It’s also more expensive than you can imagine: the parking, the food, the door cash, the drinks, the cabs, and all the random things you end up doing all cost money. But time is actually the biggest limiting factor here. You can’t be everywhere at once. And getting around a two-mile stretch of parties along a beach isn’t exactly swift, so you need a plan or you’ll waste a ton of time and cash. With people coming down for both Winter Music Conference and Miami Music Week (and Ultra Music Festival), it’s going to be crazy. But I got you.

The WMC 2013 Schedule Organizer

I made you a calendar. You can type in it and print it. It’s low-tech, but your iPhone’s gonna run out of juice by noon every day anyway. Download it here. Each day is already laid out for you. Just pick a general time of day, find a party you want to go to, and type a quick note about it in the right slot. Rinse, repeat. Take it to FedEx on Lincoln Road Mall, print it on Legal Size (8.5 x 14) or Tabloid size (11 x 17) for a dollar, and stick it in your pocket. Swish!

Click for a full-size preview of the calendar organizer. Click here to download it.

Download Options

1. Google Docs WMC 2013 Schedule Organizer

• Good if you and your friends want to fill it out together
• Go to File > Make a Copy to save it to your own Google Docs account

2. Dropbox WMC 2013 Schedule Organizer

• Has three options: Excel Spreadsheet, PDF in Legal Size (BIG), and PDF in Tabloid Size (HUGE)

How to Find WMC & MMW Parties

You have three good options for websites: Miami Music Week (MMW), Winter Music Conference (WMC), and EDM magazine Dancing Astronaut (DA). Mine them for artists and parties you can’t miss, and add those to your organizer. The MMW looks fantastic and is intuitive, but is graphics-heavy and a bit clunky. Not all parties listed on the WMC site show up on the MMW site, but if you like the harder stuff, go there. There’s also an MMW iPhone app, but the reviews aren’t too hot.

The WMC site is super low-tech and sadly not intuitive, so here’s the link you need. The Search button is very good, though, and if you like more underground House (especially Deep House, Soulful House, Latin House, Tribal House, and Jackin’ House like this Funk Monster), the WMC site is your friend.

The DA site caters to a younger, more Ultra-friendly crowd that likes Progressive House, Dubstep, Trance, and big room EDM—so expect event coverage to cater to that. It’s also not a repository per se (it’s a magazine), so keep that in mind. On the other hand, DA has a printable calendar in the works, but it’s not ready yet and may not have the depth of event coverage the WMC site has.

Enjoy your WMC 2013 Schedule Organizer, pace yourself, have a blast, and definitely be on the lookout for Danny Dance, yours truly, throughout the week!

Here’s my Traxsource DJ Chart for March!

Danny Dance WMC 2013 Funk Monster DJ Chart

1. Danny Dance - Funk Monster Original Mix | Dance Is A Feeling Records
2. Matthew Brian - I Need You main | 1200 TRAXX
3. Jay Vegas - Apache Original | Guesthouse House
4. Mr. Gonzo, Romuald J Paul Getto - Gon Be a Thrill (J Paul Getto Remix) | Folistar
5. Audio Jacker - You Got It (Bobby’s Groove) Original Mix | Tasty Recordings Digital
6. Charlie Hustle - Swing On Theeze Original | Guess Who
7. Evan D’Rougs - Undercover | Answegg Records
8. Danny J Lewis - Rulin’ Original Mix | Ruff Trx Records
9. Funky Trunkers - Connective Original Mix | 294 Records
10. Arco, Andrea Fiorino - Sophisticated Original Mix | Coyote Cuts Recordings

These Songs Mean Something

The DJ can select any song, of thousands upon thousands to pick from, to include in a DJ chart. So the songs they do select mean something. Sometimes the songs made them feel a certain way; at other times it’s a combination of liking the songs and tipping your jar at fellow label-mates or someone else you know. Sometimes it’s blatant self-promotion (you really should get Funk Monster). Bottom line: it’s personal. Here’s how this particular DJ chart for March came together:

#1 is my little Funk Monster and you should totally get it

#2 is a song I just cannot help dancing to, and shares the honor of being played by Mark Farina at the last Southport, like my song Follow the Feeling

#3 pushes all sorts of B-Boy buttons in me (I used to breakdance) and is a terrific momentum-builder in a set

#4 How can I put this…I almost hit an old lady at the supermarket while jamming to this. I ran away…

#5 is boilerplate disco funk, the kind of track you can transition from or into to amp the energy

#6 This one will fool you: it’s smooth, but the hook will unravel any party into hands-in-the-air funk*

#7 belongs to Evan D’Rougs, a kid I’ve taken a liking to from Mexico City; his sound is all his, energetic, and fun. Full support for his music here.

#8 went in a Soulful House music direction, real old-school. I’ve been following Danny J Lewis for a while on Twitter. He’s a great guy, and this is a great track.

