Booking # 124: One Nation @ Studio B, Brooklyn, NY

Well.. This was quite a night. I've heard alot about Studio B in Brooklyn, seems like the best club around at the moment, been looking for an opportunity to go, thankfully i was booked for this awesome event. I was actually put on the flyer and announced as playing before I was asked to play, which was weird, but just an oversite. Not sure i would have accepted this booking if I was not already on the flyer, once i found out how it was going to work out. I was part of the Regional DnB Battle, with 3 regions against each other. New England represented by Nondeskript and Operation Breakbeat, Philly represented by Madame Bliss and Senseone, and NYC represented by Eshin and myself. Right off the bat i knew it would be weird, because all the dj's play completely separate styles of music.

There was a horrible sound system in the room. There was a short stage but everyone was on it as well as on the floor, dense crowd of people, lots of dancing, amazing vibes in there, some of the thickest i can remember. The problem with the battle was just that, it was a battle! I personally don't really believe in competition. To me, a club experience and a gathering of Drum and Bass heads should be about collaborating, sharing, creating, not breaking that down by competing. The New England crew brought a bunch of people into the room, most of them were very cool, dancing to whatever moved them, feeling all of the DJ's, respect to that new england crowd, BUT there were a few people from New England who actually BOO'd Eshin while he was playing, cursing at him and giving him the thumbs down. It was so offensive to me to see people treat him that way, when he is simply making the crowd move, and doing a fantastic job at it i might add. One guy even told him he was done, which Eshin interpreted to mean his time was up. Only after stopping the record did he realize that they guy was just being an asshole and he had about 4 more minutes. Just horrible vibes at that point!

A few of the Dj's played music that i just did not understand, and i dont think meshed with the sound system. I knew we were playing in the 2nd room, which almost always has shitty sound, so i planned a set of tunes that were very clean sounding, which i knew would project well from the shitty system, i was right, my tunes sounded great and the crowd was responding well. As far as technique, the guys from New England were good but did not impress me, i think because i'm just not a fan of the music, both guys were cool thu, and talented. I wanted to hear more of Madam Bliss because the first few tunes sounded great, but that room was so incredibly hot that i could not stand it, i was drenched in sweat by the time i played.

The CDJ's were not set up properly, which was quite annoying, as we had 3 minutes of silence before i played. Most people hung around thu. If i would have been given a true, 60 or 90 minutes set in this 'battle', i would have ignored the battle aspect and simply play to the crowd, but instead they gave all Dj's in the battle 15 minutes! There is not much i can do in 15 minutes... I like long sets to take the crowd up and down... This did not give me that opportunity, but i wanted to be true to my style and not try and bash them over the head for 15 minutes. So i built it up to the last record, and they were going crazy. I played 7 records in the 15 minutes i had:

1. Nu:tone and Logistics - Take Me Back
2. Random Movement, Mixmaster Doc, Focus - My Sentiments (dub)
3. The Insiders w/MC Fokus - Got To Maintain (dub)
4. Calibre - Lectro
5. High Contrast - Racing Green
6. Icicle - Lost Hours
7. Adam F - Circles
8. Spectrasoul - The Tube

I was very happy with my selection and the response each tune got, with only 7 tunes to play i had a very hard time choosing.

The judging was problematic, because instead of have it be DJ against DJ, the MC's (who for the record were quite good this night) had the final competition be region against region. That made it so that New England easily won, because they had the most people in the room. Kinda fair, i can see how that should equal a win, but they could have trainwrecked and their people still would have voted for them, not sure thats the same with the NYC supporters. The New England Dj's played lots of very old stuff, amen, ragga, breakbeat type stuff, that i assume goes over very well in New England. But in NYC, i think Eshin and I played more to the crowd, and we had much more of the crowd dancing by all accounts. They played what i would call old school night music, while Eshin and myself played mostly newer stuff and a few classics from the last few years. No disrespect to the other style, its just apples and oranges to compare.

I did have fun playing my 15 minute set, but it sure was frustrating. Like i said, apples and oranges really. So many different styles of music by all the Dj's in the battle how can you compare them? And with the location bias and negativity it brought, it made the 'battle' aspect unenjoyable. Nevertheless, I did have fun Djing. Nice way to spend July 4th, surrounded by friends and DnB enthusiasts.

