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DJ Mix ClubSince its inception in 1998 as a means to train and develop DJs to compete in the Battle of the DJs competition, DJ Mix Club has been training and unleashing a new wave of educated, informed and skillful DJs onto the South African market and ultimately the world DJ stage. A legion of SAs most gifted DJs have been entrusted to train, inspire & leave an indelible mark on each of the more than 2000 students of this, the biggest, longest running, most respected DJ School in Africa. DJ Mix Club was opened by Reggy and Lyn Kerwin who at that stage had been running the Battle of the DJs competition, amongst other events for nearly 15 years, and had crowned numerous South African DMC champions such as Nelson (Afroboogie Records), DJ Dizzy as well as hip-hop sensei Ready D who, incidentally Reggy sent to the UK and New York in consecutive years to compete in the Technics DMC World Finals. The original school was run off a pair of trusty ol Technics SL1200 mk2s and a hardy Technics SH-DJ1200 battle mixer connected up to a Technics Component Hi-Fi system. Out of these humble beginnings, in the back-room of Mental Groove Records in Randburg, a new DJ faction was born that was destined to inspire and unlock the musical consciousnesses within many potential masters of the decks.At the core of the training philosophy behind DJ Mix Club is the concept of training & familiarising the students with DJing on the industry standard equipment available and then graduating them by having them play at a venue in order to truly get the feel of what it can be like to perform on a bigger sound system with the added pressure of family and friends in attendance. Trial by fire, if you like, the ultimate test for an up and coming DJ to endure. Combine this with Theory lectures encompassing Equipment Set-up, Dance Music Styles, Music Structure, Marketing, Basic Sound Engineering and Basic Production Skills and you have a well rounded foundation on which to build a successful DJ career like many past students including Rude Boy Paul (Y-Fm), DJ Syren (Top 100 Female DJs and ESP resident), and Paul Bingham (ESP Resident with releases on Juicy Music and Chameleon) and a host of mobile and club DJs that have more than likely impressed you at one point or another.The first teacher to run and manage the course was DJ Decksky, who at that stage had finished in the top three in the National Battle of the DJs for three consecutive years. Heinz was instrumental in inspiring many a DJ not just to win the Battle of the DJs but to also go on to forge successful DJ careers. That has always been the focus of the DJ Mix Club. To train and prepare DJs for the ups and downs of the industry and keep them abreast of new innovations and developments in the field of DJing. This includes fostering an affinity for self promotion as they market themselves and their respective brands effectively, so that when the opportunity for a potential gig arises, they would not only be able to play the gig but also initiate & arrange the booking like a consummate professional.After DJ Decksky, the reigns at DJ Mix Club were taken over by Mika, one of the students from the original course affectionately known as Lady Chaos Mika trained many successful students in her 2 year tenure at DJ Mix Club before her succession by a former student and future SA champ Jayson the Fool Faber. In early 2003 a decision was taken between Reggy who was operating a successful Technics franchise at the time and the current manager of Mental Groove Dave Skinz, to take over the Mental Groove Records premises and convert the store into DJ Mix Club. This, as well as burgeoning relationships with suppliers that Reggy had started to develop led to opening of the original DJ Mix Club in Blairgowrie Plaza, Randburg with the guidance of partner, Dave Skinz, experienced in negotiating the tricky waters of the record store business. Funnily enough the shopping center had entertained many record stores in the years before the establishment of DJ Mix Club, with Rhythm Records, BPM Records as well as the aforementioned Mental Groove occupying premises there too during the 10-year tenure. One could say that over the years a permanent home of sorts was established through the legacy of these dance music purveyors.The original DJ Mix Club mission statement detailed a store catering for all aspects of DJ Culture, from the training one would receive, the equipment one would need, the music necessary to entertain, to most importantly, the knowledge and inspiration requisite to sustaining ones DJing, whether it be at home, or in the throng of a busy club or event. The emphasis for DJ Mix Club has always been on personal relationships. That, combined with a concise knowledge of the product, would in itself lead to good service. A friend, after all will never let you down, rip you off or give you bad advice. And that is one of the reasons that the DJ Mix Club