September Soundcloud Mix: Summer Mix II by "J.D.L."

September Soundcloud Mix: Summer Mix II by "J.D.L."

ACE: Productions spreads the "J.D.L." sound to other online locations still providing FREE downloads! Be sure to check out the additional mixes! 

WRMS Earns 1,000 Downloads In 80 Days

Every good start-up (company, organization or group) has goals to reach and along the way they come across achievements in which they are usually caught off-guard by; ACE: Productions is no different.

In January 2010, the company invested in an idea of an online radio show that was to be hosted by "J.D.L.". Upon launching this 'idea', they were faced with the fact that his ("J.D.L.") fan base was primarily local to a small band of friends. As expected, people tuning in would be minimal at best. the projected listeners for the first 6 months were 100. This was surpassed in July of the same year to a surprising 368 listeners. By the years end, the show had obtained over 960 listeners. This secured that the show was going to continue to air in the upcoming year.

It was October 2011 that the next achievement occurred when WRMS aired its 50th episode followed by another astounding achievement at the year's end. Over 19,000 listeners, world wide, had tuned to listen, download and subscribe to the show. This was an astounding discovery and even more so that as of June 2012, ACE: Productions reports that the show has acquired over 15,000 listeners/subscribers.

Now that this fan base has grown phenomenally, there was a new discovery. On June 29th, one of the episodes has reached over 1,000 downloads in 80 days with a few others on the rise to achieve the same. This has been great news as they had just expanded an extension for "J.D.L." on Mixcloud to further assist his fan base growth. They have also just launched a Soundcloud page to syndicate downloadable, past WRMS episodes.

With WRMS leading the way in achievements, they are expecting similar results from the new 'cloud' locations.

HOUSE Is 4 Weirdos Only

HOUSE Is 4 Weirdos Only

This is an UNCUT party mix by "J.D.L." being re-released from the WRMS Radio Mix Show. This was the 1st ever 'mini-series' mix on the show & it became an automatic classic in 2010. Due to the success "J.D.L." is having with the show, we felt an uncut, re-release was in order. To download this mix will take some time as it is the FULL mix. This is brought to you courtesy of ACE: Productions.

ACE: Productions

ACE: Productions

ACE: Productions is a small, independent, music production company that conducts business with independent artists that are serious and passionate about their career. Artist development, studio services (mixing and mastering only), promotional campaigns, digital distribution/podcasting and publishing are the services we provide. Overseeing the WRMS Radio Mix Show project has been a wonderful experience since its launch in 2010. This is an extension of WRMS where we will re-release UNCUT versions of episodes no longer available on the WRMS server.

ACE: Productions and WRMS online radio have released: Exclusive Promo Campaign!

For the serious artist or band that wants to have their music heard by an audience that they never thought of.

Many independent artist are working hard to have their music be heard in today's music industry. With so many outlets, it's difficult to know which one is going to give them not only the exposure they are looking for, but also present them to the audience with a more personable approach and direct traffic to their (the artist's) web location(s). Another aspect of an artist's exposure is presentation. How many times have you went to listen to an artist's new release and the sound quality was not good? This is a 'turn-off' for a new listener and they usually don't want to hear anything else by that artist. Another thing that the new artist faces is costs. To run a promotional campaign that will reach a general mass can cost as little as free but also well into the thousands of dollars. Free is always good, but it brings a lot of work on the artist's behalf and they must be knowledgeable of all the aspects of free promotion in today's world of music promoting (i.e. web locations, web programming languages, search engine optimization). This can be overwhelming and discouraging.

JDL's WRMS Radio Mix

As with everything in the entertainment industry, there is a price to pay. ACE: Productions understands this and has came up with an ideal way for artists to have a short-term promotional campaign at an affordable price plus additional offered services (that include mixing and mastering) at additional pricing. The object here is not to just take an artist's money and play their music, but more of a personable relationship building process that will enhance the artist's presentation. ACE: Productions currently sponsors an online radio show that already has not only an online presence but it also has influence. At the start of 2012, January 4th to be exact, the WRMS radio show had achieved over 19,000 listeners worldwide with a subscriber fan base of over 9,000 in the 2011 year. Today, five months later, the show has achieved over 13,700 listeners worldwide with a subscriber fan base of over 9,300. With a constant growth of listeners such as this, the artist has the chance to reach a new line of fans that they would have never known about on their own.

