New York DJ

 
On July 24th, New York State’s law allowing same-sex marriages went into effect. Throughout the state, and in New York City, a huge number of couples waited to take their vows in the early morning hours at various marriage bureaus. From the start of the day it seemed every news report on television, the internet, and in newspapers that you came across all remarked strongly on the intense feeling of thrill, giddy disbelief, and often the joyful release of emotions long-held inside.

We feel great that same-sex couples have finally won these new rights, but also, for a company like us that loves to plan and spin at all kinds of unique weddings – be  it same-sex marriages or those “other” kind – and has been doing it for years, this is also exciting for us professionally as well. Recently, Dan and I were interviewed for UK radio, on BBC Radio 1 (and featured in their on-line article), in which we talk about our enthusiasm for same sex weddings. The interview is below, and you can read the article here.

We anticipate there will be a huge increase in same-sex couples wanting to marry, and just like the other couples who tend to be attracted to our approach, gay and lesbian couples are going to want it to be a wedding personalized to them, and not some generic, cookie-cutter party with tired music and over-long or obnoxious MC announcements. We’re excited to what the future will bring, and to get to know what each of these couples see as their vision or vibe for their special day. Whether a couple envisions a celebration that’s more traditional, or wants a large-scale bash at a huge space, or prefers an eccentric, low-key lounge vibe, or desires a cozy gathering at an old converted brownstone – whatever the case, this kind of customization is what has been our specialty for a long time. We’re looking forward to working with more same-sex couples in this way – while also looking forward to integrating new ceremony or reception moments for these couples that may emerge as being popular crowd-pleasers at same-sex weddings

As a DJ company that is already experienced in planning and spinning at same-sex weddings, it’s really going to be fun and special for us to take that experience and match it with the joy and enthusiasm that we know so many gay and lesbian couples will have for planning their wedding, now that they are, after a long wait, official.

BBC Radio 1 Interview with djnyc

Maino's "Million Bucks" is a gem of a mainstream hip-hop tune that does just about everything: It's gritty enough to appeal to fans of edgy hip-hop; it's melodic enough and its rhymes are positive enough to make it not too harsh for more conservative listeners; and its sunny, laid-back beats are bouncy enough to likely appeal to most of those in between. This means the song not only can appeal to a wide spectrum of guests, but can also be used at many kinds of events, and during many parts of events.

A Brooklyn rapper who last year released his debut record If Tomorrow Comes…, Maino collaborated with hip-hop producer wunderkind and fellow rapper Swizz Beatz on "Million Bucks," one of the album's singles. Often Swizz's sound – he created the well-known anthemic siren-and-synth beats in DMX's classic hit "Party Up (Up in Here)" – is all about bigness and exuberance, and "Million Bucks" is no different, as Swizz gives the tune a feel-good foundation, with subtle background whooping and cheering under the vocals that makes you feel you're in the middle of a great party. It's over this vibe that Maino lays down not an ode to all the money he has and how superior it makes him, but instead a positive, deftly-rhymed rap about wanting to give away money because he feels so fortunate about his life and the time he lives in.

Overall, the song exudes an infectious, "hands-in-the-air" celebratory feel that makes it sound like the slightly grittier cousin of Kanye West’s hit from a couple years ago, "Good Life." (Go here for a post about the great versatility of that song.) Though it's unfortunate "Million Bucks" never reached the heights on the charts that "Good Life" did, this does mean that "Million Bucks" can most assuredly be pulled out at your event and still feel fresh to your guests.

As DJs in New York City, we find that there's no shortage of great sexy and fun hip-hop tunes to spin for dancing, or for use as models strut down a runway at a fashion show, but its harder to find hip-hop like songs "Million Bucks" that are "big" enough that they work for dancing but are also "chill" enough that the songs don't feel "in the way" if your crowd are sipping drinks near the bar. Also, when you're not DJ-ing for a crowd that knows its hip-hop well, to play a set of it at any time other than for dancing is sometimes tough, as often, unless there's a strong melody throughout, the rhymes are lost behind guests' conversation volume. And as DJs, we don’t want to have to turn things up too much if, in the moment, people want to talk and relax. However, with "Million Bucks," there's the prefect combination of a melodic chorus and a tight, crisply-delivered rap that makes it the rare song that's completely at home at the mellower parts of an event, as well as the more energetic parts. And to create a great song like that in any genre is worth quite a lot.

Have a listen…

Maino (ft. Swizz Beatz) – Million Bucks

At most events that we spin at in New York City and the surrounding metro area – fashion shows, private parties, weddings, corporate mixers, etc. – the photographer is the vendor that we deal with closest. We all know the photographer goes into action when guests are dancing, singing along to a favorite tune, or doing something a bit more unique, like dusting off their breakdancing moves to an old-school hip-hop classic. But the photographer also reacts to the DJ in less obvious ways – as when the MC announces a speech, or when an unannounced moment from the event's schedule is set to occur on song's cue.

Because the photographer is often working in reaction to the DJ, if you're organizing an event, you need to ensure the photographer you hire doesn't interfere with the DJ's performance, as this could prevent the flow of the event from being as smooth as it could be. This does not just apply to an amateur or a moonlighting shutterbug friend you've hired – it can apply to those who have been working at their craft for a long time, as sometimes even these professionals can be inflexible in their ways. Now, we're usually not cynical about photographers – most of the ones we've dealt with at a wide range of events in many years of DJ-ing in and around New York City have been a pleasure to work with. But here and there we do encounter some that, well, don't exactly have their lens caps screwed on right.

