How To Make DJ Music - Online Resources

The Benefits If You Make DJ Music

Even if your tracks don't see the same success that Justice, Deadmau5 and other artists do, even if you are relatively well-known or just well know to a few, there are still lots of advantages when you make DJ music.

The top DJ produces don't get the best gigs because they sweated through clubs with their little DJ kits, reading guides on how to DJ and trying to mix.

It's because they made a few dancefloor filling bomb-dropper tunes that electronic music fans around the world ALL know about!

That gives them license to DJ at Ibiza nightclubs, capital city top clubs and the best festivals around.

Make DJ music that gets played in 10 or 20 different countries and make it work. Then watch the offers for gigs ROLL in.

Get yourself an agent! You're going to need one.

I discussed this in my interview with DJ Sean Gallagher recently. We've noticed how certain new music producers get huge gigs really fast and we were wondering how they learn to DJ so fast.

If you start make DJ music yourself AND you're good at it, you could well be one of those guys who gets amazing gigs right away!

The Benefits If You Make DJ Music

Even if your tracks don't see the same success that Justice, Deadmau5 and other artists do, even if you are relatively well-known or just well know to a few, there are still lots of advantages when you make DJ music.

Don't be this DJ

Imagine, you sweat for years working your way into clubs as a DJ, competing hard with other guys to get a coveted residency. But you have no remixes or tracks to your name.

Then, on the day of a huge event, you get pushed aside because the promoter and owner want someone else to DJ instead.

They want a producer who's only ever DJed once in his life to play instead of you! This producer has just made one killer track in his life, but everyone knows it and loves it!

This happens all the time. Regular DJs who don't make their own tunes are forced to make way for producers whose music is known by everyone.

Don't be that DJ who gets pushed off the decks! Make your own DJ music instead.

If you need a few reminders why you should start, I'll give them to you:

1. Better for getting gigs

You can get club gigs a lot easier if you have a few of your own tracks.

Put yourself in the place of the promoter. They get emailed and called all the time by DJs claiming that they're the next big thing. He or she will be reassured if you're a DJ with a few tunes to your name.

As well as sending the promoter a link your DJ website and video of you mixing, you'll throw in the links to your youtube tracks (where you've added some comments!).

Promoters are far more easily swayed by DJs with their own music.

2. Prestige

As soon as you start making your first tracks, your status changes.

When you talk about your DJing, you'll be able to introduce yourself as a DJ Producer. You'll no longer just be a DJ!

This is better for you in terms of prestige. Add it to your business card, put it on your website tell it to your friends.

The DJ Producer is in town!

3. Chances of massive success

It doesn't happen to everyone who makes DJ music by themselves, but some get to experience huge success.

Think of one hit wonder kings Stardust and their tune, "Music Sounds Better With You". This tune went around the world and kept going!

I'm not saying you should aim to make a one hit wonder but you do have the chance of making the same impact that these guys did.

4. Better money

If you manage to sell 40,000 downloads of your cool track by marketing it yourself, you'll be in for a nice payday.

You can keep the royalties and get as much as 70% of the cash back for yourself!

If you sell your tune for $1 and keep around 70% of proceedings:

70% of $40 000 = $28 000

Knock out 5 tracks a year and you're doing ok!

But the real money is in the gigs you'll get. As soon as you make DJ music and one of your tracks takes off, you'll get offered gigs all over the world!

Legacy

How long will it be before people forget Fatboy Slim's first album?

Never.

Our musical memories are so good they seem to be better than any other parts of our memory.

And Fatboy Slim's tracks will be getting played and danced to in 20 years time, I can guarantee it.

Imagine being the one that made those great tracks. You'll rock and be remembered for years and years.

Find out more with my articles on how to make DJ music and where to start.

This article and many more other DJ tips, reviews, advice and a free guide to getting DJ gigs can be found at The Total DJ Blog

Sasha and Digweed - Trendsetting DJs

The DJ pair of Sasha and Digweed is synonymous with dance music the world over. Together they have engineered the evolution of house music, trance music and even basic techno styles. How they joined forces is one story, but their individual tales and accomplishments are just as significant.

