My Set @ Zeus - Time 2 Groove

So for the second time in two weeks, I headed to Zeusmango for the next step on the path to DJ superstardom.

A totally different set this time, inside rather than outside, and despite being the first DJ of the night, I played up-tempo house music at 124bpm pretty much from the off.  Normally for a warm-up set I wouldn’t play as such, I would play much deeper house music, but with most of the early arrivals coming straight from a boat party, the job was to keep them on a level and not deflate them.

I have noticed that both sets recently I played lots of stand-out tunes – less progression than I would have preferred as a DJ or a dancer – I am not sure if this is because I don’t have the right sort of tunes, or if it is just because I don’t know my tunes well enough.  Anyone that knows me knows my thirst for new music – listening to a minimum of 100 new tunes a week to find that next amazing track.

(2 Groove)

I did prepare much more this time, and had a pretty good idea of what tunes I wanted to play, although unsurprisingly I changed my mind a fair bit on the night – and then run out of time with still about 7 I dearly wanted to play.  Please can I have a 2 hour set next time?!

All the preparation in the world couldn’t prepare me for one channel of the mixer being so much quieter than the other.  I thought it might have been the track I was playing – or the CD, but no it was the mixer (well maybe it was me but I don't think so!!).  Experienced DJs would have worked around it easily or fixed it, but I was flustered and my mixing was not always what it should have been.

Plus I do need more practice with Pioneer mixers – they bring the mix in much quicker than my American Audio mixer.

In general I was happy, I had plenty of compliments from a range of people, many of whom are dear friends and friendly DJs who’s opinion I value.

The party as a whole was really good, and there were many good DJ sets and lots of good music all night.

I intend this weekend, all being well, on recording a new mix featuring some of the fantastic house tracks I played, and I few I didn’t get time to.  It will be uploaded to my Mixcloud page.

My next set is Saturday 28^th September, again at Zeus.  I am not sure what time.  I will be in the garden and it is free to get in before 11pm.

Time To Get An Agent?

Saturday just gone was the achievement of a long-standing goal – to DJ in the garden of Mango (or whatever it is called now) for Systematik.

I had the midnight to 1am slot which I was particularly happy with.

The lesson once again was more preparation and practice required.  Despite it being a deep house and bass night, I feared starting after a DJ playing 128bpm electro-house but thankfully the promoter knows what he is doing and is very much in tune musically so all DJs that I heard both before and after me flowed very well together.  All DJs played very good music.

Without doubt, Systematik is one of the best nights around in the local area for house music and I thoroughly recommend it.  Is that enough to get booked again?!

I was indecisive right up until the final minute as to what to play, to the point of the last track of the previous DJ nearly running out on me!  Plus I hadn’t used CDJ850’s before so had to get to grips with the slight differences from what I was used to.  I really do need to learn to plan at least the first 3 tracks of my set!  I don’t really like planning sets as I prefer to do it off the cuff, but it takes a little time to get into my groove so I must insist on myself planning and practicing the first 3 tracks going forwards.  Nobody will know, nobody will read this, just you, me and the spellchecker.

I did well, I had a few compliments - not as many as last time.  I got the girls dancing which is most important, playing deep house at 122bpm with some large basslines - which sounded good on the soundsystem of the garden.

This track in particular went down well.

I also had a request (below), a respectable one too so I played it.  I made said requester's night.  And received an interesting offer in return that I chose to decline.  Possibly unprintable, even for the standards of my blog!

For those that missed out, do not fear you have two more chances upcoming.

Firstly this Saturday, 7th September at Time 2 Groove.  I will be playing in the main room from 10pm to 11pm.  Upbeat house music to get you dancing straight off - the sound system is sounding the best it probably ever has in there.  And I know my sound systems.  Please turn up ruined and ready to dance.

And then in the garden on Saturday 28th September for Luna.  I don't know my set time yet but it is free to get in before 11pm.

Free drugs and blow jobs always accepted (with some quality control).  But I won't play shit music in exchange.

Very Exciting News!

I have news.  Exciting news.  The most exciting news of my burgeoning superstar DJ career so far.

I am playing the main room of Zeus (probably the worst named club ever?!) on Saturday 7^th September 2013.

 

Just how gorgeous is this poster?  Especially with my name on it.

Without doubt the set I am most excited about and am honoured – it feels like my reward for doing so well on my previous set.  So excited that I am not looking for any other bookings until then as I really want to concentrate on this one.  It is an opportunity to impress.  And I will do.

I was in Zeus this weekend and it did have a bit of that feeling from when Mango was good - lots of people were having a good time.  If you haven't already been I can recommend it.

I suspect I will be playing my house style, example below, rather than my minimal/deep style – I love both but as there will be 100+ people in full on party-mode from a boat party, there will be little point in playing 18-minute Villalobos hypnotic grooves.

Just pray for rain so everyone doesn’t go into the garden!

I hope you can make it.  Keep an eye on the Facebook page for ticket announcements.

I Need A Torch

I had a little DJ set the other week at an event called Hubfest.

I was actually a little nervous as the event was an indie/rock event and I was the after-party DJ – what would I play?

It was held at Face Bar.  For those who haven’t been, it is a tiny bit dated and in need of a bit of love but perfect for the event and far better than playing in a pretentious nobfactory.  Mention no names.  Lo La Lame.

The DJ booth was a little small, plus I had to bring my own decks which was an effort and a half with an oncoming chest infection, thankfully I had two top guys to help with the driving and carrying, and one to share the DJing.  And it was very dark in the booth, I couldn’t see what was on my cds.

My set – well I was playing to a varying amount of people, an average of 2, and I did have a dancer for a few minutes.  I tried to play some kind of indie-feeling house tracks like the below LCD Soundsystem classic but in the end settled for playing what I enjoyed.  House.

