DJ AM
In a video documentary directed by Nirvana collaborator Kevin Kerslake, the Electric Daisy Carnival Experience gave the world a one-night-only look into the country's biggest and most elaborate electronic music festival. The two hour long movie event primarily focused on the 2010 Electric Daisy Carnival, which marked the last year that the festival was held within the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving to Las Vegas this year. Testimonials were given from DJs such as Kaskade, ATrak, Steve Aoki, will.i.am, Deadmau5, and Travis Barker as well as members of Insomniac Events, go-go dancers, and even the police who work the event. The general consensus? An overwhelming amount of love and support for the ever-growing event. Electric Daisy Carnival "creates a oneness" as Canadian DJ sensation Deadmau5 described the event.
Whether or not you were able to ever experience the real Electric Daisy Carnival, theater goers got the next best thing last night through this film.With a special tribute to the late Adam Goldstein, aka DJ AM, the film showcased the celebrity DJ at the 2009 Electric Daisy Carnival before his passing. Friend and collaborator Travis Barker boasted on how AM could turn any track into a hit with a live audience. Clips of a healthy and happy looking DJ AM made the whole theater excited as he gets the 100,000 person crowd jumping to his mixes. Featuring other memorable performances by Swedish House Mafia, Major Lazer, Benny Benassi, Afrojack, MSTRKRFT, it was nearly impossible for ticket holders to keep still in their seat. (At least in the theater I attended!)
Having a natural ambiance of positivity, the sixteen year old festival is spoken about through the film as a place where people can go to express their inner self and make lifelong friends. It is stressed that the Electric Daisy Carnival is not a place where you simply purchase a ticket and sit in your seat, but an audio and visual wonderland that allows all who attend to have an interactive experience.The love and passion for the dance music culture is apparent throughout the whole film celebrates the music, the people, and how the two become one. Although there has been some negativity surrounding the event, EDC goers insist the adverse opinions stem from individuals who have no connection to youth culture, or those who simply have never enjoyed an Electric Daisy Carnival. One security officer being interviewed even went as far as saying that Electric Daisy Carnival is his favorite event to work because "You don't have to worry about belligerent people here who tend to hate police...Everybody loves everybody here."
For the first time this year, the largest dance music festival in the nation, Electric Daisy Carnival was held last month in Las Vegas. The massive three day event gathered over 200,000 people, uniting dance music fans under the desert sky with the synthesized sounds of the world’s most talented dance music artists. Beginning in 1997 in Southern California, the prestigious festival has fallen victim to controversy with its growing popularity. During the 2010 event, there were reports of an overdose which caused the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission to hold off on having further raves within the city and question age restrictions. Not to disappoint fans, this year the show indeed went on to move across state lines to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the festival returned (safely!) as an 18 and older event. This year’s lineup featured European sensations such as Swedish House Mafia, Tiesto, and David Guetta along with a slue of top DJs and producers.
This week, LIV brings you another chart topping lineup of events, starting October 20, with Dirty Hairy Wednesdays and a live performance by actor and rapper, Dirt Nasty, whose popularity spawned from his MTV VJ days. He will be playing alongside resident DJs Ross One, Contra, and Jessica Who.
Following Dirt Nasty’s performance, and kicking off the weekend, FlipSide Fridays brings you Joe Dert. The former drummer for metal band Endo, and Miami native, has performed alongside big names such as DJ AM and Ozzy Osbourne, and is known for his high energy sets and eclectic dance mixes.
J esse Marco and DJ Ronson among many others will be spinning at Santos Party House tonight for a tribute evening for DJ AM. Proceeds will go to the DJ AM memorial fund. Doors open at 11.
Working with an eclectic blend of internationally renowned artists, Dubset is rapidly establishing itself as the foremost authority in the world of online DJ music. Founded in 2009, Dubset offers its users both exclusive offline mixes and live sets recorded at the most notorious clubs and events from around the globe. By whom? How about, Felix Da Housecat, Junior Sanchez, Steve Aoki, Tommie Sunshine, Mark Ronson, Afrojack, Mia Moretti, Jesse Marco and Jus Ske. The list goes on and on… and is growing daily.
He may only be 22 years old, but Jesse Marco is already well-established as one of New York City's most talented and sought-after DJs. His signature style and flair for mixing cross-genre classics, like Led Zeppelin and Jay Z or Michael Jackson and Nirvana, has caught the attention of some of the industry's biggest names, including Tom Ford, Russel Simmons, and Kanye West. Since he started spinning on his first turntables at the age of 12, his passion, talent, and dedication has taken him to the top, with a little help from DJ legends Mark Ronson and DJ AM. Don't miss your chance to get in on the action with Jesse Marco at Joonbug's Fashion Week Gala. Oh, and did we mention that he's also a model? How appropriate.
Adem Cengiz: You've been in the DJ scene in NYC for a while now, gaining popularity and getting in with the right people. Who has helped you with your success the most?
Eli Escobar: I would say first and foremost being a NYC club kid... By the time I was ready to play out at clubs I already knew a lot of promoters and DJ's so it was a bit easier to get work than say if I had come from out of town and was starting from scratch. Also, by now a lot of people know Bobbito Garcia was very instrumental in helping me during my early days... putting me on the radio and getting me club gigs. I definitely will always feel indebted to him for all his help.
AC: You've got your hands in a lot of mixtapes and albums, which is a great thing to see, and you¹re a skillful producer. Do you enjoy working the studio more now, or is the live DJ set still your passion?
EE: I think I have an equal love for both. And for me, they go hand in hand. The more exposure I get for my production, the less Top 40 gigs I have to do!
AC: How has the international DJ scene been? Is it more fun to be traveling around, bringing your vibe to the hotspots of the world, or do you like being in one place for a while?
