June 24, 2024 • 50 mins
Ever wondered how to truly captivate a crowd with your DJ skills? Celebrate our six-month anniversary with us as we pop open a special bottle of sparkling wine, gifted by our wonderful client Francesca Di Lorenzo, and share our journey of growth and reflection. We'll discuss the importance of consistent practice and setting clear objectives, especially when it comes to refining your mixing, scratching, or crafting routines. You'll hear our insights on the often-overlooked art of reading a crowd and why real-world experience is essential to mastering this crucial skill.
Struggling with beat matching or phrase mixing? This episode is packed with practical advice on fundamental DJ skills and how to elevate your performance. From tackling the trickiest hip-hop tracks to choosing the right beginner tools like the Hercules Impulse series, we've got you covered. We'll also weigh in on the age-old debate between Serato and Rekordbox, and share our thoughts on advanced gear like the Pioneer XZ and Opus Quad. Plus, get ready for some laughs as we recount the classic DJ blunders we've all experienced, like forgetting to turn off the high-pass filter!
Professionalism in the DJ world goes beyond just technical skills. We'll address the serious issue of substance dependency among DJs, advocating for healthier alternatives like therapy. Discover the importance of nurturing connections within the DJ community, supporting fellow artists, and the unwritten rules that keep creativity and originality alive. As we toast to our progress, we'll also touch on handling mistakes during live sets to enhance authenticity and share exciting plans for future content, including a special episode on Canada Day. Cheers to continued learning and growth!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ilia (00:12):
Welcome.
Welcome to another episode ofthe Clever DJ with Ilya and Nino
.
Nino (00:18):
This one's a special one, right?
Ilia (00:20):
Yes, it's always special, it's very special, though,
because it is our six monthanniversary episode.
Nino (00:27):
Technically, it was on the 1st of June but if we're
counting with the episodes, theweeks exactly, this is exactly
in the middle.
Ilia (00:35):
Yes, right, cause we started January 1st 2024.
Yeah, so June 1st would makesense, but the number of the
episode?
This is episode number 26.
26.
, 26.
And we have.
We just want to make it special.
We have a bottle received froma gig.
It's a sparkling wine bottlefrom Francesca Di Lorenzo, she
(01:00):
retired.
Nino (01:01):
She's a very good teacher, she retired and she just gave
us a bottle One of my oldclients that retired.
Ilia (01:06):
It was your.
Your like your client, yeahyeah, yeah, yeah.
Nino (01:09):
Thank you, francesca, we're balling because of you.
Ilia (01:12):
Yes, but uh, honestly, this was in my fridge for like a
year.
A year.
It was like in the very back.
Wow, you're right, I shouldhave opened it before you should
have opened it.
Nino (01:23):
I told you come on, man, you can do it, you can right, I
should have opened it before westarted.
You should have opened it.
I told you Come on, man, youcan do it, you can do it, I can
do it.
Wow, it's really.
Ilia (01:29):
It's really on there.
There's a knot.
There's a knot on here.
Just rip it open.
I don't know if I can Come onthere.
We Did, I, you got it.
Tell them jokes while I'm doingthis Jokes, well, okay.
So for the ones who arewondering what's happening right
(01:51):
now, I'm trying to unwrap thebottle and the knot is real, so
it won't let me do that, yeah.
Nino (01:58):
I told you to do it before you told me I should.
Ilia (02:00):
Apparently, this guy's always right.
I'm always right, if you listento previous episodes.
Nino (02:06):
Am I ever wrong?
Am I?
Ilia (02:07):
ever wrong, tell me that.
So today's episode is actually,uh, gonna be about again stuff
we did speak about before.
It's not because we are runningout of things to talk about we
really aren't at all, no, wereally aren't but some things we
did kind of kind of like justtouch up on for like a little
bit or you know, medium, and wereally wanted to give you a
(02:29):
better episode, and some thingsare really important.
I got it open.
There you go.
Some things are reallyimportant and this is one of
those important episodes.
And since we have a milestonehere right now, we know Six
months, we got better over time,right, like it was quite the
you let us know.
Yeah Well, the analytics, thestatistics show us that you guys
(02:52):
are watching more episodeswe're now.
Nino (02:56):
I guess we're doing something right yeah.
Ilia (02:58):
And we're releasing all the episodes on YouTube now, and
we're on social media.
We have all this stuff going onon, so over time you get better
.
Now, keeping it within thattheme, can you just drink?
Okay, yeah, let's go, yeah allover our roadcaster pro too.
(03:19):
Um yeah, so this one is abouthow to become oh yeah for that
right over the roadcaster rightover the roadcaster okay this is
about how to become a better djover time, why I got some more
for you, buddy oh no, I got somemore for you, yeah, okay, hey,
that's good, that's good.
(03:39):
So oh, I got some more for you.
Nino (03:43):
It's okay, there we go.
Oh wow, that's a good amount.
Ilia (03:47):
It is man, it's perfect, perfect right yes, so let's
cheer for our six months.
All right, cheers, cheers,cheers guys, cheers everyone.
Nino (04:00):
Wow that's pretty good sweet thank you now.
Ilia (04:05):
So how to become a better dj over time, which is very
important because a lot ofpeople and myself included at
some point you reach like aplateau, yeah, where you're like
you're just comfortable,because some people are, they
have other things going andthey're like you know what, I'm
just to keep it at this level soI can do other things, and they
(04:27):
just don't care to improve.
And some people have so muchgoing on that they don't really
invest time in the most balancedway, maybe don't practice as
much because they don't have to.
Technically.
They're already like at a levelwhere they can do things at a
certain level.
That's acceptable.
Nino (04:51):
So this list is for the ones that want to take it
seriously.
Ilia (04:53):
Yes, want to get better, like much.
This is methodically.
Now this list, it's a very goodlist to improve yourself.
Nino (04:56):
So the first one makes a lot of sense, yeah, and it's, it
goes without saying alwayspractice, and the way to do that
is to actually practice withthe intent of what you want to
learn like.
If you want, if you're lackingin in mixing, practice that,
right if you, if you're lackingin scratching, practice that.
(05:17):
And if you want to be a redbull three style champion,
practice your routines right.
So there's, there's certainthings you need to practice.
You can't just practice just topractice right and you have it.
You should have like a goalthat you want to achieve.
I have a question.
Yeah, put me putting up yourhand.
Okay, thanks, teacher, okay,yes so, uh, yes, student.
Ilia (05:40):
So what if you are lacking in the skill of reading a crowd
?
How do you practice that?
Do you just like crash weddings?
Nino (05:50):
yeah, well, the only is getting in front of a crowd and
actually doing it.
That's the only way to learn it, which is why you said, which
is why you have to get out thereas soon as you can, and get
gigs as much as you can, as assoon as you can.
Ilia (06:03):
Is this on the list, by the way?
Nino (06:05):
No, it's not.
Ilia (06:05):
Okay.
So I'm glad I said that Getgigs, Go and get gigs.
Yes, yes Okay.
Nino (06:10):
And that should be the first one.
But I guess, yes, it's just ano-brainer sort of thing, but
always practice with the intent.
It will help you kind of reachyour goals a lot faster.
Yeah, you kind of reach yourgoals a lot faster.
Ilia (06:24):
Yeah, what does it mean?
Learn to listen.
Learn to listen.
Yes, oh, we can actually skip.
Yeah, I was going to cover thatlater, but fine, we'll do that
first.
I like, I like how you're, I'min tune, man.
I made this list, so learn yourmusic.
That's extremely important.
Yes, and that is going hand inhand with reading the crowd,
(06:48):
because if you read the crowdvery well, you know the music.
If you know the music, you knowthe crowd.
Nino (06:52):
Yes, you have to learn your music.
You have to know your music inand out so you can be able to
mix it seamlessly.
And, yeah, there's just so manythings that you need to know
about the music that you'replaying to right, playing for
(07:13):
for the crowd.
Ilia (07:13):
Yeah, I um.
I'll give you some examples.
I moved here 18 years ago soon,in july, it's going to be 18
years.
I moved to canada now.
I was born in one country, Iwas raised in another country
and then I was, and then I was,uh, we moved here.
Now, obviously, american,canadian, english music is all
(07:38):
over the world most countries,right, so, um, the countries I
was at was also very influencedby that.
But you know, you look at the,you know charts in the UK and
Australia, canada, all thosecountries that are English
speaking countries, right, us,some songs are very different.
So so for us, you know, youknow a more European country
(08:00):
that was very different, butstill I listened to like, for
example, like, over there,robbie Williams was huge, huge
Robbie Williams man Back in the90s, early 2000s.
Nino (08:11):
Isn't he from the UK?
Ilia (08:12):
Yes, yes, right.
So a lot of UK artists, a lotof Latin artists, huge right.
But everything, everyone got achance there.
Everything popular that waspopular in the US and in and in
Canada and Australia and UKespecially US and the UK got a
chance.
But here's the thing I did notalways listen to that music.
(08:35):
So I come here you know I havedifferent gaps in my knowledge
and Nino starts teaching me andhe says you don't know this song
, you want to be a DJ and youdon't know this song.
I'm like I, I just don't.
You know, I heard of it, Idon't listen to it, I don't know
the lyrics, I don't know who'sa buy Like I don't remember.
You have to learn there's.
No, I don't care if you want tobe a mobile DJ.
Nino (09:07):
No ends, ifs or buts, because you're going to, you're
a crowd.
That was the first thing Ipointed out to you.
I see you're going to havetrouble with the music selection
and just choosing or knowingwhat to play for the crowds.
Ilia (09:13):
And now, like what?
A year and a half, two yearslater, much easier, it's getting
better.
Nino (09:17):
Yeah, of course.
Ilia (09:18):
Yeah, definitely not on your level yet, but much better.
But yeah, learn your music,even if you're like a club DJ,
right EDM.
Edm is also very versatile.
There's also a lot to know Knowyour genre well.
Yes, you need to.
Nino (09:35):
It doesn't matter how many songs you have 100,000, 500,000
.
If you don't know your music,usually the music that you're
playing is stuff that you'refamiliar with, right you?
You rarely play stuff thatyou're not familiar with.
So, yeah, that goes in hand inhand with learning and music.
Ilia (09:53):
It's funny, I'm talking about it like I'm the pro, like,
oh, you gotta, you gotta dothis, but this, this, this has
been ingrained in me, so I'mspeaking from experience.
Um, next, okay, can I say itnow?
Yes, you can say it now.
Learn to listen, take it so Ireally like this.
This is really good it is.
I like the champagne so you can.
Nino (10:11):
You can drink when I talk.
So learning to listen is just.
In general, djing is all aboutthe the sense hearing right.
So you need to use your earspredominantly right, like a lot
of new school djs will belooking at the screen and
(10:33):
looking at the waveforms.
It's not the way to go.
You cannot count on that.
There's going to be times whereyou need to use your ears, so
learn to listen.
You can listen to your mistakes, you'll.
You'll be able to hear littlenuances of your, of your mixes,
right.
So that's what I mean by that.
Can I say, yeah, you can.
(10:53):
Yes, you can.
Ilia (10:54):
You can answer uh sensei, um, dj sensei, uh can.
Honestly, one of the coolestthings I I heard while listening
and I know that's not allyou're talking about, you just
gave examples.
But one of the coolest things Iheard while listening and I
know that's not all you'retalking about, you just gave
examples but one of the coolestthings was when you notice over
the loud music the crowd issinging.
(11:15):
It's such a weird frequencythat's added.
You can tell they're singing.
At first you're like what isthis?
Oh, are they singing along?
Yeah, yeah, and it's so nice, itlike fills the frequencies.
It's so nice, it like fills thefrequencies.
It just it's so nice.
Nino (11:24):
And you can tell when you actually, when a DJ turns off
down the volume, right, that'swhen they know like okay,
they're singing along, theystart turning it down so it lets
the crowd like engage with you.
Such a high.
Ilia (11:37):
such a feeling yeah.
