Producing and performing house, techno and electronic music since 1994

Why does a house and techno DJ/producer need a website?

Ok - it's a good way of supplying the artist's news, contact details, biography, presskit, and I guess there is a promotional advantage in maintaining some kind of web presence.

But how often have you spent any meaningful time on an underground musician's site? If you're anything like me then virtually none. And when I have, sadly they tend to be rarely visited and even less frequently updated.

So until now I've kept the inevitable Twitter, Facebook and Myspace profiles, and mikemonday.com has pointed to an Om Records microsite which is specific to my last album "Songs Without Words".

Hello world

But recently the idea of connecting directly with the world outside of my studio has inspired me, as the hours I've spent holed up in there writing my "weird and wonderful" (not my words) electronic music have increasingly felt in vain.

The coming of age of digital music distribution has had an unforseen consequence for a niche artist like me. My work is in constant danger of getting lost in the avalanche of music that's readily accessible 24/7 to anyone with a reasonably fast internet connection. And while this has made life particularly challenging, the exponential growth in the size of my potential market is also an opportunity.

Is there anybody out there?

But the difficulty is in getting heard. If I rely solely on small record labels to release my music who ultimately rely on a couple of large digital distributors such as iTunes and Beatport to promote it, then some or even most of it is going to get lost.

Of course I'd rather that didn't happen. So my attempt at a solution is to pick up my own torch and carry it forth into the digital darkness...

But how is my website to be more than just a vanity project or a glorified online business card?

Listen up

When I shop for music online I'm overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content. Where do I start? I nearly always miss my favourite artists' new releases. I trawl through oodles of stuff but never find much that I like, let alone love. And it's such an impersonal experience.

So I've made mikemonday.com a place to hear my new releases and new remixes straight from the horses mouth. I've written some background blurb about each release that will give you an insight into the thinking (or otherwise) behind each piece. You can stream the music for free, and if you like it follow direct links to buy it.

And for those who want to hear what I play out when DJing, there's some free DJ mixes to stream or download. These include full track listings complete with direct links to buy the individual tracks.

This is how I do it

But apart from the purely narcissistic endeavour of promoting my own music, I'll attempt to restore my karmic balance by sharing some music production tips.

I've never been on a music production course or worked in a big professional studio, but years of tearing my hair out figuring out how to produce electronic music myself has left me both bald as a coot and with the knowledge that there is no "right" way of doing things. If it sounds good, it is good.

There are many ways to skin a cat in music production, and I wouldn't presume to infer that my way is the only or even best method, but by learning how I produce music may help or even inspire you if you want to make your own beats.

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As I write this mikemonday.com is very much in its infancy, and over time I'm sure it will organically develop in ways in which I can't imagine now.

But if you want to listen to the best techno, house or electronic music or help with how to make your own beats, then subscribe to my blog and you'll find out when I add anything to the site. Just click the "Subscribe To This Site" orange button to the left of this page.