DJ Task

Task has always been involved with many projects at once. Current projects are Task, Kensho, Task & Bear, Pirates Anthem and The Men From Atlantis. While each project has its own website, myspace, soundcloud, mixcloud and youtube channels; Task thought it was a good idea to have all of the projects represented, in one place.

Ok so, its September, 5 weeks have passed and very little has happened. Anyone who knows me will know how frustrated I am by this.

First things first, This project is now without a label, I am not going to go into details and certainly not going to attack anyone, For whatever reason Sumo have decided not to be involved in this project, and even though its upsetting, i wish them every success in whatever they choose to do next.

Second, I have been playing with the idea of starting my own label, licensing all the tracks to it and making the project happen this way. But after 3 weeks thinking about it, doing research and taking excellent advice from friends and respected industry bods I have realised that runing a label again (first time was in 91) just isnt in my heart and therefor doesnt make any sense. To be properly proactive, each person should do what they are best at.

So, bristol, this project is currently on its knees. I have amazing people lined up ready to back it, radio stations ready to hype it, venues and experienced people who can promote it, studios & producers ready to work on it, artists and tracks on disk ready to roll, a mastering engineer waiting to work his magic, but we are without a label suitable for such a musically varied project. I put it to you that someone must know someone who can help and genuinly wants to get involved.

Please contact me task [at] djtask.com or message me on facebook.

OK, this idea started about a week ago when i was on facebook hyping a lilttle DJ mix of mine called Task Vs …. Part #1 Dubstep 2011 and a friend of mine Sam Downie suggested i do a Task Vs Bristol mix. I instantly liked the sound of that and started chatting about how i could dig out all the amazing bristol tunes that have touched me over the years, then i started to realise something.

Right now, Bristol is having one of those years that come around every now again that blow your mind. We have so many artists here who are on it, at every level, who are pushing new styles and making amazing tunes. So, the idea has changed into this. Task Vs Bristol, is going to be a snapshot of a moment in time of bristols musical history, It is going to be about who is doing what, right now, in this moment. So for this reason i am currently collecting tracks from everyone that i can think of, and i have set a deadline for sunday. So far, about 40 artists have sent me tracks, and almost all of them are releasable quality, but some of them are not, which got me thinking again.

If we have so many established artists & so many up and coming artists, surely we can get these two groups of people together and help push the new artists further? Maybe, if i ask, then the established artists will be happy to sit down and spend a day with someone to explain or share skills, ideas & secret working methods? Maybe, just maybe, this will then inspire people to create new music, in new ways and keep bristol established as a world leader in future music.

Also, im thinking it would be awesome to get up and coming artists into a studio, with good engineers and let them experience life at the next level, but thats not quite enough, every artists knows there is a magical, mystical world called mastering that happens after you finish your bit. Mastering is seen as a black art… I mean who knows what they do to make your music sound good, and loud, and crispy and full? Well, im also thinking that we should be able to show the full process of how a track is made, produced, mastered and released. No point in half doing something right? Right.

OK, so. All of these ideas could be a little OTT, or too much for one person to handle, or seen as being egotistical. I mean who has the right to walk up to an established artist and say ‘Hey man, i want you to give me your music for free & a day of your time to share your hard earned secrets,’. We’ll see how this bit goes, im hoping they will agree.

This is where im at so far. Over the course of the last week ive been talking on facebook to various people and letting everyone know that this is what im going to do, people are diggin the idea, people are getting involved, the response has been amazing.

Russel Kearney has offered to master every track individually, and the finished mixes as a whole. Russ is a total legend in bristol, having been an in house engineer for Peter Gabriel at Realworld Studios for 5 years, and also as Bjorks live-in engineer during the Homogenic album which included joga (My favourite Bjork track). This is amazing! Thank you Russ!

Then, James Manning at Digital Labz Production Tuition also offered to donate four studio sessions with up and coming artists, where he would sit down with them and advise on production techniques and on mixing down tracks. This is amazing! Thank you james & all at Digital Labz!

Theres more, alot more so keep on reading…

Then Holly & Dev at the Golden Lion music venue have offered the full use of the venue for a whole day and night for free in mid november (Its going to take that long to get all the tracks produced, mastered and the mixes rendered). This is amazing! Thank you Holly & Dev.

