The event, which took place over two days, featured some of the industry’s brightest minds. The panelists included A-Trak, Chuckie, Z-Trip, Justin Credible, and Miles Medina.
The retreat made an impact on the attendees, including A-Trak, who took to Twitter to reflect on the experience.
Watch the mini-documentary below and check out the photos of the attendees at beyondthemusicretreat.com.
Craze at Q Nightclub in Seattle. (Credit: Robee Aquino)
Two weeks ago, Reflections of a DJ a.k.a. the R.O.A.D. Podcast had A-Trak and Roctakon on the show to discuss their recent Twitter debate. This week, the show sat down with Craze, who also took part in the argument.
The outspoken turntablist discussed the altercation, among many other topics, such as touring with Kanye West and working with Four Color Zack.
At one point, co-host DJ Crooked asked Craze how he goes about planning his sets. Craze revealed that he didn’t plan his sets until he started working with Zack.
British creative collective Boom City has released a turntablist documentary, Making Mad Noise – 10 Years of Community Skratch.
The Community Skratch event series brings turntablists together from around the world for showcases and networking. It began with the Community Skratch Games in 2006 in Galway, Ireland. It later expanded to Brighton, UK, with DJ Manipulate‘s Community Skratch BBQ.
As the turntablism community grew, the event series branched out with UK and European tours. Community Skratch has also begun to collaborate with Battle Avenue, expanding the turntablist network even further.
Based in Los Angeles, Tina is best known for founding Camp Spin Off, a DJ camp for teens. She also competed on the third season of VH1’s Master of the Mix reality show and DJ competition.
Tina discussed a variety of topics in the interview, including what it was like competing on Master of the Mix.
From left to right: Craze, DJ EFN, DJ Jazzy Jeff, N.O.R.E., A-Trak (Source: Instagram)
DJ Jazzy Jeff recently sat down with the Drink Champs podcast for a casual yet insightful interview. The Philly legend discussed a variety of topics related to DJing and hip-hop.
Later in the interview, co-host DJ EFN spotted A-Trak and Craze in the audience and invited them to join in. It was a rare discussion with three of the most influential figures in DJing.
Watch the full show below. (A-Trak and Craze come on at the 52-minute mark.)
Last Friday, A-Traktook to Twitter to share his thoughts about the struggles of open-format DJs in today’s industry. Inspired by his experience at DJcity and DJ Vice’s Beyond the Music Retreat, he commented on the lack of infrastructure in the open-format DJ community.
A-Trak’s tweets received praise from a lot of DJs, however veteran New York club DJ, Roctakon, was not one of them. Roctakon responded with his own series of tweets, starting by saying that A-Trak “should not speak on the issues modern open format DJs face” because “he’s never been one of us.” He went on to explain why he believes A-Trak’s commentary is wrong.
Roctakon’s criticism drew a lot of attention, including none other than Craze, who defended his long-time ally.
The back and forth has sparked a larger discussion in the DJ community, and on Wednesday, A-Trak and Roctakon addressed the exchange during separate interviews on Reflections of a DJ a.k.a. R.O.A.D. Podcast.
To help facilitate the interviews, R.O.A.D. recruited guest co-host Shecky Green, co-founder of the Source Magazine and former talent director at Las Vegas’ XS Nightclub.
Watch excerpts of both interviews below and listen to the entire episode here. A-Trak and Roctakon’s original Twitter threads are also below.
A-Trak’s tweets:
I'm realizing how much of a hole there is in the infrastructure for DJs in North America, specifically for open format DJs. The whole DJ business changed DRASTICALLY in the last 10 years.. and there's pockets of the DJ scene that kind of got left out. (cont'd)
Those changes happened with the explosion of EDM. Money brings change & infrastructure – like in any sector. When DJs started having huge hit records and the event space boomed (festivals, tours hitting ticketed venues), the business became legit.
DJs used to get known on the strength of their DJing (duh!). But then DJs started becoming known for their songs and that created serious draw to other markets. That also created a need for proper managers, lawyers etc. The social media boom happened at the same time.
The old school model was: most DJs had an agent-slash-manager. Which isn't ideal (church & state!). But most of us didn't need managers before. I was DJing for 10 years – multiple time world champion etc – before hiring my first manager.
That model worked all the way up to the DJ AM era, when bottle service clubs became more prominent and Vegas opened up to more DJs. But those types of venues and clubs don't respect DJs. So DJs need representation.
After that the music exploded and an entire industry was built… But what about the DJs who weren't producing records? who, truthfully, are better *DJs* than most of those getting known for their hits..? The club scene got caught in a bubble, a time warp.
And here's where it gets weird: then the EDM bubble burst. Club talent buyers started saying they were going back to booking open format DJs (for those who don't know that just means multi-genre DJs rooted in hip hop). But most of those DJs don't have modern agents, modern biz.
