Andrew Logan, otherwise known as DJ An-log, has managed to keep costs low in a field where equipment can cost thousands of dollars. Logan uses innovative ways to keep his music affordable for both his fans and himself, but he hasn’t done it alone.
“My parents support me a lot, so that is really important,” the Ohio University junior said. “I don’t do a whole lot of gigs for money, so I don’t think that I could do it without them.”
Logan, who is studying music production, has been DJing for almost five years, but he did not begin playing live in Athens until last fall. At this time, he began to promote himself and his work on the Internet.
He advertised his Death Cab For Cutie and Jay-Z mash-ups, which include Black Plans and American Stairs, on Facebook, YouTube, and his personal Web site. These methods brought attention to his music, but only cost on average $6 per week, Logan said.
Logan then offered his services to Soly Bata, owner of the hookah bar Athens Pyramids, 5 Mill St., who booked him to perform for free every Friday this quarter.
“I like to do it, and that’s a great venue for me to do whatever I want and work out things in my set and have fun and not have to worry about disappointing people who are paying me,” Logan said of the opportunity to play at Pyramids.
Bata said that Logan’s musical style is the “perfect match” for the relaxed atmosphere he wants at his bar.
“I try to keep things student-oriented, and Andrew offered to DJ,” Bata said. “It’s a great partnership.”
Using samples from songs ranging from popular rap, old school hip hop, reggae and break beats, Logan can play for up to three hours at his show.
“Playing to sober people who are just chilling and smoking hookah is the ideal venue for the type of music that I want to play,” he said.
Logan uses his Web site to promote these shows as well, posting “Pyramixes,” which are full sets from his shows at Pyramids. He also plans to use the Web site to release his first original music — a collection of down-tempo tunes — sometime during Winter Quarter.
In addition to playing his weekly set at Pyramids and releasing new music, Logan will bring his “Death Cab For Hova” project to life by playing the albums in their entirety over the course of two nights, Nov. 14 and 15, at Pyramids and Bruce Manor, a house-show venue on Union Street.
While Logan has many plans for upcoming months, he is realistic about his future as a DJ.
“I would love to do it as a living, but I don’t know how attainable that is,” he said. “But no matter what I end up doing as a day job, DJing will be something that goes on at night.”
[via The Post]