Velcro City Records

Joman

Artist Name? Joman (Joseph Mancuso)

Where are you from? Littleton, CO

What upcoming projects are in the works?
I am currently working with Adam K on releasing a remix of his newest track, “My Love.” I also recently did a remix of Oh Shit! and Night Drugs’ “Everybody Needs,” and a full-on collaboration on a track with Oh Shit! and DJ Hero called, “Drop Down,” in which I did some vocals.

Any production tips for new producers?
If you’re just starting out, get a copy of Reason and an Axiom 25 MIDI controller. They’re both relatively inexpensive and will teach you a lot of valuable fundamentals. Also, don’t focus on writing music that will “sell” or that “other people will like.” That will come much later. Focus on creating sounds that you enjoy hearing, learning how to read a db meter and comparing your exported files to other producers’ to make sure all your dynamics are in check. Oh, and grab some sample CD’s. All the samples that are included with programs are very basic and you’ll have a lot more fun pulling from a bigger palette.

What’s one of your favorite plug ins or pieces of hardware to use in your production?
This is going to sound a bit cliché but I really like the Vanguard synth. It’s incredibly easy to re-program it and make big-room leads. The melody in “Another Late Night” that comes in during the drop was done with Vanguard. I’ve also been having a lot of fun with Cakewalk’s, “Rapture” for doing the same kind of sounds as well as funky bass lines and what-not. All of the built-in synths in Logic are amazing, and the “Thor” synth in Reason is really cool too.

What’s your favorite track at the moment?
My favorite track right now is Mike Posner – Cooler Than Me (Gigamesh Remix). It’s written in a sexy 6/8 swing tempo and I can relate to the vocals.

What’s your favorite artist at the moment?
It’s always been a close tie between BT and Fatboy Slim. I’ve been listening to BT’s, “These Hopeful Machines” pretty much religiously but Fatboy Slim’s “You’ve Come a Long Way Baby” will always hold a very special place in my heart.

What / when is your next release?
My next big release as of right now is “Another Late Night,” which will be releasing on Beatport on July 7th [on Velcro City Records]. It’s a summer track so I can’t wait to see how it does in the middle of the summer. I’m also crossing my fingers on the release date for “Adam K – My Love (Joman Remix).”

What’s your take on the music industry at the moment?
It comes as no surprise to anybody but there is a lot of unnecessary ego in the electronic music industry. The reality that everybody needs to accept is that even if you build a great career for yourself in EDM, the chances of ever being as big as people in the mainstream entertainment industry are slim to nil. It’s amazing to me that there are some headliners parading around, looking down upon everybody else because they’re first tier on a flier and they are still supporting themselves off some mundane day job just like everybody else. If we’re not in this for the money, what else do we have but to be respectful to one-another? We all share a universal love for electronic music and that should bring us together as opposed to segregating us between who thinks they’re the shit and who just wants to make a contribution to a noble cause. The elitism has got to die down a little bit.

Any Upcoming Gigs to be on the look out for?
I am on the line-up for Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Colorado, which I am extremely excited for.

What are your thoughts on the future of EDM?
I’d like to see EDM return to its emotional roots a little bit. People have developed such a negatively biased opinion toward trance but the reality is that just about everybody listened to trance before anything else and a lot of people simply refuse to admit it. I like that a lot of producers are incorporating deep, progressive beats into trance-style anthems to make them a little bit more widely acceptable but I’m not as much of a fan of the whole “hip-hop electronica” thing that is happening. That has resulted in an over-use of pitch-correction and an acceptance of loud, repetitive, obnoxious sounds that are obviously geared toward people under the influence of something. When you listen to some of the tracks from the early millennium, every single sound is finely crafted and you can tell it is exactly what the artist wanted. Now, a lot of people are just dropping default samples in with a basic saw LFO and calling it good. I guess what I’d like to see is a lot more people trying very, very hard and their efforts being noticed instead of people just flocking to the first simplistic nonsense they hear and praising it.

How did you get into producing?
I first started producing when I was about 13 years old using MTV Music Generator but didn’t get really serious until a little bit later. My cousin (Jim the Elektronaut… at the time, “DJ Kreammy”) introduced me to BT’s, “Movement in Still Life” and gave me a copy of FL Studio and the rest is history.

If you could work with any one artist, who would it be?
BT. Hands down. If I ever remix one of his tracks and he likes it, or if I ever collaborate with him, that is when my dreams will pretty much be fully realized.

Here is a free Original from Joman

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Joman – A Little Bit of Funk For You.mp3

and you can find his music at Beatport by going here

Artist Spotlight – DJ Hero
Category: Music

super DJ HERO:

Saturday, November 01, 2008

by Crystal Morales

Most of us would never think to believe a superhero exists in reality, much less in the music industry — and yet, one does… in the music industry, that is. John Mundt (aka DJ Hero) can be equated to Superman in a variety of ways. Let’s begin with the most obvious similarity, a dual personality..

