Dainjazone

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On this episode of the Grow My DJ Business, Cream & GaryW discuss:

• Dainjazone's time as co-host of the MikiDz Show
• Why sharing knowledge is crucial for the growth of the DJ community.
• Why touring can be both exhilarating and exhausting.
• The dynamics of working with famous artists can be complex. Dainjazone's experience as LMFAO's tough DJ.
• Why branding is crucial for DJs; it represents their promise to the audience.
• How does Dainjazone approach his DJ sets and changing the energy,
• How to start your own party as a DJ. 
• Alternative venues are becoming popular for hosting unique events.
• Day parties have changed the nightlife landscape, affecting traditional clubs.
• DJs should embrace new ways to experience music outside of nightclubs.
• Backpack House merges hip hop and house, creating a unique sound.
• A tip for aspiring DJs: focus on building relationships and networking.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
• 1:20 The Evolution of Podcasting and DJ Culture
• 3:10 Challenges of Providing Value to Listeners
• 6:04 Sharing Knowledge in the DJ Community
• 7:58 Navigating the DJ Industry
• 9:34 The Importance of Networking in the DJ Scene
• 11:47 Touring Experiences with LMFAO and Redfoo
• 19:08 The Realities of Touring Life
• 25:10 Maximizing Opportunities in Live Performances
• 26:52 The Genius of LMFAO's Performance Style
• 32:47 Branding and Audience Engagement for DJs
• 37:07 The Importance of Repetition in Promotion
• 39:19 Sharing Insights: The Value of DJ Set Recaps
• 46:37 Navigating Energy Levels in DJ Sets
• 56:21 Reviving Nightlife: The Party Rock Experience
• 59:08 The Evolution of Nightlife: Theme Parties
• 1:01:07 Starting Your Own Party: Tips and Strategies
• 1:04:40 The Rise of Alternative Venues for Parties
• 1:10:09 Day Parties vs. Nightclubs: A Cultural Shift
• 1:17:17 Backpack House: Merging Hip Hop and House Music
• 1:26:28 Advice for Aspiring DJs and Producers

Transcript

0:01

What's up guys, welcome to the 167th episode of the Grow My DJ Business podcast brought to you by the Grow My DJ Business Discord, Digital Music Pool and the Parari Production Academy. My name is Kareem. We have a guest, we've been teasing a guest for a few weeks. Danger Zone, what's up man, welcome to the show. Well, I'm honored to be on, because to my understanding, you guys don't have many guests, right? We don't, yeah, with the travel schedules and everything, often gets tough, so. We'll have the homies pop in and like co-host when one of us can't do it and that's sort of how we've been having guests lately. yeah, I think like Jake Shore, we had Madison from 4AM. Those were kind of the last two probably. it's been a minute. you had Angelo a couple times had Angelo for a while. We haven't had him in a while, actually. We probably should get him on here. Yeah, check in on them. So no, it's great to have you and I think you were an ex podcast host. when I learned that, was like, shit, I didn't realize that you were one of the co-hosts of the Mikey D Show. So what was your experience of being a podcast host? I mean, you're really great on camera and on the mic, so like you could kind of see how it would work. But what was your experience as a host? Did you like it? it was, it was, fine. Well, for starters, when we were doing it, when we first started Mickey D show, was like, podcasting didn't exist. Like Joe Rogan was probably the only one who was really podcasting. So I feel like we, we were podcasting without even realizing we were podcasting. Cause our show at the time was once a week at DJ city in the studio and we built this whole studio set. So Mickey and I really went in on that and then we had the collaboration with DJ City. But yeah, and then later on, right before the pandemic, we started the Mickey D's podcast and kind of into the pandemic before we just got too busy for it. But I think I always try to provide information. I want to be as helpful as possible. You've obviously seen my Patreon and I explain my sets. But I felt like where I was lacking was more entertaining. Like I really wanted to be more entertaining. And I thought Mickey being a little bit more looser helped the show. And then Rell, Rell was born and raised in New York. He came out here when he was 18. So he's like honorary LA, you know, Los Ang- Angelino. But he's still so New York. And I thought this guy's gonna be like everyone's favorite, you know, person on the show because he's just. He doesn't give a shit, know, he just like speaks his mind. so yeah, so, so I, I felt like I could have done better in contributing to the entertainment side. Cause off the mic, we joke around, like, you know, we talk shit to each other, but, no, it is so you have these battles. think every podcast is like, God, how can I be better at this or what can I do? And, and I felt like, like it was fun. And I felt like I helped out as much as possible. But what's tough about that is, and maybe you guys can relate, is no matter how much you help, the listener still wants more info, more answers. They want things to be handed to them, not all, just some. And it's just like, man, I don't know what else to tell you. I can't give you the gig. If I were the booker, sure, I'd book. So that was probably the toughest things, like understanding how to connect with everybody. it's damn near impossible. Yeah, I guess that's kind of where we found our niche because we are bookers just coming up with topics that are, you know, that are troubles to, you know, troubles that we see throughout the week. And, know, we just talk about our, the things that we're going through and it, and it really, I think it relates to up and coming DJs because it's, it's stuff to, you know, have them look out, you know, look out for in the future, you know? And I think that's kind of where we found our, our niche where it's not so entertaining. entertainment, you're saying, like you alluded to, but like it's more, you know, just trying to teach up and coming guys and, you know, what not to do and what to do. So. is hard. It's hard. got it, but what's, yeah, I'm patting myself in the background now, but I'm patting every DJs, podcasts, or whoever, anybody like you guys that wants to help DJs. Because when I was coming up, like I've been DJing since 2006 and started in Hollywood like 2007 or eight. But when I was coming up in that era, Twitter just began in every... And you know, there were a lot of big personalities in the DJ community. Well, let me stop and ask you, how long have you guys been DJing? think my first gig was 2010, I want to say. 2011, somewhere in there. Okay, and Gary? I don't even want to say, I've been DJ. I've been DJ. I gosh, my first gig was 2000 probably. So I say all that so I can connect with you guys or I can figure out where I can connect with you guys. Twitter pops off, a lot of big personalities are on Twitter, And everyone's really flexing their muscles and everyone wants to be on an agency, because that's like the gateway to all the bookings in the world. But there was just no one there to help. whether they knew they... knew what they were doing or not. Cause I think a lot of guys would just roll out the hits and call it a day and be like, I'm the best DJ book me 4k on the table book me. But I want, I'd be willing to say a lot of those guys didn't know what the hell they were doing. They were just right place, right time. and, and they didn't want to help. I think they didn't want to help because they were, cause I think the whole DJ culture has always been don't share your music. You know, you know, like back in the days they would hide the labels, right? They would put. tape over the label so you couldn't see it. So you couldn't see the music if you tried, you know, obviously way before Shazam or AMO later on. Yeah. So, so I feel like we've always like, no, it's mine. Don't, don't let anybody else have the information or the answers. And I just, and I just like, fuck it. Like why not share all this information? Why not? I have an experience. I've been DJing long enough to say, Hey, this is what I recommend. This is what I suggest. This is my experience. Like. So again, like hats off to you guys and everyone else who wants to contribute to the culture and helping because there's a gap. There's something missing where, and I'm not trying to shit on the uppercumbers, but they think different. And I'm really not trying to say it's wrong, but there's a disconnect with the way they think and the crowds and the bookers. You know, we can get into all that, I guess. Yeah. We started the pod during COVID for fun at first. And then we sort of took the same thing, right? Like you said, when we were coming up, we didn't have anybody to help us. we use this as a platform to help DJs first during COVID. And then afterwards, just as far as how do you navigate being a young DJ? How do you navigate bookers and trying to book gigs and getting into the industry more so than just someone who's dabbling, getting booked here and there? And really like... how to be a professional, right? And this is all information that we can share. It's not any secrets. It's just, a lot of it is just good business principles, being a good person, communication, like just very simple things that I think was easy for us to share. And Gary and I have like teacher families and teacher backgrounds. like in coaching, so a lot of that just, it all kind of came together where we had an opportunity, we had time during COVID. And then we looked at it like, yeah, we didn't have that person to help us. figure this stuff out. Let's help all these young DJs that we've gotten to know or we're booking and let's help them be better. And it creates a better environment for nightlife and for DJs in general. And that was always kind of the mind state for us for sure. Yeah, yeah. And I think that's where our heads were too. Like we just wanted to help out as much as possible. even though we didn't like have access to DJs like us, like we still want it to be better than the guys that, you know, we came up under. Like we want to, how can we contribute to this culture? Did you find that one thing that we found early on is that when we wanted a guest, and we were like, we would think big and think about like these guys that we came up looking up to, and all we had to do was like DM them like, yeah, absolutely. I'll jump on the show. And like, we were shocked. Like we would text each other and I saw like, my God, I can't believe you said yes, like immediately. Did you find that like, that it was easy to get guests? And then after you got guests, like, Did you stay connected with them after the fact? did it help you in the long run, et cetera? Yeah, so at that time, and I think we started in 2000, I think I'm almost certain it was 2009. I think every DJ wanted to be heard and seen, and you really couldn't hear or see anybody