The Clever DJ
Meet the dynamic duo discussing everything DJ related. Diverse perspectives from a Novice and a Pro.
The Clever DJ
Creative DJ Techniques - How To Stand Out As A DJ? Ep #33
Is harmonic mixing the secret sauce to a flawless DJ set? Join us on this episode of "The Other Platforms" as we unpack the artistry behind dynamic DJ performances with Ilya and Nino. Ilya, a relatively new DJ, shares his journey from bartender to DJ, and his chance encounter with Nino, a 20-year veteran of the industry. You'll hear about their shared love for pho and the humorous, yet serious, discussion on the importance of having unique tracks to craft a DJ's distinct identity.
As we move through the episode, we dive into the essential elements that set live DJ performances apart. From an Eastern European DJ who merges live band performances with DJing, to the nuances of harmonic mixing for seamless transitions, we explore how these techniques can elevate a set. Learn how reading the crowd and incorporating interactive elements like drum pads can make your performance unforgettable. And don't miss our chat about the spontaneity of idea sharing and why experimenting with creative concepts right away can lead to some of the most innovative sets. Tune in for an engaging discussion brimming with tips, anecdotes, and the shared passion that fuels Ilya and Nino's journey in the world of DJing.
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Welcome back to another episode of the other platforms. We're on Apple Music, spotify, literally everywhere. We are a banter podcast. My name is Ilya and I've been a DJ for about two years now and you know I've done a variety of events and I met this awesome guy about two years ago while I was bartending and I want him to teach me how to DJ. So, and he's way more experienced. So that's just a newbie and a pro.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so my name is Nino. As he said, I was the pro DJ and I've been DJing for over 20 plus years, and I started off with bars, clubs and now I'm doing weddings. So, yeah, that's what primarily we do, and my company employs about 15 DJs under its roster 15?
Speaker 1:I thought you had more.
Speaker 2:Eh good, no, just 15. 15's, I thought he had more. Yeah, good, no just 15.
Speaker 1:15 is enough. It's enough for now. Yeah, no Cause, like you have, you have some weeks where, some weekends where you have like easy 30 gigs. Yeah, sometimes like Friday, Saturday, Sunday. It's pretty crazy Mostly weddings, right, Mm-hmm Anyway. So you always got to find extra people, huh.
Speaker 2:I'm always looking for, yeah, DJs that are experienced in the stuff that we do, especially weddings.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what's that story we were talking about earlier? What story On the way to the gig? What was it? Oh, we went to that restaurant. Oh, yes, yes. Story on the way to the gig. What?
Speaker 1:was it oh we went to that restaurant, oh, yes, yes, the one time. So nino is from the philippines and, um, you know, we like, we spoke about a lot, his heritage and stuff like that, right, like where you're from and everything, and like how about? How, like filipino food is amazing, and then somehow, we like, our favorite meal became pho. Yeah, for some reason, even though it's not filipino at all. No, it's, yeah, it's not. And then we, we go like where did we go? What? What city was this in? As far as no wait I forgot where it was.
Speaker 2:It's on the way west, far west, so west from toronto. It was a two and a half hour drive. Did we hit?
Speaker 1:Schaumburg.
Speaker 2:Yes, we did. Yes, yes, we did, we did we did.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was that day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was that day, it was.
Speaker 1:We found this one pho restaurant and did we find it like because we just decided on a whim?
Speaker 2:oh, let's go eat pho. Yeah, because we were Googling pho in our area.
Speaker 1:So we weren't planning to actually go there.
Speaker 2:And we're pho connoisseurs so we try every different. We give it like a 1 to 10. We rate them right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like exactly how pho should be made.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because it has to have that great broth.
Speaker 1:We can't make it by the way, but we know what it's supposed to taste like. So, anyway, we go to this restaurant and I'm like yo Nino she looks like she's from the Philippines For sure. She's for sure from the Philippines, no.
Speaker 2:You remember that? Yes, I remember. I thought I had to remind you. I said, no, she doesn't Come on, I'm like she speaks Tagalog, and and then you listen to it. Yeah Well, didn't you say it was a different dialect? It was a different dialect, but it was Tagalog.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, it's some, some. How did I notice? It's so obvious, man.
Speaker 2:Weird. I thought they were talking like really fast, so it didn't really sound Filipino.
Speaker 1:It was some of the most incredible yeah Menu, such unique items. Remember, I wanted to order everything, everything you wanted to order.
Speaker 2:Oh man, that was a good place, but the pho was really good, like A1. It was one of the best.
Speaker 1:We always talk about maybe going back there. We know it's probably it's far, it's too far Not going to happen anytime soon, unless we have an event that way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we should get one.