A Little about Sasha

Sasha was born as Alexander Coe in Bangor, Wales England in 1969. He spent most of his youth in a town called Penarlag. At 17, Sasha began classes at Epsom College, but left early and moved back to Bangor with his dad and stepmom. While living there, his stepmother forced him to take piano lessons, which he hated. Later, however, this would prove extremely relevant to his music career.

Through his early years, his main musical influence was surprisingly top forty and pop music. In 1988 at the age of 19, he discovered a genre known as acid house music and fell in love with it. He purchased dozens of acid house records and began to teach himself to mix. He ran close to broke and started working raves.

Sasha then began learning new techniques like beat matching and key mixing. He mastered these in short order.

A Little about Digweed

The fellow we all know as Digweed was born Thomas John Digweed on New Year's Day 1967 in Hastings England.

Not a whole lot is recorded on Digweed's history, but we do know that he began DJing at the young age of thirteen. After many years of mixing, DJing and playing at raves and parties, he took a gig at the Renaissance Club in 1993. Sasha heard his demo and the duo was born.

Sasha & Digweed

Now that these two powerhouses were together, what would they do? Each had a select set of skills to add to their music. They focused on developing their selection of tracks and mixing techniques that whole first year. Then, in 1994, the duo released their first mix CD called Renaissance: the Mix Collection. They had gotten themselves signed to Renaissance Records, an all trance label.

Two years later, in 1996, the release of Northern Exposure skyrocketed the dynamic DJ duo to super stardom. This album was produced by the world renowned record label, Ministry of Lights. The following year was a big one for Sasha & Digweed as their '96 album Northern Exposure was released in the United States AND they released Northern Exposure 2 in the UK and Europe.

The international tour that ensued was amazing. Throughout the middle and late 90's, Sasha & Digweed's powerful mix style and DJ techniques helped to shape the techno, trance and progressive house genres. In essence, this movement brought the rave music of Europe to North America for the first time ever and it was received with welcome, open arms.

In 1998, both DJs released solo works on the Boxed label's notorious Global Underground series. Around this same time, Sasha & Digweed began a regular stint at the Twilo club in New York City. They also toured the United States heavily and released another mix album, Communicate, in 2000.

The Delta Heavy tour in 2002 was the last collaborative effort as a pair for six years. They have appeared together on occasion, but no new releases have been in the works. In 2008, Sasha & Digweed announced a second North American tour as a duo. The remastered version of their original Renaissance: The Mix Collection was released in 2004, though.

As a pair, Sasha and John Digweed have been as instrumental to the development of their genre(s) as Metallica has been to heavy metal or Cat Stevens was to folk music. Their complete devotion to trance music, techno, and progressive house has been unflinching. The pair continues to wow crowds everywhere they go and fans of their style of mixing and beat matching and beat management clamber to see these two perform live.

So when you hear anything about trance or rave music, you can bet that these two blokes from England had a hand in it somewhere. Sasha and Digweed's influence is widespread and has been seen in bands like Linkin Park who blended mix style, DJ beat management and rock music very successfully. Also, a few years back, Christian band DC Talk did the same in their genre with Sasha & Digweed to thank for the idea.

Check out ChinaShop magazine - the written word on music, culture, interviews, bars, clubs and bands. You'll see pics and video of exclusive events and interviews from the music scene, including free music by Sasha and Digweed

A Look At The History of Hip Hop

Since its creation, Hip Hop has had a cultural impact on youth all around the world. The youth specifically because the music, for many, is a reflection of their lives and is told in a way they can easily understand. Starting in the South Bronx of New York in November of 1974, Hip Hop consisted mainly of DJing, breaking (break dancing), graffiti, and rapping. However, it is much more than just a kind of music. Many believe that the genre can be seen as a way of life, given that it also has brought about new ways of dressing, its own way of speaking, and its own unique outlook on cultural, political, economical and intellectual aspects.

