Goodbye 2020 - Hello 2021!
Hello, 2021!
I think we are all glad to see the back of 2020 and hope that 2021 sees things return to something closer to pre-COVID19 normality. My personal feeling is that there is still a long way to go, but things seem to be trending in the right direction. Hopefully, by mid-2021, we will all be a bit clearer on a roadmap to get back to regularly seeing family, friends and eventually enjoying live music and travelling.
Even though 2020 has been a crappy year, reflecting on it, I still feel there are positives and lots that I have learnt. From a family perspective, we have spent more time together, and I am really grateful for that opportunity. At the same time, there were limited opportunities to visit other family members and the time spent with them became more valuable than ever. My circle of friends and all the MoveDaHouse.com crew has also played a big part in getting through the year, and I think we all helped each other to stay sane at different stages of 2020. A big thanks to all my family and friends for being there and helping in some bizarre times.
From a music point of view, I certainly reconnected with how important electronic music is to me. Having the escape of crate digging, putting together mixes and playing for others is vital to who I am, and without it, it's like a missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle. I needed to take an extended break during the middle of 2020. While the benefits of djing to my wellbeing were re-enforced to me confirming the important part music plays in my life and that overall I'm a better person when it's a part of what I do.
I had some fantastic DJ'ing highlights this year that I am so proud of including:
- Hitting 50 live shows played on MoveDaHouse.com
- Charting regularly in the Ireland Mixcloud Techno, Tech House, Electronica, Progressive House and Underground charts following my extended break.
- Charting several times in the Mixcloud global Techno, Underground charts.
- Achieving my best yearly listener numbers on Mixcloud and Soundcloud.
A massive, massive thank you to everyone that has tuned in to the live shows and listened to the weekly Eye of the Storm replays. Sharing my favourite music with others is the main goal of my DJ'ing, and I'm amazed to see how much the listener numbers have increased. It's a huge confidence boost and gives me so much encouragement to keep improving every week.
The final highlight was finally taking the plunge and upgrading my gear. I have enjoyed using my controllers, and I believe that the DDJ-1000 is the best on the market at the moment. I would highly recommend anyone getting into playing to go with a controller and work up from smaller units up to the likes of the DDJ1000. I have always had it in my head that I would like to move back to standalone equipment and following the extended break I was finally able to commit and upgrade. The new gear has been a great step up, helping me feel more connected to the music changing how I approach my sets and play. I am still on a learning curve but looking forward to improving and getting more comfortable with the setup over 2021. A big shout out and thanks to the lads at www.djbox.ie for the fantastic service and help as always! Make sure to visit them online or in-person when you can.
For 2021 the plan is more of the same. To keep sharing my favourite music, continue improving as a DJ and ultimately keeping the long-term goal of getting to play out regularly once the world returns to some sort of normality.
Thanks for tuning in and being part of my journey so far. I'm excited for the coming year and make sure to keep it locked to the Eye of the Storm mix and MoveDaHouse.com for your 2021 soundtrack. Enjoy!