New York DJ

We’ve performed at a large number of Korean weddings over the years (go here to see a sampling of many of them), and, while we are rarely asked to play entirely Korean pop music as couples planning weddings in and around the New York City area tend to have a diverse guest list and usually don’t want one kind of music to dominate, often Korean music is an important element. The most common form of Korean pop music today is called “K-pop”, which, loosely defined, is dance music with a sound influenced by the beat and rhythms of American hip-hop or R &B, and often performed often by boy or girl groups. (For a more complete guide to incorporating K-pop at your event, go to our blog post here.)

We know and enjoy new K-pop as well as K-pop going back to its roots in the early nineties, and we know well how it can enliven Korean wedding celebrations, whether it’s played here and there throughout the event mixed in with other pop music genres like hip-hop, house, merengue or others, or if K-pop is played in one or two “sets” after many of the guests have had a few drinks and are more inclined to bust out their dance moves and sing the lyrics to a classic K-pop anthem from the nineties by H.O.T or DJ Doc.

But since K-pop really only has been really popular since the early nineties, a lot of older Korean guests like the parents of the bride and groom and their relatives and friends (say, from ages 50 to 70) often aren't very familiar with K-pop. Sometimes they know and prefer American music from the seventies or eighties instead. If these older guests are not as Americanized, though, or have come from Korea to New York for the celebration, often what they respond to is a style of Korean pop called “trot” music, which was the most commonly-listened to kind of song before the rise of K-pop. A recent artist known for playing the trot style are Jang Yoon Jung (pictured at left), and one of the more famous classic trot singers is Seol Woon Doh (pictured at right).

Because a lot of younger Koreans (say, from ages 20 to 40) often tell us they had to grow up listening to their parents play trot music over and over while growing up, often they know of trot but think of it as old-fashioned. However, given that most couples we meet also want to include everyone at the wedding, they do usually agree that it likely will be enjoyed by the older guests, and be the way to get more conservative Koreans - often who can be reluctant to dance - to get up and party a bit.

The name Trot, or “teurototeu” as it is known in Korean, comes from its similarity to the rhythms used in a foxtrot dance. Trot music consists of a simple one-two beat that is repeated throughout the song, and its classic singers, many of whom are in their 50s or 60s today, have a romantic and sometimes playful loungey style, are roughly like the Korean equivalent of revered vocalists like Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald or Tony Bennett – talented veterans whose music might not be as trendy, but who are well-known and respected for their voices and for their songs’ firm place in Korean music history.

Recently, however, just like how American jazz vocal standards have in the past decade or so been re-enlivened by younger singers like Michael Buble and Diana Krall, trot has been re-discovered by some younger Korean artists, some of whom are even from massively popular K-pop groups. This trot "comeback" began in the mid-2000s with a song called “Eomeona” (a Korean expression which roughly translates to “Oh My Goodness”) by Jang Yoon Jung. This song mixed a trot rhythm and trot vocal style with Latin rhythms and was a big hit in South Korea, becoming the introduction for many K-pop fans to the trot style and making trot more "cool" to many younger Koreans.

When we play trot music at Korean weddings, often we find we get an enthusiastic response, from family members young an old, Americanized and non-Americanized, dancing and singing along together to it (much like the right “oldies” song from doo-wop to disco will do for American guests) to it being that spark that gets an older Korean couple to the dancefloor to share slower dance, or simply being a moment that gives the older guests something to pleasantly smile and bounce their heads to at cocktail hour or dinner.

Below you’ll get a sample of how everything old is new again - have a listen to “Eomeona” by Jang Yoon Jung, as well as classic trot singer Seol Woon Doh performing an updated version of a trot song called “Samba” with his son Lee-U, himself a member of a K-pop group.

 
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

The Velvet Underground are considered one of biggest godfathers of today's indie pop and rock music. This is largely because in the late 1960s the group introduced an often dissonant, experimental, unpolished style to rock, as well as treated dark themes like drug use and the hedonism of the New York City party scene they were associated with in a gritty, straightforward way.

Of course, not all bands and performers that were to be called "alternative" and then later "indie" in years to come incorporated these exact elements, but so many underground pop and rock groups from the past 40 years – from Joy Division to The Pixies to Radiohead – have, like the Velvet Underground, introduced what at first were strange new sounds and often unlikely and edgy themes into the world of pop music.

But due to the Velvet Underground's often bleak lyrics and dissonant, droning guitar riffs, sometimes forgotten is that many of their songs had a languorous, shimmering beauty – and along with this, a few songs even had tender and affirmative lyrics. One of the best examples of this is a tune from their first album (produced by Andy Warhol), The Velvet Underground and Nico, called "I'll Be Your Mirror." It was released also as a single, as the b-side to another track off the album, "All Tomorrow's Parties."

"I'll Be Your Mirror" is a brief, sweet song in which the singer desires to show a person how great he or she is at the times when that person can't see it. Because it's the Velvet Underground working with Andy Warhol, this pleasant but rather generic sentiment is given a memorable quirkiness due to the vocals of Nico, a tall German model-turned- vocalist who handled lead vocals on this song and a couple others on the album.

Nico's performance shouldn't really have worked. She's pretty, but her voice isn't very good – it's sometimes off-key, and her English fights through a deep German accent. And while the vocal comes across as odd and icy, it's a credit of the band (and likely Warhol, too), that the oddness sounds endearing – there's a vulnerability to Nico's voice that deepens the sentiment of the song’s lyrics.

Just this might be enough for the couples that often hire us to DJ at their weddings, since they're often looking for a first dance that's sentimental, but also has some sort of eccentric charm. But for those who might like the melody of the song and not be a fan of Nico's vocals, also posted here are two cover versions of the song. The first is from 1989, the second is from 2003 – showing not only the continued affection that the Velvets have had in other artists’ minds over the years, but that the band created a song over 40 years ago that's been sturdy enough to work well when covered in two very different styles.

The Primitives, an English guitar fuzz-pop band best known for their bubbly single "Crash," covered "I'll Be Your Mirror" on a b-side to their single "Sick of It." Their version takes the song in a dreamier, more polished direction, though a bit of ragged guitar jangle shows the Velvet Undergound influence. Singer Tracy Tracy's sweet, lullaby-esque vocals that slighly recall the sound of early '60s girl groups are the star here. I heard this version first, so it's The Primitives’ more full-sounding treatment of the song that I have memories with – though of course those familiar with the original version may accept no substitute for Nico.

Clem Snide, an American alt-country group, recorded their version of the song on a 2003 release called A Beautiful EP. This version is the most stripped-down of the three, featuring only acoustic guitar, a bit of strings, and the fragile vocal – this time a male vocal – of lead singer Eef Barzelay. The effect of this "alt-countrification" of the song is makes it very inimate and warm – listening to it makes you feel like you’re hearing it sung to you while sitting around a campfire.

Whether you prefer vintage offbeat charm, dreamy pop, or mellow alt-country, give a listen to "I'll Be Your Mirror" and consider it for your first dance – however it’s recorded, its tender foundation reflects clearly through.

The Velvet Underground – I'll Be Your Mirror

The Primitives – I'll Be Your Mirror

Clem Snide – I'll Be Your Mirror

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