Booking # 123: Direct Drive @ Sullivan Room, NYC

Great night! I've said it before and i'll say it again, Sullivan Room is my favorite place to DJ in NYC. I opened the night from 10-12, always exciting to play that long. It gives me the opportunity to play the whole spectrum of dnb, lighter to harder, happier to darker. Such fun. I got to debut 2 of my own tracks, felt good to see people dance to music i've been working so hard on. Great vibes in that club, saw a bunch of faces i know and a bunch that i dont know. Really nice to see people dancing right at 10 sharp, not crowded for the first hour, but those in there were certainly enjoying it, and thats all that matters. Quality over quantity anyday, thu a little of both never hurt... I stayed for DJ Seen's set, harder stuff, few really exciting tunes, tight set. Missed Dieselboy's set, not really my cup of tea. Club was packed by that time. Great vibes! Once again Direct Drive comes thru!

Booking # 122: Camouflage @ Sin Sin, NYC

I really like DJing at Camo. I usually get to play a long set, often of my choice and its always packed. This time was no exception. It was myself, Sol.id, Mousky and Logan D. I had to work the next morning, its rare that i play on a weekday, but i enjoy this party so much i took the gig. I played 10-12, which is always a real treat. I had no idea the place would be as packed as it was. Right as my first tune started people were flowing in. Ended up being packed by 11ish. Great vibes too, i was laying down real smooth chill DnB, disbursed by deeper darker stuff, the crowd was with me the whole time. Bunch of people asked me about a few of the tunes i played, and i even played about 4 of my own tunes, which went over well. The only thing thats frustrating about camo is the mixer is rotary, and there is no crossfader, which normally would not be a problem as i don't use a crossfader to mix, but without volume controls not in rotery form, it makes it really hard to cut and do the things i like to do while mixing. Still a fun night.

Booking # 121: Club Ash @ San Juan, Puerto Rico

This club was in the Hato Ray area of San Juan. It was listed in my tourist guide which was kinda exciting. This was the second night in a row that i played a party thrown by Dj Trixx. I planned to go from the club to the airport as i had a 7:00am flight back to New York City. Driving from the center of Old San Juan to the club was real easy and took me about 5 minutes. I noticed a few cops around the block which normally would not bother me, but i was informed the night before that clubs could not serve liquor past 12:00 that Saturday night and had to close, due to a curfew... The reason was that the primary for the democratic nominee was the next day. The club actually ended up closing the front door and letting people in thru the back side door. This club was amazing, another converted one level house, this one still looking like a house from the outside and inside. Really slick posh place with movies playing and a pool table, great sound system and a guy doing visuals, it had all the right elements. Unfortunately their was not that big a crowd as the primary had more people thinking that most places were closed or not service alcohol. The club was a good size, including a big bar, pool table room, a few mini chill out rooms, outside and of course a nice sized dance floor. Not enough people to fill the floor, but there were people enjoying it and i sure had fun with my 2+ hour set. I played a huge amount of Driven AM artists, including Random Movement, Mixmaster Doc, Raw q, and tunes by friends Insiders, Lynx and Arron Jay. I played just about every tune i brought, which means i really need to purchase a larger portable drive, (of course after that one was stolen from my bad at the airport, it turns out i was in the market for one anyway...). After the gig, my fiance and i went to the Condado area a few miles away and ate our last Puerto Rican meal for this trip. Made it to the airport at 5:00, and a few hours latter i was sleeping very deeply on the plane. Great trip!

Booking # 120: Showtime Cafe @ San Juan, Puerto Rico

It is always a pleasure to DJ while on vacation. Puerto Rico in particular, is a special place for me for a few reasons, i'm friends with most of the best Dj's on the island. Dj Trixx in particular is a good friend of mine, and a fantastic DJ. Earlier in the week i proposed to my girlfriend of nearly 8 years and so this whole week in puerto rico was a marrige celebration. A wonderful trip. I played 2 gigs, this was the first of the week but not the first time i dj's this club. 2 years ago, i played the Showtime Cafe for a house party, lots of people, really elegant club, looked like a former house right off the highway in old san juan. No tourist here, this is a late night Puerto Rican place, they dont get going till 4 or 5 in the morning, which is a big depatrure from NYC, which while it is the city that never sleeps, most clubs have to close by 4 or 5 at the latest. This time i played here was not quite as good as the last time thu still lots of fun. I brought a gig of tunes on a little USB drive and played on Trixx's Serato which was wonderful as thats all i use at home so i was very confortable on it. I used Pioneer CD'j 1000's with Serato for the first time, its just as seemles as Serato on vinyl, i'm a huge fan of Serato and this was the best equiptment to play it on. After I finished Djing, Trixx went on for about 45 minutes he noticed there was alot more people in the place, so trixx and i tagged for about 20 minutes and then i played another mini set for about 30 minutes. Long night, but so much fun! Great vibes in Puerto Rico as always, i cant wait to go back!

