Day 128: Trade Secrets #1 DJ Donna Summer interview and Exclusive mp3

Bangers, for those cave dwellers, DJ Donna Summer is a Berlin based DJ, producer, boundary shunning all round nice guy. He runs two labels, the excellent Nightshifters (Home to Hostage and AC Slater among others) and Cock Rock Disco, which is, well... words just can't describe, so check it for yourself.

His sounds range from Breakcore, Happy Hardcore, Rave , Sample-pop to whatever else you might image, but always focusing on fun times.

I asked the good man if he wouldn't mind doing a quick interview, and giving us his spin on how to make it as a DJ. Not only that but he was kind enough to regale us with a mix, AND an EXCLUSIVE copy of Nightshifters' next release, in full 320 before it's even out.

Mega!

Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into DJing and the whole scene?

I've been a professional musician for a long time. It only comes as natural that people ask you to do Dj gigs. After screwing a few up, you get a bit more serious, and then when you get serious you want to do better gigs and before you know it you call yourself a DJ at cocktail parties.


What for you were the key moments/things that got you from bedroom DJ to professional/full timer?

Being involved in a community. Throwing parties, helping with parties, playing for free, just being involved in general.


Do you think that it's easier, or harder now to make it as a DJ/Producer?

It's neither really. It just takes hard work and the drive to do it.


Top 5 tips for anyone looking to get in to DJ/producing?

tip 1-3: be passionate about music, any sort of music.
tip 4: spend some time to figure out out to mix and perform your sets professionally
tip 5: always try to have fun at every show, all the time, forever


Top 5 things NOT to do?

1-5: Don't be a dick

What do you think is more important, raw talent, or 'getting to know' people/making the right contacts?

They are both important, but I think having passion and ideas is really key to getting ahead.


Your style spans more than one genre, do you think the same rules apply to all scenes, or are some easier to get on in (ie smaller more niche scenes)?

Yeah, smaller scenes are easier to break into mainly because it's easier to meet people. But big scenes are basically the same- they are just a bunch of small scene's put together. If you want to get involved then just show up and start to meet people. It's pretty easy really.

Do you think the current scene is sustainable with the number of guys coming through, competition for gigs, current state of record sales etc?

Sure, why not? Every club always wants new fresh talent, and music moves quickly.

What would you have done differently, if anything, if you were to do it all again?

Not a damn thing.

With Nightshifters is the anything you particularly look for in a track?

I look for originality and I look for that special something which makes a track fall just slightly between genres. I really believe in the power of openness in music


With your own production is there a particular approach you take (melody, then beats etc) do you have ideas in your head, or just what comes out at the time?

I think having an idea in advance is always good. Of course these change as you work on the track, but having some notion of what you want to do is always great.

Berlin has a great Techno and Electronic heritage, how has this played a part in DJ Donna Summer being where? who he is now?

Berlin's great! It's an incredibly cheap city that is super-open for anything! I'm always inspired by the shows I go too! So many cool people here and it's always fun to meet new folks as they pass through or come here to live.


Favorite piece of studio kit?

I only have a laptop, nothing else! HA! I use Ableton for most stuff, Logic to mix things down, and occasionally I even use my iphone to make sounds too!


Plans for the future, new projects etc?

Well, I'm really super busy in general, as I run 2 labels- Nightshifters and also an experimental label called Cock Rock Disco, so that keeps me quite busy in addition to performing and trying to make music. But in addition I'm also developing new iPhone applications. You'll hear all about it SOON! haha!

Our new releases are:
Nightshifters:
May 12- Rob Threezy - The Change Up
June 18 - Rampage - War
July- Udatchi and Jubilee - Paypur

and on Cock Rock Disco:
Nero's Day At Disneyland - From Rotting Fantasylands- out now!


And just to leave us all jealous... what is the best thing about being a DJ?

The ability to travel the world and get paid for it! I've been to 4 continents and more countries than I can count. I wake up and feel lucky every single day!

And now the goodies:

DJ Donna Summer - Night Mix

EXCLUSIVE full quality pre-release mp3:

Rob Threezy - The Change up

Nightshifters on Beatport

DJ Donna Summer Myspace

2/365

p&&l

bang!

Day 118: Phase 4 Mix

Yah... cool huh.

A wee bit rushed this one, but I am happy with it. Bangers and some 'Intelligent Bangers' pretty much going all the way through. Hey it's effectively summer already, It's already 'girls wearing loads less' weather... which is Banger time in my book.

T/L after the hop...

