Eurobeat Producer, no idea how to perform!

[eurobeatGuy]

Hello DJTechTools forums! I'm Odyssey of Odyssey Eurobeat, a California-based one-man Eurobeat production label. Company. Team. Fest. -o-matic-o-rama. Whatever. I've had credits on songs with Avex, SEGA, A-One Records, and quite a few more, and I'm also very active on the independent level. You can find some of my work at odysseymusic.bandcamp.com or any song on OdysseyEurobeat's channel on Youtube. For those unaware, Eurobeat is, in short, the bastard child of JPop and Italo Disco. It's a VERY strict, fast and formulaic genre, which makes exploration and expression a tad difficult. (I was pleasantly surprised to see some discussion of it here!)

...to make it short, I have NO idea how to perform this style of music live, and I have at least a couple of shows booked in the next four months. I'm not a DJ by any means, I know nothing of cue point juggling or beatmatching or creating nonstop mixes of my own material. I've never D'd a single J in my entire life. I've played on stage before with a MIDI controller, but that's a horse of an entirely different color.

I'd like to do more than just sing along to background tracks alone, as so many in this style have done before me. Ideally, I'd like to trigger a few samples and have some portions of the track loop/"stutter" as it goes along (as it seems some of the samples do in the video of re-working Skrillex's "Kyoto" on MIDI Fighter). How should I go about this?

If it helps, I have the following:

• Macbook Pro 13", OSX 10.7
• Logic Pro 9 (for Composition)
• Mainstage 2
• Ableton Live 7
• M-Audio Oxygen25
• Roland AX-7 Keytar
• (Soon) MIDIFighter Classic

Thank you in advance! I'd appreciate some insight on working with a fairly unusual genre, and I figure you guys are the ones to ask. If there's something I missed in the Read Me, my apologies.

[loverocket]

If you can play keys and sing, I would get one of these and jam out With Ableton and your microphone on stage.

http://us.novationmusic.com/midi-controllers/impulse

Playing keys and singing are two LIVE elements that most live EDM performers don't have. I wonder what Calvin Harris does live? I would research Calvin Harris and his transition from production to live performance. LIVE singing on your tracks would be pretty cool.

THIS without the huge FAKE band:


>

[loverocket]

great job on this remix

http://play.beatport.com/contests/ze...e=1&sort=votes

>

[eurobeatGuy]

Loverocket, thank you for your insights! I'm not too familiar with Calvin Harris, but I'll take a look when I've some time to do so.

You think I should be learning Live, then? Is there enough of a difference between 7 and 8, where if I learned how to work with 7 I'd still be held back by not upgrading to 8? Or should that at least handle the larger portion of the work? And, is there a specific or oft-successful workflow for transferring work from Logic to Live (I imagine more with WAV than with MIDI)?

(And, glad you liked the remix! If you listen closely, I've added some background vocals...!)

[loverocket]

Oh sorry. I thought you knew Ableton LIVE very well. Maybe someone who knows LOGIC might have suggestions.

I see you have a Keytar too. That could be worked in. This guy tries really hard:


>

[eurobeatGuy]

Nonono, that's quite alright! If anything, it's good to know that I should be focusing on Live as a performance platform! (Instead of Mainstage, anyway.)

[epikeddie]

Live is great for performance! The session view really gives you a nice workflow on stage.

[eurobeatGuy]

Seems like Live is the way to go! I'll see if I can start figuring out how to use it.

As for controllers, folks seem to be suggesting that I keep the traditional keys route... should I still keep the option for Samples/Manipulation open? I'd love to really get in there and PLAY with the track, y'know?

[epikeddie]

I use a Launchpad for launching clips and am still deciding on which mixer / controller to go with for FX control. The Launchpad's faders and mixer control are a little lacking for the sounds I'm trying to go for.....

[eurobeatGuy]

I suppose I have another question.

In most electronic-music shows I've seen or know of, the artists/djs/whomever is performing will TEND to have their songs in a nonstop format. However, I've seen Eurobeat shows specifically use... well, shortened versions, but versions with distinct beginnings and endings nonetheless. (In fact, Eurobeat tends to not play by the same rules in quite a few ways... for better or for worse.)

How do you think I should go about that for the shows I have coming up?