outside of the club. So I think it was really easy to get guests on the show. We were, again, once a week, we had DJs come in and drop a set, then we interview them. So, you know, and thankfully we live in LA. And at the time, a lot of DJs were moving to LA because it helped out with their branding and in saying they're from LA and getting, and then there was a lot of opportunities to get booked in LA as well. So we had within reach, you know, every single, just about every DJ, at least that was popular. You know, you had your Dextar guys, had your scam guys. I think I was the only one from LA on mood swing. Cause that was very, you guys would know very much in New York based. agency. then of course LMFAO was on Mood Swing, but open format was just, I think it was just me. So yeah, it was kind of easy because everyone wanted to be heard, but the ultimate goal was to get AM. I know if we can get Fashion, we can get Spider, we can get this guy, this guy, and this guy, AM will say, yeah. no, wait, AM passed before then. So I think I'm getting my DJs confused. I think it was a lead up to Vice or A-Track or something like that. So yeah, if we can get these guys, we'll get these guys, you know, because they all kind of know each other. So, but yeah, it really wasn't that hard. Some similar conversations here on this end too. it's like, use you know, you start out with some some guests get used to having a guest because it's a it's a way different dynamic of for me and Gary to just have a conversation than when we bring a guest on right. It's it doesn't change the show, so to speak, but it's a new third person different perspective. And it's definitely you know, more prep and it but once we got our first few guests was like, all right, well, let's get the next one and let's get the next one and then you create this resume and it's a lot easier than go to a vice or an A-Track or someone like that, than just saying like, hey, A-Track, do you wanna be our first guest on this show we started? You don't even know who I am, but. man, you just reminded me, winter music conference, Gary, you would remember how fun it used to be like in 2007, eight, all the open format DJs went there and it was a big pow wow. And that's where I really, that's where networking was done, man. Like once a year, that was the best place to network. it was a convention for book, you know, how to get booked or be professional, blah, blah. But no one, few people went to that, but it was really about connecting with the DJs at the club and after parties and Crooklyn Clan had their own party. And that's really where you connected with a lot of open format guys. Like I met Jay Spinoza there. So many New York guys, I met Riz and Sizz there. But I remember talking to A-Track outside of the Fountain Blue, he's waiting for a car. And I'm just like, Hey man, like we do this thing called Mickey D each now. We interviewed DJs and he's just like, yeah, all right, all right. He's very polite, but the energy I felt was like, all right, man, I've had a long day. Just did a pool party. But Mickey and I were out there getting footage. We did a bunch of behind the scenes stuff and we went to the Dim Mak pool party. LMFAO, that's where I met LMFAO was at Winter Music Conference, even though I would see them, I'd always see them in the club in LA, but that's where I really met the manager and those guys, but MOS, that's where I met them. yeah, so we got a bunch of footage just to like validate us and solidify us in the culture. And that was posted on DJ city, obviously thousands upon thousands of subscribers and DJs would check that out. So that was also a part of like, you know, validating who we are as a Mickey D show. Yeah, Miami always seems to be the best networking of the year, always. You just meet the people that you may know from Instagram or online, but you've never actually met in person. And that's just one of those where Gary and I will walk away from there and be like, man, this was so worth it. Yeah. Do you guys still go to Ultra Weekend or anything like that? Yeah, we still go because a lot of our up and coming DJs that are producing, they want to be down there and they want to be giving out their music and whatnot. And we want to be there for support reasons. Not as their manager or anything like that because we're not managing the music side of it. But just as support and how to navigate parties. Like you said, nobody was there telling us how to do that. I was 20 years old going there. Actually, I was 18. I went there with my dad. That was the first WMC I went to. And obviously, I didn't know anybody. I didn't know how to go talk to different people from the industry. we like to be there for our 21 and 22 year olds to be able to tell them how to navigate a party and how to go up to somebody. especially with these kids coming up, they grew up with tablets in front of them. sometimes communication is not the strongest thing. So being able to show them how to do that is important. So it's been... It's been really nice to be a help to the younger guys. Yeah, for sure, for sure. We don't see the West Coast guys in Miami as much anymore because I think South by Southwest is the same week now as Music Week. So I know a lot of the West Coast guys will go there instead of Miami, but we'll see. We'll be down there this year for sure. So you mentioned LMFAO and I know you were a tour DJ for Red Foob for a while, is that right? So. Yeah, for both for LMFAO and Red Fruit. Because when they split up, I stuck with Red What was that experience like? Is that something that you'd want to do again? And, you know, yes and no, a big no because the travel schedule we did 2012, we're talking peak party rock anthem, sexy. know it. we're, we feel like we're on top of the world and we can do anything, get away with anything. thankfully I don't drink, so I was sober throughout it all and I didn't do anything stupid. but, that travel schedule was. So when we did America, it was like two months. And that was, that was heavenly because you're on a tour bus and you have two, maybe three shows a week after party, jump back on the bus, fall asleep, wake up in the next city. You know, when you sleep on a bus, it's like being rocked sleep like a baby. it's, the sleep is actually way better than a plane. then, and then sometimes we stayed in hotels and it was always like a five-star hotel. we were pampered and obviously well-deserved. These guys worked their butts off. And so that was great. And then someone warned me, someone warned me, yeah, just wait till we go to Europe. I didn't really know what that meant. Cause I'm like, no, this is tour life. on after parties, back on the bus, bed, you know, whatever. and then someone else told me, I just can't explain it to you what it's going to be like. You just, got to find out for yourself. So I felt like I was in trouble and lo and behold, it was the most exhausting period of my life. I've never been. So tired, my eyes were burning from being tired. So like when, when people ask me what it was like, these are the first things that come to my mind. And if you're, know, in my circle of friends or my wife, you're probably tired of hearing this story, but I, but it's, it's the same shit every time. Like my eyes were burning from not sleeping. it would literally be festival after party airport. And sometimes we have to drive an hour or two. to the after party because of a radius clause, airport, catch up to the next, catch up to the tour bus at the next festival stop, land, go straight to the festival because you got to get there like three or four hours before. And then you do that, you just keep doing that. You don't really check into it. You can't sleep on the bus during the festival because the music is pounding. You can't really sleep in the green room because there really aren't any long couches. You just have this hard floor and then you're just like, screw it, I might as well stay awake. and I really wasn't into Red Bull for sure. Wasn't into coffee. So I just dealt with the pain and, then, and then sometimes it wouldn't be a festival. It will be a club, but that was no easier because you would land soundcheck. And for some reason in Europe, it was never a smooth sound check. We always had to wait for a Serato box or a CDJ or a mixer. Then we'd have to sit there for two to three hours in the club and just wait and then go back to the hotel, freshen up dinner. And then back to the club at 2 a.m. or whatever, perform straight to the airport. So it was like, it was nonstop in Europe. And sometimes there were two gigs a day. One time there was a three gigs in three different countries. So we had to take PJs. And the like three days we had off, which were really spread out, like it didn't even matter. Like I tried sleeping all day. Like I was in so much pain. Like it just didn't matter. You didn't. I didn't wake up like, feel much better now after three weeks, you know. Like, so, so it was very painful, but the experience, like you're like dead lights throughout the whole day. And then when you're on stage and you hear that roar from the crowd, that hit is like, is the ultimate feeling and it just wakes you up and it just, you're back, you know, you're like, here we go. So like, you know, that was, that was fun, obviously, but I'd say my best, the My best moments, my favorite part of the tour was waking up in the morning and having a quiet breakfast with a cup of tea. No one knocking on my door, not hearing the drama from the night before with this girl and that girl or these two guys are arguing with each other because they're drunk. And it was just silent and it was just the best feeling in the world. And then, you know, your day would eventually start, but. Yeah, I mean, there's so many mixed feelings about touring like that. But a lot of hives and a handful of those. It's got to be some dynamic for you to be like the third person in that group where like these two guys, you know, have blown up and I'm sure like their egos inflate a little bit. And then like, as you say, they're drinking and you're sober and it's got like that dynamics got to be wild and then all and then throw no sleep into it. And then whatever other extracurriculars come along with that, like it's It's gotta be exhausting just on the mental side of that. Like that part's gotta be exhausting outside of the physicality portion. There was a point where I would drink water and I can literally feel it replenishing my body because I was so dehydrated and so exhausted and my eyes were so tired. but yeah, like every, everyone in the crew had, had an ego, like even the dancers, because the dancers are kind of building up their own fan base and, know, they feel they have something to say. And everyone's also, we know each other's personalities, like the back of our hands. So we're just over each other. Like I'm sick of this dude. He says the same shit. This guy has the same