Nino (11:46):
Especially for a new DJ.
I was like what am I?
Did I just create that moment?
Yeah, um, yeah.
So another thing with listeningto, about listening to music um
, when you listen to music, alot of DJs will know when
something doesn't sound right.
Right, they won't know exactlywhat's wrong, but it just
doesn't sound right.
It could be melodically off andthat's, that's probably what.
What it is right.
(12:06):
So listen, you need to use yourears.
When it comes to djing, it'sall about, uh, listening, yeah,
listen yeah, um, this isextremely important, so
important.
Ilia (12:22):
Everything is special and important on this podcast.
If you didn't notice by now, uh, learn, learn how to beat match
by ear.
It's my turn to drink.
Yes, so ever since we started,um, uh, you know, learn like I
started learning with nino here.
Uh, he would ingrain me andlike in my within his teachings
(12:44):
that I have to stop looking atthe screen.
I remember one of the firstlessons you turned off my screen
.
Yeah, I had to like black, youcovered it yeah.
And he said, just figure it out.
And you mixed up the BPMs.
If I knew the song, you mixedit up.
Nino (12:58):
Match it with.
I played a song on mycontroller and then I said okay
on my controller, and then I sayokay, match it with yours, that
song that you're it was aroller coaster, I got it.
Ilia (13:05):
Wait, I got it, cause you always get it for the first few
seconds.
Yeah, it's wrong.
Nino (13:10):
And then it goes off Right .
That's why you had you need toget be very precise and to hear
it Be matching by ear.
It's almost kind of have tomatch it.
Ilia (13:25):
Put it together so confusing because is this beat
from this song or that song?
And that's when you need toknow your music.
Yes, exactly, You're like ohyeah, that's the percussion from
this song.
Nino (13:36):
You have to know the sound , the synth from that song.
Yeah, sounds of the synth songs, right.
Ilia (13:43):
And it's so confusing because you're hearing an 808 it
could be from this one or thatone, so you got to know the song
very well and whether it'sbecause the glare is real and
you can't see anything on yourscreen and you just have to
mostly rely on your ears, orwhether it's because something
else went wrong with the gear orwhatever it is.
Uh, or you're using cdj cdj'sright, am I right?
Like you, you, it's not as easyto follow what you're looking
(14:06):
at because it's separated withthe screens Am.
I right about that, yeah,separate too, so more doing
stuff by ear.
So, yeah, that's an extremelyimportant one.
Nino (14:16):
That's an old school fundamental learning tool that
most DJs will learn.
That's the first thing youlearn when you DJ.
Yes, student yes.
Ilia (14:26):
I have another question, teacher.
Can you tell me I hope thisquestion makes sense Can you
tell me if you can scratch butnot have the skill of beat
matching by ear?
If you don't have goodlistening, does it have to do?
Nino (14:42):
anything with each other?
Yes, it does.
It has to do with timing.
Other, yes, it does, it has todo with timing.
So if you can't uh, if youcan't beat match properly,
you're gonna be, you're gonnahave a hard time scratching it
on the right beat I thought itwas more visual because you have
that tape and it tells youwhere to, yeah, no, how far you
can go.
Ilia (15:00):
Yeah, it doesn't work that way.
I mean, I know it has to dowith listening, but it's a lot
more than I think it's a lotmore.
Nino (15:06):
It's it's listening and the feel too right.
That's why djs like to umscratch.
Learn how to scratch onturntables, because it's all
about the feel, the pullback,the, the torque or your uh
motorized controllers.
Ilia (15:19):
Yes, exactly same thing.
Did you get that impulse?
Uh, which one is it?
Nino (15:23):
t7, pulse, t7 no, I got it but I returned it and it just
wasn't.
It was in my cup of tea.
I had the rain one already, soit doesn't make any sense would
you recommend that for abeginner?
Um yeah, cheaper, yeah yeah, ithas a lot of good, like um
learning tools, right, it beatmat.
The beat match function is ispretty cool, so it'll actually
(15:43):
tell you when to speed up andturn.
Ilia (15:45):
Uh oh, it has that right, because it's by hercules, they
have a little light.
Nino (15:49):
Yeah, with a little light, so it'll tell you when you're
on and when you're off how muchyou need.
Okay, yeah, so it'll tell youwhen you're on and you're off
and how, when to nudge it andstuff yeah, I saw that actually
because I was looking into theimpulse 200.
Ilia (16:03):
Uh, because I'm actually going on vacation for almost a
month and I have a bunch of gigscoming up and I haven't been
doing this for 20 years, likeyou, so I need some some
practice time.
So I'm gonna get, uh, it's goodman, you're practicing overseas
yeah, I'm gonna get a lightlaptop, a small light laptop,
and, um, a small controller ormaybe a micro, the very small
(16:24):
controllers, and I saw that onthe impulse.
I was like that seems like avery I'm not sure how to look at
that feature, but you tried itit's very beginner, uh sort of
feature you needed it, right,yeah, yeah, yeah, I needed it.
Nino (16:39):
No, but yeah, it's good.
I can see how beginners wouldflock to that controller Not
just the controller, but theHercules line itself.
Right, nice.
Ilia (16:51):
Learn how to phrase mix.
Nino (16:55):
Phrase mixing is very important.
It goes hand in hand with beatmatching too as well.
Now, if you can phrase mix,it'll just bring you up to that
next level.
It's you can literally startmixing acapellas and
instrumentals together, doingcool uh mashups and stuff, right
(17:16):
.
So it'll, if you use that inyour performances, it just, you
know, it raises that bar and itjust makes you a better dj
overall I got much better withphrase mixing, obviously because
I'm I've already had my owngigs.
Ilia (17:29):
But one of the toughest phrase mix related things for me
is I don't even know how tocategorize it.
But you know, some songs you'relike it's tough to find.
The one or the one doesn't work.
It's not the one Like, and youjust got to like, drop it, like
in the middle, for example, um,the routine I really like I came
(17:54):
up with it.
So no, I didn't.
So when you play Calabria andthen uh, temperature, um, and
there's a special part where itjust goes in, you just drop it
on that part, right, like.
You know what I'm talking about.
That's not a very regular wayto mix it.
(18:14):
You know, you came up with areally cool routine there.
It's still on the one, thoughtechnically, yeah, I don't know
why I said not on the one.
That that's, that's the, the,the contrast beginner versus pro
.
I'm trying to find a way toexplain it yeah well, you know
what I'm talking about.
Yeah, you've seen the specialtrack, especially the hip-hop
tracks, yes, where you showed meyou gotta figure out where to
find that spot and just kind ofdrop it on that spot, because if
(18:35):
, if, if you don't drop it, ifyou don't have an intro, that's
the exact spot that it'ssupposed to.
Nino (18:40):
Like phrased it, it's almost jarring to the to the
audience, because they don'tthey, it comes at a different
time, right, and if you don'tmix it at the right point as
well, yeah, like after thechorus what I find really tough.
Ilia (18:56):
Lots of tracks, especially hip-hop, they start by like
talking or or some sort of likelike intro that you you need to
have in the in the mix, becausethat's where people are going to
be like, oh yeah, that thattrack, yeah, but then you can't
because it just doesn't go withanything.
Nino (19:15):
So then you find all those like really cool mixing
techniques and stuff yeah, yeah,you can also use stems yes, you
can stems it, or you can justdrop it at right, at the
beginning, where those, if it'sa really popular track and
people know it by the oh, he'stalking, whatever right.
So there's certain points thatyou need to drop it as well,
that you should know when todrop it.
Ilia (19:39):
I love my laptop, but I wouldn't trust it too much with
stems right now.
It's not fast enough.
Nino (19:45):
Yes, yes, yes, you have to get a strong, strong laptop,
but you can handle it.
But there's a limit, you know.
You know it'll.
Usually it will start to slowdown and start the fan will
start kicking in and startgetting warmer, getting hotter,
especially if you're outdoors.
Yes, and that's dangerous.
Right there you're, you'regambling, you're a gig um.
Ilia (20:06):
Record your mixes, learn why it sucks or sounds good and
go from there.
Nino (20:11):
Yeah and and it doesn't mean if you're a beginner to
just record your mixes you canrecord your mixes when you're
even like professional, rightit'll.
There's no, there's no timetime frame for this.
Um, there's.
There's always room forimprovement.
You can always hear somethingif it sounds proper, right?
I'm sure you guys are listeningto other djs mixes and what
(20:32):
sounds good and you're like, wow, I'm sure they didn't come up
with that on the spot.
Well, sometimes they do, right,but a lot of times it's
pre-planned already.
So, yeah, so just record yourmixes and know when it sounds
good and when it doesn't right,so you can fix it.
Ilia (20:51):
All right, music selection is the most important factor in
a set and you would say 80%,that's how important that is,
and 20% is just mixing.
Exactly, do you agree,especially after I made a recent
contact in the last?
Funny enough, I've known herfor almost two years or more.
Like I met her about two yearsago and then through speaking
(21:13):
and also when my girlfriend went, uh kind of did a meet and
greet introduced between them.
Um, she said, wait, is that thesame DJ who was pregnant?
The other, like when we were Iwas bartending and uh, I think I
, I've already, yeah, I alreadymet you.
Oh, you did.
Yeah, I was still trying tojuggle, bartending and djing
(21:34):
before I left bartending.
Nino (21:35):
This was a bit like in the beginning yeah, okay, in the
beginning.
Ilia (21:39):
In the beginning, uh, so, yes, so what?
What I?
What I noticed was when she wastalking about certain things
I'm like she sounds familiar.
And then my girlfriend saidthat was the one who we met a
(22:03):
while back.
Uh, and she was pregnant and wespoke to her and I remember
trying to kind of befriend herbut she was just not having it
back then.
And now lately we became likewe reconnected through another
DJ over a gig that she neededcovered last minute, and I
learned what type of DJ she isand I was mesmerized because I
(22:25):
don't have that much experience.
What type of DJ was she?
I don't know exactly what it'scalled, but she's using very old
school like kind of like mixer,like a cabin, looking like
mixer, almost like the ones youuse the phone operator trying to
connect each other.
I've seen those in live gigs alot like band live bands, but
(22:48):
she doesn't use a controller oror turntables or Does she just
use like laptops?
Nino (22:54):
She has a laptop.
She has one laptop only.
She has.
Ilia (22:57):
I think she has one, potentially Maybe she has two.
Nino (22:59):
I think she has two.
Why would she?
She can't, she can't switchover songs on just one.
Ilia (23:05):
No Cause.
The thing is she uses I don'tknow how she does it A software,
a mouse or something, something.
Yeah, so she has a.
So she is a karaoke.
Uh, she has a karaoke business,but she's also a dj.
She does weddings.
She's very, very well known inthe industry, like I've now that
I started, like you know,reading her reviews and asking
people about her.
Like, a lot of people know herand um, and one of your contacts
(23:26):
knows her too.
He also does karaoke, but herentire business is based on an
incredible music selection,musical knowledge and reading
the crowd very well, along withincredible, astounding MC skills
.
Yeah, but she doesn't mix.
She doesn't mix.
(23:46):
She doesn't do all the flashymixes that you do.
She doesn't do that doesn't mix.
I don't like I she just shedoesn't do you know all the like
flashy mixes.
Nino (23:51):
She doesn't do that but she reads the crowd.
That's the most important thingshe finds a way to, obviously
the transition of songs nicely,of course, you know like basics,
but there are ways to do it andI know lots of djs who do that
just to play it.
But smoothly mix it, so itsounds.
Ilia (24:05):
It doesn't sound jarring and that was by far.
I always knew that, that thatexists and that's true.
You don't.
You know, transitions are notthe most important part, but
that when I met her and when,when I kind of got like a little
refresher on who she was ohyeah, we met in the past.
Reading her, like her reviews,uh, hearing from her clients, I
(24:26):
realized like there was nobetter proof than this person.
Right there, right, that's allshe does.
