

DJ Times: Does your approach to DJing and studio work differ?

Chus: When we DJ, we like to work with a whole range of music. We like to move through different styles with ups and downs. It makes our sets more dynamic and fun, like we say, from house to techno, drums are always present. We definitely like to give our crowd an experience and a great time to remember. When we produce, it’s pretty much the same thing. We are not closed off to any single genre, and a recurring element in our music— “leitmotif”—is groove and soul.

DJ Times: What keeps you inspired and motivated?

Ceballos: In our case, it’s all about our fans.

They are a true inspiration. They give us so much energy and love each time we play that we always want to bring something new and exciting for the crowd every time we go back to a club. Thus, we’re on an endless search for new music or working on new projects. Another reason that keeps us motivated is our families. We sacrifice so much time doing what we love that the best way to honor all those hours not spent with them is leaving the best music legacy we can.

DJ Times: Advice to aspiring DJs? Ceballos: Be yourself and find your own sound.

It’s something that people will recognize instantly when they listen to your music. It’s also really important to be influenced by other artists and gain inspiration from your favorites, but the key to making good music and being a good DJ is to find your own blend. The crowd knows when you are doing something from deep within your soul. You can’t lie to them. When you believe in something and fight for it, you gain an aura of understanding that will naturally help you excel in your career.

– Duanny Medrano

Destructo

(continued from page 16) one of my friends said, “You’re crazy. You’re Gary $ 349 Richards, you fucking know everybody, you’re not going to move to Charlotte, N.C., and fucking do nothing, like… come on!”

DJ Times: What made you get back into the scene?

Fast FREE Shipping | idjnow.com | 1.800.355.7746 Richards: So, my dad was always pushing me.

Se Habla Español | Showrooms Open 7 Days | We Rent Locally “You’re the rave king,! You’ve got to do a show.” So Queens, NY 718.762.0100 | Babylon, NY 631.321.1700 it was like… alright, I’ll go back to what I originally did in the early ’90s and produce a show and DJ. I © 2015 I DJ NOW. Limited time offers. Prices subject to change without notice. Not responsible for typographical errors. Consumer Affairs # 1387598 started going out and checking out what was happening, and I realized that there was all this great DJ Gear | Lighting Effects | Live Sound | Recording | Stage | Performance music like Crystal Castles and Boys Noize coming out and no one was booking it; everybody was booking the big trance shit. So I thought I’ll try and DJ_Times_May_2015.indd 1 4/14/15 11:09 AM do an event. The first one was, like, Justice, Peaches, [Steve] Aoki, 2 Live Crew, and stuff like that and I IDJNOW • Leasing Ad • 4c, 4.125” W X 4.375” H • Ad Runs in DJ TIMES for May 2015 • 631-585-1100 x 7460 thought, “OK, I’ll throw a Hail Mary and see what happens.”

DJ Times: So what happened?

Richards: The show was originally supposed to cost a hundred-grand and ended up costing Shure BLX24/SM58

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

Go to idjnow.com for details

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MP3s in 6

Compiled As July 14, 2015

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NATIONAL URBAN POOL CHART

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

1 Omarion F/ C. Brown & Jhene Aiko Post To Be 2 Wale F/ Usher The Matrimony 3 Rihanna Bitch Better Have My Money 4 Weekend Earned It 5 Fetty Wap Trap Queen 6 Future Commas 7 J. Cole Wet Dreams 8 Rich Homie Quan Flex (Ooh Ooh Ooh) 9 Wiz Khalifa F/ Charlie Puth See You Again 10 Chedda Da Connect Flicka Da Wrist 11 Fetty Wap My Way 12 Jidenna F/ Roman Gianarthur Classic Man 13 Big Sean F/ Kanye West Blessings 14 Jeremih F/ J. Cole Planes 15 Kid Ink F/ DEJ Loaf Be Real 16 Drake How About Now 17 Tink Million 18 Rae Sremmurd This Could Be Us 19 T.I. F/ Chris Brown Private Show 20 Kanye F/London/Kingdom/McCartney All Day