Jesse Arrington and "J.D.L." spinning at Sensory Overload '07, Tampa, FL

The show has already featured several other DJs (besides "J.D.L.") in the past and the success rate has opened doors for them. One of the first to be featured on the show was Jesse Arrington back in April of 2010, during the first year. It was the first of many appearances that year by Jesse on the show. Both "J.D.L." and him played many events and clubs together as a 'back-2-back' lineup. But it was shortly after being featured on WRMS,  Jesse began his own podcast show and it has been doing just as well. With his Progressive House melodies, he has also taken his audience by storm and takes them on a journey through Transmissions. 

"I have been listening to the WRMS Radio show on Podomatic for the last two years. JDL’s show has inspired me to start my own shows on Podomatic and share with the world all the wonderful music that we are graced with. He brings the best of classics with all the newest chart toppers in brilliant, heart pumping sets, which always go down with his listeners.  He has all bases covered from Deep House to grinding Drum & Bass with massive bass & smooth mixes. I highly recommend the WRMS Radio show to anyone who loves EDM. Top Notch!!! =)" - Jesse Arrington

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DJ Starr Junkie, from Colorado Springs, CO, was featured on the show in August of 2011. As a female DJ, she brings a rather colorful and uniqueness to the table. With her polished mixes sprinkled with some 'out-of-the-box' intros and segment samples that play during her mix, she really keeps her listeners interested; as in "what will she throw in now?" Interestingly enough, she became a follower of "J.D.L." and asked for critiques in order to enhance her skills. With her continued practice and diligence of perfecting her craft and after being featured on the show, she has been playing in various local events in her area since her debut. 

"Basically, the WRMS show fits in as career a saver for me personally! It has only been two years since I'd started mixing on the Pioneer's CDJs, but I had a lot of growth on the turntables.... At that time, here in Colorado Springs, I was just beginning to ask around to play at some local and Denver nite clubs. I would get shows, but not on a large scale. So I practiced A LOT! And, I got better... I have become more confident through hard work, and in asking for shows. It wasn't until the WRMS show featured my set, that the bookings REALLY got started! I was so excited to be a part of something big! The devoted listeners of the WRMS show would now get to hear me play! So I passed the show link around via Facebook to friends and family. They liked the show, and passed it around to people they knew. Soon enough, I started getting calls for larger shows from promoters I'd not yet met! I'm absolutely bewildered how the show keeps growing and growing. It is an amazing thing when a show has the ability to not only keep it's listeners, but bring people together across nations through music. BOOM ON BABY!" - Starr Junkie 

WRMS also featured Richard "DRACHIR" Santana this year in April. He blessed the airwaves with an astonishing Chill/House mix. He also is a song writer that has the most laid back influence. Some of of his originals sound like music you would hear on a movie sound track.

Check out the mix! Click here

"WRMS has inspired me to mix to a higher level... Me being in that line up of those Awesome DJ's has made me develope a hunger to make another mix. And all the listeners have gave me all that love for me to climb the chart. No doubt I will be back again to give that love back." - DRACHIR

ACE: Productions does not promise an 'over night' success or a massive growth in fan base, but an opportunity of exposure to a wide spread audience. Any artist who is serious can see the advantages this could have on their career and open up many other possibilities they never considered before.

"J.D.L." in 2011

"J.D.L." restructuring his dream.

"It was back in high school when I developed this dream of being my own independent entity. Through many obstacles,  education, passion and dedication, my accomplishments aren't major fame but accomplishments none the less." 

- "J.D.L."

This is not about the telling of his story, but to bring you up to speed on the work that makes his personal accomplishments a success.

The last time "J.D.L." was introduced, it was after an episode of his online podcast radio show JDL's WRMS Radio Mix Show. The show was still in its beginning and starting to show potential.  Still early in the game and listeners were just catching on, "J.D.L." continued to press forward with his plans for the show. By not following the norm in the format of radio shows, he brought on fellow DJs to the show and also some live recordings from some of his gigs. He hosted DJs like Jesse Arrington, DJ Qeys, DJ Mahoney and Dark Zero on the show. Not only did he bring a variety in DJs to the show and their playing styles, but "J.D.L." himself showed his diverseness in genres mixed. From House to Techno, Hip-Hop to Drum 'n' Bass, this show is definitely a party peoples' show. As he closed 2010 with a mini-series entitled TransGroovin', he again changed the face of the show.

