Keep It 100!
Well damn, the time just flies by!
Feels like yesterday that the Heavy Hits Podcasts mix series kicked off, and now here we are – with the incredible DJ Perly dropping an awesome 100th HHP.
DJ Perly is a member of the world famous Heavy Hitters DJ crew, and in 2017 became the first female DJ to win the USA DMC championship. She has dropped a superb open format mix, featuring tracks from Crooklyn Clan (we recently interviewed DJ Riz right here), Eve, Eric B & Rakim, Kaytranada, Stardust and more. Check it out below, and give the Mixcloud a follow!
There have been some incredible mixes along the way, and a whole host of great new ones coming up.
I thoroughly enjoyed doing one of the early podcasts (#16), and indlgging my cheesy pop side with what we called the “Ultimate Office Party”! Check that out below!
Lots of the Heavy Hits team have contributed mixes, and we’ve had DJs from all over the world – Brazil’s Nedu Lopes, Scotland’s DJ Big Al, Germany’s DJ Say Whaat, Jamaica’s DJ Chemics, and many more, giving a truly global flavour to the podcast series!
Keep your eyes peeled for the next 100, there’s some great DJs involved, and I will be adding a new one before too long…
But we want to take a moment to say a huge thank you to all the DJs who have contributed to this incredible selection of mixes, showcasing their amazing talents, as well as the great music available on the Heavy Hits pool. We couldn’t have done this without their time, skills and creativity – so to every single DJ that was featured, we salute you, and we appreciate you!
Until then, make sure you stay on top of the latest music with the Heavy Hits pool, and follow us over on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Catch me streaming regularly on Twitch.
DJ Riz – From Brooklyn To The World
Today, we have the incredible honour of interviewing a legend of the DJ world, DJ Riz (as well as presenting a brilliant playlist by the man himself!)
Unless you have been buried in a cave for the last 20 years, you will have heard his biggest hit, Be Faithful – created alongside Sizzahandz as one half of Crooklyn Clan, the world famous production duo. But there’s a LOT more to him than that monster hit, and we get into it below. Lets go!
Can you give our readers a quick introduction to who you are, and what you do?
My name is DJ Riz. I’m a DJ/producer for over 35 years. I’ve played many clubs & special events around the world. I have done radio as well for many years, and presently do a show on Shade 45 (Sirius Xm) with my partner DJ Eclipse. I am 1/2 of Crooklyn Clan which made a bunch of classic party breaks in the mid 90’s – mid 2000’s. I also have a few aliases for making house music as well.
You’ve got a career spanning multiple decades, right back to what many call the “Golden Age” of hip-hop – what is the recipe for your longevity, in a business that many don’t last in?
I’ve always tried to stay well rounded between underground hip hop radio, commercial radio, and a little bit of turntablism. DJing for MCs, playing underground & commercial clubs & special events. I find it important to be able to know your situation & adapt to it as well as being prepared as best as possible. You have to stay in touch with what is going on as best as possible I’ve been playing a long time and have seen changes in music & the scene constantly. I’m a lot older now, so the current gigs I do aren’t as fun to me being that the music is way different today. I still enjoy it sometimes, but just have more fun these days playing the gigs where I can play what I want (mainly the old school parties), where the crowd comes to hear just that.
How did you first get interested in DJing? And what were your first steps – how did you get gigs/shows, what did they look like?
I was an avid radio listener. I used to tape Mr. Magic & Red Alert every weekend. I also used to tape The Latin Rascals who used to play their reel-to-reel super mixes, which were incredible! I learned a lot from listening to them, and started doing block parties around the way. Then started doing small lounges & clubs after that. I also started doing college radio in 1990, which led to many opportunities going forward.
You must have seen a lot change in your time in the booth – from the way the business operates, to the size of the market globally, and of course the many technological changes for DJs and producers. What do you think has been the most profound, important changes? And if there was one change you could undo, what would that be?
I always say technology is the “gift & the curse.” It’s amazing what it can do, but it also made a lot more people do it as well. I think the digital era is great on one hand because it makes things easier to use with a ton of capabilities. On the other hand it also makes the pool of people a lot bigger to where in the DJ game it affected the pay rates of gigs in general for the majority of DJ’s.
Your Live From Brooklyn mixes are essential listening for any student of hip-hop – how much value do you place on that sort of knowledge? The heritage of the music, the sample lineage, and so on?
I made Live from Brooklyn because of my friend Emz, who worked at Interscope Records at the time, heard me do a few guest spots playing samples on major NY radio station mix shows (Hot 97, 98.7 Kiss & 107.5 Wbls) He was also A&R at Stimulated Records which Dante Ross owned. We wound up putting out a 12” version of 2 different mixes which were a medley of original songs that were used to sample in a bunch of hip hop records. I think it’s real important to know the history of music, where it came from and how it impacts the music of today, etc…especially as a DJ.
