Wednesday 12 September 2012
Well well well
Firstly, apologies for the length of time this blog has lain dormant. It’s been a funny few months all told here in Dellamorte’s Dungeon, with good times and bad. I won’t bore you all with the details, because out of all the turmoil beautiful things have started to grow and this blog is transforming into something else entirely. Sort of like a hairy bass-addicted butterfly.
Firstly, you may remember me flexing my writing muscle by posting cult film reviews on here occasionally. Well, I now have a much better platform for that, as I have joined the team over at www.brutalashell.com (I’m writing under my real name of Tristan Bishop if you want to have a look). I really love doing that, and having the opportunity to attend film festivals and preview cult/horror films is one I am immensely grateful for (and also something I have wanted to do since I was 18 years old)
Secondly, after doing internet radio shows in various guises for the last 6-7 years, I got tired of all the various little (and some quite large, mentioning no names) problems that broadcasting on other people’s stations brings, and it is my great pleasure to announce that I have finally started my own station, Barricade Radio! I’m currently recruiting new DJs, and have some great and passionate people on board already and it’s a real pleasure to provide them a platform, as well as having one for myself
Connected to this, is the news that this blog is from now onwards going to function solely as the news feed for Barricade (in fact you may be reading these words on the ‘news’ part of the Barricade website).
Thanks for all your support over the years, guys, and stay tuned, there are so many great things to come.
x
Monday 18 June 2012
How DJs should behave part 1 : Writing your bio
So I was having a moan this morning about DJ’s biographies and how off-putting some of them sound – which lead me to think about the ways DJs can behave. After all, DJing is a job, and, like any job, a bad attitude will get you in trouble, so I decided to write down a few pointers so that up-and-coming (and maybe some more established) DJs can learn from my 16 years of experience. Because of this, I’ve decided to jot down an occasional series on How DJs Should Behave.
Your bio, whether on your website, Soundcloud page or Facebook, is very important. If you are applying to places for gigs then this is often the first thing people will look at , and if it makes you sound like a diva or a moron, people probably aren’t going to listen to your mixes. It’s a fair assumption that most DJs aren’t also aspiring novelists, but a bit of professional presentation never goes amiss in this game. Firstly, this is your CV – Write down your achievements – clubs/bars/festivals you have played. Have you done any remixes or tunes? Write that down. Any other achievements in music? Write it down. Can you scratch as well as mix? Let them know! These are the most important things.
Two things to consider on the above, however, is firstly – DON’T LIE. People can (and will!) check stuff via the internet, or something you come across might be a best mate of one of the DJs you say you were mentored by, and this could get embarrassing. Secondly – How impressive ARE your achievements? If they aren’t, then don’t get too detailed – I recently saw one that said something along the lines of “I have played alongside the resident DJ at a wine bar in Skelmersdale” – which highlights not only that you’re NOT the resident DJ, but also that you believe playing a wine bar in Skelmersdale is something worth writing about. Chances are that prospective employers/fans aren’t going to be impressed by this. Much better to write “I have been playing in bars in the North”. It’s still true but it just doesn’t sound as desperate.
Of course, if you’re just starting out you might not have a long list of these, but not to worry, you can still sound interesting. A lot of DJ bios I have seen omit the most basic information – what style(s) of music do you play? Don’t just say ‘I play house’ – explain it a bit! ‘deep funky progressive beats’ is a much better descripton. If, like myself, you play across the board, don’t just say ‘eclectic’ – it doesn’t mean a thing to the reader, focus on a few main genres you play, such as ‘I play a mixture of reggae, funk and afrobeat, with a few surprises” – Even better, if you can word it to sound extremely exciting – “My music sounds like a firing stomp through 2-step, ferocious d&b and cavernous dubstep”, then people will want to listen, pure and simple.
However, avoid anything that sounds too pretentious – However great you are, it is unlikely that many people will agree that you are, for example “The most exciting young DJ in the scene” or that you have “unparalleled talents”. If other DJs or publications have said such things about you, great! Put it in quotations at the end of the bio, and credit your sources – but do make it’s a source that people have heard of (IE that can be Googled).
