Dennis Sebayan has been spinning hot tracks all over NYC for over a decade now. He has worked his way into some of the finest festivals across the U.S. and the world. In addition to playing music, he writes about it for various publications. City Scoops recently caught up with Dennis to ask him about some of the scenes he covers and how to stay on top of his game.
CS: What genres of music do you DJ? How can those of us outside the scene tell them apart?
DS: I play techno, house and electro, which would be the umbrella genres. But I also play a lot of pop remixes, retro, disco, hip-hop and tunes from across the board. Techno and house comprises music played with a repetitive beat at 127-133 bpm (my safe range) while electro, disco may be 108-115 bpm. I’m also not afraid to play a straight-up pop song – especially if there is a funny or ironic story attached to it. When Paris Hilton went to jail, I played her song “Screwed.” If Paula Abdul blunders on American Idol, I will drop “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow.” Now that No Doubt is going to be in concert, I will play some of Gwen Stefani work from The Sweet Escape. And Fergie is always a hot mess so I’m a pig in mud playing the new Black Eyed Peas song. But I also like pop remixes, which is house music with the pop vocals/ arrangements laid out over the track.
You’re only as good as your track selection. Most of the time, venues will stick to a certain formula – and many of them are pretty rigid about this, I’ve learned. Generally, the bartenders will flat out let you know when they like what you’re playing – and when they don’t.
How have you adapted your DJ sets over the years, both in terms of adding in new genres to stay relevant and also in terms of skills and overall technique? Is there anything you do today that you wouldn’t have been able to do when you first began?
Well, to begin with I started out DJing in 1997 – it’s not that long ago, but it was before the advent of CD players and, more recently, computer programs such as Serato or Traktor Pro. I began by collecting tracks on vinyl, which was a pain in the ass to lug around. When I started DJing regularly at gay lounges and clubs in 2004 (formerly as a g-lounge and GYM Sportsbar resident from 2004-2008), I was required to play extended, six hour sets. This was a true test of my chops as a DJ. As time passed, I developed relationships with labels in the US, UK and Europe, who began sending me promos of their tunes – oftentimes three to four months before a commercial release. I started mixing and matching the old with the new and then started performing on big festival and club sound systems – that’s where you really learn what makes a room sound good.
I slowly weaned myself off of vinyl and started collecting music on CDs. I found that the patrons at gay lounges were more interested in hearing eclectic music, rather then straight four-to-the-floor pumping tracks. So I adapted my sets to cover this wide range, while learning how to feel out the crowd and change it up when necessary.
As for the second part of this question, more recently I have gained an ability to transition seamlessly between different genres 90-95% of the night, which is the way it should be. I also have an underlying confidence knowing that, in most any circumstance, I can deliver what I’ve been hired to do, which helps keep performance jitters at bay.
What different scenes do you find yourself covering? What sets them apart from each other? Are gay crowds and straight crowds ultimately quite similar?
I cover the Manhattan gay scene and the international electronic music scene, which tends to be more mixed. There is also a hipster element to the events/venues I play, but I find that most that have booked me – whether in Manhattan, Miami or Toronto – tend to be hip anyway. When I first started out, I used to play many straight venues – this was until 2004. But since then, I play more for the gay scene, which I enjoy tremendously. I have to point out – I always thought gays would be more open to hear new music. But they can be more snarky about their tastes; they feign not to care, or can be outright mean if you don’t play Madonna – it’s true!
Photo by Jocelyn Baun
You do writing for various publications as well, correct? What is your favorite part of that? When you write an intro to an article, how do you truly make it pop out to the reader?
Yes, I used to write regularly for HX and Out; I was also a managing editor for Club Systems International (now ClubWorld) for a short time. But currently, my outlets are URB Magazine and occasionally, DJ Times. These publications consider me an asset because of my specialty in dance music – I love it because I have established many relationships with people from around the world that I might have never met on the NYC beat, on my own.
My favorite part is being creative with the story, so I’m not just putting together a laundry list of a person’s accomplishments. I also love the project management aspect – the many steps and collaborations involved in completing an article, which has impacted the way I handle business as a DJ. I scope out the most interesting stories and I tend to be upfront and ahead of time – my track record for covering artists who have gone on to become huge is good as well.
Tell us about your involvement with the Ultra Music Festival.
I have been involved with Ultra Music Festival since 2004. This is the biggest electronic dance music festival in the United States, which takes place over two days in Miami during spring break and Winter Music Conference. I started out by selling tickets for them here in New York when I worked at Satellite Records – where I met you, soce! They asked me, “What can we do to compensate you?” I said, “Let me DJ at Ultra Music Festival this year.” And they said “Yes.”
Since then, I have worked on many different aspects of the festival, including copy writing their promotional materials and marketing consulting. Each year since 2004, I have DJ’d at the festival; I even headlined in 2007 and 2009. Let me tell you, headlining a massive music festival does a lot for your DJ career. This year, they have brought me on as an artist relations manager and program director for their radio show, UMF Radio presented by Ultra Music Festival. It currently airs on Sirius 38 and XM 80 Area Channel Fridays 4pm-6pm EST. This has been an amazing experience because it enables me to bring radio listeners the best kinds of dance music available from around the world. So far, I have been instrumental in bringing Booka Shade, Tommie Sunshine, Marc Romboy and others to the table. I am also able to give back to all of the labels, management and publicists who have always been good to me, sending me stuff and putting me on their guestlists for events!
What recent and upcoming gigs are you most excited about? Where can we catch you at your finest?
Well, I just got back from headlining the Play Nightlife party at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. This was with some of my Miami/ Florida family who I have worked with through the years and it was a blast.
I have a recent mix I did, which has been gaining traction online. It originally broadcast on the UMF Radio show, and now URB and HX recently blogged about it.
This summer I will be launching a website so people can keep track of my events, happenings and updates. They will also be able to listen to mixes, remixes and original tracks. More information coming. [Ed. Note: We will add that website once it arrives.]
Andrew Singer performs all over the NYC as comedic rapper “soce, the elemental wizard.” He has toured Europe and the U.S., and been featured on numerous media outlets, including MTV, VH1, Here TV, Logo, The Source, Out, Howard Stern and Sirius Shade 45. His CDs are available in store and online at Other Music.
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