You’ve spoken in other interviews about how you would pick up other DJs record collections when they sold up when they stopped spinning, and how you really value having an extensive music collection. Do you still collect vinyl? And in the digital era, what do you see as the pros and cons of that way of distributing and consuming music?
I used to go record digging all over the world, I’d have a select few friends that were into it just as hard as I was. I’ve accumulated tens of thousands of records over the years from people’s collections, to getting tons of promo servicing, to thrift shops, record stores with secret basements, you name it! I’ve recently started selling my collection & turning it into a lossless collection. I’m at the point where all I really need is a dope digital collection. I’ve moved locations several times and it gets harder and harder moving whatever I have left (which is still around 20k of records) It’s hard to part with the vinyl but at this point I’m ok with it. I have great memories that are priceless because of them as they have for sure been a huge part of my career.
Crooklyn Clan are truly legendary in the DJ world – there’s not many DJs from the hip-hop, R&B or open format world that haven’t played tunes from you. Which aspects of your output there are you proudest of – the radio shows, the tracks you put out, or something else? And what aspect of your career has been the most fun?
We had a lot of fun making those party breaks in the 90’s/2000’s. I enjoyed hearing them on radio mix shows as well as in the clubs. A lot of the DJs used to look forward to getting these as they would serve the purpose of “party bangers” or “transition records” as I used to like calling them. It came to a point that we had our own section on the walls of record stores!
Your edits with Crooklyn Clan really helped set a template for the way people use music in DJ sets – mashup culture really exploded in the mid 00s in part because of what you were putting out. What benefits did you notice from both making these tracks, and also having these sorts of things for your own DJ sets, whether on radio or in clubs?
The mashups were big at one point, then it became oversaturated with a lot of mediocre stuff. Some people were making great stuff but there was also a lot more of the bad to mediocre stuff all over the place that it just burned out after that. Today there are a lot of dope people making their own personal edits which are great to use either in their own sets, which can help you stand out more because no one else has them, or just putting their signature stamp on it for all the DJs to rock it.
The last year has turned the music and DJ worlds upside down – how did you handle the situation, and do you have any thoughts about where we go from here, or predictions about what the next few years might be like?
It’s going to be interesting to see how things shape up as things start to open up again. I think in time it will get back to some sort of normalcy. I think the majority of people still like to go out to party & listen to music out so I think it will slowly get back to where it once was, or at least close to it. You also now have streaming to where people actually don’t have to go out to have a good time & listen to music, as evident from this past year’s long pandemic.
I know some DJs that love streaming and say they don’t care if they ever go back to playing clubs anymore. Some of them are earning some decent money doing it.
If you could give a DJ starting out now one piece of advice, what would it be?
I would say learn as much about the older music as you can. The artists, the songs, the genres, etc. That knowledge will help you become a more well rounded DJ. It’s easy to keep up with the top current stuff. Practice your craft & learn the business. The time you put into it will reflect in many ways. Aside from the music, always try to save some money for investment purposes. I can’t stress that enough. This DJ game doesn’t last forever & there are no guarantees or pension plans.
Can you tell us a bit about what plans you have in the coming months and years?
Once things start opening up I will get back to playing. This time around I’ll probably play more of just the spots or parties I really enjoy. I’ll also probably get back into some producing as well.
So there you have it – straight from one of the legends of the DJ game! Now, get yourselves over to the Heavy Hits pool to check out this awesome playlist by DJ Riz, and get ready to rock your crowd!
You can check out Heavy Hits’ socials on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. And you can catch me streaming regularly on Twitch.
Annie Mac to leave Radio 1 – the end of an era!
Legendary radio DJ and broadcaster Annie Mac has announced her departure from BBC Radio 1, after an incredible 17 year run on the station. She has become one of the most reliable tastemakers in the world with her various shows over the years, and has played everywhere worth playing around the world.
Hailing from Dublin, Irland, Annie MacManus joined the station as a production assistant in 2002, and her broadcast career started out in 2004, with her Thursday night show “Annie Mac’s Mashup”. She was at the heart of the explosion of electro, blog house, dubstep, indie dance and so much more in that incredible time. She has hosted various shows in her time with the station, including the flagship Friday night dance music show, which will be taken over by Danny Howard.
I was lucky enough to play with her many times over the years, from sweaty basements to huge festival stages, and she always tore the roof off wherever she played, with an uncanny knack for knowing what trends were coming round the corner. She was also great fun to DJ alongside – on one particular occasion, a New Year’s Eve, she had been partying hard enough at her Bristol show that she arrived at Stealth nightclub in Nottingham without her headphones, and had to borrow mine. And naturally, she smashed it, before handing me back my ‘phones and heading off to her next show that night!
