Aronsborg Night Club - November 2012

Last week I had the pleasure of headlining one of the biggest parties in Bålsta, Sweden.  The day started after my Friday gig at my residency at Havana Nightclub.  Me and my pal Magnus took an 7 a.m. flight out of Kristiansand and arrived in Stockholm at 10.30.  We were picked up and shuttled to the hotel where the venue is located.  I got a chance to see the different rooms in the nightclub and check out the fantastic rig they set up for my performance before crashing in my bed for some needed sleep.





After some sleep and a pizza run, I relaxed in my room and went over some battle weapons I knew I'd be dropping tonight.  Made some finishing touches to some of my edits and bootlegs and headed off to the venue.

The gig went off extremely well.  They had a very professional staff, excellent sound and light technicians.  The warm up DJ was playing hard and the crowd was already loving it.  When it was time for me to take over they were ready for mayhem.  I dropped many of my bootlegs which they ate up and asked for seconds and thirds.  The crowd was mostly 25 years and up so I also delve into the 90s and played them some fantastic club anthems from that era.  It was a very wide formatted mix show.  I played a bit of Hip-Hop, some breaks, Progressive House, got them dirty with the Dutch, and even got them skankin like headless chickens with some Dubstep.  They were a complete hot mess by the time the evening wrapped up. 












The crowd was amazing.  Great vibe throughout the night.  Big thanks to Andreas and his crew for bringing me down.

Here is a recap of the night:

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Why do I need to become a producer to become a successful DJ? Part 2

Continuing from my previous blog post on "Why do I need to become a producer to become a successful DJ?"

Now my questions is, could a superstar artist like Avicii mix that type of set?

My opinion is no he could not do it.  I believe that Avicii could not work in the same club every weekend and play a 4-5 hour set, keep the dance-floor busy by reading the crowd, making changes to his set, and deliver a great mix-show.  The reason I don't believe he can do this is because there is no evidence that Avicii has ever worked this way before.  His career started from a bedroom studio to guest spots at venues, to festivals and large arenas.  He's never had the responsibility to develop and maintain a club residency.  Mix it up for the same crowd every weekend.  Reinvent his sets so that he would not sound exactly the same as before.  

Fortunately, Avicii and other superstar producers have been able to avoid this aspect of the profession which is a reality to the majority of club DJs.  

I am not singling out Avicii in order to criticize him for this.  I have great admiration and respect for what he does.  He has talent making music for a dance-floor.  The reality is that we're two different types of DJs and yet the industry seems to value and reward him far greater than a local club DJ that is the life blood of many nightclubs around the world.

Nightclubs generally rely of making money from patrons at the door (cover charge), and selling alcohol during the night.  Clubs have expenses (rent, payroll, utilities, alcohol, equipment, and the entertainment).  If a club were to hire a superstar producer/DJ like Avicii every weekend and pay his fee, they would go bankrupt quickly.  It's simple economics.  Therefore, a club relies heavily on a solid club DJ that can mix it up for their crowd at a fraction of what a superstar producer/DJ commands.  

I'm often amazed that even in my town, a promoter or night club will book a local "producer/DJ" that has very few years experience mixing for a crowd.  That local producer may have made a few songs in their studio, but how does that actually translate to whether he/she is any good at rocking a dance-floor?  It's comparing apples and oranges.  If a producer releases a song, they instantly get a status of "Producer".  The song may be obscure, or never resonate with the local crowd or even get on radio.  Regardless of this, they have the status of "Producer".  But their ability to actually "DJ" for a crowd has nothing to do with that accomplishment.  That local producer may not have much experience when it comes to knowing the different music genres, eras, and applying that knowledge in a set.  And yet, those club managers and promoters put a higher value on the fact that he/she has published a song, regardless of whether that song becomes a hit or not.

