Mar 2010 CRiSiS
Real Name: Joe Anderson
Alias: CRiSiS
Hometown: Raised in Reno, lived all over and currently reside in Phoenix
Age: 26
Profession: Network Engineer
Hobbies: Music Production, Sound Design, Song Writing, Computers, Networks… Technology in general really, but more so enterprise networks.
Affiliations: Future Logic, Corporal Punishment, Starry Eyed
Q: When did you get into electronic music and what made you decide to become a Dj?
I first heard about EDM from my very good friend Jetson. At the time we both were high school dropouts with no hobbies except playing video games and smoking pot. I had nothing really going for myself, and thus nothing to lose… So when going to raves became an option, I figured why not!?
It started off as a fun activity to pass the weekend, meet new people, and have new experiences. I got bored quick though and figured I had to do something else besides just party if I was going to keep attending these events. Plus I wanted to see how hard it actually was to be a dj…
So that year for Christmas, instead of presents I told my parents to just give me money. With the Christmas money and some I saved from working, I was able to get a super cheap setup from eBay. Two belt driven Gemini tables, and a GLI Pro mixer… so crappy. But at the time I was super stoked.
At that time, Jetson had been building a DJ setup also. So I would go to his house pretty much every day and The Beast, Jetson, and I would play records all day. This is how it started. We would take a trip over to Sac every few weeks to go to Simon Apex’s store, SubSonic, which was still open at that time. That is where we got all our records until we found out about online shops, and then Retropolis opened.
Q: Where did you come up with your Dj name and what does it mean?
The name originated from when I was writing graffiti. The crew I ran with was all about battles, and taking people out… and being the tightest. So I originally came up with a name I thought would intimidate others. It just transferred to Djing.
Q: What genres do you play and what others do you have an interest in?
Oh man… the list is infinite. And it has only grown since I started producing. I will keep the list slim…
First and foremost I play bass driven music. What I mean by this, is music which is written around the bass line… or where the bass line plays the lead. Pretty much anything with a broken beat… Breaks, Dnb, Dubstep, and any other sub-genre you want to associate with this sound. Also some forms of House such as certain Electro and Fidget… stuff like that. I also do a lot of Turntablism and Hip Hop stuff…
I won’t even go into music I have interest in… anything that is sound, has a logical structure, and conveys an idea basically sums it up.
Q: For those not familiar with your style, how best could you describe it?
I think what makes my style unique is my incorporation of hip hop aesthetics into edm sets. My approach is to turn heads and get people jumping off the walls. So I use scratching and quick mixes to turn heads, grab attention, and keep the energy pumping. Now that I am producing original tracks, I use that to put even more of my own “sound” into my sets.
Q: What are your latest accomplishments as a DJ?
Hmmm… not a whole lot to report here. I have finally mastered harmonic mixing, and I am in the process of organizing my entire library by key signature and tempo. Hopefully when I finish that project I can unleash some fury…
On the production side of things, I have reached some new levels and feel like this year things are really going to take off….
Q: What is or was your greatest accomplishment?
Music wise I have yet to achieve my greatest accomplishment. I have achieved many things musically, but I still have a long way to go. Success is a journey, not a destination.
I guess right now the biggest thing I have done as a dj is win a few competitions and play some decent size shows with some pretty big names… But I never really measure myself by having a billing with bigger names. I feel like it’s riding on someone else’s coat tales. I want to be defined for my own success, not for playing along side others who have achieved success.
Q: Any strange requests, odd happenings or just weird things ever happen while you were playing? Or your most memorable gig?
Not really… I think the weirdest thing that has ever happened was a guy wanted to learn how to dj right there on the spot. Of course I told him that was not the time or place. It seemed like he understood and would be civil about the whole thing. But every time I turned away to grab another record, he would start messing with things! Like he tried to scratch the record playing and caused the needle to drag half way across the platter… for those who know what that sounds like, OUCH!
Q: Which method do you prefer to use while playing live? (Vinyl, Cd, ableton etc..)