On the one hand, we have John Mundt — a man who maintained average, ordinary day jobs, who spent a great deal of time in the small town of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and who was genuinely inspired to pursue Djing when, once, in Detroit, he looked up toward a DJ’s booth and viewed one, DJ Elite, flipping a vinyl record in contemplation.

And, on the other hand, we have DJ Hero, whose travels across the continent — from the American east coast to the west — provided him opportunities to work with some of the greats of his time, including Carl Cox, DJ Dan, Paul Oakenfold, DJ Micro, DJ Icey, Huda Hudia and Bad Boy Bill, just to name a few.

Now, you might be asking, “So, what’s your point? What makes John a superhero?”

Mundt’s affiliation with prominent individuals, though lending to an interpretation of success, isn’t what’s responsible for his superhero status. No, it’s his lack of an ego in the wake of having such connections that gives him that status. Here is a man who has done illustrious things, but will unassumingly deny his own grandeur —much like Superman.

John Mundt’s likeness to Superman has been cemented and trademarked in his logo, a red and yellow triangle containing — instead of the easily recognizable “S”— the letters “D” and “J.”

When asked how this logo came about in all his modesty, he laughed and replied, “It was a hand-drawing, a side bit of humor or nostalgia.” Nevertheless, it now carries increasing significance as a trademark that serves to constantly remind Hero of the importance of humility. John comments on the subject of humility, saying, “Success is easy to get caught-up in and doesn’t really push us forward. In fact, I feel it sets us back. We often let our egos and pride get the best of us. Of which, I believe I am sometimes guilty.” Although, I’m here to tell you, John is most definitely not guilty of the accusations he places on himself.

The truth is, you may have never heard of John Mundt or DJ Hero, but he has been around —unpretentiously slipping right under your nose — since 1995!

Back in the day, John worked for an NBC affiliate for several years as chief editor in addition to doing music beds for various businesses, such as The Gap. At the same time, Kaleidoscope Music, a label which Mundt is, to this day, honorably connected with, landed a contract through the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) to have its music used on TV shows such as MTV’s Punk’d, The Ali G Show, TNT, Cartoon Network and one of the Pokémon movies. Kaleidoscope Music even penetrated the video game world with releases, such as Huda Hudia’s “System Overload” which appeared on SSX Trickie, a snowboarding game.

So, in hoping to well-advise other aspiring Djs and producers, John mentions that, “That time was really fruitful. It seemed to offer an alternative source for publicity other than the rave or nightclub scene.” John — continuing to deflect any sort of spotlight on himself — also mentioned that Huda Hudia was the master-mind behind the majority of what was going on back then. But, it must be said that, together with Huda Hudia, DJ Hero created a few ffiFlorida hits, Electro jams and some very memorable singles.

So, Mundt has done several original pieces for radio, network spots, commercials and internet ads. Not only did he do audio engineering, but video editing and voice work. He even lent his voice to national ads promoting DJ Scribble—all the while, never forcing his own name on anyone. Even being the implementer of his own label, Solitude Records, he still remains humble in that the very name of the label attests to his rather quiet nature, his pure and simple devotion to the love and production of music, instead of the fame that can be associated with it.

When John was asked how it was he attained his level of expertise, he came back with, “If I had to choose three producers who were my top sources of inspiration and knowledge it would be Huda Hudia, Ferry Corsten, and Guyver” — again, always shedding light on someone other than himself.

In upholding his down-to-earth attitude, John Mundt preaches what he practices. When asked what advice he would give newbie Djs and producers, he answered, “The best advice I can give is to take your time, go at a comfortable pace. If you feel you’re not doing it right, never hesitate to ask someone. The insignificance you might feel, the harsh critiques you may receive, and the never ending frustration you’ll most likely face will only make you do it better than the next guy . Be honest with yourself and your goals.”

So what is Hero up to nowadays? Well, after continuous travel across the vastness of North America, John is settling down, choosing Denver, Colorado to be his permanent home! He maintains Solitude Records, remains an integral part of Kaleidoscope Music and, this year, signed-on with Velcro City Records as an artist and engineer. His music is available on beatport.com, kalmusic.com and digitalrecordstores.com.

I actually caught Hero spinning at The Church not too long ago, and hope to see plenty more of him. What distinguishes him, musically, is that he does not confine himself to any one genre or style of dance music, a very rare characteristic.

Lastly, John Mundt is reaching out to you. Yes, you—the hopeful Djs and producers. He extends a warm invitation, saying, “Should you need some advice, hop on Myspace.com/DjheroJohn and drop me a message because I’d love to play a part in your successes.” What a super man!

MySpace.com/DjheroJohn