Sunday, March 26, 2006
Being a good deejay takes a lot more than a love of music and a flashy alias. You need to know what's hot and what's worn out, when to play something and how to blend the beats so the dancing never stops.
A good deejay is also creative and gives the music his own twist, says Chris Stiles, a co-owner of DJ Hut Records in the District and a promoter for the DMC American Battleground turntable competition.
"He'll make records go together that you wouldn't expect," said Stiles, aka DJ Stylus Chris. "A good deejay will take risks. He might do something that makes half the room say, 'What was that?' and the other half say 'That was the greatest thing I ever heard!' "
Washington has produced many hard-working deejays over the years. Stiles said this is partly because the District is a "stepchild of New York," the birthplace of the craft. "Ten years ago, if you weren't from New York, you weren't anybody. . . . [D.C.] deejays always had to prove they were worthy of the name."
The District's reputation has grown since then, with local deejays such as DJ Enferno winning national competitions, and others, like the duo Deep Dish, headlining the international circuit.
It doesn't hurt that Washington is home to so many hot spots, from one-room lounges to mid-size dance halls to multi-floor megaclubs that can hold thousands. Aspiring turntablists can try to get a first gig on a mid-week night at a smaller venue. When they have the skills and reputation, they can move up to weekends or bigger, flashier clubs such as Platinum or Crossroads.
These five D.C. deejays are examples of mixers who have paid their dues, honed their craft and built up a following.
-- Seth Hamblin
DJ ALIZAY
Alizay's live radio broadcasts from Club H2O on Saturday nights capture the talented deejay, right, in his element as he cuts between hip-hop and R&B hits from the likes of Busta Rhymes, Dem Franchize Boyz and Beyonce. He quickly switches up between tracks, extends intros and scratches during transitions to rally the upscale urban crowd.
Alizay, aka Isaiah Johnson, 25, caught the ear of WKYS when he was 19 and was given an internship. Now he has a daily mix show that highlights his skills and the hottest new tracks. His moniker, "The Young Boss," reflects that early rise.
Deejaying runs in his family, with seven of Alizay's uncles steeped in the craft. One of them passed the torch when Alizay was 13 by giving him a set of old Technics turntables. Alizay practiced cutting and mixing over and over again with copies of Big Daddy Kane's "Ain't No Half-Steppin' " until he got the hang of it. Soon he was rocking parties all over town.
Hits : "A song that works in the club, has a good hook, beat and personality, which means it has some type of feeling."
Misses : "A wrong song played at the wrong time, which means that you could be doing a reggae set and out of the blue play a down South record . . . bam, your crowd is gone."
Main Gig : Saturdays at H2O, 800 Water St. SW. Free-$20. 202-484-6300. http://www.h2odc.com/ .
DJ BOMBA
If you've been going to the top Latin and international nights in the city over the past 10 years, you've probably heard DJ Bomba, right, working the decks. Fur, Home, Modern, Love -- you name it, he's played there. Bomba, aka Yuri Bautista, 28, is your man if you're looking for a deejay who spins the best Daddy Yankee reggaeton tracks, salsa favorites from Puerto Rican Power, and a mix of bachata , merengue and top 40 that caters to the nightly whims of the dance floor.
Bomba got his first big break deejaying at the wildly popular Earth club night at DC Live in the 1990s. When Earth's promoter Masoud A. helped found the Dream nightclub, he brought Bomba with him. Nowadays you'll find Bomba on Saturday nights playing to a well-dressed international set on the third floor of Love, switching up styles to keep the beats fresh.
Hits : "The Latin rock song 'Oye Mi Amor' by Mana. When people hear the guitar riff intro, they go crazy. . . . I can turn off the music and the crowd will be singing and dancing on cue to the song."
Misses : "I went to Puerto Rico a few weeks ago and brought back some new reggaeton that has not hit the States yet. The song I played was 'Dame Lo Que Quiero' by Rakim & Ken-Y. I mixed it in and noticed a slight pause in the crowd. . . . People came to the booth to find out who the artist is."