She doesn't even use acontroller, yeah, right.
So she's incredible.
She's very, very good at whatshe does.
Yeah, and there is very minimaltransitioning, mixing all that
stuff, right, there's a lot ofDJs like that.
Nino (24:44):
There's a lot of DJs, especially karaoke, uh, jock djs
.
Um yeah, they have to dj inbetween their sets too, so it's
it's just practice for them, andthey've been doing it for a
long time, so of course theyknow what the crowd likes.
Yeah, according to what theysing too, right?
Ilia (25:01):
so and and again.
Like you can transition lots ofsongs by emceeing yeah, like
saying what's coming up exactly.
Doing like fun skits in between, if that's your thing in the
wedding multitude ways oftransitioning the songs.
Nino (25:13):
There's not just one way.
It's incredible.
Yeah, absolutely so.
Yes, 80 percent, um, I'd say,is the most important.
Just knowing what to play, andthen 20 is mixing.
Now, if you can do both, youknow, hey, it's a bonus amazing.
Ilia (25:26):
Yeah, it's a bonus it's like icing on the cake, sort of
thing, when you when you squeezeevery bit of energy out of the
people, when you do, uh, quickmixing, yeah, like, literally,
like every 30 seconds to 45seconds, you transition the
track, boom, yeah, you go fromthe best part to the best part.
Chorus to chorus, chorus tochorus.
Yeah, like I, I'm, I'm lookingat the people chorus to chorus.
(25:52):
Yeah, like I, I'm, I'm lookingat the people dissipating from
my just like melting, like whilebeing happy.
They're just I've never seen aperson squeezed out of their
energy at that level you're verygood at it.
All right, so yeah yeah, sothat's that.
Keep yourself updated with newold record labels, records to
dig into.
There's so much great music outthere, and if you look hard
(26:17):
enough, you'll find that, evencertain gems.
Yeah, of course, especially onlike record pools too.
If you have record pools, youcan find some things that won't
be available forever.
Nino (26:26):
Yeah, and there's different avenues too.
You can use Spotify to find newmusic, because spotify has ai
and it'll help you find musicthat you're not familiar with,
but it kind of is relates towhat you like, so it's amazing
for that.
Ilia (26:42):
We spoke about it.
Episode 23 yes, yeah, aboutspotify and how they improved
their algorithms and now it'susing AI.
Yeah, spotify DJ.
Nino (26:51):
Yeah, and how DJs?
As DJs, we have to keep up withthe times, right, because you
never know who you're going toplay for or if you're going to
play for like someone like fiveyears old to 60, 70 years old.
So you have to be, you have tohave that wide range of music
and knowledge to be able to playto them.
Ilia (27:10):
Yes.
Next point is club standardgear doesn't necessarily make
you a better DJ.
So and you wrote in parenthesesthe above points make you a
better DJ.
Everything we spoke about untilnow and it just helps you be
more prepared for the inevitablewhen you're faced with
(27:30):
unfamiliar gear.
I I want to say something aboutthat right away.
When I started, I have the sb2right there, sitting there right
.
Other than the fact thatthere's a known bug, that past
version, what is it?
1.6 or something?
It's just it spins like crazy,like on the software.
(27:51):
So you just use an olderversion other than that, like
it's, this controller works.
I didn't technically need toget another controller, but I
told you I wanted to but ofcourse, yeah, the one that was
teaching me way before I met you.
Uh, he had the sx2, so so I gotlike the, like the mini version
of it, which is the SR2.
Sr2, yes, yeah.
(28:11):
So honestly, I love thatcontroller, but it's time to
upgrade, soon, I think.
Just because of stamps, man, Iwant to start using that.
Nino (28:20):
But it's not even the controller, though it's your
laptop that you have to upgrade.
Ilia (28:25):
I got to upgrade both Because I like.
I like how the fx10 has thatspecific stem control, but also
that's record box.
I prefer serato, uh stop makingfaces.
Nino (28:37):
You know what I say about that man, if you don't outgrow
your gear and uh saying youdon't really technically need to
, but yeah but.
Ilia (28:44):
But that's the thing.
Like even today, I still wantto get new gear and I'm like,
well, you know what, I'll getCDJs or help me with clubs and
stuff to get into it.
While that's true it will help,it's not absolutely necessary,
it's not a must.
Very far from a must, right?
Yeah, not at all, and I'llprobably get the XZ.
(29:04):
That's the closest likecontroller wise.
Nino (29:09):
Too bad it's so outdated in terms of the screen and stuff
.
There's always new controllerscoming out, so just wait.
Ilia (29:14):
A couple of months I've been waiting.
They keep on like releasingstuff like what is it called?
Quad, something, what was it?
Oh okay, opus quad, opus quad.
What is that?
It's a refrigerator, it's a.
It's a refrigerator, it's aspaceship.
It's a spaceship.
It's huge.
Yeah, it's huge, it's huge.
It's like you're not carryingthat anywhere.
Nino (29:32):
It's a luxury controller.
It's like the Ferrari ofcontrollers.
Ilia (29:38):
Yeah, I saw some of the features, it's very nice.
But like, if they could onlymake I don't know, maybe I'm
just not very aware, but I'mpretty sure I am If they could
because me and technology, Iknow technology pretty well If
they could only make the XZ likethe copy of the XZ, just like
way better, better screen,better everything.
That's what I want, that'sexactly what I want.
(29:58):
There's nothing like that yet,and I want it for Serato as well
.
Yeah, tell Pioneer they're notgoing to do it for Serato, it's
going to be, it's going to be arecord box for sure.
Maybe it'll be like compatiblewith Serato, but not all the
features.
I wish FLX 10 was like that.
I would get it tomorrow.
If it was, I'd actually get itright now.
I'd pause the podcast and goget it right now.
Yeah, do you have anything tosay about that?
(30:23):
I kind of took over.
Nino (30:30):
I already said what I need to say.
Okay, like you don't need clubclub gear, but it's nice to know
, especially if you're gonna getinto clubs.
Right, that's, how much gear doyou have too much?
Ilia (30:36):
yeah, I've been collecting for the past 10 15 years so
you're saying you don't need it,but you have a ton of gear.
Nino (30:44):
Yeah, I guess.
Well, as a dj, it's nice tohave gear, but you know, don't,
don't, do as I say, say as I do,do as I say.
Ilia (30:56):
Do as I say.
Say as I do.
Nino (30:59):
Okay, did you get it right ?
I confused myself.
Don't do as I say, do as I do.
Is that it?
Ilia (31:05):
Don't do as I do.
You confused me.
Now Say as I do.
I'm pretty sure that's not it.
Okay, try again, try again.
Nino (31:19):
Don't do as I do, say as I do, do as I say, not as I do.
I think that's it.
Yeah, do as I say, there we go,not as I do.
Okay, makes sense All right.
Ilia (31:26):
What'd you write here, man ?
You write a lot you learnedfrom me.
Uh, what'd you write here, man?
You write a lot you learnedfrom me.
Most of the booth monitors inclubs bars suck uh.
Rely on your own headphones formonitoring, but you should not
be locked into your headphonestoo much.
Nino (31:42):
My right, yeah, there you go.
You don't know.
You want to know what what's,what's coming out of the main PA
, because you never know.
You know.
Sometimes I catch you with thehigh-pass filter up and you're
still mixing it in.
Why is it so thin?
Ilia (31:56):
That happened to me.
Yes, In the very beginning.
Nino (32:01):
Especially because you're too focused on what's coming out
of your headphones.
Ilia (32:06):
The worst part was I was practicing before a gig.
Wow, it's so good.
It happened during practice andnot during the actual gig.
I transitioned the song but inboth my headphones are on like
this, and I somehow didn'tnotice that the HPF was all the
way up and there was zero soundcoming out.
It's not that it was a littleup, there was just no sound.
(32:28):
And I'm like, wait, oh, imagineduring a gig.
And you're like it happensstill.
Nino (32:36):
You know, mistakes happen during a gig, and so sometimes
it happens to me too.
Ilia (32:40):
I'm like oh, actually I'm so focused.
My new contact now.
She stressed how, at the barwhere she wants me to become
like one of the regulars there,she wants me to bring my own
gear.
I told her don't worry, youdon't have to tell me that I was
going to bring my own gearanyway.
(33:00):
And sure enough, one of theirspeakers just busted.
Nino (33:03):
Oh, so you have to bring the speakers too.
They have.
Ilia (33:05):
They have.
It works.
But even the guy who was therethe other night, he has the two
speakers above right they're,they're like lower quality
Edison something, Uh, and then,and then he has two of his own
speakers.
So he has one for monitorbehind them and like an eight
inch I think, and then one infront of him, kind of to to
create that sound.
The sound is lacking.
(33:32):
It's because there's nosubwoofer.
Yeah, I'm going to get asubwoofer.
Nino (33:36):
It's always better to have low end than not.
90% of times you want that lowend DJs.
As DJs, we want that sub, thatsub frequency.
Yeah, it just makes it fuller.
Right, it's better to have itthan not.
Ilia (33:50):
And then you don't push your speakers too much, exactly.
So warming up the room is animportant skill.
Learn to build your collectionof music and to organize it for
your gig.
And I remember one of the gigswere uh, it's not the only one,
but one of the main kind oftimes where I, where I felt it
(34:11):
was, where I used to bartend andsometimes waiter, but mostly I
was.
I was the head bartender thereand you were, you came to DJ and
I really wanted to do that gigtoo with you.
Remember, um, where I used tobartend, yeah, so the way you
were building it up, you knowlike from you know know you had
(34:34):
different names for like yourmusic.
Right, you had different likeuh categories and you start all
the way from like the lesserknown music and then you go and
you build it up towards thebangers.
Yes, and you said it's not onlyknowing 500 songs that you
should play, you should knowthem in the right order.
Nino (34:52):
Yeah, and when to play them and everything.
Right.
Yeah, for a lot of stuff likethis, like warming up a room,
like for certain events, youneed to actually put together
warmup sets for specific events,like, if you know that it's
going to be an ED edm night or ahip-hop night, you, you pick
(35:16):
the lesser banger songs right,the more warm-up stuff, not the
really hardcore stuff, becauseyou don't want to touch, uh,
step on the toes of the, theheadliner and that way yeah,
that's actually the next point.
Ilia (35:30):
So the first one is for just the crowd, to warm them up
and maybe it's for yourself,right, maybe it's, it's just the
start of the night.
But the next point is, um,knowing your place in a time
slot, don't bang out and tireout people before peak hours or
(35:51):
the headliner plays.
Now this goes hand in hand withvolume control and it says that
you've seen promoters and soundtechs gossip, argue over
opening DJs who ruined the nightbecause of this.
Yeah, yeah, tell me about that,tell us about that.
Nino (36:07):
Literally One of the opening DJs would just play
everything We'd.
The promoters would tell themokay, stick to this type of
music and type of theme.
Right, he just played what he,what he wanted to play.
So it really put a damper onthe whole night.
And the the, the headlining dj,was really really mad and it's
(36:30):
like he wasn't, he wasn'tfollowing it.
He played a lot of the songsthat he was gonna play.
Ilia (36:36):
So it just doesn't go well over with with with promoters
and just the club owners if youdo that really reminds me of
what happened at the other place, uh, where I told you there was
a dj and a band.
Yeah, same thing the dj justplays whatever he wants, even
though, even though the band waslike, here's a list of songs
we're gonna play tonight yeah,because you think about it, the
band is very limited.
Nino (36:57):
They can only play so much , right, but the dj can play
anything and everything.
So, yeah, he has more choices.
Ilia (37:04):
So it's just really bad, looks really bad on you if you
don't follow it and it's notjust like you know, it's live
music and it's kind of requiresa different kind of skill.
Sometimes the bride and groomonly want to hear certain songs
live.
Even though the band can play20 times, 20 times, 50 more
tracks, more songs, they wantthis one live.
So they're kind of also ruiningit for the bride and groom or
(37:25):
whoever else is there.
