I first heard of the guy a year or two ago, last year his name sprung up a lot, but as soon as the clock ticked in to 2012 it seems as though everyone who is anyone is talking about Skrillex.

Skrillex ( born Sonny John Moore) is a 24 year old musician (DJ, Producer, Singer) that started off in the industry as front man for a post-hardcore group called First To Last in the early 2000’s. His departure from the band to embark on a solo career eventually took him to producing music and performing under the name of Skrillex in 2008. His latest EP titled Bangarang was released late 2011 and has received awesome reviews. Rolling Stones magazine’s Jon Dolan hailed him quite simply, a “magician”

Now until recently I have steered away from listening to Skrillex, as a Dubstep fan I know from those working in the genre that Skrillex is not entirely welcomed for what he has infused dubstep with to create his unique sound. However coupled with the fact that I was to spend the day at a boring expo and amidst the hype I decided to download some of his EP’s on to my Ipod and give this guy a chance

As I wondered around the exhibition stands my mind was taken on a roller coaster journey of sound at beyond exhilarating pace as dubstep beats were infused with electric dance vibes to create the most vivid noise. After finishing off my Skrillex mega dose with Bangarang and four plays of Kyoto I could only be left with the impression that this guy is an genius, the critic are way out for slamming this guy he is a true pioneer of a new and unique sound, and I for one can’t wait to hear more.

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If you have your heart set on a particular job role or industry but lack the relevant experience or working knowledge it can be difficult to get your foot through the door, especially in these tough economic time. Trying to stay up beat and positive whilst looking for employment is difficult but there proactive ways to keep your spirits up as well as steering you in the right direction of your dream job.

Employers have a larger pool than ever of prospective candidates to choose from and they are more than likely to choose one who has previous experience and requires little in terms of cost and time in training.

It is a bit of a catch 22 situation, you need experience to get a job, yet nobody will give you a job without experience. Luckily there are a number of avenues that you can pursue to turn the situation around to a when looking for work, whether it is trying to break in to the music industry or if you want to run your own executive office furniture business.

If you are in a position to do so, volunteering to work for free within a role or organisation in which you are interested is a great way to build some of that industry specific experience you really need. Companies are normally crying out for an extra pair of hands and if you impress them enough, you may even find a job offer comes out of it!

Secondly taking an short term internship within one or two companies can really provide you with valuable experience, as well as a great boost to your CV. Great quality Internships can be found of websites such as milkround.com.

Lastly never be afraid to go for a position, even if you do not have the experience detailed in a job description. Often emplyers will overlook this if a candiate displays real passion for a particular career on their application and one which pulls relevant skills from previous work experience they do have.

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Domino Records, the record label that boasts artists such as Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand and Wild Beasts, announced it some month ago that it will launch a new radio station in June 2011. Well they have and here is what listeners will now hear finally.

The station started broadcast starting on June 6, and Domino Radio, as it is called, has taken its cue from independent broadcasting giants which will include Rinse FM, John Peel Show, Woman’s Hour, and Radio Caroline, and showcase alternative, eclectic music and independent, thought-provoking content. This is like going into a clothing store and finding those unusual dress fabrics you never expected to see. There will also definitely be unique sounds from Domino artists such as Animal Collective, Steve Mason, and Anna Calvi.

Besides new music from Domino’s musicians, Domino Radio now also features content from “activists, thinkers, instigators, and tastemakers “including Bobby Gillespie and Dennis Bovell. Music blogs (like No Pain in Pop) and indie record labels (like Transparent Records) are also contributing content. Dress Fabrics with the goal of “non-stop music, conversation and good times”, Domino Radio aims to bring a new radio experience lacking in current times.

Domino Records released a statement in May which said among other things the station would offer a schedule that is dynamic and that celebrates alternative art that is exhilarating and music filled with the uniqueness that makes us and individual, with the free expressions and every type of music that can be found worldwide. The statement underscores this alternative vibe which makes Domino Radio one of the few that is on the pop outside world.