For so many producers and bands, getting a play on one of her shows was a huge moment in their careers, an endorsement from one of the biggest DJs on arguably the biggest radio platform in the world. Many anthems got their first play on her show, and went on to dominate clubs and festivals. She started the Annie Mac Presents mix series and events, and her sound and style evolved over the years, reflecting and shaping the tastes of different eras. The Mini Mix format that she popularised, a 5 minute megamix by the biggest names in music, is often a brilliant crash course in a genre or artist. She also championed female DJs, in a male-dominated business – in other fields where a woman has broken through, they are often accused of pulling up the ladder after themselves. Not so here – she gave breaks and support to a whole host of colleagues, really helping to normalise the sight of women behind the decks, and give inspiration to the next generation of DJs. She even put her name behind a campaign to push for gender parity.
The timing of her move makes sense – Radio 1 is squarely aimed at youth music, and while plenty of more experienced DJs exist in this realm, it is logical for the station to lean towards younger hosts, and as she puts it in this Twitter post
“I also love the idea of leaving the party (and make no mistake working at Radio 1 does feel like a party) with a huge smile on my face, when I’m still having the most fun I can have. I will be coming back to radio broadcasting when the time is right”
Annie Mac has a family with her husband Toddla T, and also wants to pursue other aspects of her career – having launched a great podcast (Changes with Annie MacManus). She is also about to have her first novel published – Mother Mother.
Clara Amfo will take over her Future Sounds show, which runs Monday-Thursday 6pm-8pm. Diplo is also leaving the station at the same time. Funnily enough – that’s who was DJing off-camera in the photo above!
If you want to get yourself better prepared to rock parties the way Annie always has, head to the Heavy Hits pool now! And check out the socials – Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. You can find me streaming regularly on Twitch.
Serato 2.5 is out now!
Serato is the daddy of DJing software, and this is a BIG update!
You may have been testing the 2.5 Beta over the last few months, especially if you have Phase (I have been doing so, and it has improved the performance of Phase dramatically). It hasn’t been perfect though – its a Beta version after all, really only intended for testing purposes, not professional use at gigs.
Well, the Beta is done now, and the official release of 2.5 is out – which Serato users can download here!
Phase is now an Official Serato Accessory, with improved accuracy, reduced latency, and no need for phono cables when plugged in via USB (which will simplify things for DJs taking Phase to gigs!).
2.5 bring a whole host of new features, and crucially, it supports the latest Mac OS, Big Sur, and also provides support for the new generation Apple M1 chips.
This one is an essential upgrade for all the Serato DJs out there!
After you’ve done that, head over the the Heavy Hits pool to grab the best new music to play on it, and check out our socials over on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! You can catch me streaming regularly on Twitch!
Joe Bunn – Hustle Hard!
There’s a lot of different corners of the DJ world, whether in a basement club, a festival stage or a beach bar. But one of the biggest jobs any DJ can take on is to perform at a wedding – a lot of responsibility, and the possibility of helping a couple and their families have the best night of their lives! And if you approach it the right way it can become the basis of a very nice business too, as Joe Bunn has discovered, alongside various other interests he has in DJ world…
Hi Joe – can you tell our readers a little bit about who you are, and what you do?
I am a DJ at heart, and own a DJ Company called Bunn DJ Company (super catchy I know) but also the founder of The DJ’s Vault, which is a membership group for DJs to learn more about DJing. I also started Bunn Gear which builds aluminum DJ booths. And am one of the co-founders of Crate Hackers, a site to help DJs get their crates organized.
Is the white booth in your photo one of yours? How did you go about designing your products for Bunn Gear?
Yes. More can be seen on the Facebook Bunn Gear Fans page or Instagram. I bought a DJ booth from Germany that was gorgeous but not mobile friendly, and that’s when I went to work creating my own.
You started mixing pretty young – at age 13. How did you first get into it, and what did your early gigs look like?
I got into it because there weren’t many DJs in the small eastern North Carolina town I grew up in. Most of the stuff I did then were teen clubs at the local country club about once a quarter, and stuff for my parent’s friends.
At what stage in your career did you start focusing on playing primarily private events/weddings, and how did that transition come about?
After I graduated from UNC in ’94, I kind of thought DJing was over and started doing some other entrepreneurial things, but DJing kept calling me back. I finally realized it was what I was supposed to be doing all along.
DJing at a wedding is a real responsibility – you’re soundtracking the most important night of the couple’s life! What steps do you take to make sure you get it right?
I do a lot of prep work beforehand including calls with the couple and/or planner. I also redo the planner that they fill out online and make it more streamlined, and easier to read on the show day.
You’ve built a DJ agency with a formidable reputation, serving multiple cities. How did you find the transition from solely being solely a DJ to being behind placing multiple DJs on any given weekend? What skills did you find you needed to develop as you learned the trade and built your company?
