DJ Theo Unleashed

-Emily Tan

The true believers of electronic dance music and DJ-culture are the ones who immerse themselves in the lifestyle, completely and utterly. Their passion borders on the obsessive. DJ Theo is one of those musically-obsessed EDM professionals, someone involved in every facet of the industry: he's a radio jock and music programmer for WLIR and WDRE; he's a part-owner of the Hamptons nightclub, Amber (formerly Brazil); he's a dedicated club DJ with what might be the longest-running residency in the Tri-State Area at Neptune’s Beach Club in the Hamptons; he's the music director of Posh Ultra Lounge in the Garden City Hotel; and, of course, he's a producer. He was even asked by Armani Exchange to play at their store in Las Vegas during the Billboard Dance Music Summit.

On the heels of his latest double-disc release, NYC MIXX (UBL Music), and on the eve of his November 18th party at Pacha, Theo spoke with DJ Times writer, Emily Tan, in an exclusive Clubplanet interview.

Clubplanet: NYC MIXX is your latest, double-disc release. What inspired this compilation?

DJ Theo (Theo Pisani): My colleague, Geoffrey Colon, was working at a record label before V2, and we’d always spoken about making a mix compilation that was a step-above the commercial Global Underground, Ultra Records-type releases which contain really pop, commercial remixes. We wanted to make something for the true clubber, to include tracks that DJs from all over the world play. Not the hits, but the hits of the underground. We always spoke about making a legitimate mix CD to represent what’s going-on in the clubs, not on the radio.

You're a radio personality and music programmer for WLIR and Party 105.3FM (WDRE). In your time, how have you helped further the cause of dance music in your market?

DJ Theo: I do a mixshow with Andre Ferro. For four years, we did a mixshow broadcast called “In The Mix,” and we were the first show to air international DJs. We had Timo Maas, Kosheen…we were the first in our market to do a show concentrating on DJs from around the world. We’d get these artists to come from Manhattan out to Nassau to go on-the-air. We’ve had Moby, Nicola Hitchcock from Mandalay…they’d come out to Long Island because it was a big deal to have a BDS-monitored station playing dance music. It helped put WLIR on the map at that time, because it made a big deal over dance music and people started to see that this niche station could break dance artists.

And more recently?

DJ Theo: Flash-forward to now, and I still do that show with Andre on Party 105, on Fridays, live, from 5:00PM to 7:00PM, which is “drive-time.” We do that show live every week. It’s whatever new, fresh music we get in, new remixes, new tracks that we like. Whether it be the new underground track from Paul Van Dyk or the new Madonna track, we try to represent whatever is new and fresh. We take calls, so it’s way more interactive. The timeslot we’re in is considered prime, because it’s drive-time. Drive-time is when you have your best audience locked-in. Morning and afternoon drive-times, and late-night, are the best times for radio.

What other radio shows do you do?

DJ Theo: I also do the “Futura” radio show, which is kind of what the disc-two on my CD sounds like. Futura’s a little more underground, more alternative stuff. Strictly alternative remixes. We play lots of white labels, tracks from indie groups, no hits. We play The Killers. It’s tech stuff, deep stuff, but nothing diva-esque about this show at all. There’s no big-room vocal, diva tracks. It’s more Goldfrapp, Röyksopp, Trentemoller, Booka Shade, guys who are huge around the world that we don’t get to hear locally on the radio. Futura is simulcast to Party 105 on Sundays from 2:00AM to 4:00AM, and to WLIR on Sundays from 1:00AM to 3:00AM.

Cool!

DJ Theo: On top of all that, I also do a downtempo show on WLIR from 9:00AM to 10:00AM Sunday mornings, when people are coming back from the clubs late-late-latenight. I pre-record that show. That’s fun. It’s coming-down music, like what you’d hear at Café Del Mar. We’re actually gonna be online soon. (For more information, visit www.wlir.com or www.party105.com).

You’re playing Pacha in New York on Saturday, November 18. I heard the recent “Back To The Beach” party you played there drew over 3,000 people! Is that an attendance record?

DJ Theo: Well, I don’t know if it’s a record! [laughs] The party did very well, and I’m honored to be in a venue where so many of my favorite DJs – like Jonathan Peters and Danny Tenaglia – get to spin.

