Behind the decks: Recent Episodes
Trackstack
Behind the decks gets into the life and grind of DJs around the world. Brought to you by Trackstack.
Ranger Trucco is one of house music’s fastest-rising talents. Combining effortless lyricism with infectious basslines, he wasted zero time cultivating a truly unique sound that resonates with electronic music fans globally. Both producer & vocalist - Ranger refused to letgrowing up 4 hours north of the nearest nightlife impede his plans of a future completely immersed in dance music culture. With performances at festivals and clubs nationwide on the horizon, it’s only up from here.
Connect with Ranger
https://www.instagram.com/rangertrucco
https://www.rangertrucco.com/
Summary
Ranger Trucco discusses his approach to collaborating with other artists and the positive impact it has had on his career. He emphasizes the importance of mutual respect and communication in collaborations. He also shares his journey as an artist and the influence of his parents on his music career. Trucco highlights the significance of having fun and not taking music too seriously, as well as the importance of finding inspiration outside of the studio. He discusses the balance between making music and managing social media, emphasizing the importance of being authentic and true to oneself. Ranger Trucco discusses the pressure of posting on social media and the importance of authenticity. He emphasizes the need for artists and brands to be themselves on social media and connect with their audience on a personal level. He also talks about the ego in the DJ industry and the importance of humility. Trucco predicts that minimal and deep tech will continue to grow in the US music scene. He advises DJs to have fun, not take themselves too seriously, and prioritize their mental well-being.
Takeaways
- Collaboration is important for building your own projects and the overall sound
- Mutual respect and communication are key in successful collaborations
- Having fun and not taking music too seriously is crucial for creativity
- Finding inspiration outside of the studio is important for artistic growth
- Being authentic and true to oneself on social media is essential There is pressure to post on social media, but it's important to be authentic and connect with your audience on a personal level.
- Humility is crucial in the DJ industry, and the best DJs are often the most humble.
- Minimal and deep tech music genres are predicted to continue growing in the US music scene.
- Having fun and prioritising mental well-being are essential for productive and enjoyable music production.
- Don't take yourself too seriously as a DJ and remember that it's not that deep.
Yazmina is a UK based Producer and DJ who grew up in Hackney, London. Her production and sets are a mix of Tech House, Minimal and Bass/Garage House, influenced by 90s through to current day House using a lot of old school Rnb, Hip Hop and Soul vocal samples.
Summary
Yazmina shares her journey in the music industry, from being in a pop rock band to exploring electronic music and eventually signing tracks to labels like Hottrax and Glasgow Underground. She talks about the importance of self-creation in her music and the balance between using sample packs and creating her own sounds. Yazmina also discusses her approach to making music, including a well organised approach to her files and back ups! She emphasises her key habit as the need to step away from a track and come back to it with fresh ears for better productivity and output. Yazmina shares her approach to managing her time in the studio, emphasizing the importance of stepping away to avoid burnout. She finds it productive to take breaks and engage in activities outside of the studio, as it helps her maintain energy and focus. Being a full-time producer has allowed her to have more flexibility in her schedule and implement a healthier structure. Yazmina also discusses the impact of rejection and how she has learned to handle it better over time. She advises other producers to invest in themselves, avoid comparing themselves to others on social media, and set clear goals.
Takeaways
- Yazmina's approach to making music involves having a well organised file and back up system.
- Knowing when to away from a track and coming back to it with fresh ears for better productivity and output. Stepping away from the studio can be productive and help prevent burnout.
- Setting clear goals and creating a visual representation of them can help track progress and stay motivated.
- Handling rejection is a skill that can be developed over time, and it's important not to take it personally.
Cameron & George sit down at Miami Music Week 2024 to talk about their journey building Trackstack. Covering new product announcements, how they handle customers and their view on the electronic music industry.
@trackstack.app
Get started with Flow Inbox: https//www.trackstack.app
Brendan James, UK on Stacked. Rising underground house DJ, Brendan James originates from the south west UK with strong roots within the house and techno scene.
Brendan also contributes his expertise openly on YouTube and through is 1 to 1 mentoring sessions under the 'Brendan James Music' brand.
@brendanjames.music
Goosey, UK joins us from Barcelona, Spain on Stacked.
Goosey's underground sound is truly unique and draws heavily from the iconic club DC10. His extensive catalogue of unreleased music has already made waves on the dancefloors of some of the world's most renowned parties.