The DJ explosion that happened earlier in the decade created fast growth but now I find the scene needs some nurturing. And there's a lot of excellent DJs who still need representation. It's wild: a celebrity DJ is more likely to have a legit agent than a GOOD open format DJ.
I think part of the problem is also because of the handful of people in a position of power in that club scene, that open format scene: it's very clicky which imo hindered it from riding the big wave a few years ago. Some ppl were too self-content to even SEE the wave…
The end result is a bunch of very very good skilled DJs who don't have an infrastructure. I went to the #BeyondTheMusic retreat last week, organized by @DJcity & @djvice. It's clear that there's a big demand for mentorship, leadership, guidance in the scene.
It's a great start. We need more though. I don't understand why the main booking agencies aren't picking up more of these DJs. There has to still be a viable lane for DJs whose main focus isn't to produce music or be an Instagram personality, but just to be a great reliable DJ!!
there's no problem, if you can't put bodies in the club or sell tables you're a working stiff. That's fine, it's a respectable thing to be and you can earn a good living, but being good at DJing has NEVER been enough.
Enough to get you to the next level. Make great music, run a promotions company, be an instagram star, date a reality TV star, do whatever you gotta do to put bodies in the club, but if you can't sell tickets or create the illusion of selling ticks, shit, be happy you even work.
I've watched so many guys my age and a little older/younger struggle so fucking hard with 'why isn't being good enough' IT'S JUST NOT. NOT IN FUCKING VEGAS, NOT IN BOTTLE SERVICE LAND OF ILLUSION. YOU NEED A HOOK, A STORY, SOME BULLSHIT TO DRAW BECKY IN. HUSTLE. BULLSHIT.
People out here wishing clubs would start really caring about good DJing, wish in one hand and shit in the other, see which ones fills up first. Half these DJs people act like are good can't even fucking play.
Nobody is ever gonna give a fuck that you're good, nobody is ever gonna understand the craft for real. A few experienced club managers, a few DJs, a few fans, that's it.
If you're willing to do the work all the infrastructure is in place for you to succeed. If you can get bodies through the door you will win, I 100% guarantee it. Look at Harvey, he is one of the ultimate working DJ success stories. It took a long time and a lot of work, but…
…Harvey found a way to put bodies through the door all over the world. Yea some of it was being good, but some of it was his consistency, throwing his own parties, story telling, branding, etc.
Buncha babies out here mad cause they can play a couple records together and the clubs don't respect them. Yawn. Been there bro. Good luck to you. End Rant.
Well, one more thing, I will say you can totally build your core following around being a good DJ, a lot of people have done it, and I think it's a great place to start, but combining good with other salable concepts is where the rain comes.
tubby lil AM was doing well in LA before Nicole Richie, and if he had only been mediocre he still woulda had steam off her, but being dope and dating her changed everything. He used to act like he got booked cause he was good, but he was good and he was shrouded in celebrity.
Via @DjSalParadise "Other thing is a great DJ never gets mediocre crowds going. They murder a good night but a name with clout will make a mid room happen better almost always Just because the crowd feels some pull to like oh yeah I’m here for this"
I love my working DJs and want everybody to get money, but if we gonna get more out of these clubs we need hard evidence, clients that know our names, people that pay to see us, not some theoretical idea about who’s a good dj or what real DJing is.
the fucked up shit is in the world i’m speaking on, i’m the OG and trailblazer. These guys were chasing dwindling dnb and turntablisim showcase money when I was 10-4 in NYC. Then bouncing around the hollerboard world while I was in NY, LA, Miami and Vegas getting money.
he’s got me here y’all. I def haven’t learned anything from my mistakes, or 23 years in this thing. Not anything that could benefit an up and coming open format DJ. I am poor. Do not listen to me! https://t.co/VXtaEd57I8
today was fun y’all. My door is always open to up and coming dudes who want to talk about their future and place in this business. I’m not here to tear anyone down or keep anybody from getting money, but I will be realistic. roctakon at gmail anytime.
A-Trak speaks at the Beyond the Music Retreat in Black Hawk, Colorado. (Credit: Julian Melanson)
DJcity and DJ Vice‘s inaugural Beyond the Music Retreat went down in Black Hawk, Colorado this week. The conference brought together DJs from around the world, including A-Trak, who spoke on the “$kills vs Bills” panel alongside Miles Medina, Kayper, and DJcity National Director, Styles Davis.
With such a long history in the DJ business, A-Trak had plenty of experience to pull from. He, along with the other panelists, spoke on topics like playing for crowds that may not understand the technical aspects of DJing, losing gigs to celebrity DJs, and more.
After speaking at the conference, the Fool’s Gold boss took to Twitter on Friday to share more thoughts about the challenges that open-format DJs face and how they can overcome them.
Read what he said below.