Booking # 119: Let It Roll @ Sullivan Room, NYC w/ Makoto

This was an OK night. I like Makoto very much, but unfortunately i had to work the next day, so i did not stay for his set. I played from 11 - 12 and cut out right after my set. I always really enjoy playing Sullivan Room. I think i played a good set, not my best, but solid. Crowd enjoyed it, but there were not as many people as there should have been. That place needs to be packed to really feel right because its so big, and sometimes its hard to get people to dance when the dance floor seems so sparse. This is the last party i will be playing for the "Let It Roll" crew, and concludes my residency with them. I wish the party all the best in the future.

Booking # 118: Local Love @ Liquid Mega Club, Astoria, Queens

This gig had such potential to be great, but was one of the worst of my life... It was a rave, which i would not have played if i knew there would be so much hardcore played. It never works to have melodic funky DnB after hardcore, at least in my experience, its hard to get them to chill a bit. It was in Astoria at a huge club, which meant that for the first time in my life i actually walked to the gig. Took my about 15 minutes lugging a record back with a cdj (more on that in a bit) and it was almost worth it to not have to leave my area. I had to bring a CDJ, because i have not played vinyl in about a year, they did not have cdj's, so i brought some vinyl and figured i would play with 1 turntable and a one cdj.

When i walked in, the music was way to loud and totally obnoxious, hardcore i guess, i cant distinguish stuff like that, just 4x4 pounding beats, no melody or anything, it was empty, flat, loud and agrivating. I was going to play about 2-3, some guy playing techno was assigned the set before me, i figured that would work well. Unfortunately that DJ did not show up, something i did not know at first... I walked on stage to set up the CDJ and notice that they are using Numark turntables or something lame like that. Then i notice 2 beautiful Technic 1200s and ask why those are not set up, the promoter who never bothers to introduce himself to me says those are better. It was to late to set anything else up so did not bother to ask him to switch them out. He proceeds to look at me and ask "i though you were on at 2", to which i replied that i was simply setting up and not looking to get on yet. At this point, not knowing he was the promoter, it was only fair that i wait till my assigned set.

I noticed right away from the stage that it was a very big club and perhaps 25 people in it, with a club that size it looked practically empty. As for the monitor situation, as the promoter explains to me " i dont know, it was working fine when i got here". I looked over at it and it was crispy and practically smoking from all the abuse, someone (ahem: promoter) was redlining for hours and blew it out. I wait around for another 30 minutes only to hear hardcore that apparently the promoter wrote it the night before and included a sample of a vocal clip saying nice things like "cocaine biziness", real wonderful vibes he was setting for my upcoming set. He informed me that he did not have any drink tickets, could have gotten me a drink anyway. By the way at this point it still did not know he was the promoter and would not learn that until the end of the night.

I finally get to go on at about 2:00 with 1 shitty turntable and no monitor in a huge club. Naturally i had to DJ in my headphones as the music reflecting off the back speakers had a huge delay and make mixing out side of my headphones sounds like cans banging (as i learned watching the promoter DJ). Abut 20 minutes into my set, people were dancing, and the few people knew in the crowd seemed to be enjoying it, and just as i'm settling into the groove, one of the many security guards tells me to shut the music off, the nights over... Apparently they did not make enough at the bar, and it was not economical to stay open. Should not be a surprise really, parties that are aimed at 18 year olds have to draw very well and charge alot for clubs to be interested, because they dont drink. The promoter comes over and tells me that 2 dj's no showed and that he played for many hours tonight... It infuriated me to know that he did not let me play when i showed up at about 1:00, instead he asked why i was on stage, so that he could play his third hour of the night.

I knew i was dealing with person who knew nothing about promoting events, it was sad actually. In the end, its my fault for accepting such a booking, i should have seen the signs: depending on myspace and a rave message board for all the promotion as if those actually help much, so much hardcore, the promoter was a dj, his emails were juvenile which i learned is appropriate since he just graduated high school not long before. Even thu i got to walk there, and play my home which was coo, and even thu the club was very very cool, it was a horrible night. Last rave i play for rookies.