I’m not posting this one because DJL hates remix/share culture’s guts

#9 reminds me of first discovering the joys of House Music’s subdivisions; this one has a mixed texture of Deep, Funky, Jackin’ and it takes me somewhere.

#10, man, talk about a journey, this one. There aren’t a lot of songs out there like this

I’ll back next month with the next DJ chart!  I leave you with a different kind of DJ chart to hold you over:

$20 bucks to whoever does this and makes it work.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Soundcloud today unveiled a simple, two-option account model: Go Pro for $4.47 per month (or $43 per year) gets you 4 hours of upload space. Go Pro Unlimited for $13.40 per month ($147 per year) gets you unlimited upload space (up to 30 hours per week).  These are huge savings. I’ll now be paying 65% less for the more storage. If I fire up a new House Music DJ mix show, I’ll be able to upload as much music as I want. In fact, I might upload all my old DJ mixes to Soundcloud now that I have the space for it!

This is what you see upon switching to Pro Unlimited on Soundcloud.

Ideas & Tips for DJs and Producers on Soundcloud

If you’re a music producer or DJ, you need to know that Soundcloud wants to be the Youtube of audio and will probably launch a streaming service soon. That doesn’t mean it wants to be Spotify-on-the-web, but streaming seems to be where it’s all headed anyway, and the more engaging and interactive Soundcloud becomes (read more about Soundcloud Moving Pictures), the better. So be ready:

• Be sure to tag all your uploads. Mine almost always have “House Music”, “housemusic”, “Jackin House”, and “jackinhouse”
• Provide playlists on your DJ mixes. In a world where almost every song is Shazam-able, let people know what you’re playing. It’s good for Google SEO, anyway
• Connect your Soundcloud page to your Google+ profile, and vice-versa so it shows your face next to search results, like this:

Click the image to listen to Danny Dance’s new song “Funk Monster:

• Consider making serialized content, like a Podcast or DJ mix that gets uploaded each week at the same time
• Soundcloud might be good for multiple series (e.g., more than one radio show) as long as you post on separate, consistent days
• Find creative ways to connect with fans through audio—after all, connection is what keeps fans coming back for more

Get ready for even more great music!

5 Must-Have Books for the Music Producer

1. Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio (Mike Senior)
2. Mixing: The Ultimate Guide (Computer Music Magazine)
3. The Production Manual (Computer Music Magazine)
4. The Essential Guide to House (Computer Music Magazine)
5. The Secrets of House Music Production (Marc Adamo, Sample Magic)

Of course, this list doesn’t include everything a House music producer might need. But you could do a lot worse than Mike Senior’s impeccable treatise on mixing. It is a long read, but if you start there, you and your sound will have no where to go but up.  For those just starting out, one of the biggest creative challenges is how to arrange the music in a way that makes sense for the dance floor, and Sample Magic’s Secrets book does a great job of introducing major motifs and other things related to House Music. If you don’t make House Music, that’s alright—a lot of tools in a music producer’s arsenal transfer across music genres.

 On Magazines

Personally, I think magazine subscriptions are essential when starting out. If they don’t give you a psychological boost, they surely will give you a pedagogical one! Mags like Computer Music and MusicTech always come packed with tutorials, tips, tricks, advice, and CDs packed with more material than you could ever get through.  I have a whole “music producer” hard drive folder devoted just to all those PDFs and other gems that come with the magazines, and I have yet to get through it all. If you have the discipline to read, practice, and apply, then these mags will serve you very well.  They’ve definitely helped me with songs like my recent, “Funk Monster“!

On that note, here are 26 free PDFs every beginner music producer should have.

A House Music DJ Without a Story is a Playlist without a Heart

I remember last year when there was that dustup over Progressive house music producer deadmau5′s comments that most DJs are just talentless “button-pushers”. He was making a more nuanced argument than that, actually, but the sound byte stuck. You could read it as him saying that most DJs, himself included, are overpaid, overhyped showboaters hitting a space bar on a laptop—and maybe that’s true. But a laptop can’t tell stories without someone to tell them. Neither can a jukebox without someone selecting songs, or a playlist without someone organizing them. Whatever you think of the performance aspect of DJing, what separates two DJs from one another is how and when they weave songs together to take you on a journey through dance.

A Note to Young DJs

The house music mix by The Fellow felt like a journey, and because of that, I really liked it. As a DJ myself, I thought the track selection was good, and there weren’t any glaring technical mistakes in the mix. The blend between Lady and Follow Mewas really cool. On the other hand, some of the transitions could have been smoother and longer, and there was at least one “key clash”. But the story was there in the mix, and that’s all we remember from DJ mixes anyway. The story. The feeling. Where the DJ took us and how the DJ made us feel. So to young or new DJs out there like The Fellow, I have this to say: the experience comes with time, but if you keep telling stories, we’ll follow you—all the way to the top.