Speaker 1:We should get one just that way. Get your next event 50% off if your event is in this area, this area. What are we talking about?
Speaker 2:Well, we're talking about DJs and how to put artistic creativity in your sets so you can be different than the pack, right? Because there's so many DJs out there, you have to separate from them. What's your unique thing about you? How do you DJ, right? Just one sec, oh, oh man, if you're gonna open that, I'm opening up too.
Speaker 1:Man, let's just play black tea, goji, berry and blackberry that's gonna be our drink for a little while, so healthy some of the coolers I had on my birthday zero grams of sugar, oh man we gotta get sponsored basque, if you guys are listening.
Speaker 2:Basque, basque, yeah, oh, that's good, that's actually delicious. So one way you can put your artistic creativity into your sets is your track selection, and I've always said that it's important to have set songs that only you play right, or set remixes and stuff, because it really puts that patent on you as you, how you DJ, as a DJ, right, and sets you apart right and yeah, have those tracks that nobody else has right. Be proud to have those tracks. What was that track? I'm not telling you, no way. I'm not telling you. It's mine. Don't even think about it, bro. Don't even think about it.
Speaker 1:No, I'm saying what was the name you always like, I always ask for oh, can you give me that one? And you're like, no, no, you're like no, no, you're not gonna find it.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I don't know what you're talking about, bro?
Speaker 1:I don't know I'm just messing with you. Um, yeah, but you had a few of those. I have a lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you were like carefully like selecting around those songs when I give you the songs, no, not that one, this is this one, it's true, and it was just.
Speaker 1:I was like, oh wow, like it's sacred right, like that's one of the things I noticed in the beginning, yeah, like how you guard your music and stuff no, it's we've. We've, you know we've our blood sweat and tears are in that music, man and the thing is, you're not going to become a worse dj if somebody gets your music, or or you know they're not going to get the same kind of reaction from the music.
Speaker 2:We're all different, right we're all going to be mixing it differently in the end right, but we're still sentimental about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, still your music it's still our music.
Speaker 2:Man, yeah, like, honestly, I wouldn't get someone to pay for music, for my music, I wouldn't do that. Sorry, like my, my library selling it? Yeah, selling it? I wouldn't, I wouldn't take it. I'll be like no, I can't man, unless you want certain tracks but not my whole library. I, I didn't even give you my library.
Speaker 1:I gave you the other one that I got then at the university there at the frosh week. Yeah, you gave me stuff directly from your computer yeah, I gave you a few.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to give you. Give me like 50 something, 60, yeah, out of like. Still, I've sold them 80 000.
Speaker 1:I sold a playlist 10 times, whatever. I actually never shared anything you shared with me with anyone else, because this was like you know, I know it's special, but like we said before, um, it's, it's funny Like I, I couldn't use most of that, most of those songs, like I took like the best, like 100 or whatever, but there were tens of thousands and you just it's so hard working with someone else's library, yeah. So, much harder. Yeah, it is, it is. And you kept saying that. You kept like stop collecting music.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man.
Speaker 1:Cause I gotta do. Yeah, man, it's not gonna do anything for you. There's a lot of songs that you're never gonna play anyway, right? So, yeah, the best way was to like get them when you needed them, and then you slowly, slowly, build your like.
Speaker 2:okay, that was that, yeah, yeah, yeah, you learn to find out the actual bangers, right? But, um, yeah, put in your so this is still number one put in in your DJ creatives, your, your, your nuggets in your sets, right, that like, there's certain songs that like defines you as a, as, as the DJ, and this is they're going to be like your.
Speaker 1:Your reference made me laugh.
Speaker 2:Nuggets, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Nobody said it.
Speaker 2:Just too many. Too many goji berry. Uh, black tea drinks man one too many no, but you're right.
Speaker 1:Like everything you're saying, I'm just being childish.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, you're right, um yeah, but yeah, there's those songs, right, and you guys know that it's not really a big song, maybe it's a b-side song, but it's something that represents you as a dj. So that's what I'm talking about, right? That, yeah, it's important. Number two, layering and texturing. Like adding layers in your mix, like certain acapellas. If you're adding like samples or instrumentals on top of another, that's perfect, it's great, something that every DJ should try to strive to, because you want that creativity. Again, it puts a stamp on how you are, who you are as a DJ.
Speaker 1:What about stems? That's part of this right, oh yeah for sure.
Speaker 2:Man stems is another creative uh thing. Man stems honestly changed the game like uh and you you already started using stems oh yeah, I've been using it already, already trying to find out like mini sets and stuff to use it on I noticed you have like certain routines already. Yeah, yeah I love using, being as creative as you can it. It separates you from other DJs, right, because I know a lot of DJs who still don't use stems right.
