You will collect more bees with honey or you will receive more opportunities to DJ with honey. I think this advice can cross over into any job or relationship yet I will focus this month’s drop on the DJ industry. I was able to spin a full four hour set this past New Year’s Eve at one of the hottest clubs because of the following four factors:

When I sat down to ponder some of the key things that make up a good technical mix, three things came to mind; they are phrasing, EQ’ing, and Volume/Energy level.  There are other things that come into play when you construct top notch mixes as well, but these three are some fundamentals that are often missed by new DJ’s.

So you're set to spin at a club, maybe a wedding reception or a youth event. The anticipation creeps in as you methodically plan out the set you're gonna rock the crowd with. The needle drops on the vinyl. The song you pick is a sure floor packer. Problem is no one seems to be dancing. Hold on a minute. "What's going on," you think to yourself. "That song is a sure fire winner for the floor", your thoughts race.

This is the third time I have written this issue’s Drop. Every time I write it, I read it over and decide that I should go somewhere a little different. My Drop for you this month is some ideas on choosing records that can be used for DJ led worship as well as actually leading worship.

How Do I Start DJing? Good Question! I'll go over some newb practice ideas for you in a minute. First and most importantly ask yourself WHY you want to DJ, because it's a LOT of hard work and practice.  If it's not for the right reason, you're wasting your time.

This is the third article in a series uncovering the various methods to the madness of the live performance of electronic music. Previous entries in this series have dealt with analog hardware and repeater setups, as well as sequencer-based and software/hardware hybrid setups. As the different techniques for live performance are examined, a common theme has been explored, the idea of control – control of sound, and control of technology. The series now concludes with an examination of what is quickly becoming the most recognizable format for live electronic music – the laptop. With the advent of Max/MSP, Ableton Live and tabletop fader boxes has come the next revolution in live electronic performance.

Recently the Underground was selected to be in charge of the dance tent at Cornerstone. And the demos that poured in were as many in number as I received last year alone. So between our normal events and Cornerstone 2005 I have seen my fair share of promo packets and I have noticed several trends. Promo packets do land you the gig and here are some pointers to help you in having the best promo packet out there.

This is the second article in a series on the various methods to the madness of performing live electronic music. Last issue, analogue hardware and repeater setups were under the microscope. Whether consisting of classic pieces of gear hardwired together with various outdated synchronization protocols from CV/Gate to MIDI, or rigs that utilize new units that combine the best features of yesteryear with cutting edge technology, the hardware performers’ showcased last issue let the machines do the talking, with no hierarchical master sequencer sending controlling messages down the MIDI chain.

When asked to write the drop of the month, I figured the best way to give people tips on how to make good (great even) mixes is to explain why I became a DJ. This is an excerpt from my blog a couple of months ago.

At bottom, playing live is about control: control of music and control of technology. It is this search for control that has led producers down many paths to performance, from hardware to software and everything in between.

This is the first in a series of articles on the various methods to the madness of performing live electronic music.