Thursday, 09 April 2009 05:53 LAST_UPDATED2 Written by Cesare

Tell us about your start as a DJ, both in real life and in SL
Well, I was interested in making music long before DJing. This aspect fell into my lap around 1999. At that time I was working as a performer (actor, comedic entertainer, busker) and basically through some connections I began working with a DJ company and I got experienced and then branched off when I was ready. I moved to the music I wanted to do, the places I wanted to play and by 2001 I had my own real life entertainment company focusing on DJs. By 2004 or so I was doing events in Baltimore, Maryland close to 7 days a week either as a DJ or producing/promoting the event. Then, in 2006 I found Second Life and the Second Life DJing (laughs). Since I came in, I immediately saw the potential, and began DJing inworld. I was looking to escape the night after night stress of party after party so I started a Club inworld at first, which lasted about 6 months  (technically one of the first places to have a live turntable DJ inworld) but I wanted to end running a club because that was leading to the same stresses I wanted to avoid in real life and, as my enterprise took off here in Second Life, I slowly pulled out of working in real life. Since 2007, I've been working online and in Second Life about 80% of the time as inworld biz was taking off. Also,  there were no real professional DJs that are also music producers at the time and I jumped into that market, opening Ravelong Productions and many other ventures inworld which leads to now. So, many opportunities came about because of Second Life, and in Second Life

What was the music scene like, back when you started in 2006, how do you think it has evolved since then?
The music scene now in Second Life is vibrant and robust. Back in 2006, the live musicians were getting started. Many of the very popular ones now, started at that time. There was live music, good stuff,  very good... And people were going to that, but the DJ scene before me was not what it is now. Before me, there was literally no one that DJd for real . They were picking songs, playing with a playlist, and sometimes talking on the microphone so, I took action to declare the Second Life community that there is a difference and the real turntable DJs need to be respected as an art form. Now, I'm definitely not taking credit for the entire movement, I was just one of the first, there were others too, some 5 people throughout most of 2006, but I think Nexeus Fatale was the first real DJ and then I was the first real DJ to strongly begin the push for "live turntable DJing" so, I made the "live turntable DJs" group which has like 1500 people now and also the "Live DJ's" group for all DJs, playlisters and real DJs. By the beginning of 2007 there were more DJs coming inworld. As for the Club scene, in 2006 there was my venue which I closed and Club Republik. The latter in my opinion was the first full tume community supported real DJ club, which coincidentally was run on the exact same priciples as Scoutlounge and in my eyes Club Republik and Scoutlounge have been the most successful of all time, in terms of gathering a support team, it all being nonprofit, and it working so well. By the way, Republik is coming back on April 18th, so it's a great comeback

Do you think that being a SL DJ helped somehow to boost your popularity in real life as well?
Actually no. I could have pushed to become more popular in real life using Second Life, but that wasn't my goal or drive... Gaining popularity isnt really my interest, I was and am interested in pushing the collaboration aspect of Second Life, so my popularity may grow a lot in Second Life but it's only caused by me pushing my sounds and my art and also supporting everything around me, like when I perform in Second Life I want to expose everyone involved: The Club, the design, the family involved. I want all people I'm involved with, to rise together with me so that's what I focus on, rather than personal popularity. After all, Second Life music is much bigger than any one person or group

Did you get enough support from institutions here on SL and from other fellow DJs in sharing your vision?
Definitely, because I was in here early and was an innovator to what the DJ scene is now. Many people come to me and ask me for my advice on how to proceed and share that vision. I mean, obviously, for some, it's intuition, but I think my goals and beliefs in Second Life are something people can easily join on board with. Scoutlounge for example, is a nice representation of what I believe. I didnt start it, I just add my thoughts so my ideas can combine with everyone else's at Scoutlounge and it makes the Club rock so well. There are other clubs too, that have a sound and healthy approach and we all support everyone and every project

