DJ Times May 2018, Vol 31 No 5

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AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988

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MIAMI MUSIC WEEK: ULTRA, WMC & MORE PERFECTION: STUDIO MIXING/MASTERING HOW DJS PRODUCE GREAT OUTDOOR EVENTS PLUS: iLAN BLUESTONE F MR. FINGERS F DENON DJ VL12 F CR2 SAMPLE TOOLS F FLEXING YOUR BRAND

UPDATE

NOTABLES…MILESTONES NEWS On Fire: Swedish House Mafia at UMF. aLIVE Coverage

MIAMI MUSIC WEEK: ULTRA, WMC & MORE

By Jim Tremayne & Brian Bonavoglia

Miami Beach, Fla. – As usual, Miami Music Week offered a little bit of everything for DJs, fans and music-industry types. In addition to the regular fare of late-night parties, sunsoaked festivals and hotel-pool schmoozes, this year’s version of MMW, which ran this past March 19-25, delivered a couple of big surprises.

WMC: For starters, Winter Music Conference actually happened, and it provided some notable news – the annual industry confab and its International Dance Music Awards (IDMAs) had been purchased by Ultra Music Festival. After months of inactivity and some public scrutiny, WMC ‘18 announced that it would proceed with its 33rd consecutive show… to take place at the Faena Forum exactly 12 days after the announcement. Understandably, WMC proceeded with a modest seminar schedule – eight sessions, including Q&As with DJ/producers Nora En Pure and Fedde Le Grand.

But the early-week news of the acquisition seemed to lift any misgivings or confusion about this year’s WMC and seemed to provide stability for its future. As it happened, the seminars were lively and filled with attentive and curious attendees. Also, WMC’s three post-seminar “mixers” at the nearby Faena Hotel featured top talents like Chus & Ceballos on the decks. (Full Disclosure: DJ Times moderated WMC’s Fedde Le Grand Q&A and participated in its “Publicity 101” panel.)

UMF: Ultra Music Festival, which ran March 23-25 at Bayfront Park, celebrated 20 years with a robust lineup from every quadrant of the electronic-dance music world. Of course, the week’s other big news was the return of Swedish House Mafia, which closed out Ultra’s main stage on March 25. Although the performance from SHM’s Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello was heavily hinted in the blogosphere, fans responded effusively to the trio’s first DJ set in five years – a gig that included all the hits like “One” and “Leave the World Behind,” plus two new tracks.

Friday Highlights: At UMF’s Resistance/Carl Cox Megastructure, veteran DJ/producer Josh Wink gave candy ravers and techno newbies a history lesson with a set full of depth and cultural resonance. In between his crushing acid-breaks classics like “Don’t Laugh,” “Are You There?” and “I’m Ready,” Wink dropped snippets of his percolating 2017 single, “Resist,” as if to say… dance, but definitely don’t sleep.

Later at the megastructure, German duo Pan Pot followed up with a set of dynamic and trippy tech-house, then Joseph Capriati blasted the place with huge, rolling beats that energized the early-evening ravers.

Next door on the Ultra Worldwide Stage, Joyryde dropped a set full of catchy trap tunes, quaking bass rumblers and hip-hop faves like the Yung Bae Remix of Kendrick Lamar’s “D.N.A.” Then a B2B set with NGHTMRE and Slander brought full-on madness with big drops, machine-gun beats, and raging synth riffs. Meanwhile, over on the mainstage, Dutch DJ/producer Oliver Heldens spun big flexible beats and got the crowd going with faves like Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow (Y2K Mix)” and HI-LO & Alok’s “Alien Technology.” Over at the flame-belching Resistance Arcadia “Spider,” Pete Tong dropped underground sounds like “Mother Earth” by Harry Romero, plus his own material, like the grooving “Promised Land” featuring Disciples.

Certainly, Friday’s most provocative performance came at the Live Stage from Fischerspooner. Fronting a setup that included a live drummer and multi-instrumentalist Warren Fischer, vocalist Casey Spooner delivered an earnest, sassy stage show that devoutly explored explicitly gay themes. With its tight, edgy and decidedly sleazy-sounding synthscapes from its new album, Sir (Ultra Music), Fisherspooners’ set was wonderfully confrontational.

Saturday Highlights: At the Resistance/Carl Cox Megastructure, a trio of techno titans held sway – Nicole Moudaber, Paco Osuna and Dubfire dropped a B2B set with pounding groovers, like Anthony Michetti’s “Handgun,” what sent the hangar into a full-on frenzy.

Next door on the Ultra Worldwide Stage, Nora En Pure threw a change-up with a groovy mixture of modern-style deep house (like her own jazzy “Morning Dew”) and snappy, big-room beats (like Calippo’s “Solstice”). A terrific set.

Meanwhile on the mainstage, Jauz – America’s Best DJ 2017 – brought the party in a big way with hits new and old – from Robert Miles and The Prodigy, from Diplo to DJ Sammy, from KRS-One to Kendrick Lamar, plus his various crunchy collabs… an impressive range to be sure.

Sunday Highlights: While Swedish House Mafia certainly drew the most of Sunday’s attention, there were some other notable performances. So… while Ultra’s Worldwide Stage has built a reputation by catering to bass enthusiasts, this Sunday evening festival-goers had the opportunity to get their adrenaline pumping with two high-octane drum-n-bass sets, courtesy U.K. genre-giants Andy C and Sub Focus. Frenetic and memorable.

Also, Afrojack’s Jacked label invaded the final day’s proceedings and the Dutch superstar surprised fans with a very special two-hour set under his NLW (Nick Van De Wall) alias that saw appearances from Laidback Luke and David Guetta. Featuring a bulk of Afrojack’s storied discography, “ultranauts” were treated with a set packed with electronic anthems both new and old.

DDJ-1000: Pioneer DJ’s controller.

Megastructure: Carl Cox blasts techno fans.

RVR 16

Blast Off: Ultra Fest’s mainstage.

Philippe Wuyts

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VOLUME 31 NUMBER 5

DEPARTMENTS 7 Feedback

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

26 Making Tracks

Cr2 Sample Tools

27 Mainstage

New-Technology Showcase

28 Sounding Off

Denon DJ VL12 Turntable

30 Mobile Profile

NYC DJ Brings Shine to Celeb Events

32 Business Line

12 Made By Mija

With Talent, Hustle & a Little Bit of Luck, Mija Has Taken Her Genre-less Aesthetic to the Masses

BY BRIAN BONAVOGLIA

18 Miami Madness

DJs, Parties & Craziness – Scenes from Miami Music Week

BY DJ TIMES PHOTOGRAPHERS

22 Perfecting the Mix

New Studio Plug-Ins Just Made Mixing & Mastering Easier

BY WESLEY BRYANT-KING

Is Your Brand Award-Worthy?

34 Gear

New Products from Bose, Pioneer DJ & More

38 Grooves

Phat Tracks from Hatiras, Richard Durand & More

41 Club Play Chart

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

SAMPLINGS 8 ilan Bluestone Scars Exposed

10 In the Studio With…

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

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Mr. Fingers

24 Springing Forward

Not All Outdoor Events Are Created Equal. DJs Give Us Their Annual Springtime State of the Union.

BY JEFF STILES

Cover & Contents Images

By Ryan Farber

@djtimesmag

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FROM THE EDITOR

Is It Luck or Hustle?

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

If there’s one central topic we seem to encounter in telling the stories of successful DJs, it’s the amount of hustle each jock exerted to help put them on the map and eventually carry them over the top. Whether it’s a genre-leading pop star, like the late Jam Master Jay, or a pioneering global DJ, like Paul Oakenfold, the commonality is that they worked it relentlessly. They never sat around waiting to be discovered – no, they insisted the world hear them and they took their talent to the world. Hustle’s always a theme with the most successful jocks.

Accordingly, that’s the theme with Mija, as well. Much has been made of her “fortuitous” B2B gig with Skrillex at the Bonnaroo festival in 2014, but that engagement (which really jump-started her career) was more of a result of her hustle than luck. And in Brian Bonavoglia’s cover story, the genre-spanning Mija (aka Amber Giles) explains why that’s the case.

As always, Miami Music Week brought the craziness – Ultra Music Festival, ’round-the-clock parties, frantic industry schmooze, etc. But this year, it also brought some surprises – namely, the re-emergence of Winter Music Conference. The show actually happened this year and, shortly before it commenced, it was announced that WMC and its IDMA Awards were bought by Ultra Music Festival. Congrats to all on that front. Also, from the festival side of things, Ultra closed out with the re-emergence of Swedish House Mafia, which turned out to be the industry’s worst-kept secret leading up to the show. Of course, there were plenty of other acts that rocked the multitudes… so, our Page 3 news and our four-page photo spread brings you all the sights and sounds from South Beach and beyond. Enjoy.

In preparation for my Samplings interview with ilan Bluestone, I caught his act at Brooklyn’s Schimanski club, and the London-based Anjunabeats artist really turned it out. Of course, the Anjuna Family – complete with logo tattoos, signs and t-shirts – was out in force, as he played plenty of selections from his debut, full-length, Scars. A loyal bunch, they are – and, turns out, a good interview, he is. Also, in Samplings, our longtime L.A. correspondent Lily Moayeri went into the studio with house-music pioneer Mr. Fingers (aka Larry Heard), who discussed his rich new album, Cerebral Hemispheres.

After attending the Winter NAMM show this past January, our Wesley Bryant-King remained inspired. So, for this issue, the Denver-based DJ/producer loaded up on mixing and mastering software for DJ/producers and, in a tech feature, he delivers the goods on three studio products: Soundtheory’s Gullfoss and iZotope’s Ozone 8 and Neutron 2.

Other Tech Talk: In Sounding Off, our new Twin Cities-based correspondent DJ Deets takes on Denon DJ’s VL12 turntable. Meanwhile, for Making Tracks, our Jersey City, N.J.-based DJ/reviewer Mike Gwertzman runs Cr2 Sample Tools (“Dark Techno” and “Melodic. Vocal. Deep.”) through their paces.

From the world of the mobile entertainer, our Iowan scribe Jeff Stiles asks a panel of successful U.S. DJs how they approach the spring season and how they make sure that their outdoor gigs are always awesome. In Mobile Profile, we meet with DJ Suga Ray, who transitioned from the world of superhero comic books to bigtime celeb parties. For Business Line, we meet with Pennsylvania jock Mick Uranko, who asks: Is your brand award-worthy? Then, he explains how and why mobile jocks should understand their markets and be able to define their brands.

Of course, as spring warms the weather a bit (in some parts of the country, anyway), we look forward to DJ Expo, which is set to run Aug. 13-16 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. In addition to a new venue, this year’s Expo will also offer some new parties, exhibitors and seminar topics.

Stay tuned. For the very latest, please visit thedjexpo.com. See you in AC. And as we go to press, we hear the sad story of the death of Avicii (aka Tim Bergling), one of EDM’s biggest stars. Only 28, the Swedish DJ/producer passed away in Oman, details sketchy at this point. Looking back, we were fortunate to feature him on the cover of our March 2011 issue – just before things really broke open for him, but far ahead of his well-publicized darker days. From that morning in a Harlem recording studio, we recall an energetic 21-year-old talent, someone with all the promise in the world and, as he said, an artist just trying to make music that people would love.

Obviously, we offer our condolences to Avicii’s family, his team and his fans.

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Cheers,

Jim Tremayne Editor, DJ Times

editor-in-chief Jim Tremayne jtremayne@testa.com editor-at-large Brian O’Connor boconnor@testa.com assistant editor Brian Bonavoglia bbonavoglia@testa.com chart coordinator Dan Miller dmiller@testa.com contributors Kat Bein Wesley Bryant-King Chris Caruso Shawn Christopher Matt Clark Paul Dailey Reed Dailey Chris Davis DJ Deets Tony Fernandez Tommy D Funk Michelle Fetky Mike Gwertzman Jennifer Harmon Josh Harris Greg Hollmann Mike Klasco Michelle Loeb Lily Moayeri John Ochoa Jeff Stiles Bruce Tantum Phil Turnipseed Curtis Zack President/Publisher Vincent P. Testa FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO ORDER SUBSCRIPTIONS, CALL 800-937-7678 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.djtimes.com

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director of integrated advertising Paul Bozikis pbozikis@testa.com art director Janice Pupelis jpupelis@testa.com production manager Steve Thorakos sthorakos@testa.com digital art director Fred Gumm fgumm@testa.com social media coordinator Matt Van Dyke mvandyke@testa.com marketplace advertising sales manager Ricky Pimentel rpimentel@testa.com art/production assistant Ricky Pimentel rpimentel@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 © 2018 by DJ Publishing, Inc., and must not be reproduced in any manner except by permission of the publisher.