Before the EDM scene became mainstream, many of us DJs were mixing urban music (Hip-Hop, R&B) which was the mainstream music at the time (2000-2008).  It wasn't very common to see DJs as producers.  Club DJs would play and mix songs that were released by artists.  (Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Eminem, Mary J Blige, Ice Cube, etc.).  You never saw these artists coming into a club to DJ a set.  It just didn't happen.  They did their thing and we club DJs did our thing.  

But as EDM has grown and become essentially a mainstream form of music, alot of young talent that are producing music have decided to become DJs.  Or DJs, seeing the potential to elevate their careers, have taken on to producing music as a vehicle for becoming more popular and getting more gigs at higher salaries.

But this formula for success seems to ignore one important key element.  And that is the art or skill of knowing what songs to play and how to deliver a solid mix-show on demand.  This art or skill is something that takes years to understand and master.  Even if a DJ/producer makes a song(s) in a studio, they may still lack a fundamental understanding of what it takes to be a great club DJ.  Being a producer and being a great club DJ are two different things entirely.  Yet, still, the industry seems to perceive the "Producer" as having a higher value than a club DJ that may not produce music but knows how to deliver that music in a club setting.

I observe this trend with great curiosity.  I could spend the next couple of years learning how to produce music.  Or, I could spend the next couple of years perfecting the skill of rocking a dance-floor.  Because learning one will not translate to the other.  It's apples and oranges.

Please feel free to share your opinions and experiences.

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Why do I need to become a producer to become a successful DJ? Part 1

Last weekend I was in Kristiansand performing at both Tollboden and Havana Etcetera.  One night I was having dinner at a new restaurant, Atlantis, with a DJ colleague that I got to know that week.  We were discussing music, clubs, the DJ scene, etc.  At one point we got into the discussion of music production.  He asked me if I was producing music.  I truthfully answered "no".  And I got to thinking why is there such a value on whether a DJ is producing his/her own music?

Over the dinner I began to talk how it seems that today a Producer/DJ that becomes very popular with his music, can leap forward over highly skilled veteran club DJs that may not ever produce, but can pack a dancefloor.  Today, a producer/DJ can become the next superstar.  They can play at large festivals, arenas, and super clubs.  They can command up to six figures for a gig where they would play mostly their music for about an hour or two.  

I find the trend amazing.  I can see the temptation for young bedroom DJ/Producers to invest their time in creating electronic music.  They see the glitter and the dollar signs.  They follow their superstar heroes on Facebook and Instagram and dream of living that lifestyle.  I admit, I also have dreams of being a successful DJ.  But I don't dream of being a music producer.  

I've tried to produce music.  There is a big learning curve in understanding the programs, concepts, and theory that goes into making music.  Generally, it's body of knowledge that requires years of education at a school and more years of on the job training as a studio engineer.  

To me it seems ridiculous to go that route just to be able to come into a club, mix songs, and rock a party.  The skill involved in DJing such as reading a dancefloor, understanding flow in programming your music, and mixing, is what is most important when DJing inside a club.  This is my opinion but I believe it has great merit.  

For example, if a club were to hire a DJ/Producer like Avicii, they would pay him an exorbitant amount of money, cover all of his expenses related to his travel, hotel, and other items on his artist's rider.  This will set the club and promoter back tens of thousands of euros/dollars.

The artist will come to the club and play a set that may be at the most two hours.  The music will consist of only or mostly his music.  Now, the next day, a regular local DJ could come into that same club, and play every song that Avicii played during his set the night before, and in the same order and exactly the same way.  That local DJ would only get paid a tiny fraction of what Avicii made that night.  

The same local DJ, because he is a seasoned club DJ, can walk into any club and deliver a mix show for the guests, using songs from different artists and producers.  Maybe that DJ will use some bootlegs to give the guests a refreshing change from the music they are used to hearing all the time at a club.  That local DJ will be reading his dance-floor and make adjustments to his music programming.  Maybe he'll play a Progressive House set, followed by a short latin style dance set, and then sweat his dancers with a short Dirty Dutch set before cooling them down with a Hip-Hop set.  