Goosey's music has not gone unnoticed, with numerous high-profile DJs and producers such as Jamie Jones, Marco Carola, Michael Bibi and Joseph Capriati supporting his work. As an artist, Goosey is rapidly gaining momentum and is definitely one to keep an eye on in 2023.
Josh Hvaal, UK joins us on Stacked. Josh’s musical education started at a young age where he began DJing aged 9, learning his craft on belt drive record players and here is where his passion for dance music blossomed. As he grew older, Josh became heavily influenced by the unique sounds of artists such as Paul Johnson, DJ Deeon, Vin Sol and DJ Haus. Fascinated by the speed and energy of their music, Hvaal invested countless hours developing his own sound and style orientated around the dancefloor. Josh’s unique, extensive catalogue of unreleased dance floor-ready music has graced the dancefloors of some of the biggest and most renowned clubs and festivals in the world. His music support from the likes of JAMIE JONES, RICHY AHMED, LATMUN, PAWASA and SEB ZITO to name a few. Having caught the eye of world renowned DJ/Producer Jamie Jones with his unconventional, original productions, Jamie subsequently signed Josh’s debut release “The Sound EP” to his and Lee Foss’s powerhouse underground record label Hot Creations Armed with an arsenal of quality own productions and club inspired edits, Josh’s unique and undeniable talent as a DJ with high energy sets has seen him booked in esteemed venues such as Stealth, XOYO, EGG, Lab11 and Lightbox, and many more.
Mark Mcmahon, Manchester UK joins us on Stacked. Mark is an artist liaison, DJ and producer working behind the scenes at JBM Music, Warehouse Project, Creamfields and more.
Connect with Mark at @markmcmahon
Alev Tav joins us from Ibiza, Spain. Alev Tav was a part of new wave inside the electronic music scene of Ukraine. She puts her soul into everything she does and into a spectacular music selection. Alev Tav has established herself as an elegant person in electronic music, always connected with the crowd.
Alev Tav has established herself as an elegant person in electronic music, always connected with the crowd. Alev starts developing her role as a music producer in 2016, refines her sound into a unique combination of deep tech , tech house, garage , house and shared the stage with some great names in the club world: Dennis Cruz, Claptone, Who Made Who, Alex Kennon, Oliver Koletzki, Jos & Eli, Whitesqueare and more. In 2021 start to do her own house parties, that where famous in Ukraine. And had her own stage at one of the biggest festival White Nights, Kyiv. Alev Tav was invited to take a part in 12 hours fundraiser livestream with Electronic labor day and Beatport ReConnect in efforts to raise money and help Beirut. She was always true to her musical taste and this has strengthened her ability to stand out from the crowd.Currently based in Ibiza.
Connect with Alev: @alev_tav
Nate Chapman, Miami US joins us on Stacked. Part of our Stacked spotlight series where we highlight up coming producers breaking through the inbox on Trackstack.
Ammo Avenue joins us on Stacked from Peru.
Peruvian Ammo Avenue keeps rising through the underground music scene establishing himself as one of house music’s most exciting newcomers. Armed with bumping basslines and solid house beats, the past months have seen Ammo release his high energy tunes on labels such as Black Book, Kaluki, Deeperfect, Moon Harbour, VIVA, Revival, Rawthentic, Repopulate Mars, Toolroom, Circus and more.
Ammo has been playing around the world in major venues such as Warehouse Project Manchester, Pacha Barcelona, Ultra Brasil, Ultra Peru, BPM Costa Rica, Too Long Milan, The Lab Madrid, Give Soul Festival Rotterdam, Resistance and The Masquerade Lima, Lost Beach Montañita, Salon Amador Medellin, Club Room Santiago and Park.Art Curitiba, next to DJs like Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Loco Dice, Hot Since 82, Joris Voorn, Dubfire, Stefano Noferini, Stacey Pullen, Camelphat, De La Swing, Claptone, Adana Twins, ANOTR, Carlo Lio, Hector Couto, Rafa Barrios, Archie Hamilton and more.
