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Together, we’re becoming better DJs through passion and purpose.
Episodes
Monday Jun 04, 2018
Monday Jun 04, 2018
2008: the International Year of Languages, Planet Earth, Sanitation... and Potatoes. The Summer Olympics were in Beijing, Bitcoin and Spotify were born, the Large Hadron Collider was built... and Rihanna takes over the pop charts.
Today we explore what was happening ten years ago, in the realm of music, DJing, and life.
We listen to the tracks that topped the charts at Beatport and the Billboard Top 25, explore some of the 2008 DJ Mag poll, and talk about all the interesting events that occured in music and DJing.
At the beginning of the episode, we talk about 3DMentional Entertainment's upcoming September show featuring Paul Oakenfold as headliner, and our very own Trip Turlington as direct support (under his alias Digital Psykosis).
One last thing: don't forget about Afterparty, our monthly bonus episode! You can gain access by subscribing to us on Patreon, here:
As each normal episode of the podcast takes about 20 hours to put together, in addition to all of our other written and video content... Passionate DJ is quickly becoming a full-time job. We've set a new goal of gaining 30 patrons by the end of the summer, to let us know that we should continue making Afterparty.
Sign up now to gain access, and support your favorite show!
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Monday May 28, 2018
Monday May 28, 2018
In honor of the Movement festival, where techno heads converge on Detroit over Memorial Day weekend, we spend Episode 144 diving in to the Belleville Three: Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, and Derrick May.
Here, we listen to clips of interviews and some of the iconic tracks that put "Detroit Techno" on the map. This is a bit of a misnomer, in that these pioneers actually developed their sound from living in Belleville, a rural town about 30 miles away from Detroit. But, regardless of that technicality, there's no denying that their contribution to music history became a worldwide phenomenon.
They heavily cite influences form radio DJs in Detroit, which was often used as a test market, which gave them exposure to lots of experimental types of music. That, along with the lack of subscription to the concept "we should like black music", allowed them to consume and experiment with music in a way that felt right, to them. The three also discuss in some of these clips, about the influences they had on each other, as they each have their own sound.
In some other interviews, Kevin and Derrick explain an early lesson in crowd reading, playing the right tracks, and getting past amateur status, that the three learned when playing a gig. Kevin also explains his musical connection bridging between his original home in New York, and Detroit, and how Mojo (radio DJ) opened Kevin’s eyes to all kinds of music.
In another clip, Richie Hawtin is doing a recap of the CNTRL tour, where he discusses Detroit, the Bellville Three, and the Midwest of the US (including Dayton!). There's so many interviews, full of so much great information, and we hope you enjoy learning more about the Belleville Three. Dig in!
Also, in honor of Memorial Day, the Passionate DJ Podcast would like to remember our military members who gave the ultimate price, those who served and are no longer with us, and thank the families who have lost their loved ones in service to these United States. Thank you for your sacrifices, so that the rest of us have the freedoms we enjoy.
MOCAD Interview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt4aQEXqMRw
DJ Mag Interview w/Juan Atkins: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyqhPVPZ_3c
Derrick May discusses Strings of Life: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt3QvoF8eK4
Signed Media Interview w/Kevin Saunderson: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_6huw5Y6MI
Richie Hawtin discussing Detroit, the Belleville 3, and Dayton: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9qrbT_Nb0
Monday May 21, 2018
Monday May 21, 2018
Episode 143 focuses on a heavily requested topic: HOW DO WE GET MORE DJ GIGS?! While there's no magic formula, we do have some tips to try and connect with more people and line up more gigs!
Make sure your online presence is up to snuff! Make sure to have a personal website to act as your "home base" that reaches out to your sociasl media platforms of choice. Then, use social media for your interactive engagement with your current and potential fans.
You'll also want to develop effective promotional materials, for when you're ultimately asked. At least an EPK or a One-Sheet is mandatory, but you could go really interactive and present a promo video introducing yourself to anyone discovering you on the web.
Do your research, think outside of the box! You never know what is happening at a gig, another show, or any number of unique opportunities that exist. Build your own event, do some outreach in to the scene you want to be active in, and make sure to look for opportunities for collaboration! Not for the queasy. as this requires some REAL communication time and effort.
Don't forget to subscribe to our Patreon page to receive our monthly bonus show: Afterparty!
Links Mentioned in this episode!
https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-create-a-promotional-video-707fa7a63019
Monday May 14, 2018
Monday May 14, 2018
It's time for one of our favorite recurring episodes: Pick 3! Each of our co-hosts brings in three tracks in a "show and tell" format, where we listen and give commentary.