That local club DJ may do this for 4-5 hours during the night and succeed in keeping the dance-floor busy and engaged.  For this work, that local DJ may only get a few hundred euros.

Now my questions is, could a superstar artist like Avicii mix that type of set?

Continued in Part 2

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Kato vs. Train - Turn the Lights Off vs. Hey Soul Sister (Mario Santiago Bootleg)

About two years ago, I made this mashup, which is what I call an "Inverse Mashup" where I take instrumental (A) and mash it up with a vocal from song (B).  Then, during the course of the track, I mix to instrumental (B) and mash it up with vocals from song (A) and just keep juggling between vocals (A) and (B).  I think it's a cool technique and I learned it from The Cut Up Boys who are masters at it.  

At the time, I did not release it for download because one of the vocals was not a clean studio, but a filtered version so I was never happy with the quality.  Now, I have that studio vocal so I have reworked this mashup and am giving it out for you guys to enjoy.  I have provided both the radio and club edit.  You can find it on the following link.  Enjoy!!

If you'd like a copy, please provide your e-mail address below and I will forward you a copy as fast as possible.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT THE RADIO OR CLUB EDIT

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I'm now an official remixer for Crack4DJs.net

This month I've been chosen to be one of the main remixers for Crack4DJs.  They are one of the premiere websites for bootlegs, re-drums, and edits for working DJs worldwide.


Crack4DJs is a sister site to the world famous Crooklyn Clan (CrooklynClan.net).  My plan is to prove myself on Crack4DJs and get promoted as remixer on Crooklyn Clan.  For those who are not familiar with Crooklyn Clan.  They have produced some of the most famous party break remixes heard on dancefloors.  Check out this clip so that you know.



Here are the releases that I've contributed to Crack4DJs so far.  Every week they'll be new additions from a wide range of music genres (House, Urban, Rock, Pop).

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Rita Ora vs. Carly Rae Jepsen - How we Do (Party) (Mario Santiago Bootleg)

A simple blend of Rita's vocals over the beat of Carly Rae Jepsen and some clever editing.  The two elements match perfectly.  Go figure.  Enjoy!!

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Robyn vs. Avicii - Dancing on my own while we Fade Into Darkness

Here is a bootleg I've been using on my club gigs and radio mix-shows.  I carefully edited the track to fit the vocals and interchanged the choruses/hooks from both "Fade into Darkness" and "Dancing on my own" to play on each other.  What do you think?

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Pop Music Gets a Bad Rap!!

Recently, I got to read an article on Wired magazine titled "Pop Music is Boring".  The article went on to describe how today's pop music all sounds the same.  And she used the following mashup by vissagan as an example to prove her point.

She also goes on to argue that in today's Pop culture the words "club", "hands", "party", and "alcohol" are used repeatedly in song lyrics.  

Now I produce mashups on a weekly basis for my club gigs and radio mix-shows, so I understand there are relationships between songs that may be predictable but also unlikely.  In the above example, the person who created the Pop mashup just put a bunch of vocal parts on the same beat.  Some elements I can clearly hear that he modified the key of the singer to fit the key of the song.  In my opinion, the entire mashup was a mess.  But if the goal was to showcase how Pop music is so similar these days, by taking different vocals and layering them on the same beat, I have a counter to that argument.

In the example below, I take a well known House track that many may consider a House anthem and layered it with thirteen different vocals from the same genre.  The only exception being "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, which many might consider a classic and beyond pop-bashing.

You can hear that the vocal elements I use fit the melodic progression and key of the song, but they are different.  Different verses, hooks, choruses.  If you listen to the content of the lyrics, many sing about "Dancing", "Clubbing", and "Love".  My point is that based on my mashup example, it does not prove that House music is boring.  And based on vissagan's Pop mashup above, the argument that Pop music is boring also has no merit.  

What is true is that people have opinions.  And at the end of the day you have to qualify your assertion by stating "This is my opinion only".  The writer of the article, Holt Kay, heard the Pop mashup and came to the conclusion "Aha, this means Pop music is repetitive and boring".  It's clear she does not have experience producing music, or creating mashups.  To a mashup artist, we understand that songs have a relationship with one another on some level.  As a result, it's possible to combine songs together and exploit those tonal relationships.  That is what we mashup artists do on the regular.