I use a combination. I love Serato, and don’t know how I ever lived without it. I love the fact that I can use the convenience of the digital technology, but still get the hands on control of vinyl. My sets rely heavily on scratching and vinyl manipulation, so I need that hands on control. Plus it just feels more natural to me.
Eventually I plan on using Ableton to do the whole live pa thing… but I haven’t crossed that bridge yet.
Q: What's the one track that never leaves your record bag or Cd case?
Being that I use Serato I have all my tracks with me at all times. But there are some classic tracks that I know will rock a crowd into a frenzy…
Autobots vs. Screwface - Burn
Stereotype - Stereo Typical
Stereotype - Balls to the wall (Stereo Typical pt. II)
Soul Of Man - Sukdat
Far Too Loud - Play It Loud
Lee Combs - Loud And Clear (Rogue Element Mix)
Rusko - Cockney Thug
Just to name a few….
Q: Are there any projects you’re working on to look forward to in the next year?
I have been working on original tracks. I would like to put out an album, but I am waiting to see how some things in the works play out. I may be releasing some tracks this summer…
Nona and I are also working on a tag team dj/production duo…
Q: Who are your favorite Producers and or Dj’s that you listen to, play or have been influenced by and why?
Ctrl Z, Screwface, and the entire Hardcore Beats label. They are the reason I began producing. Especially Ctrl Z, they are on another level! Dudes are crazy! Equalizers are good, Far Too Loud are insane also! Pendulum’s early stuff.
Recently I have been getting excited by stuff in the Electro/Fidget camp… like The Rogue Element, Udachi, Wolfgang Gartner, Wireless Mice, Curtis B, DJ Dan, and Deadmau5. Also some Dubstep guys are blowing my mind like Rusko, Chase and Status, Nero, Joker and Ginz, Mt. Eden…
Dr. Dre just cause he has a sound that many strive to achieve. His beats are always phat, pounding, and very musical. Timbaland has a very unique style, and I love listening to his stuff. Scott Storch is amazing. His understanding and use of music theory is quite impressive. The Body Snatchers have been making some really good mainstream beats lately.
I love listening to older stuff also to hear classic studio techniques at work and get some musical inspiration… Like Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Jimi Hendrix. Les Paul was amazing when it came to the studio… He invented most modern day modulation effects such as Delay, Chorus, Phaser, etc… a lot of the music I listen to now or am influenced by is music which I can learn from.
Q: If you didn’t become a Dj what else do you think you would be doing when you’re not at your day job?
Hmmm… well, probably what I do now. I would be writing music, I have no doubt of that as it is engraved into my soul. Even without djing I would still be involved in music, just not sure to what extent.
I would also probably be wrapped up in tinkering with electronics. Still do that now as well.
Q: Have you noticed a decline in attendance at events or clubs you play, and do you think it can be attributed to a possible loss of interest in the music?
It’s a cycle. I have seen it ebb and flow a couple times now. I don’t think it is a loss of interest in the music… I don’t think the interest was ever really there to begin with. Attendance rises when people see it’s a popular activity, all their friends are doing it, and you can get as smashed as you want cause that is the norm. Attendance falls when people get sick of the drugs, and they realize they never really liked the music to begin with. The drugs just kept their mind occupied so they never noticed their distaste for the music.
Those who truly love the music, never stop. It’s not something you can choose to turn on and off.
Q: What would you say are the best and worst things about being a dj?
Best thing I got from being a dj was learning how to scratch. This translated into a lot of saved hours when it came to rhythm. Producing music relies heavily on rhythm, and if you don’t have rhythm or do not understand it you can expect to spend a fair amount of time on just learning what rhythm is. It also taught me how to conquer my fear of public performance. This I guess is a big thing, but I never really had the fear to begin with…
The worst thing about being a dj is anytime I talk with people who play instruments, they are extremely quick to discount dj’s as musicians. Even if you haven’t told them about everything else you do concerning music, they hear “dj” and assume “not a musician”.
