On Djing...

student disco, I'd guess, yeah

come over to mine after the 'sco I ordered some 'za

It was a "club"/"bar" in the basement of the student union. My microtonal drone band Sruti Box (featuring Mike Kelly aka Kelly Polar) opened up for Gastr Del Sol there. Mostly known for quarter tuesdays, where cups of beer were a quarter and I think in all my years I never once attended. But there'd be various DJ nights as well, to mixed success.

Tuesdays were quarter beers, wednesdays were splitchers (pitchers of PBR for $4), and Thursdays were pizza and pitchers (whole cheese pizza and pitcher of beer for ten bucks).

Deejaying a quarter beers night was great— as long as you played four to the floor, people would dance.
Kelley Polar played and Morgan Geist did a killer live set during my senior week.

Some fun if blurry years.

my thursday nights have been going better since october. you'd think the cold would discourage people from coming out but the opposite has been the case. they haven't been close to packed by any means but a handful of dancers is something. last night my partner and this really sweet guy we've been seeing came. the energy was amazing. many good moments.

<3

haha so i show up last night and half the lights are off. the bartender tells me they'll probably close around ten because it's been really, really slow, did mr. k send you a message, he told me that he sent you a message. i tell the bartender i have friends coming tonight and can i play for a while, he's like sure. i warm up a bit, 2-3 more people come in. the bar is really dead, like 7 people total. my partner, our third, and his twin sister show up and they start dancing hard. i'm more caffeinated and energetic than usual because third and his twin sister are beautiful, brilliant young people and this is the first time i'm meeting her in person, so i want to impress. i'm also higher than usual, double my normal edible dose. they carry me along past 10 and then 10:30. i'm playing a pop set. i sort of ambiently notice the bar isn't closing. you can't see people come in from the booth or the floor, you have to crane your neck around to peep the bar - i notice a few people there. i get up to a rihanna calvin harris tune and suddenly the floor floods with 20 people! i don't think i've ever seen it take off quite so fast. high as i was the energy transformation was incredible. i got some jitters but i know where to go from the saturday nights i did last year. so we have a righteous jump-up-and-down singalong sesh for 30 minutes until the bar finally decides to do last call at 11:45. my friends and lovers get to experience a good crowd. i get home and notice a message from mr. k through facebook messenger. he has my cell, not sure why he decided to send me a message through facebook, it's not like i'm going to check that 20 minutes before i leave. so it's just kind of wild that everything happened, that we had a party on a dead night that i was supposed to not even play. it was incredible. i'm still pretty amped from it.

i'm also higher than usual, double my normal edible dose.

this seems incredibly brave given how much that could affect your sense of time :)

oh i mean i've done that amount before, which is a small dose for most (10mg), and was still pretty functional, so i wasn't too worried. it was a special occasion and i had work off today, so i felt like letting my hair down. 5mg is usually enough to take the edge off and make me feel kinda floaty during a gig without really impairing me.

My new years resolution was to promote less and create more.

That's a general rule. I want to get back into the creative process of actually making stuff, producing music, writing for pleasure, maybe even find other endeavours to concentrate on.

I've been a promoter and a proselytiser my whole life and DJing and putting on nights has been a huge extension of that.

But I miss that feeling of creating new things. And so I told myself I'd leave it for a bit and channel my energies on learning Ableton and trying to write some fiction this year.

Then two days later a local venue I'd previously chasing for gigs got back to me and offered me a monthly residency.... I'm chuffed ofc but its ironic

so I guess my first DJ set doing prog night went pretty well. they asked if I wanted to come back and play within the next few weeks. only thing is, I will need a mixer of some sort, because right now I'm just borrowing it from the guy who normally does it.

I found this one - pretty cheap obviously, but do I really need anything more expensive? all I'm gonna use is two turntables and my phone.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/392363543298

FWIW, the functionality on that mixer looks to be exactly the same as the mixer that I use, so I reckon you should be fine. Also, yay, prog night, would totally teleport!

It’s missing one feature I find really useful is a knob to let you mix the headphones from cue to main, sometimes esp when there are no monitors or they’re busted it’s helpful to hear a mix of cue and main in the headphones.