Speaker 1:A lot of them is because their computer won't be able to handle it. It's true, lots of DJs just get like a cheap computer. Yeah, I don't know why Half the people who don't use it that I I met don't use it because their computer can't handle it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, half yeah, that's a lot, that's a lot that's a lot of people and with nowadays you have to keep up with uh like, like technology man, because especially with djing ai uh, you need to keep up with it. So yeah, having a like a strong, powerful computer is crucial if you want to use programs like stems and stuff, because it takes a lot of memory from your computer, and so adding samples and stuff that make you your own style is important.
Speaker 1:I always find Like your signature right the way you play Exactly Number three, live remixing and mashups again.
Speaker 2:You're so good at that, yeah I love doing it because it's, it's cool, like hearing another beat with another, like um lyrics or a different song on top of it. Just, you wouldn't think that would mesh, uh, so well, but it does. Right, those are, those are nuggets right there, and if you can incorporate those in your sets, uh, you're golden man, you, that's, that's your style, right, the way you play, the way you mix them, if you're scratching it in, that's all you know, unique to you, because you all, everybody has different styles of scratching to the way they do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, compared to two or three of the other DJs I worked with before you and I met and one of them after we met right, you know, you actually know him too you were the one who was by far the most creative in that aspect. Specific, specifically, like the way it's always different. You have a routine, but it's very unique. All there's still something different every time. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the way you like live, remix, smash, like that's, that's really cool, man. That's why one of the reasons why I was like I'm gonna make sure that he got my number or like that we can reach each other after that that gig because I was like this guy's gonna teach me. You were so sure I I approached like two other guys and after me, after I approached you before you approached me, probably before.
Speaker 1:I think you're the last one I spoke to, okay, and um, there was one, one more guy that I told you about that had that beautiful, amazing production yeah, I forget, I forget. I I would say his name if I remembered his name but some eastern european guy, no, like honestly one of the best djs and and and we got to talking about like how much people charge like I've already just started DJing right For six months probably and he told me that he only charged like 15 or 1600.
Speaker 2:Remember I told you His gig is crazy Like insane and live a live band.
Speaker 1:Apparently they were like all like together.
Speaker 2:He was bundled in with the live band.
Speaker 1:I'm not sure Potentially, like the way he was talking about it. I'm like I must be misunderstanding, but even even if he wasn't the whole wedding, maybe they had connections, I don't know, maybe they knew each other, but it was really cheap, but he was one of the best, honestly. But the other, the other one I didn't approach him but but the other ones were, yeah, like I think maybe they contacted me but like I could tell okay, this guy knows how to DJ better than anyone else, right? So like I never focused on anyone else. And then everything that you taught me actually you know like happened exactly how you said it would happen, like live gigs and all that stuff, right? That's when you really start learning yeah so yeah, um anyway.
Speaker 2:Number four harmonic mixing yes, harmonic mixing is very important for your creativity because it just adds to that extra step of um, of of mixing right, it's not just your um, not just playing any songs back to back to back, it's putting them in melodic, uh, positions where it sounds really pleasing to the ear and you sometimes you can't even tell that the song switched because it's so seamless and smooth and it just, you know, melodically it just sounds perfect, right together and that's that's awesome. If you guys are using harmonic mixing, like mixing in key is totally amazing for that right, and yeah it, you can pick the tracks by um, by the, the, the key and the strength, like how, um, how fire it is, or, or do you have different levels for that right? If it's not so popular, you use it, or oh yeah, yeah, I'll use that for that part, okay because I know you told me you want to start using that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all the cool features, and yeah, you start using it I did start using it.
Speaker 2:It's more for I think it's more for dance DJs like EDM DJs. It makes more sense that way, but it's. It's cool if you can read the crowd and have the same BPM going, but of course you want to put it in that order if you're reading the crowd Right. So it's, it's good.
Speaker 1:That's stagnant though. Yeah, we did. Maybe that was at that cool venue like that studio, Was that there?
Speaker 2:No, no, that was somewhere else, that was another thing.
Speaker 1:So that night I remember you played a lot of like EDM style music, right, it was they literally like it was just like it turned into a club. Yes, for like the last portion.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they loved that.
Speaker 1:They gave me a playlist of like EDM stuff, so like it was also like dance, like you know, lyrics, like lyrical, but everything was electronic, pretty much Right, and I don't know if you were following that day like or that was just a routine you learned by ear but it was perfect, harmonically, everything. It was just that was crazy, that was a good gig, that was.
Speaker 2:That was fun man. I played a little bit of everything too, like R&B and that night I can't believe you didn't do their wedding.
