Hip-hop, turntablism, breaks, house, techno – you name it, and it all is most likely found within the ever-expanding repertoire of Seattle’s own DJ Quinn. Since 1999, Quinn has been experimenting with a myriad of styles and musical genres, and these days prides himself on the energy of his unique live show and his ability to mix “anything, anywhere.” He can be found performing at clubs and raves across the globe, and utilizes a wide variety of instruments and other musical devices to express himself and channel his energy into his dynamic sets. Fortunately, we were able to pin him down for a brief chat during some downtime from his busy schedule.
First of all, can you give me the lowdown on some of the stuff that you\'re working on now?
Well, I am currently featured in a few DVD’s produced by M2K & Technotreff.com (Girls Of Techno & Techno Seattle). I also worked on or produced most of the soundtracks for them with some original Sean Quinn techno tracks. You can also pick up the exclusive Techno Seattle Mix CD “Nocturnal” when you get the 2-pack version of theTechno Seattle DVD. I’ve also done some other miscellaneous soundtrack work for DVD’s by M2K Media and right now I’m still tossing around some ideas for future media projects. Back home in my studio and in between everything else, I have been slowly working on tracks for my new upcoming breaks album that should see a release late next year sometime. It will consist of various breakbeats & trip-hop with a nu-skool/electro & funky twist to it. I’ve also been hard at work in the studio on other various tracks that I might release as singles, maybe another album eventually, not to mention I have been collaborating with some other local producers of all kinds. Other than that I am always writing new tracks & remixes to incorporate into my live PA performances. Feel free to visit my site (www.djseanquinn.com), as there will always be some cool stuff to check out!
Can you give me a brief description of your live experience and what might set you apart from other DJ\'s?
I am into so many different styles of music it’s really hard to compare or group me with anyone. I basically cater my music and style to the type of event at which I am performing. I love to make people dance, and if it’s not a dancing situation then I want them to feel the music the way I feel it and I hope to open up minds to my unique sounds, programming, and mixing. When performing Live PA, DJing with vinyl, or even both combined, it’s always an action packed performance with lots of motion and manipulation, sometimes also incorporating scratch tricks into my set as well as live remixes, mash-ups and more. My full on live PA performance includes multiple pieces of production gear all linked up on stage into a mixer, all of which I run myself, and layering and mixing my tracks while tweaking effects, playing instrument solos, and using a microphone for all my crowd hyping! Lately I have also been incorporating a vocoder into some of my tracks so I can do my own vocals live real time. When I’m spinning vinyl I am more open to many different music genres but whatever I end up spinning for the night you can be sure I will have it mixing smooth, I try to keep my sets beat-matched and mixed in key the best that I can. It’s just one performance you’ve got to see to fully understand and hopefully it will be a performance you’ll never forget!
Describe the Seattle dance scene and how it compares with larger cities like New York or London.
Seattle is not as big or extravagant as some of the other big cities but it does have a pretty dope and loving scene. I would say the Seattle scene is smaller and more close-knit, but it is growing without a doubt and there are lots of nice venues with great shows and more and more people are opening up to the electronic dance scene as we speak. Eventually I believe Seattle will become more active and the shows will get bigger and more extravagant but in the meantime I think Seattle kicks ass and I have found nothing but lots of love!
You use a ton of different devices and software to put together your tracks. You got any recommended starter equipment or programs for aspiring DJ\'s?
Sure - get yourself a pair a Technics 1200’s and a decent mixer that will work for your desired music taste and give it a go. It’s really more about your practice and time spent with them as opposed to top of the line equipment, but if you at least start with a pair of good working 1200’s then you should be good to go and in the right direction. As far as production gear, it just really depends on what you want to do music-wise and what you’re more comfortable with. I would say visit any local music store and play around on a variety of instruments and see what you like and what you feel you could really enjoy and excel at. Start with just one thing at a time and then work your way up, the more you concentrate on one piece of equipment the faster you will learn and the more that you will remember. Experiment and have fun, and if you’re really devoted to it and have the talent the rest will all come to you!
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