As for the criticism directed to the lyrics in Pop music today.  it's not that much different than it was 20-30 years ago.  Since when does Pop music have to be so serious?  Pop music today is intended for people to dance and party, not take life so seriously.  That's like criticizing a bar for selling alcohol.  Even the quintessential Hip-Hop song "Rapper's Delight" (1979) by The Sugarhill Gang, is all about partying, sex, cars, money, status, competition, and more sex.  Nothing deep going on there folks.  And to top it off, it uses a breakbeat from the Disco hit "Good Times" by Chic.  

Personally, I can appreciate all types of music and take it for what it is.  I can enjoy Jazz and Classical music, but understand that it may not resonate well at a party or night club.  And I can respect that some songs aim to tell us a story or make us reflect.  And I am present enough to realize that as I get older and as music evolves, I may fall out of favor with the current trends and reminisce of the days gone past when I believed music was "real".  But in reality, that would just signify that I have fallen behind with the times and that is what I think has happened with Ms. Holt in writing her piece on Pop music.  But that is just my opinion on that. ;)

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Manipulating keys to work in a remix / mashup

Sometimes you hear a track and get an idea for what may sound good on it.  But when you put the elements together you realize that they don't sound quite right.  The progression or flow is there but it sounds off key.  With today's production tools it's a simple matter of changing the semitone of a key up or down the scale to to fit the track you want the sample to sound in key with.

In the following example, you have the instrumental track by Chris Brown - "Turn up the Music".  I placed the vocal / acapella of Ne-Yo - "Let's go" on it and played it at it's original key.  

If you listen, the chord progression between the two songs match, but Ne-Yo's vocals sound off. The issue is that he's singing on a different key than the melody of the instrumental track.

What I did in the second example was simply alter the key of the instrumental track one semitone lower.  By changing the key one semitone lower, it fitted Ne-Yo's vocals properly.   Listen below:




The question you may ask is "Why not change Ne-Yo's vocals?  Why change the key on the instrumental?"


My answer is that you have to listen to what sounds better.  In this example, changing Ne-Yo's vocals did not sound very good to my ears.  But changing the key of the instrumental did not sound bad and it fitted Ne-Yo vocals well.  Sometimes, you may have to alter the key of the vocal, or the melodic elements you're working with.  


I hope this helps you in some way.  Comment and share.

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Paris Hilton's DJ debut; Running before you can walk

For months it was hinted that Paris Hilton was learning to DJ from her mentor and rumored boyfriend, DJ/Producer Afrojack.  This month she got behind the decks at the Pop Music Festival in São Paulo, Brazil.  

Based on the few videos posted on YouTube documenting parts of her set, it's clear to see and hear that her performance was a disaster.  She appeared to be spending most of the time waving her hands in the air, swaying her arms and body to the music, talking on the mic, and waving flags.  Never do you see her looking down at her equipment to cue up a song, and working a transition.

The most noticeable error is when you hear a song by Rihanna come on while she starts to sing  over one of her own tracks that Afrojack had produced.  Strangely, you don't see where she might have accidentally pressed a button to cause that error, which suggests that it was some sort of pre-recorded mix that went bad.  

At one point she's working the effects controls on the mixer but that seemed to be more for showmanship than anything substantial.  She then gets on the mic and attempts to emcee the crowd, and then sing a portion of the song's hook "Oh sometimes I get a good feeling".  It sounded hideous.  

Video #1

Video #2

Recently, Afrojack was interviewd by BPM on SiriusXM regarding the incident.  He did his best to not criticize her, but he confirmed that she had in fact played a pre-recorded mix.  He also added that if anybody is going to try to be a DJ, to learn the equipment first before attempting to get in front of a crowd.  You can listen to the interview below.