It’s important to surround yourself with a team. I did the majority of everything for too long. You have to have the skills to wrangle a lot of egos, but you also have to be a book-keeper, marketer, salesman etc. Don’t be afraid to sub some of that work out.
How have you mentally handled that fact that your reputation now rests considerably on other DJs and their performances & presentation? Do you coach your team at all, and how much latitude do you give them to put their own spin on the weddings they play at?
I definitely train all of my DJs, even if they already arrive with experience. However, I do want them to shine at their events and show their personalities.
Are there any notable mistakes you have made that you’d like to be able to go back in time and warn yourself about – either as a performer or in business?
Yes, save your money. You never know what’s coming, like this pandemic. Luckily, as I got older, I got much better with handling the money we were making at Bunn DJ Company.
What advice would you give for a young DJ starting out today?
Practice a lot, stay humble, and if you don’t have good business sense then join a company like mine and work hard.
How are things looking in your industry in the forseeable future, after what must have been a really difficult 12 months?
It’s been a pretty horrendous 12 plus months, but things are turning around. We started last weekend doing 6 plus weddings on Saturday and it continues like that for the remainder of 2021. We are also getting tons of new contracts and checks for deposits in for new dates lately!
Can you tell us a bit more about Crate Hackers – one of the big gripes a lot of DJs talk about is the difficulties of managing a large and diverse digital music collection, so I think this will be very interesting to a lot of readers!
Crate Hackers helps DJs organize their library and save time finding music. It was started by Aaron Traylor, a DJ in Nashville TN. He had a great idea but it wasn’t being executed well. That’s where I stepped in along with my marketer, Dom Pirone. Now we have over 1500 paying members!
Awesome, thank you Joe!
So there you have it! There will be a lot of weddings in the next 6 months after the year we just had – this should give you some ideas about how to do a good job there if you get booked for one!
In the meantime, head to Heavy Hits pool for all the best tracks, and hit up our socials on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. You can find me streaming regularly on Twitch!
DJ Tech News – March 2021!
We are only a quarter of the way into 2021, and already there are some FASCINATING new things bubbling up in the tech around the music and DJ business! And I’m back to give you your regular round-up of the most important and interesting highlights!
Audacity 3.0
The ever-popular (and free!) Audacity audio editing software has just had a major upgrade to 3.0. This really is a fantastically useful piece of software for doing a whole host of editing functions. It may look a little dated, but it works brilliantly, and the update has fixed over 160 bugs, as well as introducing a bunch of new features, including an interesting sounding “Label Sounds” which can label sounds and silences. I’ve used this software many times over the years, its a really handy thing to have on your computer!
Rekordbox mobile for Android
Great news for Android-phone-and-tablet-having users of Rekordbox, Pioneer’s DJ software. They have launched an Android version of their mobile app – iOS users were already catered for. This software allows users to perform all sorts of useful library-management while on the move. The key features are outlined in full here.
Ableton – the reviews are in…
We mentioned the beta in February’s round-up, but now that the full version is out, the reviews are in – and they are very, very positive! Music Tech gave it 10/10, Music Radar gave it 4.5/10.
I’ve used it on a couple of projects myself, and while I have barely scratched the surface of what it can do with these, it worked better than ever, and the finished work sounded great!
DJ EZ x CDJ3000 performance video
UK Garage legend DJ EZ, fresh from raising £88,000 from a 24-hour livestream, has just dropped a video showcasing the new Pioneer CDJ-3000s.
Spotify to launch Clubhouse rival?
It looks like Spotify is set to launch a live audio social network, after acquiring Betty Labs – who are behind Locker Room, which is currently much like Clubhouse, but exclusively for sports events. It will remain online, but is expected to be rebranded.
More on this in this Verge article.
Denon x Serato
Denon DJ has announced that its excellent SC6000 Prime and SC6000M Prime media players will be compatible with Serato DJ Pro software as of next week. Players need to be upgraded to the latest firmware, and was introduced at Serato DJ v 2.4.6.
The huge touchscreen is perfect for Serato, and the integration gives users fantastic control over Serato from their controllers – any of the 4 decks can be controlled by each media player, as well as everything from loops to hot cues to sampler, and gives full colour waveforms in the display and library access.
Pioneer DJ launch new Studio and DJ monitors
Pioneer has launched the VM series of monitors – they come in three sizes, with 5, 7 & 8-inch cones. All 3 sizes come with DSP tech with which to “tune” the speakers to whatever room they are used in, a very handy feature for people unable to make big changes to the rooms they work and listen in.
Prices are very reasonable, priced per pair at £318 / €358 / $368 (VM-50s), £438 / €498 / $458 (VM-70s) and £538 / €618 / $578 (VM-80s). They will be available from mid-April.
