Geeking OUT: Logic 9, Gourmet Pizza, and Turntables on the Hudson’s DJ Nickodemus
WEST SIDE, MANHATTAN: For partygoers seeking a culturally diverse event where dancing and music takes precedent over pretension, and where the DJ seamlessly weaves urban and world music through clever intersections of house, funk, jazz, and dub, the legendary “Turntables on the Hudson” parties founded by NYC’s DJ Nickodemus are a dance oasis reaching global audiences.
Nickodemus prefers his pies baked at a tasty 96 kHz.
Fresh from his recent tour across Asia, we recently caught up with Nickodemus to see what the DJ, music producer, event producer, remixer, and pizza connoisseur has been Geeking OUT to in the music tech world — in addition to learning about his exciting upcoming plans to add “NYC restaurateur” later this year to his many credentials.
Career Inspiration
“It’s one of those things that’s your hobby and the thing you love to do the most that starts generating money, so it becomes your business! With that came lots of traveling and sampling pizzas from all over the world.”
Geeking OUT Back in the Day
“Well, it all started with the Technic 1200 turntables! They really gave me my start by being able to play all the records I would collect. Eventually, I started scratching and learning rhythm with them by cutting on beat and looping parts in songs. From there, I bought my first sampler, an Ensoniq ASR 10. For me, sampling and looping was the best thing since mozzarella!”
Geeking OUT In 2011
“I really love Logic! I just upgraded from 4.8 — which a friend gave me a crack version to try in 2002. I must have made over 100 songs and remixes on that baby! Out of pure guilt, I went and bought Logic 9 and I have been really enjoying all its preset sounds and AMAZING effects! The sounds and effects really help give ideas you may not have thought of before. It’s really a big upgrade… like going from Ellios frozen pizza to Lucali’s gourmet pizza in one day.”
The Here & Now & What’s NEXT
“We do a party every first Friday at Club Cielo in NYC where we get to test all our new productions on a well-tuned Funktion One sound system and a busy dance floor. I’m also currently building a new restaurant/lounge in Chinatown called Louie & Chan with three partners. It has a surround sound Void system… go figure, we have the sound system before the restaurant equipment. We’re hoping to get the doors open, pizza piping and booties dancing by June/ July 2011!”
Words by Shamita Carriman – Entertainment lawyer, founder/ managing partner of Carriman Law Group PLLC, Board of Director of Women In Music, and music tech enthusiast. She can be contacted at info@carrimanlawgroup.com