Wednesday, November 18, 2020
by Tat
You don’t need us to tell you that it’s going to be a strange Christmas but that won’t stop us and our yearly tradition to trawl around the web to find the best end of year gifts for DJs, dance music fans and producers alike.
Obviously it’s been a tough year for many in the music and entertainment industry but the scene has done its utmost to try and maintain a healthy flow of creative output through socially distanced events, new releases and other outputs. Therefore if you want to buy a friend, loved one or yourself a gift this Christmas, consider something that helps support the music scene we all love and cherish. Where possible, try and buy independent and local this Christmas, and avoid Amazon as they do well enough. Here’s our pick of the coolest presents you can gift in 2020.
Everyone can always have an extra drinks coaster at home and this one produced by Coasteroo is pretty eye-catching. With the iconic Technics 1200 turntable image from above, it’s set upon a hardwood coaster with a gloss effect to give a fine finish.
If you are looking for a new art to adorn your home (especially as we’re all spending a lot more time there these days) then you can hang this lovely artwork that depicts eight classic electronic albums on audio cassette. The cream of the 1990’s crop are there with Daft Punk’s Homework alongside Underworld’s Dubnobasswithmyheadman, all captured on bootlegged blank tapes. Available from A5 to A3, it’s a vibrant piece of work and would be eye catching wherever you hang it. Available from MissHarper Art, there are other similar designs you can choose from.
Ransom Note has been plugging away for over a decade now as an independent online music, arts and culture magazine. Like so many hubs they’ve struggled to get by over the last few months, as any venture like this, it needs income to run. They set up their own Patreon page where you can donate a small amount every month to help maintain the platform. If you don’t want to do that, then we suggest you look at their merchandise pages on Bandcamp where you can pick up everything from clothing to their own vinyl releases.
https://ransomnoterecords.bandcamp.com/merch
https://www.patreon.com/ransomnote
Anyone who was a fan of Andrew Weatherall won’t need me to tell them how pivotal he was to the music scene. Unlike most of his peers he transcended dance music into popular and alternative culture with this unique take on life and his incredible productions and remixes. His legacy will live on for many years and Jockey Slut has helped cement this testament with a beautiful 160 page tribute book. With interviews from the Jockey Slut archive and a 10,000 word history of his early years from Shoom and Screamadelica to Sabres of Paradise, it is a comprehensive piece of work. There are interviews with the likes of Bobby Gillespie, David Holmes, Keith Tenniswood, Anna Haigh and many more. The proceeds from the book will go to charities that were important to Andrew Weatherall: Amnesty International, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Thrombosis UK, Crisis.
https://jockeyslut.ochre.store/merch/210070-andrew-weatherall-a-jockey-slut-tribute/related
From the sublime to the ridiculous and we’re not really sure of what to make of this, but lots of DJs will have cats and no doubt live in fear that they like to sit on your decks if given the chance. This is an opportunity for them to have their own turntable and scratch session, although it will be interesting to see how well they stand up to the heavy and sharp claws of your typical pussycat when they get into the flow.
https://www.juno.co.uk/products/suck-uk-dj-cat-scratch-turntable/440124-01/
One for the vinyl heads who want a storage system to keep their current and favourite record choices closer to hand, or maybe to create that feeling you’re in a record shop listening deck. Coming in three colours, white, zebrano (which we presume is sort of zebra related) and classy walnut. It can hold up to 100 records and is made of solid wood, so will last you a DJ lifetime.
https://www.thedjshop.co.uk/gift-ideas/gifts-under-30/zomo-vs-box-100-1-walnut-and-zebrano.html
One of the biggest issues DJs seem to come across at home, especially those who are now spending more time there, is the ability to record DJ sets. This great piece of kit allows you to record your mixes easily into the SD card which is encased in this cool retro looking audio tape. It has all of the following features, plus many more; line level and mic level input for connection of mixers or dynamic microphones, THRU output for monitoring/connecting headphones or when separated REC out is available. It also has simple handling even in dark surroundings, high-quality A/D converters in 24-bit, HiSpeed slot for microSD cards (class 10 recommended) and an enclosed sticker sets allow for an individualised look.
https://www.djkit.com/reloop/reloop-tape-2-recording-device-for-djs.html
Most vinyl DJs would love to be able to cut their own wax and whilst a proper cutting machine will set you back many thousands of pounds, even second hand models like the Vestax VRX-2000 Vinyl Recorder will sell for four figure sums. The Gakken model cuts its own vinyl onto 5 inch discs which you can buy in packs of five for £15, although you do get ten to start with. The recording may be low fi compared to professional cutters, but it’s a nice toy to have to play with if you have built up some spare cash over lock down. The tracks are recorded at either 33 or 45rpm and are recorded through a USB with the cutting needle recording straight onto the disc. This is a kit operation and you have to build the model yourself, which adds to the fun, whilst finished records can be played on the turntable.
https://www.turntabletrainingwax.com/gakken-toy-record-maker
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We’re looking for enthusiastic YOUNG dance music DJs to take part in a research study to understand how DJs discover new dance tracks.
We need DJs who are building a career in the music business and actively growing their fanbase.
If you're interested and are between 18 to 30 years old then we want to hear from you please.
We're not being ageist we've simply got enough 30+ DJs :)