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Memo of understanding

I treat this as a craft, and I take my performances seriously. I want to give any event the best possible performance I can, and there are some things that will help make this happen.

Preparing for any performance takes a lot of time for me -- I will practice in my studio for 3-5 hours per week leading up to an event, and I will spend that much time or more studying and refreshing my material. (For a 1-2 hour performance, there is anywhere from 10-20 hours of preparation I put into it beforehand).

My gear is around 300 lbs, takes time to pack up from my studio, transport, setup and teardown at the event, and reload back into my studio afterwards. I use only professional-grade gear. If I can, I try to clean all of my records before a performance (10 minutes per plate).

I know there are a lot of DJs nowadays, but I would like to think I offer a level of skill and professionalism, and a musical experience, that is shared by a very narrow subset of them; I've been doing this a long time—over 2 decades. Take me seriously and I will do the same for you.

What I need

In order of importance, here are the practical things I need to deliver you a quality performance:

Power and sound

CRITICAL. I will have sufficient powerstrips with me to power all of my devices, as well as a fairly long extension cord (20-30'). As my gear is all powered and can't function without it, I need a stable powersource. I do not provide my own PA system for events. I prefer to patch in using XLRs (I will bring these) running from the main outputs of my mixer, but if absolutely necessary, I can run a line-level signal over RCA cables instead (via the "Record" output).

Side note about house sound: Pretty much all the stuff I play sounds better with sufficient bass, particularly subsonic, and minimal compression. I promise I won't redline. Please don't sqaush my sound.

Professional-grade gear

CRITICAL. I will provide this. I use Technics SL-1200 MK6 turntables with Ortofon cartridges and an Allen & Heath mixer. If you have house gear that is of the same caliber, we can discuss using that instead. Otherwise I will plan on bringing mine.

A stable surface

CRITICAL. I will bring a table (~6' x ~3') but can use a provided surface that is no smaller than 55" x 24". I can bring bricks for shock absorption if needed. Concrete floors are best. I don't need to be isolated, but I do need people to not be touching the table / surface where my decks are. It takes surprisingly little shock to cause skips, and skips (especially repeated skips) can completely ruin a blend.

A booth monitor 3' from my head

CRITICAL. I can provide this, as well as a riser to get it at the right height. I can use a provided booth monitor but it needs to be sufficiently loud. We can discuss this. This is critical to be able to beatmatch accurately, I need to be able to hear the sound running out to the house with as much precision as possible.

Advance notice

I have done events at the last minute. I've also done them with months of notice. There is a noticeable difference in the quality and uniqueness of the performance. The more notice I have, the more I can prepare and curate a uniquely special experience for your event. Less notice means I am more likely to play material I already know well (these sets can be fun but will feel more casual). Around 3 weeks advance notice is typically sufficient for me to be at my best.

Set duration

If I am bringing my gear out, I prefer to play at least 45 minutes. I can realistically play up to around 2.5 hours with a single crate. My ideal set length is 1 to 2 hours, though. Whatever duration you want me to play, let me know in advance, so I can pace my set around it! Knowing what time slot I'll have is also helpful for gauging energy levels.

A general idea of vibe

Please review some of the demos so you know what kind of music I play. I have literally hundreds of records, but I can only pack about 55-60 records into my crate for a gig. I don't take requests while playing. I probably don't have anything that is particularly newer (most new music is not pressed to vinyl). Some prompts to consider:

• If my set were a movie, what movie would you want it to be?
• Are there specific genres you are wanting to hear?
• What are other people playing this night?
• Am I intended to be background music or actively listened to?

What I will perform

In ideal circumstances (where all the above are met), I will give you a performance that is:

Timely

I will be sufficiently early to setup, will setup quickly (~10 mins to signal-ready, typically), and can teardown in 5-10 minutes, if needed.

My set will be the requested length. I usually bring enough material that I can go longer (give me a heads-up during the event if this is needed!). I set a timer at the beginning of my set so I am always aware of how long I've played.

Highly curated

Most of my sets will generally have a narrative quality to them, energetically. The songs will be arranged in a way that they feel like a natural progression.

The more I know about your event and the vibe you're trying to create, the closer I can deliver something that will fit that mood.

Seamless

I beatmatch and blend my music, often with lengthy blends (1-2 minutes) to create a "journey"-type experience.

Focused

Stylistically, tempo-wise, and energetically, I will craft and build a set that feels cohesive. (On a personal note, I have been told that I rarely look at the crowd, because I am individually focused on the technical aspects of what I'm doing)

Retro / throwback

My material is all from the 90s and 00s, with a bit of the 2010s here and there. That said, there is a lot of really good material from those eras, and I am constantly expanding my collection. My music is a bit niche, but within that niche, it's quite good.

The experience I create is one that veterans of the rave scene will nostalgically remember, and nascent partiers have read or heard about.

Rates / compensation

I really do love playing. I occasionally do open decks, have done free events, and have been paid and contracted for events too.

The level of commitment from the event organizer will also affect the quality of the performance, for reasons outlined above. I may order new records, spend more time designing my set and practicing blends, and have more time to figure out what material would work best.

My fee is negotiable; I take this work seriously, but it's not how I earn a living.

If you are doing a free event and it's the right vibe for what I play, I may be willing to play for free if I'm available. If you are charging a cover, an honorarium would be appreciated.