Nino (37:26):
Because sometimes they have a special rendition that
the bride and groom wants to aswell.
Yeah, so that's why.
Ilia (37:32):
Yeah, that guy lasted a while.
Who wants to as well?
Yeah, so that's why, yeah, thatguy lasted a while.
I don't know how he lasted solong, but uh, yeah, that's also.
That's also the event.
Uh, managers, owners issue likeproblem too.
They need to understand thatthat's not okay.
Yeah, and I believe I believethe the band complained several
times but nothing was reallydone about that until he left.
He was pretty much pretty muchlet go off, but he, he did get
(37:52):
better opportunities.
So, oh, yeah, good for him.
Yeah, he was.
He was pretty much pretty muchlet go off, but he, he did get
better opportunities.
So, yeah, good for him?
yeah, he was.
He was well connected, but hasa really bad attitude.
Nino (38:01):
Yeah, opinion, and when you when you literally play the
bangers right at the beginning,you tend to tire out, like the
people, like on the dance floortoo, and I've learned this very,
very early in my career that,um, when I like to start off uh,
weddings like really highenergy, like I, I want to like
(38:22):
start off like right out of thegates blowing them away, right,
but then in the middle you wantto slow it down.
Right, you can't just keep itup the whole time, otherwise
you're gonna have a dance floorand then you're not gonna have a
dance floor, and then you'renot gonna have a dance floor.
Ilia (38:35):
They're all gonna be tired , right, and they're gonna leave
, leave early, and there's noway to really know, uh, in the
beginning, how like what's gonnabe, kind of like b-side songs
and like which ones are gonna beless popular.
You kind of play somethingthat's less popular, something
they're.
They're like jamming to you,like, okay, you know what these
five songs I was gonna play towarm them up.
(38:57):
I'm gonna leave them for later.
Nino (38:58):
It looks like they're loving it, it all depends,
there's no way to like reallyprepare all the time uh, yeah,
yeah, that's right because it'sgonna.
Ilia (39:06):
So it goes hand in hand.
Be professional, show up earlyuh, if you can stay, if you can,
don't.
Be that person who takes, takesa time slot and leaves right
after to go to another party orfor whatever reason they're
leaving.
Most industry Sorry, more moremost times than not the party is
(39:29):
made out of, made up of friendsin the industry who all work
together one way or another, andit doesn't look too good to
leave right after you're setunless you actually have to.
Or you're an international djwho needs to go, needs to leave
right after to catch the nextflight.
Nino (39:48):
Yeah, that's, yeah, that's a big you know and we touched
on this already before, uh, inanother episode right, just just
leaving right after the party,after you're set, that's a big
you know and we touched on thisalready before in another
episode right, just leavingright after the party, after
you're set, it's just, it makesyou look antisocial and you know
there's so many connections inthat party.
That's one of the reasons whyyou got that gig in the first
place, right, because you playthe same music.
(40:10):
You know the DJs and stuff.
Ilia (40:18):
So mingle, stick around um , support, right, that's part of
our jobs.
One of the uh places I wastelling you about, this bar, uh,
that just has uh cdjs andpeople go in and practice.
Well, it's, it's not absolutebeginners.
Usually they just go intopractice their set before their
bigger gig, usually, um, a lotof it's.
It's not absolute beginners.
Usually they just go intopractice their set before their
bigger gig, usually, um, a lotof it's.
(40:38):
A lot of underground djs, a lotof people who kind of like, no
one will really be there towatch unless it's the other dj
who's like, who just played oris going to play next.
So you see a lot of them kindof like jamming with them and,
and they might not even like themusic, they're just creating
that crowd feel for them andthey might not even like the
music.
They're just creating thatcrowd feel for them, that vibe,
yeah, because they know that youneed a crowd to play for.
(40:59):
So that's where you see thatcamaraderie in a place like that
, for example.
And you also see the opposite,people who play and just
disappear and you're like, yeah,so that's a big one.
You said more number 14.
Which one's number 14?
Oh, yeah, don't show up trashed, take any gig, small gig or big
(41:23):
, as a blessing of anopportunity, humble and remind
yourself why you started thisventure in the first place.
If you require alcohol or drugsto perform uh, due to social
stress, stresses, anxiety thenyou should seek therapy to help
overcome.
Does that make sense?
Rather than substances thatmake sense.
(41:45):
It does, it does I, just I'mreading it for the first time,
but it does because, okay, likewe're not oblivious, especially
this guy, like a lot of DJs, areintoxicated and or on drugs,
right, alcohol or drugs and ordrugs.
I personally don't know how youdo that Like I just I cannot
focus, yeah, I can't.
(42:05):
Like you know, like I not evenalcohol.
And like I'll just come outlike right here and say I don't
do any hard drugs, I never triedanything like that.
I just like I'll just come outlike right here and say I don't
do any hard drugs, I never triedanything like that.
I just like, I don't want to dothat to my brain.
I only have one of them, Idon't want to have to replace it
or need to replace it.
And you can't, I just don't, Ijust don't, don't go for that
stuff.
Nino (42:25):
It doesn't go hand in hand .
Ilia (42:36):
And for those that have to rely on alcohol or drugs to to
dj, you have a problem.
You have a more underlyingproblem.
So much fun, the music, theactual craft, yeah, that you
don't need anything.
I'm not oblivious, obviously.
I'm sure it makes it betterwhen you're on drugs, like in
some way yeah, but it impairsyou in a way.
Nino (42:46):
You can't say it doesn't.
Yes, there's no way.
Ilia (42:50):
I mean, I've seen some people who actually become
better almost, but imagine howmuch better they would have been
if they could like if theyconcentrated.
Nino (42:57):
Yeah, right, and they need , they feel they need to be on
something to do this.
Ilia (43:01):
It's just there's some people also that smoke, you know
, marijuana, yeah, and they workconstruction.
Yeah, bro, if I, if I did, if Ismoked marijuana and I had to
work construction, there'll be avery bad accident to myself and
someone else.
I just I can't't focus when I'mlike that, right, or drinking.
It's just just not just not me,right.
So definitely don't have thatimage.
(43:22):
If you, if you are a normalperson in a normal situation,
most people won't appreciatethat.
Um, what's the next one?
Do your research on people.
Um, you're on on the lineupbill with um.
Nino (43:39):
It doesn't hurt to know more about them of course you're
playing with them side by side.
You might as well, um, uh, knowwhat they're all about, what
music they play.
Obviously you guys probablyplay same kind of music, right?
So you guys probably vibe inthat way, so just, and you
probably want to get more gigslike with them.
(44:01):
So it just makes sense to dothat.
Ilia (44:03):
Yeah, lots of lots of times.
And the bar that I told youabout, um, people would add each
other when they see each otheron on the lineup on Instagram
and and sometimes they'll belike, oh, I think I saw you,
were you the one like last weekand you played this and that, or
like you have like the longhair or whatever, and they'll
say, hey, you want to go to thisother spot and practice
(44:24):
together, let's do a back toback, and you make friends like
that too.
That's how you make friends,lifelong friends.
And then, hey, you know what,like, I liked your set when,
when, you know when, we went andplayed that that same day.
Do you want to?
My buddy has a gig, do you?
Nino (44:38):
want.
I like that remix that youplayed.
When I can do, you think I canget a copy of that or whatever.
We can maybe switch songs.
That's when you trade, you know, that's when you trade stuff.
That's awesome.
So you become good friends thatway, uh yes number.
Ilia (44:51):
I don't know which one because there's so many uh.
Go out to other people's events, get to know people, join local
collective uh groups,collectives or groups.
Um, do your best to be a partof the community.
Supporting others will usuallyfollow with support.
Support for you.
Nino (45:08):
Yeah, if you scratch someone's back, they'll scratch
yours sort of thing, right?
It's the same thing that wejust talked about, but one very
big thing to say.
Ilia (45:19):
Actually, I heard this on the.
I believe it was on thePassionate DJ podcast.
So shout out to you guys Verygood podcast.
I started listening to themwhen I just started DJing a
couple of years ago.
I believe it was on that one.
Yes, and either or you shouldlisten to them.
They said don't burn yourselfout If you're DJing the whole
(45:40):
week or like the whole weekendevery weekend, and then people
expect you to go to their gigstoo.
Sometimes you got to thinkabout yourself, your family,
your personal connections, likeyou know your personal life.
But if you can afford it, don'tbe lazy.
Go and support someone.
Nino (45:58):
You'll want someone to support you.
Ilia (45:59):
Yeah, eventually you're gonna, you're gonna need to have
somebody to support too as well.
Nino (46:01):
Right, so yes you take that one, I'm talking all the
time, yeah mistakes you candrink.
Mistakes happen and how you fixthe mistake really measures how
skillful you are.
In my opinion, hearing tracksgo slightly off beat, then go
back on beat, or even betterthan when, even better when the
needle skips mid mix.
It reminds people that you'reactually doing something.
So it's the live aspect rightthat people are.
(46:24):
People will be drawn to.
They know you're doing stufflive, especially when they're up
close, intimate and seeing whatyou're doing live.
Ilia (46:32):
That's that's the best.
Nino (46:34):
There's nothing you cannot hide.
You're not.
You cannot hide like if you'rejust playing a a track and
playing a mix.
No man there, I can see whatyou're doing and a lot of times
there's djs watching you, right?
Ilia (46:48):
so the pressure is on yeah , actually, uh, we went to see
Andrew Riel, an incredible guy,very good producer, dj and you
know that was towards, like whenwe just started, you know,
hanging out together like thefirst six to eight, nine months
at least, maybe a year, I don'tknow, but it was a long time ago
(47:09):
and I remember that there weresome quote-unquote mistakes.
I heard, like what is it called?
Like, uh, when it's like thebeat matching was not the horse.
Yes, the laundry, the shoes inthe laundry sort of yeah,
exactly, and, and I'm like, andI wasn't, I wasn't like, oh, how
(47:32):
could he make such a mistake?
And instead I was like bro,he's, he's doing it live, doing
it live, because he did somereally impressive things, and I
was like that's a recording,that's like that's a mix for
sure.
I'm like, no, it's not.
I can hear, and there weren'tlike big mistakes people
appreciated more if you do itlive right so much better
mistakes are.
Nino (47:51):
Oh, it's fine, everybody's a human there were barely
mistakes like it.
Ilia (47:54):
Just you noticed that that was like, maybe you did it on
purpose, I don't know.
Nino (47:58):
Maybe when you think about it because it was fixed within
like millisecond right, likehalf a bar like it was fixed
right away.
Yeah, right, it's great to doit live man, so mistakes are not
really a bad thing, yeah itshows it shows the crowd that
you're you're doing.
Remember, remember the I knowlet's.
Let's not bring that back, okay?
(48:21):
So, uh, here's another one.
Djing for a crowd of 15 peopleis a lot harder than djing for
100 plus people.
I can attest to this.
That is very true because, um,when you have numbers in your
favor, there's more chances ofof them dancing and liking the
(48:43):
song that you're playing nowwhen, when you have only 15
people or a handful of people,it's it's a lot harder to to
please them.
Ilia (48:49):
It's like a mini house party yeah, yeah, yeah.
Nino (48:52):
So if you want to keep the dance floor going, you gotta be
good at reading what they wantExactly.
It helps if they're yourfriends, right, you know exactly
what they want, but it is, itis very true, definitely.
But whether or not it's 10, 15people or a thousand people,
you're still keeping it yourbest, that it your best.
(49:15):
That's all that matters.
What's the last point here?
Last one, guys, last one learnto find inspiration from other
djs and artists, but don't bitetheir routines, styles and pawn
it off, as general does that.
You know, honestly, a lot ofdjs do it and you know what I
did that I like your routine.
Ilia (49:29):
I know you do that one.
You showed it to me and youtold me I could use it, so it's
okay.
Nino (49:34):
You know what?
It's?
A form of flattery if you copya dj, um it's.