Then today, I have met up with Ross from Sumo Records to discuss my plans, What/how i want to do and where i can get help. Myself and Sumo Records are going to work together to make this happen. They are fully behind this project and will provide worldwide distribution of the mixes and tracks, they will film the entire process and make a 30 minute HD documentary, which will be released via youtube in 3*10 minute videos as well as shown on TV. They have offered all of their resources to make this happen, including their back catalogue [ I may do a Task Vs Sumo Mix at some point but really do have enough on my plate right now ] This is amazing! Thank you Ross, Ben & Oli at Sumo Records.

Ross has also kindly offered to produce 10 tracks with the artists and can also master tracks if we require. This is amazing! Thank you Ross!

Then today, I met up with DJ Skint, a local DJ with crate digging and crowd smashing skillz who also happens to promote regular nights such as Contraband Sessions & Spill the Beanz. I told him about everything and asked for help, Skint has agreed to help promote the event launch night (as well as submit one of his tunes with Twizzy & Jinxsta ). This is amazing! Thank you DJ Skint!

There are a few things i have realised while working through all the different levels of this project.

1. I must not put too much of myself into the mixes, My usual style is to layer upto 5 decks at once and i get off on mashing tracks, this project is more about the tracks than what i do with them, so i must sit back and let them have their moment.
2. I am only ever doing this once, if someone else wants to take this on another year then they are welcome, its four months work and i have decided to give it everything i have, somehow knowing this is a one off makes me feel more inspired to make it perfect first time.

So, this is where i am at right now, its awesome to have achieved so much in one week, Collaberation is going to be key, There’s no way i can do all this on my own, I want to thank everyone who has sent music, donated time, or listened to me rant it out over this past week. The ideas are flowing, thank god they are mostly good ones

Added: 30/07/2011

Costings and money.
The distribution company are going to take a minimal fee of 10% to handle everything, including filming / editing / producing the documentary, promotion of the project, providing worldwide digital distribution, providing studio space & time for up and coming artists and donating alot more in time and resources, including media contacts etc. I think that for 10% we are getting a bargain. The other 90% comes to me and this is what will happen to it.

All of the proceeds that I receive from this project will be split equally between two charities Refuge & Nacoa, Both charities perform a vital role in our society and the reason i have picked them is that they offer support and/or an escapre to people who feel there is no way out of their current situation. No artists, including myself, will take any of the proceeds from selling the mix, performing at the launch party or any other income that we get from this project. Everything will go directly to the charities. And by everything i mean this, not a single penny will be given to anyone other than a charity, there are more than enough people getting behind this project that we shouldnt need to pay for anything. The account that holds the money will require dual signature and this is how i can sleep at night. Also, i cant wait to hand over one of those massive cheques, mazers.

Task.

Task has decided to move away from traditional DJing playing records one after another and is now investigating a more performance based method that will bring his live sound more inline with the tight produced sound you heard in the CDs.

Task explains “The aim is to bridge the gap between a performance and a production, I want to be able to DJ live exactly how i do when im making mixes in the studio, and to do this i need to stop playing records, or pre-rendered music and i need to have all of the component tracks available to me on a mixing desk in real time.

Like, if i decide i wanna drop the drums out of a mix, but keep the bass and vocal, then this is what i want to be able to do. At the moment this isnt possible. Theres only two sound sources (i.e.) deck a and b, but i want 2, or 4 , or 20 if i feel like it. Maybe i just wanna run a break and be able to drop out the snares, or even dub the snares, or remove the kick, or just eq the kick, then put a different vocal and bassline over the top. Then i need the channels all available to me as i mix them out.

I can see a path where this can happen, where i can play a combination of straight unaltered rendered pieces of music, but also incorporate full multitracks in the mix all dropped seamlessly without you being able to tell what im doing. This would be awesome, especiially if i can start to juggle 2 copies of it, heh.

I can also see me incoroporating an MPC type midi element where i will perform live drum beats, or basslines and record them like beatboxers do (Dub FX, Mr Woodnote) etc and make music on the fly on one deck. This is where i want to be, this is where i am heading, I am transitioning from a pure DJ into an artist, or performer and i hope to take the audience with me. Im pretty sure ill still be dropping some cheesy bangers to get the crowd moving amongst all this technical chaos.