brand has been so successful. We always have time for our friends.The DJ store format was an instant success and the store soon expanded, taking the premises next door as well, to cater for the increase in students, customers and expanding stock levels. Sadly, In 2004 Jayson and the DJ Mix Club parted ways, with Mika called in afresh once again to manage and teach at the DJ School.Back in 2003, DJ Mix Club opened the doors of its first regional branch in Vincent, East London with two ex-students of the Jhb School, Saffron and Paul Foggerty running the branch for the first two years of operation. This branch was later taken over by another ex-student, Paul Chavez, who had completed the first course offered in East London. Paul has grown the first and only DJ store in East London in leaps and bounds, recently moving the store to a more styling location and successfully growing a compact dance community in East London. Then in Sept 2004, DJ Mix Club was approached by Electromode Music to compile and mix a CD and in Nov 2004 DJ Mix Clubs Electrofunk was released. Rising to the occasion, Dave Skinz assimilated a selection of music perfectly indicative of the sound DJ Mix Club had started to champion through their regular vinyl imports. The compilation was warmly received by the dance community who responded favourably to Daves unique mix of house and electro.Pouncing on an opportunity that arose in Durban, DJ Mix Club acted to secure the services of Steve Roets, a stalwart in the Durban scene. In early 2005, Steve opened and also managed the Durban branch of DJ Mix Club at 231 Stamford Hill Rd in. With the proverbial ball rolling and iron red hot, inception of a beautiful DJ Mix Club branch in the Cape Town CBD was the follow up later that same year with another ex-student, Rick Hunter who had just returned from a successful residency in Holland. Through their sustained policy, DJ Mix Club has ensured that all the managers of the relevant stores are experienced, active club DJs, currently gigging and/or holding residencies in their respective cities. All the managers at DJ Mix Club run, and are involved in teaching at the DJ School in either a practical or theoretical capacity. With the growing workload, the Durban branch hired DJ Notas to assist Steve Roets whilst Rodney DJ PFB and Aaron DJ Bullet were employed to help out Reggy and Dave at the Jhb branch.During 2006 DJ Mix Club has grown from strength to strength. On the DJ School side of things Mika decided to leave, whereby DJ Mix Club enlisted the efforts of Shane Halcyon, member of the Grim Brothers DJ trio, to train and manage the students. Currently the original Jhb branch has 3 booths for students, to practice and record in. All the booths include two Technics SL1200 or SL1210 turntables. DJ Mix Club also has a variety of mixers, CD Players and monitoring systems including 2, 3 and 4 channel mixers, 12 & 15 inch club speakers, studio monitors, as well as a range of Pioneer and Gemini CD players including CDJ800s and even a Dual CD Player to accustom the students to the variety of equipment they might encounter in DJ booths around the world. One of the larger booths at the DJ Mix Club has been converted into a production studio and a course has been been formulated to cater for the next level of instruction in mixing, which is music production. DJ Mix Club enlisted the help of Ryan Sullivan from Gut Feel Records to manage the school and handle the training of the students. All four branches have also begun to address the growing demand for equipment rental, upon discovery that many of the students needed to hire professional gear to throw parties or events of their own.With the global music market taking a hammering as a result of the dramatic shift in the way DJs are playing and purchasing their music, DJ Mix Club is striving to stay abreast of DJ and economic developments and cater not only for a growing market but consumers becoming increasingly informed & way more intelligent in the way in which they shop for, research and purchase their DJ products. DJ Mix Club has always tried to offer the customer the best deal, be it in regard to advice, price, or product. That is the crux of the DJ Mix Club success. Established on a sound foundation, with countless satisfied customers as evidence, the recent signing with Sheer Music for release of a DJ Mix Club compilation in mid 2007 bodes for a continued & decidedly rosy DJ Mix Club future.Johannesburg Located At: Shop 2, Blairgowrie Plaza Conrad Drive (cnr Susman) Next to Steers Blairgowrie, Randburg Johannesburg South AfricaTel: +27(0)11 886 9113 Technics DJ School: +27(0)11 886 9291 Administration Office: +27(0)11 678 5842Fax: +27(0)11 886 9291 Email:
[email protected] Located At: 231 Stamfordhill Rd Morningside Durban Tel: +27 (0)31 303 9375East London Located At: 2 Chamberlain Rd Berea East London Tel: +27 (0)43 721 1147Cape Town Located At: Shop 41 Matador Centre 62 Strand Street Cape Town Tel: +27 (0)21 419 4012