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Labrinth - Earthquake (Elektro - Dubstep Transition Remix)

Here is a transition tool I've created to go from a 4x4 house beat to the Dubstep/Grime hit "Earhtquake" by Labrinth.  


TO GET A FREE COPY WITHOUT DROPS, PROVIDE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION!

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Avicii - Fade Into Darkness (Mario Santiago Alternative Bootleg)

Here is an alternative take on this epic monster of a track.  This song has been used so much that I wanted to breathe some new life into it using amazing vocals from the track.  Enjoy!!

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Robin Gibb, Bee Gees co-founder, dies at 62

Robin Gibb, singer of the band the Bee Gees, died after a long battle with cancer.

Gibb founded the Bee Gees in the late 50s.  They achieved minor success in the 60s and early 70s, and briefly parted way.  It wasn't until the late 70s that that they began to experiment with the "Disco" sound that was gaining popularity as an underground genre in the U.S.  

They agreed to participate in creating a few tracks that would be used in an upcoming film, "Saturday Night Fever".  That turned out to be the "life changer" in their career.  The impact of the film and the music soundtrack catapulted them to world-wide fame and success.  It basically brought Disco to the mainstream.

Some of their most memorable tracks in this period were "Stayin' Alive", "Night Fever", "More than a woman", and "How deep is your love".

R.I.P. Robin Gibb

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Kelly Rowland ft. Lil' Wayne - Motivation (Dubstep Bootleg)

Here is a mashup I did many months ago.  I never released it because I did not have the studio vocal of Kelly Rowland's "Motivation".  Finally I was able to get it and here is the result.  I basically took Dubstep elements from artists Bassnectar and Surpass.  I hope you enjoy it.


TO GET A FREE COPY WITHOUT DROPS, PROVIDE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION!

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Donna Summer, Disco Legend, dies at 63

Donna Summer, who had been battling cancer, died at the age of 63.

The Grammy-winning singer rose to fame during the disco era of the late 70s.  Her hits included "Last Dance", "Love to love you baby", "Bad Girl", "Hot Stuff, and "Heaven knows".  She was the first artist to cross over disco into mainstream culture.


Her song "Last Dance", which Summer admitted was her favorite song she worked on, won an Oscar for best original song in the 1978 film "Thank God It's Friday".  She was a legend and a true artist.  R.I.P.

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MUSIC VIDEO MASHUP: Call my Name and Party All Night (Mario Santiago Bootleg)

VET Music Videos has just released a video edit of my Mashup "Call my Name and Party all Night).  They did an amazing job.  Enjoy!!!

VET Music Videos: https://www.facebook.com/VETMusicVideos

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Cheryl Cole vs. Sean Kingston vs. Far East Movement vs. Various Artists - Call my name and Party all night

Here is a multi-source mashup that I've had fun producing.  It's using Cheryl Cole's new single "Call my name" as the basis for the beat and arranging it with elements that give the track a more party vibe.  I hope you enjoy it.

Elements used:

1. Cheryl Cole - Call my name
2. Sean Kingston - Party all night
3. Britney Spears - Till the world ends
4. LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
5. Roger Sanchez ft. Far East Movement - 2gether
6. Dada Life - Happy Violence
7. Tiesto ft. Busta Rhymes - C'mon
8. Afrojack - Replica

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R.I.P. Adam Yauch (MCA) of the Beastie Boys

Adam Yauch, known as MCA of the legendary Beastie Boys passed away today at the age of 47.  I was a big fan of them during the 80s and 90s.  They had a raw sound fusing Rock, Breaks, and Rap music.  Although a white rap group was pretty rare in the 80s, they quickly built a solid rep and gained fame that followed them til this day.  


MCA had been diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and was undergoing treatment of the disease.  It's unfortunate that such a talented artist has left us so young.  You will be missed Adam.

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Nari & Milan vs. Hardwell vs. Swedish House Mafia - Atom (Mario Santiago Bootleg)

Here is a House bootleg for the clubs.  It's a mix of a few samples and vocal elements to spice up the song.  I hope you enjoy it.