Rane One now works with Virtual DJ and djay Pro AI
This is very interesting for a few reasons – it hints at the possibility of Serato’s vice-like grip on the DJ software market being loosened, and also because both these pieces of software feature the ability to create “stems” live, isolating or removing vocals, instrumentation and drums. It will be interesting to see whether Serato decides to introduce the Algoriddim Neural Mix technology in a future software update…
So that’s all for this month! Now, go head over to the Heavy Hits Pool for all the best music, and go check out our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! You can find me streaming over on Twitch.
DJ Excel – A Student Of The Game
Today we have an interview with a DJ that has definitely earned his stripes, and seen the DJ game change over the decades – we asked him a few questions to find out about his career, and his take on things!
Take it away DJ Excel!
Hi DJ Excel – can you quickly give our readers a short introduction to who you are, and what you do?
No doubt! I am a student of the game. A Skratch Makanik. A self taught DJ, producer, and clothing designer. A vintage lover, motorcycle rider & dream chaser.
How did you first get into DJing, and what were your earliest steps into playing out in front of audiences? And how did that develop into something more serious?
I officialy started DJing in ’91. I was introduced to Hip Hop in ’88. From the moment I heard a scratch I was intrigued. Coincidently I used to mess with records and toys you could “scratch” with before I knew what it was. In ’91, me and my crew got turntables and began practicing. Scratching, mixing, juggling, etc. I didnt get my first nightclub gig until ’98-’99. So I spent the first 7 years just making mixtapes, playing house parties and having fun. To DJ without the concern of social media, money, and bookings. It’s so pure and it’s something alot of us lost as we progressed in our careers but the pandemic brought back; one of the few positves that came out of this terrible situation. Around ’98, I started to play bars around town on a weekly basis. That lead me to the city, and bigger clubs. I was still in college and working a part time job. Eventually, I made it to a point where I was able to quit my job and DJ full time. Very scary decision but that was the last job I worked.
You are from Philadelphia, a city with a rich musical heritage, and which has produced a lot of incredible DJs – how did the culture of Philly influence your approach to DJing?
I was really spoiled in that sense. I didn’t even know it. I had all this amazing talent to use as my blueprint. In my eyes, that was just the standard. So I studied. That played a huge role in who I became as a DJ, behind the wheels and how I conducted business beyond music. I still listen to old tapes and radio recordings from back then. It blows my mind how dope the DJs were. Straight up, I still learn from those old mixes.
You’ve moved from Philly to LA – how did you find the transition from one city to another? I found the move from Nottingham to London quite challenging, even with a solid DJ CV behind me
The move was one of the toughest decisions I had to make. If you would’ve asked me a year prior, I would’ve swore to you I’d never leave Philly. I met a DJ, Gomez Warren IV, on a trip to LA. We became friends. He hounded me for a year about moving. I fought him and made every excuse possible to not move until I had no more excuses. Moving was really challenging, more so than I expected due to the nature of events to follow, but I’m stubborn and from Philly so I stuck it out, played my part, and eventually got a stable place. It was the best decision I made even though I tried my best to not make it.
You do quite a variety of DJing – from clubs to corporate gigs, and other stuff in between. How do you juggle the different demands of each, and what major differences do you take into account?
Around the time me and my crew were just getting into DJing, I saw early on that as much as I loved scratching and turntablism, I really loved music and playing it. Once the gigs started to happen, I really enjoyed the energy music makes people feel. I was raised on a variety of music like most of the DJs from my era.
Music was in the household. My mom liked ’80s pop, soul, disco, & my dad was into to ’50s, ’60s rock and soul. Before I found hip-hop, I listed to rock. All of those genres were already in my repertoire before I knew how useful they’d be. So as I progressed in my career, I was able to expand on my musical knowledge and find gigs that allowed me to play them. It’s a balancing act for sure. I need all of them as a whole to keep me sane. Too much of one or the other puts me back in a box I’m not ready to be in.
Corporate gigs are tricky to obtain without the right contacts, but great if you can move in a responsible manner. They can lack luster compared to the big international club gigs, but are still really fun, and great for your pockets.
You’ve had residencies in many cities – how do you stay healthy and well when travelling a lot for your shows?
My situation has been a little easier than some since I was never much of a drinker and never really got down with drugs. The traveling will wear on you. That’s a fact. Rest, water, physical activity, mental stimulation, all that plays a huge role in the longevitiy of your career. It really just depends on what your goals are. Mine has always been the long game. I love this so much that I don’t want it to end before I’m ready. So doing whatever I have to, to keep that possible is my #1.
What differences do you notice from city to city and country to country when you play to different crowds in those places? How much are you able to prepare for these in advance, or is it something you have to work out in the moment, on the job?
The internet has tied the world together in a way that I could never imagine. Playing in China isn’t much different than NYC. There’s definitely places around the US and the world that are unique, but some of that can’t be told, it has be seen in person. Playing in Japan, I noticed some of the crowds loved songs they can sing the words to. Even if they don’t know the words or the meaning, they can mimic the sound. Kinda how most of us do with reggae and reggaeton.