Speaker 1:I thought you would and you said someone, somebody else did. You couldn't no that, like they, they either booked you for some reason, you couldn't do it. You said some Ed or somebody else.
Speaker 2:You said, somebody else did it oh, he did yeah, but that's for another gig.
Speaker 1:I think you know it was for that one, because the guy was like doing the warm, remember, and that's how we like associated that gig. The guy who did the warm like really high, like really high up oh yeah, you don't remember no, not really it's either a useless memory or you have, I forgot about that shit memory I don't know either. Either this is just something stupid to remember, or the way I refer to it, maybe or, or. Or maybe it's you and you have just a memory okay maybe it's me, I can't tell.
Speaker 1:Probably it's probably stupid. That's probably the one.
Speaker 2:Um, all right, number five, my phone is locked, you gotta okay number five is having, like, incorporating your interactive like set elements, like, if you have um I have a friend that uses um, his drum pad, to actually mimic drums when he's playing a song, right, so he goes along with the beat and it sounds cool. It's like he's adding fills and stuff like that. People are watching him and recording him. It's like he's adding his own flair to it, right, and that's it's important. As a dj, that's one thing that you can do to make your sets like stand, stand above and beyond right yeah, yeah, we spoke about that actually right on, like right in the beginning.
Speaker 1:Yes, how, when I was talking to you about hey, you got to make yourself unique. That's how you can get more gigs. Remember, we said we're like singing, singing, yeah, like a package, like when they walked down the aisle Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were literally practicing and we sounded better than somebody that was hired. Do you remember? Like, how, like, and we weren't the ones, the only ones thinking that somebody said something, so anyway, and, and the one they hired was okay, but we sounded better. So like that could literally be a service. It could, but we need to have a lot of songs, not like, oh, we only sing these two songs. Yeah, yeah, anyway.
Speaker 2:So like, adding all of those extra elements extra stuff like your, your musicianship, sort of thing.
Speaker 1:Yes, it doesn't hurt Musicianship. Musicianship, that's the word of the day.
Speaker 2:What is the word your?
Speaker 1:Wow, I can't think of it right now. Musicianship, it is Musicality.
Speaker 2:Musicality, yeah. And next number six is your ability to storytell. Storytelling, yeah. Storytelling, to take the you know the set in a way that tells a story.
Speaker 1:Take them on a musical trip. Yeah, it's like literally, like without talking, just through music it's. It's important you to immerse them in into the experience, right? Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:So yeah, storytelling, if you can uh bring them on a musical journey, starting off mellow, then picking up, then climax and back down. You know it's more memorable that way uh number seven visual integration yeah, man, you were talking about your. Uh, that that gig before.
Speaker 1:Visually oh yeah, uh, laser city gareth emery that was that was insane.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they had a. What is that?
Speaker 1:the beginning so, uh, I like how immersive it was in terms of, uh, not just the insane lasers, um, but like they were so like well synchronized with the music, but also I. You know, it's kind of a simple thing, I've seen them before, but I love it when they have the screen and the story of, like you know, I think she was trying like at this point I don't remember exactly what it was, but she was trying to get to the club and it was like her entire journey until she got there. And then, when she got there, suddenly like the video closes and then you can see her on stage. It was like there was a whole like backstory and they fit it into the music.
Speaker 2:And she was actually singing on the track.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she is the one who sings.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Sick man Visual element. That's cool. Yeah, she is the one who sings. Yeah, sick man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, visual element, that's cool. Yeah, so the lasers, that's the main thing. But then that was like a really nice addition.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, nice, Nice. That's literally like what we were talking about, like storytelling as well. That's a literal thing, right there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, some things about it, like I said and how she said. But it was when you're in that community, like trance and, like you know, like EDM, electronic music, yeah, like it's just, it's different. Like I, I feel like I'm like like I'm 20 years ago, yeah, like I don't know. And when I'm in that atmosphere I feel nostalgic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Do you drink when you're in that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, honestly, that's that's all I do. I just I drink. Yeah, yeah, it's uh, it's like it's enough for me. I just drink a lot sometimes. Yeah, but yeah, that's not a regular uh event. The occasion that, like I go to these kind of shows yeah, but yeah, it's definitely like, definitely adds to it. I went sober once. How was that? I forget why I went. It was driving, but like it was, for Maybe you were the designated driver, d&d, I was, but there was something else that night. Anyway, I had to drive, I had to help them out with something and I just decided not to drink at all, like there's no point in just having one beer, like right. So, and it was such a different experience when everyone's drunk around you and like you're totally sober.