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I’m a bit of a dance purist at heart. I like my music created on laptops in bedrooms and in recording studios by, basically, just big music-making computers. I don’t like guitar music. Never have. And I’m not a huge fan of those so-called “cross-over” acts that mix rock music with a dance beat, in an attempt to appeal to everyone. It’s like me putting lace fabrics on my leather jacket in an attempt to look more ladylike for my Mum…

I do seem to be alone in this opinion, however. At least that’s the way it seems when you look at the headlining acts of Global Gathering this weekend. Always regarded as the premier dance music festival in the UK, the main act on the Saturday night was Pendulum. These Aussies are incredibly popular, with both dance music fans and rock music fans, mixing guitar riffs with dance beats. The problem is that they don’t do a good job of either. I know my dance music, and their stuff just sounds weak compared to a lot of the tunes I play. Similarly. Friends of mine who are into their rock say that Pendulum aren’t really taken that seriously. By trying to appeal to two very different types of music fan, they seem to have ended up just not very good at either.

I’m not sure how that explains their popularity, mind you. Headlining slots at Global and traditionally rock festivals like T in the Park must mean that someone out there likes them! Even if I can’t see the attaction…

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I really needed a kick up the ass to get me motivated as I had gotten lazy over the past few weeks and thanks to my mum I got one. She was so sick and tired of me moping around she sat me down with the computer and started showing me a whole load of jobs she had flagged up that I might be interested in. As we sat there looking through the list of english teaching jobs, shop assistant jobs and bartender jobs I thought I need to get out there and do something! If I am going to make it as a DJ I can’t sit around here all day moaning about being skint! I got my head down and started putting some ideas to paper, and then I thought of organizing some club nights. I rang a few of my friends who are also awesome on the decks and told them my idea, they loved it! Next I started calling around the local venues to see who was interested and I was pleasantly surprised at all the interest I got. I arranged some meetings with the clubs to go along with my plans and discuss all the details, ticket and entry prices, how many of us and what kind of music we would be playing and what kind of theme the night was going to be based on. I couldn’t believe how quickly I had managed to turn my situation around, suddenly I was rushed off my feet with things to do and I was making some money, it might not be millions but it was something. And it got me out the house!

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When I’m asked what I do for a living my first and foremost profession I will always say is a DJ. It’s my passion, my raison d’etre if you will. When the regular work comes in financially things can be great and I’m on top of the world with the knowledge that not only am I doing what I love doing but I’m also making a living out of it as well. Earning money from your passion is one of the greatest things a person can wish for.

Bu the problem lies when the work isn’t that regular. It can be difficult finding the time to promote your work whilst trying to make ends meet at the same time. Some of us are lucky enough to find one of those radiographer jobs that occasionally go around, if you can find one of those you’re laughing. But in most cases you have to find a job that not only pays the bills but also is flexible enough to take on those last minuet gigs that pop up from time to time.

Something that would make it easier would be for the employers of those dead end jobs to realise that we really don’t want a career working in a call centre or serving coffee to people and to give us the opportunity of working for them on a much more relaxed basis. That way they might get a much more honest employer working for them. Where do I see myself in five years time? Not working for you that’s where.

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This was one of my most feared things when I first started Djing, and it was all because of the very first time I played and how well the whole evening went…

I was really nervous before, but once I got started, the music just flowed. The set I’d lined up went amazingly, and people loved it. Things stayed like that for a couple of hours – long enough for me. Then, as I put my last record on and expected to hear screaming and cheering, there was nothing. People were leaving the dance-floor, and some people were even booing me.

I couldn’t work it out. All I kept thinking was access internet worldwide right now and find a new track! But I didn’t have anything left to play, and in seconds I was in a massive panic.

Until the owner of the club appeared behind me and smiled. “Play something obscure and that’ll get em moving,” he said. “Don’t worry, this happens to the best of us”.