I'm realizing how much of a hole there is in the infrastructure for DJs in North America, specifically for open format DJs. The whole DJ business changed DRASTICALLY in the last 10 years.. and there's pockets of the DJ scene that kind of got left out. (cont'd)
Those changes happened with the explosion of EDM. Money brings change & infrastructure – like in any sector. When DJs started having huge hit records and the event space boomed (festivals, tours hitting ticketed venues), the business became legit.
DJs used to get known on the strength of their DJing (duh!). But then DJs started becoming known for their songs and that created serious draw to other markets. That also created a need for proper managers, lawyers etc. The social media boom happened at the same time.
The old school model was: most DJs had an agent-slash-manager. Which isn't ideal (church & state!). But most of us didn't need managers before. I was DJing for 10 years – multiple time world champion etc – before hiring my first manager.
That model worked all the way up to the DJ AM era, when bottle service clubs became more prominent and Vegas opened up to more DJs. But those types of venues and clubs don't respect DJs. So DJs need representation.
After that the music exploded and an entire industry was built… But what about the DJs who weren't producing records? who, truthfully, are better *DJs* than most of those getting known for their hits..? The club scene got caught in a bubble, a time warp.
And here's where it gets weird: then the EDM bubble burst. Club talent buyers started saying they were going back to booking open format DJs (for those who don't know that just means multi-genre DJs rooted in hip hop). But most of those DJs don't have modern agents, modern biz.
The DJ explosion that happened earlier in the decade created fast growth but now I find the scene needs some nurturing. And there's a lot of excellent DJs who still need representation. It's wild: a celebrity DJ is more likely to have a legit agent than a GOOD open format DJ.
I think part of the problem is also because of the handful of people in a position of power in that club scene, that open format scene: it's very clicky which imo hindered it from riding the big wave a few years ago. Some ppl were too self-content to even SEE the wave…
The end result is a bunch of very very good skilled DJs who don't have an infrastructure. I went to the #BeyondTheMusic retreat last week, organized by @DJcity & @djvice. It's clear that there's a big demand for mentorship, leadership, guidance in the scene.
It's a great start. We need more though. I don't understand why the main booking agencies aren't picking up more of these DJs. There has to still be a viable lane for DJs whose main focus isn't to produce music or be an Instagram personality, but just to be a great reliable DJ!!
Idris Elba recently sat down with Ellen to talk about how he got the opportunity to DJ the royal wedding. The actor/DJ also discussed his Netflix show Turn Up Charlie, about a middle-aged DJ, and his upcoming performance at the Coachella 2019 festival.
The multitalented Londoner’s vocals can be heard on the song “Boasty” by Wiley, Stefflon Don, & Sean Paul. The dancehall-influenced track was the fourth most-downloaded song of February on DJcity.
Chris Villa at Zuma in Tempe, Arizona. (Credit: Paparazzii)
The one and only Chris Villa recently sat down with the Reflections of a DJ podcast for an in-depth interview. The Arizona native spoke on a variety of topics such as competing in this year’s Red Bull Music 3Style U.S. Finals and how he conceptualizes his routines. Villa also discussed being discovered by Power 92.3 at age 13, how he balances being a DJ and a parent, plus more.
Listen to the full interview below. New episodes of Reflections of a DJ go up on Wednesdays on iTunes and SoundCloud.
While in Washington D.C. for an event last week, Laidback Luke sat down with A-Trak for a candid conversation. The two discussed topics such as A-Trak’s start as a club DJ, how French music influenced his career, and how Fool’s Gold became more than a record label.
The focus of the convo centered around the topic of real DJing, however, and some of the controversial antics DJs do on stage. Specifically, they talk DJs throwing up heart hands and standing on the DJ booth. A-Trak tells Luke why it looks bad when certain DJs throw up the heart symbol then explains why he jumps on the DJ table during his shows.
On DJs throwing up heart hands:
“I don’t hate it, but you know what it is? I think, you know, in some cases it can be, it can look like a bit of a caricature of certain kinds of DJs who aren’t actually doing much mixing and who do more of like the theater.”
Why he jumps on the DJ booth:
“That’s just an energy thing. You know, sometimes I think that my approach to DJing is, there’s a certain amount of showmanship to it. If you were to see Slash do a concert, you expect Slash to just be a showman … in a sense, my approach to DJing is comparable to that. … and sometimes I’ll get up on a table, especially at a bigger festival where it’s just a way to feel a connection with the crowd.”
On balancing DJing and antics:
“The reach of DJing has gotten so big, I think, inevitably there’s a certain amount of antics that come with just trying to make sure that the crowd feels your presence in certain ways. But I think the important thing is that the actual DJing part of the set is still, you know, the majority of the time. And that the jumping around is kind of a little spice on top. Not the other way around.”
Watch the conversation above (starts at the 2:46 mark).
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