Booking # 117: Direct Drive @ The Cave and The Creek, w/ Random Movement

Great night overall. This was the NYC debut of Random Movement, alongside the return of Mixmaster Doc and Focus. Local support was Saburuko, Raw Q, and Strife, i hosted and promoted this party. The music was fantastic, Strive vs. Raw Q for 2 hours was a great trip thru deep melodic funky dnb, lots of vibe in that set. Saburuko was on point as usual. Random Movement stole the show. His original tunes were recognized by most of the crowd where singing along. very tight set, beautiful funky liquid DnB. He tagged for a little over 2 hours, with Focus and Mixmaster doc who took the set a little deeper and harder. Great up and down set. The venue was packed, everyone came out, big vibe in there. Unfortunately someone decided to tag up the place in numerous locations included the front door, bathroom and walls inside the venue. Unbelievable that someone would ruin this venue for us. There were also many complaint by the neighbors, so we had to shut down early and the main speakers had to be shut off even earlier. That was all disappointing. We still had a great night, and i was very pleased to bring NYC Random Movement. I had been trying to book him for a while.

Booking # 116: Fluid @ The Elevens, Massachusetts

Great night! My first time playing in Mass. Strife and i drove up, took about 2 1/2 hours. Fluid is a long time running DnB party in a fun venue. Kinda large, pool tables, long bar, nice stage. They had a really professional setup that was a pleasure to play on. Strife and i tagged for about 90 minutes, good set, thu not our best. Nice size crowd, many dancing people. I'd love to return to Fluid again in the future!

Booking # 115: Camouflage Presents: 'The Big Chill' @ Sin Sin

Another interesting night... Seems like those are the norm lately... I enjoy this party and the venue very much, Camo has good vibes and there are always people there. Unfortunately this night there was a much bigger DnB party a few blocks away and i think had an effect. Still good vibes, but it was not quite as packed as i would have liked. Strife went on before me and informed me that the CDJ's were hardly working. I was nervous because i did not bring vinyl. Strife played a good chill liquid set, then i went on and tried to get the CDJ's working. I did find a way to make it work, but i was very limited in the selection i could play. I even had to play a few of Strife's vinyl, including a really hard tune that had no place in my set. Oh well.... Still good vibes, glad i got a chance to play camo again, been a long time!

Booking # 114: Dream @ Bar Bleu, NYC

I was informed early in the week that they were giving me the 'headlining slot'. One of the my first times playing that slot at a good party in NYC. Really fun night. Clever played some Dubstep before me and although he was tight, the music drove the crowd away. They just did not want to hear it. Thankfully most people came back once i went on. Nice intimate venue. Due to the setup there were no actual monitors, i had to DJ thru the main speakers, although that was not much of a problem as they were close to the setup. I was very happy to see MC Posi-D there mcing. Been a while since i have worked with him, he's a great MC and a real nice guy. The crowd and I connected very well this night, everything just clicked. Very nice time overall, thu i wish it were more packed. Many many thanks to Charms and Eshin, always a pleasure. This night was also special, because they donated a portion of the proceeds to New Althernatives For Children, an organization i'm personally involved with. Here is my set from that night:

http://davidshichman.com/Djmixes/Dave_Shichman_Live_@_Dream_NYC_%20February_15th_2008.mp3
Dan Marshall & Mixmaster Doc - Exodus (dub)
Lenzman - Caught Up [Nu:tone Remix] (Spearhead)
Break - Chaos Theory (Shogun Audio)
Random Movement & Mixmaster Doc & Focus - My Sentiments (dub)
Commix - Faceless [Marcus Intelex Remix] (Shogun Audio)
Commix - Solvent (Shogun Audio)
C.A.B.L.E - New Infections (Inneground)
Spectra Soul - Shades of Blue (Fokuz Recordings)
Mistical Feat. Ras T-Weed- Mistical Solution (Soul:r)
Mixmaster Doc - Love Dub (Side Chain)
Mathematics - Drowning [D.Kay Remix] (Social Studies)
Lynx - Disco Dodo (Creative Source)
Commix - Japanese Electronics (Metalheadz)
Mixmaster Doc - Macrophage (Brand Nu dub)
Mixmaster Doc & Focus - Strike At The Wind (dub)
Lomax - Bad Cop (Critical)
Calibre & Zero Tolerance Feat. Merci - Waterfall (Signature Recordings)
Calibre - Rockafella (Critical)
Saburuko & Style Control - Centre Line (dub)
Dillinja - Soul Control (V Recordings)
Lynx - B-Boy Roller (Bingo)
Raw Q - Vital Soul (Bingo)
Nu:tone Feat.Commix - Take Me Back (Hospital)
High Contrast Feat. Diane Charlemange- If We Ever (Hospital)
Nu:tone - Second Connection (Hospital)
Lomax - Artisan (Bounce)
Commix Feat. Steve Spacek - How You Gonna Feel (Metalheadz)
Marcus Intalex - Zumbar (Soul:r)
High Contrast - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Hospital)
Saburuko - Exodus (dub)
Lomax - Trago Trash (Critical)

