Friday, December 13, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
With These Hands DJ Comp, Table Kingz, UNC Charlotte
I wanna give a big shout out to Claude at With These Hands and all of the competitors from last nights event. DJ Ease (Follow him on Twiiter, he's a bad, bad man on some 12's) took home the top prize just edging out DJ SPS (who was on all vinyl I might add). DJ Aquaria, DJ Scooby, DJ Manish, DJ Jaybee, DJ Q-Base, DJ Gabie The Gift, DJ Bamboo, DJ Moto and DJ DA Smooth all did their thing. I unfortunately stunk up the place. I'm not ashamed to admit it but here, but who gets riding a bike right the first time! I took a few flicks but not many and I will post them here. The event was top flight though.</p>So, yeah, I'm nervous. I'm about to walk into an arena with some of the top DJ's in the world to compete in a field that has been a staple of hip-hop for over 20 years. If I had eaten some spaghetti before hand, it probably would have been all over my sweater. Thanks for the heads up Em. So I arrive at UNC Charlotte... on the wrong side of campus, but thanks to a beautiful young co-ed, whose name I did not get because I was FOCUSED MAN, I made my way to the theater at McKnight Hall. Once inside I was introduced to the man of the hour, Claude Whitfield, founder and director of With These Hands DJ Academy and his team. Mr. Kevin Hyrams of Softwired Syetems assisted in directing the battle. We were all read the rules of the competition and re-familiarized with the format... One 30 second scratch round for each competitor and then a 3 minute battle elimination round followed by a special performance by guest judge Chris Karns. After that, the 3 minute championship round for the grand prize of $500.
Since I had the fewest votes online, I got to go first in the scratch round... Way to throw me under the bus people. Anyway, my entire battle segment was plagued with off timing. I didn't do the one thing I kept telling myself over and over to do... keep it simple stupid. Anyways, my scratch round was anything but spectacular and my three minute round was so off that even I didn't want to finish it out. But I'm giving myself points for showing up and trying. I know that with a little more practice and effort, I can make a decent showing. Practice being the optimum word here. But the truth is that all of the other competitors showed up. And not only that, they introduced the world of turntablism to college kids and some younger kids who might have never known this world existed. From Chris Karns' magnificent display to SPS and Ease's sudden death round thriller, the crowd was captivated. The online twitter and text voted provided by Sprite kept the crowd engaged and gave a live contrast to the Judges, all of whom were turntablist champs in their own rite, DJ Skillz, DJ REd, DJ Mvee, DJ EU, DJ, SOden, DJ Dexter Dynamite and DJ Chuck T.
The battle between International DJ Ease (NY) and DJ SPS (Orlando, FL) was intense. SPS on all vinyl showcased the skills that make for legendary DMC champs. Ease, however, came through with some wicked mixes and cuts that entertained and showed that he can do this, with ease.
The first round of the championships ended in a draw. The second round was even closer but a few needle skips gave the edge to DJ Ease and he took home top honors.
Topping the night off, we headed downtown to Snug Harbor to watch Stranger Day and Elevator Jay do their thing with backup from A Huf, J. Overcash and Famous Jason. Live hip-hop, yeah! The night was closed out by Chris Karns on the 1's & 2's rocking hip-hop, trap, club and electonica. Needless to say, it was dope.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Remember When Records
OK... so looking for record shops, I came across this gem on High Point Rd. in Greensboro, NC. I walked in and saw expertly organized rows of LP's, 45's, 12" singles as well as CD's and DVD's. There was an old Jukebox in the corner right near the door. I immediately thought "digger's paradise". So I began to peruse the items in the rows and began to notice the graded labels and the various pricing of the albums. I made my way toward the back and asked the shop owner if he had a portable record player. I was informed that all albums were cleaned and sealed and not available for play unless purchased so that their value was maintained.
I was impressed. So I began to peruse the albums again. Country-Western, Rock, Metal, Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, R&B, Folk. You name it, they had it. I then asked the owner about the grading system. He then explained to me that only about 10% of what he gets makes it into his store. And those ten percent receive one of four grades, Mint, VG+, VG- and G. A meticulously kept store that culminates every week with a Sabbath Sunday of cleaning and organizing the well over 150,000 pieces of vinyl in the 3200 sq ft. store. Every piece kept in order by genre, artist and grade. "Make sure you put it back where you found it!" was the commandment I received and I made sure to abide by it.
I now struck up a conversation with the man who introduced himself as John Hiatt. We began to talk about how hard it is to maintain a record shop in the new digital age and how his shop was once full of DJ's but now not so much. We got into the merits and detriments of MP3 vs. Vinyl and how the art of album making was changing. We got into the almost artificial sound of some digital recordings (I'm partial to FLAC and WAV myself) and how vinyl just has so much warmth and captures the flavor of the microphones used in the recording process. I began to tell him about some notable vinyl party's I've attended and how artists have begun pressing up special edition vinyl and selling that along with digital copies. I guess I was trying to allay his apparent fear that vinyl, as a format, was dying.
