Part 2: DJ Reach on New York
(Click here for Part 1: DJ Reach on Las Vegas)
Yesterday, DJ Reach talked to us about his work in the Vegas circuit. But today, we bring it back to where it all started: New York. Reach breaks it down for us once again, but with some grime and grit in true NYC style. Read on for Reach’s take on playing for trust-funders, working for Stretch Armstrong and catching the DJ bug from of all things, a Tupac movie.
CP: I hear you got your inspiration to DJ from a movie. Is that true?
DJ Reach: Yeah, that movie Juice with Omar Epps and Tupac—I connected with the storyline and the main character played by Epps. For him, music was a creative outlet that helped him deal with the diversity and adversity going on in his environment. Music has always been an escape for me whether it was from school, adolescence or anything else under the sun.
CP: But it was his DJing that caught your eye.
DJ Reach: That was when I realized how fascinating DJing is. I loved the idea of controlling the energy in a room—being at the center of that energy, and bringing people into your thoughts and feelings. If they like what you’re playing, they’re coming along that musical ride with you.
CP: When did you start DJing?
DJ Reach: When I was 13, right after I saw the movie. My friends and I started saving up our allowances and collecting records together. But one by one, my friends dropped the hobby because it was too hard or because they wanted to try something else. The cool thing was that our collections complemented one another—we’d all buy stuff the rest of us didn’t have. As my friends quit, they’d pass their records on to me, which built my collection up to where it is now: 10,000 + in my apartment. To me, it was a sign that this was meant to be.
And you also interned for Stretch Armstrong, how’d you get that gig?
DJ Reach: I was in high school at the time. I had a substitute teacher that knew I was a DJ since I walked around with big headphones. She asked, “You probably like hip hop, right? Well, I know this guy and I think you might wanna talk to him. He could be someone you could get direction from.” I said, “Sure, what’s his name?” When she said Stretch Armstrong, I was like “Wow, I stay up until 5am every week to record his radio show!”
So you went to work with him?
DJ Reach: Of course! At the time, he ran his record label out of his apartment on the Upper East Side. A friend of mine and I ended up interning for him. We had some great success doing grassroots marketing for a lot of the songs that came out on his label. That was a really good experience.
CP: So that’s why you started spinning hip hop, right?
DJ Reach: Definitely. Hip hop is what grabbed me first. It was what my older brother was playing, and it’s what we played at the school dances.
CP: School dances?
DJ Reach: (laughing) Yeah, at the junior high dances, my friends and I would make up these dance routines and of course, we needed music for them. It started with us putting one or two songs on a tape and bringing it to the dance. Then someone said “Wait a second. Reach, why don’t you just put all the songs we like on a mixtape?” Essentially I started making the school dance soundtrack and then eventually DJing at the dances.
CP: So you go from spinning for pre-adolescent junior high kids to playing for post-adolescent Olsen twins. How’d you swing that?
DJ Reach: Before I really knew Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss, and before they opened Marquee, I used to chase them around town with my CD. Finally, I DJed a promoter’s birthday party and they said, “Wow, who is this kid? Let’s bring him in.” They gave me a night right then. Then I spun again for them on Jason’s birthday, and they gave me two nights. So I had the two hottest nights at Marquee.
CP: With your residencies at Marquee and Pink Elephant, you tend to play for the young and the moneyed. Are you exclusively a DJ for the trust-fund set?
DJ Reach: (laughing) Hey, I don’t have a trust fund. In some ways in the A-list scene, you get spoiled because people draw a sense of worth from getting into a club. They think, “I must be cool, I made the cut, I’m connected enough to be here.” They’re so happy to be in the cool place that when certain DJs may play a lackluster set, they’ll embrace whatever they’re playing. When you strip away the name of the venue, the Lindsay Lohans and Paris Hiltons, what it really comes down to is the music. I think some DJs get caught up in the bravado, glitter and the lights-camera-action of just being in an exclusive venue.
CP: Well, NYC has moved away from DJ-centric mindset towards bottle service and more customer-oriented service. Is that something you embrace?
DJ Reach: It’s funny. I guess my career thrived during the bottle-service era, but I remember talking with Stretch who said that without a doubt, bottle service killed the New York nightclub scene. Before the doorman were selective, you pay your cover or someone let you in, and you came to have a good time. Now, in order to sit down, you have to buy a bottle to get a table. Economically, we all understand why it makes sense, but big business and sales are taking precedent over a good party. It’s more about business than about satisfying your customer with the greatest party experience they can have. It’s really tough.
CP: So you agree that nightlife in NYC is in a bad state?
DJ Reach: I think nowadays, New York nightlife in the worst place it’s ever been—a lot of the scene is uninspired and homogenous. Everybody’s dressing the same, looking the same and the same people are getting into the clubs. You’re not getting that mix of people that the legendary nightclubs of New York—Studio 54, Limelight, etc—are known for. The coolest clubs in New York wouldn’t even be cool unless they had some teenagers in there dancing crazy and looking crazy, along with a couple of Wall Street suits, average Joe, and others. I think a lot of that is lost. It’s great that everybody’s dressing up and looking nice, but New York has lost its flavor and its diversity. You have to go to Brooklyn or to a loft or to little bars and lounges downtown to catch a unique party.
CP: Any advice for aspiring DJs?
DJ Reach: Find a night and venue that no other DJ has made popular and make that night the hottest party on the scene. And don’t be afraid to promote yourself. I design and print up my own tank tops, and throw them out to partygoers while I’m DJing, taking requests, shaking hands and handing out business cards. Don’t be afraid to be your own back office or promotions team. There were so many business cards I’ve handed out to people I didn’t know who turned out to be someone who booked me for a weekly gig, Lindsay Lohan’s birthday or Jessica Simpson’s client lunch. You never know. Every person that you meet could be the person that changes your career. Get out there and don’t sleep. I didn’t sleep for the past three years.
For more info, check out www.myspace.com/djreach1 or catch DJ Reach:
Wednesday nights at Pink Elephant
Friday nights at Tao Las Vegas