Booking # 113: Direct Drive @ Midway, NYC w/ Kjell, Dj Stress

Interesting night. We were schedule to have a UK guest, but he never showed. Latter informed me that he could not find the club.... Some people were upset, but they did not let it bring them down. Dj Stress opened with an excellent set, great tunes and he had the place dancing. Neither kjell nor our headliner where there, so i went on for about 45 minutes. I did not want to play then, i was thinking about where those two were, so my mind was not totally in it. but i think i played a good set. Kjell played a great melodic set, mostly music i had never heard. His tunes and unique and memorable, i like them very much. The crowd had thinned out by then, not sure why. Overall it was a good night, just disappointing and frustrating at times.

Booking # 112: Let it Roll @ Sullivan Room, NYC

I love Djing at Sullivan Room. Its my favorite place in NYC to play, great big club. Excellent equipment, awesome view from the Dj booth. Problem is that unless its packed it looks kinda empty. I had jumped in a cab after seeing Joanna Newsom and the Brooklyn Philharmonic @ The Brooklyn Academy of Music (the best concert I've ever been too), and i arrived 5 minutes late, thankfully i was ready to go and proceeded to play a really fun set. Playing on quality equipment always help to enhance the experience. Hearing Drum and Bass on speakers that size is amazing.

Booking # 111: Direct Drive @ Midway

Last minute style at Direct Drive. Not a big night, but the vibe as always was strong. I tagged with Dj Seoul for the first time ever, that was fun!

Booking # 110: Driven AM Showcase @ Direct Drive

As usual the Driven AM showcase was a great night. I tagged with Strife for 2 hours, and Raw Q played a fantastic 2 hour set to close the night out. Thanks to NYC for supporting!

Booking #110: Direct Drive New Years After Hours

Another late new years for me. I played from about 4:00-500, as best i remember... Late night but fun, always a good way to bring in the new year with Direct Drive! It was the regular DD crew, with special guest Dave Q.

Booking # 109: Direct Drive @ Sullivan Room, NYC w/ Adam F, Dj Seoul, Mousky

Fantastic Night!!! Wow, Sullivan room was packed, 250 people or so. Lots of faces i know, but the majority of the crowd were people i don't recognize, which is always nice at an NYC DnB party where you tend to see alot of the same faces. Like i have said, this is one of my favorite places to place, such a wonderful system, i had a real blast spinning and i think i played one of the best sets i've played in a while. It was tights, and i played real bass heavy tunes, really excellent funky melodic but danceable stuff, nothing to hard, just lots of great tunes with some dubs also. Lynx, Saburuko, Midmaster Doc, Random Movement, Calibre, Commix. I wish i had recorded the set, it was lots of fun and the crowd reaction was fantastic. Many thanks to all the people who stayed till the end to hear my 3:30-4:30 set. Boooooh!

Booking # 108: Respect @ The Bee, Los Angeles, CA w/ Commix

This was my first time playing the West Coast, Los Angeles in particular. Respect is a fantastic party in LA, one of the longest running DnB weeklies in the country. Huge posh club with a sushi bar, outdoor rooftop deck and $10 drinks. Great sound system, great locals, a real nice party. I opened from 10-11, a little early for my taste, not many people there that early, but it was fun and i played well. High Contrast tunes went over big, that guy is on fire this year. Played alot of Calibre, he to has had a great year. Commix played a good set, they are one of the best producers out their now, their latest album 'Call To Arms' is fantastic, and i have been playing many of the tunes from that album out. Big up to the West Coast!

Booking # 107: Direct Drive @ Club Midway, NYC w/ Strife, Artur L, Alongside TC Izlam

Another great night at Direct Drive. Locals night, sexy dnb style. Lots of fun, good sized crowd enjoying deep DnB all night long. Artul L played alot of old tunes and some new ones, very good set, thu it did take him 40 minutes to set up. Dj Strife as usual played an excellent set. She is one of my favorite DnB DJ's in NYC, and i'm not just saying that because she is a good friends. She has perfect timing on the turntables, her tune selection is fantastic and she always have fresh dubs from an array of producers. I played the last set after Strife from about 2:45 till 4:00. I opened a bit to hard but quickly went into the soulful deep stuff that the crowd had been feeling the whole night. Great vibes in the place, everyone was dancing the whole night. Much respect to the Direct Drive locals.