Why is your crowd so loyal?

DJ Theo: It’s stemming from my Neptune’s residency. That venue was built together with the crowd. Over the years, everybody grew-up together creating this vibe that we brought to the party at Pacha. They’re people really into dance, vocals…they’re not afraid of anything. They like dark beats, they like melodic, vocals…a little bit of everything. They’re people who really appreciate dance music. Those are the people who followed me to Pacha. They are very savvy about dance music.

What makes your parties at Pacha special?

DJ Theo: We’re presenting it a little bit different from other nights. There are a lot of records that need to be represented in a major venue. I play records that DJ Gregory would play to what John Acquaviva would play, and everything in-between. I think it makes for a better party. I like the Deep Dish, Erick Morillo, Danny Tenaglia approach, because I like all types of music.

You’ve been the resident of Neptune’s Beach Club for 11 years. What accounts for your longevity with the demanding New York crowd, and how did you build that party?

DJ Theo: This summer was my 11th season. I started DJing there young, and I used to spin for WLIR’s alternative dance party. The manager was a big alternative fan. I got hired to spin alternative dance music, pop hits, a mix of all kinds of music, and the reason to me it’s so special is because I built the confidence of the people who work there and slowly tried to make it an all-day of dance music. It took two, three years to make it strictly dance music. Back then, it was a mixed venue, meaning we played sing-along music like “The Macarena”…

“The Macarena”!

DJ Theo: [laughs] Yeah, I came to Neptune’s in the middle of that, in ’96. I was young, and I didn’t mind playing the pop hits. By ’97, I was getting into dance music. I was used to being more comfortable with Paul Van Dyk and Sander Kleinenberg…I was more into the overseas sound from growing-up listening to the alternative sound. That helped my relationship with Neptune’s manager, and it was easy to play New Order into Sneaker Pimps’ “Spin Spin Sugar,” into Depeche Mode, back into a Faithless track. He dug it.

What are the restrictions to playing at Neptune’s?

DJ Theo: Well, first of all, we can only have so much sound because we’re an outdoor venue. We can’t jack the volume up too high because of noise ordinances, but that just means our sound is clearer, more precise, more focused. This gives Neptune’s patrons a better clubbing experience. It’s the quality of the sound that makes a big difference.

This is true.

DJ Theo: We also aren’t allowed to have CO2, because we’re outside. So, we really strive to make the music very special.

How do the Hamptons crowds compare with Manhattan crowds?

DJ Theo: They’re definitely similar in the summertime because we have lots of crossover customers. We definitely have a Westchester, five-borough, Nassau base out in the Hamptons that fully supports and is part of the Hamptons club scene. In the summer, tons of Manhattanites flock to the Hamptons every weekend, obviously. On all of Long Island, I believe Neptune’s is the only house music club that fully plays dance music and only dance music, all-day, every-week. We never play hip-hop or rock, only dance.

What about the Manhattan clubs and promoters who open Hamptons outposts for the summer and book big DJs to play?

DJ Theo: They do have nights where Deep Dish comes into Star Room, but Neptune’s is a venue that supports house music for nine-hours continuously, and we play dance music only. We’re not a one-off venue for dance music, like a Pink Elephant or a Cain might be. There’s only so many clubs in all of New York City that are like that: Pacha, Crobar…

And those clubs are frequented by people coming-in from the boroughs, too…

DJ Theo: There’s a lot of cross-over in the summertime. This is why Rob Fernandez started doing parties – with DJs like Victor Calderone, Erick Morillo – out at Neptune’s in the Hamptons. Rob saw the connection; he’s very savvy in that he inherently understands his crowd. Rob brought his parties with Calderone and Morillo out to Neptune’s. If you look at the history of Neptune’s, it’s amazing to see that these guys are doing dates with Rob Fernandez and Victor Calderone at a venue that used to play “Hands Up!” [laughs]

What can people expect from your upcoming November 18th gig at Pacha in New York?

DJ Theo: Well, the first time we were [at Pacha], we were running around like chickens with our heads cut-off. To take it to the next level, I assembled a great team I can trust. It’s about everybody working together for the glory of the party, every night. There were so many things on my mind the first night, but being a club-owner myself, I know how to organize it all. Otherwise, it can get overwhelming. This time, we’re walking into Pacha more comfortably. I’ll be able to explore the room and feel where the crowd is. As a DJ, you need to be open to where the crowd wants to go, and where they’ll let you take them.

