· 3 min read
Klang Mix 007: DJ Comment Section Keeps It Simple
Mixed by DJ Comment Section
Notes from the artist:
A DJ mix featuring some techno & breakbeat tracks over the past decade, that I’ve recently fallen in love with.
Up until last year I’ve been a bedroom dj. I’m a quasi-audiophile by heart - I never formally learned an instrument, studied music theory or got into music school but instead was a product of the pre-DSP “Peer2Peer sharing” golden age by way of lime wire, frost wire, Kazaa, Pirate Bay, and a slew of blogs that I doubt are still around today. Scouring the internet and downloading hundreds of songs day in and day out was how I discovered new music and developed my music taste beyond the salsa, disco, and classic/yacht rock my parents listened to. Glancing through my old iTunes library and playlists is both a humbling and amusing experience - evidence of the early days of my practice of music discovery that eventually led me to writing and shooting photos for music blogs in college, directing music videos, and DJ’ing.
At first I downloaded a pirated copy of Serato to mix big room house and become Laidback Luke or Tiesto (I was born and raised in Miami so naturally I was consumed by the Ultra Music Festival wave). Then it was to make mashups bc I wanted to be Girltalk. Now I still DJ, less so to be like any of the aforementioned greats and more so to keep doing the one thing I’ve consistently enjoyed throughout all this time - finding, curating, and mixing new music that makes me move.
These days I’ve taken a deeper dive into electronic music - enjoying more deep house, deep tech, techno, breakbeats, and electro - which has rekindled my desire to DJ. As I started getting more into the technicalities and art of DJ’ing, I leaned on everyone’s best friend for advice - the internet. It’s surprising and amazing to me how responsive people can be no matter how far they are in their careers. I follow a lot of DJ’s who’s sound and style I enjoy - one of them being DJ Wawa who I cold-reached out to years ago to ask what their song selection process was when preparing a mix after seeing a story of their’s on IG of a handwritten track list.
Through them I learned that it doesn’t have to be too complicated. Just start with one song that sets the overall vibe and find songs that compliment each other more in terms of key, rhythm, and energy and less in terms of genre or rarity. If you have a set of tracks that can live together harmoniously under either or all of those parameters, you can ebb and flow comfortably among them when performing live. That’s essentially my process when building a track list.
In terms of performance practice I’m a baby. I have virtually no practice outside of my bedroom and a few small rooms/parties, so when it comes to mixing I feel pretty comfortable but when it comes to the actual performance in a club setting I’m still learning but excited to continue learning as I land more opportunities during my time in LA where I’m at these days.
Tracklist:
Hex Pad - Head High (2015) [Power House]
Jerome Sydenham, Aybee, Ron Trent - The Rig (2014) [Ibadan]
Yulia Niko - Bound of Fate (Original Mix) (2017) [Framework]
Jerome Sydenham, Aybee, Ron Trent - Feral (2014) [Ibadan]
Alden Tyrell - Tntus (2012) [Clone Basement Series]
Ejeca - Encounter (2019) [Dance Trax]
Joris Voorn - Shining - Hard House Mix (2004) [Sino]
WK7 - Higher Power (2010) [Power House]
DJ Bruce Lee, TR - Beatz - TR Remix (2020) [Rhythm Control Barcelona]
Fort Romeau, AceMo - FWD NRG - AceMo’s ’N is For Energy’ Remix (2021)[Phantasy Sound]
DJ Savage - Excuses (2020) [TH Tar Hallow]
Hertz Collision - Rescue Me (2021) [Truncate]
Cleric, Azrael - Revival (2021) [Clergy]
Denham Audio, LMajor - Down on Me (2021) [Cheeky Sneakers]
OSSX - Split Wig (2021) [Allergy Season]
Pearson Sound - Alien Mode (2020) [Hessle Audio]
OSSX - Brain Scratch (2021) [Allergy Season]
Deniro - Organezized (2015) [трип]
DJ Comment Section is a multidisciplinary artist with a primary focus in visual arts. With a formal background in film production and photography, his goal is to combine his love for music, film, photography, fashion, design, and writing through the variety of projects he produces through his creative studio DEStudio.
