HEAD TRIP
Nov 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Larissa Gamarra
The image of the globetrotting DJ is nothing new — mix-CD series such as Global Underground, Transport and Journeys by DJ have marketed that concept for years. But DJ Dan may be the only DJ who has attempted to evoke the sensation of travel on a mix CD. Dan's newest effort, Roundtrip (Kinetic, 2002), features the latest hard, funky house tracks seamlessly combined with the sounds of trains, planes, automobiles and more. “I wanted Roundtrip to express where I've been, what I've heard and the impact everything has had on my sound,” says Dan. “I created custom soundscapes for the intros and outros and subliminally sprinkled the sounds of subways, trains and other modes of transport within the mix.”
For the sound effects overlaid in the mix, Dan and his production partner, Smitty, used samples from the sound library at the Santa Monica, Calif., studio Machine Head. “They do overdubs for commercials and movies, so they have a sound library with every sound you could ever want in your life,” he says. Dan used a Digidesign Pro Tools system to build the soundscapes for the intros and outros of each CD, but he carefully wove the individual sounds throughout the mix. “We chose the big places in the mix where we felt we could fit these elements right in without being intrusive,” he says.
Although the sound effects suggest a travelogue, the overall mix of tunes represents the energy and dynamics of Dan's DJ sets. “I wanted this CD to be more in-depth and to give a live feel to the programming,” says Dan. “I conceptually thought about how I play to a crowd. I wanted to take listeners to a peak, then take them deeper and then bring it full circle when it finally ends on disc 2.”
With the exception of the soundscape intros and outros, Dan created his entire mix live using simply a pair of Technics SL-1200 turntables, a Pioneer CDJ-1000 CD player and a Pioneer DJM-600 mixer. After repeatedly recording different takes and narrowing his choices to 10 versions, he selected the mix that best defined what he was going for. “I didn't want a perfect studio mix,” says Dan. “Some of the sounds aren't exactly where I wanted them to be, but, honestly, when I listen to a mix that is raw and a bit rough, that's what gives it its flavor. I wanted to use beats that sound raw and sample-based, not overprocessed.”
Pounding kick drums and funky bass lines still dominate DJ Dan's sound, but the second CD also features dark tribal rhythms that give the mix a slightly sinister feel. “I was on tour for almost a month, and I was playing a lot of these more tribal-influenced records,” he explains. “They were so badass that I wanted to put them on the CD. I thought, ‘How can I flip this and still stay true to the sound that everybody knows me for?’ Basically, all the tracks I chose are what I think are the dopest tracks out there right now. I just broke them up and played them in such a way that the mix covers a broad spectrum.”
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