move. This guy does the same thing. They get girls. It's annoying. I don't know why it bothers me, but his game sucks. like the dumbest, the dumbest things would just annoy you about that. Now when I, when they separated and I went with Foo, it wasn't so demanding. It was like one week on, a couple of weeks off, maybe a weekend on a week off. So there was time in between. But there was nothing like that seven weeks in Europe. And, I never want to experience that again. Like, of course I want to tour Europe again, but kind of do it in my, in my own way. Like I've seen John Summit, I don't really follow him close, but I saw him complaining months ago about he's just tired of touring and, it's, and you can say like, well, just stop. Like, but, but there's stuff on the backend that people don't really think about or know. It's like. You make deals with these guys. You don't want to upset the wrong guy because he also has connections to this and your agents just like play along. And you know, in order to grow the brand in this country, you got to show up. I swear to God in Europe, there is a festival. It felt like every day of the summer, all over France, all over Germany. Like it, they, they live and breathe dance music. They live and breathe festivals out there. Again, that was like 14 years, 12 years ago. So. I don't know what it's like now, but there's so much more than EDC. There's so much more than the big shows that you hear. Yeah, there was a number came out early in the summer that like they something like, I don't know, 4000 something silly, like X amount of festivals got canceled in Europe. I'm like, how could that even be that there was this many festivals? So it's kind of funny that you're saying that now. When I got the itinerary, I'm like, I've never heard of any of these cities in France or Germany. And I'm just like, but then when you show up, it's the best crowds and you're just blown away by how many people are there and the energy they have. and that makes sense because when we travel in the States, when we go to the college town in the middle of the country, it's usually the best crowd because they just want to party and have fun. And there's no ego about them. Like you get the egos in New York and... Miami and LA and San Fran and, you know, on the, along the coast. But, you know, you don't get that in the middle of the country and you don't get that in the small towns or the small countries in Europe. So like I'm in Orlando right now. We, nobody comes through here, right? So like it's, it's a big deal when somebody does come through and everybody goes out and supports and they there, it's a great crowd because they're, they're there for the music. They're really into it. And then I go up to New York and you can go see anybody like almost any day of the week. And you're just, and then you become a jaded New Yorker and it's like, okay, well, whatever. I'll just go see the next guy tomorrow. It's not a big deal. You know, so it's, I could, I could definitely relate to that. for a while here in New York, we didn't have this many artists coming through. This is like a newer last three, four or five years type thing for sure. Yeah, there. a factor in that. Mirage is definitely a factor in that. And that's a big part. venues that are now able to bring in some of the bigger artists, but there was definitely a dead period. A dead period where there wasn't a whole lot going on here. it was, when I would tell this to people, they'd be surprised at same thing. It's like, it's New York, what do you mean? I'm like, well, there's just nothing going on here right now. But. In New York, much like LA doesn't want to pay the rates of artists, just like London, they don't want to pay the rates. Like I had a blast being in London, but I don't think Red Food didn't make the money he, you know, he would make in some other small town, you know, and if we were in, like, if we had business in London, like a private, I remember doing private events in certain cities and then just, just doing a club just because we're there. Like we did. about mitzvah in New York at the big museum out there in Manhattan was a science museum, natural history. And we did it in the dinosaur section of it. was us and Calvin Harris. So, you know, these guys spend bread. And then the next day Redfoo's, Redfoo and his manager or our manager sitting courtside, Nix versus Heat when LeBron was on the Heat and the Knicks had Mello. So that was a hot ticket. So I know they spend money, but later on that night. we spilled into Laval and did a set there. And you can imagine Laval doesn't spend a lot of money. So it's like, hey, we're already here. Just feed us and then give them some fried Oreos after the set and we're good. Ha ha. Those add-ons, little add-ons, that's how those clubs made it, man. Those little add-ons when artists are in town. Yeah, but that's it's a great it's a great way to get people though that way. I mean, we mean, Gary, we're just talking about this for me for someone that made me an offer. And was like, well, they offered to add on a second show. And it's like, is it worth it? How much should we ask for? Like, it's, it's, it can be beneficial, right? Because it's a night you're already in the city. If you can tack on a show, like, why not, right? Yeah, I'm always for that. As long as no one's feelings are hurt, as as no one feels threatened, as long as there's no radius clause, like sure. Yeah, I don't see why not. have a funny LMFAO story. Before I was really start DJing a whole lot, I was going to Jersey Shore every summer. We would rent a house. It's like a big party destination. I don't know if you've ever been down there, but there's a place called DJs and they would bring in artists. And this is when, I wanna say, I think it was when Party Rock maybe just came out before like they mass, you guys massively blew up and... It was like one of the most memorable fun shows that I can remember because this venue is just a tiny little shithole with good sound on a tiny little stage. And literally everyone's just on top of the artists. And there was just like the most energy, the most fun. And like that one particular show just really stands out to me because of how fun it was just being a patron. Yeah, no, Redfoo is a genius. Like everything you hear from LMFAO was, Redfoo was the master plan. He laid out the groundwork. He's like, hey, cousin, this is what we're gonna do. I've been going to Banana Split. DJ M's been killing with this new EDM, underground EDM sound. know, Justice and all these guys. We're going to make music like that and it's going to be cool and underground and then, and then it's going to like take over. So that was like Red, who was master plan. Then he brought on Goon Rock, who was one of the main producers on party rock anthem. And then he did a bunch of other stuff after with other artists like JLo and some others, but, and Goon Rock would make the remixes. So it's like, this is also part of the master plan. We're going to remix and bring this heavy underground electro sound to the mainstream. And we're going to just. All these remixes are gonna go everywhere. then when we do these parties, it's gonna be like an experience you've never seen before. We're gonna have all these stupid inflatables. We're gonna throw out a bunch of whistles and frames, party rock frames. And it's just gonna be one big party with a bunch of party favors. And everyone, know every artist tries to do that and DJs, we all try, but. the way they did it was, which is pure genius. And then he took that, that the way you would, the way you would throw an intimate party in a space like DJs, he took that to a state, to stadiums and arenas. And if you ever been to an LMFAO show at its peak, it looks like organized chaos. just looks like one giant party. Like you've never seen, like I understand bands, there's multiple members in a band. So. They're kind of spread out and they're doing their thing. But like the way these guys did it, it just looked like an organized party. Multiple dancers everywhere and it's balanced out. Red, if Red Foos over here, Skye's over here, they would cross and they, this guy be entertaining this and that. And then a dancer will be throwing this out and giving a shot here. So it was just, the stage always looked balanced. And you would think maybe even after seeing like rappers, they just go on a stage and they have their hype man and it's whatever. But you would think like, they're just out there winging it. Like, no, man, like we would yell that after shows if we weren't in our right place or if the song dropped a little too soon or something like, even though Red Bull was performing, he can still hear and see everything, which was just like mind boggling to me. Like, yo, you were looking over here at a girl. How'd you see the dancer mess up over here? Like he just knew it and he would rewatch the tape. So again, part of the genius of, what LMFAO was, like it was bigger than that, you know, than just, hey, let's just show up and have a good time. Yeah, sound was, know, AM was, create, brought that sound to my attention on the East coast. Like that was all that electro sound was so West coast, right? I heavily got into it because of AM, Justice, Kavinsky and all that, you know, in that banana, and that banana split party was like something I always wanted to go to. It's interesting that the evolution of know, Red Food hearing that because that was earlier on that was like what six probably seven in that area. And then going to them while I was still at LAX and that was like eight, I think. And then it changed over to Bardot. And then he took it and ran with it. And like, what year was that, that, that LMFAO really started to come into their own. Well, let's see, I'm in Miami, bitch was really the launch song. And that's all Red Fool on there. he wrote it, produced it. And I feel like I was at winter music conference 2007 when that song was first out. Nobody knew about it. it wasn't even, it wasn't a thing in Miami, but it was out. And I remember being at a scam party and Red Fool in the sky showing up and like, yeah, those are those guys. got the, my first introduction was to them was I can't help it. the I can't help it, girl, like they get a remix to that. And I was like, holy shit, this is dope. So I knew them for that. And then a year later, I'm in Miami is the biggest song at winter music conference and they're both that live there. They're all over the place. So I feel like that was like, seven and then eight or it could have been eight and nine. It might've been eight or no nine, but yeah, it was around that time. Yeah, I completely lost track of when they came out. I thought it was later for some reason, they just had such a great start and then a good career after that. I think it's interesting to hear that even on when you're on such a high level, right? And you have all these different things happening