Here's the some of the most awkward and problematic things we've seen photographers do – some coming from being too aggressive, others from being too passive – that has directly interfered with our performance, and often, with the flow and feel of the event as a whole:

1) Too Many Group Shots – This is the tactic that we've found will kill the mood on the dancefloor the most, and also the most obnoxious. Whether the photographer is instantly rounding up guests for a group shot as soon as guests begin to sing along or dance close together to a song, or if he or she is being even more obnoxious and calling everyone off the dancefloor into a whole other room, or outside to the front of the venue, for a group shot (yes, we have seen this last example actually happen), it's easy to see how even one moment like this ruins any momentum that is going on to the music. Not to say that it deprives guests of enjoying the rest of the song. And when you're dealing with an event like a more low-key event like a cocktail mixer or a client meet-and-greet, it might even harm things more, because if a few small pockets of dancing break out, a photographer breaking in to bark orders to assemble for a shot might permanently end any more fragile attempts at a little booty-shakin.'

2) Not Aware of Event Schedule – Though the schedules of event are often not running exactly on time, they usually won't vary wildly from a timeline that has been made at least a day or two before the event. This is why it is surprising to us when photographers approach five minutes before the start of an event and ask when the moments will be happening when they are needed. We're happy to go over it with them quickly, or show them our schedules. But if they need more time to discuss it, or re-arrange it, or having to keep reviewing it, this takes away attention we need to put on our job of playing music when, if they had the schedule and studied it a bit in the first place, they wouldn't need to co-ordinate with us as much, or could have done it with us earlier.

3) Smothering the Guests – Of course a photographer doesn't want to miss great or unique moments on the dancefloor, but if they keep immediately jumping in at every pair of guests that throw their hands in the air, it often makes guests – especially with more shy crowds, or people who want to dance a little at more low-key events – reluctant to "let go" like they may want. Also, smothering-by-camera may not be a tactic always motivated by the photographer’s enthusiasm to get every shot, but instead to get a bunch of shots quickly, so he or she can begin taking the night off early.

4) Using the DJ as a Concierge – We're happy to put the photographer's bags behind our DJ set-up, or give them a copy of the schedule of the night and go over it briefly, but if a photographer asks us to do things that require us to neglect our job just so they can relax a bit more, such as wanting us to run into another room and get them from their dinner when they're needed next (yes, this was asked of us recently by a photographer), that's beyond the call of our duty, and way below the call of theirs.

5) Not Allowing "Picture-Free Time" – Toward the end of the night, hopefully all the photos have been taken that are needed, and the guests can have some time to simply move around freely on the dancefloor with no strobes popping, light boxes glaring, or tripods to awkwardly dance around. Now, if a photographer is going to be at the event the entire time, it's great to have them ready in case a great shot develops. Yet, often photographers will shoot an event relentlessly from beginning to end, regardless of the size or uniqueness of a moment, and this can often stifle the mood at the time that the crowd should be at its most loosened up.

Luckily, to avoid each of these potentially disruptive situations, you don't need to do much more than to clarify to your photographer these reasonable expectations – that you don't want group shots done when the dancing is at its peak, that he or she will be getting a copy of the schedule and they should know when they need to be present, and that you expect he or she will not be obnoxiously "in the face" of guests all night. Just the mentioning of this will likely eliminate any tendency a photographer might have to do things like those mentioned above, and the flow of your event will be natural and smooth.

“Tengo La Voz” (in English, “I have the voice”) is a spicy, swingin' instrumental that takes a traditional-sounding brassy, upbeat Mexican melody and, with a touch of thick beats, a few samples and other subtle electronic flourishes, gives it a kick in the pants to make everything more fun and festive for all kinds of ears.

Nortec Collective is a four-member band that's part of a small but critically-acclaimed scene of young Mexican groups (two others worth checking out are Mexican Institute of Sound and Kinky) that combine traditional Mexican music and rhythms with modern electronic sounds. These sounds can range from something as thorough as throwing bigger beats under traditional instruments to give an entire song more punch, to more whimsical touches, like adding in sampled vocal riffs from old Mexican radio shows from more than a half-century ago. Generally, the aesthetic of these groups somewhat mirrors that of American indie pop, as the programming and production is often used not to make a sound that is over-polished and sleek, but instead to bring a sense of quirkiness and playful surprise to freshen up familiar genres. The name Nortec Collective comes from a combination of “Norteno” (a traditional, often rural form of Mexican music using 12-string guitars and accordions) and “techno.”

“Tengo La Voz,” from Nortec Collective’s album Tijuana Sessions Vol. 3 (pictured), is not an outright dance song, yet because its fun mood is sure to move some hips, it's perfect for “teasing” a Latin vibe you might have coming up at your event, like if you’re playing some Merengue, Salsa, Latin pop or Reggaeton and you want to put it in your guests’ heads and feet that they’ll be dancing to flavors like this later.

More generally, though, the song is great for any moment in your event where you plan to have people mingling, such as a cocktail hour at a wedding, or an interlude at a fashion show or art opening, or at any kind of meet-and-greet event, as the song’s uptempo, catchy horn riffs, steady beat, and its sturdy vibe of sunniness make it perfect background for sipping a drink and chatting it up. Plus, the song never gets too brassy that it becomes shrill, or too experimental that it becomes intrusive, or too "Latin" that it becomes intimidating or exclusionary for those whose tastes might be a bit more conservative. "Tengo La Voz" has a rare balance of just enough brass, quirkiness, and traditional Mexican festiveness, but not too much of either – and as a result it's especially accessible. But at the same time, while it remains in the background it also adds a burst of spice to the atmosphere of the event – so much so that, at only three-and a-half-minutes, you might want to play it twice in a row.

Nortec Collective – Tengo La Voz