When you host a party, the playlist can be the most important element to keep your guests satisfied. What some see as a possible source of worry, DJ Trayze sees as the perfect opportunity to get people to dance to songs they may have never heard back to back. The Washington D.C. DJ and producer was a finalist in this year’s Red Bull Thre3style Championship and is preparing to go for the gold this year, despite the U.S. not hosting a competition for its entrants. We spoke with the professional party rocker after he entered the internet leg of 2015’s Thre3style competition to discuss the method behind his madness, teaching at the Beat Refinery, and much more.

To start off, where did your passion to DJ and be the life of a party come from?

I started when I was 13, my first year in high school. I used to stay up late listening to the live broadcast on the radio from the club in D.C. I was intrigued by how they were able to change the speeds of the song and mix the songs into a continuous mix on the same beat. I was like, “Oh man, I have to learn how they do that.” This is before Youtube. I looked it up, as I could back in ‘97, and stumbled across a bunch of DMC videos. I bought some equipment and was messing around with my parents’ turntables at home. Then I started rocking parties at school, house parties, school dances--all those things were all me. From there, it grew into my life.

As a Thre3style DJ you have to play a lot of genres. What was the first genre that you got into?

I’ve always been into Pop music but I would say I like Hip-Hop and R&B the most. Some of my first actual records were Michael Jackson Off The Wall and Snoop Dogg Doggystyle.

Was it the radio station that got you into music?

No, I would say I was influenced by the collection that my parents had. It was all over the place from classic MJ to 80’s Pop to movie soundtracks, and cool R&B stuff. From the radio, I would get the newer Hip-Hop. Radio was actually good back then. I’m on the radio now but in general, radio kinda sucks (laughs). I try to make my mixshow as cool as I can.

Do you remember the first party you DJ’d?

I don’t necessarily remember the first ever party. I would say I have very fond memories of house parties in high school. I would say the first big event I ever did was my high school’s homecoming dance, which was crazy because we had a big school. Homecoming dance was like a thousand kids. I had to have my dad take me over to the rental spot. We had to rent all these speakers and I had to set up my turntables. I was scrambling the whole week, spending every penny I had on new records and borrowing new records from friends. It was crazy. I killed it, of course! It was like me vs. the administration. “Don’t play that song!” It was a lot of fun.

Fast forward to now where you’re competing with DJs around the world in the Thre3style. I heard that there were no US trials.

I don’t know the official story but Red Bull took a year off from the U.S.. I know they’re back next year. I didn’t expect to do Thre3style at all. In my communication with the people at Red Bull, they told me straight up that there wouldn’t be any Thre3style in the U.S. this year. It was a bummer but it’s cool. I have this drive to create new routines anyway.

Starting in January of this year, I had this new year’s resolution to make a new video every week. It started off really well. I started with 7 or 8 in a row. It was an outlet for my DJ routines. I was sitting on these ideas and then some kid, I wish I could shout him out, posted on my Facebook page like, “Hey, there’s this Thre3style battle. You should enter.” I clicked on the link and it was for the Lucky Bastid thing for online, if your country isn’t hosting the physical battle. I found out about Lucky Bastid two weeks into the application phase and I had two weeks left for the video. I already had ideas the whole year so I had good stuff and filled in the rest of the pieces. I submitted the video and was just having fun. I didn’t expect to go. A month later, I get the phone call for the world finals and I was just floored.

You looked pretty relaxed in that Lucky Bastid video. Would you say you work better under pressure or without it?

I used to think I worked better under pressure but I feel like that’s changing. I would say if I’m under a lot of pressure, the creative side of things suffers. I’m more focused on getting the job done and checking off boxes but if there’s no pressure to win or do well and you do your best, that translates really well to the audience and the judges. The more you make it look natural and you’re enjoying yourself, the better you’ll do.

 

"It’s a fine line between eclectic and 'Why the hell did he just mix that song with that song?' "

 

Do you ever test out your set before the Thre3styles?

Time permitting, if I can test an idea on a crowd it’s helpful. I had a chance to do that with my Lucky Bastid set. As far as the process goes, I don’t try to overthink it anymore. Each routine needs to make sense, the transitions between the routines, and the set as a whole should make sense. It’s a fine line between eclectic and “Why the hell did he just mix that song with that song?” My goal is to not make necessarily obvious connection but connections on multiple levels. Not just the same key or tempo but maybe they share a lyric like wordplay. I try to flex musically whether it’s tone play or pitch or playing songs in the same key. I try to incorporate as many genres and technology as I can. I want to make sure that you see me use every piece of equipment. There are Thre3style sets where the DJ will never touch the pitch on the turntable or they’ll only use cue points.