What is your vision of SL, say, in the next two years? Would you foresee or recommend something?
Good question (laughs)... I should be thinking for a second, because there are many times I have opinions about how things should go in Second Life and also I have great intuition on what's to come, but actually, in relation to the DJ scene I honestly can't think of anything it specifically needs...  I mean,  I see the growth every day and I also see the new innovation (such as adding real life webcam feed)  and creative approaches (such as Poetik). It's all great and beautiful and I just think, the more people keep taking imaginative approaches to test the boundaries, the better. The DJ scene is now 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, there are many locations at all times, it will never die down. It's only going to expand in ways i can't imagine yet. There are also many who do have the goal of getting recognized in the real world and if more mainstream media and talent buyers are in Second Life booking talent for real life, all the better. DJ Jenns for example, through DJing here on Second Life, got a well paid real life gig in a ski resort in Italy

Would you say SL is a competitor to the World Wide Web or a complimentary mean?
It is completely complimentary. Within 5 years the Web will be 3D, similar to Second Life and to browse the web we'll have an Avatar and take our Avatar to the webpages, which will have set up 3D rooms, so that's the future of the Web. Currently, Web 2.0 and Second Life combine amazingly and what I would like to see is net neutrality and bandwidth as free or cheap as it should be. DJs should be able to have capacity to handle thousands of listeners and DJs in Second Life should have outworld listeners... I want that to happen more, over the next 2 years. I think now that Second Life music has been around for more than five years. Some people "get" Second Life and just don't want to get into it, therefore, people outworld get the concept of Second Life and still should be able to tune into the DJs at a Club. I'd like to see more live feeds of action at Clubs, that would be Second Life webcam to website. Real Life webcam to Second Life has been happening already, which is great

Did you found some benefit from networks, especially by liaising with foreign DJs and audiences?
For sure. As an example, you'll remember when we met at Scoutlounge, you and the Italian DJs were forming and that ended up me getting that steady gig at Italia Vera. I always choose to work with the best people in my eyes. Me and those people have a positive energy which attracts people, and makes good things happen

Do you find many differences between say, your style and a European or Japanese DJ?
My style is pretty much different from everyone, I'm very versatile whereas most DJs concentrate on a certain form of music. My style is what the Europeans, Australians, Japanese, Americans, South Americans want to hear, but had no idea they did. I would say I find myself spinning House Music made in USA more. And i play Drum'n'Bass made in UK more, but the music I spin is what each nationality wants to hear, rather than what they're usually listening to. I am siding with universal communication. As an example, I speak in english on the microphone, but if there's a non-english crowd i won't talk on the microphone

As a producer, what do you aim to communicate? What kind of style attracts you more?
As a producer... I'm a nut! I started when I was 11, tape recording sound effects, then alot of sfx from video games and I would add these sounds to an old program called Impulse Tracker, so for nearly 4 years I was making music with a tape recorder and a spreadsheet program, then computers revolutionized music making. My music, the music i make, is in no way related to what I like to spin as a DJ. I, unlike most DJ/producers, keep my own music separate from my DJing although, meanwhile, I create music while I am DJing but my composed finished pieces, I almost never use those in a DJ mix, I like to stay as completely free with the music i make and not conform it to how a DJ would want it. The music I make would be considered electronica fusion, or expermental, or IDM. A lot of my music is for listening, or for backgrounds, not for dancing or clubbing

Do you think a good DJ has to be versatile enough to innovate himself always?
I do, but being a "good DJ" is such a broad term. Whatever the individual DJs goals are and then aiming for them, is what makes a good DJ. For what concerns me, I'm about taking things to a whole new level, finding out what everyone secretly craves, and no conscious idea about it. I think outside the box, and I try the limits of DJing and of Second Life but other DJs, whatever their goals are, they're "a good DJ" if they're hitting 'em

Which advice would you give to someone to make him join SL?
I just have them look at my blog (laughs)... Seriously, I have them see what i am into and interested in and they either say it looks way too complex, they don't have time, or they're in. I've gotten very few people I know for real, friends or family, into Second Life. I don't really try, because Second Life takes something I know I have and I know it's not for everyone yet, especially because some computers might not being able to handle it. All the regulars in Second Life, they have that thing too... You really gotta be into it, to want to be into it