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FEEDBACK U P D AT E

AMERICA’S FIRST MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DJs ESTABLISHED 1988 $6.95 CANADA

FINDING COMMON GROUND

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ABLETON LIVE 10 & NEW DAW UPDATE

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PROFITING FROM LOUSY COMPETITION MIAMI MUSIC WEEK PREVIEW PLUS: DIRTYBIRD CAMPOUT EAST ✦ LANE 8 DNMO ✦ CRISTOPH ✦ PIONEER DJ HDJ-X10 HOW MOBILES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

3/15/2018 5:25:26 PM

This is Feedback, a monthly feature that fields questions from you, our readers, and funnels them out to in‑ dustry professionals. If you have any questions about DJing – marketing, mixing, equipment or insurance, any at all – drop us a letter at DJ Times, 25 Willowdale Ave, Port Washington, NY 11050, fax us at (516) 944‑8372 or e‑mail us at djtimes@testa.com. If we do use your question, you’ll receive a free DJ Times T‑shirt. And remember, the only dumb question is the ques‑ tion that is not asked.

DJ Expo Update Atlantic City, N.J. – DJ Expo is set for Aug. 13-16 at Harrah’s Atlantic City.

The show will offer the DJ industry’s largest exhibit hall, sponsored eve‑ ning entertainment and 30 seminars, panels and keynotes. Just-announced party highlights include: “Pre-2K Kick-Off Party” at The Pool at Harrah’s. Set for Expo’s opening night, Aug. 13, this retro-flavored throwdown at Harrah’s indoor topi‑ cal oasis will feature the best music from a bygone era – ’90s hip-hop, ’80s dance, ’70s disco and Prince!

Hosted by Jake Jacobsen, the event will launch Expo week in a big way.

“Entertainer of the Year 2018” Competition. On Aug. 15 at Haven Night‑ club in the Golden Nugget, the annual event will bestow awards to the Best of the Best of America’s Mobile-DJ Nation. Hosted by Jake Jacobsen, this year’s show will feature new, exciting routines, games and dances. With exacting new judging criteria, expect competitors to ramp up their games in an evening that’s sure to raise the roof.

New DJ Expo Sessions include: “Going Full-Time: Making the Transition/Taking the Plunge.” Are you a part-time DJ looking to go full-time?

Seeking bigger, greener pastures?

Well, almost all DJs start as part-time DJs – Jason Klock certainly did. But now he’s a successful full-timer and, in this informative DJ Expo session, the Klock Entertainment founder will

reveal the tactics he employed – and the mistakes he made – in making his full-time DJ dream come true.

“Wedding-DJ Tips: Creating Unique Moments That Last a Lifetime.” Ev‑ ery wedding DJ says, “I make them dance!” But let’s get real – all DJs do that. What’s really important is making these events genuinely memorable to clients and guests alike. So, how does a DJ accomplish that every time? In this illuminating seminar, Fox Feltman of BTA Entertainment opens up about

the unique things that DJs can do to create magical moments – things that happen between the dancing – that people will never forget.

“Talking Tax: How DJs Can Take Advantage of the New Tax Law.” Are you still confused by America’s new tax laws? And just what do these changes mean for professional DJs? How can you benefit? Jerry Bazata of DJ Jaz Music & Entertainment is also a financial advisor and a regular DJ Expo speaker. In this informative

session, he’ll explain best practices in making the new tax law work for you.

“How to Be the Difference Maker.” In his 35-plus years DJing, Mike Wieder from Ultimate Sounds Entertainment has performed at thousands of events, created a lot of moments and made tons of memories. Along with all the successes, he’s also made just about every mistake possible. In this forth‑ coming seminar, Wieder will present a blueprint for transforming generic DJs into genuine entertainers.

MAY 2018

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SAMPLINGS

ILAN BLUESTONE: SCARS EXPOSED Scars, his debut artist album, which includes standout tracks “Let Me Know” (feat. Giuseppe De Luca) and “Another Lover” (feat.

Koven). Just after playing a winning set at Brooklyn’s Schimanski club, he connected with DJ Times.

DJ Times: What got you into DJing?

Bluestone: My brother got me into it. I was watching him DJ from a young age. It was very inspiring for me because I used to do the lights in the clubs for him. I always wanted to make music after that experience.

DJ Times: Did you have a traditional musical background?

B l u e s t o n e : I p l aye d the guitar and keyboard. I started making music when I was about 9 years old. I mostly played with Impulse Tracker, which was a piece of music-production software.

DJ Times: What’s your DJ set-up now?

Bluestone: I started off

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

As a producer, ilan Bluestone’s tracks have become cornerstones of sets by trance stars like Above & Beyond, Tiësto and Armin van Buuren. As a DJ, he’s played the most prestigious global clubs and festivals, like EDC Vegas.

The London-based Bluestone’s been an Anjunabeats artist since 2011 and, since then, his meticulously produced hits like “Big Ben,” “Cloudchaser,” “Under My Skin” (with Jerome Isma-ae), “Bonsai,” and “Spheres” have fired up mixshows and dancefloors alike. Now he’s back with

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Big ’18: Bluestone’s set to play EDC Vegas & more.

with [Native Instruments] Traktor and then moved on to [Pioneer] CDJs because of practicality and the ability to travel with just two USB sticks. The setup of CDJ Pioneers is the way forward.

DJ Times: For DJing, is there anything new that you’d like to see, technology-wise?

Bluestone: Yes, it’d be nice if CDJs had bigger screens to be able to see more options. The CDJ-TOUR1s have nice screens, but most clubs don’t carry them. I would love to have more control and improved displays.

DJ Times: Your favorite venues to play?

Bluestone: Madison Square Garden blew my mind [opening for Above & Beyond] – that was one for the books. I love Rebel, the club in Toronto.

The crowd, lighted ceilings and sound system are all incredible. The Echostage in D.C. is also one of my favorites.

DJ Times: What are the basics of your studio set-up?

Bluestone: I currently use Ableton Live. I’ve got KRK, ADAM Audio, and Focal for studio monitors. I have Access Virus TI, a Behringer mixing desk, [Dave Smith Instruments] OB-6 synth and plug-ins. I love them all.

There’s nothing better than working with real synthesizers.

DJ Times: Why full artist album now?

Bluestone: I wanted to do a full album because it’s something I haven’t done before. I’ve never had the opportunity to release one, and wanted to put my heart and soul into this album. My biggest hope is that Scars leaves an imprint on people. My goal is to hit people in all directions, even if they’re not into trance or EDM. Scars is kind of a harsh name, but it doesn’t nec(continued on page 40)

IN THE STUDIO

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

MR. FINGERS: THE LEGEND RETURNS

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House Royalty: Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers.

Larry Heard has been on the music scene for over 30 years, but you don’t get a lot of nostalgia talk from him.

The legendary DJ/producer, who’s also billed as Mr. Fingers and Fingers Inc., is one of the originators of house music, but he doesn’t drop phrases like “back in the day” or “we used to” into conversation. So, discussing his seminal work during Chicago’s nascent house-music scene isn’t always so easy.

Despite a plethora of timeless and successful releases, not the least of which are the club classics “Mystery of Love,” “Washing Machine,” and “Can You Feel It,” the ego-free Heard modestly downplays his impact on the existence of house music.

“Where a lot of Chicago guys were intentionally trying to be DJs,” he says, “I was coming from a different musical background, playing drums in jazz bands and progressive bands and R&B bands. It was a hustle, but when something didn’t work out, I went right on to the next thing. My instinct was to get away as soon as possible. I didn’t dwell on it and get stuck. I wanted to move forward.”

In 2011, Heard announced he would discontinue touring due to hearing problems.

But to the delight of house-music fans worldwide, he returned with a live show in 2016. And even more thrilling, this year he releases a Mr. Fingers album, Cerebral Hemispheres, on his Alleviated Records imprint.

The 18-track Cerebral Hemispheres— what would have been considered a hefty double album in physical-music-product times—is packed with rich grooves.

Heard’s live music roots are felt in the warm and rhythmic flow. Piano tinkles through the soothing lounge movements of “City Streets” and a lazy saxophone blows through perfumed vibes of “Urban Sunset.”

Sophistication is the central theme of Cerebral Hemispheres, which provides high-brow hotel lobby sounds on “Tiger Lounge” and the soft soul of “Crying Over You,” vocalized by Heard himself. The breadth of Cerebral Hemispheres allows Heard to explore further afield with the urgent movements of the percussive, tech-y “Electron” and the acid-driven “Inner Acid” and “Outer Acid.”

Heard’s studio is wholly in the box with two computers – one Mac and one PC. The former runs Reason 10.0d72 and Cubase 6.0.7 and the latter runs Sonar 7 Producer 7.0.2. The only physical pieces he uses are (continued on page 40)

made by

By Brian Bonavog lia

DJ TIMES 12

MigPXL.com

MAY 2018

ScottyHawk

Throughout the current EDM landscape, we’ve seen plenty of DJ/producers who quickly emerged onto the scene and never looked back. But few have ever hit the ground running quite like the pint-sized powerhouse that is Amber Giles, better known as Mija.

Back in 2014, Mija (pronounced mee-hah) took the blogosphere by storm with an unannounced, back-to-back set with Skrillex at Tennessee’s Bonnaroo festival. Tabbed to play the event by Walter Productions, the artists who run the Burning Man festival’s famous Kalliope Art Car, Mija’s sunrise set became a magical

WITH TALENT, HUSTLE & A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK, MIJA HAS TAKEN HER GENRE-LESS AESTHETIC TO THE MASSES

DJ TIMES

Bryan Mitchell

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MAY 2018

Ashley Andrews

ScottyHawk

Music By Mija: 3 Top Tracks

“Better” With V i n d a t a [ OWSLA, 2016]: Connecting with OWSLA duo Vindata, Mija delivered one of the anthems of summer ’16 with this one . Radiating feel-good vibes t h ro u g h o u t , t h i s glimmering collaboration turned into an immediate fan favorite. “ S e c r e t s ” [never_b_alone, 2017]: Sampling Tegan & Sara’s voc a l s f ro m 2 0 1 6 ’s “Boyfriend,” Mija stays true to her “fk-a-genre” persona, while still tapping into her drumn-bass roots on this uplifting bomb. Released on her newly launched imprint, this glittery, ebullient and infectious track quickly became the ultimate weapon during her sets.

“Notice Me” [never_b_alone, 2018]: Serving as the first single off o f h e r d e b u t E P, “How to Measure the Distance Between Lovers,” this raw, emotive, downtempo production finds Mija using her own vocals for the very first time. This MAY 2018

buzzy, quirky cut sets the tone for the rest of her EP

DJ TIMES

and turns the page to the newest chapter of her career.

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– B.B.

morning for performers and fans alike. After going viral throughout the electronic community, the performance has proven to be the seminal event in Mija’s DJ career.

But, what if we told you that, well before Skrillex broke big (prior to his 2011 breakout EP, “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”), Mija had booked him to play a party in Phoenix? Coincidence… as in right place, right time? Or was it more a case of luck being the residue of hard work and design?

The story of Mija begins out west in the arid lands of Phoenix, Ariz., where she had become a rave promoter at 17-years-old.

From the U.K.’s happy hardcore standout DJ Hixxy to Australian drum-n-bass icons Pendulum, Giles found her finger on the pulse of the rave culture before deciding to take that next step and start DJing.

Like most up-and-coming DJs, she found herself playing every chance she could, spinning at malls, weddings and anywhere in between, hoping to get her name out there, in addition to simply paying the bills.

After earning her keep with a variety of DJ jobs, Giles would later begin landing gigs at club venues in downtown Phoenix.

From there, she soon started throwing her own weekly parties and spinning Nudisco and disco-house sets. Of course, being a promoter and a DJ required a certain amount of hustle and that put her in a position to meet all sorts of folks…

So, it was during an impressive DJ set on her 22 nd birthday that she was invited to play at Bonnaroo, which just happened to be 12 days later. Maybe her break wasn’t luck; maybe it really was the residue of design and hard work. Certainly, Mija connected with the right people – an Arizona-based collective which ultimately provided her the artistic opportunity of a lifetime. Most DJs could learn plenty from this story.

Post-Bonnaroo, Mija began to thrive.

With all eyes on the then-green-haired DJ, she would take the electronic community by storm with her impeccable ability to read a crowd and cross genres. In short order, she made appearances at Nevada’s Burning Man and Atlanta’s TomorrowWorld on the Black Butter Records stage (after winning a mix contest).

With her DJ career picking up steam, Mija began to take on a more vigorous tour schedule. Additionally, with the help of some peers, she began learning musicproduction techniques. In 2015, the world would get its first taste of Mija music – a collaboration with Ghastly titled, “Crank It,” on Skrillex’s OWSLA imprint.

Continuing to bring the party to clubs and festivals across the globe, Mija would soon bring her signature musical stylings and overall aesthetic of “fk a genre” to life. In launching her 2016 “fk a genre” tour, she featured artists from a number of diverse genres all under one roof.

Mija even launched her own fashion label, “Made By Mija,” for which she serves as the primary designer on each collection,

Ryan Farber

plus her own imprint, never_b_alone.