Bang the DJ Phase 4
Intro
Kissy Sellout - This Kiss (Jack Beats Remix)
Blatta & Inesha - Where is it
Chase and Status - Saxon (Oh Snap!!! Remix)
Daz the Dominent - Make me Feel
AC Slater - Banger
Audio Bullys - Le me Be me (Jaymo Remix)
Arveene & Misk - Hells Bells
McLloyd - Tembisa Funk (Jokers of the Scene Remix)
Sidney Samson - Riverside
Kidda - Feel too Good (Jack beats remix)
Goshi Goshi - The Lock Shot
Rico Tubbs - Hip Rave Anthem
Blatta & Inesha, Congorock - People
Math Head - Turn the Music Up (AC Slater remix)
Kid Sister - get Fresh (Alex Gopher Remix)
Joe and Will Ask - Surge
K-Klass - Let me Show you (Bang the DJ Remix)

2/365

p&&l

bang!

Day 89: March (Just) Mini mix.

Once again, slipping in, just under the wire. The march minimix.

Breaks (remember them) are the order of the day. Track list followed by the direct link then player as always.

After that is the video for Warp by the Bloody Beetroots. Every time I hear it, I do a small wee. best of all I got sent a 320k full release version from the label, so expect it to be all over the April mix. WOOP WOOP!

Miles Dyson - Intro
Ashton - Shuffle for Everyone
Muza yakuza - Blow
Dylan Rhymes - I'm Sweet
Groove Diggaz - get Fresh (Sam Hell Rmx)
Splitloop - Hot Rock Boy
Sonic Weapon - 10 Rapid
DJ Icey - Bassline Hookers
Aquasky - Another Dimension
Napt - The Rollers Ft Skibadee

Breaks Minimix - Direct Download

2/365

p&&l

bang!

Day 77: Phase 3

Hey, what's this?We're still (albeit barely) in the teens of the month and the mix is ready, done, nailed. Thats what happens when you get a bank holiday on a Thursday.

I wasn't sure if I liked it half way through it, but afterwards I've decided that I do really like it. It's a bit moodier that Phase 1 and Phase 2, but still heavy and driving as you might expect.

It's interesting that I haven't been accumalating that much music this month, so some of the tunes that made it in are maybe less obvious, and maybe thats why I like it, a bit fresher. There is even a dab of Dub-Step going on, I never saw that coming. Track list and link after the hop.

Bang the DJ - Phase 3 (Direct download)

Stream:

Don Rimini - Rave On
Hostage - Murder Rocket
We Want Your Soul (Trumpdisco Remix)
N.A.S.A. - Whatchadoin' (Villains Remix)
AC Slater - Rock it Out
Modeselektor - A1 Suckerpin (feadz remix)
Hollywood Holt - Hollywood (Fantastadon's extended remix)
Flosstradamus - Big Bills (Jokers Of The Scene After 4AM Rework)
Sad Mafioso - Ce que tu cherches
Nighty Max - IGLOU.mp3
Que - Let's go to my place
Midfield General ft. RID - On The Road (Fukkk Offf Remix)
Modeselektor Kill Bill Vol. 4
Foreign Beggars, DJ Primecuts - Hit That Gash (Itchy Naaan Re-Rub)
Duke Dumont - Duke's Fanfare (NT89's BANGY re-make)
In For The Kill (Skream remix)

2/365

p&&l

bang!

Day 59: Big like titanic.

Right, here we are, just coming in under the bar. February's minimix. It really truly, seriously is a belter.

If you hadn't guess, this months theme is Drum & Bass. Being a Bristolian, this is a genre close to my heart. I even kick off the set with an ultra Bristolian combo of Jakes/TC/Dynamite, by means of homage.

Direct Link (Right click save as).

Bang the DJ Drum & Bass minimix:

This reminded me of the Jan minimix, that I wasn't entirely pleased with... so I went back to it, and tweaked the levels to make it a bit smoother, and now, I actually quite like it, so in case you missed it (on my own advice) here is again:

Direct Link (Right click save as).

Bang the DJ Disco minimix:

What I really liked about this mix is that it's a scene that I haven't been too involved with of recent, so effectively had no tunes etc. Off I went to the always excellent Drum & Bass Arena, safe in the knowledge they would have the goods. And indeed I wasn't disappointed. Snapped me up a few bargains. 49p for a kick ass mp3? Can't be bad.

I actually bought quite a few mp3s this weekend. It actually reminded me how much I actually prefer buying them, yeah weird. Without going in to the whole rant about it... basically 'the blogs' are a very good source of upfront tunes, but if you rely too much on that, you soon find your musical horizon is quite narrow.

Example, while looking to buy 'Champion Sound' on mp3, I stumbled upon another tune of the same name, that is a completely different hip-hop number, that was really good. I discovered a new artist, and might even follow that up as a theme for a mini mix.

