Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 22: Tug-of-War]

The booming bass reverberated through the park, creating an electrifying atmosphere as the crowd gathered at Bicentennial Park at sunset. The place transformed into a sea of celebration. Deadmau5, donned in his iconic fuzzy mouse head, hopped onto the DJ booth, bouncing on his toes with the rhythm.

Crowd members danced in unison like they were participating in some collective fitness routine, moving together to the beat, completely absorbed in the moment. Among them were Taylor and her friend Abigail, caught up in the infectious energy around them. Taylor raised her arms and began jumping around. She was fully immersed, but he movements lacked coordination. She seemed stiff and clumsy, while Abigail appeared much more graceful in her dancing, clearly revealing Taylor's lack of natural talent in that department.

...

On stage, Ryan finally witnessed the chaotic dance party from the Tremor music video in real life. In the front rows, women dressed in little more than lingerie swayed on their boyfriends' shoulders, waving flags from different countries. But the lighting setup and overall ambiance paled in comparison to what he had seen in the video, which also featured smoke machines, fire jets, and confetti to enhance the atmosphere.

Ryan couldn't help but think that, much like electronic music itself, there was a lot of room for improvement in live performances. Just as he had that thought, Tremor was reaching its end. Typically, Deadmau5 would segue into another track at this point, but to Ryan's surprise, he noticed that Deadmau5 was standing idle, not doing anything.

Just as Ryan considered nudging him as a reminder, he saw Deadmau5 quickly turn and head towards the backstage area. Panic set in for Ryan; after a brief moment of hesitation, he took matters into his own hands and turned on the CD player. Having DJed several times in Nashville's nightclubs, he felt confident enough to handle the situation.

...

As Deadmau5 made it backstage, he immediately collapsed, the crew rushing in to assist. Someone pried off his fuzzy headpiece, revealing a totally flushed face and sweat-drenched hair. The heat from inside the costume, combined with the physical exertion, had caused him to overheat, and he looked visibly weak.

Russell, one of the festival's co-founders, had already left, and Deadmau5 was being hurriedly transported to a local hospital. The burly man previously seen conversing with the festival founders was focused on making final preparations for his performance, completely unaware that it was actually a high school kid on stage creating that unique sound.

...

Ryan managed to hold the crowd's interest seamlessly, and as cheers erupted around him, he made his way backstage. There, he noticed a man who was about his height and build was getting ready to take over for him. The man raised an eyebrow, seeing that Ryan and Deadmau5 were wearing matching red suits, but he didn't say anything as they passed by.

Ryan then spotted the VJ from Deadmau5's team, and he learned about Deadmau5's condition. To his astonishment, Marvin had indeed predicted correctly.

"By the way, who was that guy?" Ryan asked, curious.

"That was Tiesto. You don't know him?" the VJ replied, clearly surprised.

"Should I?"

"Absolutely! He's a leading figure in the DJ scene. He was spinning new rhythms and house music long before you were born and has won numerous European music awards. He had three consecutive wins in the Top 100 DJs from 2002 to 2003, and he even performed at the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympics in 2004!" The VJ enthusiastically explained.

The significance of Olympic performances was undeniable, and when he mentioned the "Top 100," he referred to a prestigious annual ranking published by a UK DJ magazine, which was based on reader votes and held significant weight in the industry.

...

Later, Ryan and the VJ headed to Jackson Memorial Hospital near Bicentennial Park. By the time Ryan arrived, Deadmau5 was awake and immediately asked about the performance outcome.

"The audience reacted even stronger than when Justice performed," Ryan said, relief washing over Deadmau5's face.

With the performance wrapped up, the festival would continue for another full day. Before Ryan could mention the winter music conference, Deadmau5 brought up the issue of releasing the Tremor single in Canada.

He focused solely on Canada because his current distribution channel was through an independent label and did not have the capacity to release in the U.S. market. Although Deadmau5 could easily keep this fact from Ryan, he chose to be upfront.

"Ryan, this could be the start of our collaboration," Deadmau5 said, recognizing Ryan's budding talent.

Ryan had no reason to refuse. While Canada might not rank among the top ten music markets globally, it still represented a significant first step. "Next, let's discuss the revenue split. Since the original track for Tremor has already been produced, the production costs can be ignored. We'll just talk about sales revenue. By industry standard, record companies usually take a higher percentage from newcomers and unsigned artists, generally around fifty percent. The revenue I mentioned is the net income after deducting distributor profits and promotional costs."

Doing a quick calculation, assuming the single was priced at $3.99, after deducting the platform's cut and promotional costs, along with half of the net revenue for the distributor, Ryan could expect to earn, at best, barely over $1 before taxes with ideal conditions. If Deadmau5's label manipulated promo costs, that figure could drop below $0.50.

And let's not forget that the single would feature remixes from two other DJs, further reducing Ryan's share.

"This is not just your average situation. We just finished a performance together," Ryan quickly fired back, feeling that the terms were hardly appealing.

"Do you know what 'industry standard' means? It means no one is spared, not just me but everyone else too, including you. This is non-negotiable.

You think the split is low? Of course, it is, because this is just the beginning. We will have more opportunities to collaborate in the future. It's not just a one-time deal. By the second and third album releases, the record company could take only 30%, and if you blow up, we can discuss the split further."

Deadmau5 reiterated that while he valued Ryan's talent, it didn't mean he had to sacrifice his own interests.

"You might not see my situation, but I'm currently living at someone else's place and I need income!" Ryan used his living situation as a shield in the negotiation.

"Then bring yourself along on the tour. After Ultra, Marvin lined up a series of gigs at nightclubs across North America, with the first stop being New York City." Deadmau5 suggested a compromise.

"How much would I make per show?"

"Between five hundred to seven hundred dollars, and if you land in a particularly generous nightclub, it could be even more." Deadmau5 pondered before adding, "You'll open and warm up for me, which will take about an hour and a half, then it'll be my turn, especially for the late-night extra performance; you'll need to be on stage for that too."

"What about travel expenses? I'm still attending school in Nashville." Ryan inquired.

"You won't need to cover that; the promoters take care of travel expenses, separate from performance payments." Deadmau5 replied easily. At least it was higher than what he would make hanging around Nashville's nightclubs.

"40% is my final offer. If that's not acceptable, then we have nothing to discuss." Ryan set his bottom line.

Deadmau5 looked somewhat exasperated; it was the first time he had encountered such a determined high schooler.

"For performances and revenue, you can only choose one." Deadmau5 took a deep breath.

"Don't be like that; the two things aren't mutually exclusive. I can assure you I'll give a better performance if I can earn this income. I really need it to finish my education; it's my cost of living." Ryan's tone turned pleading.

Before Deadmau5 could respond, Ryan noticed a moment of hesitation in him. "Okay, it's settled then."

Deadmau5 sighed heavily, the exhaustion clear in his demeanor.

Though Ryan felt he had achieved his goal, it didn't come without its weight. Deadmau5's label was at best a small one, meaning negotiations with other record companies would be even tougher.

As Ryan left the hospital, he picked up his phone and saw a text from Abigail.

"Your performance was amazing! You wouldn't believe how many people were cheering for you. Taylor and I just arrived in Miami this afternoon..."

*****

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