How do you present it at the clubs? Do you share the set with anyone in particular?

I don’t play my 15 minute set straight up. I’ll play it in pieces at the club so the crowd doesn’t get lost with the things I’m doing. It feels like it’s more built into the party. In terms of specific people, I run it by my wife. She’s my toughest critic. The first time she heard my Lucky Bastid set, she hated it. It eventually grew on her. She gives me honest feedback. A lot of people may be scared to give me criticism. I run it by friends, too, even dudes I battled like Eskei. They give me feedback.

I saw on Twitter that you came up with a Taylor Swift/Bobby Shmurda transition. Is that you’re craziest transition? What’s one that you’re the most proud of?

That’s definitely not crazy at all. That’s like playing two Pop songs back to back. Shmurda and Swift are Pop stars. Craziest transitions? That’s my thing. If it’s two wildly different songs, I still want it to make sense. I would say my favorite at the moment is Backstreet Boys into “Superthug.” Only because what many people don’t know is those two songs are connected on so many levels. Like the songs came out the same year, same tempo, same key. But when you hear the Neptunes beat and N.O.R.E. rapping and then boyband jam... You would never guess those songs would go together so well. If you’re old enough to know those songs, it’ll hit you harder. It’s fun and funny. If you think it’s whack, that’s cool.

Let’s talk about the Smithsonian remix project that you were a part of. I couldn’t find the song on your Soundcloud that you created from all the samples you had access to.

My Soundcloud got deleted. I’ve been super anti-Soundcloud lately since I had 9,000 followers. It took a while to build it up. I know that’s nothing to bigger artists but for me it took a lot of time and effort. And then the bottom fell out because of the copyright thing. Smithsonian approached Beat Refinery, the school. We spun it into me curating the project. I also got to speak at the big event in D.C.. I got to teach for two hours so I brought out my whole set up and showed them how I made the song. I hated school but I love to teach. They had a competition for the song on Soundcloud but since I was on the panel, I had to be DQ’d. But it’s all good because I got to perform.

You’ve DJ'ed a lot of events so which one is your favorite one?

Of course, Thre3style World Finals is up there. I did this really crazy show. I’m in a band called Plastilina Mosh. They’re a Mexican Rock/Pop/Funk band. We did a big show in Monterrey two weeks ago like a festival. I’ve been working with them for six months. The show was for like 35,000 people.

Dope. What instrument do you play in it?

I have my turntables and a full Ableton rig with drum machines and a keyboard. I play some keyboard, I launch clips, LED syncing, and any song that has a hook, I’ll play that on the turntable and I’ll do scratches. We’re gonna go on a world tour next year. In Central and South America, they’re a big deal.

If you were to DJ at the White House for the President, what songs would you spin?

I like to freestyle things. I would play five songs that feel good to me and express myself. I would play some of my original production stuff with Crafty Daggers, some Hip-Hop from Chicago. Maybe some Kanye or Common. And some classics like Funk or Soul or Motown.

 

"I would rather guide someone and show them how to do something instead of letting them go blindly. There’s so much whackness out there."

 

You’re also a teacher at the Beat Refinery. What do you do specifically over there?

I teach at the Bethesda location, two days a week. I also write a lot of their curriculum. I write all the classes on Ableton. I assist in writing DJ classes. The two guys who are co-directors, Stylus Chris and DJ Geometrix, both who are legendary D.C. dudes, partnered up and asked me five years ago to teach at their school. The school is a pilot program for a larger company called Bach to Rock. Pilot went well and we’ve been doing great so we’re gonna expand. It’s very rewarding. It helps me bring up my skill level. I would rather guide someone and show them how to do something instead of letting them go blindly. There’s so much whackness out there.

Last Call

1. What is your favorite movie of all time?Too many to name. I could give you three. Nothing But Trouble with Demi Moore and Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd. Back To The Future. The Game with Michael Douglas.

2. As a young DJ, who was the one DJ you looked up to?Craze. Locally, Cee Lo, Stylus Chris.

3. As a DJ, what's your biggest pet peeve?When I’m DJing, crappy equipment at the club. There’s no excuse for that.

4. What is your current DJ set up at home?Two 1200’s. Rane 62. Reloop Neon controllers.

5. What's your favorite record of all time?I can’t answer that. Oh boy… I love so much music. I could tell you one of my favorite eras: New Jack Swing. Even in there, there’s like 30 songs I love.

Help DJ Trayze get back to where he was at on Soundcloud. He's also on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And subscribe to his Youtube so you don’t miss his future videos.

Bryan Hahn is currently working on a Chopin/Rage Against The Machine transition. He's on Twitter: @notupstate.