Over time, Mija’s discography has reached impressive levels, as it includes a bevy of remixes for the likes of Major Lazer, Darren Styles, and DJ Snake, in addition to “Better,” a colorful collaboration with Vindata.

However, it wasn’t until 2017 when Mija began to flex her solo production muscles with the release of an eclectic 8-bit- inspired, four-track EP, “Time Stops.”

The 25-year-old DJ/producer entered 2018 as an artist reborn with the release of her riveting seven-track EP, “How to Measure the Distance Between Lovers.” Her latest body of work unveils more a personal and revealing side, as she showcases her growing production prowess, but also her signature songwriting ability. As an artist, Mija has progressed naturally and it seems like she’s poised for even bigger things in the near future.

So, with a summer filled with highprofile gigs, including Detroit’s Movement festival and Denver’s Hard Red Rocks (with DJ Snake), we caught up with Mija to discuss past, present and future.

DJ Times: Tell us about your getting introduced to the world of electronic music?

“I’M A DJ, NOT A POP STAR. MY JOB IS TO MAKE PEOPLE DANCE Mija: I was 15-years-old when I first discovered electronic music. I had WITH found the song “Raver’s Fantasy” [by DJ Manian from 2009] on YouTube and was entranced by the digital sounds and ethos behind the music.

DJ Times: What was it about happy hardcore, drum-n-bass and bass EACH OTHER music as a whole that caught your attention early on?

Mija: What drew me to happy hardcore and drum-n-bass, specifically, AND GET LOST was the energy. It transcended everything I thought I knew about music, and made me feel alive in a way that I had never experienced before.

DJ Times: Beyond the music, what made you fall in love with this IN THE whole scene?

Mija: I fell in love with the community. Like many kids that find the rave scene during adolescence, I was an outcast. I didn’t know where I belonged MOMENT.” in the world, but I was looking for some place to call home. I was bored living a suburban teenage lifestyle, not being able to relate to my peers or express myself without feeling judged. But when I went to a rave, I was joined by “freaks” and music-lovers alike, who never judged, and would accept me for who I am.

DJ Times: What was the rave scene like out in Phoenix when you first started promoting events?

Mija: It was like the Wild West – anyone could throw a party. If you could find an abandoned building, or an empty plot of land in the middle of the desert, it was gameon.We used to use this website called Don’t Stay In, which was predominantly inhabited by the U.K. and Phoenix, to post our event pages, photos, threads, infolines, etc. It was like the reddit of rave in 2007. This is where I learned the true politics of promoting.

The scene in Phoenix was huge at the time, too. I think, on average, we were pulling

around 1,500-3,500 kids into the events… without headliners. It was usually local DJs that would play.

DJ Times: From weddings to warehouse raves to later playing extended sets at the Sheraton Hotel, how difficult was it for you to make the transition to playing in front of these very different crowds?

Mija: It wasn’t hard because I didn’t think about it or take it too seriously. I knew I had good taste and could work a crowd.

The Sheraton was easy because I was older and going through a disco phase – which happens to work very well in lounge settings. The only gigs I truly detested were the weddings… seriously, fuck those gigs. It felt like a job and I’m not meant to be a “working” DJ. I just do this shit for fun.

DJ Times: While we’re taking a trip down memory lane, do you remember your first DJ set-up?

Mija: When I was learning, I was using my roommate’s DVJ unit – this was one of Pioneer’s experimental projects where you could sync your music with visuals using DVDs. I don’t think we ever used it for visuals, so it was just an extra-large version of Pioneer’s regular CDJs. We only used CDs at the time, because rekordbox wasn’t a thing yet. When I moved out of that house, I bought a couple CDJ-400s off Craigslist, and had a DJM-800 mixer. Those CDJs were kind of trash, though, so I immediately sold them off and instead got Technics 1200s instead… which I still have to this day.

DJ Times: You’ve made a name for yourself being able to adapt to any crowd that is put in front of you. How do you prepare for a set when no genre is off limits?

Mija: I prepare by putting a bunch of songs that I’m into at the moment in a playlist. Sometimes, I’ll mess around with specific transitions if I’m feeling worried about it or insecure about it, but usually it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, you can’t anticipate what’s going to happen... you just have to go with the flow.

DJ Times: Can you tell us a little bit about your track-selection process?

Mija: There’s honestly no rhyme or reason behind any of it. I just play whatever I’m most excited about at the time.

“Like many kids that find the rave scene during adolescence, I was an outcast. I didn’t know

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

where I belonged in the

16

world, but I was looking for some place to call home.”

Ryan Farber

(continued on page 42)

REGISTRATION IS OPEN THE NEXUS OF ALL THINGS DJ

AUGUST 13-16, 2018 /thedjexpo

thedjexpo.CoM

@djexpo_

MIAMI MAD

DJS, PARTIES & CRAZINESS – SCENES FROM MIAMI MUSIC WEEK BY DJ TIMES P

Miami, Fla. – This past March 19-25, Miami Music Week brought a slew of DJ-driven events.

Including Ultra Music Festival at Bayfront Park and dozens of parties at various clubs, pools and one-off venues, Miami Music Week brought plenty of musical madness to South Florida. It all looked like this:

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

Swiss Beats: Luciano throws down at Rapture fest. aLive Coverage

18

Packed: Ultra Music Festival takes off. aLive Coverage

Josh Wink at HYTE fest.

Cesar Paublini

Dirtybird Player: Justin Martin at Club Space Adinayev

DNESS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lee Burridge: All I Day I Dream…

Andrea Ferrara

Ultra Resistance: Carl Cox Megastructure.

EDMkevin

Art Department: Jonny White at Rapture.

Valters Bose

Blazing: Arcadia Spider at Ultra fest. aLive Coverage

Aoki & Shaq: Standing on giant’s shoulders.

JCM Photo

What We Started: Carl Cox & Martin Garrix.

John Parra/Getty Images

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

Berlin Calling: Ellen Allien shakes it at Get Lost.

Khris Cowley

19

Legend: Paul Oakenfold at Remix Awards.

Stuart Tracte

Jono & Paavo: Above & Beyond at SiriusXM. Alexander Tamargo

HYTE: Chris Liebing at Club Space. aLive Coverage

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

Ultra: Andrew Rayel rocks ASOT stage. aLive Coverage

20

All Lit: Lasers beam at Ultra fest. aLive Coverage

Revolution: Diplo & The Fat Jew schmooze.

Alexander Tamargo

Crank It Up: Oliver Heldens at 1 Hotel.

Alexander Tamargo

Ultra Fest: Bayfront Park scene.

JCM Photo

Nora En Pure: SiriusXM’s House of Chill.

Alexander Tamargo

Club Space: Will Clarke at Dirtybird party.

Adinayev

Joytime: Marshmello & Will Smith at Ultra. aLive Coverage

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

It Takes 2: Chocolate Puma at Spinnin’ Hotel.

Andrea Ferrara

21

Ozone 8: Sophisticated analysis for mastering.

PERFECTING THE

MIX

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

Neutron 2: Intelligent mixing capabilities.

22

Soundtheory Gullfoss: Brings clarity to the mix.

BY WESLEY BRYANT-KING One of the trickiest (and at times most frustrating) parts of creating recorded music is mixing and mastering.

Broadly speaking, mixing is the process of balancing the gain, pan, EQ and other attributes of each track that make up a finished song in such a way that the tracks mesh well together, and that each of the key elements of the song come through. For example, you can hear the vocal, if any; there are no frequency conflicts or harshness; tracks don’t clash or compete with one another, and so on.

Mastering is the process of taking that finished mix, and processing or sweetening the audio to optimize the overall sound quality for the intended, finished medium. It can involve some of the same elements as mixing: EQ, compression, gain, noise reduction, stereo imaging, and the like.

Mastering itself has evolved over time, and the techniques involved depend on that part I just mentioned: “the intended, finished medium.” Mastering for vinyl, mastering for CD, mastering for compressed audio (e.g., MP3), are different practices, and they can vary further based on the genre, because the expectations of the audience can vary.

If you’re a basement producer like me, releasing material at a time when streaming rules, perfection is probably not the objective to start with, and you probably have a lot of leeway to work within. But it can still be particularly tough to “get it right” when it comes to creating a well-balanced mix. And even after you’ve managed to get something (more or less) right, mastering that mix — putting on those final touches, and giving the track depth and punch — can prove to be a pretty headache-inducing process unless you’re a trained audio engineer.

Understanding the process is perhaps the key first step. If you’re not well-versed in the concepts and workflows for mixing and mastering, there are myriad books on the topic, some of which are even available free in digital form (for example, plug-in maker iZotope has digital books on both mixing and mastering that, while tailored to their products, still

NEW STUDIO PLUG-INS JUST MADE MIXING & MASTERING EASIER

as if iZotope has continued to evolve their offerings to empower me (and people like me) to get some pretty impressive results despite myself. To me, that’s a pretty good win. iZotope offers special pricing as an incentive to purchase Neutron and Ozone as a bundle, and given how well the products work together, and the price points, it makes a lot of sense to go that route and avail yourself of the full array of capabilities the pair will bring to your studio.

For more information: www.izotope.com SOUNDTHEORY GULLFOSS During the NAMM Show in Anaheim, Calif., this past January, I was invited to receive a demo of a new plug-in called, somewhat strangely, Gullfoss.

The plug-in ostensibly offered “real-time clarity improvements” for mixing or mastering. With a promise of seeing technology that had been a decade in the making, I added Soundtheory (the plug-in’s maker) to my NAMM agenda.

On the NAMM show floor, representatives from the Europe-based company simply offered A/B (before and after) comparisons of a variety of tracks across various genres as their demonstration. While perhaps not the sort of sexy, sales-heavy demos I’m used to at NAMM, it seemed clear that Soundtheory was content to let the sonic results speak for themselves.

And speak they did. In some of the tracks, the results were very subtle, and in others, the results were quite pronounced. But in both cases, I found it remarkably challenging to really put my finger on what changed, and why the resulting sound with Gullfoss inline just seemed so much clearer, crisper, and more controlled.

Post-show, I was able to evaluate Gullfoss on a wide array of sound material of my choosing, and the results were no less impressive. Applying the plug-in to a mix of my own projects from the past, as well as a few select commercial tracks that I like, but found to be less-than-optimal in terms of mastering, Gullfoss brought out details in the mix that were simply not apparent otherwise. Harshness was removed, and the mixes simply sounded better with no artifacts, and without pushing or pulling the material into extremes. As I said, the results were often fairly subtle — but noticeable. While other plug-ins would still be necessary for other aspects of mastering, Gullfoss did an amazing job of optimizing EQ attributes in ways I can only dream of duplicating “by hand.”

The company says it emerged in 2016 from a long-term research project, investigating alternative approaches to signal processing that were inspired by quantum theory and out-of-the-box mathematical thinking. In the process, the company claims it has developed some advanced models of computational auditory perception, and that Gullfoss is merely the first expression of that technology in a planned line of products.

Regardless, Gullfoss delivers on its promise, with startling results that are at once subtle, and profound, and it’s destined to find a spot on the master track of my projects from now on. In short?

Amazing.

More information: www.soundtheory.com n

MAY 2018

IZOTOPE OZONE 8 & NEUTRON 2 Practically since I’ve been producing music in my home studio, Ozone has been a part of my software arsenal. Even when I didn’t know that much about the mixing and mastering process itself, I knew of Ozone’s reputation for making it easy — or easier at least — for people like me to create good-sounding recorded music.

Since then, I’ve added a number of iZotope products to the lineup here, some of which I’ve reviewed for these pages over the years. Not long ago, iZotope rolled two new versions of two of its products: Neutron, and its flagship, Ozone.

Ozone concerns itself with mastering the track, while Neutron focuses on helping you achieve a decent mix before you start mastering. The two plug-ins work together, but let’s take a look first at Neutron 2.

Neutron provides the usual array of mixing tools (EQ, compressors, limiters, etc.). It’s offered in three different levels: Elements, Standard and Advanced, allowing you to balance capabilities against your budget. (iZotope’s web site has a comparison of the feature sets to guide your decision.)

But the “secret sauce” of Neutron is its intelligent mixing capabilities. Using sophisticated machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques, Neutron can be placed on individual tracks of your project, with each instance working in harmony to analyze each track and automatically create a starting point mix that does most of the heavy lifting for you. Even experienced producers will find that the net result, if not perfect, gets you far enough down the line to be a real time saver.

The Neutron 2 upgrade adds new capabili-

ties, including a new gate module. The user interface has been spiffed-up, track assistant has been improved, and there are various other bells and whistles. Perhaps the most interesting additions, however, are the new visual mixer, and the tonal balance control.

These are placed on the master track, and they communicate with the other instances of Neutron 2 (or Ozone 8 for that matter, but more on that later), to help shape the track further. Visual mixer is just what the name suggests; you can manipulate a visual representation of the tracks in two-dimensional space, virtually placing them in the mix.