What changes do you expect to see in the post-Covid nightlife scene?
I’ve had this discussion with folks every which way you can flip it. It’s a little too early to tell but one interesting point was raised that it may go back to how it was in the ’80s-’90s, pre-club shit. Renting a YMCA or a warehouse, getting a soundsystem, hiring DJs, charging at the door and just rocking like that. Obviously, we’d love to back to plane hopping but I will tell you from personal experience, a lot of the venues I played in 2019 aren’t around in 2021. It’s going to be interesting for sure.
If you could give a new DJ one piece of advice, what would that be?
I tell every young DJ to pick their name carefully. To go dig for a record they love and to build a collection of music they truly love. Worry about the other stuff later. However, I also do tell them to do their research and if they settle on a name, make sure they can secure the handles and domain even if they may never use it. When the day comes, you’ll be glad you got it.
Have you got anything else you want to tell our readers about?
If you haven’t already, take the time to get what you need. Re-invent your brand, clean up your social media, take a rest if you feel burnt out, learn a new trait or improve on what you know and most importantly, BACK UP YOUR MUSIC RIGHT NOW!
Great advice from a man who knows what he is talking about!
Check out more from DJ Excel at his Mixcloud and Twitter.
And then go head over to the Heavy Hits pool and pick up the best new tracks, and then head over to our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to check out what’s going on! You can catch me streaming on Twitch.
Classic Mixes
DJing is largely a performance role. The vast majority of most DJs make their reputations from the gigs they do, and the performances they give to live audiences.
But one crucial aspect of building a DJ reputation is to create mixes, and every so often a DJ drops a true classic, maybe catapulting them to greater heights, maybe cementing their status at the top table, often setting a trend that other DJs follow.
So, lets take a look at a selection of truly legendary mixes!
DJ Q-Bert – Demolition Pumpkin Squeeze Musik (1994)
If you are into scratch DJs, then you know all about Q-Bert – arguably the greatest scratch DJ ever to do it! On this mix he cut and scratched and juggled his way through the legendary Ultimate Breaks & Beats compilation record, the root of so many hip-hop samples! With assistance from Shortkut and DJ Disk, Q-Bert takes the listener on an immaculately compiled and technically insane journey through the heritage of rap music. This came out a year before Q-Bert invented the crab scratch, and some of the cuts will blow your mind! Its hard to explain just how far ahead of other scratch DJs Q was at this moment in time – like an alien from another planet.
Kaytranada – Boiler Room Montreal (2013)
Those few people who didn’t know about Kaytranada are about to find out about him, as he walked away from the 2021 Grammy Awards with 2 gongs! He’s been producing dynamite originals and remixes for about a decade now, and in 2013 provided the world with one of the most meme-able DJ sets of all time, his stunning 42 minute Boiler Room. Its a genuinely brilliant DJ set, perfectly encapsulatingly his swaggering, swaying, supercool style. But its also full of laugh-out-loud moments, courtesy of an incredibly enthusiastic (and lit!) crowd.
Caspa & Rusko – FABRICLIVE.37 (2007)
Caspa & Rusko were at the heart of the dubstep movement, and also were at the forefront of the more energetic and wobbly direction that took the USA by storm. FABRICLIVE mixes are a staple of the underground dance music scene, and every so often they catch an act just before what they do goes supernova – this is a case in point. Without these DJs, and without this mix, who knows if Skrillex happens, if EDM takes the form it did, and so on – this was a real landmark turning point for the dubstep genre (and not one that all dubstep fans ended up being too happy about in the end!).
Danny Tenaglia – Global Underground 010 Athens (1999)
Danny Tenaglia is a true legend of dance music. From humble beginnings in a 1980s Florida roller-disco, to being one of the biggest DJs in the world from his home in New York, Tenaglia has carved out a sound he terms “hard & soul” – deep, dark underground beats, matched with soulful vocals and instrumentation, often weaving between them in sets spanning 10+ hours. The Global Underground series spawned many contenders for “legendary” status, but this is the one that stands out for me, showcasing his mastery of tension, mood and atmosphere, while always keeping the dancefloor moving.
DJ Spinbad – 80s Megamix Vol 2 (2000)
Spinbad sadly passed away recently, which we covered here. He was legendary as a master of the DJ mix, and his pinnacle might be surprising to those who remember him as the exceptional hip-hop DJ he was. His 80s Megamix Vol 2 took the 80s megamix concept he’d developed, and ran with it to create a work of art – legendary pop and rock, interspersed with superb scratching and perfectly placed film soundbites, sometimes even mixing in vocals from movie scenes with matching songs! Several DJs have remarked on how they felt that this mix gave them “permission” to explore pop in a way they felt they weren’t supposed to beforehand – it certainly played a big part in the development of the open-format DJ as we know it today.