The name "Hip Hop" is said to have been coined by Keith "Cowboy" Wiggins. Wiggins was a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, a Hip-Hip group formed in 1978 in the South Bronx. They were a large part of the genre's early development. Other artists signifying the beginning of Hip Hop include The Sugar Hill Gang. Signed by Sylvia Robinson, they have been recognized as the first popular rap group. Their song, "Rapper's Delight," is still popular today. The first female group to release a Hip Hop single was known as The Sequence, releasing "Funk You Up" in 1979. Other popular female artist's from the early days of Hip Hop include Salt 'N Pepa, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and Oaktown 357.

Clive Campbell, or DJ Kool Herc, is credited with originating Hip Hop music. Born in Jamaica in 1955, his hard funk records such as James Brown contrasted the violent gang activity and disco craze of The Bronx in the early 70's. Campbell's claim to fame is his use of two turntables playing the same record in order to make the break longer. Turntablism is the act of combining two or more songs to create a "mix". Other popular Djs of Hip Hop include Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Mr. Magic, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Scratch from EPMD, DJ Premier from Gang Starr, DJ Scott La Rock from Boogie Down Productions, DJ Pete Rock of Pete Rock & CL Smooth, DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill, Jam Master Jay from Run-DMC, Eric B., DJ Screw from the Screwed Up Click and the inventor of the Chopped & Screwed style of mixing music, Funkmaster Flex, Tony Touch, DJ Clue, and DJ Q-Bert along with many others. These lengthened breaks of funk and rock combined with Latin percussion created the basis of Hip Hop, as we know it today. These breaks also allowed for more breaking or break dancing. Also known as B-boying, Break dancing is a dance that has become integrated into the culture of the music. It is a kind of dancing done very close to the ground with moves such as the head spin. Finally these breaks were accompanied by an emcee rapping. Rapping is a form of poetry involving speaking with rhyme in a consciously rhythmic manner. The rap of Hip Hop spoke to and about the youth of America and started the development of one of the largest cultural movements of the 20th century.

Since the 1970's, Hip Hop has grown world wide to be globally accepted as an art form. Starting with just DJ Kool Herc and a couple of turntables in the Bronx, Hip Hop is now one of the most popular and commercialized genres of music on the market today. Rapping, emceeing, break dancing, graffiti and beat boxing have all grown from their roots of Hip Hop, but still remain strongly linked. Some argue that what it is today does not have the same authentic feeling as when it started, which is true, but nearly all genres evolve over time. The commercialism has cause the movement to lose some of its original cultural value of freedom and protest. It is merely a matter of what you believe what Hip Hop truly is.

Ben Bruce is a DJ/Producer currently attending Berklee College of Music. Learn more about this up and coming artist. Check out and like Benzamak on his Facebook page.

DJ Todd P Has Been Throwin It Down Since the 80s and Isn't Stopping Soon!

Todd Hurley, a.k.a. DJ Todd P., has been on the turntables since 1984. He started spinning hip hop and breaks back in the Break Dancin' days, moved from Medford, Oregon to California and found the underground Rave scene in San Francisco around 1992 and fell in love with techno and the dance/club scene. As the scene changed, Dj Todd P was right there making the move to house music, and playing soulful vocal funky house at various clubs, parties and raves around California. Today Dj Todd P is owner of Hurley Entertainment in Sacramento/Bay area California and is playing NU-Funk, break beats and House. Dj Todd P is passionate about music and passionate about rockin the dance floors with great tunes.

So how did it all begin?

- Wow it was a while ago!(1984) I was 16 I was in Medford, Oregon where me and my friends were all in a break-dance crew (the RZA) then I moved to L.A. for a year and got to see the Hip Hop scene for real! I, went to the underground club that ICE T owned "RADIO" (it was in the movie breakin') anyway, I saw the Dj G.L.O.V.E. on stage scratchin and Beat Juggling and really movin the crowd. I knew right then I had found my calling. when school started there was a Dj playing at our lunch break in the courtyard and I went up introduced myself and started learning from him and his brother (thanks Polo and Nic) A Dj was born that day...my first Dj name was "EXQUISE Dj"

Where did the name come from?