Neutron handles the dirty details of achieving the audible result of your design.

Tonal balance works with both Neutron 2 instances and with Ozone 8 instances, allowing you to make tonal adjustments within both mixing and mastering workflows. Indeed, the feature is included in both applications, and can communicate with instances of itself, and/or its sibling’s instances in the event you have both of them — a good reason to choose the bundle. (More on that later, too.)

In any case, tonal balance offers three factory templates to let you essentially match the overall tonal sound of your track to established “best practice” mixes. You can also create your own templates from other mixes, making it easier to achieve, for example, a specific sound across an entire EP or album.

Once you have your mix in shape, mastering is the next step, and that’s where Ozone 8 comes onto the scene. Like Neutron, Ozone is available in three levels, also named Elements, Standard and Advanced, and similarly, you can get a run-down of the feature comparison on iZotope’s web site. The overall aim is to take your perfected mix and give it the final touches across attributes such as EQ and overall loudness.

Similar to what I described above for Neutron, Ozone 8 offers a mastering assistant that uses sophisticated analysis to establish baseline settings for the plug-in that you can use as a time-saving starting place for further tweaking. You might find that the results are sufficiently acceptable to go with — or as iZotope suggests, you might simply have more time to add your own personal touch to the resulting sound.

In Ozone 8, iZotope has improved the look and feel, making Ozone and Neutron look like two sides of the same coin. The company has also enabled intelligent track referencing; the feature lets you easily do A/B comparisons within the native Ozone workflow.

Additionally, IRC (intelligent release control, a smart limiter capability) has received some performance improvements, while the product’s maximizer delivers better sound with fewer artifacts.

While mixing and mastering are still not what I’d call “easy” processes (as someone who is decidedly not a trained audio engineer), with Ozone 8 and Neutron 2, it seems

DJ TIMES

explain the fundamental concepts pretty well).

Google can be your friend as well; YouTube videos abound with the basics, and there are even podcasts (like the popular Pensado’s Place) that can be great learning sources.

Once you understand what you need to do, it’s a matter of choosing the tools to get the job done. Many DAWs today come quite wellequipped with the basics: various EQs, compressors, reverbs, limiters, imaging tools, and much more, and it’s possible to do the work exclusively with native DAW tools in many cases.

Companies like Waves offer similar and widely acclaimed tools, either as standalone or in bundles, if you need a broader or deeper array of capabilities that you can mix and match at a granular level to meet your needs. Waves’ bundles, available in Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Mercury levels, are a particularly economical way to get collections of the mixing and mastering pieces you probably need.

In addition to the individual plug-ins you might want to deploy, there are other toolsets on the market that can help, and here, I’ll take a look at a pair of new offerings from iZotope: Neutron 2 (for mixing) and Ozone 8 (for mastering). And then I’ll take for a spin a new offering from a small new European company called Soundtheory, with its plug-in Gullfoss.

23

[s]

springing

[f]

forward

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

By Jeff Stiles

24

In the Bay Area of San Francisco, it seems like summer all year long. According to Mark Haggerty, the director of operations for Denon & Doyle Entertainment, the outdoor DJ event season lasts at least from April through November.

“We play music and MC for a 10K run and half-marathon,” says the Pacheco, Calif.-based mobile jock.

“We supply four sound systems and a cordless mic for a fitness event held by a local hospital. We play team-building games for a local biotechnology company. We do company picnics for tech companies in the Bay Area and tailgate parties before San Francisco Giants home games, and on and on.” And those are just the outdoor summer gigs!

Further up the west coast in Seattle, the weather might not be so mild, but summertime gigs still seem to abound, according to Adam Tiegs of Adam’s DJ Service.

“We do all sorts of events, but it’s mostly weddings and corporate for us,” he says. “And the corporates are typically doing picnics and casual lunches with presentations. So far, 2018 is better – 2017 was a downyear for most here in the Northwest, but we’re definitely on the uptick again.

“I ask clients to provide cover for gear, whether it’s a couple tents or an awning, in case of inclement weather. As for cost to businesses, these can be just as expensive for companies—with the rental of tents, tables, chairs, linens, catering, glassware and stemware, flowers and décor, portable bathrooms, a dancefloor, staging, staff.”

What does the good weather of the spring and summertime mean to our DJ business? What types of outdoor gigs are we booking? From kids events to tailgate parties, are prices remaining steady? Is demand up, and are people booking events outdoors in order to save money?

These are the questions we asked mobile jocks from coast to coast, and we understandably received varying responses—mostly dependent on the climate.

Over in Detroit, Mich., Corey Rusch with Rusch Entertainment says they work tons of outdoor events, although they are limited to a small window of time.

“Good weather is crucial for summer gigs, especially here in Michigan,” says Rusch. “Around 65-80 degrees is where I want the temps to be during outdoor events in Michigan. We have a really small window of time where weather “Around 65-80 degrees is is consistent like this around here.

“Usually, that’s the months of late June to where I want the temps to early August, yet we’ll in reality do outdoor events from May through mid-November. be during outdoor events in With rain we can’t be too flexible, of course, since everything we have is electronic. Wind Michigan. We have a really also really affects wireless signals, with ceremonies in the middle of a field with gusting wind, etc.” small window of time where And, of course, unsavory weather conditions can sometimes throw a wrench in weather is consistent like the system for any mobile DJ attempting to perform outdoors. this around here.”

“Last year, we had a major flood and rain that affected lots of our outdoor events, – Corey Rusch, and one was the last weekend in June, which is usually a safer month for outdoor wedRusch Entertainment, dings,” Rusch says. “The storms wiped out roads and flooded properties at which we Detroit were supposed to work. It didn’t affect anything except me getting out of there when it was over.” porate events.

Another of Rusch’s ceremonies was “Seems more and more people these days are scheduled to be held in an area where doing tent, barn and outdoor weddings,” he says. flooding had been forecast, yet nobody told “We thought the barn/outdoor stuff was going the DJs about the impending flooding until to come and go, but I’d say demand is still pretty they had already arrived. high. Last time we checked, our numbers are up “The reception was inside the building about 15-percent from where they were this time and they were taking on water,” he recalls. last year.”

“Needless to say, everything was postponed And fortunately for Rusch and other DJs, in the a bit and other plans had to be made once Detroit area the economy is actually pretty strong. the staff arrived at the venue. This storm “We’re seeing people spending more money on had even prevented us from driving anyweddings in our area,” he reports. “The outdoor where near the site of the reception, so we weddings we do are usually beautifully done and had to hand-carry or cart equipment literdecorated in beautiful settings. But weather can be ally hundreds of yards to the performance the biggest concern, and if it gets really bad these area.” weddings are ruined.

Regardless of occasional weather-related “But we even do some high-end weddings fiascos, however, he says that Rusch Enteroutdoors in the winter if the couple loves wintertainment successfully does a huge number themed stuff. We try talking to couples who are of outdoor gigs—lots of weddings, a few trying to save money by having it outdoors and open houses, and various school and cortalk to them about what all goes into it, and when all’s said and done they could have had it indoors reasonably cost-effective compared to all the work and expense required to do it themselves at

perform at certain parties where we entertain young and old alike. This takes them off my roster, so I can’t schedule them for a wedding reception or another event for that day, so this often leads to a lost party and lost revenue for both Signature DJs and for my DJ for that event.”

Outdoor events always have the potential to be both extremely fun and very challenging for Artem Lomaz of NinetyThree Entertainment in Roxbury, N.J. “Weather variance is vital, and obviously the top factor to consider,” says Lomaz, “because whenever we perform outdoors, the luxury of us, our equipment, and our clients and guests being protected from inclement weather is no longer present.

“Whenever performing outdoors, I always have a contingency plan, and require that my clients have one as well. If a wedding ceremony and reception are taking place at the same venue, it’s very popular—especially during the summer or in pleasant weather locations—to hold the ceremony outside before moving festivities inside.”

While having an outdoor event might be a great thought, Lomaz says rain, extreme heat, wind and other inconvenient factors require a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C. “We were extremely fortunate last summer to see pleasant weather for the outdoor ceremonies that we were a part of,” he says. “However, when it comes to weather, due to its unpredictable nature, I’ll always ensure a contingency plan is in play.”

Back over on the pleasant part of the West Coast, Haggerty with Denon & Doyle says his company’s biggest summertime demand is for large sound systems for high school graduations.

“For some of the schools that hold ceremonies in their football field, 4,000-5,000 people will show up,” he says. “They typically need three or four mics, plug-ins for a guitar and/or keyboards, maybe some mics for the chorus, and about 12 speakers. I use a 12-channel Mackie mixer to handle all of the input, and that’s where my live sound and band-mixing skills come into play.”

Haggerty says he doesn’t imagine people are looking to save any money by scheduling parties in the outdoors, though anywhere in Napa County or Sonoma County people are indeed paying big bucks for summertime wedding receptions.

“I looked back on weddings I’ve done over the past few years,” he says, “and I’d say 70-percent were either completely outdoors or an outdoor ceremony with an indoor reception. Welcome to California!” n

Not All Outdoor Events Are Created Equal.

DJs Give Us Their Annual Springtime

MAY 2018

State of the Union.

DJ TIMES

your home or on their property.”

Other than wedding receptions, Mark M. Brenneisen of Adirondack Weddings & Events in Queensbury, N.Y., says they don’t do many outdoor events.

“Summertime does usually have more tented weddings, but we’ve shied away from barns/tents/etc., due to weather issues and heat,” says Brenneisen. “So we mostly work in banquet houses. Our second crew might book out for graduation parties, and BBQs when those kinds of requests come in, but mostly we’re a wedding company so availability for those is limited, as weddings book so far in advance.”

As for clients booking outdoor weddings to save money, Brenneisen says that overall the trend is still going to barn/farm/rustic weddings.

“We do have a few booked this year, though usually these cost as much—if not more—than traditional banquet houses in our area.

“We do have a reception booked that’s a destination wedding in a big barn, and we do several destination weddings each year where clients want to pay for a weekend to have us. We also have one large dual-grad party scheduled for July with a band for two girls whose Sweet 16 I did – and I also did their parents’ weddings.

“We’ll work with repeat clients anywhere.”

Country clubs and similar venues regularly book Scott Goldoor with Signature DJs in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., for outdoor summer parties, though due to inclement weather he says he typically receives one or two cancellations every season.

“On average, we perform at a minimum of 15-20 outdoor summer gigs, pool parties and swim meets,” he says. “They actually do pretty well, and many of them are mid-week events that end at a reasonable time – say, a Wednesday night from 5 to 8 p.m.

Goldoor says one of the most frustrating things he deals with every season, however, is when summer pool parties are cancelled due to weather issues.

“These parties are mostly weatherdependent,” he says, “and our clients are mostly accounts of ours versus a regular customer. So these are country clubs and places who not only recommend our company, but also give us up to a dozen or more holiday events each year – Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, etc.

“But these places usually wait until the day of or morning of the event to cancel or postpone their event. I’ve begun requiring they give us at least 24-hours’ notice, as oftentimes I’m lining up a specific DJ to

25

MAKING TRACKS STUDIO…HARDWARE…SOFTWARE…

SOMETHING DIFFERENT: CR2 SAMPLE TOOLS

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

By Mike Gwertzman

26

There’s been a long-running debate in the world of music production, one that seemingly goes back as far as “Mac vs. PC.” It’s about sample packs. Namely, should producers use them to make music?

The arguments basically fall on two sides. The naysayers argue that using sample packs amounts to un-original laziness, that producers who use pre-made loops and samples are essentially cheating. On the flip side, sample-pack enthusiasts argue that as long as it works for your music, go for it, usually with the suggestion to Classic & Current: Offers all genre sounds. try and chop, process, or otherwise alter the original inspiration.” It namechecks Yotto, Lane 8, Dusky, and Eli & Fur as content. artists whose sounds are referenced in the pack. And producers But while the debate has who are looking to emulate these bigger names would most likely flared, the pre-packaged be pleased with what’s available here. sample market has expandThe best place for novice producers to start is in the Songstarted and matured. Beatport ers section of the pack. Here, you’re provided with all the parts sells sample packs. Many you would need to compose five full original tracks – including well-known producers, everything from vocals, chords and leads to bass, drums, and efDJs and labels, from EDM fects. These de-constructed tracks are a good way for newcomers to trap to techno, have to combine sounds that have already been tweaked and tuned, put out branded sample without any clashing harmonics or keys. By laying out the building packs. There’s also Splice, blocks that go into each track, producers can quickly understand a sprawling and innovawhat parts they’ll need to use to make their own full productions. tive online platform that What would have been helpful in this section would be to include lets producers audition a full version of each of the tracks, or a full DAW template, so and buy individual samples producers can get an idea of how tracks are structured, and how (among other offerings), each element is combined to create the final product. instead of purchasing an Lane 8, Dusky & more on “Melodic. Vocal. Deep.”

