Kings of LA DJ Scratch Competition is going down!! Brace yourselves for some of the best dj scratching, mixing, and cutting to hit California this Saturday, August 29th! All guests who come will get a Kings of LA DVD (I just went to Etronik’s place and the dvd’s are DOPE!) and get to see some amazing performances by the best scratch DJ’s in the world. It’s a smashing deal and best of all, it’s only $10 bucks to get in. That’s recession friendly for all yall….
Despite any rumors out there, this event is going down!!! It is NOT cancelled. The event is at
GOOGLE MAP LINK. This event will start a 4PM and end at 2AM. Please email us goplay [at] dbmlabs [dot] com or etronik2004 [at] aol [dot] com if you need more information! See you there!
We recently had the honor and privilege to get in a quick chat with NAPT, the freshest, next-generation club, emotronic, breakbeat duo to hit the earth since apple pie.
If you haven’t been keeping up with the latest electronic music awards, NAPT brought back home just a little something for their collection of honors and awards.
Best Breaks Track Beatport Music Awards 2009
Best Producer Breakspoll 2009
Best Track Breakspoll 2009
Best Remix Breakspoll 2009
With 2009 being one of their biggest, most productive years, NAPT is continuing to rip through Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia on several tours, showcasing their latest and greatest sets. Since DBM Labs is all about mixing, remixing, and producing music, we thought we might try to get in some questions about what they use to produce tracks and their inspirations for their music. Here’s a super dope track that they’ve released for download — DEFINITELY worth your time.
Here’s our short interview we had with the electro-duo:
dbmlabs: Where did you find the inspiration for this track?
NAPT:The streets of London town. An ever-evolving kaleidoscope of influence
dbmlabs: What equipment did you use to produce this track?
NAPT:Our vintage drum kit, some old school synthesisers including our Pro One, SE1 and Jupiter 8 for that chunky, warm and expensive sound along with our N-Funk electronic machine.
dbmlabs:How would you guys describe this track if someone couldn’t listen to it?
NAPT:Swirling and centrifugal melodic bliss giving way to rib straining bass groove and stepper’s delight drumbreak refrains. Lunar, disco, rock, N-Funk.
dbmlabs:How long was the production time?
NAPT:A good 5 days of blood, sweat and the occasional coffee!
dbmlabs: Anything cool coming up in the next couple months you guys want to share?
NAPT:The next part of our N-Funk series “Make My Day” ft Louise Marshall/”Time You Realised” is out September 7 2009 on Funkatech Records. We also have some forthcoming remixes on MOFO records of Baymont Bros ft General Levy and Miss Sunshine “Wind Your Waist” and label owners Beat Assassins “Put Em Up” which will be out in fall. You can also catch us at a show near you soon!
In addition to hooking us up with their latest 12 inch dub track (awesome for remixing in with some acapellas by the way), they’ve released their Live in the Mix 2009 MP3 straight on their website. Cop that before it gets deleted!
You can listen to, save and burn “Live In The Mix 2009″. To listen click “Live In The Mix 2009″ below.
ON A PC – right click on the Live In The Mix 2009 link and select “Save Target As” from the drop down menu, select where you wish to save and click OK.
ON A MAC – hold down the “ctrl” key and click on the Live In The Mix 2009 link, then select “Download Linked File” or “Save File As” from the drop down menu. This will download the file to your desktop.