What are your thoughts about dueling New York superclubs, such as Pacha versus Crobar?

DJ Theo: I love everything Crobar does, but Pacha and I came to a mutual agreement about a vision, sooner. I’m glad there’s another venue, like Crobar, to support dance music. More is better! I wish we had 20 venues like Crobar and Pacha in New York!

Tell me about some of your original productions.

DJ Theo: I’m a tough critic; I’m hard on myself. I don’t go parading around, but I’m working with several people lately on original stuff. I’ve been concentrating 100% on making music I’ve always wanted to make. I can now bring my laptop around, and with Ableton Live, you can practice ideas out in a club that you might not necessarily have thought would work. You can go home and perfect those ideas into an original production. It’s great.

Do you use Ableton Live in the recording studio?

DJ Theo: I would ultimately record on Pro Tools or Logic Pro. Ableton Live is very good for producing shows and for DJing a little bit, but I don’t necessarily believe – I work on Pro Tools, Logic, Reason – that Ableton is such a great production tool, yet. I mean, most big studios are on Pro Tools, which is a $15,000 program! Ableton Live is setting the platform for that now, and Ableton is the pinnacle of programs used to DJ right now if you’re gonna work with it out. I’m not talking about Serato Scratch LIVE and stuff like that. Ableton Live each year gets better and better. I really do believe in Ableton, and I definitely want to incorporate it into my set.

Ableton Live allows you to do live-remixing, on-the-fly…

DJ Theo: Yes, but you just want to have fun when you’re DJing! Technology wasn’t made for us to be stressed-out about; I just wanna have fun!

I used to be nostalgic about vinyl, but it’s become harder and harder to justify that sentiment. How do you feel?

DJ Theo: I love, love, love vinyl! I’d spin it all the time, but there’ve been so many times where I’ve had problems with the set-up, feedback, whatever. I’m so into the Pioneer CDJ-1000, and now with Serato, they don’t skip as much, so if you’re trying to perform for people and you don’t want all those extra problems…I still buy vinyl from overseas. I just transfer them onto CD. Also, I don’t think you should just be a computer guy.

Do you miss anything about playing with vinyl?

DJ Theo: Walking into every venue, you don’t want to be unprepared. I hated bringing vinyl into a club and finding-out someone had dropped Jägermeister into the pitch control! [laughs] That would totally f*ck it up because the liquor is so sticky. Also, wear-and-tear on a turntable is going to happen to the pitch control, so the pitch might accelerate unevenly in certain spots. If you’re not the resident there and you don’t know that between ‘four’ and ‘six’ it speeds-up faster, you’re gonna look like an idiot. People don’t understand, it’s not just about vinyl. I’d love it if every system in the world were a pristine system, but that’s just impossible.

So you don’t miss playing vinyl?

DJ Theo: Sometimes a record only comes-out on a short-run of 2,000 records, so what do you do? You don’t play a record because you can’t get it? I love vinyl. It’s just that, why am I not going to play a great record that I want to be playing simply because I can’t get it on vinyl? It’s not that easy to get vinyl, to find the Green Velvet record you heard on an Internet broadcast from Russia that I want to play in two days! It’s not so easy. If I can get it on vinyl first, then that’s a different story. But I’m not Sasha or Paul Van Dyk and I’m not gonna get sent the short-run records that Erick Morillo gets sent.

What is your DJ booth set-up at the moment?

DJ Theo: Two Technics turntables, three Pioneer CDJ-1000s, the Pioneer EFX-1000 effects unit…and I love the Pioneer DJM-800 mixer. I also have three Pioneer EFX-500s at home.

What’s next for DJ Theo?

DJ Theo: We’re trying to line-up the rest of the tour for the NYC MIXX CD. We’re getting a lot of inquires from around the States, and we’re getting ready for WMC. I’m working on a bunch of new tracks for WMC. From now ‘til then, you’ll hear some of those tracks at Pacha and everywhere I play-out. Those will be all-original Theo productions, and I’ll be spending a lot more time in the studio. Thank goodness I have an understanding wife, because dance music really is a lifestyle that’s all-consuming.