My favorite part of each Songstarters track is the inclusion of entire pack. And just rethe MIDI data for the most prominent elements – chords, piano, cently, Native Instruments bass and lead. Using these files, producers can see what notes are actually being played in their DAW, with launched its own sample platform, sounds.com. the opportunity to then audition different instruments or sounds to give the productions more of their That expansion has brought a bit of “sameown individual personality. This is a good way for newcomer producers to learn how to play chords or ness” to the products on offer, though. How melodies, instead of relying strictly on the audio samples. many times can a producer buy the same thing, Moving through the content, next you come to the loops. Here, Cr2 gives you 20 WAV files of synth, over and over again? Do they really need anbass and drum loops, all at 124 BPM. The drums come in different variations, including full, tops, perc and other set of kick-drums and hi-hat loops? stripped-down (just a kick and a clap). The synth and bass loops are labeled by key, which makes for easy The long-running British house label Cr2 has combinations in production. Soundwise, these loops seemed a bit more on the melodic techno side of recognized that there’s a need to differentiate things, more than the “lush deep” house being offered. I would have liked to see more of the chord patfrom the wide pool of similar samples. Accordterns, pianos and retro house nods that are a big part of this genre. You’ve also got 20 FX loops to choose ingly, I’m taking a look at their new sample tools from, which are primarily white noise and sidechain-compressed downrisers. Useful, but nothing too “Dark Techno” and “Melodic. Vocal. Deep.” unique here. because they’re doing more than just providing For those who like to build their own loops, the one-shot folders provide 20 varieties of hats, claps, some loops and hits. Both packs are a bit of an kicks, snares and percussive elements to work with, along with 20 bass hits. These I found all to be useful, all-in-one production guidebook, including the albeit similar to the sounds that can be found in many other house sample packs. And rounding out the sounds you’ll need to make tracks, as well a package were 20 synth and bass loop MIDI files, all tagged by key, which I really enjoyed having. And Sylenth short booklet of advice, links to tutorial videos, owners will like the assortment of presents that are included in the package, as well.

MIDI files and more. There’s also a bit of some What about the tutorial content that Cr2 has included here? The PDF booklet has potential, but the upsell here, as Cr2 have bundled in some pro“from the producer” tips were more general concepts mixed with a few concrete ones – e.g., take breaks mo sheets for their studio services (mastering, every 30 minutes to avoid ear fatigue, or noting that the best time to mix is in early in the morning. I think vocal production, etc.) as well as a link to demo producers would like to hear more workable ideas on how they can get their tracks to sound the best. submission, which I thought was a nice piece of I liked the three videos that are provided as well, as these feature Mark Brown, the Cr2 boss and a quite encouragement for would-be producers. (Both accomplished producer and DJ, getting hands on in his DAW. But the topics were a bit too specific, as he packs are priced about $22.75.) guides you through a “telephone-filter” effect, or editing background vocals on project. What would have The production booklet that accompanies the most impact is if these videos were more geared towards the product itself – how can producers work the “Melodic.Vocal. Deep.” download touts that (continued on page 40) it is the pack for producers looking for “instant

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The ES15P design dials up the watts and incorporates a custom engineered 15" woofer to produce an astonishing amount of low end. www.yorkville.com

Rane’s Battle-Ready Equipment Flattens the Opposition!

SEVENTY-TWO 2-Channel Mixer Built like a tank—solid steel construction, 4.3” color screen, dual USB inputs, Rane-exclusive Mag Three fader, customizable MPC pads. Unleash your battle DJ creativity!

TWELVE Motorized Controller Powerful motorized DJ control system with 12” platter without fragile needles and skipping tone arms. Turntablist spontaneity, digital precision. www.dj.rane.com

QSC Audio’s First-Class KS212C subwoofer

Electro-Voice’s EVOLVE 50 Portable Powered Column System

A new performance standard for column speaker systems – combining light weight, low-profile design & superior Electro-Voice sound quality. www.electrovoice.com/evolve50

MARCH 2018

www.qscaudio.com

DJ TIMES

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QSC Audio’s KS212C 3,600-watt subwoofer represents the world’s first-in-class single-box powered cardioid subwoofer solution for highly portable entertainment & installation applications.

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SOUNDING OFF PLAYBACK…PRO AUDIO…PROCESSING

TOUGH TURNTABLE: DENON DJ’S VL12

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

By DJ Deets

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With vinyl sales making a comeback and Digital Vinyl Systems becoming more and more attainable, the turntable market has never been a more competitive playing field, especially with a host of DJ-equipment manufacturers vying to be the next club-standard turntables.

Adding the new VL12 decks to its PRIME series of professional gear, Denon DJ certainly seems to offer an intriguing proposition to DJs wanting a no-compromises turntable to add to their setups. With the PRIME designation, the VL12 joins other Denon DJ flagship products, including the SC5000 media player, and X1800 four-channel mixer.

From an aesthetic point of view, the Denon VL12 cer tainly looks the par t with a brushed-metal look and feel, wrapped in a blackpaint scheme. Contrasting the black, brushed-metal chassis, there’s a fair amount o f c h ro m e t h ro u g h o u t , including the platter, platter edge, tonearm, power switch, spindle, and adaptor.

A striking departure from other turntable designs, the LED ring around the platters distinguishes the VL12 from other turntables on the market. Its color and brightness are user-controllable and can cycle from two levels of brightness and a variety of different colors. In various dark environments, the ample lighting was a welcome addition and provided a cool visual enhancement to the turntables.

Straight out of the box, the unit came virtually ready to go with all the essentials for DJ turntable perfor-

mance. Setting up the unit involved balancing the tonearm, and setting the platter and slipmat. All VL12s ship with an included Denon DJ slipmat, RCA cables, two target lights – one black and one with a chrome finish, and a headshell. Much like other professional-grade DJ turntables, the headshell doesn’t include a cartridge nor a stylus, allowing DJs to select one that best fits their needs.

Clearly designed with the rigors of heavy use in mind, the VL12 features a rugged, metal faceplate, and durable platters without any sort of wobbles or inconsistencies.

The S-shaped tonearm feels solid and doesn’t seem like it would be prone to fracturing or breakage. It is worth noting that with output connections and frontal controls located on the narrower sides of the unit, this turntable seems aimed more at the vertical, turntablist layout than the horizontal, mixing layout. However, it also should be noted that Denon provides right-angle cables on both the RCA and power cables for the specific purpose of cable management in club-style/horizontal layout.

As far as controls, the V L 1 2 fe a t u re s a s i n g l e , square play/pause knob, a rugged motor power switch, a connection for either of the two target lights, and a 45 adaptor. I appreciated the wide pitch fader that can switch from plus/minus-8, -16, and -50 through a rectangular button below the fader. Additionally, resetting the pitch was a non-issue, given the physical reset button and white light indicating

the fader neutral position.

The fader itself feels solid and offers enough resistance for fine tempo movements and precise control.

At the front of the turntable, recessed under the plinth, there are switches to control the color of the LED platter-ring light and its brightness. Scratch and turntablist DJs will appreciate the two-position torque switch, which controls the torque of the turntable’s direct-drive motor, that is located next to the LED controls. In my testing, I didn’t notice a massive difference between the two modes, so I guess it really comes down to personal preference and finding which mode best suits the user.

That being said, both modes offered a real playable feel, giving me the confidence to pull off even the most elaborate scratch and beat-juggling routines.

After spending several weeks with a pair of VL12

t u r n t a b l e s , I w a s re a l l y pleased with how the turntable operated: simple and straightforward with no real surprises. Connecting the tonearm with a Shure SC35C cartridge, the turntable performed well in hi-fi settings for passive listening, connected into a Serato DJ interface and running control vinyl, or when playing vinyl for purely vinyl sets. In loud environments, the feet and solid isolation provided sufficient damping to avoid skipping or the dreaded needle flutter. Lastly, I also had many DJs comment on the platteredge LED ring light, which never failed to impress.

As far as competitors, the VL12 competes against other premier, full-size turntables, and, throughout my comparison, I found myself mentally comparing it with the Pioneer PLX-1000, Reloop RP-8000, Stanton STR8.150, and, of course, the legendary Technics SL-1200.

VL12: Designed for rigors of heavy use.

Coming in more expensive than these other turntables ($899 MAP), the Denon VL12 differentiates itself more through the aesthetic department than the performance arena. I suppose we’re at a point where almost any high-quality turntable is a high-quality turntable with only minimal differences between the actual models.

For DJs exclusively wanting to use Serato DJ, the forthcoming Rane Twelve motorized platter controller, for example, makes a very compelling case for itself, especially when considering its lower price, no need for a cartridge purchase, and significantly more comprehensive feature set. In other words, the key question becomes whether or not DJs are willing to part with $899 for a turntable. If the answer is yes, then the VL12 from Denon DJ certainly will not disappoint and is a fine entry from Denon DJ into the competitive turntable market.

Denon DJ Prime Series: The Future of Professional DJ

Denon DJ’s Prime Series delivers unprecedented performance, ease of use, music organization and system synergy for professional DJs. Receiving unexcelled acclaim since its introduction, the Prime Series represents the future of the professional DJ experience. www.denondj.com/prime-series

Audionamix: XTRAX STEMS

XTRAX STEMS, the world’s first fully-automatic stem creator, can easily separate any song into its drum, vocal and remaining music components. Created for DJs, music producers and remix artists, XTRAX STEMS allows users to create multitrack content to control during live sets, opening up possibilities for easy remixing, sampling and a cappella creation like never before! www.audionamix.com

D.A.S. Audio Expands the Event Series

Free gift with your Bose F1 Purchase

Purchase a Bose F1 Flexible Array Loudspeaker System between February 15-March 30, 2018 and receive a free gift! www.professional.bose.com/en-US/F1BagPromo

MARCH 2018

www.dasaudio.com

DJ TIMES

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The successful line-up now offers a double 12-inch line array & a single 21-inch subwoofer with onboard DSP controls.

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MOBILE PROFILE CAREERS…INNOVATIONS…SUCCESS STORIES Deft Transition: Suga Ray went from comics to DJing.

NYC DJ BRINGS SHINE TO CELEB EVENTS

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

By Stu Kearns

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New York City — DJ Suga Ray’s lifetime vocation was probably decided upon by the decor of the house in Florida where he grew up — it had a bar, DJ booth, and a disco ball.

“My father was a DJ in Jamaica,” says the DJ also known as Raymond Chambers. “He taught me the essence of mixing and party rocking! He designed a music room in my house growing up. Their parties went all night until the next day, and they were epic. It definitely shaped my knowledge of music as well as my understanding of how people react to different songs.”

His mother loved records. too. Says Chambers: “The joke was that she would spend her last dime on a records before anything else.”

The DJ upbringing came in handy in college. He had come to New York City to attend the School of Visual Arts to be a comic artist. “My older sister was an artist and taught me a lot,” he says. “I got more fine-tuned training from a school friend [Gregg Schigiel], which landed me a scholarship at SVA.” In his junior year, his friend Schigiel, who had become an editor at Marvel Comics, gave him an “audition” and Chambers started doing finishes on Spiderman comics. (When a commissioned artist can’t meet a deadline, a finisher is hired).

In his senior year, a teacher and writer at DC Comics asked him to work on a Batman comic. “On the surface I was on the moon, but financially struggling,” says Chambers.

So, deciding to use his natural gift of DJing to pay the bills, he worked at Scratch Academy events, and was dispatched to teach people how to DJ. His first job was to go to Britney Spears’ singing camp in Cape Cod. “Britney got to watch and wanted me to do her party,” says Chambers, who adds that

Taylor Swift performed there before she became famous. “[Swift] took lessons from me as well.

Who would’ve thought she would be who she is today. For this experience, I have to thank Scratch Events and Britney Spears for giving me my first shot!”

Soon, he was in demand in New York City, and joined the SongDivision family about a year ago. For the company, which organizes events for corporate clients, Suga Ray currently curates playlists on Spotify, which many national and worldwide listeners have downloaded for their corporate and personal events. “We’ve done some really interesting and elaborate lip-sync battles!” says the DJ about SongDivision. “Very funny stuff.”

Asked about the different approaches when programming for corporate team building, as opposed to a club set, DJ Suga Ray says, “Both corporate and club sets are equally difficult and should be strategically planned. Corporate should be a mix of many genres – close to a wedding, but never breaking a cheesy line, always representing the brand without overstating it.”

And club sets? “Those are more genre-direct, but should be like a journey or an experience, building to a climactic point throughout different points of the night,” he says. “Always touching the heart of each individual, a club set should always have a memorable moment.

There’s nothing like hearing someone say, ‘That DJ made my day.’”

Of course, Suga Ray encounters the age-old problem of the fuddy-duddy who won’t get up on the floor and dance. “There is always a universal song for young and old people alike,” he says. “Michael Jackson or Bruno Mars, for example. The complex answer is to either do a quick mix from an old genre to a new one or a mash-up.”