It's cool if you, if you askthem, if you're can, I can.
Ilia (49:43):
I use this, but sometimes it's it's it's almost like
copyrighted, even though it'snot.
Nino (49:49):
It's, it's a yeah, it's an unwritten rule.
It is.
It's like a rule for a dj.
It's like don't bite it, likeyou can do something similar and
put your own twist to it.
But if you bite it totally,it's like oh yeah yeah it's.
It's a form of flattery, but atthe same time, it can bite you
in the butt, exactly.
All right, guys, that's it thenfor this episode.
All right, that's it.
Ilia (50:11):
We are celebrating our six month anniversary to the
podcast.
Yeah, thank you very much, andjoin another Clever DJ episode
on our podcast next week, canadaDay.
Yeah, yeah, wow.
Welcome.
Welcome to another episode ofthe Clever DJ with Ilya and Nino
.
Nino (00:18):
This one's a special one, right?
Ilia (00:20):
Yes, it's always special, it's very special, though,
because it is our six monthanniversary episode.
Nino (00:27):
Technically, it was on the 1st of June but if we're
counting with the episodes, theweeks exactly, this is exactly
in the middle.
Ilia (00:35):
Yes, right, cause we started January 1st 2024.
Yeah, so June 1st would makesense, but the number of the
episode?
This is episode number 26.
26.
, 26.
And we have.
We just want to make it special.
We have a bottle received froma gig.
It's a sparkling wine bottlefrom Francesca Di Lorenzo, she
(01:00):
retired.
Nino (01:01):
She's a very good teacher, she retired and she just gave
us a bottle One of my oldclients that retired.
Ilia (01:06):
It was your.
Your like your client, yeahyeah, yeah, yeah.
Nino (01:09):
Thank you, francesca, we're balling because of you.
Ilia (01:12):
Yes, but uh, honestly, this was in my fridge for like a
year.
A year.
It was like in the very back.
Wow, you're right, I shouldhave opened it before you should
have opened it.
Nino (01:23):
I told you come on, man, you can do it, you can right, I
should have opened it before westarted.
You should have opened it.
I told you Come on, man, youcan do it, you can do it, I can
do it.
Wow, it's really.
Ilia (01:29):
It's really on there.
There's a knot.
There's a knot on here.
Just rip it open.
I don't know if I can Come onthere.
We Did, I, you got it.
Tell them jokes while I'm doingthis Jokes, well, okay.
So for the ones who arewondering what's happening right
(01:51):
now, I'm trying to unwrap thebottle and the knot is real, so
it won't let me do that, yeah.
Nino (01:58):
I told you to do it before you told me I should.
Ilia (02:00):
Apparently, this guy's always right.
I'm always right, if you listento previous episodes.
Nino (02:06):
Am I ever wrong?
Am I?
Ilia (02:07):
ever wrong, tell me that.
So today's episode is actually,uh, gonna be about again stuff
we did speak about before.
It's not because we are runningout of things to talk about we
really aren't at all, no, wereally aren't but some things we
did kind of kind of like justtouch up on for like a little
bit or you know, medium, and wereally wanted to give you a
(02:29):
better episode, and some thingsare really important.
I got it open.
There you go.
Some things are reallyimportant and this is one of
those important episodes.
And since we have a milestonehere right now, we know Six
months, we got better over time,right, like it was quite the
you let us know.
Yeah Well, the analytics, thestatistics show us that you guys
(02:52):
are watching more episodeswe're now.
Nino (02:56):
I guess we're doing something right yeah.
Ilia (02:58):
And we're releasing all the episodes on YouTube now, and
we're on social media.
We have all this stuff going onon, so over time you get better
.
Now, keeping it within thattheme, can you just drink?
Okay, yeah, let's go, yeah allover our roadcaster pro too.
(03:19):
Um yeah, so this one is abouthow to become oh yeah for that
right over the roadcaster rightover the roadcaster okay this is
about how to become a better djover time, why I got some more
for you, buddy oh no, I got somemore for you, yeah, okay, hey,
that's good, that's good.
(03:39):
So oh, I got some more for you.
Nino (03:43):
It's okay, there we go.
Oh wow, that's a good amount.
Ilia (03:47):
It is man, it's perfect, perfect right yes, so let's
cheer for our six months.
All right, cheers, cheers,cheers guys, cheers everyone.
Nino (04:00):
Wow that's pretty good sweet thank you now.
Ilia (04:05):
So how to become a better dj over time, which is very
important because a lot ofpeople and myself included at
some point you reach like aplateau, yeah, where you're like
you're just comfortable,because some people are, they
have other things going andthey're like you know what, I'm
just to keep it at this level soI can do other things, and they
(04:27):
just don't care to improve.
And some people have so muchgoing on that they don't really
invest time in the most balancedway, maybe don't practice as
much because they don't have to.
Technically.
They're already like at a levelwhere they can do things at a
certain level.
That's acceptable.
Nino (04:51):
So this list is for the ones that want to take it
seriously.
Ilia (04:53):
Yes, want to get better, like much.
This is methodically.
Now this list, it's a very goodlist to improve yourself.
Nino (04:56):
So the first one makes a lot of sense, yeah, and it's, it
goes without saying alwayspractice, and the way to do that
is to actually practice withthe intent of what you want to
learn like.
If you want, if you're lackingin in mixing, practice that,
right if you, if you're lackingin scratching, practice that.
(05:17):
And if you want to be a redbull three style champion,
practice your routines right.
So there's, there's certainthings you need to practice.
You can't just practice just topractice right and you have it.
You should have like a goalthat you want to achieve.
I have a question.
Yeah, put me putting up yourhand.
Okay, thanks, teacher, okay,yes so, uh, yes, student.
Ilia (05:40):
So what if you are lacking in the skill of reading a crowd
?
How do you practice that?
Do you just like crash weddings?
Nino (05:50):
yeah, well, the only is getting in front of a crowd and
actually doing it.
That's the only way to learn it, which is why you said, which
is why you have to get out thereas soon as you can, and get
gigs as much as you can, as assoon as you can.
Ilia (06:03):
Is this on the list, by the way?
Nino (06:05):
No, it's not.
Ilia (06:05):
Okay.
So I'm glad I said that Getgigs, Go and get gigs.
Yes, yes Okay.
Nino (06:10):
And that should be the first one.
But I guess, yes, it's just ano-brainer sort of thing, but
always practice with the intent.
It will help you kind of reachyour goals a lot faster.
Yeah, you kind of reach yourgoals a lot faster.
Ilia (06:24):
Yeah, what does it mean?
Learn to listen.
Learn to listen.
Yes, oh, we can actually skip.
Yeah, I was going to cover thatlater, but fine, we'll do that
first.
I like, I like how you're, I'min tune, man.
I made this list, so learn yourmusic.
That's extremely important.
Yes, and that is going hand inhand with reading the crowd,
(06:48):
because if you read the crowdvery well, you know the music.
If you know the music, you knowthe crowd.
Nino (06:52):
Yes, you have to learn your music.
You have to know your music inand out so you can be able to
mix it seamlessly.
And, yeah, there's just so manythings that you need to know
about the music that you'replaying to right, playing for
(07:13):
for the crowd.
Ilia (07:13):
Yeah, I um.
I'll give you some examples.
I moved here 18 years ago soon,in july, it's going to be 18
years.
I moved to canada now.
I was born in one country, Iwas raised in another country
and then I was, and then I was,uh, we moved here.
Now, obviously, american,canadian, english music is all
(07:38):
over the world most countries,right, so, um, the countries I
was at was also very influencedby that.
But you know, you look at the,you know charts in the UK and
Australia, canada, all thosecountries that are English
speaking countries, right, us,some songs are very different.
So so for us, you know, youknow a more European country
(08:00):
that was very different, butstill I listened to like, for
example, like, over there,robbie Williams was huge, huge
Robbie Williams man Back in the90s, early 2000s.
Nino (08:11):
Isn't he from the UK?
Ilia (08:12):
Yes, yes, right.
So a lot of UK artists, a lotof Latin artists, huge right.
But everything, everyone got achance there.
Everything popular that waspopular in the US and in and in
Canada and Australia and UKespecially US and the UK got a
chance.
But here's the thing I did notalways listen to that music.
(08:35):
So I come here you know I havedifferent gaps in my knowledge
and Nino starts teaching me andhe says you don't know this song
, you want to be a DJ and youdon't know this song.
I'm like I, I just don't.
You know, I heard of it, Idon't listen to it, I don't know
the lyrics, I don't know who'sa buy Like I don't remember.
You have to learn there's.
No, I don't care if you want tobe a mobile DJ.
Nino (09:07):
No ends, ifs or buts, because you're going to, you're
a crowd.
That was the first thing Ipointed out to you.
I see you're going to havetrouble with the music selection
and just choosing or knowingwhat to play for the crowds.
Ilia (09:13):
And now, like what?
A year and a half, two yearslater, much easier, it's getting
better.
Nino (09:17):
Yeah, of course.
Ilia (09:18):
Yeah, definitely not on your level yet, but much better.
But yeah, learn your music,even if you're like a club DJ,
right EDM.
Edm is also very versatile.
There's also a lot to know Knowyour genre well.
Yes, you need to.
Nino (09:35):
It doesn't matter how many songs you have 100,000, 500,000
.
If you don't know your music,usually the music that you're
playing is stuff that you'refamiliar with, right you?
You rarely play stuff thatyou're not familiar with.
So, yeah, that goes in hand inhand with learning and music.
Ilia (09:53):
It's funny, I'm talking about it like I'm the pro, like,
oh, you gotta, you gotta dothis, but this, this, this has
been ingrained in me, so I'mspeaking from experience.
Um, next, okay, can I say itnow?
Yes, you can say it now.
Learn to listen, take it so Ireally like this.
This is really good it is.
I like the champagne so you can.
Nino (10:11):
You can drink when I talk.
So learning to listen is just.
In general, djing is all aboutthe the sense hearing right.
So you need to use your earspredominantly right, like a lot
of new school djs will belooking at the screen and
(10:33):
looking at the waveforms.
It's not the way to go.
You cannot count on that.
There's going to be times whereyou need to use your ears, so
learn to listen.
You can listen to your mistakes, you'll.
You'll be able to hear littlenuances of your, of your mixes,
right.
So that's what I mean by that.
Can I say, yeah, you can.
(10:53):
Yes, you can.
Ilia (10:54):
You can answer uh sensei, um, dj sensei, uh can.
Honestly, one of the coolestthings I I heard while listening
and I know that's not allyou're talking about, you just
gave examples.
But one of the coolest things Iheard while listening and I
know that's not all you'retalking about, you just gave
examples but one of the coolestthings was when you notice over
the loud music the crowd issinging.
(11:15):
It's such a weird frequencythat's added.
You can tell they're singing.
At first you're like what isthis?
Oh, are they singing along?
Yeah, yeah, and it's so nice, itlike fills the frequencies.
It's so nice, it like fills thefrequencies.
It just it's so nice.
Nino (11:24):
And you can tell when you actually, when a DJ turns off
down the volume, right, that'swhen they know like okay,
they're singing along, theystart turning it down so it lets
the crowd like engage with you.
Such a high.
Ilia (11:37):
such a feeling yeah.
Nino (11:46):
Especially for a new DJ.
I was like what am I?
Did I just create that moment?
Yeah, um, yeah.
So another thing with listeningto, about listening to music um
, when you listen to music, alot of DJs will know when
something doesn't sound right.
Right, they won't know exactlywhat's wrong, but it just
doesn't sound right.
It could be melodically off andthat's, that's probably what.
What it is right.
(12:06):
So listen, you need to use yourears.
When it comes to djing, it'sall about, uh, listening, yeah,
listen yeah, um, this isextremely important, so
important.
Ilia (12:22):
Everything is special and important on this podcast.
If you didn't notice by now, uh, learn, learn how to beat match
by ear.
It's my turn to drink.