Well that's a tough one. My first name is Todd my middle name starts with a P. Dj Todd P. it's been said that you're not supposed to pick your dj name. I had a few Dj friends with the name of Todd so we threw in the middle initial to tell us apart. I remember a party that six Djs played and we were all named Todd. (The party was called Todd Squad 85) so since that party the Name has been with me ever since.

What gave you that initial push?

Where I grew up in Medford we started clubbing at 16 yrs old. I love to dance. So I guess dancing pushed me into the Dj booth.

Tell us about your current DJ / Production setup? What Hardware / Software do you use?

Well I own a sound production Company (Hurley Entertainment) I have a lot of equipment. In my DJ coffin I use pioneer djm 600 mixers, Technics turntables and Serato. I also have a Roland MC909. My sound system has 4 18"custom subs and 8 15'tops., a huge rack of sound processing equipment and amps. I bring the noise!

Did the Djing, Production, Promoting come 1st?

Funny, I really started making mix tapes and carrying the ghetto blaster for the RZA break-dance crew. Yeah we broke out the cardboard! Then Djing then production now promoting.

Who's throwing the best parties at the moment?

Well in Sac I like the Substance parties they have really been bringing out some great talent from all around. In the Bay Area there is so many world class Djs any night of the week you can hit a great party.

What was the first event you ever played at/put on?

I got to play at my High school dance in L.A. (1984) the DJ that was supposed to play got suspended from school. And that was my big shot! We had a lot of breakers and poppers. Another school came and battled my school on the floor! (We served up proper) it gives me chills to remember that night... thanks.

What was your first record you bought?

I still have it! It was JAM ON IT by Newcleus! It had just come out and I scored on it at licorice pizza in L.A. that was the first DJ record store I had ever seen. Stacks of vinyl, record players and headphones. Ahhh the days of old...

Out of all the tracks in your crate, which one never fails?

Wow there are so many...I love to play Nu-Funk so I would say anything that Jayl Funk mixed or Fort Knox five! Seriously there's a lot of fire out there right now in the Nu-Funk genre!

What's your favorite track / record / album / mix set of all time?

It's the one going in my head at all times...it just never stops.

When all the partying is over how do you like to chill out?

I like to chill with my wife Wendy we like to go on bike rides, rafting the river, Camping we really like art too. She's a singer songwriter so we play "Studio" a lot.

So how is the scene in your eyes at the moment?

It's always changing but always kind of the same. The scene is about fun music dancing love and friends. There is room for everyone in the scene! No matter whom you are or where you come from. Just go to the scene and make new friends any time. You go where you hear house music or funk you're going to make friends! All you need is a smile!

What's your real name if you use an alias and how old are you?

My real name is Todd Hurley and I am 42...uum did I just say that?? They say inside every old person is on young person wondering WTF happened? okay 42. Moving on next question...

Where do you live currently?

I live in Sacramento California

How big is your vinyl collection?

Pause...moment of silence please...most of my record collection was stolen a few years ago. So I'm rebuilding. I have 12,000 songs digitally on C.D. and a computer full of new music.

What do you think about digital DJ setups like Serato, Traktor, and Ableton? Do you use them?

YES! I use a Rane Serato SL3 and I love it! I am a vinyl guy forever and my serato gives me the opportunity to get real hard to find music or tracks from friends and still mix with vinyl. The days of record stores are fading away and I will always miss that. BUT music selection is not limited by the record stores crates. I can get anything on the internet.

Funniest thing that ever happened at an event?

Hmmm brain overload...

Other DJs you rate?

Jeno, Garth, Rick Preston, Miguel Migs, Andy Caldwell, Chuck Love, Joshua Heath, Jon H. (FK5), Jayl Funk, and locally I dig Nate Spross, Kritt, and Dansin. I'd say those are my favorites right now.

What do you think about MC's and their role in hip-hop/dance music culture?

I know a lot of emcees and I think that it's an amazing talent. I really like freestyle rappers and battle rapping. That's REAL talent. Cuz it's live off the cuff. My favorite underground emcee is E.S.O.G from Hollister CA. that guy has skills!