On the gear side for most events, Suga Ray uses two Pioneer DJ CDJ-2000NXS2 media players or two Technics SL-1200 turntables, and a Rane Sixty-Two mixer. He has used a variety of PAs, including the Bose F1 Flexible Array system.

Along the way, starting with that Britney Spears gig, Ray has become the go-to DJ for celebrity parties. “I was doing a party at the W Hotel after the filming of ‘Oceans 11.’ It was so crowded in there. Everyone surrounded George Clooney and Brad Pitt, so they couldn’t get to the DJ booth. Matt Damon told me that George Clooney likes 50 Cent. I said, ‘What song?’ Matt didn’t know, so I ended up giving him my 50 Cent The Massacre album, so George could circle his favorite songs. I still have the vinyl record. That was like my autograph.”

When we asked Chambers if there was anything he wanted to pursue through his DJing, he said that so far his experience and this journey has been amazing. “Doing the DJing made it hard to turn back to the art world, and I miss it, but I want to start my own agency so young DJs can experience this as well!” he says. “And to them I have two points of practical advice: Spare no expense in purchasing your equipment. Also, learn your craft inside and out, even if it’s irrelevant to the music you’d like to spin.”

BUSINESS LINE

SALES… MARKETING…SOLUTIONS…

IS YOUR BRAND AWARD-WORTHY?

By Stu Kearns

Mick Uranko, owner of Uranko Productions in Pottsville, Pa., speaks often about branding his business. He says it has helped him tremendously in increasing his prices, as well as turning his company into what he calls “an award-winning experience.”

He says that DJs should be aware of two topics:

• U n d e r s t a n d i n g Yo u r L o c a l M a r k e t • H o w t o D e f i n e Yo u r B r a n d

“As soon as I figured out who my perfect bride was, I started winning awards because every wedding reception was amazing.”

— Mick Uranko,

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

Pottsville, Pa.

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Understanding Your Local Market This the first step in branding your company. Uranko says he was fortunate enough to work as a bartender for several years before getting started DJing.

“I noticed there was a void space in our local market of a DJ that actually DJs like the ones I would see in larger cities,” he says. “Every local DJ we had at the time had outdated equipment and was just a glorified jukebox.”

When Uranko first started, however, he did not get the feedback he anticipated. “I was the only DJ in my market that would not let the entire song play and would mix,” he says. “My local market is ultra-conservative, so when I first started DJing weddings I had to go outside of my local area in order to generate experience. The willingness of what you’re going to do to make your brand work by traveling sometimes over an hour from where you live is an important — and overlooked — step.”

Even though Uranko didn’t receive local support, he knew he was heading in the right direction — based on all of the support I was receiving from events not directly in my local market. “Also,” he says, “I was getting paid, especially for wedding receptions, more than my local brides were willing to spend.”

Defining Your Brand Uranko says that after you’ve researched your local market, you need to devise a way to define your brand. “This is constantly evolving,” he says, “and can start generally, but as you progress further you brand will become more defined.”

Case in point: “When I first started weddings I would take any wedding I could because I was eager for the work and the experience,” he says. “However, over the next few years, I quickly learned that I do not want to take every opportunity at any venue,” he says. “The best way to learn inside cues or red flags is by joining DJ groups online. As soon as someone has a problem with a bride, venue, or patron, they almost always post the issue online. As my brand continued to refine I noticed that I ran into fewer problems because I found what style of bride works best for me.”

During Uranko’s first year in business, he noticed that he wasn’t getting the same reaction at every wedding. “Some weddings were such an amazing night and everyone was ready to dance,” he recalls, “while other weddings it was difficult to hold the dancefloor the entire night.”

He took a step back and realized that he’d been dealing with two different types of brides — the ones that needed an amazing DJ so they can dance and celebrate with their friends and family, and the ones that just wanted a DJ because that’s what you’re supposed to have at a wedding.

“As soon as I figured out who my perfect bride was,” he says, “I started winning awards because every wedding reception was amazing — I was exceeding the expectations of the bride that needed to have the best wedding reception.”

Currently, Uranko says his brand represents wedding receptions that are designed to make the first 30 minutes as equally as entertaining as the last 30 minutes.

“I focus on a specific type of bride that has been a guest or bridesmaid in the past,” he says, “and wants her wedding to beat out every wedding she has ever attended or will attend in the future.”

His goals? To prevent guests from checking out on their cell phones. “My brand represents not just a DJ, but a production company with the intent on creating moments that will make a connection with everyone in the room,” he says. “What’s very unique is I can connect every married couple in the room to think back to their wedding date rather than just sitting at the table wondering when food is going to be served.”

So the main key to branding is to have a very defined idea of the style of bride you work with. “This is why I am able to continue to grow my brand not just in the local market, but in the national market as well,” says Uranko. “Brides that ultimately book my company are a perfect match because we are exceeding their expectations after making sure we are the perfect fit for each other.”

Stay tuned next month for more tips on how to make your brand an award-winner.

GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Bose & Arrows Bose Professional The Mountain Framingham, MA 01701 (508) 766-4590 www.pro.bose.com Bose Professional released the S1 Pro multi-position PA system, which is specifically designed for DJs and musicians. The S1 Pro is engineered to be used in four different positions to accommodate a wide range of applications—tilt-back, elevated, mounted on a speaker stand or placed on its side as a floor monitor. The lightweight unit sports an onboard three-channel mixer with independent ToneMatch, reverb and EQ controls on two channels, as well as a dedicated channel for either or wireless Bluetooth music sources.

Going Into Battle Rane 200 Scenic View Drive Cumberland, RI 02864 (401) 659-8192 www.rane.com The TWELVE Battle Controller is a motorized DJ control system that comes with a multifunction touch strip for track searching and setting, as well as eight triggering hot cues in place of the tone arm. The unit is housed in an all-metal body and sports a 12-inch vinyl motorized platter that is capable of both 33-1/3 and 45 RPM speeds. There are four decks of control, as well as 8-/16-/50-percent pitch with a precise dual-resolution detented slider and a 5.0 kfcm High torque motor with hi/low torque adjust.

Velvet Fog Martin/Harman International 400 Atlantic Street Stamford, CT 06901 (203) 328-3500 www.martin.com Martin Professional’s Thrill Vertical Fogger is an atmospheric fog machine that comes equipped with 21 built-in RGB LED lights and 36 pre-programmed colors. The LEDS produce 25-foot-high plumes of colored fog that “simulate pyrotechnical effects, CO² style jets, or ‘cryo’ white dense cloud effects,” according to the company. There is a 2.5-liter fluid reservoir for less frequent fill-ups and the unit boasts an eight-minute ready time. The Thrill Vertical Fogger can be controlled via four-channel wireless remote or via DMX.

All Things Must PAS

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

Yamaha Corporation of America 6600 Orangethorpe Ave Buena Park, CA 90620 (714) 522-9011 www.yamahaproaudio.com

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Yamaha’s STAGEPAS 400BT and 600BT portable integrated PA systems feature two lightweight speakers and a detachable powered mixer, a pair of speaker cables and a power cord.

These Bluetooth-enabled PA systems can stream audio to a smartphone, tablet or laptop from up to 33 feet away. The 400-watt STAGEPAS 400BT offers two stereo line input channels and the 680-watt STAGEPAS 600BT has three stereo inputs, all of which are switchable to mono. Both come with four mic/line inputs that feature XLR jacks with phantom power on channels 1-2 and XLR-1/4-inch combo inputs on channels 3-4.

AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

GEAR

Mission Controller Pioneer DJ Americas 2050 W. 190th Street Suite 109 Torrance, CA 90504 (424) 488-0480 www.pioneerdj.com The two-channel DDJ-SB3 is the latest Serato DJ controller from Pioneer. It’s designed for dedicated use with Serato DJ Lite, unlocking the program when connected to a computer running the software. Features include dedicated play and cue buttons and an independent Auto Loop button. The unit also comes with Pad Scratch, which allows users to reproduce scratches based on DJ Jazzy Jeff’s recordings by pressing the Performance Pads. A built-in sound card is included for plug-and-play connectivity, and handles are included on both sides for easy transport.

You May Be Focusrite Focusrite/American Music & Sound 925 Broadbeck Dr. #220 Newbury Park, CA 91320 (800) 431-2609 www.AmericanMusicAndSound.com The Clarett USB series from Focusrite includes three studio-quality USB audio interfaces—Clarett 2Pre USB (10-in, 4-out), Clarett 4Pre USB (18-in, 8-out) and Clarett 8Pre USB (18-in, 20-out). The models come with standard USB and USB Type-C cables, allowing for use with both Mac and PC. They feature Air-enabled mic preamps that can reproduce the input impedance, clarity and frequency response curve of the Air feature from Focusrite’s original ISA mic preamp. Additional features include up to 119dB dynamic range software from XLN Audio, Focusrite, Softube, Ableton and Loopmasters.

I Want iCandy Mega Systems 18668 Hwy 16 N Helotes, TX 78023 (866) 460-MEGA www.megasystemsinc.com MEGA-LITE’s iCandy Q18 lighting fixture is an IP65 linear bar designed for both indoors and outdoors. The unit features 18 RGBW LEDs and includes a diffuser accessory for customization. It comes with a built-in power and driver system, as well as a 110-degree lens angle and a digital display. The iCandy can be connected consecutively with up to 50 units at 110V thanks to a UL Listed Connector that is compatible with the MEGA-LITE Outshine T54 ETL and Piccolo.

The Prologue from Korg is the company’s full-sized polyphonic analog flagship. A multi-voice, multi-timbre, multi-engine polyphonic analogue synthesizer, the unit is both fully-programmable and fully-featured. The Prologue comes in either eight-voice (49 key) or 16-voice (61 key) models with multi-timbral zoning options. It features a newly developed open-source multi-engine, discrete circuitry, a dual effects section that includes Mod and Delay/Reverb, user-creatable oscillators and effects, and four voice modes—Poly, Mono, Unison or Chord.

DJ TIMES

Korg 316 South Service Road Melville, N 11747 (631) 390-6500 www.korg.com

MAY 2018

Ants on a Prologue

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GEAR AUDIO…LIGHTING…STUFF

Fits Like a Glove

App Your Hands

A KUT Above the Rest

Gig Gear (718) 569-5345 www.gig-gear.com

Detroit Labs 1520 Woodward Avenue, Ste 600 Detroit, MI 48226 (313) 473-0607 www.detroitlabs.com

Reloop/American Music & Sound 925 Broadbeck Dr. #220 Newbury Park, CA 91320 (800) 431-2609

Gig Gloves come in six sizes ranging from XS to XXL. Made with strong nylon threading throughout, Gig Gloves are designed to protect the hands of gigging musicians with features that include TPR molding on the back of the hand and fingers. Fold-over fingertips allow for use of smaller tools and items, and Gig Gloves work with touchscreen devices without needing to remove the gloves. In addition to the Original Gig Glove, users can choose the all-black Gig Gloves ONYX or the fleece-lined THERMO Gig Gloves.

Detroit Labs partnered with Electro-Voice to build a companion app to the ELX200 speaker system. Called EV QuickSmart Mobile, the app allows both Android and iOS users to control and adjust up to six ELX200 Series portable loudspeakers with a mobile phone or tablet. The app offers individual speaker control and adjustment, group speaker control and adjustment, speaker alerts for real time monitoring, corrective controls and master and individual audio controls. Users can control EQ settings, gain, preset and crossover parameters

www.AmericanMusicAndSound.com KUT is a digital two-channel battle mixer from Reloop with three-band EQ and two switchable modes—classic and isolator. The unit features a dynamic FX section with seven effects, including phase/flange, white noise, LPF/HPF filter and gate/crush. It includes an innoFADER, which allows crossfader and linefader curves to be customized and adapted to personal preferences, as well as a crossfader reverse function. Additional features include a high-retention USB 2.0-port and both 6.3mm and 3.5mm headphone outputs.

Hex Marks the Spot

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

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

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ADJ has expanded its Mega Par Series with the Mega Hex Par, which features five six-watt HEX (RGBAW+UV) LEDs. The Amber and White LED elements allow the fixture to generate white light at varying color temperatures, while the UV element means that the fixture can create a classic UV glow effect when used alone, or combine with other LED elements to create UV-infused colors such as hot pinks, lime greens and electric blues. The Mega Hex Par has a beam angle of 25-degrees and five operational modes.

An ADJ UC IR wireless remote is included.

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

“TRANCE REBORN”

u Andrew Rayel & David Gravell u inHarmony This beautiful track offers a slow piano accompaniment, then slides defiantly into an energized synth and subtly works itself into festival-format fervor.

It’s a slow wind up, but ultimately, this one hits a home run.