on a stage and you're traveling so much that just having this really high level of just concern and a part in everything that's happening in what you're doing. And I think we can take something from that, right? And anyone listening can take something from that as far as when you're putting something out, when you're thinking about your brand and how you want people to perceive you, you can't just think of What do I sound like as a DJ? There's just so much more that goes into it and having just an interest in every aspect of your brand or business or whatever piece of content you're putting out matters, you know, and it matters. And even the people at the highest level are thinking about it. The dancer messed up, you know, like for something to work in harmony and work and work at a high level, everything has to come together and everyone needs to be kind of at their best. So I just think that's interesting to hear and should put into perspective. or make us think in our own businesses and brands, like how can we put that to our work, you know? Yeah. So I think like one way of looking at it is like, if you looked at LMFAO, Redfoo's brand, like your brand is your promise to your buyer. This is what you're going to get when you, when you book me, you're to get all this fuckery, you know, you're going to get all this organized chaos and it's going to be fun. And you're going to be like, what just happened? That was the best night of my life. And that was, that was almost a guarantee, a guarantee. Like Redfoo could go out and DJ. or perform and just have his DJ next to him and call it a night. But I've never seen him do a show, maybe once. I don't know if he's ever done a show without dancers or his crew. And a part of that is like, well, that's great that you have that. Then another part is like, man, we would say so much money if you just didn't travel with every, but that's what separated him from all the other DJs. You had this whole thing. But back to the branding, when I do my one-on-one sessions with my Patreon subscribers, I tell them, you got to look at your Instagram like you're EPK. What do you want the people to see? Sure, I think it's cool if you're a family man and you want to post something up with your family once in a while, but what's going to get you the next booking? If you're a booker and you look at your Instagram, is this going to tip you over? Is this going to make me like, I'm at least going to keep an eye on him or have them in the back of my head. I think you need to look at your brand like a naked, like a Christmas tree. When you first get a tree, it's green, it's flat, like it looks cool, it's a tree, right? But your ornaments are the things that you add to your brand that's gonna make it pop. So you gotta decorate your brand with an EPK. You gotta decorate it with a solid mix or maybe multiple mixes as time goes. You gotta decorate your brand. with quality, not even quality videos, just videos of you, you know, in the club and decorated with remixes and bootlegs. Like there are so many things that you can do to convey the message. Like this is who I am. This is what I represent. Like I think we'll get into it later, but like my backpack house project, as of late, I've been posting my sessions at least once a day with the hashtag backpack house and just to create awareness. I'm not. looking for really like you to like say something to me or whatever. But, but I'm just putting it in the back of your head and you constantly need to remind people this is what's going on. This is what's coming. And I think what stifles us as DJs is we get in our heads because if I do this, what's Kareem going to think? I don't know if I should post this. What's, what's Ryan going to think? What's vice going to, what would A.M. think? You know, like we, we have these stupid conversations in our head. And if you want to have a high level successful brand, you can't think of what all these other DJs are going to think about your, like, this is your brand. can't tell you how many times I didn't post because my best, I didn't, I was wondering what my best friend Mickey war and DJ rail would think. And then after a while you just, you just kind of let go of that. just say, okay, they may, they may poke fun at you for this and that, but they'll get over it. You know, the way you choose to react to it is up to you, but you know, they'll get over it. So, and that's another issue that comes up with. my one-on-one sessions is like, I tell every DJ and they're like, man, you're right. Like I'm too concerned about what other DJs think. And I get it. We talk a lot of shit. were, we got a chest out when we're tweeting something or when we're posting something. And then when you meet these guys in real life, they're like, kind of like teddy bears, you know, they're really like not that bad, you know? Yeah. I think another aspect of that is DJs think, I already posted that or I already promoted my song that just came out. And just because we posted it one time or promoted it one time, it doesn't mean that everyone has seen it. And it also like you shouldn't be thinking about that you're promoting something for the people that follow you. You should be thinking about I'm promoting something to draw awareness to myself. What can I do to bring more fans to to understand my music or my brand or whatever I'm doing on social? And I think having that mind state will kind of get you over that hump as well, right? Yeah, like I have, I think around 38,000 followers and my stories probably average about 500 views. Like you think everybody's seen, you know, like clearly everybody's not seen it. And I understand clearly not everyone's a real follower or a real person, but, it's repetition. And sometimes I'll post the same stuff back to back days and someone will reach out on the second day like, shit, this is cool. And like, you didn't, in my head, I can't help but think you didn't see this when I posted it yesterday. But that's good because that reaffirms that you've got to keep doing it. You got to keep sharing. You got to keep showing. And I feel like the way DJ shouldn't think, like I really don't want to tell anybody what to do, but I'm going to tell you this. You should not be thinking it's me versus you. You should be thinking it's me versus the algorithms. Okay. So if you see me post seven, the same thing seven times a day, you know, it You shouldn't feel threatened by it. You shouldn't feel any type of way by it. You should just understand danger zones trying to do something here. He's trying to accomplish something and I'm going to keep an eye on it because if it works, I'm going to be like, Hey, did that work for you? What'd you do? You know, and we just need to understand it's not us versus each other. We're, all going to be fine. We're all going to get the bookings that we want if we do this long enough, but it's really us versus the algorithms and the internet. I love that. Okay, now I was just gonna I was gonna say I think I knew who you were for a long time, but I think we connected because I saw you posting your your venue recaps and sort of going through your mind process your process of what's going on in your head and the songs you're playing and why you're playing them and I loved it because it was I'd never seen anybody do it. It was super unique. And not only that, it gave everyone who is watching such great information into the mindset of someone who's doing this DJ thing at a very high level. why did you start doing those videos and did you think they would be as successful and as big as they actually are? No, I didn't. I didn't know what to think. just like, started like the long story of it is I was on a Mickey D's podcast. I was talking about my set at the grand and they say, you know, how'd your set go? And it's just like, well I started out by playing these five songs. And it was like hip hop, hip hop songs at the grand, which is I did that on purpose because I know everyone goes in there and plays like house. I'm like, man, fuck that. want to like, you know, I want to like, this was 2019, I think, something like that. so I wanted to just kind of separate myself and I said the first five songs and I stopped and I was like, yeah, so it was a good night. And then Mickey and Rell, who again, when it's your closest people who like really have, who really like who you really pay attention to, Their words mean the most. have the biggest impact on you. So when I stopped and they both literally said same time, like, so what else did you play? I'm like, you guys are really interested in what I played. Like usually like DJs don't want to hear each other, what each other play. Cause you know, they may feel some type of way. Like, that could have been my book. know, you're only there cause you know, the owner, know, like stupid shit like that. But I was like, you guys are really interested. If you guys are interested, there might be a lot of people that might be interested in this too. So I did that and then the fucking views just went through the roof and the likes and then everyone wanted to say, this was like a year or two before I did Patreon. And I was just like, damn, that is fascinating. Like I know people like instructional videos and they like stuff, explain how to type videos, but I didn't think they would really like this, like that. And then I'm realizing like, It also took a bit for me to get over the hump of what people will think to do that. Cause like any other DJ, like someone's going to look at this and say, yo, you did it wrong. I wouldn't have done it like that. You, your set sounds like shit. You know, I would never play those songs and yeah. yeah. And actually those are the videos that do the best cause there's so much, there's a fight, know, within, but, but, but that was another thing I had to get over. It's like, well, I'm over my friends. Cool. Now I just, let me just do this and just deal with what the community has to say. And I got over that. So like, you got to get over these humps as DJs. If you want to grow, if you don't want to grow, then don't. But yeah, so it took a lot for me to post that. And then when I got the reaction, it's like, I should do this more often. Like I should make a thing of it. I don't want anything from anybody. I just want to share. And the way I also, the way I saw it is you, the up and coming DJ, Afrojack, like You're not going to take my set and use it in your set. Okay. Like you, I think your natural instinct as a DJ is just, let me, instead of doing that, let me do this. You know, like it was more of like a template of what I did. And it's, and I always convey like, this isn't the only way to do it. It's just in the moment, this is. I, I had this set plan. I threw it out the window as soon as I, as soon as I plugged in, was like, no, we got to go hip hop tonight. Hold on. You know, like. it like, so I don't, I'm not, don't feel threatened by anybody