Oh I would definitely need that. I play in too many places with poor monitoring or none at all, I rely on this

the one I was using was the Gemini PS-540i which does have that functionality. however I never used it because I actually didn't know that feature existed until I stumbled upon it halfway through the set. I think mixing prog music you don't really need to be too precise, you're not really 'beatmatching' at all, you're just kind of fading one section into a similar section

however this time I won't be doing prog. in fact the guy didn't really specify what he wants me to play, he just really liked the idea of someone spinning vinyl, apparently this dude is even more of a freak about record collecting than I am. we talked a bit about doing an analog synth thing, like 70's-80's electronic, though I think that's just a launching point. I will say the vibes there are pretty chill.

if anyone can recommend a mixer I'm all ears, I'm willing to spend more than $50 but by the looks of things it's the free shipping that really matters

well guess I'm doing this tomorrow. kind of nervous because prog night was someone else's thing, I was just filling in. this is gonna be my own thing, I don't really know what I'm playing yet, other than it's gonna be mostly all vinyl. do y'all have a setlist in advance? for the prog thing I sorta did, but this is way more open ended

Never!

Sometimes I have a lose idea of what I want to play, mini-sets of things that might work together, things that work to transition between sounds etc, but once you get going, just follow wherever it takes you. Trying to follow and a predetermined setlist will just frustrate.

I usually sort my records then and there. Like before going I might grab a bunch of records that I think I might start with and move them to the front of the bag. But once I'm there and hear what's already playing, whether it's the dj before me or the bartender's phone and sense how people might be responding to it, my ideas of what I want to play completely change, so any setlist would go right out the window.

That's why I hate when DJs throw a curveball at the end of their sets.

I always tell this kind of funny story though. I was invited to DJ with Peter Hook and a bunch of other DJs when he was getting into being a DJ. I was so excited, obv New Order was a huge game-changer for me. I was pretty sure the entire band would hear my set and be really impressed. Actually the rest of the band didn't come. It was at a trendy NY venue while they were in town for a show.

There were a few DJs on before him including a guy from the band stellastarr who I had to load the CDs for, but I was set to go on after him. Things were slow most of the night until Hook went on and then the whole crowd was dancing. All I could think about was how am I going to mix out of his set and keep this party going? At first I thought I knew what to do, but as the night went on Hook got more and more eclectic. Techno. House. Sex Pistols. Every new record had me recalibrate what I'd need to start with. How am I going to mix out of this?

Then right before he finished he crouched down and called me over and said "listen, can you do me a favor? When I'm done, wait a few minutes for the crowds response before you start" more or less.

Suddenly on one hand I had a great relief that I didn't need to mix out of Anarchy in the UK or whatever it was going to be, but on the other hand I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

He ended. The crowd went nuts. I waited a decent amount of time and opened with Yaz Situation. Two girls in the front thanked me and then every single person went home. I played Quando Quango in the hopes that some Factory Records fan would realize how knowledgable I was, but it was over before it began.

Several years later the Moth came to my companies office to do story-telling workshops. We broke up into sub-groups and I was in a group with our boss, the CMO. I told the Peter Hook story, but my boss had left the group before we shared. I realize the irony now. Then my group invited me to tell that story to the larger group so I did. That was my last ever experience "public speaking". It was presented as a sort of funny/embarrassing story when meeting your idols.

lol great story, though I was hoping it was gonna lead to you being there for the gig where he pretended to mix while playing a mix cd that came with mixmag

I played in a smaller town than where I usually play last weekend and it was such a joy. Such a responsive crowd, dancing from the get go (7pm!) I even got a round of applause during the breakdown of a particular track(?!), like, guys I didn't MAKE this song, looool

dan selzer, that's a great (but upsetting) story, and all too relatable. cheeky blighter asking you to come on once the wind had gone from the sails

“Listen, can you do me a favour? I want everyone to go home on the high I just gave them. That’s a good lad.”