What advice would you give to up and coming DJs/Promoters?

Practice, Practice, Practice and learn with vinyl. Then post some mixes up on one of the hosting sites and get some feedback. AND LISTEN TO THE FEEDBACK! Be your own DJ play what you like not what people say you should play. Djing is an art form and a lifestyle WELCOME!!

When you play is it a planned set?

Never planned, I pick music out for each separate show and put it in a crate then play outta that.

When was the 1st time you visited Ibiza? Was it to holiday or to play?

I haven't been to Spain but I have played @ Ibiza in Oakland back in the 90's. If I'm going on holiday my Wife Wendy tries to get me gigs wherever were going.

Anything else you want to say? Any shouts?

To my FAT CITY peeps, RZA, Substance Crew, Felony 1 records, My Wife Wendy, my Daughter Megan, my son Brandon

If you could stage a rave anywhere, where would you choose?

I think it would be cool to throw a RAVE at Alcatraz!

How do you see the scene 5 years from now?

I have watched the scene evolve over the years in a lot of ways. The party and the music. When I got into the Rave scene in 1989 it was all TECHNO and everyone was real drugged up. Then the House came around and has evolved into a million sub genres. Back then nobody knew what house music was not even the clubs. Now I hear house music on T.V. ads and it's really hit the mainstream. The Breaks and Nu-Funk is real big in Europe right now. And I think that's the direction it's going musically. There are a lot of people calling themselves producers because they have a computer and some loops. I like real musician's real singers and real studio production. And songs with some structure shape and dynamics. Not just the same loop for five minutes.

If you had a time machine what year would you go back to and why?

It would be the summer of love 1969 I'd be right at the Haight in San Francisco. That's really where it all started for the dance music scene. I love the energy there on the Haight. I make a point to go every time I'm in the City

Knight Rider or A-team?

How bout Starsky and Hutch. The music was better! Bow chicka bow bow!

Shalini Chandra is a mid-30's student, dancer, animal lover, and club junkie. She has been into the nightlife scene since the tender age of 16 and is still going strong. Over the years she has grown to know and love DJs in both the Sacramento and Bay Areas, and is respected as an authority on local nightlife and DJs. She is well known for her wit, sassiness, and sharp tongue; more of which you can read at thatgirlfromtheinternet.com. Shalini can reached at: Shalini@thatgirlfromtheinternet.com.

Preparing For a Summer of Electronic Music Festivals

The summer is generally considered the prime season for entertainment, particularly for music. Festivals for all genres are scheduled during this time and, for electronic music, this is no exception. While electronic dance music has evolved from the illegal rave parties of the 1990s into legitimate music events (many even lasting two days), knowing which events to attend depends where you're located and where you're willing to travel.

A recent article in the New York Times discussed the phenomenon of techno tourism: the traveling to various music events and festivals for favorite DJs and acts. Although such habits and fandom is seen for many other genres, with the most heightened being fans of jam band music, this appears to be a recent - or perhaps more visible - development in electronic music.

Generally, electronic dance music, to the average person looking from the outside into the genre, is still centered around the clubs and a DJ is still someone who plays records. But, much like jam band music in which the guitarists may play a different solo at every gig, the mixing and production techniques for a good and reputable DJ will vary with each gig, as well. Essentially, this aspect is what fuels the fans to travel from gig to gig - what changes and new production will the DJ add each night?

When it comes to summer music events, many of the major ones start in the spring and go into the summer. Some, even, are scheduled right before fall starts.

In the United States, the schedule of major summer festivals essentially starts in late March - the start of spring - with the Winter Music Conference and the Ultra Music festival that closes the week-long event. The Winter Music Conference, held in Florida, covers all aspects of electronic music through workshops, panel discussions, and performances. DJ production and scratching techniques are both covered through the event. The electronic music festival following reads like a who's-who of electronic musicians, often with one of the top DJs headlining the event.