"TransGroovin' was a lot of things to me. It was a way to share the old and the new of House music. It allowed me to show the different directions House music has taken since my early days of mixing. One show in particular was a dedication to my late great-grandmother as it was infused with remixes of songs by Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, and others just to name a few."

- "J.D.L."

Now in 2011, "J.D.L." holds nothing back. Starting the year off with a birthday-like celebration of the show's existence, he brought the party to the fans. With an increasing world-wide audience, he has even taken his fans on a journey where he had a DJ battle with fellow DJ/Producer Dark Zero (Smash Virtual DJs). As well, he has launched some of his own original works to exploit his producer status. This has led to some recent developments as a Facebook location where he shares updates, info, videos and other artists that cross-promote for him as well. There are also updates of him on MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn and Plaxo.

Rap Is Found Through “Digging”

NOTE:  All that is written on this subject is related to personal experiences in my life as I experienced it.

“Digging”… a term used by DJs.  This is the art of searching for all the right music to re-create something magical and original in your mix. As a DJ, I know this all too well. I am always in search of that next jewel that will set my mix apart from the many DJs of the world or listening to something that always makes somebody interested in the "different" that I am listening to.

I have been hearing these complaints for far too long, “What has happened to the poetry in rap?” or “Why does all Hip Hop music sound the same now?”  Personally, the public is responsible for choosing all the “Li’l Young Ones” as the hottest rappers for all these years; but that’s another conversation.

What is true is that the REAL has always been there; it has never left.  The problem is one of two issues.  It has been in your face and you’ve ignored it or you haven’t been looking in the right places.  Like anything, music is cyclical and every genre has its “Golden Years”.  Hip Hop is a culture that won’t die.  It is going through another change.  Rap music has lost its way for over a decade now.  As being a person who has experienced it from its beginning and has a genuine love for it, I like other genuine lovers of Rap music, know what is really going on.

Rap music originally started as an underground thing in parties, street circles and block parties.  As Brionne Smith wrote, “We used to dance all night and party to tracks made by Kool Herc, Sugarhill Gang, Funky Four Plus One, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five and many more.”  I was a youngster up in that party mix, but later as a DJ, I broke all the latest tracks of the others she mentions, “…Big Daddy Kane, KRS-ONE, Rakim, LL Cool J, & Chuck D who invented complex wordplay that made hip-hop an intellectual sport forcing an MC to express himself with words.”

Breaking tracks – one of the first to play the latest released single of an artist.  The only way you can do this, you have to have your ear to the ground.  You have know where to find the music as it releases, be apart of a DJ record pool, have a hook-up in the record store that would inform you, or any combination of the three.  This, even-though I didn’t know at the time, was how it was to search the underground for the jewels.  In the record stores 3-4 times a week digging through all of the records in search of new and old tracks.  Hours upon hours, looking for and sometimes relocating a record so that only I could find it because I didn’t have that $7.99 + tax for that record at the moment.  What I also didn’t know was that this would become the foundation of how I would search for music for the rest of my life.  Speeding through time from those mid to late-80s to present, I still do the same thing, but now it is online.

I discover Rap music in its purest and rawest form, but now from a world perspective.  In 2006, I came across some of the hottest emcees from the UK.  During that same year, CL Smooth in my opinion dropped the hottest LP in Rap music that year.  As recent as last year, I discovered some of the newest females in Rap that collaborated with 2 historian female legends, Bahamadia and Roxanne Shante and they did a European tour known as The Revival.

What has been happening is that newer artists are teaming up some of the legends.  Other new artists are teaming up with DJs that promote their music online.  In a sense, the REAL Rap music has went back underground.  As the DJ that I am, I am still getting my “fix” of the true art form listening to real emcees by digging through the internet and visiting the websites of these artists, listening to independent shows and being apart of some exclusive, independent record pools.  I have long since, stopped listening to the radio nor do I play the Rap music that is being played by the masses.

Wordsworth, Invincible and Sway are just a few of these artists that I am referring to.  The point is this; the internet is the biggest resource you have available to you.  If you are really interested in finding the Rap music that is not this every day, commercial imitation of Rap music, start digging.  It is out there and the artists would really appreciate your support.   Rap is not dead, it’s just underground and you just have to tap into the vein and insert your intravenous to get your fix.  Just dig and you will find it!