Yes, so ever since we started,um, uh, you know, learn like I
started learning with nino here.
Uh, he would ingrain me andlike in my within his teachings
(12:44):
that I have to stop looking atthe screen.
I remember one of the firstlessons you turned off my screen
.
Yeah, I had to like black, youcovered it yeah.
And he said, just figure it out.
And you mixed up the BPMs.
If I knew the song, you mixedit up.
Nino (12:58):
Match it with.
I played a song on mycontroller and then I said okay
on my controller, and then I sayokay, match it with yours, that
song that you're it was aroller coaster, I got it.
Ilia (13:05):
Wait, I got it, cause you always get it for the first few
seconds.
Yeah, it's wrong.
Nino (13:10):
And then it goes off Right .
That's why you had you need toget be very precise and to hear
it Be matching by ear.
It's almost kind of have tomatch it.
Ilia (13:25):
Put it together so confusing because is this beat
from this song or that song?
And that's when you need toknow your music.
Yes, exactly, You're like ohyeah, that's the percussion from
this song.
Nino (13:36):
You have to know the sound , the synth from that song.
Yeah, sounds of the synth songs, right.
Ilia (13:43):
And it's so confusing because you're hearing an 808 it
could be from this one or thatone, so you got to know the song
very well and whether it'sbecause the glare is real and
you can't see anything on yourscreen and you just have to
mostly rely on your ears, orwhether it's because something
else went wrong with the gear orwhatever it is.
Uh, or you're using cdj cdj'sright, am I right?
Like you, you, it's not as easyto follow what you're looking
(14:06):
at because it's separated withthe screens Am.
I right about that, yeah,separate too, so more doing
stuff by ear.
So, yeah, that's an extremelyimportant one.
Nino (14:16):
That's an old school fundamental learning tool that
most DJs will learn.
That's the first thing youlearn when you DJ.
Yes, student yes.
Ilia (14:26):
I have another question, teacher.
Can you tell me I hope thisquestion makes sense Can you
tell me if you can scratch butnot have the skill of beat
matching by ear?
If you don't have goodlistening, does it have to do?
Nino (14:42):
anything with each other?
Yes, it does.
It has to do with timing.
Other, yes, it does, it has todo with timing.
So if you can't uh, if youcan't beat match properly,
you're gonna be, you're gonnahave a hard time scratching it
on the right beat I thought itwas more visual because you have
that tape and it tells youwhere to, yeah, no, how far you
can go.
Ilia (15:00):
Yeah, it doesn't work that way.
I mean, I know it has to dowith listening, but it's a lot
more than I think it's a lotmore.
Nino (15:06):
It's it's listening and the feel too right.
That's why djs like to umscratch.
Learn how to scratch onturntables, because it's all
about the feel, the pullback,the, the torque or your uh
motorized controllers.
Ilia (15:19):
Yes, exactly same thing.
Did you get that impulse?
Uh, which one is it?
Nino (15:23):
t7, pulse, t7 no, I got it but I returned it and it just
wasn't.
It was in my cup of tea.
I had the rain one already, soit doesn't make any sense would
you recommend that for abeginner?
Um yeah, cheaper, yeah yeah, ithas a lot of good, like um
learning tools, right, it beatmat.
The beat match function is ispretty cool, so it'll actually
(15:43):
tell you when to speed up andturn.
Ilia (15:45):
Uh oh, it has that right, because it's by hercules, they
have a little light.
Nino (15:49):
Yeah, with a little light, so it'll tell you when you're
on and when you're off how muchyou need.
Okay, yeah, so it'll tell youwhen you're on and you're off
and how, when to nudge it andstuff yeah, I saw that actually
because I was looking into theimpulse 200.
Ilia (16:03):
Uh, because I'm actually going on vacation for almost a
month and I have a bunch of gigscoming up and I haven't been
doing this for 20 years, likeyou, so I need some some
practice time.
So I'm gonna get, uh, it's goodman, you're practicing overseas
yeah, I'm gonna get a lightlaptop, a small light laptop,
and, um, a small controller ormaybe a micro, the very small
(16:24):
controllers, and I saw that onthe impulse.
I was like that seems like avery I'm not sure how to look at
that feature, but you tried itit's very beginner, uh sort of
feature you needed it, right,yeah, yeah, yeah, I needed it.
Nino (16:39):
No, but yeah, it's good.
I can see how beginners wouldflock to that controller Not
just the controller, but theHercules line itself.
Right, nice.
Ilia (16:51):
Learn how to phrase mix.
Nino (16:55):
Phrase mixing is very important.
It goes hand in hand with beatmatching too as well.
Now, if you can phrase mix,it'll just bring you up to that
next level.
It's you can literally startmixing acapellas and
instrumentals together, doingcool uh mashups and stuff, right
(17:16):
.
So it'll, if you use that inyour performances, it just, you
know, it raises that bar and itjust makes you a better dj
overall I got much better withphrase mixing, obviously because
I'm I've already had my owngigs.
Ilia (17:29):
But one of the toughest phrase mix related things for me
is I don't even know how tocategorize it.
But you know, some songs you'relike it's tough to find.
The one or the one doesn't work.
It's not the one Like, and youjust got to like, drop it, like
in the middle, for example, um,the routine I really like I came
(17:54):
up with it.
So no, I didn't.
So when you play Calabria andthen uh, temperature, um, and
there's a special part where itjust goes in, you just drop it
on that part, right, like.
You know what I'm talking about.
That's not a very regular wayto mix it.
(18:14):
You know, you came up with areally cool routine there.
It's still on the one, thoughtechnically, yeah, I don't know
why I said not on the one.
That that's, that's the, the,the contrast beginner versus pro
.
I'm trying to find a way toexplain it yeah well, you know
what I'm talking about.
Yeah, you've seen the specialtrack, especially the hip-hop
tracks, yes, where you showed meyou gotta figure out where to
find that spot and just kind ofdrop it on that spot, because if
(18:35):
, if, if you don't drop it, ifyou don't have an intro, that's
the exact spot that it'ssupposed to.
Nino (18:40):
Like phrased it, it's almost jarring to the to the
audience, because they don'tthey, it comes at a different
time, right, and if you don'tmix it at the right point as
well, yeah, like after thechorus what I find really tough.
Ilia (18:56):
Lots of tracks, especially hip-hop, they start by like
talking or or some sort of likelike intro that you you need to
have in the in the mix, becausethat's where people are going to
be like, oh yeah, that thattrack, yeah, but then you can't
because it just doesn't go withanything.
Nino (19:15):
So then you find all those like really cool mixing
techniques and stuff yeah, yeah,you can also use stems yes, you
can stems it, or you can justdrop it at right, at the
beginning, where those, if it'sa really popular track and
people know it by the oh, he'stalking, whatever right.
So there's certain points thatyou need to drop it as well,
that you should know when todrop it.
Ilia (19:39):
I love my laptop, but I wouldn't trust it too much with
stems right now.
It's not fast enough.
Nino (19:45):
Yes, yes, yes, you have to get a strong, strong laptop,
but you can handle it.
But there's a limit, you know.
You know it'll.
Usually it will start to slowdown and start the fan will
start kicking in and startgetting warmer, getting hotter,
especially if you're outdoors.
Yes, and that's dangerous.
Right there you're, you'regambling, you're a gig um.
Ilia (20:06):
Record your mixes, learn why it sucks or sounds good and
go from there.
Nino (20:11):
Yeah and and it doesn't mean if you're a beginner to
just record your mixes you canrecord your mixes when you're
even like professional, rightit'll.
There's no, there's no timetime frame for this.
Um, there's.
There's always room forimprovement.
You can always hear somethingif it sounds proper, right?
I'm sure you guys are listeningto other djs mixes and what
(20:32):
sounds good and you're like, wow, I'm sure they didn't come up
with that on the spot.
Well, sometimes they do, right,but a lot of times it's
pre-planned already.
So, yeah, so just record yourmixes and know when it sounds
good and when it doesn't right,so you can fix it.
Ilia (20:51):
All right, music selection is the most important factor in
a set and you would say 80%,that's how important that is,
and 20% is just mixing.
Exactly, do you agree,especially after I made a recent
contact in the last?
Funny enough, I've known herfor almost two years or more.
Like I met her about two yearsago and then through speaking
(21:13):
and also when my girlfriend went, uh kind of did a meet and
greet introduced between them.
Um, she said, wait, is that thesame DJ who was pregnant?
The other, like when we were Iwas bartending and uh, I think I
, I've already, yeah, I alreadymet you.
Oh, you did.
Yeah, I was still trying tojuggle, bartending and djing
(21:34):
before I left bartending.
Nino (21:35):
This was a bit like in the beginning yeah, okay, in the
beginning.
Ilia (21:39):
In the beginning, uh, so, yes, so what?
What I?
What I noticed was when she wastalking about certain things
I'm like she sounds familiar.
And then my girlfriend saidthat was the one who we met a
(22:03):
while back.
Uh, and she was pregnant and wespoke to her and I remember
trying to kind of befriend herbut she was just not having it
back then.
And now lately we became likewe reconnected through another
DJ over a gig that she neededcovered last minute, and I
learned what type of DJ she isand I was mesmerized because I
(22:25):
don't have that much experience.
What type of DJ was she?
I don't know exactly what it'scalled, but she's using very old
school like kind of like mixer,like a cabin, looking like
mixer, almost like the ones youuse the phone operator trying to
connect each other.
I've seen those in live gigs alot like band live bands, but
(22:48):
she doesn't use a controller oror turntables or Does she just
use like laptops?
Nino (22:54):
She has a laptop.
She has one laptop only.
She has.
Ilia (22:57):
I think she has one, potentially Maybe she has two.
Nino (22:59):
I think she has two.
Why would she?
She can't, she can't switchover songs on just one.
Ilia (23:05):
No Cause.
The thing is she uses I don'tknow how she does it A software,
a mouse or something, something.
Yeah, so she has a.
So she is a karaoke.
Uh, she has a karaoke business,but she's also a dj.
She does weddings.
She's very, very well known inthe industry, like I've now that
I started, like you know,reading her reviews and asking
people about her.
Like, a lot of people know herand um, and one of your contacts
(23:26):
knows her too.
He also does karaoke, but herentire business is based on an
incredible music selection,musical knowledge and reading
the crowd very well, along withincredible, astounding MC skills
.
Yeah, but she doesn't mix.
She doesn't mix.
(23:46):
She doesn't do all the flashymixes that you do.
She doesn't do that doesn't mix.
I don't like I she just shedoesn't do you know all the like
flashy mixes.
Nino (23:51):
She doesn't do that but she reads the crowd.
That's the most important thingshe finds a way to, obviously
the transition of songs nicely,of course, you know like basics,
but there are ways to do it andI know lots of djs who do that
just to play it.
But smoothly mix it, so itsounds.
Ilia (24:05):
It doesn't sound jarring and that was by far.
I always knew that, that thatexists and that's true.
You don't.
You know, transitions are notthe most important part, but
that when I met her and when,when I kind of got like a little
refresher on who she was ohyeah, we met in the past.
Reading her, like her reviews,uh, hearing from her clients, I
(24:26):
realized like there was nobetter proof than this person.
Right there, right, that's allshe does.
She doesn't even use acontroller, yeah, right.
So she's incredible.
She's very, very good at whatshe does.
Yeah, and there is very minimaltransitioning, mixing all that
stuff, right, there's a lot ofDJs like that.
Nino (24:44):
There's a lot of DJs, especially karaoke, uh, jock djs
.
Um yeah, they have to dj inbetween their sets too, so it's
it's just practice for them, andthey've been doing it for a
long time, so of course theyknow what the crowd likes.
Yeah, according to what theysing too, right?
Ilia (25:01):
so and and again.
Like you can transition lots ofsongs by emceeing yeah, like
saying what's coming up exactly.
Doing like fun skits in between, if that's your thing in the
wedding multitude ways oftransitioning the songs.
Nino (25:13):
There's not just one way.