using the songs that I play. Cause I kind of feel like we all use the same shit for the most part, but no, like once I took that part out of it, it was easy to keep doing it and keep showcasing, you know? I've actually started to use it more as a learning tool as to why I go through my set. Like why I'm playing the stuff that I play, right? I hadn't really before seeing your videos really do this exercise. a great exercise to go through it and be like, well, why did I, this is weird. Why did I play this record here? You know? And then it makes you think about the decisions that you make as a DJ and then where it leads you, you know, 10, 15 minutes from there. So, you know, a phenomenal social media tool, but also a great DJ tool, you know, personally to use for yourself. that's another thing. I'm glad you brought that up because I would always look back at my set, good or bad, I would on the plane ride home just be like, all right, yeah, probably shouldn't have done that. It was worth the try. Yeah, that was fun. You know, like you just kind of go over your set. I like, I would do that. Like why not share my thoughts. And there's videos where I said, I gave this a shot, fell on its face. So this is how I recovered. you know, here's a nugget for you listeners. You guys are probably ready to know this, but, for the guys that are up and coming and don't know one thing I always convey and I look out for when I do a club is, the first 10 minutes of you going on is usually mayhem, right? It's just like, you got your hottest songs and you're fucking, you're peppering them with it. You're just hitting them with it. And then there's a relaxation period. There's like, Not a decline in a bad way, but the energy kind of drops so free so that's the first 10 15 minutes so whatever you do after that the way I think is Keep it familiar and fun Just don't expect them don't play the big sing-along moments or else you're gonna They're gonna feel like they're forced to sing along and they're just gonna burn out So, you know give him a breather for five to ten minutes and you'll see that energy pick up and if you don't see it within the next 10 minutes or so, you know, start playing those songs and like, like a tap on the shoulder. Hey, you good? You good? You get a rest? All right, come on. Here we go. And that's like a part of controlling the crowd. It's like you take them on a roller coaster that you control. Now there are nights where you just got to go with the flow of the crowd. Like, Hey man, they're, they're just kind of in chill mode. I can do my best to get a reaction out of them, but I got to play it safe. No DJ likes to say that or hear that. but I got to give them what they want. And maybe later on, if they're drunk enough or they're feeling a little bit more, I can get a little creative or get a little cute with it. yeah, that's how I look, always look at my first 15 minutes. And then when I go out and see other DJs, I watch for that. I remember going to see a DJ in Vegas and she played, she went hot and heavy first 15 minutes. And then it was like, the rest of night was just this. And it just kept going. And like, I'm sure she got rebooked. I mean, I know she got rebooked and I'm sure everything was fine, but the energy to me, it just, you know, just kept going down and down and down. And, and, and to me, it's like, I think a better way of looking at it is trying to get them back up and, know, and maybe she tried, I don't know, but I feel like you maybe you're playing all the right songs just at the wrong time. Yeah. not clumped up with the other right songs, you know? I don't know. There's like, again, there's no one way of doing it. That's just how I felt in that moment. And that's what I see from some DJs, especially up and coming DJs. Like they haven't quite figured that part out. Like how to take them like this. They just want to do this the whole night. Like you can't. What are some ways that you would play songs that kind of give them a breather, but you know they're still in it, right? What are some ways that you do that? Because I think hearing you, people might be saying, all right, I get it, but what does he play to generate that? So what I would do is, let's say typical open format night, that's up tempo. And I got to specify, because hip hop DJs will watch this and be like, man, fuck that. But open format night, where anything and everything goes, I would go 10, 15 minutes out the gate. Very familiar sing-along stuff. I love it. Icon of pop type shit, maybe Bon Jovi. But just familiar. You also got to remember, some people are still getting their first drink in. So they're really not there yet. So you got to like keep that in back your head. okay. 10, 15 minutes in, I'm probably going to go down to 70 BPMs and play like Waka Flocka, play just very familiar 70 BPM stuff. And then maybe five, but like quick wordplay. The problem with DJs is when they go into 70 BPMs, they let the verses ride on the wrong songs. Like, bro, all they want to hear, all they want to sing to is the chorus. That's where the New York kind of side of me comes in, is the quick mixing. Because in LA, we're kind of known for just like blending and being a little bit smoother about it. But I like the idea of having both in your arsenal. So that's when the quick mixing comes in, because with quick mixing comes energy. Playing the right songs during quick mixing picks up the energy. Because maybe it's a little bit more of a hip hop crowd. which usually is the case with an open format room. Cool. Let's go hip hop. Okay. there you are. Now, you know, now I got a little bit more of a rise at you, but the beauty, the beautiful part about 70 BPMs is it's slow, right? So we're not, we're not doing this, but we're still, the energy is still up because we know all of Waka songs. We know, you know, playing Jane or, you know, whatever, a work by Asap Ferg. So five, 10 minutes of that, and then I'm back to up tempo and when people are loosening up, it's getting a little bit more looser. And then I'll probably go down to hundred BPMs and go a ladies or something like that. And then that's around 1240 or 1245 to 115 is usually like the sweet spot. Right? So that's when it's like, okay, I'm going back up tempo and I'm, I'm hitting you guys. What's, what songs are even harder than what I started with? Because again, Unless I know that crowd is ready to go at 12 PM, like your first song, they're still loosening up. So I'm coming with harder songs and then, and then just go with the flow. Then I usually it's easier because everyone's looser and they're kind of down for whatever, but that's usually my flow. And sometimes it's an audible. Sometimes I take the a hundred BPM portion and rearrange it with the, with the 70 BPM. know, sometimes I'm like, shit, I need to start out hip hop. Like I started out. the grand with dreams and nightmares. And just because I feel like, you know what? This is what this crowd really wants right now. So let's do that. And then got into like, you all awake now? You good? You ready? Okay, now let's get into the uptempo stuff. I think that's good advice for young DJs because sometimes I think as a younger DJ, there's a little bit of tentative nature to change people's ears and go from like a 128 to a 70. You haven't built that confidence in DJing enough to have the confidence to do that. And I find that when we're coaching some of our young guys or girls, that is the advice that... that we gave, like, okay, you just can't be flat all night. The feedback from management was that, eh, was okay. But how do you go from okay to getting the, wow, that was a great job, just something as simple as changing people's ear, changing BPM, changing style or genre, and having the balls to do it every 15 minutes or so. And that's kinda how you could stand out and create your own sounds. feel like DJs really know what their songs are capable of doing. That's another piece that, that, is just almost as important as the other things I mentioned is what is this song capable, where does this song belong? Is it a filler? Is it your heater? is it a cool song that you kind of want to throw in? Okay. If we're going to do that, what do I, I have to set that up properly because if that falls on its face, you know, I got to have something ready to go on the back end. That's going to pick the energy up. Like you have to know the strengths of your songs and within each song, there's strengths within the track. Sometimes I'll start a song off at the very end and then pick it up at the beginning or in the middle or do like a quick wordplay thing or do two bars right here and then bring it back to the middle. I think DJs really got to understand like, and that, that comes into being creative. Like you can do a lot more than just going eight bars in and out. Another thing I love to share with the up and coming DJs is I had a set in Orange County that was where 10 minutes before I went on, this newer DJ played all the hits. I'm talking like Tremor, ASAP Ferg's work. Like he put it all on the table and his boys behind him were like, You. boys are going crazy and the crowd's going crazy. And I'm just like, all right. I wasn't even mad at him because I'm just like, what are you going to do about it, Danger? And I'm like, we're not going to get mad. That's a waste of energy. What are you going to do to fix this? Cause this is all bad. So what I did was I played 90 BPM Bad Bunny songs. And I reason why I did that was to bring the energy down, was to reset the room. and because they're extremely familiar for that crowd. So they're catching a break, they're resting, and for the next two, three songs, they're singing their hearts out. So it's almost like we didn't skip a beat. It's just a change of tempo. We reset the room, and if you really paid attention, maybe you appreciate what just happened. And then it's like, all right, now let's pick it up. Let's get back into kind of like where we were. because you just, have to, there are certain parts of the night that call for it and certain parts that don't. And that goes for everything. I love to hear this, because it's like getting into your mind, right? It's getting into the mind of an open format DJ that's really knows his craft. And this happens to all of us, right? We all go through this. We've all been burned. We've all got on and thought that we're going to play all the bangers. And there was 20 people there and it's like, what do do? Right? And, and I love the fact that sometimes I can jump on the set and I can play my intro and jump on the mic. and jump on the stage and get everybody going. And sometimes I'm gonna play an R &B to start my set because that's just what I'm gonna do. It just fits with where we're at and what I think is gonna work. And I think that's what's fun about being an open format DJ for sure. But even within, if you're just an EDM DJ, there's still a way to do this, right? There's still a