Quite. How is that a favour? What's in it for the guy?

yea one thing I realized is once the music stops for more than a few seconds it kind of changes the whole vibe. seems like a dick move

I'm gonna be doing 3 hours, maybe a little more - I got a bag which fits 50 records, probably will need a little more. better to come overprepared :)

lol great story, though I was hoping it was gonna lead to you being there for the gig where he pretended to mix while playing a mix cd that came with mixmag

xp - absolute dick move. I don't care if he's Peter Hook

I mean, it's fine to say "Let the song end before you play the next one because it's really good" but "Wait until it looks like the night's over and you're just there to provide a soundtrack for people to collect their coats" makes me feel pretty angry

Dan... I think I may have been at that gig?! Before I had met you? and if memory serves I danced a lot (or at least a it) to an empty dancefloor after Hook left?? i may be making this up. But the details all match. Can't remember the name of the trendy place, I don't think I went there before or since.

Yeah I do think we met that night! Hiro Ballroom at the Maritime Hotel.

In the end it was funny, yeah not the best DJ behavior but this wasn't a normal DJ night. This was a capital P Peter Hook gig and he was the famous headliner. I was the unknown who was asked to DJ by local scenemaker Alex English because he thought I'd appreciate it.

here's the gig. I don't know why I'm not listed, maybe I hadn't been invited yet. Didn't remember that 33Hz was there as well, don't think I knew them then though I became friendly with Tim Wagner from that band later. https://archive.upcoming.org/event/peter-hook-djing-at-hiro-18899

Sometimes I have a lose idea of what I want to play, mini-sets of things that might work together, things that work to transition between sounds etc, but once you get going, just follow wherever it takes you. Trying to follow and a predetermined setlist will just frustrate.

I usually sort my records then and there. Like before going I might grab a bunch of records that I think I might start with and move them to the front of the bag. But once I'm there and hear what's already playing, whether it's the dj before me or the bartender's phone and sense how people might be responding to it, my ideas of what I want to play completely change, so any setlist would go right out the window.

this was pretty much otm. the idea I had for this was, it's not just gonna be me DJing whatever I want, anyone who comes can bring in some records and I will play something off of it. I didn't know if anyone would actually do it but 4 people did. I had the first 3 songs planned but that was just 10 minutes out of what wound up being 4 hours. some of my transitions were kind of fucked up but I was also mixing into records I literally never heard before :)

Ha yes it comes back to me now. And I did see you. I actually went to Hiro a lot for a little while there... (a friend bartended there sometimes). Just remember next time you tell that story you can say "and absolutely everyone left. Except for this one guy, Tracer Hand"

I don't ever need to hear a request for Murder On The Dancefloor ever again

that song does feel weirdly ubiquitous lately

i think b/c it was featured prominently in the movie saltburn

That want the only thing features prominently on that scene.

Sorry just finished watching 5 minutes ago. A lot of potential and beautiful but really frustrating in the end. Will save that conversation and any spoilers for other threads.

last Friday I was in the pub DJing again and I decided to take the approach that: it's going to be quiet since its January and -5c outside so I might as well play what I want to hear rather than planning a "compromise" set for the older men who regularly drink in the pub. It was really fun. Lots of my pals came along, which meant I could play things a little less populist ie "Enjoy Your Life" and "He's On The Phone (Motiv8 Remix)" without worrying about losing the dancefloor. I played 8pm-midnight, and from about 9pm til the end I basically stayed in the 130-135bpm zone give or take a ten minute break* so I felt really comfortable as that's the energy/tempo I feel most comfortable in. The UK garage stuff went down well, the 90s dance-pop stuff went down well, and the 80s hi-nrg synth-pop went down REALLY well. It's not rocket science predicting that "Sweet Dreams"/"Blue Monday"/"Lay All Your Love On Me" will win a crowd over but it was great to see the pub lift off, especially after the last few times I've played in there it has felt a bit less well-received. I was really happy as well because I think in pure technical terms the actual mixing went really well. It did thin right out about 11.30pm because of the weather/transport situation in Glasgow, so because I was quite drunk and it was a good crowd (for me) I finished on Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps" and, as much as it was super self-indulgent, it was a real winner with who was left in the pub.

