| |
February 17th, 2012
Anybody looking to launch a career as a DJ may want to take a few pointers from college student Nick Niemeier. After getting his start on equipment given to him by his parents, Niemeier now has a van full of tour cases and a budding career, according to the Griffon News.
Perhaps the biggest reason why Niemeier has managed to parlay a hobby into a successful side-project is because of his college major – music technology. The classes that he takes at Missouri Western State University make it easier for him use different type of equipment, something all DJs could benefit from. People who know him are not surprised he's managed to make the jump from DJing house parties to a lucrative career as a performer.
"He handles the business just like he does school," student Alex Ahlschlager told the newspaper. "He takes it seriously."
People hoping to emulate the success of Niemeier have a number of chances to improve their skills thanks to the growing popularity of DJ schools. Among the best known is Beat Refinery, which first opened its doors in 2010 and features instruction from the likes of DJ Stylus Chrisand DJ Geometrix.
February 17th, 2012
For more than 10 years the Ultra Music Festival has brought some of the best dance music to Miami, and now it looks like organizers want to share the wealth. The festival hopes to expand to six different countries in four continents in 2012. Performers will be bringing their tour cases to spots ranging from Argentina to Korea.
This isn't the first time that the festival has expanded its reach. Previously it had brought performers to Brazil, but this year they're taking things to a much bigger level, and why shouldn't they? The stateside incarnation of the festival – which will feature David Guetta, M83 and Avicii – sold out in record time.
"We are very confident that this global expansion, infused with our unique UMF formula, will be come a collective of destination festivals that excites and inspires music enthusiasts throughout the world to travel to and experience as this has already been accomplished with very successful festivals we organize in Miami and Brazil," the festival's founder Russell Faibisch said.
The expansion isn't the only news to come out about the Ultra Music Festival recently. Despite being less than a month away, the lineup keeps growing. Techno legend Richie Hawtin was recently added to the list, according to the Miami New Times.
February 16th, 2012
With South by Southwest hitting Austin, Texas in just over a month, details are starting to leak about the possible performers. That was certainly the case with Pitchfork magazine's official showcase at the festival, and it looks like it's going to be quite an impressive lineup, according to the publication.
In addition to Fiona Apple, who will be taking the stage to promote her first album since 2005's Extraordinary Machine, the magazine managed to land the likes of innovative house producer Nicolas Jaar. The performance by Jaar will be true to his unique past. He's set to close out the festivities after unpacking his tour cases and playing on a stage constructed to set an atmosphere reminiscent of a church.
This is not the first time that Pitchfork and Jaar have come together to give fans a one-of-a-kind experience. Earlier this year the DJ teamed up with the publication and New York's Museum of Modern Art to put on an innovative five-hour set.
The Pitchfork showcase is set for March 15, and comes in the middle of the SXSW music festival which runs March 13 through 18.
February 16th, 2012
DJ Pauly D got his first exposure on the Jersey Shore, so it only makes sense that his first residency as a professional is where it all began. Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City recently announced that the "Jersey Shore" star will begin regularly unloading his gig bag the club through 2012.
Pauly D is slated to perform at the resort's Pool After Dark club, which often attracts some big names. Celebrities ranging from Kim Kardashian and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs have made appearances there and it ranks as one of the top clubs in the United States.
Given his history on the popular MTV reality show, it may be easy to dismiss Pauly D, but he was recently named the eighth best DJ in the country by Vibe magazine. He is more than ready to get a jump start on his career manning the turntables.
"I'm thrilled about my residency at The Pool After Dark in Atlantic City. I'm originally from the East Coast, so I'm excited to play for fans near my home turf and being a part of the Harrah's Resort team," he said.
Pauly D's residency comes more than two months after it was announced he was signing with 50 Cent's G-Note record label, MTV reports.
February 15th, 2012
Most students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, view their University Center Hub as a place to study and grab some food. However, at certain times throughout the year it undergoes a stark transformation into a dance club and members of the school's DJ club unload their gig bag and put on quite a show, The Bottom Line reports.
There have been two shows so far, each offering students the chance to see some of their own perform alongside professionals. Most recently, students with the stage names DJ Optimo and DJ Jesse Gonzalez manned the turntables before giving way to Brooklyn-based producer Codes. Organizers hope it bodes well for future performances.
"We really have it down now," Kenjamin Ho, president of the club, told the news source. "We all know what to do in our respective jobs to be sure an event runs smoothly."
Along with clubs like the one offered at UCSB, it is becoming easier for budding DJs to get involved in the craft thanks to new technology. For instance, the recently-released Numark iDJ Pro lets users connect directly to their iPad, according to ChipChick.