– Jennifer Harmon “PATRICK GIBIN AKA TWICE EDITS” EP

u Patrick Gibin (a.k.a. TwICE) u Razor-N-Tape DJ Fudgec

Joey Negro aka Mistura

Just in time for summer party season, Patrick Gibin (also known as TwICE) has dusted off the crates and dropped three joyful, funky disco edits on wax.

While all three tracks are outstanding, the searing synths on “Sunrise” are my favorite, followed by the solid groove of “Take Flight,” and the vocals of “Searching,” a track sure to make you boogie on down to your local record store to snag a copy.

– Chris K. Davis “GOVERNED BY THE BEAT”

u Clouded Judgment u Simma Black

Hatiras

Here’s a nice piece of U.K. underground-house music with all the floor-filling ingredients. DJs get tough, 4/4 beats, swirling sounds, heavy bassline, smooth organ stabs and an infectious, repeating sample that sits nicely over a funky house track.

– Tommy D Funk “BELIEVE IN YOURSELF” u DJ Fudge u Tejal Fudge is one of those producers who consistently delivers, and on this one, he takes a simple vocal hook and matches it with a devastating groove.

House music of the highest order.

– Curtis Zack “MY TRUTH”

u Groove Junkies & ReelSoul feat. Nichelle Monroe u Morehouse

Richard Durand

Solberjum

Sweet and dripping with soul, “My Truth” offers a sublime vocal from Monroe and the full array of production talent. Groove Junkies team up with ReelSoul on this top-notch house groover.

– Curtis Zack “BIG BOYS PANTS” B/W “ED WITTEN”

u OPOLOPO u Good For You Both tracks are fierce with a proper underground house feel – ’90s-style 4/4 beat, Rhodes Piano, funky bassline, and an Acid Jazz flavor thrown in.

Fantastic two-tracker.

– Tommy D Funk

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

“LOVE TO THE LIMIT”

38

Andrew Rayel

OPOLOPO Louie Vega

u Mistura feat. Bridgett Grace u Z Records Originally released in 1992, this uplifting cut has been repackaged successfully by Joey Negro under his Mistura alias. The top mix comes courtesy ShurI-Khan, who provides a retro-flavored version that pays respect to the original, while updating it for today’s floors.

– Curtis Zack

TRACKS…MIXES…COMPILATIONS

“KEEP FLOWING” EP

u Sandy Rivera & Jose Burgos pres. Sanjose u 4 to the Floor On this re-release package, “Flowing” drops a funky bassline, which builds into a whimsical instrumental interlude before swinging back to the probing Jarred Gallo Sandy Rivera Georgie Porgie groove. Of the remixes, check “Minimized Mix,” which has an A loopy groove and a chopped-up vocal become complemented by a deviextended intro for DJ use. Second track “Keep on Pressing” gets more ous drop. Great effects match up with a punchy rhythm for an irresistibly dynamic, maintaining the swing, but moving back and forth between hightrippy track. energy moments and deconstructed breaks. Tight.

– Tommy D Funk “EL TUMBAO” u DJ Georgie Porgie u I Am House Chicago’s Georgie Porgie is back on the Music Plant subsidiary, I Am House. As the title indicates, this a no-compromise Latin workout that will get plays from a full range of house DJs. Check the hypnotic “AfroLatin Mix.”

– Curtis Zack “PANDORA” u Richard Durand u Grotesque Fusion Not for the faint of heart, this tough, high-energy track really ramps up the pace. Bordering on psy-trance, this 140-BPM effort lays down a bewildering, but emotive landscape. Well-crafted and worth a spin.

– Jennifer Harmon

– Jennifer Harmon “NEW LACES” u Jarred Gallo u Guesthouse Taking a large dose of First Choice’s classic, “Doctor Love,” the latest release on Guesthouse drops a monster groove. Simple and sleek, yet oozing enough quality to attract lots of attention – Curtis Zack 4 TO THE FLOOR PRESENTS NU GROOVE u Various u Nu Groove Here we have 25 superb, re-released tracks of all varieties – classic underground house, mid-tempo pumpers, tech- housers, and synth heavy stompers all be remastered with care. Highlights include K.A.T.O.’s “Disco-Tech (Studio 54 Mix),” Bas Noir’s “My Love Is Magic (Big Bäs Drum Mix)” and Equation’s “I’ll Say A Prayer 4 U.”

– Tommy D Funk “ADDICTED”

u Allovers feat. Calvin Lynch u King Street Sounds Here’s a slab of quality house music perfect for the summer sun. Highclass vocals from Lynch are backed by uplifting pads, funky licks and a downright mean bassline. Throw in a slightly deeper remix courtesy of BPM Goode and you a good package all round.

– Curtis Zack

“NOW IS THE TIME” u Sean McCabe feat. Hanlei u Good Vibrations The U.K. producer teams up with the delectable duo HanLei for what is one of year’s top vocal cuts. A trademark smooth McCabe vibe, with awesome keys and skippy beats, here’s a great song delivered in irresistible fashion.

– Curtis Zack

“ANOTHER RENDEZVOUS” B/W “MAKE IT BETTER”

u Vince Watson & Dakota u Yoruba

Two more cuts from the label of discernible quality, Yoruba. “Another Rendezvous,” produced by Scotland’s Watson, transports you to a place of pure heaven, with atmospheric pads and clean chords. Dakota’s track forms a melting pot of African rhythms and soulful vocals that integrate effortlessly.

– Curtis Zack “ROADS” u Solberjum u Broderskab A classic-sounding house track gets twisted in a delightful manner here.

Jay Potter

DJ TIMES

Hatiras Spacedisco This superb new track from George Hatiras, full of funky baselines and ultra-smooth vocals, captures the essence of a true modern-day disco edit with just enough house vibes to keep the track running along effortlessly. Another great track from what is becoming an impactful label in the music industry.

MAY 2018

GUEST REVIEWER: JAY POTTER “CAN’T GO BACK”

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Heard

(continued from page 10) bass guitar, acoustic guitar and percussion instruments. Everything else that he has from the early days, he’s desperately trying to get rid of.

“They’re cool to look at, but they’re not cool to carry around,” he says. “I still play with my hands. I was never able to catch on to step programming.

It’s easier for me to play and let the computer record me. All the stuff the computer remembers helps me a whole lot. I definitely do not have an eidetic memory. I don’t really have a memory at all. I move through things, but I’m not deliberately trying to remember because I immediately go on to the next thing.”

Heard grew up listening to Bob James, George Duke, Gino Vannelli, Stevie Wonder and Patrice Rushen,

Bluestone

(continued from page 8) essarily signify bad scars. Sometimes people have scars that they receive from good things in life. I see scars as imprints of what’s happened in your life, something you’ll never forget.

DJ Times: What’s your musicmaking process?

Bluestone: I’ve been making music on the road for now, and finish in the studio once I get home. This last tour has been very helpful because I’ve been creating an album while playing to different crowds. I like to find ways to improve how tracks sound on the dancefloor.

DJ Times: To single out one track, can you explain the process behind “Another Lover”?

Bluestone: “Another Lover” started with the main drop. I had the drop before I had the surrounding beats and knew it needed a vocal. I wanted to take the song further. I collaborated with Koven in the studio, and we cranked out the main lead within about 24 hours. The whole track was completed within three

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

Making Tracks

40

(continued from page 26) with the content featured in this pack to produce their own “melodic, vocal, deep” house?

“Dark Techno” is the next sample pack I looked at. Techno is one of the most popular and growing genres of underground dance music, and one that really relies on production wizardry – instead of vocals or melodic elements – to create an impact on the dancefloor. “Dark Techno” follows a very similar structure as “Melodic. Vocal. Deep.” – with Songstarters, loops, one-shots and tutorials all included. What’s nice about this pack is that you get more than you do in “Melodic. Vocal. Deep.” Users get 50 synth hits (vs. none), 99 drum

all great musicians who have a certain warmth to their sound. He cites them as the source of his gravitation to similar tones.

“I tend to use a lot of atmospheric sounds, Fender Rhodes and piano, which is standard,” Says Heard. “It’s not anything unusually visionary, but I approach it like a rhythm section – that’s my roots. The experimental stuff, that’s where I can just have fun and do kooky experiments and go crazy patching things into each other and making one thing trigger another to create weird textures and percolations.”

The Larry Heard live show sees him on a MacBook Pro, M-Audio Oxygen 61 controller, Mackie 1642VLZ4 mixer, Hohner Instructor32 melodica

and Sennheiser e835 microphone.

Mr. White, the vocalist from “The Sun Can’t Compare,” joins Heard on stage to help with singing, MCing and crowd interaction, while Heard refers to copious musical notes. They also take a VJ and custom visuals for their backdrop.

Looking back on his music-making career, Heard doesn’t seem to have many regrets. But he does believe younger producers should avoid imitation and create their own creative paths.

“I’m a low-key guy,” says Heard. “I’m not into running around, being in everybody’s faces. Sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you thought it was going to. I had friends who thought the world was going to change for

them, that radio stations were going to start playing house music. Some ended up in severe depression, on suicide watch. We tried to tell them, ‘You’re trying to change the world, just make a good song first.’

“Now I see everyone trying to imitate the past instead of trying to have their own fresh experience. Everybody is doing these old-school Chicago-sounding tracks. That’s been done for 40 years. You want a fresh approach, not something that feels like movies and TV shows you can feel your way through, because you can tell what’s coming. It’s boring after a while if you already know what’s going to happen. There’s no real reason to get excited.”

– Lily Moayeri

days or so.

DJ Times: Generally, when you’re working with a vocalist, what’s that process?

Bluestone: For my last few tracks, especially with Giuseppe [De Luca] and Koven, I listened to what they had in mind before finishing the record. I usually start with melodies and concepts, and try to feel what the other artist wants. We’ll sit down, maybe have a few vocals or lines that could work with the track, and give my input. It’s quite a complicated process to actually write a track; it’s not just A-B-C. I’m more of the melodic person in collaborations, so I will write the melody and see how my sound makes the vocalist feel. If he or she feels that it needs a top line singing chorus, then I’ll let him do what he feels, but we constantly feed off each other. For example, I sent Koven the demo and she really felt the track right away. She sent vocals back and I felt immediate goosebumps.

DJ Times: Which producers impress you?

Bluestone: Well, Above & Beyond have obviously always been one step ahead of everyone in production. The way they make their songs sound is really amazing. Jerome Isma-ae, a good friend of mine, has always been on another level, too, with his incredible and simplistic, yet effective production.

DJ Times: Why does trance maintain such a hold over its fanbase?

Bluestone: Listen, trance has been around for ages. It’s been around since the early ’80s, even the late ’70s, just in different styles. Trance doesn’t just consist of a kick drum and bass made electronically – trance is an expression of how you feel when you listen to music. It doesn’t mean it’s just a genre. Trance is music that takes you to the next place when your close your eyes. I think a lot of people can connect to trance because it is such a diverse genre with lots of sub-genres within it. Trance fans are very loyal.

They’ve always been there for the community, and I think it’s only getting bigger. I’ve seen it grow – it’s amazing.

DJ Times: Advice for young DJ/

producers?

Bluestone: Keep going and never give up. I’ve been making music since I was 9 – I’m 32 now. I haven’t stopped and never will. I feel that even as an artist myself, my production is getting better and there are always new ways of learning. Take criticism from other artists and don’t get offended by other people telling you stuff which may offend you – just take it with a grain of salt. Always experiment and find ways of making your sound better – be open. Don’t take the genre and alienate yourself – be open to listening to other music. Don’t hate entire genres because you’re never going to learn. If you listen to dubstep, trap, bass, jungle, drum-n-bass, you’re always going to find something from a music production side of things. I listen to a lot of bass artists and think there’s a lot of appealing sounds that cut through and sound great in a club.

That’s what fascinates me as a music producer. There’s always something new to learn.

– Jim Tremayne

loop parts (vs. 73), six Songstarters (vs. four).

Techno heads will certainly be happy with this pack. Thundering kicks and claps, aggressive hi-hats, buzzing basslines and acid leads – the sounds on offer here reference both classic techno styles along with more contemporary interpretations. The audio content definitely provides some things any producer would be likely to include in their productions. And for newcomers who are looking to get a high-quality set of drum hits to build their own kits, the samples here are a great place to start.

The tutorial videos provided some nifty tips and tricks. I particularly thought the second video, where

Mark Brown works with Logic Pro X’s onboard instruments and samplers to create his own techno-styled FM keyboard, was very useful. I liked this one because it used synths available to any Logic owner, whereas some of the other videos featured pricier plug-ins from UAD, Soundtoys and Fabfilter.

(Editor’s Note: Cr2’s “Dark Techno 2” is also available.)

Overall, the Cr2 packs are a good starting point for really any producer, from the beginner to the more intermediate. Not only do you get good audio files and samples, but the Songstarters and MIDI patterns provide another level of engagement and perspective on how tracks are composed and produced. The videos and tutorial

content are promising, but nothing that isn’t wildly different from any number of the free tutorial videos YouTube.