Live support for his music grows every weekend on dance floors around the world, with major name DJ’s playing his music including the likes of Jamie Jones, The Martinez Brothers, Marco Carola, Joseph Capriati, Ilario Alicante, Michael Bibi, FISHER, Eats Everything, Cuartero, Solardo, Stefano Noferini, Latmun, Claptone, Lee Foss, Archie Hamilton, wAFF, Chris Stussy, Chris Lake, Dennis Cruz, Rafa Barrios and many more.
Only during this summer season we’ve seen his tracks get played at iconic venues and festivals such as Space Miami, Music On Festival Amsterdam, Pacha Ibiza, Amnesia, Hi Ibiza, DC-10, Ushuaia, Solid Grooves, Dreambeach Festival, Sunblast Festival, Panorama Festival, Fabrik Madrid, Zamna Barcelona, several Elrow Parties and more.
Further support has come from electronic music big hitters including Data Transmission, Music Is 4 Lovers, Toolroom Radio, Jamie Jones' Hot Robot Radio, Roger Sanchez' Release Yourself Radio, Solardo’s The Spot and multiple playlist additions and charting tracks across Beatport, Traxsource and Spotify.
2023 and beyond will see more bumping tunes and appearances from the Lima based rising star. Watch this space!
https://ammoavenuemusic.wixsite.com/ammoavenue
Jeff Sorkowitz is a New York based DJ, producer and founder of the Short Circuit record label and event series. We dive into his life from Corporate Law to Electronic Music as well as his practices around creativity, production and A&R decisions. Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts today.
@jeffsorkowitz - https://www.instagram.com/jeffsorkowitz
Micah, UK joins us on Behind The Decks to share his journey of mastering his DJ skills in Malia before starting his production journey during Covid and more recently his label imprint Gritty Music.
George Hess, US radio promoter for Armada Music joins us on Behind The Decks to share his journey, we cover many topics but the most important purpose is his personal journey of sobriety and a deeper appreciation of his connection to dance music.
Hartley joins us Behind The Decks discussing the growing scene in Dubai, how she balances work and production as well as how a consistent positive mindset has accelerated her career forward.
Co-founders Cameron & George sit down to share more about their journey building Trackstack ahead of the launch of Inbox in August 2023
A special episode with Trackstack's co-founders Cameron & George alongside Andrew Leese from Socially Sound DJ to discuss an important topic. We believe The DIY artist is a foundation for guiding career decision making for a long term career as a professional DJ. It is hard to know what the next move is as DJ professionally, how does one move from producing tracks to running an event series around the world.
Andrew Azara, Dublin, Ireland (now Barcelona) joins us Behind The Decks to share his journey as a producer covering how he found his way into music, his strategy for his career and how he handles the inner mindset when it comes to navigating the complex world of being a DJ
Ben Walsh (UK) sits down to get into his journey behind the decks sharing how travelling has inspired a new creative direction and a consistent work routine has shaped his production workflow
Jenny C, UK sits down to get behind the decks sharing her journey into becoming a full-time professional
We sit down with NYC based Ky William to get into his journey and career behind the decks. Highlights include the decision he made to go full time in music, how mentoring shapes his production skills and more.
Hart & Neenan sit down for Behind The Decks Episode 7. As they are good friends this was a little personal at times but we dived deep into how their journey is going, their strategy for making tracks and how they were the original inspiration behind Trackstack.
Luke Welsh, UK shares his journey behind the decks. We dive deep into the art of the warm up, how promoting Sankeys and Warehouse Project gave Luke a distinct skill set as a DJ and producer as well as how tuition shaped his craft enabling him to bring more to his own tracks.
Ben Mirphy has quickly established himself as one of the UK’s rising stars on the underground House scene as his infectiously unique underground sound continues to enhance his already renowned reputation. Never one to follow, Ben has cornered the market of the unexpected as each set boasts a journey as unique as his sound.
Connect with Ben on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_murphy_official/
We sit down with UK based producer and DJ Chanel Carmichael to discuss her journey and career
Our first conversation between Cameron and George co-founders of Trackstack discussing their journey building Trackstack
We sit down with James Poole to talk about his career to date and what's next @jamespooledj
We sit down with Marcellus to get to know his journey as an artist, unpacking his approaches to music and thoughts about the future.
Follow us on instagram at @trackstackhq
Introducing Trackstack. A new approach to exchanging demos to help you build relationships with the worlds best DJs and get the attention your music deserves. Find out about how we serve artists and our journey to building a new approach to demo exchange.
Experience it right now at www.trackstack.in