Tracklist
1. NAPT ft Louise Marshall “Make My Day” (Funkatech Records CDR) – EXCLUSIVE NAPT
2. Basement Jaxx “Raindrops” NAPT Edit (XL Recordings)
3. Drumattic Twins “Crazy Love” Peo de Pitte Remix (Fingerlickin’)
4. Slyde “Frequency” NAPT Remix (Fingerlickin’)
5. NAPT “Gotta Have More Cowbell” (Funkatech Records)
6. Beat Assassins ft Sweetie Irie “Boom Style” (MOFO)
7. Kaz James ft Macy Gray “Cant Hold Back” Luke Chable & TV Rock Remix, NAPT Edit
8. Alex Metric “Shirley You Can’t Be Serious” NAPT Edit (Marine Parade)
9. Phonat “Get Down My Dirty Street” NAPT Edit (Mofo Hifi)
10. Shadow Dancer “Together” NAPT Edit (XLR8R)
11. Deekline & Wizard ft Yolanda “Back Up Coming Through” NAPT Edit (Against The Grain)
12. Adam Freeland “Under Control” NAPT Edit (Marine Parade)
13. NAPT “Beats And Rhymes” (Funkatech Records)
14. Plump DJ’s “Shifting Gears” Stanton Warriors Remix, NAPT Giros Pjanoo Edit (Fingerlickin’)
15. Pyramid ft IC3 “Wickedest Combination” NAPT Edit (Funkatech Records)
16. Jack Beats ft Dynamite MC vs Plump DJ’s “What Cow” NAPT Edit (Cheaper Thrills/Fingerlickin’)
17. Peo Haggstrom “Be My Baby” Peo De Pitte Remix (Flatout Records)
18. Calvertron vs Banga “Whoop” NAPT Remix (Destination?)
19. Beat Assassins “Direct Hit” (MOFO)
—-> Stanton Warriors ft Beatnuts “Shake It Up”(Punks)
20. NAPT “N-Funk” (Sub Frequency Funk)
21. Todd Terry “Can You Feel It” Trouble Soup Remix (Distinctive)
22. Baymont Bross ft Lady Sunshine & General Levy “Wind Your Waist” NAPT
Remix (MOFO CDR) – EXCLUSIVE NAPT
—-> Phonat “It’s For You” (Mofo Hifi)
23. True Pseudo “Freakin’ Me Out” ULTRNX Remix, NAPT Edit (Calamity Jane Recordings)
24. NAPT “Time You Realised” (Funkatech Records CDR) – EXCLUSIVE NAPT
25. High Contrast “Make It Tonight” (Hospital Records)
26. Baymont Bross “Club Light” Instrumental (CDR)
27. Deekline & Wizard ft Yolanda “Angels” NAPT Remix (Against The Grain)
28. Baymont Bross & Muthan Breakz ft Bestbasstard “Drop The Bass” (CDR)
29. Stanton Warriors “Still Here” NAPT Edit (Punks)
—-> Pyramid “The Preacher” (Funkatech Records CDR)
—-> Kid Sista “Pro Nails” Rusko Remix (Fool’s Gold)
30. NAPT vs Kish Mauve “Lose Control” (Funkatech Records/Sony ATV)
—-> La Roux “In For The Kill” Skream Remix, NAPT Edit (Polydor)
31. Plump DJ’s “Leave The Addict Behind” NAPT Edit (Fingerlickin’/Axtone Records)
32. Brookes Brothers “Tear You Down” NAPT Edit (Breakbeat Kaos)
33. Alex Metric “Pins”(Marine Parade)
34. Splttr “All Alone” Alex Metric Remix NAPT Edit (Big And Dirty Records)
35. Beat Assassins “Put Em Up” NAPT Remix (MOFO CDR) – EXCLUSIVE NAPT
36. Pendulum “Out Here” (Breakbeat Kaos)
37. Phonat “Set Me Free” (Mofo Hifi)
Mista B is always up to no good and we give you a feature presentation of his documentary while competing in the DMC 2009 USA Finals. Nobody does it better than Mista-B. Watch the entire thing, it’s worth it! (Especially the guy at the end dancing his ass off….)
There are many steps needed to become a DJ. Some of which take time to develop and others just come with experience. Eventually, after fine-tuning your skills in front of a small crowd, you’ll reach a point when you’re ready to take it to the next level. This next step would be to package this up and figure out how best to present your talent to someone who’s never heard you before. This is where a demo comes into play.
A demo gives someone an idea of what style music you play and what you’re capable of bringing to the table. Although it should reflect what you are capable of doing live, it should also represent your best work, so it’s best to plan everything out ahead of time. Keep in mind that you are creating this set for people to listen to, at their leisure. A carefully planned set will show off your creativity and attention to detail, which is what sets us apart from other Djs.