Ultimately, sample packs are just another tool that producers have in their kit. The beauty of electronic music production is that there’s no set way to do anything.

Innovation occurs when artists try new things and take risks. We should look at sample packs as just another way for producers to unlock their creative potential. And any product that encourages learning and promotes a greater understanding of the music-production process, as these Cr2 packs do, earns my recommendation.

MP3s in 6

Compiled As April 16, 2018

NATIONAL CROSSOVER POOL CHART

NATIONAL URBAN POOL CHART

1 Bruno Mars & Cardi B 2 Pink 3 Zedd F/ Maren Morris 4 Dua Lipa 5 Olivia Holt 6 Joe Bermudez F/ Louise Carver 7 Troy Sivan 8 Demi Lovato 9 Rita Ora 10 MK 11 Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ens 12 Ed Sheeran 13 Alan Walker F/ Noah cyrus 14 Axwell /\ Ingrosso 15 Beck 16 Sofi Tukker F/ NERVO 17 Emily Perry 18 Ralphi Rosario F/ Do 19 Vassy & Afrojack F/ Oliver Rosa 20 The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar 21 Martin Garrix & Daviid guetta 22 Skylar Stecker 23 Dj Snake 24 Sonic Amazon 25 Craig David 26 Tiesto, Gucci Mane & 27 Bebe Rexha F/ FGL 28 Kat Solar 29 Janelle Monáe 30 Marshmello & Anne-Marie 31 Kim Petras 32 Basstoy 33 Lookas F/ Cal 34 Win Marcinak 35 Riddim Travelers F/ Alexx Antaeus & Devin Di Dakta 36 Taylor Swift 37 Jena Rose 38 Meghan Trainor 39 Logic & Marshmello 40 Bülow

1 Migos 2 Cardi B F/ 21 Savage 3 Drake 4 Bruno Mars & Cardi B 5 Blac Youngsta 6 Stefflon Don F/ French Montana 7 H.E.R. 8 Remy Ma F/ Chris Brown 9 Derez Deshon 10 Dj Khaled F/ Jay Z, Future & Beyoncé 11 Kendrick Lamar & Sza 12 Ella Mai 13 Jaden Smith 14 Rae Sremmurd 15 Blocboy JB F/ Drake 16 Rich The Kid F/ Kendrick Lamar 17 Jhene Aiko F/ Rae Sremmurd 18 Post Malone F/ Ty Dolla $ign 19 Migos F/ Drake 20 2 Chainz

Most Added Tracks 1 Kelly Clarkson 2 Meghan Trainor 3 Charlie Puth F/ Kehlani 4 Craig David 5 Alice France 6 Manuel Riva f/ Alexandra Stan 7 Lookas F/ Cal 8 The Perry Twins 9 Bülow 10 Taylor Swift

REPORTING POOLS n n n n n n n n n n n

Gary Canavo Carlos Cabrera The Dance Environment Blake Eckelbarger Manny Esparza Ilan Fong Sam Labelle Laszlo Szenasi Steve Tsepelis Dan Miller The Dance Environment

Finesse Atlantic Beautiful Trauma RCA The Middle Interscope IDGAF Warner Brothers Generous Hollywood Crazy Enough 617 Records My My My! Capitol Tell Me You Love Me Republic Anywhere Atlantic 17 Ultra This Is Me Atlantic Perfect Atlantic All Fall Down RCA Dreamer Def Jam Up All Night Interscope Best Friend Ultra Walk In Silence Dauman Cold Carrillo Lost Armada Pray For Me Interscope So Far Away RCA Blame Cherry Tree Magenta Riddim Interscope Come On Over Global Groove I Know You RCA Boom Casablanca Meant To Be Warner Brothers Get Away Solar Music Make Me Feel Atlantic Friends Warner Brothers I Don’t Want It All Kobalt Runnin 2018 Blue Plate Deep Breaths Island Celebrate Burning Tyger Get Hot Monom Delicate Big Machine Reasons Rose No Excuses Epic Everyday Def Jam Not A Love Song Casablanca

I Don’t Think About You No Excuses Done For Me I Know You Finally Miami Deep Breaths Euphoria Not A Love Song Delicate

Masspool Various Retail Radio Dj Stickyboots Nexus Radio Kahoots Soundworks DJ Laszlo Pacific Coast Dixie Dance Kings Retail Radio

Atlantic Epic Atlantic RCA Notting Hill Radikal Island Dauman Casablanca Big Machine

Revere,MA Nashville,TN Powered By Spectrio Goshen,NJ Chicago,IL Columbus,OH San Francisco,CA Las Vegas,NV Long Beach,CA Atlanta,GA Powered By Spectrio

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

Stir Fry Bartier Cardi God’s Plan Finesse Booty Hurtin’ Me Focus Melanin Magic Hardaway Top Off All The Stars Boo’d Up Icon Powerglide Look Alive New Freezer Sativa Psycho Walk It Talk It Proud

Capitol Atlantic Republic Atlantic Epic Capitol RCA Columbia BMG Epic Interscope Interscope Roc Nation Interscope Warner Brothers Interscope Def Jam Republic Capitol Def Jam

Most Added Tracks 1 2 3 4 5

Blocboy JB F/ Drake Lil Dicky F/ Chris Brown Migos F/ Drake Gucci Mane F/ Migos Rich The Kid

Look Alive Freaky Friday Walk It Talk It Solitaire Plug Walk

Warner Brothers School boy Capitol Atlantic Interscope

NATIONAL LATIN DANCE POOL CHART 1. Steve Aoki ft. D Yankee, Elvis C. 2. Soleil J Feat Maffio 3. Ely Holguin 4. Domenic Marte 5. William Melendez 6. Pabanor ft Bianca 7. Charlie Aponte 8. Ozuna 9. Tony Marino 10. Rolf Sanchez 11. Wisin & Yandel 12. Zion & Lennox 13. Renzo 14. Rumberos del Callejon ft. T Nieves 15 Nandy Rosario 16. Raulin Rodriguez 17. Romeo Santos 18. Karol G & Shaggy feat El Capitan 19. Pedro Alonso 20. Maelo Ruiz

Azukita No Me Arrepiento Aventura Medley Tu Final Boogaloo Baby Tu Me Pones Mal Pa’ Mi Gente El Farsante I Can’t Stop Loving You Te Va a Doler Como Antes La Player Baby Dile Celebrando El Cuero De Mi Vecina Corazon Con Candado Imitadora Tu Pum Pum Ya No Vale Por Volver a Amarte

Ultra Music Crossover Cookies Empire Direct Balance Cookita prod.

Pegasus CA Universal Enforce Latin hits Ent. Sony Summa ent.

Mayimba Chongo Nandy Music Planet Sony Afterclub PA Music MR

Most Added Tracks

1. Julio Albino 2. Romeo 3. Daddy Yankee 4. Caña Brava/Oro Solido 5. Tempi feat Wisin

Cha Cha Ra Con Cua Sobredosis Dura Pussycat La Pared

indie Sony El Cartel Sunflower Ent. NRE/Panda Ent.

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.

ATTENTION DJ TIMES READERS: DJ Times is currently looking for DJs that are interested in reporting to the DJ National Dance/Crossover chart and the DJ Times National Urban Dance chart.

Reporterships are open to Record Pools and individual DJs. For more information contact: Dan Miller, dmiller@testa.com

Mija

(continued from page 16) DJ Times: You’ve also mastered the art of reading a crowd. What are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to throwing together a proper DJ set?

Mija: Do: Own whatever it is you’re doing. Even if you fuck up, or don’t get the reaction you anticipated… just own it because if you get bummed, they will be able to tell and then that feeling will begin to reciprocate back and forth into a feedback loop.

DJ Times: And the don’ts?

Mija: Don’t play the same shit that everyone else is playing. It’s so boring. I know the crowd might get really turned up for, like, 30 seconds when you drop the biggest banger of the century for the millionth time… and that’s cool. Just don’t fall into the instant-gratification trap because it has no longevity. Give them what they want, and then give them what they need.

DJ Times: Which do you prefer these days – spinning intimate club settings or playing in front of a festival crowd?

Mija: I’ve always preferred intimate club settings – low lights, low ceilings, no big production or LED walls. Festivals are fun, but often I feel like I’m not utilizing enough space on the stage for the amount of people staring at me. But like... I’m a DJ, not a pop star. My job is to make people dance with each other and get lost in the moment... not stare at me like I’m doing something really impressive with my hands. In the clubs, I have the ability to keep it really dark, so that it’s not about me, but the music and people experiencing it.

DJ Times: Being a DJ first, you had to learn music production on the fly. When was it when you had the breakthrough moment when everything clicked for you when it came to

producing music?

Mija: I’m not sure that moment exists. I have breakthrough moments all the time that have slowly accumulated to what I know today. The hardest part is knowing what you want, but not knowing the language to ask for the help you need. It definitely took me a couple years to even begin to understand that language.

DJ Times: Where do you find inspiration?

Mija: Everywhere. In my travels, in books, in other people’s music, in art, in language, in friendships, relationships, all those ’ships.

DJ Times: What’s current studio set up look like – gear and DAW? Mija: I write and record in Ableton Live 10, and I use a few hardware synths, like [Pioneer’s] TORAIZ AS-1 and [Dave Smith Instruments’] Mopho, as well as an old Akai MPK25 [keyboard controller] for triggering MIDI. I use mostly use Dynaudio monitors, but also have some older M-Audio monitors that I’ll occasionally test stuff on. My favorite gear is at this studio that I rent sometimes, where they have an old-school Rhodes, as well as some basic necessities like guitars, basses, etc. I love the fusion of normal instruments in electronic music.

DJ Times: What are you using to record your vocals?

Mija: Whatever’s accessible at the time that I need to record. At home, I have a Sterling Audio professional mic, but I almost always prefer to use my Shure 520DX – aka my “ball mic” – because I feel more comfortable and love the lo-fi sound. If I’m recording something that needs to sound really clean, I’ll rent a studio that has a ribbon mic.

DJ Times: Walk us through a stu-

dio session with Mija.

Mija: It’s different every time. I guess my favorite way to make music is by making a simple 16-bar loop, using whatever drums, noises or samples I think are cool. Then, I will start to sing or play some scratch melodies on a piano. I’ll usually just record shit into my iPhone or my laptop or ball mic and then fuck around with the audio in Ableton until I have something that grooves. If I can get a groove going, I really enjoy recording live automation out of synths and feeling it in the moment, as opposed to going back and automating it by hand. Other times, if I have something that I really want to say, I’ll write the entire song around a poem I’ve written. This can lead to really strange places, sonically. This is how a lot of my EP came about.

DJ Times: Your debut EP, “How to Measure the Distance Between Lovers,” oozes raw emotion and showcases a side of Mija the electronic community hasn’t seen before. Were there nerves surrounding the release?

Mija: Yes, there were a lot of nerves, a lot of feels. It was the most excited and the most terrified I think I’ve ever been. But ultimately, it was the biggest weight off my shoulder. I needed that really badly.

DJ Times: With your debut EP, you’re already receiving comparisons to Björk, one of your favorite artists.

That has to be a special feeling.

Mija: Björk is a goddess, and I would never compare myself to her.

So, yeah, I feel very humbled, to say the least.

DJ Times: Your latest release is a prime example of an artist creating music that you actually want to make, rather than playing it safe and making music you think the audience wants

to hear. As an artist, how important is it to step out of that comfort zone?

Mija: It’s more than stepping out of your comfort zone... it’s stepping into yourself. It’s discovering yourself, and your potential to make an impact on the world and other people’s lives.

Music is meant to be shared and to remind each other that we’re not alone with our thoughts… whether that be through hardship, celebration or escapism.

DJ Times: With that being said, what are your thoughts on the current state of electronic dance music?

Mija: [laughs] The state of electronic dance music… just is, and it will always be. It will not deplete; it will continue to evolve… same as it ever was.

DJ Times: You’ve been a part of this scene since you were 17-yearold. What are some changes you’ve noticed over the years?

Mija: Mainstream popularity has erupted into the scene and there’s no turning back. We’ve revolutionized dance music and, in my opinion, I think that’s really fucking cool. The “underground” will continue to live on, as it has for decades before us.The real difference now is that there is this fading dissonance between “live” and “DJ” music, leaving a lot of room for creativity. We’re finally leveling up.

DJ Times: Now with a plethora of originals under your belt, your own label never_b_alone and clothing brand Made By Mija, what else does Mija have planned for 2018 and beyond?

Mija: I’ve never been much of a planner. I just do things until I don’t.

However, I will say that I’ve written another EP, which should come out this fall. And I’m learning how to utilize more space on stage. n

42

In ’17, I was voted America’s Best DJ…

And I earned some golden hardware.

Who’ll take the title this year?

America’s Best DJ, Next Month in DJ Times

Photos by ArtChick Photography

DJ TIMES

MAY 2018

America’s Best DJ: Jauz Reflects on 2017