way to change people's ears. There's still a way to like dip and move into different things. to try to elicit the response that you're looking for or give them a breather or get them hyped up, you know? And I think that's one of the biggest challenges as a DJ, but it also shows who the best DJs are because the best DJs can navigate these different challenges, right? That's what being a DJ is all about. So to be able to hear you talk about it and get into the mind of someone who's playing all over the country, playing all over the world. played the biggest shows, I think there's so much value from anybody listening and hearing that. So I appreciate the fact that you're giving out all this game for free. I think it's awesome. I love it. I don't care. Again, I just want everyone to just have the opportunity to just have some fun with it and try different things. Like, why not? I did a lot of the same shit coming up as a DJ and I thought I was good. But then it's like looking back, it's like, fuck man. But I had to learn on my own. Much like I'm sure you guys had to learn on your own because I wasn't asking, but I say, what do you do around this time? Or, you know, I wasn't asking some of these big names like, hey, can you help me out here? Like, no, you just, you show up, you listen. That's another thing for the up and comers. You got to show up and you really got to listen to the set. Try and understand what story they're telling. I don't, I don't know if a lot of guys do that because they just want to get booked. If I just so happen to go to a club and there's an up and comer DJ, I'm going to give them that respect and try and understand what story he's telling. And I'll figure out, okay, he doesn't really have a story to tell. Maybe he's just not there yet. But he's not really taking me anywhere. He's just kind of rolling out the hits and there's no real game plan. But it's fine. As long as people are enjoying themselves, you know? Again, it doesn't have to be done one way. I'm gonna say let's pivot for a minute, because I got a question about just kind of general nightlife right now. Like we're kind of seeing, in our market at least, of a dip in just the popularity of nightlife as a whole. And we're seeing more artists and more DJs throw their own parties. I wanted you to talk about your party rock party a little bit and kind of how that's going. traveling party and just talk about, you know, kind of the history of it and, you know, how that came together. Yeah. So, like I already talked about how crazy the parties were with the, with, with the LMFAO. And then we used to do party rock parties, you know, away from LMFAO back in the days as well. But there was like dancers and they're like a whole routine to it. But I feel today because this is a trickle down from the record pools, the record pools suck. They're not putting, we're not hearing from talented artists. We're not like compare with the music you were downloading in 2010 to today. Like you, there's just no competition. There's, can only use a handful of it in a club. back in the days you had, there was too much good music too, too much. And it was a moment much like funk and disco, right? Electro pop was a moment in club era in pop culture. And, and I felt that was the party rock era. Like LMFAO led the way with that shit. I mean, maybe some artists had more hits, but LMFAO was. they brought electro pop to, you know, to your living room, right? So, so I think a lot of people miss that high energy feeling. I think we're still remixing a lot of those Lady Gaga and Flowrider songs and LMSBO and whoever, Pitbull. We're still remixing those songs today and they are the biggest songs of the night. So I thought this is an international brand. Why not take this on the road? I, apart, and it's not just setting up shop. plugging in and saying here are Electro Pop hits. I'm also bringing the party favors that we used back in the days, the blow up animals, the giant zebra, literally the life-size giant zebra, the party rock frames that you see Red Fu has always worn and Red Fu's head on a stick. And then I also bring t-shirts for the staff to wear because this, because it's a takeover. It's, and it's, you know, as best as possible, we are taking over your club with sound. with with with party favors and we want the staff to look the part as well. So that's really what it is. And man, I'm telling you, if there's one thing people love in the club, it's party favors, free shit, a glow stick, a fricking wristband, a pair of glasses. Don't don't let me throw out a blow up animal like an inflatable. They lose their shit to it. And and I think that's And it sounds childish. It sounds ridiculous, but I feel like clubs need to pivot and get a little bit more creative because opening up your door and saying, we have the hottest club in the city, isn't working anymore for most. and I think that's what, but I think that's what makes the party cool and unique. And the brand is just like, it's an internationally known brand. So what Redfoot wants, like, and of course he co-signs on it and he doesn't show up. This is just all me. But he wants party rock to be in the college towns. And if we're going to do the big cities, you know, it's just, it's just gotta be a hot venue. but yeah, man, it's, it's a really, really fun party. And I think theme parties are the way to go right now, because if I'm a consumer, I, and I go to an open format club, I don't really know what I'm going to get. I'm probably just programmed to go there. And I think that's why a lot of people, maybe they decide to just. pop in at HQ like, hey, you let's just go to HQ tonight. You know, like, let's just make the drive and let's just go. And like, I've heard that from people that work at venues like that where it's like, people don't buy tickets until the day of. They don't care who's on the bill for the most part. Obviously some acts sell better and quicker, but, but, but yeah, I think people, when they see a theme party, like an R &B party, that's exactly what I want to hear tonight. Electro pop. That's exactly what I want. Rig a throne, that's all I want to hear tonight. So I think people are figuring out like where they want to go, where they want to be, what they want to listen to as opposed to, hey, to roll the dice, you know, like you're going to get what you get and you can't tell the DJ other. Yeah, we talked about this a lot on the on the show where it's just people sort of want to know what they're going to get. And they want to go somewhere where they're going to hear the music they want to hear. And if they're going to spend money, they better hear the music they want to hear. So that's, think, one of the reasons why that theme party is working. In regards to to throwing like a party like the party rock party, what's some advice you can give someone someone out there who's saying, man, I want to start my own party, but I'm not really sure how to do it. I'm not really sure how to get Get it going. What's some advice you can give to those people? out marketing, figuring out how ads work. I mean, a little hypocritical for me to say, cause that's not something that the party rock party dives into. We're just like, like, like, you know what you're going to get, you know, you, you book us, you have your crowd, you know, I thought I wanted to build out. Like we had, we had a few meetings with live nation to do this. And we're like, we're, not there to where we can just, you know, put our name on a billboard and have people like this takes time to build. But with that being said, think DJs, DJing should be your least concern. It should be about marketing, understanding how ads work on TikTok and, in Instagram, it's understanding what videos work best. It's just understanding how to connect with people when you're throwing your own party and it should probably start out somewhere small and intimate and build out. Yeah, I think that's great advice. You know, create a small group of fans and then you can build from that for sure. And get with the group because what I'm learning is, like, again, I don't want to be responsible for everything that goes into throwing my own party. What I'm learning is when I look at the Altura party out in Vegas and, you know, they travel, they do very, very well. There's a whole team. There's like six people behind the scenes you never heard of. You know, you see like a Dirty Dave in exile, but there's a whole team behind that that really pushed the buttons and figure, and they really understand how to make this shift move. So get with, I would say get with people that are really excited about this and excited to learn and maybe have a little knack for, you know, advertising and marketing and stuff like that. Has throwing the party helped your, you're just like getting booked regularly, do you think? yeah, I think there's a few people or bookers that have seen that party and just like that have more interest in like to say like that party got me booked over here for a danger zone set. I don't, I don't think so. Like if I'm being honest, but there are people that reach out and say, we want that party rock party here. What, does it take? And, and you know, like it, there, there's some things to check off and it's really not up to me. up to foo and then we talk about it with CS3, the agency I'm on and we see what they think but it's really up to foo and his team when it comes down to where we throw these parties because they really can't just be anywhere. One of other things that we, we wanna talk about this, me and Gary, but I figure this would be, you'd be a good person to talk to us about. not only are we seeing more like theme parties in nightclubs, we're seeing DJs and artists, local or bigger artists, sort of throw these random parties, coffee shops, pizza places, bagel stores, record stores, like corner store. It's awesome. Yeah, like, is this the future of where we're going for nightlife? Like, what are your thoughts on those parties? Why do you think they started and will they continue? I think these parties started for a few reasons because the guy throwing the party probably wasn't booked by the clubs. So it's a big F you to the Booker, the big F you to the club and the promoters. Cause I, think like New York, like LA is very promoter driven the club. can't do anything in the club without the right promoters. They're just, it just, they'll fall flat on its face. So it's a big F you to the promoter. And I think DJs are just, they just want to do something different. Like why can't we experience this awesome music, this awesome genre, whatever genre, why can't we experience it, you know, without the hangover or, or just in a, in a setting where I just kind of want to just have a conversation and vibe. And I think this is just like, this is like how I think older, not to like say we're old, but more mature and older DJs. are thinking like this and even agencies or record