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Fedde Le Grande & Deniz Koyu vs. Calvin Harris ft. Ne-Yo - Let's Go (Mario Santiago Bootleg)

This is a recent mashup I've been playing at the clubs and radio mix-shows.  Just to spice things up and give the track a more "Progressive House" feel I took the synth parts of "Turn it " by FLG and Koyu, which give a nice rise to the track and then introduce the take off from Calvin Harris.  

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Rihanna vs. Nicki Minaj - Where have you been vs. Turn me on (Mario Santiago Bootleg)

I recently got the studio acapella to Rihanna's "Where have you been" and thought it would sound great on the beat by David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj - Turn me on.  I've enjoyed jamming "Turn me on" in the clubs but I honestly never liked Nicki Minaj's vocals on it.  Rihanna has a more developed singing voice and it shows on this remix.  

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I am an Open Format DJ! What is Open Format?

Whenever I get a call or e-mail from a prospective club owner or promoter to play at one of their events, I always ask them what the music format is that they are looking for.  Sometimes I am asked why I go through this step and I explain that I play a wide variety of music formats.  For example, for many years when Hip-Hop was fashionable I was focusing mainly on that genre.  I even had radio mix-shows in various cities that catered that that music format.  As the music scene gradually evolved to more pop, uptempo dance music, and House, I adapted my focus on that genre and style of music.  

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Retro Thursdays - An 80s and 90s thing

My residency at the Hard Rock Cafe in Oslo has recently decided to expand and include a specialty night where we play the best of the 80's and 90's music.  

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Native Instruments Audio 2 USB SoundCard

I have been a faithful user of the Audio 2DJ Sound Card by Native Instruments for a few years now.  It's a simple, plastic, black box with two dual inputs for monitoring and for output.  It doesn't look impressive on the outside but the audio quality is amazing.

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Welcome to the first entry of my new blog.  I want to use this place a way to share my thoughts and insights in music and DJ culture.  I also want to share my mashup productions and approaches and insights into remixing, which is a big passion of mine.


I have been a DJ for ten years.  It's not a long career but my knowledge was in many ways fast-tracked in that I found a mentor who was willing to teach me how to be consistently good in this business and avoid many of the mistakes and pitfalls that can become a barrier to going from a "hobby" DJ to "professional".  In just a few years I was schooled in many sound principles of mixing and remixing, constructing a good set, and reading a crowd which has benefited me time and time again. 


I have learned alot from my mentor.  Much of that knowledge I can never explicitly share because it's not my knowledge to share.  But I can discuss the concepts I have learned and applied over the years that has benefited me and may benefit you.  Music is art, but there is also a science behind it.  There is a methodology to making music, mixing music, remixing music.  If there wasn't then any form of randomness would sound good to our ears and would be acceptable.  Any mix or remix would sound great.  But that is not the case.  Even with my education, I have still stumbled in the dark and have learned some hard lessons.  My failures have been my lessons's learned.  


One of the main reasons for starting this blog is that I love music.  But I also love what I can do with music.  I enjoy surprising myself and what I am able to put together using existing samples from different genres and eras.  It's wonderful to be able to create something unique that can be enjoyed by people on a dancefloor, broadcasted on the radio for thousands to listen to, or admired and respected by fellow DJs.  It's a thrill to meet a challenge and win.  It's also a learning experience.  Every time I create a mix or a mashup/remix I learn something about the sounds I used, where I used them in the mix, why I used them.  I come closer to my goal of understanding how music works together.  It's almost like breaking a code, or as my mentor used to say often "solving a puzzle".  Mixing music or producing a song or a mashup is like solving a puzzle.  You have to find the pieces that fit, ignore the ones that don't, and have the patience to work it until you have created your masterpiece.  


I hope you guys enjoy what's in store for this blog.  I look forward to reading your comments, critques, suggestions, and well wishes.  


Regards, 


Mario Santiago aka DJ Mario in the Mix

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