Words by Jason “J-Rockaz” Orford
The folks at Malibu Have done it again. Not satisfied with their quirky “Get Your Island On” ad campaign or the dancing flash mob they organized or linking LARGE UP friend dem Walshy, Max Glazer and Trini Chris aka Jillionaire for promo mixes on Radio MaliBoom Boom, they have developed a DJ Mixer app for iPhone and iPAd. The music producer/technoholic in me had to get familiar with the app straight away.
However before we jump into the app itself, I have to add a twist. The company that made the app for Malibu is none other than Absolut Vodka. Surprised? Cool obviously recognizes cool but I don’t otherwise think Vodka and rum go together. Then again, stranger things have happened; Rum and Red Bull has conquered the minds and tastebuds of some dancehall patrons thanks to Beenie Man (and Future Fambo). If I were to mix the the two, I would call it an Absolut Flatbush Boom! a cocktail of Malibu, Absolut Brooklyn Ltd Ed. flavor (Spike Lee, large ’bout yourself) and a little bit of freshly crushed ginger. Dead!
But I digress, back to the app. It seems to be designed for pros and amateurs alike (full disclosure: I worked for Apple for 3 years, doing DJ-related promotions, sales and training).
Here is my take on it:
I’d like the follow up version of the app to load faster because the experience is addictive. Once it’s loaded, it’s really easy to navigate your options. The interface is simple and clean. It’s obvious where each button is but the colors in the interface could be more interactive and intuitive, i.e. lightbulb indicators for recording.
Overall, it’s pretty intuitive thanks to it’s simplicity. With the slight touch of your fingers, you can quick switch back and forth between 1 of 4 evenly chopped/separated loops from each track you select. You can just as swiftly manipulate the crossfader and frequency levels with impressive accuracy. The drum pad is a nice addition and comes with 12 preloaded samples. There are enough sounds to create for days but I do look forward to future versions allowing you to add your own samples (or samples of the punch lines from Malibu’s TV spots. I can hear them like “No Snowflake, No…No…No…No Snowflake!”) The best feature may be the ability to share your mixes on FB and Twitter directly from the app. You can even record your mixes into Garageband and make a podcast.
All in all, the app is cool so thumbs up once again for the fiendishly clever folks at Malibu. Anyone out there who thinks they can mix up/mash up better than the next TeeJay (TouchScreen DJ,that’s my coin y’all), throw on your finest soundclashing armor and send us your mixes. We’ll post any worthy submissions in this space. Hell, if you make it tough enough, you might even win something! And next time you walk into Bunny Chow and impress the sexy bartender by ordering a Malibu and OJ, don’t let the scrub on the next stool tell you it’s a girly drink. It’s a soundman’s drink. Boom.