Top DJs of the Year, Respect the Q&A

Just like this Ecuadorian family, life is about respect and interactions with others. I thought I would take a little initiative and contact a group of DJs whom I have huge respect for, and who inspire me to become an active DJ very soon. Below are the responses of four individuals who have truly struck me with with shock and awe at some point in the recent past. Whether with mixtape or live shows, these DJs have a lot of knowledge and party factor to pass on to everyone.


Without further adieu, wisdom from DJ Ayres, Cosmo Baker, DJ Eleven, and Nick Catchdubs:


DJ Ayres

1. When did you first start DJing?
1996

2. Who was one of your first inspirations to become a DJ yourself?
Mark Ronson (he went to the same college as me and was playing on campus a lot at the time) and Jamie Hodge (he was also a friend in college and he had some records out on Plus 8 and Clear - he tought me how to mix and a lot about production). Darshan Jesrani from Metro Area was a dj inspiration and helped me record my first mix CD. I learned how to rock a party watching DJ Mr Vince and DJ Ease.

3. What was the first equipment you bought to get started?
A shitty Numark mixer and a Technics 1200, which I put together with my roommate's 1200 to have a complete set up. I had some big JBL speakers to do house parties.

4. What equipment do you use on stage currently?
2 Technics 1200s, a Pioneer DJM-909 mixer, Serato, an IBM Thinkpad, a Roland SP 404 sampler, Ortofon needles, Sony headphones, Shure microphone.

5. What equipment if other, do you use to make music off stage?
MicroKorg and SP 404, a PC and software.

6. What type of laptop do you use for your music if any?
IBM Thinkpad T42

7. What program(s) do you use to create mixes and one stage performances?
Cool Edit Pro for multitracking, Serato for performances and parties

8. What are some upcoming projects or shows we should be on the look out for?
The Rub is touring North America in the late spring/early summer. This year be on the look out for a battle record and mix CD collaboration with Tittsworth, The Rub EPs #6-8, more Rub mixes including It's the Motherfucking Remix Vol 3, a New Orleans Bounce mix with JD, Glamorous Life 3 with DJ Eleven, and some surprises I can't give away yet.

Cosmo Baker

1. When did you first start DJing?
I started Djing around 1989, and quickly graduated from the bedroom to house parties to nightclubs.

2. Who was one of your first inspirations to become a DJ yourself?
My main inspirations to start DJing were DJ Too Tuff of the Tuff Crewand DJ Jeff Mills (not the Techno DJ from Detroit) who used to DJ the"Live At After Midnight" weekend broadcasts. If you're from Philly you know what I'm talking about.

3. What was the first equipment you bought to get started?
I had one Technics SL-B202 and one SL-B300, a Gemini Scratchmastermixer (the one with the wood paneling) a Gemini DS 1224 sampler and a Boss Dr. Rhythm 550 drum machine. Then I worked in a grocery store and eventually saved up to get one, and then a second Technics 1210, both of which I still have and use today.

4. What equipment do you use on stage currently?
Two Technics 1200/1210 turntables, a Pioneer DJM 909 mixer (preferably, although I'll use a Pioneer 707 or a Rane TTM-56,) a Boss Dr. SampleSP-303, Ortofon Electro cartridges with Technics headshells, Pioneer headphones.

5. What equipment if other, do you use to make music off stage?
The same stuff as above but I also use an Akai MPC2000, an Oxygen 8 Midi keyboard, Fernandez guitar, Peavey Studio 112 amp, and a few rack mounted effects units. I also record everything into Pro Tools, using a DigiDesign M-Box set-up with an Apple G5 dual processor tower.

6. What type of laptop do you use for your music if any?
I have a maxed out 12" iBook G4. Works perfectly.

7. What program(s) do you use to create mixes and one stage performances?
Right now I use Serato Scratch Live, but I'm also interested in working with Abelton Live. Plus, can't ever forget that vinyl still sounds better than any digital file.

8. What are some upcoming projects or shows we should be on the look out for?
Lots of stuff. A gang of mixes and CDs coming out this year, and I'm really committed to putting out a few more records this year. I'm also going to be on the road a ton this year.

DJ Eleven

1. When did you first start DJing?
I first started DJing in my first year of college while doing a radio show on the college station. From there got into doing parties.

2. Who was one of your first inspirations to become a DJ yourself?
There wasn't one person that I can point to as THAT person who inspired me. It was more a natural progression from doing college radio to doing parties around the school.

3. What was the first equipment you bought to get started?
One Technics 1500 belt drive turntable. Man, it was a slow start.

4. What equipment do you use on stage currently?
Two Technics 1200 turntables, either a Pioneer 500/600 or 909 mixer, and Serato.

5. What equipment if other, do you use to make music off stage?
I primarily use turntables & Pro Tools, but am getting into using Reason & an Akai MPD16.

6. What type of laptop do you use for your music if any?
An Apple Powerbook G4.

7. What program(s) do you use to create mixes and one stage performances?
On stage I just use Serato. Off stage, see #5

8. What are some upcoming projects or shows we should be on the look out for?
I'm going to be dropping "Fight Music: The Best of M.O.P." in mid-February, a mix of roots reggae in early March, a history of Bay Area hip hop in early April, and a mixCD/compilation for Antidote/Sactuary records over the summer.

Nick Catchdubs

1. When did you first start DJing?
I bought my first turntables in the summer of 2003 after graduating college.

2. Who was one of your first inspirations to become a DJ yourself?
I had always played/written music, been in bands, etc, and was wanting to get more into production - hip hop and electronic/sample based music. Then right before i graduated, i put together a bunch of CDs for parties and got really into how track selection worked on people's mood, and that "oh shit" factor of throwing in a song people forgot that they loved. at the same time a lot of really good mixtapes came out (ronson had a mix for his"here comes the fuzz" album i enjoyed a lot, there was the hollertronix'"never scared" tape, and some others) and the lightbulb went off that DJing could be a way to put together all the things i enjoyed. i was always aware of mixtapes and mixshow DJs on rap radio, but it wasnt until that summer that the lightbulb went off that it was something i wanted to do.

3. What was the first equipment you bought to get started?
Two technics 1200s and a rane TTM 56 mixer

4. What equipment do you use on stage currently?
Just whatever turntables/mixer the club has, while running serato scratchoff a mac laptop. i was just bringing vinyl before but serato is great -it keeps the exact same feel of vinyl, but lets you play your own productions, remixes, and new songs instantly, and means you dont have to carry crates of records everywhere. plus it's pretty much become a DJ standard so its easy enough to switch laptops when both DJs are running it. sometimes i'll use a 303 sampler to trigger air horn/bomb drop type effects as well.

5. What equipment if other, do you use to make music off stage?
I use an mbox to instruments and vocals. i have a microkorg synth, epiphone les paul guitar and fender pbass. also a 303 sampler and an old boss dr groove drum machine for 808 sounds. for software, i work with samples and do editing in cooledit - not the most advanced program out there but it's what i'm used to and i can work fast in it.

6. What type of laptop do you use for your music if any?
mac g5 laptop.

7. What program(s) do you use to create mixes and one stage performances?
Live its just the turntables and serato. i use cooledit to sequence for mixtapes but the actual "mixing" is done live off the turntables.

8. What are some upcoming projects or shows we should be on the look out for?
A bunch of new mixtapes planned for the first half of 06, plus original remixes and production work.

posted by RyanSpartan @ 12:39 PM