Selection
Whether you’re making the set for yourself or someone else, try to stick to a theme, to help get an idea of what type of tunes will be needed. We all have tracks that are demo worthy, but not everything blends together.
If you want to throw down a mix of different styles, just remember the theme you gave the set and try to pick tracks with the same feel/mood. Meaning that certain songs, whether it be electro, house, techno, can have a dark, low-key feel to it. This same group can be a bit more bright/epic, so you’ll need to able to separate the difference. The best tool every DJ has is his or her ears. Train yourself to catch these subtleties and you’ll be able to do this on the fly with ease.
Now once you have the tunes that you would like to use, its time to trim the fat. Remember that the typical CD plays about 70 to 80 minutes of music, so try to keep your set within this time frame. With that said, go back and listen to your tracks again and choose the best of the best, leaving yourself about 12 to 15 tunes, or an hour worth of music. And don’t forget, the selection shouldn’t only be based off of which song you like best, but which best fits the set.
Arrangement
OK, ask yourself this question. Which track should be your opening tune and how is this going to end? You always want to lead off with something interesting, to grab the listeners’ attention. Either pick a track with a good intro or get creative and do something yourself, before the music kicks in. Try some vocal clips, sound efx and/or audio movie quotes, which can be found with a quick search on Google.com.
The opening tune shouldn’t start off too big, unless you know you’re going to keep that same energy from that point on, but that’s just my opinion. We all have our own opinions on what is or isn’t a strong tune. So whichever you choose, try to start off with something mellow. Save your big floor filers for the mid point, which would be the peak of the set, then try to end the set a bit toned down. Try a classic, well-known tune to finish up, or get creative and throw in some more audio quotes. It’s really up to you. Just give the listeners a clue that the set is ending, instead of finishing up on a high note, sounding as if there was more to follow.
Take notes!
Arrangement is a crucial part of the process, but I think this next topic is the most important. You now need to grab a pen and a pad and write down some cheat notes. You already have your opening and ending tunes, now you need to make the other tracks fit in, like a puzzle. This part of the process will help place them in the best possible order.
You’ll find tracks that mix perfectly together and some that do not. At this time, you should be trying to mix and match writing down what works best.
· Track 3 w/ track 7
· Track 5 w/ track 2
After that, figure out the best way to mix them, so that you’re sure they are phrased up and timed perfectly.
· Track 1: breaks at 3:52 / kick drum comes back in @ 4:25
· Start track 4 @ 5:12
· what ever works best for you
Some might call this cheating, but you’re recording a demo and you want this as clean as possible. This doesn’t mean you couldn’t do it live, if you were put to the test. In fact, it helps you get familiar with the track(s), making it that much easier to mix when you’re in front of a crowd. Taking notes helps ease the stress while you record and helps you put the puzzle pieces together, giving your set a good flow from beginning to end.
Recording
I’ll skip this section, since there are plenty of tutorials online, like the one linked below.
There’s just one rule you should always follow, and that is to keep the recording volume low. Not too low, but give yourself and the tracks, some room to avoid any clipping in the audio. You can always raise the volume later, as pointed out in the next step.
Editing
Now that the hard part is over, it’s time to listen to the set and figure out if you want to add anything to it. Here you can adjust the EQ, trim the dead air, add efx, drops and raise the volume, if needed.
Some more experienced DJs/producers multi-track and start layering songs or different elements onto the mix itself. If interested in this process, please follow the link provided.
After you’ve reviewed the set and all sounds good, it’s time to convert to MP3 format. Be sure to render the mix into a high quality 320kbps MP3 and 128 or 192kbps MP3 for web streaming purposes.
Packaging
All that’s left is to give you demo a title and type up the track listing. Don’t forget to add “For promotional use only” on the CD and Track listing covers. And if you’re going to be uploading this set to the web, you might consider making some kind of artwork to go with it, as it visually attracts listeners, getting you more download hits then expected.