EE: Well I do love being home in New York, but unfortunately night life here is not what it once was. So in terms of playing out, I'm far more excited to go to Toronto or Moscow or Helsinki than I am to play here. It's also great to meet people all over the world and see what's happening in their respective club scenes.
AC: Have you always been, and always will be, a NY DJ?
EE: I suppose so. People say they can hear it in my music and in my DJing. There's definitely an old school NY style of playing that I think I still subscribe to. Light on the scratching... more about pacing and well rounded sets.
AC: Your blog OutsideBroadcast, has it been really useful for your career?
EE: Sure. When I started it, I put it up so I could share some records with friends of mine. Suddenly I was getting readers from all over the world and before I knew it, traveling all over the world as well! I was still a bit of an internet novice at that point and was completely unprepared for the response it got.
AC: And do you feel like its essential for a DJ to have an online voice in the industry today?
EE: Seems to be that way, huh? I go to record stores every week and buy new vinyl and cds but I know most people don't. Most DJs included. If a song doesn't get blogged, it seems most people don't know it exsists. I think it's different overseas where people tend to get music off of Beatport and Juno.
AC: Or is the popularity and knowledge of a DJ still determined by word of mouth?
EE: There's always a word of mouth thing when it comes to DJ's. We are a tight group and tend to put each other up on new music we're feeling.
AC: What mixes are you working on right now? With who?
EE: I'm making a mix with my friend Amanda Blank... We did a lot of music that didn't end up on her album. And more since the album came out, so we're putting it out for free so people can hear what we've done. I'm also putting out a mix CD of a bunch of my best disco edits. The cd will come with a bonus disc of unmixed songs.
AC: What has been your favorite collaboration recently?
EE: I did a remix for Phoenix, and they are so good! They didn't put it out but nevertheless it was fun to break apart their song and have a go with it.
AC: The DJ'ing world, and the music world in general, has lost a lot of heroes recently. I read that you were close with DJ AM. How influential was he in your early career?
EE: I met Adam on myspace about 5 years ago. He messaged me saying how much he liked my work and we became close almost instantly. He was a guy who would not shy away from playing anything in a club. Took a lot of risks. I always respected that and I think a lot of DJ's are better off for having followed his example.
AC: Do you feel like there is a vacuum of leadership in the DJ and mixtape realm of music?
EE: I don't really know... My biggest influences are old Chicago radio DJ's from the 80's so I think you're asking the wrong person! When I was young and starting out, I looked up to a few guys in particular, I'm sure it's that way now for the young kids. But there are so many different styles of DJing, music and different scenes. So I don't really know... Haha
AC: Who are the up and coming musicians/DJ's/producers that you would most like to work with?
EE: As a producer I'd like to work with some old singers like Alison Moyett or Boy George! That would be the dream...But as a remixer I always hope to get jobs remixing whoever's making great music at the moment.
AC: How often are you on East Village Radio? Do they have a pretty receptive audience for your music?
EE: I have a weekly show with Stretch Armstrong called the Delancey Music Service. We're on Monday nights at 10pm. The reception has been great. Online radio is exciting ‘cause you get listeners from all over the world.
The BET Hip-Hop Awards took place last Saturday and talk of the night centered on the number of people who weren’t in attendance, including Kanye West, who was unexpectedly absent during the festivities, thereby eliminating any opportunity for acceptance speech interruptions.
The most talked about of the absent honorees was dirty-South lyricist, T.I., who is serving time in an Arkansas federal prison on a weapons conviction. The rapper had won two awards, one for Album of the Year for his work on the highly acclaimed Paper Trail and one for Best Collaboration with Rhianna on the song “Live Your Life.” T.I.’s fiancée, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, accepted the awards on behalf of the incarcerated rapper and read a letter from T.I. to the audience,
MTV has decided to air the eight-episode addiction documentary, “Gone Too Far,” hosted by the late DJ AM, a.k.a. Adam Goldstein. The upcoming reality documentary follows the lives of young adults in their early to mid twenties addicted to drugs and alcohol and their attempts at recovery. The show follows the young adults and their relationships with their friends and family through their recovery processes. DJ AM acts as both the documentary host and self-shoots a majority of the footage of the addicts, their recovery, and the later updates on their respective successes or setbacks.
Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein meant a lot of things to a lot of people. To some he was one of the world’s greatest DJ’s- a mi master who was the king of mash-ups, to others he was a great example of staying sober despite the odds in working at clubs and around nightlife- always with a Redbull in hand. But most importantly, to many he was a friend- a person whose smile was as genuine as his heart. To me Adam was all of the above.
I will never forget the first time I met him. It was about 5+ years ago one summer night. I had been out on the town with my friend Leah and we ended up hanging out with her LA DJ friend Steve Aoki. We all went back to this apartment where a bunch of industry people were sitting around playing poker. I was still young and fairly new to NYC and I felt a bit out of place and awkward, so I sat on a couch nearby wondering how exactly to fit into the equation. Suddenly Adam walked in. He had an air about him that was just so real in such a jaded scene. Unlike some of the other guests who didn’t give me a second glance, I will never forget that Adam came directly over to me first and sat down and introduced himself. He loved my leopard headband and we began to talk about music. I was at first a bit star-struck because I loved music and had always admired DJs. As we talked I became less self-conscious and appreciative of his attempts to make me feel comfortable in someone else’s home. While he was playing poker I went home because I was tired. I assumed I would never see him again but the next day I woke up to an email on my MySpace asking me to grab dinner. I couldn’t even believe this guy with hundreds of thousands of MySpace friends even checked his own website. That was a perfect example of how down to earth Adam was. In a world of divas and posers Adam was a fine example of staying ‘real’ despite his shining star.
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