DJ Yoda – How To Cut & Paste Vol 1 (2001)
DJ Yoda is an old friend of the blog, having been interviewed here. He’s also a master of the mixtape, at one point laying down his own 80s megamix (but from a British perspective) after seeking permission from Spinbad (he didn’t want to seem to be jacking his idea!). He has many highlights in his mixtape reel, but this is a standout, and one that really helped him establish his approach. Inventive, witty, musically fantastic, anarchic, this set the tone for Yoda’s career, with one foot firmly planted in independent hip-hop, the other in sketch comedy of some sort! Endlessly entertaining.
Daft Punk – Essential Mix (1997)
Daft Punk have officially called it quits, and it was probably the right time – they’ve moved a long way away from the sound that they captured on this Essential Mix (the long-running and legendary BBC Radio 1 mix show), and ended up at some sort of smooth jazz thing – not that I disliked it, but it was a long, long way away from the Daft Punk I fell in love with – I actually saw them live in 1997 at Tribal Gathering! Disco-tinged, but full of oomph, and with a real edge to it – this mix is what I think of when I think of Daft Punk!
DJ EZ – Boiler Room x RBMA London (2012)
If you ask a DJ today to describe the most exhilirating drop ever caught on video, a lot of us will point to that mix by DJ EZ. You know the one… don’t you? Well, watch the 30 seconds above and you will. EZ is the king of UK Garage – and he’s a machine, in recent years doing multiple 24-hour sets for charity. The whole mix is worth checking out, as is any mix by this absolute legend.
Diplo – Essential Mix (2007)
What a career Diplo has had – now undisputably one of the biggest DJs in the world, and the man behind an enormous number of hit records, as Diplo, Major Lazer, or behind the scenes. This isn’t quite a “back when it started” mix, but its not far off, from around when he was just starting to blow up, and it showcases his genre-bending, crate-digging style brilliantly – what I would give for him to go back to this!
J-Rocc – Live At The Sex Machine (1999)
This one is a masterclass in live hip-hop mixing from one of the slickest DJs in the game, J-Rocc. Recorded live at the Sex Machine (hence the name), this is an immaculately selected and mixed collection of music from a very special point in time in hip-hop’s journey. J-Rocc has an uncanny knack for smooth, flowing mixes, and some of his trick mixing is so neat and tidy you can easily miss it! He’s one of my absolute favourite DJs, and is always worth listening to!
2ManyDJs – As Heard On Radio Soulwax Vol 2 (2003)
Released in 2003, this was hugely influential on DJs around the world, and much like the Spinbad mix mentioned above, it massively de-stigmatised using well known pop and rock records – something which had been viewed quite snobbishly for a long time. This heralded the start of the explosion in mashups in the mid 2000s, which was helped along by the likes of Erol Alkan and Diplo, and their popular internet forums. 2ManyDJs are also known as Soulwax, and continue to enjoy success to this day.
Coldcut – Journeys By DJ : 70 Minutes of Madness (1995)
Arguably the king of them all, this masterpiece by the founders of Ninja Tune Records covers a LOT of ground, and is often #1 in round-ups of the greatest DJ mixes of all time. Taking in rip-roaring jungle, hip-hop, techno, breakbeat, funk, ambient and more, this “drunken stagger home” of a mix (as one of the creators dubbed it) is one for the ages.
As you can see, these mixes cover a lot of musical ground – and there’s so many DJs I could have easily included, from Funkmaster Flex to DJ Shadow to Four Tet to Jazzy Jeff and so on.
The thing that links all these mixes – they are FULL of the personality of their creators, they don’t just rinse the same old tracks as everyone else, and they often surprise with the way they combine tracks and styles.
So – get yourself over to the Heavy Hits pool, and start assembling YOUR masterpiece!
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DJ Chemics – Jamaica
In the latest interview here on Heavy Hits we head to the Caribbean, to speak to Jamaica’s DJ Chemics!
Could you tell the Heavy Hits readers a little bit about who you are, and what you do?
I am Roland Stennett, stage name DJ Chemics. I am a DJ by night, I work in the shipping and logistics field by day, and I was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. I started DJing from the tender age of 16 years old, where I was playing at family events and house parties, then I moved on to doing clubs and started playing on the radio, and later on started building beats and producing my own music.
You started out pretty young – how were your early gigs, what sort of crowds were you playing to, and how were you received?
I started playing at family events and private house parties where I got a good reception from my family members and close friends, that’s where I took on the courage to start playing clubs and lounges.
Jamaica is famous for its musical exports, with reggae being at the heart of that. What is the music scene like on the island, and how much variety is there in terms of musical styles?
