Tag Archives: DJ sets

Turntabling at Constantly Consuming Culture Art Opening in Chicago

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Turntabling will run a DJ set at the first-ever Constantly Consuming Culture art show put on by Mapanare.us.

Featured artists in the Chicago-based show include John Airo, Julia Hamilton, Elyse Martin, Gretchen Hasse, Serena Toxicat (San Francisco) John Schedler and Mikey Peterson.

The show runs September 7 to 13 and someone will be on hand daily beginning September 9 to 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday September 8 or other times by appointment. For more info on the show itself or to book an appointment to see the work, go to ConstantlyConsumingCulture.com.

Turntabling will share the decks with Tim Larson from Chicago’s own Tim Larson and the Owner Operators and the sounds will be pretty diverse. The Turntabling portion will feature Ennio Morricone remixes, Italian lounge, dub, some electronic industrial, and an extended play set of Binary Partners music.

Turntabling has been involved in many Chicago art and media events including shows by OhNo! Doom! and the Paisley Babylon Beautiful Chaos project which was featured at the 2010 Music Box Massacre and in the Not The Film Room at Capricon 32 in 2012.

The Constantly Consuming Culture art show opens Saturday September 7 2013 at 6:30 PM. It’s located at 222 North Desplaines Chicago, IL on the lower level. The Turntabling set features DJ Paisley Babylon, AKA Joe Wallace.

For more information, see the Mapanare official Facebook events page for the show.

Turntabling and DJ Paisley Babylon are available for booking for art shows, film festivals, media events, private gatherings and similar events. We have a specially curated collection of retro sounds featuring dub, Italian lounge, gothic/industrial, new wave, and unusual vinyl. This isn’t your typical party DJ experience–it’s a retro groovy/sinister flashback experience that covers a wide range of sounds and atmospheres ranging from pure chill-out to Halloween party-creepy depending on the event.

For booking, contact jwallace@turntabling.net

Surviving a Marathon DJ Gig

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Ever struggled to keep a DJ set tight for six hours? It’s a DJ gig hell-ride, to be sure…but there are a few things you can do to survive a very long set, whether you’re spinning in a club, doing on-air DJ work or playing a party or wedding. I’ve done extended sets in just about every one of these situations–on the air, parties, you name it.

Naturally the setting you’re doing your DJ work in dictates a lot about how you manage a very long night, but there are a few specifics I’ve found apply no matter what. This ain’t a guide to how to make your DJ segues flow or how to keep the club jumping, this is more about keeping your body feeling as close to top form as you can get in hour number four, five and beyond.

Blood Sugar is a huge factor. When you load up with a lot of carbs, sugar or alcohol, the crash is coming, believe it. Your DJ set will be much better if you’ve packed a protein bar or two and keep some kind of carb control snack on hand that’s formulated to level out your blood sugar. You WILL feela difference. The second your energy starts flagging, don’t go for the Red Bull, try eating a small carb control snack or a few bites of a protein bar. Don’t eat the whole thing, try 1/4 of a bar at first and see how you feel.

Foot Fatigue isn’t always a factor in a club or a radio station, but if you’re DJing a wedding, chances are you’re standing on concrete or flimsy tile in those rec halls and reception centers. When I’m on the decks for an extended period, I make sure to pack a small area rug in my DJ equipment box. You can laugh if you want, but it delays the onset of foot fatigue and makes your entire gig much more comfortable.

Hearing Protection seems like a no-brainer to me, but I am shocked by the number of DJs who don’t wear hearing protection during their gigs. If you play longer than two hours you need this more than ever–prolonged exposure to high SPLs is a major occupational hazard for DJs and no club DJ or party spinner should ever play long sets without safeguarding the ears. It saves you in so many ways, but for me personally, a DJ set with hearing protection is much less stressful overall–I find extended high volumes physically draining without the earplugs.