In regards to the CDs, if you’re going to make the copies yourself, you might want to split the tracks up, so people can skip around if they wish to. If someone’s forced to scan through the set, just to get to the next track, they might not bother listening at all. So for this, you will need to create a cue sheet.
Cue sheets
A cue sheet is used to detail the layout of a CD, where to split the track and lists all the information for each song. For more detailed information about cue sheets or cue files, please follow the link below.
The following is a template I put together as an example, which can be created in Notepad.exe.
(Everything in red needs to be changed)
TITLE “Insert-you-album-title-here”
PERFORMER “Your DJ name”
FILE C:\EXACT-PATH-TO-THE-SAVED-MIX-FILE.mp3 MP3
TRACK 01 AUDIO
TITLE “TRACK-TITLE”
PERFORMER “ARTIST OF TRACK”
INDEX 01 00:00:00
TRACK 02 AUDIO
TITLE “TRACK-TITLE”
PERFORMER “ARTIST OF TRACK”
INDEX 01 00:00:00
TRACK 03 AUDIO
TITLE “TRACK-TITLE”
PERFORMER “ARTIST OF TRACK”
INDEX 01 00:00:00
Continue until you have listed the tracks in your demo and remember to make all necessary changes, like track number and index.
TRACK 04 AUDIO TITLE “TRACK-TITLE”
PERFORMER “ARTIST OF TRACK”
INDEX 01 00:00:00
The track index is the point where the song changes on the CD, in MM:SS:FR (minute-second-frame) format. This is completely up to you, as to where this split should occur. Some place it before the mix and some after, just remember that a cue point is used to advance to the next song.
INDEX 01 13:42:12 (13 minutes, 42 seconds, 12 frames).
After creating the cue sheet, save the file in the format shown below.
YOUR-ALBUM-NAME.CUE
Both the cue sheet and mix should be saved in the same location, either on your desktop or specific folder. Once finished, open this file with your CD burning software and the program should do the rest. Not all burning programs can read a cue sheet, so you might want to review the manual and see if it’s possible. If not, you might want to invest in something with this feature, as it gives off a more professional presentation, if and when someone takes a listen.
Promotion
Now it’s time to start promoting your mix and the quickest way to get your demo out, is online. There are plenty of blogs and websites that encourage DJs to upload their mixes, such as Djforums.com. Also, social networks, like Myspace and Facebook, can be powerful tools for any DJ, so make sure your profiles are up to date.
The next step would be to start handing out copies to promoters, managers and anyone else you know in the industry. I would also recommend taking a few copies to small shops, with heavy foot traffic or anywhere you think your set would be welcomed.
Handing out a demo is about the same as walking into a business and dropping off a resume. Not only are you trying to get your music circulating, you’re also trying to network yourself as a DJ, so a demo alone won’t cut it. So before you hand anything out, you might want to introduce yourself and try to build some type of relationship with the person you’re speaking with, first. As for promoters and/or club managers, you may want to build a connection first, even if this means buying them a beer. Having them see you at their venue two or three times, before you approach them, will also go alone way. These steps will help avoid having your demo thrown in the trash, once you walk away.
Hopefully, you’ve made some kind of impression, after all this and your name is starting to get around.In this business, it’s all about who you know and crowd you can pull. So, after you’ve made these vital connections, go out and make some more. Just be sure to have another mix ready to hand out, when you do. Hopefully, your well-planned demos will help open some doors and get you speaking to the right people.
Based out of Miami, Rek Aviles is our syndicated writer with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. Catch him onfaderwave @ http://faderwave.net/index.php?day=6
The guys at Berkelee Music recently interviewed Paul Oakenfold, who is still an aewsome producer and DJ (and the current director at Perfecto), but he’s getting a little heavy in the cheeks. I’m thinking his DJ days are roughing him up a bit. Check out his gear in his studio…that’s the real deal right there.! He’s been doing his weekly gig in Vegas at the Palms every Saturday and from what I’ve heard he’s killing it there. Here’s his bio from his website:
Paul Oakenfold has been touted as one of the world’s leading DJ/remixers by various outlets including CNN, Rolling Stone, BPM, Remix and more.
