MySchoolAct isn’t just about rock bands, this year we have also uncovered some sensational DJ talent, opening up a whole new area for the competition. So to keep the DJ love coming, we chatted with Sydney based DJ, Ash Moses from remix collective Tunnel Signs and boutique record label DEATH STROBE about what it takes to stand out from the crowd and turn your love of music into a serious DJ profession.
So basically I was really terrible at music in high school. I loved listening to it [music] (although my taste was pretty questionable at the time) and I loved playing stuff I found to my friends but I really wanted to go further with it. The whole DJ thing was a natural progression, I got some turntables, a box of records from a friend and just taught myself in my bedroom. Its actually really easy to do and once you get the hang of it you just need to put yourself out there. The Internet is your friend!
Technically the best and most simple piece of beginners advice I was ever given was ignore everything else and just make sure the claps line up when you are mixing two tunes in your headphones. Of course with CD turntables these days (CDJs) this is process is a lot more simple with the BPM (beats per minute) usually displayed on the screen. My advice would be cover this feature up or turn it off and learn to beatmix by ear! Much more satisfying and definitely useful when your in a situation where you can’t use/see the BPM counter.
In terms of making music and my record label that was all pretty natural as well… I got myself a copy of Ableton live (probably the easiest to learn in terms of music making software), did a few piano lessons here or there and taught myself…There is a really good website called Sonic Academy with excellent production tutorials on it. Also remember if you type a question into google or youtube the majority of the time someone will have an answer. You’ll end up meeting a lot of likeminded people – put that to good use and collaborate as much as possible. Its super corny but its true – if you work really hard at something for long enough and you’re in it for the right reasons you can accomplish basically anything.
Rave on!