*The one thing that was tough was the table of lads who were asking for "Murder On The Dancefloor" relentlessly. The first lad came up and I told him that, yes of course I'm going to play it, but it's too early and everyone is too sober so I'll hold off until later. I was planning to play it as my last song because I'm that obvious and cheesy, but after the fifth time he or his pal came to ask for it - by 10pm! - I decided that it was going to be easier to just drop it in. One of the pals was really cheeky to me about asking for it. "His face is tripping him, gonna sort it out?" actually your pal's feelings are not mine to manage, and if you've only come out on the chance you'll hear one specific song then let me introduce you to YouTube Music on your smartphone. Unsurprisingly, only two of their table actually got up to dance for it.

I got a taxi home and I was chatting to the driver who said he used to DJ in pubs and play guitar in wedding bands. He said he would never DJ in a pub in Scotland again, because everybody just wants you to be their personal jukebox and the grief you get for not immediately fulfilling requests isn't worth it, especially if you've done a load of prep for it. I see his point. But I still enjoy what I'm doing here, I'm getting better at reading a room and reacting to it, I'm getting more confident playing out, and between that and the online radio show it gives me structure and discipline to practice.

ALSO

In a fortnight I'm DJing as part of a line-up in a different venue. It's part of an Actual Dance Music night. It's 10pm-3am and I'm on for an hour at midnight. I cannot wait - I am both nervously terrified and phenomenally excited. It's a city centre venue that's more a pub than a club (50 person dance floor!) and I've been there on a Saturday and watched it empty between 11pm and 12am as everyone moves on to a nightclub, so I'm not being unrealistic in how I think it's going to go ie the dancefloor will be clearing as I take to the decks. I just hope it's despite and not because of me. The guy who runs the night reached out to me based on the radio show and the fact I've always supported him with stuff he's doing, which is both really sweet and flattering.

aww, good stuff! sorry if i missed it before, but whats your radio show?

I post it in the DJs Post Etc thread - once a month I do a show called "Pure Mince" where I play dance music from the camp, slightly naff end of the spectrum - think shuffling garage, diva house, handbag pianos and so on. It's a play on polari language and the Scots colloquialism for something being tasteless

Algoriddim djay can now stream Apple Music: https://www.digitaldjtips.com/apple-music-streaming-djay-pro-all-platforms/

yeah my neighbor's 20 year old son is having a party and I'm overhearing "murder on the dancefloor"... Saltburn was such a disappointment, good acting and beautiful cinematography but so empty as a story and quite anti-climatic for a thriller.

Anyways, I guess it struck something in younger generations or maybe Jacob Elordi is just dreamy for some people and the younglings can't distinguish shocking movies with purpose than does without it... bottomline is that Murder in the Dancefloor is a #1 hit now. We'll continue to see 20-30 year old hits being massively revived with the generations that didn't get to enjoy them at the moment.

I don't mind it.

We'll continue to see 20-30 year old hits being massively revived with the generations that didn't get to enjoy them at the moment.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1c/VALIS%281stEd%29.jpg/220px-VALIS%281stEd%29.jpg

i got an opportunity to play in a goth basement club at the end of last year, the people that put on the night heard me playing at a party my friend and i throw. it was extremely gratifying to get asked to play somewhere purely based on my own merit rather than through a recommendation or social connection or through putting on the whole damn thing with my friends.

and the set was recorded!

http://www.mixcloud.com/karljaims/karl-jaims-the-catacombs-dark-heart-disco-122823/

i was playing on equipment i wasn't familiar with, so i think i sound a little tentative, overall pretty happy with it though

that must feel great, happy for you.

my bar put me on pause again until the spring. my guess is it's just slower and maybe there's a tax thing.

i'm not antsy about it like i was last year, just tired and enjoying the break. we'll see how the year goes but right now i'm kind of thinking about letting it go and moving on to something else.

thanks map! i tend to appreciate the ebb and flow of gigs, too. i'm not a person that wants to play out constantly

I have been doing my bar gig for ten fucking years this year, jeez

My bar gig is exactly six years old tonight, which is cool because it’s also my birthday at midnight.

think I've got a regular monthly gig now too, but it's more of an overall vinyl night...people bring in what they want and it's on me to find a way to make it work. so I bring a pretty esoteric collection of records. it's been really fun so far, each night has a very different vibe to it.

that sounds cool!