So I did. I pulled out the record that I loved, but had never considered playing in a club – I always thought it was just too out there.

But guess what? The guy was right, and now, thanks to him, I haven’t lost my bottle. In fact, I’m just getting started.

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Being a DJ doesn’t really leave you much time for a social life, bizarrely. It doesn’t leave you much time for anything, to be honest! I’m not yet famous or successful enough to be able to give up the day job in the record shop where I work, which means on the days when I have a gig I don’t get home until after 6pm and often have to be out again by 8pm to set up. Only two hours to put my feet up with a nice relaxing fruit tea in one of my Pantone mugs!
Sometimes I feel like I’m never going to be able to get myself motivated for a gig if I’ve been working all day but it doesn’t take me long to shake off whatever has happened in the shop and start feeling that buzz that I always get performing. And once the music starts it can be difficult for the bar owner to get me to stop…
Of course, that feeling doesn’t last forever and when the alarm clock goes off on a Saturday morning to wake me up for work, I sometimes wonder if I really have the energy to be a DJ. After all, I’m not getting any younger. Luckily my boss is a big fan of mine and tries to give me weekend days off as much as possible – or at least lets me just hide out in the back office doing the paperwork. Besides, I’m sure most Saturday mornings I look an absolute fright which is hardly going to encourage the customers!
I always knew making it as a DJ was going to be hard, but when I upped sticks and headed for the bright lights of London, I had expected I’d have a little more time to chill out and enjoy my new home, rather than rushing from one job to another, snatching a forty winks in between.

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The Brit awards yesterday were the traditional cluster of bad music and self-congratulation. What was probably most shocking was Rihanna, who for whatever reason has been incredibly popular over the last twelve months. Personally, I don’t like her voice. I think it drones in a very upsetting way and I think the content of her songs tends to be at the “dire” end of the scale. The woefully popular Te Amo was turgid beyond words and the rest of her ridiculous repertoire cannot appeal to anybody other than her thirteen year old fanbase. Rihanna still managed to upstage herself during her performance with her increasingly lewd dance moves, suggestive posing and revealing costume. If we didn’t know better, we’d think that she was desperate. Upon receiving her award, she shouted “’Cos I’m the only girl in the world!”, which was met with audible groans through the applause. I cannot imagine anybody in the audience actually enjoyed her very, very obviously mimed performance. She barely pretended to sing, often moving her microphone away from her face. It was bad.

Mumford and Sons were the obvious favourites for a number of awards. Like the Baftas (which were dominated by The King’s Speech) there were one or two acts at the Brits who may or may not have deserved their unequivocal praise. Companies like Galvan Research and Trading would normally be good people to turn to if you’re after sound financial advice, but otherwise you could always just put a hundred pounds on a band like Mumford and Sons or a singer like Tinie Tempah and hope for the best.

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We don’t listen to music like we used to. To even be able to listen to music in the past you actually had to go to a store, find the record from the shelves, take it to the till, wait in a queue, purchase it with cash that you already had in your wallet, and then walk all the way home just to play it. It was inevitable that this method would end very soon after reality caught up with the pace of the digital world. As the cost of storage decreased, it finally made sense to sell music digitally. Apple did the best job of it with the iTunes Music Store. Suddenly, music was very easy to access, and it was actually so easy to access that many people chose to download music through iTunes rather than download it illegally using file sharing peer-to-peer sites.

But things are changing again. Just like how traditional furniture shops are being edged out by the big box retailers like Ikea, iTunes will also suffer unless they innovate. Spotify is already miles ahead. Initially the software allowed anyone to listen to any music that they wanted to for free. Now, you must pay a monthly fee in order to access the music. I have found that if you purchase a few albums every year, lets say six records, then it more than works out well for you. Also note that it allows you to listen to not just six albums, but probably closer to six million songs. It’s a good deal for only £5 per month.

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