DJ Dan Amitai (Photo by Ariel Brandt www.raxxq.com)
A friendly positive presence on the lively DCRaves listserv, DJ Dan Amitai also hosts the DCRaves Internet radio show DCRR which broadcasts every Sunday night from 7 to 10 p.m. at www.stressfactor.co.uk, with co-hosts Jason Clarke, Ryptide, and Sh*t Fantasy. While attending the University of Maryland, Dan also co-hosted a weekly radio show called Third Rail Radio at college station WMUC 88.1 FM.
A member of the Freeform DJ Collective based in New York and DC, Dan -- who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland -- was host and resident DJ for a party called Beyond near Dupont Circle in DC.
Dan is the director of Beatbots, a Baltimore Webzine, messageboard and DIY resource center created by Jason Blemly, which won the Baltimore City Paper’s “Best Online Arts Community” award in 2007.
On the occasion of his 2-year Anniversary Podcast (March 22, 2009), Examiner.com asked Dan Amitai to tell us a little more about himself:
How did you come up with your DJ moniker?
Dan Amitai is my real (first and middle) name.
What inspired you to start DJ’ing?
I got into college radio and did a talk show under the name Smooth Henry while attending the University of Maryland. There were a couple of DJ’s there that were “real DJ’s”, and I got into it thanks to them. One of them, DJ Rouz, sold me his turntables when I was 20. I learned from him and a couple other friends of mine.
How did you get into the dance music scene?
My friend Beth from the TerrorDome introduced me to everyone that matters in the scene and she is the best. I’ve played at a bunch of local parties, and started one of my own, Beyond, which was a weekly dubstep/downtempo happy hour at Cafe Luna on P street. I did that for a year and a half and it was pretty outstanding.
Who are some DJ’s / producers that you’ve been inspired by?
Liam Howlett (of The Prodigy)’s Dirtchamber Sessions CD is one of the most inspiring mixes I have ever heard. I still listen to it, after first buying the CD in 1997. Other DJs' and producers that inspire me include Birdy Nam Nam, The Avalanches, and Soulwax/2ManyDJs.
What was your first gig?
My first gig outside the radio station was at the Edge, where Sean Randolph got us a WMUC “Showcase” spot in the side room. I played a bunch of Rob Zombie. It was awesome.
What are some of your most memorable gigs?
I don’t know where to start. I had tons of fun at the one-year anniversary for Strangeland Records (R.I.P.), playing with the punk/hyphy band French Stewart at a dirty punk house in Baltimore, Goth nights at Club Five, dubstep at Artomatic. But I have fun pretty much no matter where I play. I would say my most memorable gigs were when I used to play Top 40 music for ridiculously drunk people in bars around Dupont Circle, just because the crowd was always off the chain and they all loved country music after 1 a.m. (believe it or not!).
Where did you mix your 2-Year Anniversary podcast?
I record most of my podcasts at home, in beautiful downtown Silver Spring, the cultural mecca of Montgomery County. Sometimes I bring a small audio recorder with me to gigs to post later. I don’t do any post-production work on my mixes because I lack patience and technical knowledge.
What were your thoughts putting it together and what are you happiest about it?
When I first started podcasting, I did it to track my progress as a DJ. I wanted to be able to go back two years later and hear how I used to sound. I also put mixes up so that my mom can see how I waste all my money without forcing her to go to a club. Having a blog/podcast up there has helped me get some gigs, but more importantly it has helped me cultivate a (very small) fan base. Sometimes I burn my podcast episodes onto CD to give out at shows. On the rare occasion when someone asks for more, I point them to the web site.
Tell us something about the tracks in this podcast:
I don’t have a track list for the most recent episode, but I used a lot of new and old tracks in that mix that I’ve been really enjoying lately. For example, the relatively recent Colours by DJ Sega and Blow Up by Gooseflesh, along with much older tunes like Frankie O’s Acid Man and Green Velvet’s Answering Machine.
What gigs are you currently looking forward to?
May 5 — Cinco de Mayo special event by Instinctive Grooves at Modern with Reid Speed and Inna K. Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=95919956415
May 9 — Washington DC Record Fair with a battery of local DJs. This one’s a daytime event. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=78084802341
Listen to Dan Amitai’s most recent podcast here:
http://amitai.net/blog/2009/03/22/live-dcrr-32209/
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