DJ
My goal as a DJ is o play what people want to hear. This doesn't sound particularly revolutionary until you consider that most DJs play only what they want to hear, which is usually one or two genres of rarefied electronica. Most have only a few dozen records or CDs with them when they perform. So if the crowd wants to hear disco and oldies (genres that make your garden-variety DJ shudder with horror) and they are a "minimal tek/micro-house" DJ...well, you know what happens: No one dances, the mood is all wrong for the room and people leave the party unhappy.
I'm not attached to genre. I play music that suits the mood of the room. How do I do this?
I was one of the first DJs to use computers as a performance tool. Over the years I have built a massive music collection: I have over a terabyte of music with me when I perform. Over 50,000 tracks, spanning dozens of genres: All kinds of electronica, classic rock, oldies, jazz, world beat/ethnic. show tunes, movie soundtracks, country, disco, jam bands, hip hop. And more...Want some polka music? How about Vietnamese pop? Or the William Tell Overture, as performed by Wendy Carlos for A Clockwork Orange? The theme song from Mr. Ed? Got 'em. And more.
The fact that I play what people want to hear makes people happy. And that makes me happy.
I perform in a variety of venues: traditional bars and clubs, house parties, art galleries, office parties, free outdoor parties and festivals such as Burning Man, Critical Massive and the Oregon Country Fair.
Some of my past performances and residencies include:
- The Seattle Erotic Arts Festival: Extra sexy tracks ranging from 20's French cafe music to booty-bumpin' disco remixes to sick electro breaks...thirty hours of performance time in five days. Whew!
- Little Red Studio, resident DJ, 2006-2007. Eclectic beats and sound design for a variety of performances and environments.
- Burning Man 2000-2007. House & breaks for the dance domes, eclectic ambient downtempo for the chill space, insane sonic environments for a variety of art installations
- SeaCompression 2002-2007: House, breaks and electro to suit the mood of the crowd
- House parties: too many to mention
- Oregon Country Fair: Yes, I made the hippies dance to house music. It was awesome.
Sample mixes
Here are a couple of mixes for you to enjoy:
- There Goes That -- Downtempo mashup spanning trip hop, psybient, hip-hop, old skool, acid jazz, blues and more. 1:08, 63 MB. Performed in 2003.
- Instant Disco Party -- Starting with the theme song from "All in the Family" and ending with Sister Sledge, this mix includes funk, disco, swing jazz and soul tracks. 0:58, 53 MB. Performed in 2005.
Coming soon: Burning Down my House, Burning Man Chill Dome Classics, Music for Getting Busted, Ambient sonic environment tracks
Sound Engineering and Reinforcement Services
I can provide everything from two small speakers on stands for vocal reinforcement to giant 40,000+ watt systems for large venues. Better yet, I have the experience and background to help you pick the right system for your event. One size does not fit all!
I went to The Evergreen State College where I studied recording engineering, experimental composition and synthesis, including MIDI, which was very new at the time. My knowledge of digital audio and MIDI got me a job building the best studio in Seattle at the time: A 48-track digital facility with a 72 input Neve console. I worked with Average White Band, the Ohio Players, the Brothers Johnson and Chaka Khan....and a whole pile of those loud Seattle punk bands.
I also worked as front of house mixer and monitor mixer at a variety of large local venues and was a systems engineer for several large-scale reinforcement companies, including ProShow USA, Lackey Sound, Morgan Sound and Seismic Audio. I toured with a variety of country performers, including Eddie Rabbitt, Mel Tillis and Dottie West. I did sound for George Bush (the first one) in Spokane, which was quite interesting.
Most DJ systems include two to eight tops and two to sixteen subs. Each system is custom-configured based on the client's needs. Please contact me if you'd like to talk about your upcoming DJ and sound reinforcement needs.
Track List: CM Saturday
A bunch of folks asked me about what I was playing on Saturday morning at Critical Massive, so here's a setlist for y'all:
Sounds Of Nature - Electrifying Thunderstorms ->
Pink Floyd - Grantchester Meadows (props to Riff Raff for knowing the track within 15 seconds of the bird sounds coming on!)
Alabama 3 - Disneyland Is Burning
Michael Hedges - breakfast in the field
Boards of Canada - Olson
Air - Virgin Suicides - Highschool Lover
A Day In Tracy's Life [The Beatles vs Mogwai vs Kid Loco]
Random Rab - Beast Of Burden
Air - 10000Hz Legend - 04 - The Vagabond
MANU CHAO - Homens & King of the bon
morcheeba - On the Rhodes Again
Kid Beyond - Wandering Star
Tipper - Illabye
911 dispatcher recording from WTC attacks
American Beauty - plastic bag theme
Tom Waits & Allen Ginsberg - America
Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain
Random Rab - For My Corpse
Massive Fear (Massive Attack vs. Lily Allen)
Tuck & Patti - Castles Made Of Sand-Little Wing
Random Rab - Lace
01-bluetech - enter the lovely-gem
Bluetech - Prima Materia - Leaving Babylon
L'eau de Rose (Air ft. Louis Armstrong)
Djali Zwan - Number Of The Beast cover
Frank Black - Where is My Mind
boards of canada - Roygbiv (alpha quest mix)
MC 900 Ft. Jesus - Buried At Sea
6 Underground [Richard H. Kirk Mix]
Bassnectar - laughter crescendo
alabama 3 - ain't goin' to goa (special k mix)
Cypress Hill - Yo Quero Fumar
Mashup - No woman no wild (side)
eros - blackbird
Massive Attack - Hymn of the Big Wheel
Mashup - Groove Is In The Lounge
World of Footsteps (Police vs. Jurassic 5)
Riders on the Storm (Fredwreck Ft. Snoop Dogg Rmx)
bassnectar-mesmerizing the ultra (disc 2)-02-replenish
Phish - Bouncing Around The Room
kruder and dorfmeister - Bomb The Bass - Bug Powder Dust (Dub)
DJ Spooky and Nick Cave - Red Right Hand
ian dury - sex & drugs & rock & roll (stiff)
Hank! Personal Jesus
shakatura - parachute
Random Rab - The Alienist
Mashup - What's my Bloom
Beck - Quodlibet - 12 - Where It's At
Beck - E-Pro (Ghost Range Remix)
simple things feat. real elements kurtis shout
Dee-Lite - Apple Juice Kisses
Random Rab - The Riddle
Tom Waits - All The World Is Green
Boards of Canada - Peel Session - 02 - Happy Cycling
Yes - Leave It
sts9-some sing (bassnectar rmx)
Dust In The Wind Remix Innovative Soundz
norman cook - 01 - camille yarbrough - take yo' praise
don thompson-fanny Brown
Mashup - Bitter Bridge Symphony
MANU CHAO - Homens & King of the bon
roustabouts
04 I Shall Be Free
Shpongle - Tales of the Inexpressible - 03 - A New Way to Say Hooray
Weird Al Yankovic - Yoda (Lola)
Sir Mix A Lot-My Posse On Broadway
360- (Oh Yeah-)
Spies Like Paul (Beastie Boys vs Styles Of Beyond)
Groove is in the Black Hole Sun (bonus track)
Contact
Michael Holden
206 227 4236