The main aim of this is to be able to perform a whole album on the fly, to studio quality, where i capture the excitement that only happens in front of an audience and release this as is.
”

It seems like exciting times are ahead.

Here is a little video of Task and Bear performing at the Golden Lion Street Festival in Bristol last saturday. Even though this video doesnt capture any of the technical side of Task and Bear, it does show how relaxed and unified we are when on stage together. Bear never fails to suprise me, I love the fact he always plays tracks that are so random, one’s that id never even consider playing, and I love seeing the crowd go nuts to them!

We have a seperate Facebook Page For Task and Bear

Anyone coming here from the glastonbury festival website: This is a little taster of the kind of thing to expect, although there will be alot more Dubstep / 140 basslines & DnB.

See you friday, 9:30PM in the Pussy Parlure

Solid Steel Radio Show 26/11/2010 Part 1 + 2 – Task by Ninja Tune

Task’s 2nd CD ‘Turn My World Around’ was featured on Ninjatune’s solid steel radio back in november and received huge props from across the globe. The whole mix was produced using two technics decks, a rane TTM57SL mixer, dicer and ableton live. Task explains “I always start my ideas on the decks, Ill pick about 200 tracks that im feeling right now and put them all in a folder. I then start playing around forming ideas and seeing what works, sometimes going half time, sometimes double time but always with an ear to how a crowd would react. I then get a rough flow together of 5 or 6 minutes at a time and warp everyting into ableton.

The key to the way i work is that once i have a sweet mix running, i will look for all the original samples, and the accapella & instrumentals and start remaking the tracks to fit even better. Sometimes ill just use the vocal othertimes ill drop it completely. I get my vocals tight by warping every syllable if it needs it, so that it sounds like the vocalist actually recorded the track over the new backing track ive provided.”

You can download the mix for free from the solid steel archives on soundcloud:
Solid Steel Radio Show 26/11/2010 Part 1 + 2 – Task by Ninja Tune

Task is excited to be back at Glastonbury Festival this year playing at the Pussy Parlure in the Dance Village. Task is going to play the best bits from the last 2 CDs as well as some special dubs from the new CD series ‘Task Vs’ Which is due to drop at the end of July.

Set time 9:30 PM in the pussy parlure on Friday night right befoer the Nextmen!

Related show

• Artist: DJ Task
• Date: Friday, June 24th 2011
• Time: 9:30pm
• City: DJ Task in Glastonbury Festival
• Venue: Pussy Parlure – Dance Village
• Address: Glastonbury
• Country: UK
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

Task has announced that for 1 year starting on May 1st 2011 he will give away all his music for free. Not only this but Task has also decided to share knowledge in both DJ ing and Music Production for FREE for 1 year!!

Task has now setup a facebook page called Tasks Knowledge Share Where you can register for any of the FREE ableton production workshops or DJ Workshops.

The DJ workshops run fortnightly and are by prior appointment only (places come up via the facebook page) and Task will teach you digital DJ ing using serato.

The Ableton workshops also run every fortnight and are a drop in workshop where you can attend at your leisure.

Task is quoted as saying “I have decided to give something back, to say thank you for all the amazing things that i have been given over the years through music, I feel very privilged to have had the experiences that i have, and feel its time to pass on what i have learned musically, creativly, technically and more importantly the business knowledge i have picked up over the years working in this industry. I am going to do this for exactly one year and then i will stop. So, if you want to raid me, now is the time, rinse me for everything that i am worth and then i will be gone.”

Task guested on this months Mr Soulsbury radio show, and performed a 10 minute mini mix. You can listen to the whole show here (interview starts around : ):

Soulsburys website

TheSoulsburyShowJan2011Featdjtask by Mr Soulsbury

Or listen & download the mini mix here:

Task on Mr Soulsbury Radio Show [Jan 2011] by Task

Task is up for the Solid Steel mix of the year competition and we need your help to get him across the finish line!

By voting for Task you will automatically be enetered into two competitions and can win yourself a whole bunch of goodies. Only one entry per email address but if you have more than one address, you can increase your chance of winning!

Please see this page for the entry form and prize details:
Solid Steel Mix Entry Form