Moog Sub Phatty Synth

Animated by Adult Swim’s dope illustrator/animator “Lilfuchs” and with music by Flying Lotus, the trippy ad’s chord progression is super catchy. It definitely gave me that feeling. The Moog in question is the $1099 Sub Phatty subtractive analog synthesizer, which is totally not in my price range (but one can dream). From the Youtube description:

Flying Lotus & Adult Swim’s ‘Lilfuchs’ short animation in honor of the new Moog Sub Phatty. Hear the Sub Phatty analog synthesizer in Flying Lotus’ original score called ‘Such a Square’ and explore it’s circuitry in ‘Lilfuchs’ animated world. A million thanks to FlyLo & Adam for producing this inspiring little gem. Love, Your friends at Moog.

To learn more about the Sub Phatty visit: www.moogmusic.com/subphatty

What is a Moog, you say?

Moog is a famous, classic maker of synthesizers. It also makes other cool musical equipment in the world of keyboards, but synths are its bread and butter. Tons of great house music producers use these synths to make music. There’s probably one used in some of your favorite songs. This is particularly true if you like Soulful House and Deep House. Personally, I haven’t yet used any in my own productions, but you can bet I will someday. I’ve started to venture into synth territory in my songs lately after all.

Ironically, Moog owes a lot of its success to the rise in popularity of synthesizers back in the 70s, when British pop hero David Bowie helped popularize it:

David Bowie played a major role in sparking renewed interest in the instrument. By praising Kraftwerk’s Trans Europe Express during his 1976 tour and collaborating with Brian Eno on a “non-musician” approach to synthesisers on the Low and “Heroes” LPs, Bowie alerted younger rock musicians that synthesisers could be used in more daring, experimental contexts. -The Guardian

All these years later, Moog continues keeping it moogy.

Please read this, if you would like to participate in the Northwest House Music Conference!Artists interested in taking part: This event features multiple shows that take place throughout the week at various venues in the downtown Portland area. The events for the most part being all hosted by various established music labels in the House scene. If you’re an artist signed on one of these [Jackin House] labels, then your path is to contact the label rep to find out if they are hosting an event. You can see many that are already on board hosting events in the description of the show, so check there first. I personally am not responsible for the booking of most of these events. I, like most, run a label, and will be doing a label showcase that features signed producers of tracks on the label. If you’re a local artist, then there is a place being made for you. Various after hours events are being planned that are meant to showcase our local PDX talent that aren’t signed producers. Keep an eye on what crews are listed as hosting conference events to know who to contact about taking part.Labels interested in promoting your music at the conference, a place is being made for everyone. At this point we are entirely full on hosts for conference hosted events, and have a waiting list of interested labels that you are welcome to apply for. Where everyone will be able to take part in some capacity is in promoting your label at the various conference events. Feel free to contact me directly if you represent a label looking to get involved.

Sounds like a pretty badass conference to me, and not one to miss if you’re affiliated with the Jackin House Music sound. Here’s a partial list of those labels Avery mentioned above:

Dufflebag
Panhandle
Guesthouse
Nordic Trax
Tonality
Jump Recordings
Lingo
5 Magazine of Chicago
www.Stompy.com
Soul Fuel
Juiced
Grin Trax
Serial Sickness
Ficus Tree
Home Again Recordings
Caboose
Chicago House FM
Native Soul
Speakeasy
Uniting Souls
Brunchlox
Cotopaxi
Northroc
Analog
NW FIRE Festival
All Ours
Mimosa
House Call
The Cut Club
FOLDING|SPACE
Beat Chemistry
SPORK

Not bad.  Not bad at all.

I knew there was a reason for this Jackin House pic I posted last year to my instagram:

Jackin House Music is blowing up!

Danny Dance
Give Me That Something EP
Dance Is A Feeling Records / DIAF006
www.danceisafeeling.com

“FUNK MONSTER. SEND ME THAT SH*T NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW” -Junior Rivero, 1200 Warriors

This is what happens when Danny Dance steps away for seven months of funk-searching after releasing five EPs in just three months last year: a Jackin’ House bomb set to detonate on every dance floor, a release packed with secret weapons for DJs and secret memories for fans.

Timed to coincide with the 2013 Winter Music Conference, this EP from Miami-based Danny Dance culls some of his best new material inspired from three years of production, and teases a future direction for the young House Music producer who attacks, sustains, decays, releases, and lives “the feeling”.

“Dixco” burns and brims with unrelenting tension; “Shining (Part 2)” sways with feel-good action-packed bravado, shining through a catchy soulful mist that will either take over your soul or drown it in welcome sunshine. For the cool pools and the dance battles, “Funk Monster” slams you down like an afro chameleon samurai before shape-shifting into maybe the catchiest funk hook of the year. The Extended Play release ends with “Give Me That Something“, a swan song, or an ode to the sunrise, to the feeling of smooth waves crashing against your ears just as your journey through the night ends.

For Danny Dance, this is only the beginning.

/Follow Danny Dance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, and more.
//Give Me That Something EP is available on Traxsource (March 08) and Bandcamp (March 12).
///For interviews, e-mail danceisafeeling[at]gmail.com.