February 15th, 2012
Fresh off headlining the first-ever homage to electronic dance music at the Grammy's, French DJ David Guetta is already making waves in the industry again. Guetta is teaming up with Hewlett-Packard to launch a web series meant to follow him as he packs his tour cases and makes his way across Europe, according to Marketing Week.
The series, which will draw from Dailymotion and Guetta's YouTube channel, is a mutual beneficial partnership. Along with promoting the iconic DJ's latest tour and giving fans a chance to see the star away from the turntables, it will also help HP attract a younger crowd. In particular, HP is trying to promote its new line of speakers, the news source reports.
"Using music and hot bands as brand lever is fresh and new." Olivier Gillet, HP's marketing manager, told MusicWeek.com. "It has been done with film and TV. But music has constant and growing fanbases – this is like gold to marketers.”
Guetta won't be the only member of his family involved, either. His wife Cathy will also be featured as she visits local fashion hotspots.
February 15th, 2012
LCD Soundsystem may have played its final show almost a year ago, but its frontman will be returning to the stage in short order. James Murphy is scheduled to perform in an upcoming one-off appearance at an event sponsored by Converse, Addict Music reports.
The performance is part of the brand's Gorillaz Soundsystem Night, and it make sense that they got the reclusive performer to unpack his gig bag. Murphy recently teamed up with Gorillaz and Andre 3000 to release the song "DoYaThing" for Converse. The track is due out February 23.
According to the news source, Murphy will hit the turntables and perform a DJ set for the crowd at London's 100 club. Of course, Murphy will not be the only one to take the stage. His fellow collaborators Gorillaz will also be performing.
Murphy has been busy since LCD Soundsystem decided to call it a day. Aside from appearing in two films, he is also mulling over the possibility of starting a coffee line, New York's Grubstreet.com reports.
February 15th, 2012
Though it was started as a way to pay homage to jam bands, Bonnaroo Music Festival has grown to include performers from a large swath of genres, and it looks like 2012 will not be any different. Organizers announced the lineup on Tuesday and it includes a number of rock legends, rappers and DJs.
The festival, which is slated for June 7 through 10, is headlined by Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Phish, but acts on some of the smaller stages may attract the most diverse crowd. Skrillex, who recently took home three Grammy awards,including Best Dance Recording for Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, is among the biggest names set to unload his tour cases, but he is certainly not the only electronic music standout to be making his way to Manchester, Tennessee.
London-based DJ and producer SBTRK will also be performing at Bonnaroo. The announcement comes soon after the musician, whose real name is Aaron Jerome, announced a U.S. tour that concludes with a performance at Coachella in April.
The festival will also have its fair share of rappers. Along with Ludacris, up-and-comer Childish Gambino (stage name of comedian Donald Glover) will also be making an appearance.
February 13th, 2012
Adele may have stolen the show at Sunday's Grammy Awards, winning six trophies including Song, Record and Album of the Year, but electronic dance music had a pretty good night as well. The genre got its first-ever featured segment and dubstep star Skrillex came home with three Grammys.
About a week before the show, organizers revealed that Chris Brown would perform alongside David Guetta, Foo Fighters, Lil Wayne and Deadmau5 in a dance-party inspired tent across the street from the Staples Center. Guetta, who unloaded his gig bag to perform "I Can Only Imagine" with Brown, said it was a big night for EDM.
"It's really exciting, because they wanted to acknowledge electronic dance music, and I think it's amazing for our scene to finally get the respect that I think it deserves," he told MTV News.
Though he may not have graced the stage, Skrillex still made quite the impression at the awards show. His acclaimed Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites took home trophies for Best Dance Album, Best Dance Recording and he also won for Best Remix. He was nominated Best New Artist, but eventually lost out to Bon Iver.
February 10th, 2012
The Pioneer DDJ-ERGO controller has been a popular piece of DJ equipment since it was released in September, and the venerable company recently made it even more appealing. The company announced that the controller can now be used with djay 4 for Mac, a partnership that makes perfect sense.
The djay 4 for Mac is an suitable program for both beginner and experienced DJs, and after adding the DDJ-ERGO to their Pioneer case they can take their performances to the next level. This is because the integration lets DJs access all the the software has to offer from their controller. The program includes a number of useful features such as a tool that identifies the key a song is in and matches it up with other songs in the iTunes library in the same key.
"We are thrilled to pair djay with a controller as sophisticated and fun to use as Pioneer's DDJ-ERGO," said Karim Morsy, CEO of algoriddim, the company behind djay 4 for Mac. "We have always believed in making djay a tool for all levels of DJs. Supporting the DDJ-ERGO allows DJs of all levels to enjoy this elegant and simple combination of hardware and software."
|
|
|
|
|