It might be a good idea, before you post your bio, to send it to your most intelligent friends for a bit of a proof-read. Really REALLY bad spelling, grammar or structure can be as much of a put-off as a bio full of lies or self-aggrandisation.
Also – GIVE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS, a link to your website/Soundcloud/FB page, and your email address.
Next time : Putting together a promo mix.
Writing your bio.
Your bio, whether on your website, Soundcloud page or Facebook, is very important. If you are applying to places for gigs then this is often the first thing people will look at , and if it makes you sound like a diva or a moron, people probably aren’t going to listen to your mixes. It’s a fair assumption that most DJs aren’t also aspiring novelists, but a bit of professional presentation never goes amiss in this game. Firstly, this is your CV – Write down your achievements – clubs/bars/festivals you have played. Have you done any remixes or tunes? Write that down. Any other achievements in music? Write it down. Can you scratch as well as mix? Let them know! These are the most important things.
Two things to consider on the above, however, is firstly – DON’T LIE. People can (and will!) check stuff via the internet, or something you come across might be a best mate of one of the DJs you say you were mentored by, and this could get embarrassing. Secondly – How impressive ARE your achievements? If they aren’t, then don’t get too detailed – I recently saw one that said something along the lines of “I have played alongside the resident DJ at a wine bar in Skelmersdale” – which highlights not only that you’re NOT the resident DJ, but also that you believe playing a wine bar in Skelmersdale is something worth writing about. Chances are that prospective employers/fans aren’t going to be impressed by this. Much better to write “I have been playing in bars in the North”. It’s still true but it just doesn’t sound as desperate.
Of course, if you’re just starting out you might not have a long list of these, but not to worry, you can still sound interesting. A lot of DJ bios I have seen omit the most basic information – what style(s) of music do you play? Don’t just say ‘I play house’ – explain it a bit! ‘deep funky progressive beats’ is a much better descripton. If, like myself, you play across the board, don’t just say ‘eclectic’ – it doesn’t mean a thing to the reader, focus on a few main genres you play, such as ‘I play a mixture of reggae, funk and afrobeat, with a few surprises” – Even better, if you can word it to sound extremely exciting – “My music sounds like a firing stomp through 2-step, ferocious d&b and cavernous dubstep”, then people will want to listen, pure and simple.
However, avoid anything that sounds too pretentious – However great you are, it is unlikely that many people will agree that you are, for example “The most exciting young DJ in the scene” or that you have “unparalleled talents”. If other DJs or publications have said such things about you, great! Put it in quotations at the end of the bio, and credit your sources – but do make it’s a source that people have heard of (IE that can be Googled).
It might be a good idea, before you post your bio, to send it to your most intelligent friends for a bit of a proof-read. Really REALLY bad spelling, grammar or structure can be as much of a put-off as a bio full of lies or self-aggrandisation.
Also – GIVE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS, a link to your website/Soundcloud/FB page, and your email address.
Next time : Putting together a promo mix.
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Hey guys! So those of you who follow me over on my TWITTER may already know this news, but I’m starting a new two hour weekly show over at http://www.beatznbass.com/this week – I will be on from 8pm-10pm every Thursday night – and the show is 100% LIVE so feel free to join me in the chatroom or hit me up on Twitter and we can interact! I will be focussing on club music for this show, so I’ll be playing the best in house, breakbeat, dubstep, drum & bass and everything inbetween (with maybe a little bit of more chilled behaviour in the middle), so why not start your weekend off early with me as your party planner? I’ve also reached a bit of a milestone with my show over at SPIRITPLANTS – This weekend will be my 50th show! To celebrate both this and the fact that the good old Queen Of England is having a 60th jubilee this weekend, I’ve put together a ‘jubilee special’ – which is frankly just an excuse to play a load of great music with tenuous royal themes. I’ll catch you over the airwaves, kids!