Britney Spears & Iggy Azalea Pretty Girls Rihanna Bitch Better Have My Money Andy Grammer Honey I’m Good Ricky Martin Mr. Put It Down Rozalla If You Say It Again D. Guetta F/Nicki Minaj & AfroJack Hey Mama Robert Clivilles Set Me Free Walk The Moon Shut Up And Dance Audien F/ Parson James Insomnia Giorgio Moroder & Sia DeJa Vu Sam Smith Like I Can Madonna Bitch I’m Madonna Skylar Stecker Rooftop Carly Rae Jepson I Really Like You Claire Rasa All I Wanted Tony Moran F/ Martha Wash Free People Martin Garrix F/ Usher Don’t Look Down Leona Lewis Fire Under My Feet Chic F/ Nile Rodgers I’ll Be There Raquela Summertime Dave Aude F/ Cierra Sample Circles Axwell Ingrosso On My Way Taylor Swift F/ Kendrick Lamar Bad Blood L’Tric This Feeling Zedd F/ Selena Gomez I Want You To Know Banks Begging For Thread Ellie Goulding Love Me Like You Do Ryan Cabrera House On Fire Sir Ivan Kiss All The Bullies Goodbye TiE Won’t Let Go Franques We Got It All Stereolove F/ Sara Loera Sara Dark Intensity F/ Liz Primo Dance With Your Heart Camille You’re So Beautiful Nick Jonas Chains Tito Torres F/ Melina What We Could Be Zedd F/ Jon Bellion Beautiful Now KC And The Sunshine Band I Love You More Muzik Box Fabulous Tunnelmental Experimental Assembly Shite

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Dark Intensity F/ Liz Primo Ryan Cabrera Jade Skylar Stecker KC And The Sunshine Madonna Walk The Moon Zedd F/ Jon Bellion Carly Rae Jepson Amoray

Dance With Your Heart House On Fire Better And Better Rooftop I Love You More Bitch I’m Madonna Shut Up And Dance Beautiful Now I Really Like You Work It Out

RCA Roc Nation S-Curve Sony Rozalla Music Parlophone C&C Music Factory RCA Astralwerks RCA Capitol Interscope Cherry Tree Interscope BMAB Radikal Spinnin Def Jam Warner Brothers House Of Pride Audacious Def Jam Republic Virgin Interscope Astralwerks Interscope RCA Peaceman Global Groove Promark Stereo Love 444 Zarion Columbia Promark Carrillo Sunshine Control Voltage Dauman

444 RCA Tazmania Cherry Tree Sunshine Interscope RCA Carrillo Interscope Knockout Fashion

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Masspool - Saugus, MA; Gary Canavo n Chew Fu - Woodbridge, CT; Chew Fu n Dirty Pop Productions - San Diego, CA; DJ Drew n Dj Stickyboots - Goshen, NJ; Blake Eckelbarger n Nexus Radio - Chicago, IL; Manny Esparza n Hype Radio - Yuba City, CA; Rich Fayden n Pittsburgh DJ - Pittsburgh, PA; Jim Kolich n Soundworks - San Francisco, CA; Sam Labelle n New York Music Pool - Levittown, NY; Jackie McCloy n Dixie Dance Kings - Alpharetta, GA; Dan Miller n WPTV-Prty 105FM Frd MdMx - New York, NY; Mike Rizzo n MOOD Spins - Seattle, WA; Randy Schlager n Legends - Raleigh, NC; Joey Shull n DJ Laszlo - Las Vegas, NV; Laszlo Szenasi n Northeast Record Pool - Revere, MA; Justin Testa n Pacific Coast - Long Beach, CA; Steve Tsepelis Looking for these titles? You can hear them and buy them at www.dancekings.com. Just click on the links in the chart.

