With the myriad DJ names that dot flyers and posters all over downtown, it’s easy to take the massive growth of electronic music in the Classic City for granted.

People often forget this now-ubiquitous trend was practically nonexistent a mere two years ago. Since then, electronic music aficionados have rebuilt the local DJ scene from the ground up. Some rely on the “old-school” approach of traditional turntablism, while others prefer to explore the new possibilities computer technology has to offer.

As a tribute to the recent phenomenon, here’s a quick look at a handful of Athens’ finest DJs of all different styles and ages.

D:RC

REAL NAME: Darcy Reenis
AGE: 35
HOMETOWN: Cura�ao, Netherlands Antilles
MAIN STYLES: dubstep, electro
EQUIPMENT:  2 Pioneer CDJ-800 CD turntables
 4 Channel American DJ Q-2422 mixers
 Laptop and desktop computer, running Ableton Live, Traktor, Reason, Fruity Loops, Sony Soundforge, Virtual DJ, Mixmeister, Exact Audio Copy

A veteran of the DJ scene, Reenis has been spinning records since 1989, around the time the acid house dance movement took shape. He moved to Athens to attend the University in the ’90s, majoring in graphic design.

“I was walking around just asking people, ‘Hey, where do you guys hang out that’s not just a bar downtown?’” he said. “I heard different places, but there wasn’t really even a club.”

As the rave scene grew, Reenis progressed to playing drum ‘n’ bass and, before long, was hosting huge parties in Atlanta. He still spins nowadays, albeit less frequently, and plays a wide array of styles.

As a longtime member of the electronic scene, Reenis has dabbled in laptop DJing but still prefers turntables.

“I feel personally that there’s a certain connection you can build with a crowd if it looks like you’re actually manually playing samples,” he said. “It’s more like a show. A lot of old-school guys are reluctant to give up that kind of tactile feel.”

VARIANT

REAL NAME: Chris Thompson
AGE: 28
HOMETOWN: Augusta
MAIN STYLE: drum ‘n’ bass
EQUIPMENT:
 2 Technics 1200 turntables
 Pioneer DJM-600 mixer; Pioneer CDJ-200 and Pioneer-CDJ100 CD players
 Tapco S8 & SW10 monitor system
 Desktop computer, running Reason and Ableton
 EMU Xboard 25 MIDI controller; EMU 1820 Audio interface

Thompson moved to Athens in 2000 due to his frustration with Augusta’s small music scene.

“Until the past year or two the DJ scene has been fairly desolate,” he said. “Now the younger generations are starting to embrace electronic music.”

Although he has recently been exploring dubstep, Thompson mainly plays drum ‘n’ bass, a highly versatile genre.

“It sounds fast, but the drums and bass themselves are often in half-time,” he said. “That’s why there’s a lot of drum ‘n’ bass remixed with hip-hop songs. This day and age, it’s so varied between lighter, more spacey sounds and music with huge, distorted bass lines and drums that blow your ears off.”

DJ STAN

REAL NAME: Stanley Walker II
AGE: 27
HOMETOWN: Pensacola, Fla.
MAIN STYLE: dance
EQUIPMENT:
 Akai APC 40 performance controller
 Korg nanoPad
 Korg nanoKontrol

An Athens resident for only one year, Walker was a keyboardist and trombonist player before he made his initial foray into electronic music.

“I’m mainly influenced by ’70s and ’80s music, but I’m always listening to new music that comes out in order to stay current,” he said.

He often collaborates with his friend, Alfredo P. Lapuz Jr., also known as Immuzikation, who was among the first artists in Athens to mix songs together to create a constant, uninterrupted beat.

The two collaborate often in groups such as Velveteen Pink and the Daft Punk tribute group Very Disco.

“To create a party vibe, you have to create music that’s intertwined with itself to keep the people dancing,” he said.

Walker is unapologetic about his music’s aim: to get the crowd jumping.

“People like to dance, so most of the music that I play is dance music,” he said.

T8RTOT

REAL NAME: Taylor Jimmerson
AGE: 25
HOMETOWN: Dahlonega
MAIN STYLES: trip-hop, downtempo
EQUIPMENT:  Laptop computer, running Reason 4, Ableton 7 and various other plugins
 Akai MPD 24 pad controller
 M-Audio Keystation 49 keyboard
 Korg Nano fader controller
 Korg Mini KP effects processor

Jimmerson has been performing solo for almost two years. With no background in music theory or playing instruments, he has learned the tools of the trade on his own.

“I’ve been writing music longer than I’ve been playing it,” he said. “YouTube was a lifesaver when it came to learning how to use the software.”

Since getting his big break in March 2008 at the third Ballers Ball party, Jimmerson has catapulted to prominence on the scene and performs numerous times a month.

Despite being more of a “new-school” DJ that performs mostly on laptop, several aspects of Jimmerson’s style are organic, sampling psychedelic and world music.

“What I produce at home [versus] live can be a lot different,” he said. “When I’m not playing live, I’ll play more chill, vibe-out music. But sometimes you just want to get the crowd going and I’ll play more in-your-face dubstep or deep house.”

DJ TRIZ

REAL NAME: Nick Trotta
AGE: 30
HOMETOWN: Chapel Hill, N.C.
MAIN STYLES: instrumental hip-hop
EQUIPMENT:  Numark CDX & HDX turntables, TTX vinyl turntable
 Rane TTM-56 mixer
 Roland SP-555 sampler
 Mini Kaoss effects pad
 Kaossilator synthesizer
 Computer, running Reason 4, ProTools
 Shure Beta 58A microphone
 Groove Tube condenser microphone
 M-Audio Ozonic MIDI keyboard
 M-Audio Axiom 25 keyboard, MicroKorg keyboard

After spinning in Athens for four years, Trotta has begun spreading his name to other cities in the Southeast.

Although part of the digital generation, he still favors using traditional turntables and keyboards.

Trotta draws influences from hip-hop-style beats, initially pulling from what he calls “post-Hammer, pre-Puff Daddy” hip-hop” – groups such as A Tribe Called Quest and The Pharcyde.

“I wanted to capture those classic hip-hop breaks, but I love the rave-style electronica sound too,” he said.

Trotta also performs as one half of the electronic duo TnT, alongside Taylor “t8rtot” Jimmerson.