Main Gig : Saturdays at Love, 1350 Okie St. NE. Free-$20. 202-636-9030. http://www.lovetheclub.com/ .
SAM 'THE MAN' BURNS
With almost three decades working the turntables, Burns, right, has become synonymous with soulful house music in the District. His flagship party, "The Underground Soul Solution," has outlived two popular nightclubs, moving from the now-defunct State of the Union, to the recently shuttered Red, to its current home of Dragonfly. Burns's blend of deep beats and moving vocals attracts some of the city's best dancers. Their intense spins and frenetic footwork float atop the music's syncopated rhythms. Flawless mixing makes it hard to tell when Burns, 48, has moved from one track to the next, but when he brings in the first hint of a classic house anthem, the dressed-to-sweat crowd lets out a holler of recognition.
Hits : "Hate Won't Change Me," by Byron Stingily. "Someone may be going through a relationship problem . . . They may hear these words, and it gives them a sense of empowerment."
Misses : "When I play a new song, somebody might not be feeling it at first . . . but I'm a disc jockey. I'm there to break new songs."
Main Gig : "The Underground Soul Solution," Sundays at Dragonfly, 1215 Connecticut Ave. NW. $5-$10. 202-331-1775. http://www.dragonflysushibar.com/ .
LIL'E
At her '80s alt-pop dance party "Right Round," Lil'e, aka Erin Myers, specializes in rare extended mixes and one-hit wonders whose names have been swallowed by time. Remember Flesh for Lulu, Kon Kan or Anything Box? But Lil'e does not sacrifice a solid dance floor just to showcase her extensive record collection. A consistent helping of favorites from the Cure, New Order, Depeche Mode and the Smiths helps keep the energy intact on the all-ages dance floor.
Lil'e, 32, who started "Right Round" in 2002, focuses on skillful mixing, but she still finds a few moments of each song to step back from her mixer and do a little dancing herself. When she plays at other venues such as Felix or Saint-Ex, Lil'e strays far from the '80s, breaking out underground hip-hop, big beat and assorted electronica.
Hits : " 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division is my most requested, most popular song, bar none. . . . That song pulls them to the dance floor like the children of Hamelin."
Misses : "For some reason, 'Desire' by Gene Loves Jezebel has a complete wet-blanket effect on 'Right Round.' . . . It notoriously brings the room to a screeching halt."
Main Gig : "Right Round," monthly (the next is April 15) at Black Cat , 1811 14th St. NW. $6. 202-667-7960. http://www.blackcatdc.com/ .
BOB MOULD
Mould, 44, went through many musical transformations before stepping into the deejay booth. He first became known as the frontman for '80s punk band Husker Du, then went on to form the edgy power-pop outfit Sugar. Mould, left, moved to Washington in 2002, around the time his solo recordings adopted an electronic sound. He began deejaying soon after the move, starting a party called "The Blowoff" with dance music producer Richard Morel.
Mould spins a blend of dance punk, house and rock -- including his own recordings and remixes -- for a mostly gay crowd that includes a smattering of straight indie kids. He and Morel also incorporate live vocals and guitars into their sets.
Hits : "If the decks went dead and the dance floor was empty, I would probably reach for 'Music Sounds Better With You' by Stardust. . . . It's a guaranteed way to get people back in the mood -- a simple song based on samples from 'Fate' by Chaka Khan."
Misses : "There's certain songs which sound great at home but don't necessarily play well in the big room. . . . A song like 'Shake Appeal' by the Stooges sounds great in the basement, but the harsh sonic temperament of the original recording doesn't sit well next to newer tracks."
Main Gig : "The Blowoff," monthly (the next is April 15) at 9:30 club, 815 V St. NW. $10. 202-265-0930. http://www.930.com/ .
View all comments that have been posted about this article.