New England is home to many things including this year’s Super bowl bound and AFC Champions NE Patriots. However, it is also the birthplace of the American Pizza. The very first Pizza was created in a little place in New Haven, CT called Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria or simply called Pepe’s.
They were the first to use the thin crust brick oven style pizza technique in America established back in 1925. However, what became their signature trademark is their special White Pizza with Littleneck clams pizza. You absolutely have to try this for nostalgia and interesting take on the Napoletana style pizza.
Today, they have several franchises throughout the New England area but share the same recipe and style generations have grown to love. For more information go to their website at http://www.pepespizzeria.com/
I had the pleasure of opening up for Avicii in Houston during his House For Hunger tour. Along with DJ Surain (77002/Nightculture) we did a Tag Team/Back to Back DJ Set from 9pm til Avicii went on around 12:15. Over 3500 people came to this amazing event. I’m glad to be part of an event with a good cause raising awareness and money to feed the Hungry.
Gotye ft. Kimbra “Somebody That I Used To Know” (StanV Touch Remix)
Time for another Music Mix Monday. This Australian Band has been getting a lot of buzz. However, the remixes have been coming out all over the internet. The StanV Touch Remix is getting support from the likes of Tiesto and is already on regular rotation on SiriusXM BPM. Big Synths, Cool Vocals, and a lot of Energy! Check it out the OFFICIAL Video on Youtube HERE
Example “Changed The Way You Kiss Me”
This one came out last year but is just now getting a real U.S. Domestic push. Lot’s of great remixes but I actually like the original one. Click here for the official video
Jes “It’s Too Late”
Ever since she came onto the scene with Motorcycle “As The Rush Comes” Jes has become a fixture of the Electronic Dance Music World. Her latest release has been getting a lot of support. There are some killer mixes of this song. I had a chance to interview her. Check it out below
Q&A w/ Jes
Riddler: You write great songs and melodies. What inspires you?
Jes: Thank you so much, it’s an amazing challenge to get your thoughts and feelings converted into music and melody. I have always been overwhelmed by the power music and how it influences my moods and emotions. Life is full of inspiration at every moment, I try to capture that anyway I can and I’m always searching for new ideas. Most of my songs stem from my own experiences. I guess like most artists my work is semi autobiographical. A break up or a chance encounter will always create song ideas and I find it’s often the best way to work through my feelings.
One of the most inspirational things for me is watching other artists. Just listening to music or scrolling the dial on the radio is enough to make me want to get back in the studio and write. So much of our lives are shared experiences so tapping into those feelings is a great way to connect with listeners and fans. It’s funny but when I’m really focused on writing and recording I even dream about the songs and a lot of my dreams turn into songs. I keep a small recorder near my bed so I can capture my ideas as soon as I wake up.
Riddler: What can we expect from JES in 2012?
Jes: JES is always a girl on the move . I have been very busy with a new batch of collaborations coming out early in the New Year including tracks with Ferry Corsten, Robbie Rivera and Andy Duguid. I had so many requests to DJ this year that I put some time into organizing and will be incorporating it into some of my shows in the early part of 2012. There will be two single releases from my 2011 mix album “Unleash The Beat.” The first single will be “Can’t Stop” with Ronski Speed which features a really fun video that I can’t wait for everyone to see.
There will be an “Unleash The Beat” Vol. 2 midway through the year and I’m starting to put together another artist album for release before the end of the year. My tour schedule is already starting to fill up and I hope to be able to bring my new “Rocktronica” band on the road following the success of this years shows.
Riddler: It’s been a great year for EDM. Where do you see it going in 2012?
Jes: It seems like EDM is finally finding it’s time with the mainstream culture embracing the beats of the more underground genres. I think now that people are exposed to the genre on a daily basis, they are accepting that the EDM culture is a driving force in modern music.
So many DJs have managed to make a legitimate crossover and collaborating more with top 40 artists. One of the huge differences I have noticed is that EDM has become a multi-generational genre. I have teenagers and their parents coming to my shows, sharing festival stories and suggesting to me their favorite underground remixers and DJs. 2012 will be a stellar year for EDM, bringing more diverse and amazing music to the scene that all music fans will open their hearts to.
I’ll be doing a guest spot February 17, 2012 at Ambiente in Alhambra, CA for Motion Electro Fridays. Join me as I bring my Revolution Show on the road. Ambiente is located at 45 S. Garfield Ave in Alhambra. For more info contact 323-245-1195
Swedish House Mafia vs Knife Party -Antitode- Tommy Trash
Tommy Trash -Sex, Drugs, Rock N Roll
Chuckie- Who Is Ready To Jump- Dada Life
Dada Life Happy Violence The Structure
Ariia -All & Done
Riddler- We Got This
Gotye -Somebody That I Used To Love -Sneaker Fox
Pink Fluid/Mr V- We Rock The World
Deniz Koyu -Tung So Dirty -Tristan Garner
Marc MacRowland -The Final Countdown
Alvita/Levy -Baby
Lady Gaga -Americano- Gregori Klosmna
Edward Maya -Desert Rain
Avicii & Nervo -You’re Gonna Love Again
Muse -Starlight -Abel Ramos/Jose De Mara
One of the big buzz items at the NAMM convention today was Serato and Rane‘s unveiling of the new Rane 61 and 62 DJ Mixer for the Serato Scratch Live User. This is more than an upgrade but a re-design of their TTM-57 Mixer. The main features are Two USB cards built in for easier transitions switching out DJ’s in the clubs or for Four deck DJing. It will remind many DJs of the Rane 68 Mixer.