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Atlantic Atlantic Roc Nation Republic RFG Epic Columbia Think Its A Game Atlantic EOne RFG Epic Def Jam Def Jam RCA Republic Epic Interscope Columbia Def Jam

Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5

Janet Jackson Omarion F/ Kid Ink & French Montana Chris Brown Meek Mill F/ Nicki/Chris Brown Trey Songz

No Sleep I’m Up Liquor All Eyes On You About You

Rhythm Atlantic RCA Atlantic Atlantic

NEW NATIONAL LATIN DANCE POOL CHART 1. Rey Chavez 2. J Martin 3. Chino & Nacho 4. Delilah 5. Charlie Aponte 6. Oro Solido, Hmns. Rosario 7. Tarzana 8. Victor Manuelle 9. Gente De Zona y Marc Anthony 10. Zion y Lennox 11. Daddy Yankee 12. Enrique I. ft Yandel & J Magan 13. Tito Rojas 14. Jessy Rose 15. Tomas The Latin Boy 16. Angelucho Copacabana 17. Angie K ft Qbanito 18. Kalimete 19. Prince Royce 20. Clasicon

Voy A Robarme a la Novia Yo soy el Loco Aquel Me Voy A Enamorar Party Til’ We Drop Para Festejar Merenguemania Baila Con Tarzana Agua Bendita La Gozadera Pierdo La Cabeza Sigueme y Te Sigo De Dia y De Noche Aguzate y Come Berro Falso Amor Bailalo Aqui Esta Lo Que Esperabas De Moda El Perdon Solita La Calle Soy Yo

J&N PPE Universal Latina Princess Sony 24K Demand Sony Latin Hits Latin Hits Universal Universal T.R. Park East Latina Mr. Yuca Big Dream Sueños Top Stop Music BN

Stuck On A Feeling En Los Pasos De Mi Padre Perdido En Tus Ojos Sunset Te Voy A Tomar

Latin Hits Andujar Music Universal Carbon Fiber SB4 Music

Most Added Tracks 1.

2.

3.

4.

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Prince Royce ft. Snoop Dog Don Perignon Don Omar ft Natty Natasha Farruko ft Shaggy, & Nicky Jam Son By Four

REPORTING LATIN POOLS n Latinos Unidos Record Pool n Salsamania Latin Record Pool n Lobo/Bass Record

Pool n Urban Tropics Music Pool n North East Record Pool n Mixx Hitts Record Pool n Ritmo Camacho Record Pool n Ritmo Internacional Record Pool n DJ Latinos Record Pool n Mass Pool n Record Pool Latino n V.I.P. Chicago Record Pool.

about four-hundred and something.

I lost all this money and once again had trouble producing it, but I realized I had something very special. I realized I tapped into something that was cool. I knew what I was doing. I really felt like for the first time I had something that I could make my own and do something different.

DJ Times: At the parties you were going to in the early 1990s, the DJ might have been tucked away in the background. Now people book massive festivals with the star power of a DJ being the selling point of the ticket. What are your thoughts on that shift?

Richards: I think it’s great. I was one of those DJs then and I’m one of those DJs now, so I remember. No one used to watch what I was doing at a warehouse party back in the day. If you train-wrecked or fucked up, then people would pay attention.

Other than that, they knew you were there, but it was just more low-key.

I think it’s cool that DJs are front and center right now and that they get so much attention. They put on a show and do stuff. I love it. I think it’s brought way more attention to the scene, way more attention to the whole thing.

DJ Times: What did you think back in the day?

Richards: What I used to think when I was young was that it was underground and that it was our thing. That’s why I did Rave America, in part to rebel against how big it was getting. I realized that was a selfish approach. Why should only some people get to hear this music?

It should be for everybody.

DJ Times: In 2012, you really stepped it up when Live Nation bought HARD. How did that change the company?

