DJ Mikeman is a mixer based in California. At a young age, Mikeman developed a deep appreciation for mixing and putting together playlists for group functions; later he would take it to the next level. Working weddings, parties, and other venues, Mikeman has been able to get the party jumping and keep the crowd entertained with his impressive skills on the turntables.
What inspired you to start deejaying?
I was around 11 or 12 years old. On the weekends I’d be the only one in the neighborhood, and I didn’t have a younger sibling to play with. I would sit in the house and listen to the mix shows on the radio. I would just listen to how the DJs would mix and play the music and I was like, “Man, I want to do that.”
As I got older, I just continued to listen to them, and it got to the point where I figured out how to record. I had a tape recorder, and it was so good that I would take it and record the mixes from the radio onto the tape recorder. I would take all the mixes that are recorded with the commercials and I was able to cut the commercials out and make one whole mix. I don’t know how I did it. I would take the mixes and make one whole mix and I would take them and put them on a cassette tape at a get-together, and people would dance to it.
What is your process for creating a mix?
It depends on what genre you’re looking for. If it’s a workout play mix, then I know as a DJ I’m going to put songs together that are higher tempo, and something to keep your heart going and keep your head bobbing. A lot of times, it’s whatever the DJ is feeling at the time. About a year ago, I put together a ’90s R&B mix, and I had never made one before. I just went through all my ’90s songs, the slow and your higher tempo songs, and I said “Okay, this is cool.” I made a list, put it in my notes, put the artist’s name in there, and put the beats per minute in there because as a DJ I can’t call myself a mixer if I don’t actually mix the songs.