Past this point, Coachella, in California, often has many well-known names for instrumental and DJ electronic music added. New Order, La Roux, and Depeche Mode have been acts on the bill in recent years, and a separate DJ tent has an all-day lineup of music. Additionally, the end of the summer brings Electric Zoo in New York, which has been offering two days of electronic music acts from DJs to instrumental music.

England also has its share of electronic music, too. The summer months will have some of the country's largest festivals, such as Creamfields and Global Gathering. Both festivals attract some of the top names in DJing short of making a trip to Ibiza. But, then again, many wanting a vacation combined with beats from their favorite DJ will make a special trip to the Balearic paradise.

Copyright (c) 2010 Randy B

Zenbeats.com is a website for downloading electronic music. Nearly all genres are represented in Zenbeats' selection: house, trance, techno, dubstep, electronic, and many more. Electronic music is represented through such festivals as Movement in Detroit, which is often geared toward local techno and house music, and overseas festivals like Global Gathering and Creamfields.

DJ Lingo - What Did That DJ Say?

I wanted to write this fun article for those of you just starting to DJ, or who may be friends with a DJ and need to learn the lingo.

DJ

What exactly does DJ mean? DJ is short for Disc Jockey. It's someone who jocks discs (vinyl records). There are different types of DJs, including Club DJs, Mobile DJs (private parties/weddings etc), and Radio DJs. Different DJs may use different techniques, but it is generally someone who selects, plays and mixes music for a crowd.

Beat Matching/Mixing/Spinning/DJing

This refers to the main meat of DJing- making the two songs the same speed. This is so that when they play the two songs together, they are seamless. There is no stopping or mish mash of beats. Speaking of mish mash...

Trainwreck

This is when a DJ doesn't quite get the beat matching right. When the two songs are faded into each other, the beats are not matched and it sounds horrible. Also called shoes in the dryer because of the sound.

Rinse

When a DJ rinses it, it means he did an incredible job. Everyone was dancing, his mixes were impeccable, it was all around amazing! "Man, that DJ RINSED it last night!" It actually originates from old English language, where they used to use the phrase "A rinsing good time!" Rinse is most often used in electronic music circles, including Techno, House, and Drum and Bass.

BPM

This refers to the beats per minute, or how fast the song is. Just like a heart rate, it is calculated by counting the number of beats per minute. This is very helpful when determining if you can mix two songs together, as they have to be similar speeds to do so. For example, you can't mix a 80 BPM song ("American Woman" by Lenny Kravitz) with a 150 BPM song ("Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison).

Scratching

We're not talking about an itchy back. This is a DJ technique that is used a lot in Hip Hop. It is the sound that is made when a record is moved back and forth and those sounds are cut in various patterns. It takes quite a different skill than beat matching. They are a lot like mathematical patterns put to a beat of music.

Doubles

Doubles refers to when a DJ has two of the same records/songs and is using them at the same time. A DJ who is using doubles is often referred to "Rocking Doubles." You rock doubles a lot of the time when you are...

Beat Juggling

When a DJ has doubles of a record, and picks a certain part of the record to repeat or layer on top of the other. It is used to create interesting patterns of the same beat or phrase. This takes a very fast hand and great degree of skill.

Turntablist

These are DJs that specialize in scratching and/or beat juggling.

Battles

When DJs battle it is like a sort of exhibition where each DJ has a certain amount of time to show the audience what their skills. Turntablist battles are very popular.

Mash-Up

This is a type of music that was popularized by DJ Z-Trip. It is a layering of one song over another. It is most often the vocals of one song over the beat of another. It is often a mish mash of genres such as a rock beat with hip hop vocals over or vice versa.

Now that you know the Lingo of the DJ, you can better understand DJs and what they are talking about! I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I did writing it!

S. Leung is affiliated with Calsound.com [http://www.calsound.com/home.php], an online retail store for DJs by DJs since 1997. Calsound sells everything a DJ needs from DJ equipment to music and accessories. Get a free MP3 download by using coupon code "ezinemp3" at checkout [http://www.calsound.com/digital-downloads-c-532.html]