Not only that, having paid for something, by its very nature, gives it value. I think nothing of skimming through the weeks blog offerings, crassly deleting this, 'possibly' keeping that... this is someones hard work. Yet the mp3s I buy, seem cherished, special.

On top of all of this, is the obvious act of doing right. I don't spect Bruce Springsteen would ever notice if I bought his tracks on mp3 or not... and I don't just mean on a monetary level. However buying these mp3s there is that definite sense of contributing back to the artist. Yes financially, but also in the more supportive sense.

If I released music digitally, I would get a mad buzz, when checking my stats (as I am sure is possible/they do) to see that people actually buy my music, not as part of a mix, or compilation... but the specific track. So it is definitely nice to give that back.

I'm not about to suggest everyone should do the same, we are too far down that road for it to matter, however, I just wanted to comment that despite all the fears, maybe music sales aren't going to die after all. Who knows maybe the hard working independent artist might flourish in this more level of playing fields.

1/365

p&&l

bang!

Day 52: Phase 2

Some said it would never happen, others doubted it would even get off the ground, but dagnabbit, here it is, February Phase 2 mix. And what a corker it is too, even if I do say so myself.

Sadly no rest for the wicked, as I have the mini mix to deal with now, I have chosen a genre, but I can't slip anything unusual in to this one I'm afraid. Should be good fun tho so look forward to that one. Track listing and download link after the hop.

The McNuggetini - Vodka and a Shake garnished with a Nugget - Fucking genius.

Bang the DJ - Phase 2

Sneaky Sound System - When we were young
Mr Oizo - Two takes it
From Monument to Masses - Beyond God to Elvis (Felix Cartel Remix)
Djedotronic - Dirty and Hard (Stereo Heroes remix)
Junkie XL - Booming Right at You
Project Bassline - Drop the Pressure (Jack beats remix)
Boys Noize - Shine Shine (Shadow Dancer remix)
Bonde de Role - Solta O Frango (LAZRtag remix)
Little Boots - Stuck on Repeat (Fake Blood Bangs the DJ remix)
Coldblank - Calaca
Shinichi Osawa - Electro 411
Soulwax - Miserable Girl(Royal Rumble Edit)
Trumpdisco - Paranoid
SPA - Pets Dance (Bloody Beetroots remix)
Audio Bullys - Dope Fiend (Tommie Sunshine & Udachi rmx)
Purple Crush - Shopping on the Dancefloor (AC Slater remix)

1/365

p&&l

bang!

Day 31: Count on it.

Yo bangers...

So here it is, the end of the first month. Things start getting complicated from here... mainly because now I can't just refer to the date to remember what Day number/post count it is.

Tomorrow I will post the monthly round up. Kinda guess I should have done it today, but have been rushed to get some stuff done. Most notably my January Minimix. Although not in the original plan, the idea of doing an off genre minimix seemed like a good idea. Each one will be in a style different to that which I normally play. This month is Nu Disco, oh yeah and an All Saints track (see if you can spot it).

I haven't had chance to listen though to it yet, but my OCD was insisting that I get done and on the blog while it's still technically January. This is short hand for, it might be a bit shoddy.

Trying to cram long songs into a mini mix is hard going. Anyways, make your own minds up here:

Bang the DJ January Minimix (Nu Disco)

Somewhere on this t-shirt is the word "Achiever" can you spot it?

I am open to suggestions for next months challenge track. I might make this a reoccurring theme, to plop in an unusual tune each minimix, seeing as they are all about experimenting and trying something different. Tho obviously there has to be limits, something that might at least feasibly work


I'm starting to worry about where all this pro-activity is coming from to be honest. I had better be careful or at this rate I might actually achieve something!

Goodbye January...

p&&l

bang!

Day 6: Face the Music...

Ok, so 6 days in to a blog about making it as a DJ, it's about time we had some music.

This mix is a bit indulgent, as it's kind of a culmination of some killer tunes I have been itching to play, plus some 'bigguns' from 08, in an end of year annual stylee.

However, what it does do nicely is give you a fairly good idea of the sound that I am playing with at the moment.

Bass heavy is how I am feeling it, and I do LOVE a bit of old skool rave influence (nods knowingly at Hostage).

I have been trying to get in to Dub Step for a while now, but haven't quite made the cross over yet... it's mad popular in my home town, maybe I'll start getting it just as it burns out due to commercialisation or other such predictable ending.

Anyways, I digress... here you go "Phase 1" or the Bang the DJ series (that's month1 to you and me).

Bang the DJ - Phase 1 mix

Feel free to flame, criticise, request tune IDs etc by commenting below:

peace&&love

bang!