For this installment of Pick 3, we decided to go to each of our respective "back in the day" memories and picked some tracks that invoke those old school memories!
MC Breed - Ain't No Future in Yo Frontin'
B Rezell - Blowed Away
DJ Quik - Tonight
Parliament - Flashlight
Midnight Star - Freakazoid
PM Dawn - Looking Through Patient Eyes
Gang Starr - Who's Gonna Take the Weight
Laid Back - White Horse
Notorious BIG - Hypnotize
Naughty By Nature - Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Ghetto Bastard)
L.A. Style - James Brown is Dead
Yellow Blackbird - Superfly (Andy Moor Remix)
Don't forget, you can now access our exclusive bonus show "Afterparty" by subscribing at www.Patreon.com/PassionateDJ - For about the price of a 3 track EP on Beatport, you'll get access to another show full of extended interviews, content that was edited out of the published episodes, candid conversations between us co-hosts, and more! By subscribing, you're helping to keep Passionate DJ going...and for that, WE THANK YOU!
Monday May 07, 2018
Monday May 07, 2018
In Episode 141, we catch last week's guest co-hosts Gerrad Wise and Cody Christianson for a deep dive in to all things Cryztal Grid. Despite being a very new performing duo, they're getting all sorts of attention and we were able to snag them as they have just finished performing for Number Fest (16) in Athens, Ohio.
Join us as we do a deep dive in to how they met, how and what they use to perform, their methods and approach to DJing and music production, and the philosophy behind everything they do. Plus, they even share some Easter eggs, one of which is hidden right in their name.
As the face of electronic music and DJing is changing, what makes us unique is what helps us stand out from the rest. One way of doing so is incorporating live musical elements, like they have....but even that isn't enough. We also do a deep dive in to how they planned every move to get where they are, and how they are planning to keep taking it to the next level.
We are absolutely loving these guys, as they are a breath of fresh air, in terms of music, talent, and attitude. We hope you enjoy them, their music, and this interview, as much as we do.
Ladies and Gentlemen...Introducing: Cryztal Grid.
Don't forget to subscribe to our Patreon subscription to receive our monthly bonus show: Afterparty!
Monday Apr 30, 2018
Monday Apr 30, 2018
Episode 140 has us pushing back some of our regularly scheduled content, in order to bring you some of the latest headlines in DJ and dance music related news! And, our good friends Cryztal Grid join us for some in depth discussion! If you’re not up on Cryztal Grid, yet, make sure you tune in NEXT week, where we will be interviewing Gerrad and Cody and giving you an up close look in to their music, performances, and insights.
Sadly, we start the episode addressing the obvious loss to the EDM community. Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii, was found dead at 28 on April 20th. Having had very public battles with stress, depression, and anxiety from touring, and given the message released from his family, the PDJ team takes a moment to reflect on Avicii, as well as their own struggles.
Rane announced a recall on the new Rane 12’s! The popular new DVS controller needs a firmware update to adjust an issue that most people would never encounter, but in order to be applied, the units need to be sent in. Luckily, Rane says the turnaround time should be shipping units back within 1 working day upon fixing. Go to http://dj.rane.com/twelve-warranty-support if you have a Rane 12 and would like the patch!
Preorders for the new DVS unit Phase are available, as of April 25th. The new units are a little steeper than we expected, at $349 per pair of remotes and receiver. They work with any DVS system, according to Phase, which allows DJs to shed the need for using tonearms or timecode vinyl. Pretty cool idea with their own patented wireless data transmission technology, so we’ll see how it does!
Beatport in the news again, this time they acquired the recently closed up Pulselocker. Not sure what’s going on there, but apparently we’ll be seeing a relaunch in the fall. Meanwhile, Mixcloud has raised $11.5 million in fundraising, so we anticipate more development and marketing of their services.
And, of course…Native Instruments shakes things up by announcing new hardware for Traktor, as well as totally rewritten Traktor software on the way. This is interesting, given all of the questionable directions Native instruments has taken Traktor over recent years. Not to mention the lack of delivery on some expected or rumored functionality, and missing the boat on some obvious hardware support (no HID for CDJ2000NX2 until the latest beta release…SERIOUSLY?!). Lots of speculation around what is to come, but between hardware being discontinued and new products being teased, we’re definitely keeping our eye on NI!
Don’t forget about us here at Passionate DJ, as well! If you follow us at Patreon, you can now access our show “Afterparty”, which is a monthly bonus episode that consists of extended interviews, deleted scenes from the published episodes, exclusive “hot mic” moments during set up/tear down, and other specially curated content for our paid subscribers. To subscribe, go to www.patreon.com/passionateDJ TODAY!