Booking # 106: Direct Drive @ Club Midway, NYC w/ Klute, Alongside TC Izlam

Amazing night! Klute is one of my favorite producers. I've wanted to play alongside him and see him live for a long time, this was an honor. I played for almost 2 hours from 12-2 as he was not quite ready to go on until 2:00. Large crowd dancing for most of my set, real good vibes, and with TC Izlam in prime form on the mic it was alot of fun. Klute played an awesome set, very high energy, dark, deep, brooding Drum and bass with experimental tunes thrown in, some old amit stuff, and some Disco Dodo, which was great. Wonderful set, and a real nice guy. Direct Drive at Midway is a fun chill spot for Saturday nights.

Booking # 105: Quality of Life @ Sullivan Room, w/ Grooverider

This was a gig i was very much looking forward to. Sullivan room is one of my favorite places to Dj as its got one of the best sound systems in NYC, amazing DJ booth with a great view of the floor and its usually packed. Grooverider is a legend in DnB and someone i have seen like about 5 times starting in 1999 and the last time being in London in June of this year. I've also worked with him a few times with Direct Drive. I'm not much of a fan of the style of DnB he plays but he's a great Dj and he has always been real cool with me. It was a honor to be booked as the sole guest alongside Grooveridrer for this event by Quality of Life. Great promoters. The vibe inside the venue was not that good however. I opened from 10-12 and no matter what i played, soft, hard, deep, funky, classics, dubs, i could not get the party to start! Everyone was just sitting there. Thats depressing and not fun from a Dj's perspective. No matter how good the lineup or system is, if they are not dancing, its not quite a party. I left before Grooverider came on, as i had to work early in the morning, but i heard the vibe did not progress that much. Much respect to the Quality of Life guys, i do hope i can work with them again in the future.

Booking # 104: Camouflage @ Sin Sin, NYC w/ J-Smooth

Once again i had the privilege of playing alongside J-Smooth for the second time in as many months. This time at Camouflage. Presented by Christian Bruna, camo has been running for about a decade on Tuesday nights as well as one offs. They have a great vibe and the venue they use is a nice little lounge with a Dancefloor and a decent system. Only thing i don't enjoy is the plants blocking the Dj's view of the Dancefloor, hard to read the crowd if you can see them! I have not played for them in over a year so it was really nice to be back. I had lots of fun. I look forward to playing this party more often in the future. I played alot of Lynx and Mixmaster Doc and minimal deep stuff as i opened from 10-12. It got harder towards the end and the people were very into it, seems like the harder stuff went over well.

Booking # 103: Plan B w/ J-Smooth

Its always exciting for me when i get to play alongside people that influenced me to become a DnB dj. Back in the 90's J-Smooth was the DJ that introduced me to the sound, his funky hiphop infused DnB got me hooked. At at time when most DJ's were playing hard Techstep, J-Smooth was playing a style that i really appreciate. This party was a Sundays night party in a nice chill bar. Not a very large crowd, but the people had fun and J-Smooth played well for what i heard.

Booking # 102: Driven AM Showcase 3.0 @ the Delancey w/ Bachelors of Science

It was an honor and a pleasure to have Rene from Bachelors of Science out to NYC for their east coast debut. Excellent set, high energy, melodic funky drum and bass along with plenty of original tunes from the new album. Real good Dj, real nice guy. Unfortunately the club we usually use lost their liquor license and could not work with us that evening causing us to move the party a few blocks south to The Delancey. I played before and after Rene, mostly funky DnB with a bunch of tune with Upright Bass samples, a real organic DnB set from me. Lots of fun, wish the turnout was better. Bachelors of Science will be back to NYC in the future!

Booking # 101: Direct Drive, NYC (w/ Nookie)

I organized NOOKIE's US tour this time around One stop on the tour was with the crew i've been working with for 4 years now Direct Drive. Nookie did not want to play for nearly 3 hours, so when he finished i jumped on the turntables from 3-4. This set was alot of fun, i was not expecting to play so i did not have anything planned, which led to a really fun improv type set. I tried to read the crowd and play to them, and i think it worked well, the majority of the dancefloor stayed till 4Am. Lots of positive vibes in Club Midway, lots of smiling faces, and new faces. I heard accents from the UK, Australia as well as down south of America. Direct Drive is always about the diversity. It was a pleasure and an honor to play after Nookie, real nice guy and a fantastic DJ!