It's incredible.
Yeah, absolutely so.
Yes, 80 percent, um, I'd say,is the most important.
Just knowing what to play, andthen 20 is mixing.
Now, if you can do both, youknow, hey, it's a bonus amazing.
Ilia (25:26):
Yeah, it's a bonus it's like icing on the cake, sort of
thing, when you when you squeezeevery bit of energy out of the
people, when you do, uh, quickmixing, yeah, like, literally,
like every 30 seconds to 45seconds, you transition the
track, boom, yeah, you go fromthe best part to the best part.
Chorus to chorus, chorus tochorus.
Yeah, like I, I'm, I'm lookingat the people chorus to chorus.
(25:52):
Yeah, like I, I'm, I'm lookingat the people dissipating from
my just like melting, like whilebeing happy.
They're just I've never seen aperson squeezed out of their
energy at that level you're verygood at it.
All right, so yeah yeah, sothat's that.
Keep yourself updated with newold record labels, records to
dig into.
There's so much great music outthere, and if you look hard
(26:17):
enough, you'll find that, evencertain gems.
Yeah, of course, especially onlike record pools too.
If you have record pools, youcan find some things that won't
be available forever.
Nino (26:26):
Yeah, and there's different avenues too.
You can use Spotify to find newmusic, because spotify has ai
and it'll help you find musicthat you're not familiar with,
but it kind of is relates towhat you like, so it's amazing
for that.
Ilia (26:42):
We spoke about it.
Episode 23 yes, yeah, aboutspotify and how they improved
their algorithms and now it'susing AI.
Yeah, spotify DJ.
Nino (26:51):
Yeah, and how DJs?
As DJs, we have to keep up withthe times, right, because you
never know who you're going toplay for or if you're going to
play for like someone like fiveyears old to 60, 70 years old.
So you have to be, you have tohave that wide range of music
and knowledge to be able to playto them.
Ilia (27:10):
Yes.
Next point is club standardgear doesn't necessarily make
you a better DJ.
So and you wrote in parenthesesthe above points make you a
better DJ.
Everything we spoke about untilnow and it just helps you be
more prepared for the inevitablewhen you're faced with
(27:30):
unfamiliar gear.
I I want to say something aboutthat right away.
When I started, I have the sb2right there, sitting there right
.
Other than the fact thatthere's a known bug, that past
version, what is it?
1.6 or something?
It's just it spins like crazy,like on the software.
(27:51):
So you just use an olderversion other than that, like
it's, this controller works.
I didn't technically need toget another controller, but I
told you I wanted to but ofcourse, yeah, the one that was
teaching me way before I met you.
Uh, he had the sx2, so so I gotlike the, like the mini version
of it, which is the SR2.
Sr2, yes, yeah.
(28:11):
So honestly, I love thatcontroller, but it's time to
upgrade, soon, I think.
Just because of stamps, man, Iwant to start using that.
Nino (28:20):
But it's not even the controller, though it's your
laptop that you have to upgrade.
Ilia (28:25):
I got to upgrade both Because I like.
I like how the fx10 has thatspecific stem control, but also
that's record box.
I prefer serato, uh stop makingfaces.
Nino (28:37):
You know what I say about that man, if you don't outgrow
your gear and uh saying youdon't really technically need to
, but yeah but.
Ilia (28:44):
But that's the thing.
Like even today, I still wantto get new gear and I'm like,
well, you know what, I'll getCDJs or help me with clubs and
stuff to get into it.
While that's true it will help,it's not absolutely necessary,
it's not a must.
Very far from a must, right?
Yeah, not at all, and I'llprobably get the XZ.
(29:04):
That's the closest likecontroller wise.
Nino (29:09):
Too bad it's so outdated in terms of the screen and stuff
.
There's always new controllerscoming out, so just wait.
Ilia (29:14):
A couple of months I've been waiting.
They keep on like releasingstuff like what is it called?
Quad, something, what was it?
Oh okay, opus quad, opus quad.
What is that?
It's a refrigerator, it's a.
It's a refrigerator, it's aspaceship.
It's a spaceship.
It's huge.
Yeah, it's huge, it's huge.
It's like you're not carryingthat anywhere.
Nino (29:32):
It's a luxury controller.
It's like the Ferrari ofcontrollers.
Ilia (29:38):
Yeah, I saw some of the features, it's very nice.
But like, if they could onlymake I don't know, maybe I'm
just not very aware, but I'mpretty sure I am If they could
because me and technology, Iknow technology pretty well If
they could only make the XZ likethe copy of the XZ, just like
way better, better screen,better everything.
That's what I want, that'sexactly what I want.
(29:58):
There's nothing like that yet,and I want it for Serato as well
.
Yeah, tell Pioneer they're notgoing to do it for Serato, it's
going to be, it's going to be arecord box for sure.
Maybe it'll be like compatiblewith Serato, but not all the
features.
I wish FLX 10 was like that.
I would get it tomorrow.
If it was, I'd actually get itright now.
I'd pause the podcast and goget it right now.
Yeah, do you have anything tosay about that?
(30:23):
I kind of took over.
Nino (30:30):
I already said what I need to say.
Okay, like you don't need clubclub gear, but it's nice to know
, especially if you're gonna getinto clubs.
Right, that's, how much gear doyou have too much?
Ilia (30:36):
yeah, I've been collecting for the past 10 15 years so
you're saying you don't need it,but you have a ton of gear.
Nino (30:44):
Yeah, I guess.
Well, as a dj, it's nice tohave gear, but you know, don't,
don't, do as I say, say as I do,do as I say.
Ilia (30:56):
Do as I say.
Say as I do.
Nino (30:59):
Okay, did you get it right ?
I confused myself.
Don't do as I say, do as I do.
Is that it?
Ilia (31:05):
Don't do as I do.
You confused me.
Now Say as I do.
I'm pretty sure that's not it.
Okay, try again, try again.
Nino (31:19):
Don't do as I do, say as I do, do as I say, not as I do.
I think that's it.
Yeah, do as I say, there we go,not as I do.
Okay, makes sense All right.
Ilia (31:26):
What'd you write here, man ?
You write a lot you learnedfrom me.
Uh, what'd you write here, man?
You write a lot you learnedfrom me.
Most of the booth monitors inclubs bars suck uh.
Rely on your own headphones formonitoring, but you should not
be locked into your headphonestoo much.
Nino (31:42):
My right, yeah, there you go.
You don't know.
You want to know what what's,what's coming out of the main PA
, because you never know.
You know.
Sometimes I catch you with thehigh-pass filter up and you're
still mixing it in.
Why is it so thin?
Ilia (31:56):
That happened to me.
Yes, In the very beginning.
Nino (32:01):
Especially because you're too focused on what's coming out
of your headphones.
Ilia (32:06):
The worst part was I was practicing before a gig.
Wow, it's so good.
It happened during practice andnot during the actual gig.
I transitioned the song but inboth my headphones are on like
this, and I somehow didn'tnotice that the HPF was all the
way up and there was zero soundcoming out.
It's not that it was a littleup, there was just no sound.
(32:28):
And I'm like, wait, oh, imagineduring a gig.
And you're like it happensstill.
Nino (32:36):
You know, mistakes happen during a gig, and so sometimes
it happens to me too.
Ilia (32:40):
I'm like oh, actually I'm so focused.
My new contact now.
She stressed how, at the barwhere she wants me to become
like one of the regulars there,she wants me to bring my own
gear.
I told her don't worry, youdon't have to tell me that I was
going to bring my own gearanyway.
(33:00):
And sure enough, one of theirspeakers just busted.
Nino (33:03):
Oh, so you have to bring the speakers too.
They have.
Ilia (33:05):
They have.
It works.
But even the guy who was therethe other night, he has the two
speakers above right they're,they're like lower quality
Edison something, Uh, and then,and then he has two of his own
speakers.
So he has one for monitorbehind them and like an eight
inch I think, and then one infront of him, kind of to to
create that sound.
The sound is lacking.
(33:32):
It's because there's nosubwoofer.
Yeah, I'm going to get asubwoofer.
Nino (33:36):
It's always better to have low end than not.
90% of times you want that lowend DJs.
As DJs, we want that sub, thatsub frequency.
Yeah, it just makes it fuller.
Right, it's better to have itthan not.
Ilia (33:50):
And then you don't push your speakers too much, exactly.
So warming up the room is animportant skill.
Learn to build your collectionof music and to organize it for
your gig.
And I remember one of the gigswere uh, it's not the only one,
but one of the main kind oftimes where I, where I felt it
(34:11):
was, where I used to bartend andsometimes waiter, but mostly I
was.
I was the head bartender thereand you were, you came to DJ and
I really wanted to do that gigtoo with you.
Remember, um, where I used tobartend, yeah, so the way you
were building it up, you knowlike from you know know you had
(34:34):
different names for like yourmusic.
Right, you had different likeuh categories and you start all
the way from like the lesserknown music and then you go and
you build it up towards thebangers.
Yes, and you said it's not onlyknowing 500 songs that you
should play, you should knowthem in the right order.
Nino (34:52):
Yeah, and when to play them and everything.
Right.
Yeah, for a lot of stuff likethis, like warming up a room,
like for certain events, youneed to actually put together
warmup sets for specific events,like, if you know that it's
going to be an ED edm night or ahip-hop night, you, you pick
(35:16):
the lesser banger songs right,the more warm-up stuff, not the
really hardcore stuff, becauseyou don't want to touch, uh,
step on the toes of the, theheadliner and that way yeah,
that's actually the next point.
Ilia (35:30):
So the first one is for just the crowd, to warm them up
and maybe it's for yourself,right, maybe it's, it's just the
start of the night.
But the next point is, um,knowing your place in a time
slot, don't bang out and tireout people before peak hours or
(35:51):
the headliner plays.
Now this goes hand in hand withvolume control and it says that
you've seen promoters and soundtechs gossip, argue over
opening DJs who ruined the nightbecause of this.
Yeah, yeah, tell me about that,tell us about that.
Nino (36:07):
Literally One of the opening DJs would just play
everything We'd.
The promoters would tell themokay, stick to this type of
music and type of theme.
Right, he just played what he,what he wanted to play.
So it really put a damper onthe whole night.
And the the, the headlining dj,was really really mad and it's
(36:30):
like he wasn't, he wasn'tfollowing it.
He played a lot of the songsthat he was gonna play.
Ilia (36:36):
So it just doesn't go well over with with with promoters
and just the club owners if youdo that really reminds me of
what happened at the other place, uh, where I told you there was
a dj and a band.
Yeah, same thing the dj justplays whatever he wants, even
though, even though the band waslike, here's a list of songs
we're gonna play tonight yeah,because you think about it, the
band is very limited.
Nino (36:57):
They can only play so much , right, but the dj can play
anything and everything.
So, yeah, he has more choices.
Ilia (37:04):
So it's just really bad, looks really bad on you if you
don't follow it and it's notjust like you know, it's live
music and it's kind of requiresa different kind of skill.
Sometimes the bride and groomonly want to hear certain songs
live.
Even though the band can play20 times, 20 times, 50 more
tracks, more songs, they wantthis one live.
So they're kind of also ruiningit for the bride and groom or
(37:25):
whoever else is there.
Nino (37:26):
Because sometimes they have a special rendition that
the bride and groom wants to aswell.
Yeah, so that's why.
Ilia (37:32):
Yeah, that guy lasted a while.
Who wants to as well?
Yeah, so that's why, yeah, thatguy lasted a while.
I don't know how he lasted solong, but uh, yeah, that's also.
That's also the event.
Uh, managers, owners issue likeproblem too.
They need to understand thatthat's not okay.
Yeah, and I believe I believethe the band complained several
times but nothing was reallydone about that until he left.
He was pretty much pretty muchlet go off, but he, he did get
(37:52):
better opportunities.
So, oh, yeah, good for him.
Yeah, he was.
He was pretty much pretty muchlet go off, but he, he did get
better opportunities.
