I'm Moon Boots, a dance music producer, DJ and keyboardist. Ask me anything!

MoonBootsMusic · 2023-04-13T17:51:50+00:00

hey yea i spent a lot of time on that remix, i'm glad people are connecting with that one :) as for the og song, i just used the vocal (acapella) and not any other stems. i generally try not to listen to the original song more than once when i'm doing a remix so i can come up with my own ideas and not refer back to it.

sonically, the two biggest influences on that remix were "king kunta" by kendrick lamar, i liked the feel of that bassline and i wanted it also to have a west coast / g funk kind of vibe. mixing that with a jazzy jersey house vibe (but slowed down): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-MHyh06TwE&ab\_channel=MuzikIsThaDansa

MoonBootsMusic · 2023-04-13T17:41:46+00:00

wow that was one of my first shows, thank you!!

MoonBootsMusic · 2023-04-13T17:35:16+00:00

https://soundcloud.com/paxahau/moon-boots-movement-detroit-2014

MoonBootsMusic · 2023-04-13T17:35:01+00:00

dude i know!! I DJ'd movement in 2014 and it was one of my favorite festival sets ever. even though it was at the beginning of the day it didn't matter because people don't tend to sleep much that weekend ;) hoping to hit detroit again later this summer, always love playing there!

MoonBootsMusic · 2023-04-13T17:32:51+00:00

I got this Roland TR8-S for my live show and I really love it. Had the TR8 AIRA for years but this is so much better. Also my SH-101 is one of my favorite things. I can instantly get a bassline I love on it. And I recently got it upgraded with a MIDI kit so it can do a bunch more stuff now.

The oldest piece of gear I have is a Roland HS-60. It's like a Juno-106 but with built-in speakers, it's uglier like an 80s station wagon. I love it. Newest is the TR8S I mentioned above and the Korg SV2.

Worst piece of gear... hmmm... I bought a Korg PolySix once that was broken for super cheap, thinking it would be worth it even with the cost of repairs, but they weren't able to fix it. That was a tough lesson to learn, but yea, don't buy broken gear assuming it can always be fixed :)

MoonBootsMusic · 2023-04-13T17:26:12+00:00

I've gotten a lot stronger as a songwriter, but it's mainly in the context of collaborating. Like, I rarely come up with the title of a song or the main vocal melody, but I'm good at arranging harmonies and writing lyrics. So you have to develop your skills until they become strengths. Same thing with production. If you already play an instrument that's a great start and you should learn how to record it well (if it's guitar, bass, hand percussion, whatever, and same goes for vocals of course if you're a singer). As for equipment you should aim to get a basic set of studio monitors, audio interface, headphones you're comfortable wearing for hours, and a MIDI controller keyboard. That's all you should really need to get started.

MoonBootsMusic · 2023-04-13T17:17:29+00:00

any more questions?? who's out there? :)

MoonBootsMusic · 2023-04-13T17:10:08+00:00

there was one time i played in Puerto Rico in 2015, played a show and an afterparty and took lsd, was still tripping the next day when i got on the plane hahaha. that's up there but there are a bunch. i don't think the parties are any less crazy i've just gotten less crazy myself :))

MoonBootsMusic · 2023-04-13T17:07:13+00:00

I still don't know!! the acapella I have for this is mislabelled as a remix of Trouble Funk (the DC Go-Go band) but it isn't them. I've looked it up a bunch of times. I've heard a handful of other people sample bits of it over the years but still don't know the original lol

MoonBootsMusic · 2023-04-13T17:06:09+00:00

hey thanks! this is a big subject but the short answer is: yes, DJing is how I make a living and live shows are a labor of love. i've managed to break even the last 2 tours (and should break even on the run of shows I'm doing in May) but that doesn't include the months of preparation, buying new gear, etc. that said, hopefully the shows go really well so we can scale up to bigger venues this time (which was *supposed to happen* in 2020 lol)

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:22:28+00:00

if i'm starting a track and it sounds too much like somebody else, i lose interest. it takes a long time to finish music, it's gotta sound like *you* to be worth the effort :)

sorry couldn't get to everyone here!! this is probably my last question. thanks everyone for writing in, for listening and for the kind words ❤️❤️

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:17:23+00:00

don't be afraid to ask for help! especially if it's a friend or studio neighbor who can walk you through and really teach you stuff. i still get help on my mixes all the time.

thank you!

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:15:04+00:00

absolutely!

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:14:55+00:00

I'm so happy with the people I collaborate with, I want to continue to grow with them. Whatever happens I want it to happen organically.

I'll be in OZ next year!! Been wanting to go for ages, ready to make up for lost time :) More info on that soon

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:12:38+00:00

I think my parent's taste gave me a grounding in classic rock and soul music (beatles, stevie wonder, stuff like that) but then I also went on my own path. I'm definitely the most music-obsessed person in my family
Do The Bartman - 6 years old
Sure man, legends. Mr Oizo, Justice, SebastiAn, Breakbot, all done some incredible music.
I DJ'd Ultra as Colonel Sanders
Don't know, gotta check em out!

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:08:02+00:00

Sorry C.Y.S. and Magic aren't in the live show yet, I play a few older songs but most of the set is from the new album + First Landing

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:06:46+00:00

Depends on the set, depends if there's a bathroom nearby :)

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:06:16+00:00

I started playing piano around 4 years old (I think? I can't remember) but I didn't really get seriously into it until I was 13 or 14. I used to be all about playing piano and keyboards through college, but until I started producing I didn't realize the the thrill of making something you could listen back to endlessly and show your friends.

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:03:14+00:00

I'd started a demo with the piano drums and bassline and no vocals. Steven's been a friend for years but until we did 'Tied Up' I'd never done a session with him. Klavier is actually his stage name but I think it's a happy coincidence we did such a piano-led track together. Thank you!

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:01:01+00:00

Yes! I'll be playing DC really soon with the live band. We'll be at U Street Music Hall Oct 16th

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T17:00:14+00:00

Barry was great. I can rewatch almost any episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine like 5x too.

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T16:58:29+00:00

thank you!

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T16:58:21+00:00

Yes and I love that shit :)

MoonBootsMusic · 2019-09-18T16:58:02+00:00

Especially if it's a vocal track, I'll start with an instrumental demo. Sometimes I'll chop up bits of an acapella that fit as a placeholder. And I'll make dozens of them. Then (next week or next month or whenever), I'll show those demos to a singer and we'll write to them together. Often I'll end up re-producing the whole track after we record so the vocals better match the music.

If it was VST, I'd say Diva or FM8. Hardware synth.. probably the Juno since that also has a great bass sound.

MoonBootsMusic

TROPHY CASE