labels. Cause I think some record labels back, you know, put money behind these events. But, but I think this is just their way of, just doing something different and, not ex it's just the same old same old. then when, when we were, when we were doing clubs in 2010, was peak, right. And, and people will go and drink and it was just the whole thing. People don't necessarily think like that anymore. Like they're popping edibles. They're, they're having a different kind of experience with music and it doesn't call for them to stay out to two or three AM and to get shit faced. You know? So I think people want to experience it in different ways. Like I was supposed to go to this AM radio event in Venice beach last week and I couldn't make it, but that guy posting his, his brand is called put you on. The party is a monthly party called AM.radio. Guy's name is Steve Cartigan, okay? That is one of the parties that I was thinking about, because I thought that was super dope. Yeah, it was going crazy on TikTok for sure. over a hundred on Instagram, over a hundred thousand shares, over a hundred thousand likes, I think, in over 2000 comments. And it was just a simple club culture is dying. People want to experience music different. This is what we're doing at this coffee shop in Venice Beach from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. OK. And I'm starting to go through the comments and I'm seeing DJs I know not saying they're wrong for this, but they're like, bro, this shit would never work in my city. This is how I read it with this voice. Bro, this shit wouldn't work over here. This could never work. This This sounds like an LA thing, freaking liberal. know, there's like everything came out, you know? and, and I'm just like, nah, man, y'all are wrong. Like this, you don't, you're just programmed and it's fine. But, but if you get the right people together, the right marketing plan, you could probably do this just about anywhere. It's just who's willing to risk it, who's willing to, to jump in. but, yeah, like that, I saw the videos, you saw the videos of that party. There were over 1500 RSVPs, 1700 on the waiting list. I'm telling my friends like, yo, if we go, we got to get there at 9.30 AM. Like, and I know it's a coffee shop, but so it's not very big. Like we got to get there. I'm not trying to wait for my co like I'm, I'm purposely not going to drink a cup of coffee before I go. So I'm not trying to wait without a cup of coffee in me, you know, at 9.30 AM, 10 AM, but no, it's, it's the future, man. Like why should we. be confined to experience music one way. Like there's so many different ways of doing it. You see Diplo does his run into 10K into a fun outdoor day party thing. Like, why not? I think this is just how this next generation wants to party or consume music or go out and do and we as DJs can kind of take advantage of that instead of fighting it, right? Take advantage of what the customer is telling you that they want. They don't want to drink that much. They don't want to go to a nightclub and stay there till four in the morning or three in the morning as much as they once did. But they definitely want to go grab a coffee and listen to house music, right? Like, I think it's what... customers are telling us or fans are telling us that they want and I want to try and do something cool like this because it's not happening here and I think it could work and I just think it's something different that could create a buzz. It's not the standard thing that's happening. can, it doesn't have to be all the drinkers. It could be any age. It could be, it just opens up the possibilities for the type of party that you can throw. And we're seeing this, we saw the Twitch stuff happen. So we're seeing these other avenues of being able to create a name for yourself or just be able to go play the music that you wanna play, which is also part of it. I think, you know, we'll really, we'll really put this in motion and this, this is probably a conversation for another day or amongst your DJ friends, but day parties really fucked it up for nightclubs. Vegas before there was rehab, cause rehab really set it off and they did a whole, documentary about it. But before there was rehab. like in Vegas, people would stay out to five, six a.m. and then go to Dre's after hours. And then when day parties started popping up, people stopped staying in the clubs as long. So that messes with your revenue. And then not only do they stop, well, they stop staying in the clubs for so long because they either day partied the whole afternoon prior to that. So some of them probably didn't even make it out to the club or the next day they had a day party to go to because Tiesto was going to be there or someone was going to be there. So they didn't want to. stay out till 3 a.m. They want to be a little more conservative. then so you're experiencing music during the day. And I think that is a part, I'm not saying the only reason, but a part of why we are where we are today. And then you mix in like just experiencing music differently. don't, shouldn't, I can watch some of these videos and I'm like, that looks so cool. It looks like a vibe. I don't care if there's five people there. I'm looking at the people and they're just like, I'm like, hell yeah, man. maybe this is just me and my old age talking. I'm just like, that looks like vibe. That shit looks dope. Like I would love to be a part of that. I think it's a number of things I've gotten us to this point, but why would you want to fight it? Like there's always going to be changes. Like whether you know it or not, like this is happening and you're, and you don't have to get on board, but why wouldn't you want to get on board? Like what is it going to hurt your ego? Is it going to mess up your bottom line? Like, why are we doing this everywhere? I'm thinking about this. what else is gonna come of it. I think it is the future and I'm just, hopefully I wanna be part of it. Gosh, if I'm a nightlife owner right now and I'm listening to this, I'm shitting myself. But like they, they have, they have to pivot so hard right now. Cause it's, it's something else. Like when the, within the last six months, like it's a real, real thing. Like you really have to come with something different, something new and keep people entertained. Like just thinking really outside the box, but a lot of owners are old school and they're just not thinking that way. You know, And I think that's a problem. Like any major corporation, no matter how big you get, always have to have someone on the ground figuring out what the trends are, understanding. hopefully you're paying him or her handsomely to do what they're doing, because if it's not for them, they're going to struggle to keep afloat. But owners really need to get out of their own way and trust their DJ's ear. As long as there's like not a compromise of a swap involved or anything like that. Cause sometimes that gets a little weird. but, but you got to trust your DJ or your GN's ear and be like, Hey, this is what I'm noticing. Let's cook. Let's, let's do something like this. Why, why not do something cool like this? You know, we can set it up on the rooftop. We can set it up on the patio or we can do it somewhere else. Like let's just create a vibe and let's, let's just throw some shit on the wall and grow with whatever sticks, you know? Yeah. they're just like, eh, it's fine. Work harder. Figure it out. Work harder. We're doing a, I know like 360 parties have kind of been happening for a little, a little while now. No one's done one in, in Jersey or anywhere that I know of in this area. So like we're throwing one this weekend and it's like, I just want to do it because it's cool and different and fun. And hopefully it brings some people into the venue that maybe would never have come. And like, if it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't. And like, I'm going to do all the leg work. I'm moving all the equipment. I don't care. I'm just trying to do something different. And I hope more people listening are willing to take the extra step to make something cool happen because we do need it. We need more cool shit happening in our markets to kind of give us a little more life, you know? I'm very concerned for the culture of DJing. Not so much DJing, but open format. With a lack of music, new music to play, to entertain, we lose interest from consumers because now the conversation is, I don't want to go out because there's nothing really I really care to hear when that Rihanna song drop or insert whatever artists from way back when I got to hear this in the club. got to go. This is my shit. I got to hear Starships outside. I got to hear party rock anthem at marquee. Like people look forward to those moments. The last time I felt like that was actually before that I can't remember, but recently was they not like us by Kendrick Lamar. Like when that shit drop, I'm like, I got to hear this in a, I got to see what everyone does to this. Like this is great. Like the momentum from this, that energy behind this, this is crazy. We don't have any real energy behind a lot of the new releases and that trickles down to the open format. Now the open format DJ has to be more creative. We have to throw unique parties and old school parties and, that stuff is eventually going to, I don't know if it's going to run its course, but it may grow stale because I can only play so many of the same songs for so many years. from the electro pop era, right? Like, so, so what's the pivot for open format DJs? And I really think DJs, open format DJs specifically need to start producing. They need to learn. They need to start making bootlegs like you guys, like, like a lot of the guys that we were cool with and they need to start there and start building a brand and reputation from that. And eventually get into house music like I'm conclusive about that because the way it's going to happen, what's going to happen if doesn't change is you're going to peak at your $1,500 a night, $2,000 maybe, and you're going to lose momentum somewhere. You might lose momentum if you don't stay on top of your brand. And then you're going to have to settle for $500 for four hours in a night, which is cool. If you're hungry for that, that's what you want. But when you start getting older, And you're thinking about savings in a family and kids and doing your part and doing, like it, it's, you look at it a lot different. So for the up and comers that love what's going on, they love DJing eight hours a day, four hours at the day party, four hours at night. And they made 800 for the night for the day and they're feeling themselves cool. Understand like you're only as good as the tools that are given to you. And right now we're not getting a lot of good tools. And it doesn't look like the labels are like, Hey, let's think about the open format DJs and give them stuff they can play in the club. Like, no