Also the sound was set up for rock bands so I realised that I had to keep the mids and trebles low and bass high for it to sound good.

Definitely a learning set.

My conclusion is that I need a torch.

I do have some very exciting news for September but am keeping it a secret until it is announced.  It will be my biggest and more important set so far.

I am super excited but clearly my brilliance and exquistive music taste deserves it, like you all deserve the admiration and appreciation of a soon to be superstar DJ.

x

"You Played The Set Of The Night"

Quote from one of the promoters.

You cannot ask for much more than that.

I had done my typical limited preparation, all recently burned CDs (from the 6 months) have no labels printed so I have to go by memory.  I have at least mixed all the tracks once in my bedroom but generally in a different order.

I was quite excited to be having a full room of potential dancers, for those that don't know, Bridges nightclub is split over two floors, ground and basement, and there were potentially 140 people to come straight in after the excellent boat party to where I was about to play.

However the decks were not set up so everyone was sent downstairs where the music was already playing.

I resigned myself to playing to two people and the staff like last time.  I put on my first track and started looking for the second.

Except the second track I had planned to play was on the same CD.  And that was the end of my planning.

I had a few tracks that I had recently discovered that I really wanted to play but at least half the tracks were chosen on the night.  Some I didn't have a clue what they sounded like before I tried cueing them up.

I enjoy playing this way.  Far more fun than having your whole set planned - but each to their own.

Slowly surely the upstairs bar started to fill up and given that the vibe of the boat party had finished up-tempo and everyone was in a party mood, I decided to play house music, often of the more jacking variety rather than my usual more deeper/minimal style that I would play for a warm-up set.

I tried to keep it interesting, playing some slightly more downtempo tracks in between the party monsters.

My particular favourite track that I played was this monster which got a really good reaction:

This was easily my best ever set, it could hardly have gone any better, some really good mixing, no fuck-ups, so many compliments - not only by friends but many randoms too, I must have had 15 or so people come up to me during the night to say how much they loved my set.

Honoured.  And more excited now for future sets.  Confidence has boomed.

Only slight downside was having my first experience of a laptop DJ setting up to play after me - and of course the sound cut out.  Revenge of the laptops!  However I totally forgot to sneak up and pull his out whilst he was playing...must remember next time ;-)

A massive thank you to the guys behind Time2Groove, not only for two excellent parties in one day, but especially for the opportunity and I am delighted to have repaid your faith in me.

Next up I am playing around 11:30pm to 00:30am at Hubfest on Saturday 22nd June 2013.  I will be DJing after the bands so may have a slightly different style of house music to play for you.

I would be delighted if some can join me - it is only £6 entry and it is an all-day event for those who like bands.

Also I have a new mix up and would be delighted if you had chance to listen.

Upcoming DJ Set Gigs - 2 Of Them!!!

Sets.  Gigs.  Whatever you call them, it is another step on the way to superstardom and having far more blow jobs from groupies and endless lines of benzocaine or lidocaine from promoters, ticking off more stadiums than your average non-league football fan.

For the present I am delighted to be able to announce two upcoming sets.

Tonight, Saturday 1st June 2013, I will be playing at Bridges Nightclub in Reading for Time 2 Groove.

10:30pm to 11:30pm.  £10 on the door.

It is the after party from the boat party and sure to be a great atmosphere, lots of special people are going to be there.

And on Saturday 22nd June 2013, I am playing at Hubfest, which is mostly a rock/indie event, and I am one of the two after-party DJs introducing house music to hundreds of people who have never heard it before because they all wear black.  I might need some dancers please.  This will be £6 to get in.

It might be like putting a band on at the end of a club night, but I like a challenge and I have several tracks in mind that I think will appeal to those of both musical faiths.

And if you cannot wait to see me DJ, there are now a total of 9 mixes publicly available on Mixcloud, the latest of which is Cinderella Rockerfella and I think it is rather fab.

See you on the dancefloor.

Cinderella Rockerfella by James Winfield on Mixcloud

Less Cargo

I made this mix a few weeks ago to commemorate good friends that have moved to France for 6 months or so on new adventures in their lives.

The challenge I set myself was to create a mix where every track had a French producer or remixer, to prove that the French do make really good underground music - and to go over a variety of house music genres.

I like the flow of this mix, starting with more summery house tracks, then goes into deeper territory before going into percussive house and the beautiful classic by Agoria - Les Violins Ivres.

Then my favourite mix where I mix the aforementioned track into the Amine Edge remix of Ghetto Kraviz - upping the tempo and I was surprised how well together they went together when mixing, I had feared a car crash.

I finished the mix off in techno territory, and with a bona-fide classic.

I recorded it in one attempt, though I appreciate a few of the mixes were slightly off, either in terms of beat-matching just being a tiny bit off perfection, or sometimes my timing.  I am starting to think that at this stage in the Superstar DJ project there perhaps should be a bit more quality control, which is why I haven't really promoted this mix at all.

It is good, everyone I have played it to has given me positive feedback - but I know I can do better.

Tracklisting as follows:

1. Etienne De Crecy - Prix Choc
2. Dan Ghenacia & Shonky - Close To The Edge
3. Okain - Sleepwalking
4. Intruder - Amame (Dyed Soundorom Downtown Remix)
5. Gwen Maze & Jef K - Boy Meets Girl
6. Dan Ghenacia - Da Doo Da
7. Agoria - Les Violons Ivres (Super Remix)
8. Nina Kraviz - Ghetto Kraviz (Amine Edge Mix)
9. Jennifer Cardini & Shonky - August In Paris
10. Chateau Flight - Chichi Devils
11. Agoria - Code 1026

Less Cargo by James Winfield on Mixcloud