NICK CARROLL (secondnature; Kremwerk)
Current top 5 tracks:
Westwood/Cash, “Psycho for Your Love (PPU edit)” (People’s Potential Unlimited / 2011)
“It’s funky as hell and has a vocoder… patio season couldn’t come soon enough!”
Air (aka Pete Namlook), “Je Suis Triste Et Seule Ici” (Fax +49-69/450464 / 1993)
“I played the warm-up set at a secondnature party the other month and this made its way out of the speakers earlier in the night as more folks began to show up. The evening’s music had a dark/hypnotic/experimental bent, so I decided to take it out into left field. This track was part of a section of the set where I wanted to build as much tension in the room, so when the time came for more danceable grooves, it was all the more impactful. I’ve found that you can separate bad DJs from good ones by how they play the first slot, and I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve seen a DJ play uptempo dance tracks full blast to an empty room at the beginning of a party. Just as you need to stretch before you workout, you need to play music that gets folks warmed up and immersed in the environment before they can get moving. There’s a great article on how to properly do an opening DJ set that I think is essential reading for all DJs and helped me a lot with thinking more deeply about the slot. I highly recommend digging into Pete Namlook’s catalog; there’s TONS of gems.”
Konono N°1, “Yambadi Mama” (Crammed Discs / 2016)
“This one is by an amazing band from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I’ve had this in the crate for a year now and I’m waiting for the right time to play it out. They’re on another level.”
Watt Noize, “It’s My Life (Max D Remix)” (unreleased)
“This isn’t officially out, but that hasn’t stopped me from playing a YouTube rip! Beautiful Swimmers (Max D is half of the group) played one of the best sets I’ve ever seen at a High & Tight party a few years back.”
Fugal, “Arrival” (secondnature / 2018)
“With music, my biggest source of inspiration has always been my friends. Listening to this track by my friend Ted (aka Fugal), takes me back to being in a room surrounded by friends, where even if it was just for a little bit, everything felt right in the world.”
Crew/label affiliations: “secondnature, Research, and Kremwerk are the main ones.”
Styles played: “Primarily 4/4-leaning dance music. With that being said, I’ve played out everything from ABBA to this. I’ve been lucky to get booked for a wide variety of events, and it keeps things interesting. Shout-out to all the promoters who’ve taken a chance on me!”
Events organized: “I’m fortunate to work at the Kremwerk-Timbre Room Complex, so I’m involved in a lot of different events. Outside of my 9 (pm) to 5 (am), I throw events with secondnature.”
DJing philosophy: “I’ve found that DJs who focus on a creating a sense of narrative through grooves and emotions rather than focusing on playing a certain genre tend to be more inspiring to me as a dancer and listener. The context of music matters, so play what makes sense in the moment. If you play music that shows you respect people’s intelligence, you’ll connect with people on a deeper level. There’s a lot of DJs out there, but only one you, so be yourself.
“A lot of sentiments similar to mine have expressed way more eloquently by other folks. There have been a lot of amazing DJs featured in Spun Out and I strongly encourage anyone who cares about the craft to read them. Some that have stood out to me were from Aos, Kristen Dalen, Fugal, Kid Hops, Raica, Raj, R-Pal, and Simic.
Format: “CDJs that’ll take USBs, turntables for the semi-occasional record, and an Allen & Heath Xone:92.”
Worst request: “It was less of a request and more just a rhetorical question, asking why was I ruining the party. I wasn’t the best DJ at the time, so Becky’s complaint was valid, to be honest.”
Upcoming events: “On Saturday, April 7, I’ll be doing an in-store, all-vinyl session with Miata Man at Looters Records. I also have a radio show Sundays, 1-3 pm every other week, on Orphan Radio, where I mix with DJs I respect. It’s been a really nice outlet to hang with good folks and play a wide range of music. So far, I’ve hosted Dustmite, Succubass, T.Wan, and Jake Muir. There’s no show this coming week, but on 4/29 I’ll be playing with Vancouver’s D. Tiffany (aka DJ Zozi), the day after her set at Sweatbox’s Ten Year Anniversary party. I’ve got a mix on the way for lifecrushed, which will be my first studio mix ever online. There’s also some stuff I can’t talk about yet. Keep it locked on my Instagram and SoundCloud to stay in the loop!”