Speaker 2:You can see them all the change, right? Yeah, and you're like wow do?
Speaker 1:I do that when I'm drunk.
Speaker 2:You're pretty bad sometimes.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, there was a moment where I was like the music is kind of enough, like it trips you out. You know if you, if you, love that kind of music, of course, man, but you definitely feel it's like that you're sober, but the music like still makes it a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah such a different experience, but yeah, like storytelling visual integration, like, like if, if the lights are going with the music and stuff, it just adds that extra element of uh, just amazingness, that's wow factor, right.
Speaker 1:So yeah, all right um number eight and this is.
Speaker 2:This is the same thing that we were talking about making it unique and stuff Personal signature sounds. Personal signature sounds Like if you use certain sound effects in your sets and you use them very often, yeah, put those in. It makes you unique, right? It adds your flavor, sort of.
Speaker 1:Yes, and yeah, people know that. Oh, that's Nino, you know playing, for sure, yeah the way he scratches it in or whatever.
Speaker 2:And then even your like dj drop right. Add that in so everybody knows your name. But this is not recommended in a wedding or private event and mostly clubs and bars and stuff.
Speaker 1:That's kind of corny yeah, um number nine crowd interaction.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's fun yeah, it's always fun, right, getting people hyped up and singing in in your sets is is the way to go and so interactive and it gets it's more deeper for them. It makes it more memorable when they're everything, can sing along, because they remember exactly how they feel at that moment.
Speaker 1:Too right, when you're doing that like interaction yeah, people come to you after, even not after during the gig, and you killed it, man, oh, you're amazing. Or the tips yes, always love the tips. Thanks for playing that song. Hey, I was gonna ask for that song, but you knew when to play it anyway. Yeah, like it's just, it's fun. It's fun, right, like you're already celebrating pretty much every holiday there is with a bunch of strangers as a dj, right, sometimes you get lucky and you dj for people you know, or return clients, right, yeah, but if you're already going to be there, have a good time, have a great time. Yeah, interact. Um, yeah, you're very good with the crowd I'm okay.
Speaker 2:You know, there's always something anybody and everybody can improve on right.
Speaker 1:So yeah, you do a good job.
Speaker 2:I try number 10, and this is pretty much what will make you like unique is just trying new things, experimenting yeah, trying new things, like experimenting, like something that doesn't go. Don't think it doesn't go until you try it right. Sometimes you'd be surprised, like certain songs, if you mash them up together like that's not gonna go, like a rock song and a rap song, but you put them together like, oh, it actually sounds good, right.
Speaker 1:So trust your ears when it comes to stuff like that yeah, have some guts when it comes to um, you know, djing, because that's in music, like that's how lots of, lots of cool things started. Somebody tried by mistake, right yeah. Or like some they went in the other direction. Yeah, like of, like the instructions or the manual or something, right like you're never gonna know, until you try it genre yeah, it came out of that it
Speaker 1:starts, yeah, it fuses something, yeah yeah, you do that all the time with uh, your routines and everything I try just to be a little creative and add a new spin to things. Right, yeah, spice up your sets like I said before you, even though you have like a set routine that, let's say, somebody heard you DJ before that type of event, they'll know, they'll know it's you Right. But there's still little things you change here and there just to keep it a bit refreshed for each client.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Or every few gigs, yeah, yeah. So it's good. It shows you actually love doing this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, there's a lot of djs that say they get bored doing the same things. Well, because you're not varying your mixes, you're not changing, you're playing the same stuff, right? So always try to play different things. I'm not saying the whole set has to be different, but maybe add in songs that you don't usually play to keep it fresh and exciting for yourself, not even just for the crowd, right?
Speaker 1:For me with my ADHD, like, honestly, it's so easy for me to wander off to. Oh, I wonder what that sounds like.
Speaker 2:Did you do it live?
Speaker 1:Honestly like eight or nine out of 10 times. The idea was good. One or two times out of those 10, maybe it was fire.
Speaker 2:Fire.
Speaker 1:Fire fire fire fire truck. Fire Fire fire fire Fire truck. Fire truck emoji. Fire truck emoji. Every time I have one of those crazy ideas, I don't just set it aside and think I'll do it next time. No, I try it right away to see what happens, right, and I send it to you or I tell you about it. Hey, how do you think this is going to sound? A couple of times you dismissed it. No.
Speaker 1:And then you even showed me like, oh yeah, nevermind, but no, I had a few good ideas. Yeah, don't be an asshole. Great ideas, man Come on I had great ideas, great, but yeah, that's it. So that is the end of our episode and thank you so much for joining another clever dj episode yeah purge.
Speaker 2:We'll see you. The next one, guys see you next time.