So, yeah, good for him?
yeah, he was.
He was well connected, but hasa really bad attitude.
Nino (38:01):
Yeah, opinion, and when you when you literally play the
bangers right at the beginning,you tend to tire out, like the
people, like on the dance floortoo, and I've learned this very,
very early in my career that,um, when I like to start off uh,
weddings like really highenergy, like I, I want to like
(38:22):
start off like right out of thegates blowing them away, right,
but then in the middle you wantto slow it down.
Right, you can't just keep itup the whole time, otherwise
you're gonna have a dance floorand then you're not gonna have a
dance floor, and then you'renot gonna have a dance floor.
Ilia (38:35):
They're all gonna be tired , right, and they're gonna leave
, leave early, and there's noway to really know, uh, in the
beginning, how like what's gonnabe, kind of like b-side songs
and like which ones are gonna beless popular.
You kind of play somethingthat's less popular, something
they're.
They're like jamming to you,like, okay, you know what these
five songs I was gonna play towarm them up.
(38:57):
I'm gonna leave them for later.
Nino (38:58):
It looks like they're loving it, it all depends,
there's no way to like reallyprepare all the time uh, yeah,
yeah, that's right because it'sgonna.
Ilia (39:06):
So it goes hand in hand.
Be professional, show up earlyuh, if you can stay, if you can,
don't.
Be that person who takes, takesa time slot and leaves right
after to go to another party orfor whatever reason they're
leaving.
Most industry Sorry, more moremost times than not the party is
(39:29):
made out of, made up of friendsin the industry who all work
together one way or another, andit doesn't look too good to
leave right after you're setunless you actually have to.
Or you're an international djwho needs to go, needs to leave
right after to catch the nextflight.
Nino (39:48):
Yeah, that's, yeah, that's a big you know and we touched
on this already before, uh, inanother episode right, just just
leaving right after the party,after you're set, that's a big
you know and we touched on thisalready before in another
episode right, just leavingright after the party, after
you're set, it's just, it makesyou look antisocial and you know
there's so many connections inthat party.
That's one of the reasons whyyou got that gig in the first
place, right, because you playthe same music.
(40:10):
You know the DJs and stuff.
Ilia (40:18):
So mingle, stick around um , support, right, that's part of
our jobs.
One of the uh places I wastelling you about, this bar, uh,
that just has uh cdjs andpeople go in and practice.
Well, it's, it's not absolutebeginners.
Usually they just go intopractice their set before their
bigger gig, usually, um, a lotof it's.
It's not absolute beginners.
Usually they just go intopractice their set before their
bigger gig, usually, um, a lotof it's.
(40:38):
A lot of underground djs, a lotof people who kind of like, no
one will really be there towatch unless it's the other dj
who's like, who just played oris going to play next.
So you see a lot of them kindof like jamming with them and,
and they might not even like themusic, they're just creating
that crowd feel for them andthey might not even like the
music.
They're just creating thatcrowd feel for them, that vibe,
yeah, because they know that youneed a crowd to play for.
(40:59):
So that's where you see thatcamaraderie in a place like that
, for example.
And you also see the opposite,people who play and just
disappear and you're like, yeah,so that's a big one.
You said more number 14.
Which one's number 14?
Oh, yeah, don't show up trashed, take any gig, small gig or big
(41:23):
, as a blessing of anopportunity, humble and remind
yourself why you started thisventure in the first place.
If you require alcohol or drugsto perform uh, due to social
stress, stresses, anxiety thenyou should seek therapy to help
overcome.
Does that make sense?
Rather than substances thatmake sense.
(41:45):
It does, it does I, just I'mreading it for the first time,
but it does because, okay, likewe're not oblivious, especially
this guy, like a lot of DJs, areintoxicated and or on drugs,
right, alcohol or drugs and ordrugs.
I personally don't know how youdo that Like I just I cannot
focus, yeah, I can't.
(42:05):
Like you know, like I not evenalcohol.
And like I'll just come outlike right here and say I don't
do any hard drugs, I never triedanything like that.
I just like I'll just come outlike right here and say I don't
do any hard drugs, I never triedanything like that.
I just like, I don't want to dothat to my brain.
I only have one of them, Idon't want to have to replace it
or need to replace it.
And you can't, I just don't, Ijust don't, don't go for that
stuff.
Nino (42:25):
It doesn't go hand in hand .
Ilia (42:36):
And for those that have to rely on alcohol or drugs to to
dj, you have a problem.
You have a more underlyingproblem.
So much fun, the music, theactual craft, yeah, that you
don't need anything.
I'm not oblivious, obviously.
I'm sure it makes it betterwhen you're on drugs, like in
some way yeah, but it impairsyou in a way.
Nino (42:46):
You can't say it doesn't.
Yes, there's no way.
Ilia (42:50):
I mean, I've seen some people who actually become
better almost, but imagine howmuch better they would have been
if they could like if theyconcentrated.
Nino (42:57):
Yeah, right, and they need , they feel they need to be on
something to do this.
Ilia (43:01):
It's just there's some people also that smoke, you know
, marijuana, yeah, and they workconstruction.
Yeah, bro, if I, if I did, if Ismoked marijuana and I had to
work construction, there'll be avery bad accident to myself and
someone else.
I just I can't't focus when I'mlike that, right, or drinking.
It's just just not just not me,right.
So definitely don't have thatimage.
(43:22):
If you, if you are a normalperson in a normal situation,
most people won't appreciatethat.
Um, what's the next one?
Do your research on people.
Um, you're on on the lineupbill with um.
Nino (43:39):
It doesn't hurt to know more about them of course you're
playing with them side by side.
You might as well, um, uh, knowwhat they're all about, what
music they play.
Obviously you guys probablyplay same kind of music, right?
So you guys probably vibe inthat way, so just, and you
probably want to get more gigslike with them.
(44:01):
So it just makes sense to dothat.
Ilia (44:03):
Yeah, lots of lots of times.
And the bar that I told youabout, um, people would add each
other when they see each otheron on the lineup on Instagram
and and sometimes they'll belike, oh, I think I saw you,
were you the one like last weekand you played this and that, or
like you have like the longhair or whatever, and they'll
say, hey, you want to go to thisother spot and practice
(44:24):
together, let's do a back toback, and you make friends like
that too.
That's how you make friends,lifelong friends.
And then, hey, you know what,like, I liked your set when,
when, you know when, we went andplayed that that same day.
Do you want to?
My buddy has a gig, do you?
Nino (44:38):
want.
I like that remix that youplayed.
When I can do, you think I canget a copy of that or whatever.
We can maybe switch songs.
That's when you trade, you know, that's when you trade stuff.
That's awesome.
So you become good friends thatway, uh yes number.
Ilia (44:51):
I don't know which one because there's so many uh.
Go out to other people's events, get to know people, join local
collective uh groups,collectives or groups.
Um, do your best to be a partof the community.
Supporting others will usuallyfollow with support.
Support for you.
Nino (45:08):
Yeah, if you scratch someone's back, they'll scratch
yours sort of thing, right?
It's the same thing that wejust talked about, but one very
big thing to say.
Ilia (45:19):
Actually, I heard this on the.
I believe it was on thePassionate DJ podcast.
So shout out to you guys Verygood podcast.
I started listening to themwhen I just started DJing a
couple of years ago.
I believe it was on that one.
Yes, and either or you shouldlisten to them.
They said don't burn yourselfout If you're DJing the whole
(45:40):
week or like the whole weekendevery weekend, and then people
expect you to go to their gigstoo.
Sometimes you got to thinkabout yourself, your family,
your personal connections, likeyou know your personal life.
But if you can afford it, don'tbe lazy.
Go and support someone.
Nino (45:58):
You'll want someone to support you.
Ilia (45:59):
Yeah, eventually you're gonna, you're gonna need to have
somebody to support too as well.
Nino (46:01):
Right, so yes you take that one, I'm talking all the
time, yeah mistakes you candrink.
Mistakes happen and how you fixthe mistake really measures how
skillful you are.
In my opinion, hearing tracksgo slightly off beat, then go
back on beat, or even betterthan when, even better when the
needle skips mid mix.
It reminds people that you'reactually doing something.
So it's the live aspect rightthat people are.
(46:24):
People will be drawn to.
They know you're doing stufflive, especially when they're up
close, intimate and seeing whatyou're doing live.
Ilia (46:32):
That's that's the best.
Nino (46:34):
There's nothing you cannot hide.
You're not.
You cannot hide like if you'rejust playing a a track and
playing a mix.
No man there, I can see whatyou're doing and a lot of times
there's djs watching you, right?
Ilia (46:48):
so the pressure is on yeah , actually, uh, we went to see
Andrew Riel, an incredible guy,very good producer, dj and you
know that was towards, like whenwe just started, you know,
hanging out together like thefirst six to eight, nine months
at least, maybe a year, I don'tknow, but it was a long time ago
(47:09):
and I remember that there weresome quote-unquote mistakes.
I heard, like what is it called?
Like, uh, when it's like thebeat matching was not the horse.
Yes, the laundry, the shoes inthe laundry sort of yeah,
exactly, and, and I'm like, andI wasn't, I wasn't like, oh, how
(47:32):
could he make such a mistake?
And instead I was like bro,he's, he's doing it live, doing
it live, because he did somereally impressive things, and I
was like that's a recording,that's like that's a mix for
sure.
I'm like, no, it's not.
I can hear, and there weren'tlike big mistakes people
appreciated more if you do itlive right so much better
mistakes are.
Nino (47:51):
Oh, it's fine, everybody's a human there were barely
mistakes like it.
Ilia (47:54):
Just you noticed that that was like, maybe you did it on
purpose, I don't know.
Nino (47:58):
Maybe when you think about it because it was fixed within
like millisecond right, likehalf a bar like it was fixed
right away.
Yeah, right, it's great to doit live man, so mistakes are not
really a bad thing, yeah itshows it shows the crowd that
you're you're doing.
Remember, remember the I knowlet's.
Let's not bring that back, okay?
(48:21):
So, uh, here's another one.
Djing for a crowd of 15 peopleis a lot harder than djing for
100 plus people.
I can attest to this.
That is very true because, um,when you have numbers in your
favor, there's more chances ofof them dancing and liking the
(48:43):
song that you're playing nowwhen, when you have only 15
people or a handful of people,it's it's a lot harder to to
please them.
Ilia (48:49):
It's like a mini house party yeah, yeah, yeah.
Nino (48:52):
So if you want to keep the dance floor going, you gotta be
good at reading what they wantExactly.
It helps if they're yourfriends, right, you know exactly
what they want, but it is, itis very true, definitely.
But whether or not it's 10, 15people or a thousand people,
you're still keeping it yourbest, that it your best.
(49:15):
That's all that matters.
What's the last point here?
Last one, guys, last one learnto find inspiration from other
djs and artists, but don't bitetheir routines, styles and pawn
it off, as general does that.
You know, honestly, a lot ofdjs do it and you know what I
did that I like your routine.
Ilia (49:29):
I know you do that one.
You showed it to me and youtold me I could use it, so it's
okay.
Nino (49:34):
You know what?
It's?
A form of flattery if you copya dj, um it's.
It's cool if you, if you askthem, if you're can, I can.
Ilia (49:43):
I use this, but sometimes it's it's it's almost like
copyrighted, even though it'snot.
Nino (49:49):
It's, it's a yeah, it's an unwritten rule.
It is.
It's like a rule for a dj.
It's like don't bite it, likeyou can do something similar and
put your own twist to it.
But if you bite it totally,it's like oh yeah yeah it's.
It's a form of flattery, but atthe same time, it can bite you
in the butt, exactly.
All right, guys, that's it thenfor this episode.
All right, that's it.
Ilia (50:11):
We are celebrating our six month anniversary to the
podcast.
Yeah, thank you very much, andjoin another Clever DJ episode
on our podcast next week, canadaDay.
Yeah, yeah, wow.
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