They even made a special DJ Z-Trip version called the Rane 62-Z with the faceplate designed by Shepard Fairey
Every Wednesday, I’m going to share some restaurants and places that I’ve been to. This week I’d like to talk about a great place called Current Sushi in Washington D.C.
Current Sushi is located in the Golden Triangle district of Washington D.C. on Connecticut Avenue. When you first walk in it will remind you of a Luxury yacht. Impressive Woodfloors, Glass Bar, Water tanks with moving color waves to complete the “Current” theme. The Menu consists of Traditional and Modern Japanese Cuisine. Master Sushi Chef Niki Shimaski (Kochi, Japan) has some unique specialty rolls and a variety of skewers.
Roger Sanchez Roll on the Left and the Dubfire Roll on the Right
This place has been frequented by many World class DJ’s that there are specialty rolls named after two very popular ones. Be sure to try the Roger Sanchez Roll and the Dubfire Roll. Both were designed by Roger and Dubfire after their visit to Current Sushi. The Roger Sanchez Roll consists of Toro Tuna, Mango, Cucumber, and Tobiko. The Dubfire roll consists of Torched Tuna, Asparagus, Cilantro, Pickled Scallion, Wasabi Mayo, and Jalapeno Peppers.
However, the night doesn’t just end after your dinner. Be sure to check out their lounge upstairs. Great music on the weekends and the hottest looking women in the city. For more information about Current Sushi go to their website at www.currentsushi.com
Special thanks to Alain Kalantar for having me over there.
I’ll be heading to Australia where I’ll be playing at Fusion Nightclub inside the Crown Casino in Melbourne. Join me for Re-Play Saturdays at Fusion. For more information go to their website at http://www.fusionatcrown.com.au/
Since I get asked many questions on a variety of topics ranging from DJing, Radio, to Production, I’m going to try and answer them each and every Tuesday. So feel free to send me your questions at djriddler@me.com
This week’s question comes from Wilma Qiu (19) who is a sophomore at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.
Q: I was just wondering, in a time where music is so heavily geared toward top 40, how do you innovate your DJ sets? And what can I do to stand out from the crowd? I feel like anybody can move the crossfader from left to right but there’s so much more to DJ-ing (producing? remixing?).
A: For better or worse, DJing as a profession has changed over the years. Back in the day, beat matching along with mixing in key, was a big deal but today with technology, most DJ Software already does all the beat matching for you. So it’s even more important than ever to be able to be creative with your selection and sets. Just mixing songs back to back isn’t enough anymore. Create your own edits or remixes of Popular or Top 40 songs. We are in the digital age of DJing where you have many tools to make regular songs sound completely different. Take advantage of that.
A good stage presence won’t hurt you either when you are performing. Connect with your audience musically and vocally. Get on the mic, talk to your crowd, and let them know your personality. Once you have that connection with the crowd it will make things easier to play for them.
Becoming a Producer/Remixer is a whole other subject. While they go hand in hand with many DJ’s, Not every Producer can become a DJ nor not every DJ can become a Producer. If you have a musical background (playing/reading instruments) that will get you ahead of many. As easy as it may sound, all it takes is to produce that ONE hit record and you have that instant notoriety. However, to truly last in the game, you have to be able to do it over and over again which also requires re-inventing yourself many times over. Just like in any business or opportunity, there really is no short cuts. You have to be willing to put the time, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears.
That’s it for this week. Again, feel free to send me your questions, comments, or whatever you’d like.
Just wanted to share a couple of tracks that I’ve been playing out in my sets for you to check out.
Chris Moody feat. Ashtrobot “Rock Me”. I’ve been playing this for a couple of weeks now and it’s been going great. This will be officially released on Roger Sanchez’ Stealth Records label on January 24. Check it out!
Pink Fluid & Mr. V “We Rock The World” This is one of my Theme songs for 2012! Perfect song for my Revolution Show. Great house track with a cool vibe from Mr. V!
Starkillers & Nadia Ali “Keep It Coming” While their first collaboration last year “Pressure” is still growing and crossing over to the mainstream, they are back with a new song. What a great feeling record.
That’s all for this week but I’ll be back next Monday for another Music Mix Monday!
. I have been very busy with a new batch of collaborations coming out early in the New Year including tracks with Ferry Corsten, Robbie Rivera and Andy Duguid. I had so many requests to DJ this year that I put some time into organizing and will be incorporating it into some of my shows in the early part of 2012. There will be two single releases from my 2011 mix album “Unleash The Beat.” The first single will be “Can’t Stop” with Ronski Speed which features a really fun video that I can’t wait for everyone to see.