Saturday 5 May 2012
Saturday 28 April 2012
Dellamorte Does Drums is a mix series I've been meaning to start for a couple of years. I really think drum & bass is one of the best and most enduring musical genres ever formed, and the current sounds coming out of the scene are ensuring it's staying at the top of its game whilst other styles are growing tired and diluted.
anyway, I present to you Dellamorte Does Drums Volume One - It's heavy on the trancier electronic side of d&b, starting with a few current anthems, then going a little deeper before building up again at the end. I'm pretty fond of it and I hope you will be too.
Friday 9 March 2012
Coming in threes!
Hey there my friends!
Well, it’s been a while hasn’t it? I’ve not exactly been resting on my laurels however, and I have a few bits of news for you, which, being an efficient and somewhat anally retentive fellow, I shall tackle in point form below.
1) House Of Dellamorte 2
Last year I dropped a house music mix on my Soundcloud page – It had some pretty good feedback, so I decided to do another. Like the first, it’s fairly short (just over half an hour), but unlike the first, which eased in gently and then went off halfway through, this one doesn’t take any prisoners (first track the exception). Please look below and have a listen or download it – leave me a comment on there (or on my Twitter , or to djdellamorte@gmail.com )and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it!
House Of Dellamorte 2 (March 2012) by Dj Dellamorte
2) This week’s Radio Show on Spiritplants
I did another hip-hop special for spiritplants this weekend – I made the first one last year and it was by far the most popular of all my shows, and, well, I’ve done another! I’ve tried to make it both as accessible and as wide-ranging as I could – plus it’s been made extra extra special by the involvement of none other than the legendary Akira The Don – Check out the ace radio drops he made me! The show airs Saturday 10th March at midnight GMT, or repeated at 12.30pm on Sunday 11th over at www.spiritplantsradio.com – I’ll be manning the chat on Saturday so hope to see you there. Boom!
3) Gig!
Yours truly has a gig coming up also – on the 16th March (a scant few days after my birthday) in Shoreditch –Details are over here. Come along, hear some awesome tunes, and maybe buy me a drink! Few more events in the pipeline too so I’ll keep y’all posted.
Peace!
D x
Well, it’s been a while hasn’t it? I’ve not exactly been resting on my laurels however, and I have a few bits of news for you, which, being an efficient and somewhat anally retentive fellow, I shall tackle in point form below.
1) House Of Dellamorte 2
Last year I dropped a house music mix on my Soundcloud page – It had some pretty good feedback, so I decided to do another. Like the first, it’s fairly short (just over half an hour), but unlike the first, which eased in gently and then went off halfway through, this one doesn’t take any prisoners (first track the exception). Please look below and have a listen or download it – leave me a comment on there (or on my Twitter , or to djdellamorte@gmail.com )and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it!
House Of Dellamorte 2 (March 2012) by Dj Dellamorte
2) This week’s Radio Show on Spiritplants
I did another hip-hop special for spiritplants this weekend – I made the first one last year and it was by far the most popular of all my shows, and, well, I’ve done another! I’ve tried to make it both as accessible and as wide-ranging as I could – plus it’s been made extra extra special by the involvement of none other than the legendary Akira The Don – Check out the ace radio drops he made me! The show airs Saturday 10th March at midnight GMT, or repeated at 12.30pm on Sunday 11th over at www.spiritplantsradio.com – I’ll be manning the chat on Saturday so hope to see you there. Boom!
3) Gig!
Yours truly has a gig coming up also – on the 16th March (a scant few days after my birthday) in Shoreditch –Details are over here. Come along, hear some awesome tunes, and maybe buy me a drink! Few more events in the pipeline too so I’ll keep y’all posted.
Peace!
D x
Tuesday 7 February 2012
Triple Dip = BASS EDITION 07.02.12
Hey kids,
It’s time for another edition of Dellamorte’s Triple Dip, I reckon! This is the feature of this here blog in which I pick three tracks or mixes that I’ve been obsessing over recently. Over the last few weeks I’ve been listening to a lot (more than usual!) of recent dubstep and drum & bass. So much good stuff out there – the D&B scene in particular is incredibly strong at the moment (and in fact I am currently working on an epic D&B mix). With this in mind I present you the following!
