Serendipity & Studio Talk

I’d been intending to make Morgan Page a cover subject for a couple years now. Recognizing his ascendency in the DJ/producer ranks and knowing his unique career path, I put his story in my back pocket until the time was right.
So when I ran into him at the iZotope booth at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, Calif., this past January—and knowing that he was preparing to release Believe, his second artist album—I figured, “This is a little bit like serendipity. It’s now or never.”

It was. As our Robert LaFrance reports, Page was keen on DJing and music production from a young age. Very uncharacteristically, he began to spin on a college radio station as a teenager. He even chose his university—Boston’s Emerson College—based on its superb technological offerings. He took internships in New York to learn the business. Nothing was handed to him. He made his breaks, learned his craft (in the studio and the booth) and made the most of his opportunities. He’s now a much in-demand global DJ, playing progressive, trance and crossover sounds. We hope you find his story as inspiring as we do.

This month’s issue also features plenty more studio talk. The difference from other issues, however, is that this time we go right to the source—or many sources. Simply, we asked more than 100 DJs a handful of questions regarding their studio choices and “the do’s and don’ts” of pursuing a music-making career. As you’ll see, we only had room to include about 60 responses—first come, first serve, y’all—but we think you’ll find them instructive. We were fortunate to get a great cross section of jocks—turntablists, trancers, house jocks, etc.—and, frankly, I’m always thrilled to include Boy George in anything we do. Many thanks, Mr. O’Dowd.

On the mobile front, Jeff Stiles investigates how some entertainers have bucked a few of the tougher economic trends and managed to survive and even thrive in an otherwise brutal climate. In Business Line, we explain how to brand yourself and how to manage that valuable brand in the DJ world. In Mobile Profile, we visit with Houston’s Olyn Taylor, who explains how he benefits from his affiliation with a local mobile-music association.

We also review a pair of neat products. Denver DJ Wesley Bryant-King goes over Allen & Heath’s Xone: 22 mixer, while New England-based producer Josh Harris tackles the Scarbee Bass Collection from Native Instruments.
Once again, we invite you to keep up with us on our new blog. Each day, we offer useful and exclusive information at djtimes.com/blog, and we encourage you to participate in the discussions.

Cheers,

Jim Tremayne
Editor, DJ Times