Name: Jake Goldsmith
AKA: DJ Goldsmith
Current gigs: Wednesday nights at Bar Smith for The Scenario with Hempsey in the Main Room.
Genres spun: House, disco, techno, acid and many, many others.
How did you get started as a DJ? I've always loved music and have always collected it. In 1997, I went to a rave. I lost myself on the dance floor during a most inspiring set by DJ Garth of the Wicked Crew. The very next day, I decided I would give DJing a shot.
What's your mantra? Keep an open ear...if you know what I mean.
Preferred poison while DJing: Stella and water. Oh, and whenever possible, Jameson and ginger ale. So good.
What's something about yourself that might surprise others? I'm really a major goof.
What do you like best about the local DJ scene? I'm really loving the local DJ scene right now. I honestly could not say that a few years ago. It seems that right now there are a lot of good selectors getting gigs and taking part in cultivating a quality DJ scene that fosters innovation, creativity, respect, and a nod to the old school traditions and foundations of DJing.
The Scenario 2011 Promo Mix by Jake Goldsmith
What's been your best experience as a DJ thus far? Sharing music with people and then taking part in the emotional/spiritual release as a result of the sharing. As for gigs, playing a really organic four-and-a-half hour set in Sedona for really great people that totally lost themselves on the dance floor the entire time.
And the worst? The conflict inherent in DJing as a money making endeavor. As for gigs, playing in Korea for a crowd that didn't get it.
Which do you like better -- spinning at clubs or raves? Depends on environment and situation. I have had amazing experiences at both. Raves in the desert are always fun, but a really packed sweaty club with great sound is a blast too!
Other local clubs where you've performed: Too many...
Craziest shit you've seen at a gig: Sex.
Who are your idols? I don't have any idols.
What are your goals as a DJ? To play any room at Fabric, to play a Yacht party with good friends and a bunch of 'heads', to play at the Marcy Hotel in Williamsburg, and tp travel to far off lands and meet good people. Oh, and I plan to release an EP in 2011.
What's the worst request you've ever gotten? Well, Hempsey and I were doing a house party thing for a friend on Halloween where we played all sorts of music, all of it quality, cuz that's what we do...at around 3 am some girl that looked like a tween shouted out Lady Gaga. I replied 'Hell No', then no more than an hour later some drunk bro came up asking for Country! Very strange, we had people dancing all night long, but for some reason these clever folks thought a request was still necessary.
What sites do you use for music? If you are DJing professionally out at a club on a soundsystem, and you are playing music you got off a blog, then you, my friend, are wrong. That shit needs to stop. Blog downloads are almost always poor quality MP3's that are impossible to listen to, let alone dance to. Sites for quality music in WAV or 320kbps are: What People Play, Boomkat, Juno, Turntable Lab, Traxsource, Beatport, and of course a D's best friend, invite only peer-to-peer sharing sites.
Are you a fan of vinyl? I'm obsessed.
Where do you shop locally for your music? I don't really do much of that, but I like Stinkweeds, Revolver, and Hoodlums.
Which underground artists have you been pimping in your sets lately? Funny, most of the stuff I play is relatively underground according to Phoenicians. I play a lot of edits that either I get on vinyl, or get on Juno, or that I do myself. I guess I really am not championing an artist, but more of a sound. I like to play stuff that I like. And I like stuff that is well produced -- doesn't matter who does it.
What else have you been listening to lately? I am really digging the post-dubstep stuff that is coming out of London and Berlin. Ramadanman, Joy Orbison, Julio Bashmore, Mount Kimbie, James Blake. As for the non-dance stuff, I guess I have been digging folk, synth-wave, kraut, and electronica.
Last album purchased: Ha! I don't remember, maybe a compilation of some sort or a re-issue like Virgo or Chaz Jankel or something.
Last song downloaded: "Let Me Twitter Dat!" No, probably something by Sei A.
Track that's been going through your head lately: "Look Right Through" by Storm Queen (a.k.a. Mr. Morgan Geist). Probably the best single for me in 2010.
Any side projects in the works? I am always workin' on something. I've got a DJ duo thing that I'm doing with Hempsey called Casa Yeno that I'm really excited about. We debut on January 21 at William Reed's night Sticky Fingers on the Bar Smith rooftop. Hempsey and I along with another friend/audiophile by the name of Scott, run a blog called The Lowdown blog. We feature all of the stuff we love and host some mixes and such. We also just started a random series of parties called Lowdown Loft Jams at The Upstairs Lounge (the second installment is upcoming). I am working on and edit of Al Green's "Full of Fire" an EP for release this year, and of course building up my weekly residency on Wednesday nights at Bar Smith called The Scenario.
Any future gigs you'd like to promote? Um, yeah, Casa Yeno at Sticky Fingers on January 21. and Nacho Lovers in the coming month at our Wednesday night. Stay tuned folks.