Booking #100: Dream, NYC

Last night I spun at a party run by a few friends of mine, good people. I played earlier that i would have liked, 11-12 and i walked in and there were 2 people there... But it packed up very quick, big up NYC for coming out before 12:30! I played alot of minimal deep tunes and some really chill rolling tunes, songs by Lynx, Lomax, Do the Math, Mindscape, Chino, Mixmaster Doc, High Contrast, a few Commix tunes... There were 2 MC's from upsdate who were alright, they could rhyme but i'm not sure they knew when not to rhyme, its just as important. I like MC's who can rap, but being an MC for a DnB party is more than rhyming, its about connecting with the crowd, letting them know who they are listening to, alot of people miss those subtle parts. One of the MC's rewound my record when i turned around to get another one. Don't do that. Ever. The AC was broken, which made it rather uncomfortable, but still an enjoyable evening.

Booking #99: Driven AM Showcase 2.0 @ Midway, NYC

This was the 2nd edition of the Driven AM Showcase series at Club Midway. It was a Great night! Musically the night was fantastic and diverse. Great sets all around, and great to see everyone in the place dance to Mixmaster Doc's original stuff, those deep, bass heavy tunes were the highlight of the night for me, alongside Odi's insanity behind the decks, and Strife's excellent selection. I played for 30 minutes from 3:30 - 4:00, its a total blur. i heard i played a really good set, but i don't really remember too much. It was just to short, and my mind was somewhere else at the moment, but it was fun. Really looking forward to the next one with Bachelors of Science, Raw Q and Seen.

Booking #98: Direct Drive @ Midway, NYC

Last night was Direct Drive's return to Saturday nights in NYC. I booked Club Midway for the first Driven AM showcase in July, it went really well and the owners wanted us back, so now we are doing every Saturday night. We were scheduled to be downstairs from 1-4, but there was a band until about 2... So we ended up playing upstairs. I started with about 15 minutes of Electro House to continue what CT Burners (Chris Thomas) was playing. I like Djing house and they had a very professional setup, so i had fun. Then i played about an hour of DnB, started with some chill vocal stuff as were we technically in the lounge area. Nice size crowd seemed to be enjoying the music even thu the majority of them were not there for DnB. My set got a bit harder and the crowd for the most part stayed with me. Saw a bunch of new faces, and some of the regulars, big up to the new people who introduced themselves to me. I think it was a good start to the weekly event, good vibes in that place!

Booking #97: The Secret Night of Science, NYC

Raw Q

I've been trying to play this party for a year now since it started. Run by DB, Secret Night is likely the best DnB night in NYC at the moment. It is at Club LOVE which is an amazing underground place, literally and figuratively. Likely the best sound system in NYC, great light and lighting person (thou she does keep it quite dark), nice layout of the club, few places to relax/talk/rest your ears. The staff is also extreemly friendly, they are all about vibe and it works, happy dancing people all over that venue. The Dj booth is crazy. Built for House Dj's its all rotary knobs, no crossfader or regular up/down volume controls that DnB Dj's are used to. 2 Technics SL-1210M5G, which really thru me off, first time i think i have used them, the range for pitch control is +16 instead of +8, very sensitive turntable, and not something that i have been practicing on for 10 years now and am used to like the 1200/1210's. Still i played well and had a very nice crowd dancing for my set. I played after Raw Q, who killed it and left the floor busy after he finished his set. I played from 3-4, again i played all the new Lomax, Calibre, Lynx, Mixmaster Doc, Icicle, Nu:tone, High Contrast, i played the Photek Remix of Roni Size's Brown Paper Bag, that made alot of people happy. Artisan by Lomax was a huge tune, followed by Calibre's Hustin, i could see the crowd really enjoying that stuff. It was a real pleasure to play on that System, best i've ever played on, even thu the mixer was a huge headache. Many thanks to DB for having a Driven Artist Management showcase at his monthly, much respect! It was also my birthday set and Strife brought a cake for me! It was enjoyed by a bunch of friends and local dj/producers, really nice of her, made my night!

Booking #96: Paradise City, Albany NY

My first time DJing that far upstate. Road up with Dj Force, nice drive, not to long. Our hotel room reeked of disinfectant, but thats to be expected. The setup at the venue was very nice, Pioneer DJM-500 mixer, 2 cdj 1000, good monitor and great speakers. Unfortunately there was an outdoor area that was much more popular than the inside where i was playing, likely due to it being a great warm summer night... So i DJ'd to 5 or 10 people for most of my set while there were lots of people outside. Total disappointment. I did get to meet a few real nice people, and chat with some people i don't get to see often, so i did enjoy the night. I played all the new Lomax tunes, bunch of new Calibre, Lynx, Icicle, i played a deep harder than usual set.