In 2007 Paul Oakenfold released his Greatest Hits & Remixes through Perfecto/Ultra Records –a 20-selection strong collection of his seminal dance recordings and remixes. Its track listing ranges from original productions such as his massive singles “Starry Eyed Surprise” “Ready Steady Go,” and “Faster Kill Pussycat” featuring Brittany Murphy. In addition, there are remixes galore of artists like Justin Timberlake, U2, Madonna, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead and Underworld and soundtrack pieces such as David Arnold’s James Bond Theme from the motion picture Die Another Day and Oakenfold’s “Dread Rock” from Matrix Reloaded.
2x Grammy nominee, “Best Electronic/Dance Album” A Lively Mind (2007, Maverick Records) and Creamfields (2004, Thrive Records)
Paul Oakenfold released his second album for Maverick A Lively Mind in June 2006. This Grammy-nominated album includes the single, “Faster Kill Pussycat” featuring Brittany Murphy. Other guests on the album include Pharrell Williams, Grandmaster Flash, Ryan Tedder of Onerepublic, Spitfire, Bad Apples and more.
His first album for Maverick Bunkka was released in 2002. It included “Starry Eyed Surprise” featuring Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town, a Top 10 hit in both America and the U.K. Other guests on the album were Perry Farrell, Nelly Furtado, Ice Cube, Tricky and Hunter S. Thompson (his last recording before he passed away).
“Starry Eyed Surprise” reappeared in early 2005 as part of Diet Coke’s ad campaign for their re-launch of the beverage using Splenda. Paul’s hit, “Ready, Steady, Go” currently appears in Saab’s US ad campaign, and a new song, “Feed Your Mind” also appears in Toyota’s European ad campaign, for which the major car manufacturer has committed to 42 million Euros (over $51 million dollars) worth of ad buys. Oakenfold also scored the music for a Hummer commercial.
Paul Oakenfold’s 2004 mix album Another World has reached gold status in sales making it one of the biggest selling dance albums of all time. In total his releases have sold almost 2 million in the U.S. alone.
Film credits include music for Nobel Son, Collateral, Swordfish, The Matrix Reloaded, Pirates of the Caribbean, Die Another Day, Planet Of The Apes, The Bourne Identity and Shrek II. TV credits include music for Alias, Big Brother and Las Vegas.
Remix credits include, among many others, works for U2, Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Paris Hilton Jennifer Lopez, Salt N Pepa and The Cure.
As a touring musician, Oakenfold has DJ’d in hundreds of places around the world. Some unique locations he has appeared at include the Great Wall in China, the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles (sold out) and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Other foreign territories he’s appeared include Cypress, Lebanon, Ibiza, Korea and more. He’s also noted as one of the most well traveled electronic touring artists within the United States.
He scored GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, the James Bond-inspired videogame.
Paul Oakenfold was the star of Spike TV series The Club and had a cameo appearance in the film The Rules of Attraction.
Prior to becoming a world famous DJ and producer, Oakenfold served as an A&R consultant for Profile Records and Def Jam, where he signed artists including Salt N’ Pepa, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith.
Paul Oakenfold was born in London, England and currently resides in the U.S. Before becoming a major force in the music industry he graduated from the Westminster Technical culinary institute becoming a certified chef. He was also an investor along with rockers Tommy Lee and Dave Navarro in the Hollywood, CA nightlife establishment Rokbar.
DBM Labs is an apparel and accessories company dedicated to the lifestyle of mixing, remixing and producing music. Check out what we have in our store. Check the DBM Labs Store!
tune and how is this going to end? You always want to lead off with something interesting, to grab the listeners’ attention. Either pick a track with a good intro or get creative and do something yourself, before the music kicks in. Try some vocal clips, sound efx and/or audio movie quotes, which can be found with a quick search on Google.com.
hem in the best possible order.
There are plenty of blogs and websites that encourage DJs to upload their mixes, such as Djforums.com. Also, social networks, like Myspace and Facebook, can be powerful tools for any DJ, so make sure your profiles are up to date.