Episode 124: New Year's Special 2018

Happy New Year, and all our best to you and yours for 2018, from the Passionate DJ Team!

Strap in, because we're going to go over the industry happenings of 2017, the gear no one could stop talking about, and the stuff our team did throughout the year. We'll also cover some of our favorite moments on the show over the last year, allude to what's on the horizon for us in 2018, and even take a crack at our clairvoyance skills and see if we can speculate what to expect in the next year.

Of course, the big buzz this year was all about the financial and structural integrity of Soundcloud, as a company. Between Chance the Rapper and some former executives from Vimeo getting involved, Soundcloud seems to be sticking around, but things seemed pretty grim, for a while.

Did Denon convince any of you to #ChangeYourRider? They've been the talk of the hardware circles, all year. Love it or hate it, they are coming out swinging against Pioneer, feature-wise...but it's hard to compete with the tenure and relationship Pioneer DJ has with DJs in booths all over the world.

This past year was no time to rest, for the PDJ team. We all attended the Dayton Record Fair, which we've all agreed is one of our new staple events. And, even though most of us didn't see quite as many gigs as we'd like in 2017, we all reflected back to what we were able to do and use that as fuel to push even harder in 2018.

For Tony, it's all about the next stage and the next adventure, but this year 3DMentional put on his birthday show titled "Another Trip Around The Sun", where they were able to bring the one & only Sasha to little ole Dayton, Ohio. Mo has been tearing up the highways traveling for his sons' football games. Trip tore his ACL and had to have surgery, but didn't let that slow him down (much). David reflects back on doing direct support for Sasha with great pride and excitement, but now yearns for more of that feeling behind the decks.

The team also goes over some of our favorite show moments of 2017, including the LIVE video stream of Episode 100, changing our intro theme music, our interviews with DJ Craze and Mixed in Key, as well as DJ Crazy (no relation) from Mo's visit to grandma's in Jamaica. From fan favorites like the Digging For Bedrock episode, or one of our favorites like Pet Peeves, we've got plenty of flashback clips to look back on.

And, let's not forget our good friend Kilma! David and Kilma got caught up on 2017 happenings and 2018 plans, with some fresh new Kilma kuts as the backdrop. Make sure to check out her Soundcloud, website, and YouTube channel  to stay up to date on her comings and goings, as well as plenty of tips to help DJs along in their aspirations!

Don't forget, we now have merch and an online store, an active Ambassador program that we will be looking to recruit for again in 2018, and TONS of more initiatives we are taking on in the coming year, and looking to involve our community. We're looking to also keep wading deeper in to the video world, and to start generating bonus content for you hardcore Passionate DJs.

Speaking of you, the Passionate DJ community, we can't thank you, enough, for being as supportive, awesome, and engaged as you have been. We are experiencing growth on a consistent basis, and picking up new listeners all the time. You guys are keeping us honest, and on our toes with your questions, comments, and voicemails. Don't stop now! Stay engaged with us, and let's continue to build this awesome community we have going. You truly are why we do what we do, here.

From the bottom of our hearts, here at Passionate DJ, we truly hope you have a safe, happy, and healthy 2018. And remember, we're becoming better DJs, through passion and purpose. Keep on spinning!

(PS -- The outro music for today's episode is an unsigned original from Trip Turlington called "Rise Up" -- Available as a free download from his Soundcloud here!)