It was a fun, albeit short conversation, one I'm glad I happened upon. It was a new battle scene so to speak. It was brick and mortar America battling against the throes of a digital revolution. A battle I am all too familiar with and stuck smack dab in the middle of. The young vs. the old... I Robot. But somehow, this aging man, whose purpose is to preserve the American music past, is making a stand and maintaining an old standard that we all know as "Mom and Pop". Every album in it's place and a place for every album. And the battle was being won, not with quantity, but with quality. And then, I read this article... "Remember When | Our State Magazine" and realized, there was so much more.
Remember When Records 1989-2013
2901 High Point Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27403
John & Brenda Hiatt
(336) 297-1999
Mon - Sat 10-6
I was impressed. So I began to peruse the albums again. Country-Western, Rock, Metal, Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, R&B, Folk. You name it, they had it. I then asked the owner about the grading system. He then explained to me that only about 10% of what he gets makes it into his store. And those ten percent receive one of four grades, Mint, VG+, VG- and G. A meticulously kept store that culminates every week with a Sabbath Sunday of cleaning and organizing the well over 150,000 pieces of vinyl in the 3200 sq ft. store. Every piece kept in order by genre, artist and grade. "Make sure you put it back where you found it!" was the commandment I received and I made sure to abide by it.
I now struck up a conversation with the man who introduced himself as John Hiatt. We began to talk about how hard it is to maintain a record shop in the new digital age and how his shop was once full of DJ's but now not so much. We got into the merits and detriments of MP3 vs. Vinyl and how the art of album making was changing. We got into the almost artificial sound of some digital recordings (I'm partial to FLAC and WAV myself) and how vinyl just has so much warmth and captures the flavor of the microphones used in the recording process. I began to tell him about some notable vinyl party's I've attended and how artists have begun pressing up special edition vinyl and selling that along with digital copies. I guess I was trying to allay his apparent fear that vinyl, as a format, was dying.
It was a fun, albeit short conversation, one I'm glad I happened upon. It was a new battle scene so to speak. It was brick and mortar America battling against the throes of a digital revolution. A battle I am all too familiar with and stuck smack dab in the middle of. The young vs. the old... I Robot. But somehow, this aging man, whose purpose is to preserve the American music past, is making a stand and maintaining an old standard that we all know as "Mom and Pop". Every album in it's place and a place for every album. And the battle was being won, not with quantity, but with quality. And then, I read this article... "Remember When | Our State Magazine" and realized, there was so much more.
Remember When Records 1989-2013
2901 High Point Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27403
John & Brenda Hiatt
(336) 297-1999
Mon - Sat 10-6
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Table Kingz DJ Battle sponsered by With These Hands DJ School and Sprite
So I'm down here in N.C. and I find this battle going on in Charlotte. So I decided to enter... wish me luck. And if anybody in that region is interested in DJ school, check them out.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
DJ Cash Money live @ Guitar Center 2013
http://www.youtube.com/v/govaLkbYywA?autohide=1&version=3&autoplay=1&attribution_tag=D29F8rz4ddycVR84XJ_VpQ&feature=share&autohide=1&showinfo=1
Monday, October 28, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Vera Humanitas (A 9/11 Tribute)
So my homeboy pulled out some Fu-Schnickens vinyl and played "Tru Fu-Schnick". Hadn't heard that in a minute. After he played it, I was playing around in Torq and started finger drumming the beat to Beanie Siegel's "The Truth". So I pulled up the track and looped the first 8 bars. A commercial came on about a 9/11 special or news story or something and it made me think. So I sat there and listened to this loop for a couple of hours. Then I decided to chop up (cue points) "True" by Spandau Ballet and played it over top of the beat to see how it sounded. It sounded alright.
So I found some 9/11 sound bites online and as I listened to the speeches and the emergency responses audio, it struck me that so many voices were captured and extinguished in an incredible act of desperation. I say desperation because someone somewhere felt diplomacy was no longer an answer. But there was a real time human event happening on the ground and I wanted to capture some of that, albeit 12 years later. I guess it was a chance to vocalize some feelings I had about that time. Enjoy.
Friday, July 26, 2013
2013 Old School Remix Tape
These are a few joints I remixed back in 2009-10 but never got a chance to record and put together.
If any DJ's want HQ copies of the Vocal and Instrumental tracks, hit me up on the contact page.
