DJ Yellow: Keeping The Party Going
You probably seen his face, The Soundgeist talks to DJ Yellow on nightlife and why you should quit your day job
As the Super Bowl and Waste Management Open descend upon Phoenix, there are few places in the world that will be more festive. Old Town Scottsdale is known as one of the most prominent destinations for nightlife in the United States and just this week its clubs will be boasting performances from Drake, 21 Savage, Carti B, and more. It’s no rarity to spot a rapper, athlete, or a person of some level of fame popping bottles here. At the very least, you’ll be seeing aspirational SoundCloud rappers sporting fake luxury brands like Prodo and Guggi.
We’re lucky we got time to chat with DJ Yellow, who is a mainstay and resident DJ of Scottsdale Nightlife. Derek gives us an inside look into the high-octane club world where he supplies the beats.
For those who are not yet familiar with DJ Yellow, can you give us an introduction?
Hi there! I’m a DJ/Producer from Phoenix, Arizona. I have been a DJ for 5 years and Producer for 2. I have played in venues across California and Mexico. Currently, I have a residency at multiple nightclubs in Scottsdale.
What first got you to take up the turntables?
My friend Casey taught me during my sophomore year of college. He was a DJ in high school and had all the fancy gear for me to get started. We spent hours in the hot summer garage messing around and learning basic mixing techniques.
Looking at your creative process, what are some areas you draw inspiration from?
I always loved a great vocal in a track. I start my Ableton sessions with a vocal and then built it from there. If you look at my previous releases, they are all vocally based. One of my favorite producers of all time is Chris Lorenzo. The music he releases is so unique and hype. I am a big fan of UK Bass and DnB.
How have you been marketing and promoting yourself?
If you use Tik Tok, you’ve probably seen my face on your FYP a few times. The most success I’ve had with promotion has been Tik Tok. There is such a big audience as long as you make your music promotion entertaining. I believe that you can’t just have good music, but you also have to put a story behind the artist. You have to entertain people before they invest their time into your music and content.
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What's the most memorable set you've had so far?
One of my most memorable sets was probably in March of 2019. It was my first-ever paid gig at Loco Patron in Tempe. The worst thing was that it was 5 hours. I was neither mentally nor physically prepared. My previous experiences as a DJ were at fraternity parties and bedroom mixing. At the end of my gig, I was stressed out and nervous about how bad of a job I did. Surely, I was never going to be hired again. However, the manager gave me the opportunity to improve and I played at Loco Patron for another year.
What's on the horizon?
One of my biggest goals is to go on tour. I want to go on tour with a few of my buddies and just have a blast. I have been working on about 5 remixes, Flowers by Miley Cyrus is coming out in about a week's time. The plan for the future is to build my music portfolio and market myself as an artist people want to see. I mean, I did quit my full-time job to be here.
Anything else?
To all my DJs/Producers out there: making a living off of music is difficult. Find what inspires you to play or produce music. You might never be able to DJ or produce full-time, but I quit everything and gave myself no other option but to succeed in the music industry. For me, failure is my biggest motivation.