Booking #95: 3rd Annual DnB BBQ on Long Island

Another year, another great BBQ. 3rd annual time Dj Strife and I presented this BBQ, ant this was the best year. Wonderful weather, not to humid, but nice and sunny. The music was fantastic, everyone played a long set, highlight to me was Odi. He played just about every style of DnB in his 2 hour set, a really span of tunes, and of course matched with his skill it was really impressive. Seemed like most people i know came out, lots of support from the local DnB scene, every one had a real good time. See you all again next year!

Booking #94: Driven AM Showcase

Great night! This party was my idea, i booked the club and the talent, thankfully alot of the people i know in the NYC DnB scene came out. The vibe was real strong all night, good turnout and great music. I personally played one of my best sets in a while, everything just clicked and i played a bunch of records i purchased in the UK, so i was well prepared with new music to keep them dancing. We had to ask people to leave at 4:05am, people were still dancing. I will be hosting more Driven AM each month at club midway, many thanks to everyone who came out to support!

Dj Strife vs. Dave Shichman Live on Bassdrive (Mp3)

I tagged with Dj Strife again on May 26th, this time for Bassdrive internet radio. The show was run by Overfiend, good dj, nice guy. The setup to play on was amazing, lots of fun. Many dubs on this mix, signed and unsigned. Its a fun mix, starts light and gets harder and harder. Always fun to tag with Strife.
Download the set here: Dj Strife vs. Dave Shichman live on Bassdrive May 26th 2007

Bungle & Ney Faustini - Ni Routine (Jerona Fruits)
Random Movement – Scarlet Trouble (Bingo)
To-Sha & Sinda– Give Me Your Boot (dub)
Ray Keith Feat. Alexandra And Navigator - No No (Dread Recordings)
Inztance – Never Say Never (dub)
Basic Operations - 4th Street Sound [Kubiks & Lomax RMX] (Phunkfiction Recordings)
Saburuko & Style Control – Center Line (dub)
Break – Diffusion (Subtitles)
Logistics – Inhale (Hospital)
Capone – What You Sayin (Test Recordings)
Dj Hazard – Busted (Playaz)
Mixmaster Doc – Love Dub (Forthcoming on SideChain Music)
Saburuko – Exudus (dub)
Mixmaster Doc – Eeka (dub)
Apex Feat. Ayah - The Space Between (Hospital)
Roni Size – Sound Advice (Full Cycle)
Klute Feat. Calibre – Freedom Come (Commercial Suicide)
Icicle – Numbers (Med School)
Spectrasoul – Emptyness Is Form (Diverse Products)
Bungle & Vandre - I'll Be (dub)
Utah Jazz - Feeling inside (Liquid V)
Marky & XRS Feat. Stamina – LK (V Recordings)
Architect feat. Ayah - Dance Child (white label)
Datcyde – Crumble (Taciturn)

New Mix from Dj Odi

I'm hosting a new mix from Dj Odi called Human Traffic.

http://drivenam.com/Guest_Mixes/DJ_ODI_HUMANTRAFFIC.mp3

Booking #93: One Night in Brooklyn

After catching an excellent set by Dj Strife @ the Secret Night of Science, i drove to Brooklyn to DJ a late night set at Club Exit. Very nice club. It was primarily a techno and hardcore rave so i played in the 'Chill room', which was lots of fun. While my style has progressed to the point where i really enjoy playing dancefloor style melodic dnb tunes, it is always fun to throw down a chill set of funky, melodic, atmospheric style DnB. As usual, my set progressed in intensity as my hour went on. I played a few classics (Midnight, LK, Feelin) and some new classics (Bungle w/ Ney Faustini - No Routine, Klute - Property is Theft, Kubiks & Lomax - Things To Come). Thanks to the early morning crew that enjoyed my 3:30-4:30 set, and special thanks to the guys at DPIM records for having me down.

Strife @ Secret Night Of Science, NYC

Love may be my favorite club in NYC, except for the fact that its way to hot in there, even before it was crowded it was to hot. Strife played an excellent, smooth set of classic DnB tunes (Brown Paper Bag) and tunes by Saburuko, Random Movement and Peshay. I was disappointed to hear her play so early, and i know i was not the only one. I would have very much liked to hear her play the 12-1 slot, perhaps next time. I plan on being there next month twice for The Insiders and for Klute, both have released some fantastic music this year.