Chapter 103: Nightclub Scenes and Record Deals (2)

[Chapter 103: Nightclub Scenes and Record Deals (2)]

A minute later, Ryan's face showed pure disbelief. He wandered around, as if searching for something, but found nothing. Berkman smiled, snapping his fingers to signal the staff to turn off the music.

"You're wondering where the sound system is, right?" Berkman asked.

Ryan nodded.

Berkman tapped his foot, the hard soles of his shoes making a crisp sound on the floor. "The sound system is everywhere. From the moment you stepped in here, every inch of the floor beneath you and the ceiling above you -- do you know why the ceiling seems so low? Guess how many sound units we packed in there?"

"Our philosophy is simple and pure. Sound quality comes first, lighting second, design or decor third, and pretty people fourth. For most nightclub operators in this world, that ranking is exactly backward."

He led Ryan to the edge of the main room and gestured for him to knock on the black wall. Ryan gave it a tap and was surprised at how much quieter the echo was than he expected.

"Apart from all the soundproofing techniques you can think of, we also added magnesite to the wall paint. It works wonders in absorbing noise. We tested it at a maximum of 156 decibels and couldn't hear a peep from outside."

"How much does this sound system cost?" Ryan asked.

"Priceless," Berkman shook his head. "We brought in dozens of sound engineers and spent months customizing it for the venue."

That was equivalent to saying nothing at all, as it was clear Berkman wouldn't reveal the specifics.

Next, Berkman discussed this year's performance schedule, hinting that Ryan might perform at the venue during the Christmas holiday. That would be quite an honor in the world of DJs, but Ryan didn't commit. If he set up a brand new nightclub by then, he wouldn't be performing here.

Berkman then hurried back to the door because another big-name DJ had arrived.

...

"Get the camera out..." Ryan quietly instructed Daddario.

Daddario complied, starting to snap photos in the main room.

"Hey, Ryan! You made it here so early!" A long-haired guy with a slight accent approached.

He practically jogged over and enveloped Ryan in a warm hug. "Let me get a whiff of your scent," he chuckled, pretending to take a deep breath.

"We almost had the chance to sign with the same record label," Ryan said with a smile.

Before him stood David Guetta. True electronic music fans often disdained him, believing he wasn't "real." They criticized his songs as too commercial and not authentic, giving him nicknames like "David Underpants."

"No, that would've been terrible. Atlantic Records is prioritizing me now because you're hot. They've even set me up for collaboration with a few major artists," David said with a grin.

Objectively speaking, David Guetta was the first big-name DJ Americans recognized, and he had many hit songs.

Those who were popular didn't always face backlash, but those who did get criticized often had some level of fame.

With Ryan getting scooped up, David Guetta ended up reaping the benefits. And with fewer direct conflicts of interest due to Ryan's rising talent, David found himself favoring Ryan even more.

"You want to start your own record label? Why not model it after this place?" David pointed at the three-dimensional logo hanging from the ceiling.

Noticing Ryan's confusion, he continued. "This place isn't just a nightclub; it's a record label too. The office is upstairs. It's a venue that has signed artists and regularly releases music compilations. This creates a moat for the club, as all these tracks get debuted here, plus it helps build the brand."

With that comment from David, Ryan suddenly felt like he had an epiphany. At first glance, this place wasn't particularly big or lavishly decorated, but it held a prestigious status among electronic music fans. The unique operational strategy, coupled with a "music comes first" position, were the two main reasons.

At that moment, David turned. "Look who's here!"

Ryan turned to see Tiesto and Armin, the two Dutch DJs, arriving. Armin's girlfriend accompanied him, and they were regarded as a power couple within the DJ community, having met when they were nobody. Now, wherever Armin performed, she was by his side.

...

Tiesto had already seen Ryan before, but it was Armin's first time. After greetings, several well-known DJs began discussing electronic music. They all brought up Ryan's collaboration with Deadmau5 on sound plugins, and all three tried to incorporate saw waves and super saw effects into their own music.

Ryan just smiled, realizing he didn't fully grasp some of the more specialized jargon. He had to admit it; he was a novice at best. However, his demeanor came across to the other three as being more "enigmatic," as if he had transcended "technical skills" and entered the "artist realm" that only a few had achieved.

"Speaking of which, is Daft Punk coming today?" Ryan casually asked.

David immediately shook his head. "They don't need to show up. Even if someone held the number one spot in the DJ rankings for ten years straight, it wouldn't shake Daft Punk's position."

That might have been an exaggeration, but Daft Punk truly was seen as a pair of demigods among many DJs. They had never revealed their true identities and always appeared in public wearing custom robot helmets and gloves as if they were actual robots. Plus, aside from very few live performances, they hardly ever showed up anywhere. They were incredibly mysterious.

Their style of masking their identities inspired a number of DJs, including Deadmau5 and later artists like Marshmello.

As for the DJ rankings, none of the three mentioned them, which linked back to what that Spinnin' A&R guy said; electronic music was a growing market, and there was no need to fight over a ranking that could lead to disdain. At least everyone maintained a semblance of goodwill on the surface.

...

"Now, we're about to announce the last name! The top DJ of the year is--" The host paused for dramatic effect.

"Armin!" the crowd shouted.

Later that evening, the top DJs were revealed. Ryan placed fourth, David Guetta fifth, and the top three were Armin, Tiesto, and Paul van Dyk.

The third name was a veteran in electronic music, known for being the first DJ to perform live at a large-scale concert. Back then, he was a guest on U2's European tour -- not the same guy who played soccer for Liverpool and almost won the Ballon d'Or, Virgil van Dijk.

"Congratulations," a man approached Ryan, sporting a scruffy beard. Ryan recognized him; he had performed at the Ultra Music Festival earlier that year.

"Calvin..." Ryan couldn't recall his last name.

"Calvin Harris," he nodded. He was a straightforward guy without any pretentious talk.

Let's not talk about whether he is rich or not, but he was tall and handsome, no wonder people called him "tall, rich, and handsome." It's just a wrong name, not a wrong nickname.

Most notably, he was one of Taylor's 13 'protectors' (as of the end of 2024). The song he gave to Rihanna was finally revealed to be one of the songwriters of Taylor, and she used a pseudonym at the time.

As for those 13, Ryan had previously met one; Joe of the Jonas Brothers -- but they only shared a single photo, taken at the 2008 VMA Awards, leading some people believing the two had never been in a relationship.

Ryan nodded. Calvin Harris then shifted the conversation to electronic music production.

"When I heard your Wake Me Up, I got a new perspective. I realized I had been approaching blending electronic and pop music the wrong way..." Calvin said.

This was the same guy who created many hits, including one of the best singles of the decade, We Found Love. Now he found inspiration in Ryan's work.

He felt like Ryan and he shared the same outlook, believing that Ryan was putting out better material.

This gave Calvin a sense of camaraderie with Ryan.

"I'm currently signed with Columbia Records under Sony, but my contract is up next year. Columbia isn't planning to renew, but Spinnin' Records reached out to me with decent terms. I could start my own label, but right now, I'd prefer to dive into your upcoming record label," Calvin said at that moment.

"Even though he didn't make it into the top DJs this year, his music is more popular on mainstream charts. He even nabbed the attention of Kylie Minogue, collaborating on two songs," Daddario prompted quietly to Ryan's ear.

Kylie Minogue was indeed a global superstar at her peak; anyone who collaborated with her had to be talented.

"But you should be prepared; I might not be able to offer the same terms Spinnin' can," Ryan warned.

"As long as the differences aren't too great..." Calvin shrugged.

*****

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