Some spent the early afternoon hours of today nursing the after effects of the Circoloco opening party, and others grabbed an opportunity to hear DVS1 away from the blistering dance floor. As the 10th edition of the International Music Summit (IMS) kicked off this afternoon, here is a slice of what went down.
If you didn't witness DVS1's sonic assault at Circoloco last night, that's a damn shame. His high-octane set nearly had us on our knees, and it makes us that little bit nervous not knowing if he'll be back in 2017. So, when we saw that an extra date had been plugged into the IMS schedule, with him in the program with his DJ Skills Masterclass, we were all over the chance to get an insight into his ingenuity.
We got the lowdown on his unique mixing style, his immense record collection and his experiences of the infamous Berlin club. With the audience thrown their cue to grill the engaging American heavyweight further, from the flurry of questions chucked his way, you knew that his session could have been stretched beyond the 60 minutes he was given.
He opened up on the early days of mixing when slipping up during a set didn't negatively impact the reputation of a DJ. Instead it inspired tension on the dance floor in how they recovered. He weighed in on how mixing is more than purely a job for him, but rather it's a necessity, in that it's a form of therapy or meditation.
Mixing skills aside, with DVS1 being a resident at monolithic German nightclub Berghain, one fan wanted to get an understanding of how he makes the transition between Berlin and Ibiza's nightlife. DVS1's response didn't shy away from the truth. “I have an existential crisis every time I come here,” he admited. “Sometimes I have wondered why I'm here. I always like a challenge and coming here at first was a challenge. I'm not trying to change Ibiza. I do genuinely like it here and so I come a couple of times a year.”
To close, he had advice to aspiring artists looking to grab his attention. For him, it's private Soundcloud links, and rather candidly, he said, “at least lie and tell me you only sent it to me. I'm not trying to hoard anything, but I'd like to think you had me in mind. If it says 100 plays, it isn't special. Just lie to me, make me feel special and if I like it, I'll get back to you.”
To the motivated DJs and producers reading this, today proved to be an intensive lowdown on what you need to be doing to get heard. From DVS1 we moved onto a presentation from Toni Tambourine from Neighbourhood PR. With industry heavyweights including Heidi, Maya Jane Coles and Pan-Pot on the company's books, any aspiring DJs aiming for that level of success took note on how presenting themselves professionally as producer is essential in getting media exposure in the digital age. “It's really important to make yourself interesting. It's about how journalists will find you interesting.”
Engaging a company like Neighbourhood PR is your ultimate goal in this industry, and that is because those are the guys with contacts. It is they who can influence journalists to write about you, and that isn't an easy task in a flooded market that's bubbling with fierce competition. Tambourine was candid about the fact that it can be laborious. You might send out 100 emails with new material, and 20 might get read, and from that one person might click on your link. “It's a game you have to play. Find the right people with the right information, and somewhere along the line someone is going to love your stuff. Don't get pissed off if people don't write back, as one will come through and that's all you need.”
Presentation also shouldn't be overlooked. In this industry, you have to make yourself look good. As Tambourine emphasised, it might sound simple, but a lot of people don't market themselves well. One of the main tools is a press release as this is what grabs a journalist's attention. Again, a lot of people fall at this hurdle. “Don't use words like 'biggest, best, huge, roof-raising or massive.' If a journalist reads this stuff, they will turn off probably within the first few sentences. What you need to be factual and interesting. If within 5 hours you've had 5,000 plays, put the emphasis on that.” To summarise, press releases should include your own story, not contain fabricated statistics and have good quality photos that reflect who you are as an artist.
At Ibiza Spotlight, we are flooded with dozens of record promos, daily. We do of course aim to wrap our ears round a good portion of them (honestly) but it's a big ask. We can vouch for Tambourine's point that having your Soundcloud or Mixcloud page looking slick gives you a greater shot at getting your music out there. “Have a good page. It's a simple way to get your music to the journo, and they will more likely click and share.”
What else do you need to know? Research your targeted media, be personal in your approach, smarten up your socials, and most importantly, persevere.
With day one in the bag, tomorrow includes debates on health vs hedonism, The Black Madonna on dance floor euphoria, the elrow family on the magnetism of circus-inspired clubbing and a keynote interview with the co-founders of Resident Advisor.
Stay tuned as we bring you more juice from the 10th edition of IMS.