Jamaicans are very open to all types of music, not only reggae and dancehall, so our music scenes vary from R&B, Hip Hop, Soul to even EDM. We have attracted a lot collaborations with hip-hop artists in the 90s from Shabba Ranks to Beenie Man up to even now. We are lovers of all music genres. Our motto is “Out of many, one people”.
I noticed that many of your remixes and mixtapes feature electronic dance music styles that are not traditionally associated with Jamaica – was that a deliberate choice, or something that just emerged over time? How do people react to this sound and approach?
Remixes are a strong part of our music culture, so I started out doing hip hop dancehall remixes and then I started developing a love for EDM and House, David Guetta travel to Jamaica in the 2000s and started blending EDM with Dancehall Acts, and then after Major Lazer came along which influenced me to start doing EDM Style Remixes on my own, and then I further did some collaboration with my musical brother Erinski Easy.
You’ve been involved with radio a lot – how did you go about building that side of your career?
The first radio station I played on was Mediazone Radio which was an internet radio station, and then I started working on Tambareen radio which was more commercial radio, providing the latest music and showcasing new artists on my radio show, which helped me build relationships with some of those artists over the years.
With being into so many varied styles of music – how do you go about searching for new sounds and songs?
I am constantly listening to other mixtapes and keeping up with music charts and trending music from different genres, of late Heavy Hits, who have been a great source for me to get new music and edits. Shoutouts to my musical brother Serg Sniper who introduced me to Heavy Hits.
Can you tell us some of the most exciting new acts that you are playing songs by?
The latest acts I have been playing in dancehall now are Skillibeng & Lila Ike, for hip hop Jack Harlow and DaBaby, afrobeat Burna Boy, and Serani which is also a great dancehall act and producer. Reggaeton Bad Bunny & Ozuna. EDM – Major Lazer & Marshmello.
Whats the one piece of advice you wish you had been given at the start of your career?
As a young DJ, start producing your own music and content from early. Branding yourself as an artist is very important in your early days.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about or speak on?
I have just collab with Heavy Hits to bring a Dancehall Sound FX pack that I think would be so great for DJs wanting some new effects in their set, and also we just dropped the HH93 Podcast episode featuring some of my favorite tracks for 2021 and the previous years mixed in my unique style, and there are new productions coming this year from me. I also just collaborated with female house music duo from Australia House of Low Key to release our House Party House Mixtape and I also just dropped my new Merch for DJ Chemics, DJ inspired clothing – a collab with Teespring.
You can find DJ Chemics on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, Instagram as well as his official website.
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The 2021 Goldie Awards
2020/21 has been a strange time for this industry. But while it has temporarily taken away the old way of doing business, it has opened up a bunch of new ones – some of which have advanced the artform in exciting ways!
The 2021 Goldie Awards took place over the last couple of weeks, with the heats and finals spread across a week or two in February – this was the first Goldie Awards in a while, as the 2020 edition had to be cancelled, for obvious reasons.
You can watch the whole final, with snippets from previous years and the heats in the first 45 minutes or so, right here – it is an incredible, inspiring watch!
The Goldie Awards take on two disciplines – a beat battle, and a DJ battle. The beat battle final featured Buck Rodgers, Tsuruda and OddKidOut – each with their own distinct style. As A-Trak makes clear to the other judges, DJ Craze and Baauer, in the beat battle, its about the sound coming out of the speakers – not the performance. Which is good news for Tsuruda and OddKidOut, as Buck Rodgers is a beast when it comes to his performances of his beats! They drop some absolute fire in this battle!
However, probably of more interest to readers here is the DJ battle segment. Anyone who caught DJ Lazyboy‘s set from the heat will know what I mean when I say that it is a brain-melter! Here’s a section from it to give you an idea, as well as snippets of the other 2 finalists’ sets from the heats… DJ Lazyboy’s full routine can be found at about 22 minutes in the above Twitch embed, its worth watching in its entirety! In this battle, the performance is a critical element of the judgement – and it shows!
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The final featured the aforementioned DJ Lazyboy from the USA, Fummy from Japan, and DJ Michelle from Dubai – who, incredibly, is just 8 years old! I won’t spoil the suspense by saying who won, but lets just say that the production levels, wit and creativity were INSANE! The way they used the medium of online submissions was genuinely at genius level – it’ll be fascinating to see which of these concepts and ideas percolate their way into physical, in-person battles. For now, the online bar has been raised to a very tall height!
If you want to skip the full thing – the DJ battle winner’s winning sets are all played together at about 2hr13m onwards – they are WELL worth your time, although the whole thing is incredibly dope! Massive props to A-Trak and Fool’s Gold for creating this new competition to rival Red Bull 3style and the DMCs!
And now that you are all inspired from this incredible battle, head to the Heavy Hits pool to pick up some amazing music, and check out the Instagram and Facebook pages too while you are at it! And for the Twitchers, you can find me on there several times a week, right here. Peace!
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