Q: How long have you been producing/remixing? What style or styles do you have a preference in working with and why?
I have been attempting to produce for about four years now. I would say I have only become successful at creating full songs within the last year.
I like to make Breaks, because I know this genre well and it suits my style. I can get raw and grimey and bring a hip hop aesthetic to it… but I can also get very electronic sounding. It’s a great genre for compromise I think.
Dubstep is feeling this way too. Sometimes I like Dubstep more, as I feel more freedom in this genre. I am not sure why that is… it could be because it is still developing as a genre, or it could be because I am not as attached to “how it should sound”, if that makes sense.
I love Dnb also… I can get super hectic and dramatic sounding, and it fits the bill. Or the genre also has the freedom to get melodic and uplifting.
Hip Hop, because that is my roots. That was the first genre of music I fell in love with. There is a certain amount of culture in hip hop that is hard to find elsewhere. It’s like street culture. And that is what I grew up in, so it fits.
I have been dabbling in House lately also…
Q: Which track that you have produced is your favorite and why?
I would have to say Nazi Hunter. Only because it is the most technically advanced track I have made so far, and I think the cleanest arrangement. When I first started I thought the main body of a track had to be packed with sounds. I have learned this is not the case, and this approach only serves to clutter the track. I have learned a lot about having the parts in your track be conversational or supportive with other parts. I think this track is the first where I applied these techniques successfully.
Q:Do you have any tracks released on labels and available for purchase? (If yes, who, what and where.. if no, why?)
Not yet. Had some offers, but nothing has panned out yet. I am working on something right now that may see a few of my tracks on a label this summer.
Q: How have your methods for making music changed over the years? Has the improvement of technology influenced your methods from when you started till now?
Oh definitely! Technology has changed the way I play music, and the way I write/record music. With Djing, I no longer have to carry around record crates! All my songs are in a searchable database, which can be sorted by Artist, Label, Key Signature, Tempo, Genre, Release Date, and any other category I choose to add. I can play tracks as much as I want, and the sound quality never degrades!
In the studio I used to save up money to try and collect hardware synths and keyboards… And to try and put the best cpu/ram/hard drive I could in my desktop. Now I can do anything in the box that used to take a whole rack of studio gear. Now my laptop handles all the work my desktop used to, and more! Technology has made a huge impact on my musical life. I think it helps that I am already such a techy, and my work involves technology. Whenever new technology comes out, I am all about it.
Q:What are your thoughts on file sharing websites and blogs vs. file purchasing websites?
I feel that if you are going to use an artist’s music for your own personal gain, you should compensate the artist. I can’t look down on torrents or blogs, as I have used them myself. However I have never and will never use music downloaded for free to rock a crowd at a party, or to make a mix.
A lot of times I like to just download the song to hear it all the way through, and see if I really want it. If I feel it really does need to go in my rotation, I purchase the track.
Q: Any suggestions for other artists or promoters, either up and coming or just in general?
Just a few simple rules to live by that will get you a long way…
-Don’t ever think you know everything… EVER! No matter how much you learn…
-Don’t ever be afraid to learn new things
-Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions, even if you think they are stupid
-Don’t ever give up on something. If you truly have a passion for it, you will eventually get it
Q: Anything you would like to add or get off your chest?
I like Happy Hardcore... There, I said it!
Also I would like to give thank to Roy, Nicolle, and the whole LBR team. Thanks for this, really appreciate it.
For CRiSiS' latest LIVE recording...
Hardest Dj 09 - right click, save as
Tracklist:
01. Hardest DJ Intro - CRiSiS
02. Joker & Ginz - Purple City
03. Marco Del Horno - Samurai (Rusko 'Safe Sex' Remix)
04. High Rankin - No Money For Guns
05. Stereotype - Balls To The Wall
06. Far Too Loud - Dancefloor Destroyer
07. Equalizers - Broken English
08. Streetlife DJ's - Bassline Kickin'
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