Zed’s Dead – Hit Me
Zed’s Dead are a duo from Toronto, Canada who have been on my radar for a couple of years now, with some excellent bootleg remixes of The Rolling Stones, Radiohead and, rather wonderfully, The Moody Blues, as well as more recent releases such as the brilliant Rumble In The Jungle/Under Yuh Skirt on the mighty Mad Decent records and the utterly storming Bassmentality with The Killabits. They make a real genre mash-up sound, heavily dubstep influenced but with elements of house, jungle and breakbeat. Their recently released EP is titled Adrenaline and features 4 total killers, this one is my personal favourite, really different sounding tune – I love the old-skool breakbeat and the funk horns which come in at about 3 mins. Boooom!
Rollz – The Music
I mentioned above how strong the d&b scene is at the moment, and here is a good example. Rollz is a producer from London who has been hitting big in the last year or so, and this tune takes elements of the liquid D&B sound which Hospital Records made it’s own, with the new-school trance-influenced rave vibes which have really grabbed my ear of late. Another tune which really does it’s own thing brilliantly.
Oblivion – Drunkstep
And here’s something from the US of A! Minneapolis in fact. The Americans, it seems, really have welcomed dubstep with open arms of late, and that’s no bad thing when we have tunes like this to show for it. Referencing the darker, less dancefloor (although this will SLAY a club) original London sound of dubstep (as opposed to the newer jump-up ‘brostep’/filthstep styles), I can’t get enough of turning the bass to 11 on this one and putting my hood up. FIRE!
Hope you had much fun listening to these – Keep your eyes peeled for a new radio show in a couple of days and hopefully some very exciting news to follow shortly!
It’s time for another edition of Dellamorte’s Triple Dip, I reckon! This is the feature of this here blog in which I pick three tracks or mixes that I’ve been obsessing over recently. Over the last few weeks I’ve been listening to a lot (more than usual!) of recent dubstep and drum & bass. So much good stuff out there – the D&B scene in particular is incredibly strong at the moment (and in fact I am currently working on an epic D&B mix). With this in mind I present you the following!
Zed’s Dead – Hit Me
Zed’s Dead are a duo from Toronto, Canada who have been on my radar for a couple of years now, with some excellent bootleg remixes of The Rolling Stones, Radiohead and, rather wonderfully, The Moody Blues, as well as more recent releases such as the brilliant Rumble In The Jungle/Under Yuh Skirt on the mighty Mad Decent records and the utterly storming Bassmentality with The Killabits. They make a real genre mash-up sound, heavily dubstep influenced but with elements of house, jungle and breakbeat. Their recently released EP is titled Adrenaline and features 4 total killers, this one is my personal favourite, really different sounding tune – I love the old-skool breakbeat and the funk horns which come in at about 3 mins. Boooom!
Rollz – The Music
I mentioned above how strong the d&b scene is at the moment, and here is a good example. Rollz is a producer from London who has been hitting big in the last year or so, and this tune takes elements of the liquid D&B sound which Hospital Records made it’s own, with the new-school trance-influenced rave vibes which have really grabbed my ear of late. Another tune which really does it’s own thing brilliantly.
Oblivion – Drunkstep
And here’s something from the US of A! Minneapolis in fact. The Americans, it seems, really have welcomed dubstep with open arms of late, and that’s no bad thing when we have tunes like this to show for it. Referencing the darker, less dancefloor (although this will SLAY a club) original London sound of dubstep (as opposed to the newer jump-up ‘brostep’/filthstep styles), I can’t get enough of turning the bass to 11 on this one and putting my hood up. FIRE!
Hope you had much fun listening to these – Keep your eyes peeled for a new radio show in a couple of days and hopefully some very exciting news to follow shortly!
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