Tools of the Trade: Camea

Tools of the Trade: Camea

22 October, 2010 | 7.55AM

• Written by: Beatport Mike
• Filed under: Music News: camea, clink, technology, tools of the trade, traktor

What exactly happens between the DJ booth and the dancefloor? With the incredible influx of tools, many secrets have been left unanswered as to how the modern-day DJ pushes her sound from the mixer through the bassbins and onto the floor. With Traktor, Serato, Ableton and assorted gadgets, gizmos, and good old fashioned turntables at their disposal, the DJs have more options than ever before, allowing even more opportunities for creative and unique performances. Given the healthy debate around digital vs. analogue, Traktor vs. Serato, WAV vs. 320, etc., we decided it was time to select some our favorite club rockers and take a peek into the booth to see what they were actually doing.

Camea, the leading lady behind the outstanding Clink Recordings label is a seasoned producer, as well as highly sought after DJ. Her nonstop travel schedule and relentless work ethic at home make her a cut above the rest. We were fortunate to snag her for a quick Q&A before departing for her next gig to ask her about a subject that used to be quite obvious during the days of two turntables and a mixer. What do you do when you’re DJing?

To begin with, tell us a little about your DJ setup. What kind of system do you use—Traktor, Ableton, CDJs, vinyl, a mixture of all of them? What kind of controllers do you use? Have you customized your system in any way?

Currently I am using Traktor, vinyl and a Native Instruments X1 Kontroller. It works great for me.

How do you organize your music? Do you use playlists in iTunes, virtual crates in Traktor, etc.? Can you explain what system you use for organizing all your tunes—is it by style, tempo, genre, label, etc.? If you play with CDRs, how often do you burn them, how do you organize what’s on the discs, etc.? And if you use vinyl, how are they organized at home, and how do you go about packing your crate?

I use a combination of playlists in both iTunes and Traktor to organize my music. I use the platforms to write in notes and special codes in the track info, so I can later use them during my set to do quick searches for styles and genres of tracks that fit the specific moment that I am having.

How many hours do you spend preparing music for an average gig?

It depends, usually a few hours a week of preparation works the best for me, I am very diligent about making sure I have fresh ideas for my sets.  I like to go through music on my DJ set up at home and test out combinations of ideas, and then I usually go through my music again in the hotel to warm up my ears.

Do you make edits of commercially released tracks to play out, or do you pretty much play tunes “as is”?

I used to make edits but with Traktor I can set markers in the tracks, which give me looping points.  I can loop a track as far as 32 beats, so it’s easy to grab the part of the track I like, or avoid parts that I don’t like from within the software.

Do you typically bring only one or two major styles of music to a gig, or do you pack options for many different possible vibes, depending on the mood of the dance floor?

I am a bit of a track hoarder, as I really love to play all styles and moods of house and techno.  For the bigger crowds it’s super fun to push into deep, driving techno, and for the smaller clubs I like to stick with tech house and minimal. Since my situations are often unpredictable, I always want to be prepared for any situation, and therefore I have a few styles of sets in mind when I arrive.

How much does your set vary in tempo over the course of the night?

I play anywhere between 123 bpm and 128 bpm.  Honestly, a lot of it depends on the quality of the turntables because if they are older than I can’t play near the 0 on the pitch adjuster because it is too unstable, and my tracks usually ride the 0 at about 125bpm. If that is the case then I will usually choose to pitch it up rather than down, because 123 bpm is generally too slow for peak time.

Do you use loops, FX, etc.? Which ones? How often? How do you control them?

I love the FX in Traktor and control them with the Traktor X1.  I use them a lot, as it can really give a DJ set that “live” element, and greatly helps me connect with the crowd.  I also enjoy taking loops from tracks and creating whole new ideas with them by using the FX, it really keeps things exciting and interesting.

Do you generally record your sets? If so, how?

Sometimes, but I always find the live version is way better.  Kind of like the “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” theory!

Do you have any absolute DON’Ts when you play? Anything you absolutely won’t do?

I will not get on the mic.

When you’re headlining, what would you like to hear from the opening DJ?

I used to open for lots of techno/minimal DJs at Tronic Treatment in New York years ago, and I always kept it sexy and deep at about 122 bpm.  When an opener gives you that courtesy, it really helps give a nice platform to start with and sets a good mood in the room.

What technological innovation would you most like to have, as a DJ?

I want Traktor to give me foot massages while I DJ.

What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage (technologically… or otherwise)?

I have had a few times where some chemistry did not align with my gear and I wasn’t able to play properly.  Usually it’s due to improper equipment provided at the club like bad turntables, but now to avoid that I have cue marker’s set up on tracks so I can play internally if needed.

Do you ever miss the simpler times, when all you had was a bag of records?

Yes, absolutely, but I don’t miss carrying them!  I especially miss how much more people seemed to appreciate the music when they were collecting vinyl.  With mp3s music has become very disposable and that makes me sad, but I do think the pros definitely outweigh the cons at this point.  Our music is making it to so many corners of the world that it would have never made it to before, and that is irreplaceable to me.

Share some good music with us:

Peaktime favorite

Joris Voorn ‘The Secret’ Cocoon Recordings

Opening track

Jules & Moss ‘Jopte’ dirtybird

Track for when you really need to visit the bathroom

Kid Culture, El Mundo & Satori ‘Gotta Help (Mendo Remix)’ Gruuv

Closing track

Shonky ‘KorgM1’ Spectral Sound

• (3) Comments
• (2436) Views
• Get Camea On Beatport