Whattheheck.ch resident part I
Ladies and gentleman,
boys and girls,
children of all ages,
today we welcome Ed3urg - one of our resident DJs in whattheheck.ch.
My name is Martin aka Schulzendorf and I am very happy to share with you some secrets about our DJs.
Schulzendorf: When did you start DJing - and what or who were your early passions and influences?
ed3urg: During a trip to Tulum I met a guy from Zurich who is also a DJ. When we came back he showed me how to use a DJ Gear and that was the starting point of a new journey.
I remember my first real contact with electronic music was in an underground club in Mainz (at the beginning the 2000s) when I went to University. During those days I started listening to DJs like Stephan Bodzin, Extrawelt and Sven Väth.
Before that I mainly listened to the typical 90s Rockbands like Metallica, Nirvana and Pearl Jam because I also play E-Guitar. Playing an instrument definitely helps you to DJ when it comes to beat matching and a composing harmonical sets.
Schulzendorf: What were some of the main challenges and goals when starting out as a DJ and how have they changed over time?
ed3urg: At the beginning the main challenge was to download all the tracks as mp3 files to create a Rekordbox database. I spent hours on downloading files and organize them in a proper folder structure. Now the challenge is to create playlists (containers for different genres) and compose sets.
Schulzendorf: What was your first set-up as DJ like? Which equipment do you enjoy to use now?
ed3urg: In order to start playing at home I bought a Pioneer DDJ-400 controller. For learning the first steps on a DJ gear like practicing transitions and beat matching this setup is totally sufficient.
"Sometimes I do some really cool stuff by accident."
Schulzendorf: How does preparation for a gig look like? What do you do on that day before and after?
ed3urg: I am creating one or two playlists with a couple of tracks matching the same genres/style. After a gig a I try to remember the best transitions and change the order of the tracks in the playlist accordingly. Sometimes I do some really cool stuff by accident 😃.
Schulzendorf: How does playing music at home and presenting it in the club compare and relate?
ed3urg: At home I only play freestyle but most of the time I am listening to SoundCloud mixes to get some new inspiration from other artists.
"In my opinion you cannot completely script a set."
Schulzendorf: Did you ever went „off script“ during your set?
ed3urg: In my opinion you cannot completely script a set. What I prefer is to create a framework upfront which includes tracks related to a particular style I intend to play. But sometimes one have to be totally open and adapt the music to the crowd and start playing freestyle.
Schulzendorf: What plans do you have for the future?
ed3urg: Playing as often as possible in front of people and therefore I have to get more popular. DJing is like an addiction: Once I see a DJ gear I am getting nervous and want to start playing.
Schulzendorf: Do you have a vision for you as a DJ?
ed3urg: Maybe to start producing my own tracks.
Thank you very much ed3urg for your time and happy DJing!
While growing up in the Rhein-Main area in Germany, Ed3urg discovered early in the 2000s the electronic music scene inspired by Dj’s like Sven Vaeth, Extrawelt, Stephan Bodzin and Loco Dice.
Dancing and listening through 20 years of electronic music and different genres and supported by his friends positive feedback on his music selection, ed3burg decided to swap the view from the dancefloor to the turn tables. Started playing for family and friends he is always seeking for a wider audience to share his love for electronic music.