Richards: When I started HARD in 2007, the biggest thing was… just to do one of these events costs millions and millions of dollars. I’m just one guy with a wife and kids, so if there’s one issue or problem at the show I could be homeless. I just can’t risk that, so I always just wanted a backer or a partner. I could have never imagined it being Live Nation; they’re like the largest concert promoter in the world.The deal’s been fantastic and it’s enabled me to take more risks and to put more back into the show.

DJ Times: How so?

Richards: I can make the production better and just make things better that I would skimp on when it was my own money, and I’m able to have a bigger team, too. When I would do the event myself, we would engineer the stage one time. Now I think Live Nation engineers the stage three times. There’s just things that they do as a big corporation that are great when you’re dealing with hundreds of thousands of people, and any extra help and money lets us spend more to make the show safer and better for the neighbors, police department, and things like that. It’s just better all around.

DJ Times: And does that free up you to focus more effort on the creative part of it?

Richards: Oh yeah, like a 1,000-percent. It’s helped me with that, but it’s also helped me make Destructo music and DJ more. Before I sold it to Live Nation, literally 80-percent of my time was dealing with City Hall, the fire department, the police department, security. I’m not mad about that; it’s just not my best skill.

I could do that, but I think I’m better at dealing with other artists and the lineup and the studio.

DJ Times: You’ve been DJing as

Destructo in three different decades, but is seems recently you’ve had resurgence of sorts as a DJ. Do you think that explosion is a result of HARD and the events?

Richards: When I started HARD, I said I wanted to DJ as well as produce the show, so it kind of gave me a platform to start DJing, and getting a gig. You might not think it, but I feel like I’m kind of a modest person. I mean, I’m looking at the first HARD [poster] now and I’m third from the bottom out of 70 acts. I would play in between the groups when nobody wanted to play. I think when it really started to happen for me was when Live Nation bought HARD because then I was able to actually go in a studio making tunes.

DJ Times: That didn’t happen before?

Richards: All the years before, I would make tunes with other artists I had managed on my record label, so I wasn’t really the artist. They would always kind of tell me that I was the label or the manager and that I did “the biz” while they I did the music.

This thing has really freed me up to just get creative and do what I want to do, and I think the combination of having the time to actually go to the studio and make original music that’s exactly what I want to create and then having time to actually get out there and DJ other events besides HARD has really helped it to take off. I think there’s lots of people that don’t even know that Destructo does HARD. People see me at some festival and say, “You’re my new favorite DJ! I’ve never even heard of you!”

They’ve got my West Coast EP and they love the rap and the house and they don’t even know about HARD at all, so it’s kind of cool.

DJ Times: How has proliferation

of the Internet and social media affected the way you can market events today in comparison to when you first began?

Richards: We used to hand out flyers, and we had a mailing list to actually physically mail postcards to people. We’d sort them by zip code, in order to get a better rate on the postage. If I had Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and Soundcloud and all that shit back then? Game over.

DJ Times: Why? Richards: I mean, the reason why Rave America did so well and we got so big was because we had radio promotion. You know, we actually got on the radio with that event and it just spread to other people because— let’s be honest—electronic music’s killer, people love it, and who doesn’t like to go out and dance and party and have a good time? That’s been going on since there’s been humans on the planet, but it’s like: How do you spread the word? Somebody told me back then that I have the oil, but no pipeline, that there was no way to get the music and the event to the people. Now with all of these tools at my disposal, I can get it right to the people without having to be on the radio and without having to be on MTV. Back then, that’s all you had.You had to have an ad in the paper, the LA Weekly you know, all that shit.

DJ Times: And now?

Richards: Now, I have my network built up, and I can shoot out an email right now to hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of people and turn them on to my music, events, and other cool shit. I’ve never used that pipeline for anything else other than quality, so I feel like I’ve kept it really clean. When we tell people about stuff, they listen. They pay attention. n

DJ TIMES

AUGUST 2015

Steve Aoki, Not So Frosted

42

By now, the cake jokes don’t really bother me.

OK, I might…

I mean, it’s not like I’m going to sue you.

Steve Aoki, Next Month in DJ Times

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