Monday Apr 23, 2018
Monday Apr 23, 2018
Episode 139 is a continuation of last week's latest installment of "Ask Us Anything"!
- Do we avoid food like tacos before recording sessions?
- What will DJs who rely on iTunes do now that their business model has changed?
- What music did we used to love that we no longer don't?
- What spirits does the team like to drink?
- Is DJing getting older or younger (in terms of the new people coming in to the craft)?
- How to fill the room with an audience?
- Do virtual assistants really help?
- Prodigy or Chemical Brothers?
- What's a lie about the industry that you believed when you started, what's a truth?
Don't forget, you can now access our exclusive bonus show "Afterparty" by subscribing at our Patreon page - For about the price of a 3 track EP on Beatport, you'll get access to another show full of extended interviews, content that was edited out of the published episodes, candid conversations between us co-hosts, and more! By subscribing, you're helping to keep Passionate DJ going...and for that, WE THANK YOU!
Monday Apr 16, 2018
Monday Apr 16, 2018
Episode 138 brings all of the co-hosts back together for another installment of Ask Us Anything! There were a ton of great questions, and we had a lot of fun with this one.
- Is spinning vinyl more fun?
- Are you ever too old to start learning how to DJ?
- Is it ok to sample/use older music?
- When do I know that I need an agent/manager? Who should it be? how should they be compensated?
- What are some favorite ways to mask mistakes in a mix?
Don't forget, you can now access our exclusive bonus show "Afterparty" by subscribing at our Patreon page - For about the price of a 3 track EP on Beatport, you'll get access to another show full of extended interviews, content that was edited out of the published episodes, candid conversations between us co-hosts, and more! By subscribing, you're helping to keep Passionate DJ going...and for that, WE THANK YOU!
Monday Apr 09, 2018
Monday Apr 09, 2018
Today’s episode features a side conversation between David and Tony, about interactions within a personal circle. You’ll hear their brainstorm session, as they discuss how to network with DJs (and other influencers within the music community) in a positive way.
As DJs, it’s often necessary to reach out to others within our community in order to help both parties reach their goals. At Passionate DJ, we try to encourage a spirit of collaboration whenever possible… and we hope that spirit shines through in this conversation.
Much of the conversation consists of David picking Tony’s brain about how he interacts with the people in his network. As a promoter, DJ, stage manager, and business owner… he’s had lots of opportunities to have these kinds of interactions.
David also describes the personal adventures he’s had this week, dealing with a flooded basement and the partial loss of his home studio.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Afterparty, our monthly bonus show. Gain exclusive access by becoming a patron.
Main Topics
- Tips on interacting with followers, fans, and influencers within the local community.
- How to interact with headliners and famous people.
- The story behind how Tony began working with rave legend Disco Donnie.
- When it’s appropriate to make an ask from someone.
- Breaking into new markets by reaching out to those in your network.
- The phenomenon of fair-weather fans.
- Building trust with those around you.
Resources
- Disco Donnie: Rave Legend (Episode 52)
- The Passionate DJ Community (Facebook Group)
Monday Apr 02, 2018
Monday Apr 02, 2018
In Episode 136, we ask....what is longtime fan? Where do you find them? How do you make them? How do you KEEP them?
Spoiler alert, we rehash SEVERAL topics that we cover frequently, here at Passionate DJ, because guess what? It's MOST relevant here, when you're trying to create and grow the audience that is in to your music and DJ craft.
- Create more content, play more shows, get in front of more people. Is this too obvious? Sometimes not. We wear a lot of hats, these days, and it's easy to get all caught up in logos, websites, social media promo, and networking to forget what we ACTUALLY want people to know us for.
- Give, Give, Give before you make an ask. People want stuff. They want your content, they want your swag, they want your merch...you get the idea. But, rarely do people want to be solicited. So, for people to be ok with you making any asks, make sure your giving them the value they want so you can utilize them for your own needs.
- Use your social media to be….social. Don't use it as an autospammer. It's 2018, and the algorithms are actually doing work to reduce the spammy posts. It's the REAL stuff you post...about you, your day, your experiences, and yes, your music and events, that people get invested in. When people connect with you and feel like they are part of your story, or that you are a part of theirs, you'll get a LOT farther.
- Networking - Get to that first "true 100" fans, and they will utilize their network to get you to 1,000. Utilize YOUR network to work with crews, promoters, and other DJs to get in front of more people and gain some of THEIR fans, while exposing them to yours. Win/Win!
*** This week's episode is brought to you by Bandzoogle. Get 15% off your stunning new DJ website using the promo code PASSION. ***
Also: MERCH NOW AVAILABLE @ The Passionate DJ store!