music is today is made for Spotify. It's not made for you to play in the club. And, and, and now you got Afro house. It's made to vibe to it's not made for the club. It's made to vibe to. So what do you want? Where do you want to experience that on a rooftop at a coffee shop at a cool party where it's like, I can pop a fricking edible and just chill. You know, So yeah, that's my concern for the culture of open format DJs. So you brought up production. Let's get into your production. I know this is something that you said, like I had to do, right? I had to get into this. I felt like I needed to start making more of my own music. you created what you call Backpack House and you sent me some of it. I'm like, this is dope. This is like, I'm into this. So explain what Backpack House is and explain a little bit about your strategy with your music production. Yeah. So Backpack House is, is a fusing of hip hop in house. And you're probably thinking like, all right, we've been doing that shit for a while, but my focus is, is, is on like, if you were a backpack, if you were hip hop, had you remember the backpack era? And even some of those backpack producers were chopping up songs for R and B like, like Kanye did some songs for Brandy and Alicia Keys. So it's just like that era, that, appreciation, that the culture of, chopping up beats and infusing it over house drums. You know, like the front end remix I sent you, it's very choppy. It's, it's vibing, you know, it's like, it's groovy. Not all of them are going to sound like that. Like this quiet storm and, the other Mobb Deep song, man, you know, in a blank, but there's two Mobb Deep songs that I've been posting on, on my stories where I just let the chords ride. I just let them loop. And it's so, it's just, you know, it's not so choppy, but but it still fits the whole Backpack House sound. I understand like there probably aren't a lot of music heads out there that love Backpack and love House. There's probably like a very small niche, but it's definitely about catching a vibe on some shit that you're familiar with. And if you're not familiar with it, the soul samples in it, the funk in it, the funky bassline. you immediately connect with, because you've kind of been listening to that your whole life, whether it in a hip hop song or an original funk or disco song. So it's not something like that. had this master plan and just kind of hit me and just like, let me, I've never heard it like this. Like I sent you guys the hustle original, which is really a remix of freeways, what we do. And I sent it to sack Noel who hears everything before I put it out. He's like an angel on my shoulder. And you know, just kind of guides me and, he's like, bro, I've never heard anything like this. Like this is danger zone. All that other shit you're doing. Like it's fine. Bass house. Cool. Knock two. I get it. Shine Giles. I get it. Like it sounds cool in a club, this is you. Like this is danger zone. This is hip hop. This is house. And I've never heard it like this before. I think you should really lean into this sound. So it's like, I'm creating an elevated experience with. the sound. And it's all in the work. all, I haven't even created a logo yet. It's all flowing into 2025. So kind of an original thought and an original concept from you and like, you drawing influences from anywhere where you're like, okay, like I kind of like this and I like this like outside of just backpacking house, like is there an inspiration? You know, is it maybe a little Afro or an Afro artist or, you know, where do you have influences coming from? you know, like the tech house stuff, like I still pay attention to that. like what I'll do is I'll go on Beeport and I just listen to whatever the top hundred is. I just try and listen to as much music as I can. I don't think that there's one particular guy that I'm trying to mimic or producer. I'm trying to sound like, it's just going with the flow and feeling and going with what feels right. Like, because your ears won't lie to you, you know, or your gut won't lie to you. I'm. I'm still training my ear to trust myself and go with what feels, and then send it to SACNA. But no, there's no one in particular or no specific sound. I just try and absorb as much as I can and find the pockets that sound good for the song that I'm remixing or I'm trying to make an original of. it's sort of pulling the things you love, right? It's it's some of that throwback hip hop stuff that you love with with the new house music and you've created your sound and finding your sound is always the hardest part about making music, right? So now that you have your sound, you can sort of you're doing a style of music that you like and makes you happy and it just connects you to the music more and I just feel like as a producer, when you're making music like that, you're making the best music you can make because it's you believe in it and you love it and it's stuff that you really like and When I see someone, we talk about some of our artists and some of our producers that kind of have starting to find themselves. I just love to see it because usually once they find it, the music is, it gets better. It's better and better and better and every release gets better. And it's really hard to find that sweet spot. So I'm excited to hear what you put out because it seems like you sort of found that sweet spot. So congrats. Yeah, yeah, thank you. And there'll be more, like if anyone's interested, they can just DM me about it, but there's more information will be revealed. Like I just want to put a master plan together. I mean, I want to do a mix of all of it. And I think I have. 15 or 16 songs done, but I want to get at least 20 and then have a mix ready for the top of the year. And, know, I want to actually want to do it on, on, on five and deluxe is, YouTube, have their open house sessions. So I talked to the deluxe about it and, and, and I said, just like, I want to do something, but just give me time. I still want to finish these songs. So we'll come next year, man. There's going to be so much to share in regards to that sound. And, and I think. it'll connect with the open format guys, because I think we all grew up listening to some form of hip hop. You if you're younger, you at least caught the tail end of that backpack era. Kanye and, know, and, and, common and all those guys, most deaf, Alicia Keys, you know, like her in the thick of her stuff. So yeah, I think I I'm excited. Like I'm really excited about putting this thing out. It's awesome, Let's promote the Patreon. how can people, tell us a little bit about what's on the Patreon, what can people go and find when they go check you out there. Yeah, so my Patreon, like if you like those hour 30, I mean minute 30 second breakdowns on Instagram, well, I give even more answers to the set. it's basically, I try to keep it short, but it always ends up being 10 minutes of me explaining what I did. I get into the songs I played. I tell you why I played it, what happened, what was supposed to happen, how I pivoted, why I pivoted. Like every thought that I can remember that crossed my mind. I walk you through it. have the set list there. So I go through my set list and I tell you what songs did what. So there's that tier. I have my remixes on. I also like to share my friends remixes. That's also in a lower tier. You know, I do my best to have put them on. So I share what they have obviously with their permission. And then I show the set list. I provide the set list if they're interested in that. And then I also do one-on-ones. You know, let's talk for an hour once a month and we can get into anything you want to discuss. EPKs like we can, you know, we can just wrap for an hour. Then yeah, like that's my Patreon is dedicated to the consumers, dedicated to the DJ. And I feel like I can answer everything there. If not, I don't know what to tell you. Like I, I put it all on the table for you guys. I don't, you know, I just, and it's just my interpretation of it. Been doing this for 18 years. I've seen the waves. I've seen it all, I feel like I can share a thing or two. Awesome, Yeah, guys, go check out the Patreon. We'll link to it in the show notes and, you know, everywhere, the email we send out, everything, we'll have links for the Patreon. Anything else you want to promo? Man, I feel like I was so long-winded. I know you guys wanted to keep it down, but I'm just like, man, I'm just like, I know you guys have more questions to ask. I'm just like, nah, I was too long-winded on a lot of answers. But we definitely went over. Perfect. We're good, we're good. Yeah, no, man, like everything's, everything's out there. I appreciate you guys for having me and I'm always open to conversation. And I think we need more conversations like this. So everyone can hear. You may, next guy may have on may sound exactly the opposite of me. And that's awesome. Right. Anything we always like to give you you know our guests or anyone that we have on sort of like a platform is there anything you want to any advice or anything you want to convey to someone listening that You know might be trying to level up or get to the next step in their DJ career or production career from a DJ standpoint, because you all want bookings, we all want bookings. Learn how to figure out how to be charming. Figure out how to talk to people, because your relationships will get you in the rooms you want to be in. Because you're a nice guy, we'll get you in the rooms you want to be in. You may hate hearing that, but this is the world we live in, so why not play the game? The game is fun, when you figure it out, the game is fun. But learn, just... Just learn how to interact and everyone loves a charmer. Not saying you gotta flirt with dudes, but learn that skill set as a human. From a production standpoint, even if you're not inspired, just make stuff and you'll find something along the way. And make stuff because you'll learn the ins and outs of your program. You'll learn the ins and outs of music as you're just making stuff. And then someday you're going to be hit with inspiration and you're to say, this is what I want to make backpack house. Okay. I know everything I need to know because I made a bunch of other stuff. So this should, this shouldn't be hard because I know how baselines work. I what snares should sound like, or, know, EQing and all that. I learned that doing stuff I didn't really care for, or I thought I wanted to care for. So just, just create and go with the flow and also give yourself. chance to breathe, take time away from DJing, take time away from producing, and when it feels right, jump back in. That's it. Great device. Dude, thanks for joining us, man. We really appreciate it. really appreciate it. Yeah, thank you for having me again. Danger Zone, appreciate you. Thank you guys for listening to this episode of the pod. We'll talk to you guys next week. Peace. Peace.