Anybody interested in beats, hit me up as well.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Art Dept. & Thugfucker at Panther's Rooftop Grand Openeing
One of the more exciting and popping scenes in electronic music and all things funky, Williamsburg is home to quaint and intimate venue right next to Output called Panther (74 Wythe St.) Great sound system, the bass lines are thorough and solid. Highs are crisp without being earsplitting and the mids are strong enough too punch you in the throat, leaving you gasping for your next breath. The rooftop garden is spectacular, albeit a rainy night in metropolis. A nice gazebo style entryway emerges once you enter after crossing over the stairway bridge which beckons you to party or intermingle with other party goers. Facing north, views of the riverside; south, overshadowed by the also funky Wythe Hotel, which served as kind a big brother/sister protecting it's younger sibling in the event of something unspeakable. To the east, a deck perched upon the edge of the building and offering a great view of the buzzing streets below.
The club itself had an amazing decor centered around, you guessed it, the DJ booth. It's the first thing you pass entering the club. A raised fireplace near the entrance and stairs, exposed wooden beams and an open floor plan with a balcony on the second floor overlooking the main floor gave the space a very mountainesque vibe right in the middle of the city. I really felt like I should've have had some ski equipment on hand for a quick morning run.
That being said, let's get to the music.
I arrived with my compadres around midnight. Typical for NY partygoers, so I didn't catch the early sounds. As we entered, Art Departments Jonny White was spinning with Kenny Glasgow jumping in here or there. 3 CDJ 2000 Nexus's and an N.I. F1, alongside a Macbook Pro comprised the flight controls for the night. The two of them played together like jazz instrumentalists trading bass lines and riffs, cutting highs and lows, and offering an eclectic mix of transitions that kept party goers moving. I felt that there was a little too much eq'ing for my taste and occasionally the crowd seemed stiff but overall the sound was pretty even toned and kept a decent vibe... I spoke to a fan and a regular and she told me, they were experimenting for the night. My attitude changed. I understood that sort of musical quest and opened my mind to what they were trying to accomplish.
Next up was Thugfucker. Hell of a name imho. These guys closed out the night in grand fashion. They played some seriously off kelter grooves that didn't adhere to the typical 4 to floor mentality. There were 1/3's over 1/32's and then some; bass lines that took a couple of measures to really get into and some really dope synth work. Track selection was incredible. The night ended on a high note and I and my compadres, who happen to be very discerning music aficionados themselves, had had our fix. We were off.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Conversational Thoughts
Conversational Thoughts by Dj Administer on Mixcloud
Inspired by a ride on the subway and some recent work. I saw a billboard for the new Broadway play, Gimme The Loot and I immediately thought of remixing the song over On Broadway by George Benson. But rather than chopping it up, I played it over This Masquerade, which seemed a better fit musically and mentally. I was also inspired by recent conversations at The Studio Museum In Harlem. The Museums' Curator, Thelma Golden and Dr. Kenneth Davis of Mount Sinai Medical center participated in two conversations for the Aspen Ideas Festival. Ms. Golden spoke with Actor and writer Anna Deveare Smith about the social and cultural responsibility and position of an institute like the Studio Museum In Harlem, and how fashion, past and current trends have helped to redefine and shape the future of the neighborhood. Dr. Davis spoke on the future of medicine through genomics and his chosen field, psychology. This conversation helped form the basis of this composition. I hope you enjoy it.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Glitching for a scratch.
This popped up on my Soundcloud feed this morning and I decided to take a listen to Glitch Please Vol. 2 done by The Fuzzi Kittenz. It kept my head nodding the entire time. I was listening to Back on the Block by Quincy Jones yesterday and this mix (and the genre for that matter) reminded of the song "Wee B. Doin It" featuring Take 6 and Siedah Garret. Here's links to that song and the Fuzzi Kittenz mix so you can hear for your self.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Every Thursday... The Lesson @Arlene's Grocery
A night of free flowing jazz/hip-hop expression. A rotating cast of instrumentalists, vocalists and emcees make this free, weekly jam session an unforgettable experience. 4 hours of tight improved grooves provides a breath of fresh air on a Thursday night in the city.
I was chilling with my homeboy, DJ Dolo, for his birthday as he jammed alongside the band on the 1's & 2's.
Check out some video below and make sure you check out their Facebook page.
'Amazing' | Live at Gentei Kaijo's The Lesson from Mighty Productive on Vimeo.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Chilling at Arlene's Grocery
Swift Technique - a funked out groove in the basement at Arlene's Grocery
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Bam Bam's Memorial Mix Pt. 1
Bam Bam's Memorial Mix Pt. 1 by Dj Administer on Mixcloud
Today marks the 6 year anniversary of my Dad's passing. I wanted to comemerate it by playing some of the songs we listened to as I grew up. We spent many Saturday mornings and afternoons digging for records on 125th St., 42nd St., Down by the World Trade Center and in Jersey City. I miss you Pop, but I haven't forgotten.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
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