Throughout my travels as a DJ, I’ve met a bunch of really cool individuals; people who deserve to be mentioned in this blog.  I asked Hollywood’s own DJ AM if he’d do an interview with me for my school newspaper: The Inkwell.  He accepted.  I’ve attached the article below:

BG:  What’s up AM, how did you get your DJ name?
AM: Adam Michael Goldstein is my full name and ‘A.M.G.’ are my initials.  People have always called me by the 1^st and last: ‘AM’.

A sensation by definition is “the faculty to feel or perceive”, “an indefinite generalized body feeling”, and “a state of heightened interest or emotion”.  ID&T (http://www.id-t.com), a Dutch event-planning corporation (organizer of the biggest dance events on the face of the planet), definitely had these in mind when they decided to create Sensation in 2000.  Every summer, ID&T throws two events: Sensation White & Sensation Black, both at the Amsterdam Arena in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and both held a week apart from one another.  At each event, over fifty-thousand people (who are lucky enough to score a ticket) crowd into the Arena wearing all white (at Sensation White) and all black (at Sensation Black).  For twelve hours, Sensation White features five of the best house and trance DJs in the world while Sensation Black features five of the best hard-style, techno and hardcore/gabber DJs.  There’s no doubt in my mind that their trademark slogan: “The World’s Leading Dance Event” is indeed true.  If you still can’t comprehend the intensity of Sensation, imagine standing on the field of an MLB baseball stadium.  Now imagine the entire crowd on the field with you, twenty-to-fifty-thousand people dancing to the pulsating, body-provoking beat that is house music.  Let me put it this way: it’s so entertaining that in 2006, I watched the entire twelve hour video broadcast over the internet from my bedroom.  This year’s Sensations are scheduled to be held in early July, 2008.

We can only expect the best from Pedro Winter, the President of Paris-based Ed Banger Records (http://www.edbangerrecords.com).  Recognized internationally as DJ Busy P, The French DJ/label executive is the genius behind Daft Punk, the (French) ‘electronic band’ who wrote and produced that song that nobody’s ever heard before but was sampled by Kanye West in “Stronger”.  Okay that’s harsh, but as one of Daft Punk’s biggest fans (that’s right, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, you can send that check to my home address), I feel the need to tell everybody that you’re all fools for not having found them during their golden era in the early nineties.  Anyway, let’s not get off topic here.  In 2003, Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay of the French superstar DJ group known as Justice, released a remix of Simian’s “Never Be Alone”.  The remix, titled: “We Are Your Friends”, was submitted to a college radio station remix contest.  Not only did their track win first place, but it landed them a contract with Mr. Winter’s label.  In 2007, after the release of their debut album: “†” (conveniently named after their logo, a giant fluorescent crucifix), Justice’s fame spread across the globe, especially the U.S., slowly invading the boom boxes of New York City hipsters.  Now for the real question here: will Justice ever collaborate with Daft Punk?  Mixing these four uber-talented electro superstars could possibly generate enough bass to completely wipe out the human race.  No, I’m kidding, but on a more serious note: Justice is performing at Madison Square Garden in New York City this March.  ‘Nuff said.

In 2001, a twenty-six year old Armin Van Buuren made his way onto DJmag’s (http://www.djmag.com) Top 100 DJs poll.  In November, 2007, Armin was crowned ‘#1 DJ in the World’.  Both I and The Paper Bag Writer congratulate you, Armin, on an incredible victory!  This is no surprise, however, as Armin has been in third or fourth place for the past few years now.  Born in Holland (in 1976), Armin Van Buuren has spent the last thirty-two years working his way up the international dance charts with his unique mix of house and trance music.  Many of his tracks are a mix between typical melodic trance and hard-hitting primetime vocals.  In fact, one of his most popular (and oldest) tracks isn’t in the slightest bit dance music.  “Burned With Desire” has no 4/4 beat and no repeating bass line.  It is instead a down-tempo mix of slow drums and synthesizers, with possibly the best vocals an ‘electronic’ track has seen in years.  And if you’re given a chance to see him perform, GO!  He gives one hell of a performance.

Personally, I abhor the present state of nightlife in New York City. Once America’s craziest night scene, New York’s super-clubs have deteriorated into small, overpriced bars. No longer does one go out to dance, instead we are forced into spaces equivalent in size to a one bedroom apartment on the Lower East Side. Bottle service, shmottle shervice! In November, I decided to visit Pacha New York (http://www.pachanyc.com) for the first time. Robbie Rivera, founder of Juicy Records, summer-resident of Pacha Ibiza and winter-resident of Space Miami, took over the turntables from 2 A.M. to 7 A.M. I have to say, being the last ‘dance club’ left in New York can add a lot of pressure to a venue. However, Pacha remains true to the reputation of its Spanish brother in providing an incredible dancing experience.