Team Brisk Streamer Of The Week: DJ Catchison

Introducing a new, weekly feature in which we delve into the wealth of talent that reside on the number one stream team on Twitch, Team Brisk.

For our first featured artist/streamer we are heading to the East Coast of America as we introduce to you, the one and only DJ Catchison!

Where are you from and where are you living now?

I was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts.  I’m currently living there now with my life partner and nephew.  I also lived in New York for fourteen years.

How did you come up with your DJ name?

My first DJ name was actually Delmar.  I chose it from a video game called California Games on the old Atari 2600. Just saw it and thought the name was cool.  When I started playing in clubs, one of the promoters forgot my moniker and listed me as DJ Curtis and that was the end of Delmar. 

As a producer/remixer, I got the name Midnight Society from a kid’s television show in the 1990s called “Are You Afraid Of The Dark”.  For the first 10-12 years it was myself and my longtime friend Erik Elias.  Now it’s just me.  I also produce under the name Retrotech when I collaborate with my friend Manny Ward.  But now on Twitch most people know me as “djcatchison” which is my first initial and last name put together.

What’s your equipment list?

DJ Setup:
(1) MacBook Pro 13″ (Mid 2016)
(1) Pioneer SVM-1000 Mixer
(2) Native Instruments Kontrol D2 Controllers
(2) Pioneer CDJ 850 Controllers
(2) Denon LC6000 Controllers
(1) Elgato Stream Deck XL
(3) HuddlecamHD USB Cameras
(2) Logitech C922 Webcams
(2) Neumi Atom 4K Media Players
(1) Blackmagic Atem Mini
(1) Samson Q6 Microphone
(1) Numark HF175 Headphones
(1) Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
(1) Presonus Audiobox USB
(1) Zoom H4n Recorder
(1) Native Instruments Audio 10 Sound Card
(1) Inland HDMI 1×2 Splitter
(1) RuiPuo RCA to HDMI Converter / Upscaler
LifX & Nanoleaf Smart Lights & Panels

Computers:
Dell XPS 8930 Desktop, i7-9700, NVIDIA RTX 2060 – Streaming
Dell XPS 8940 Desktop, i7-10700, NVIDIA GTX 1650 – Resolume
PowerSpec AMD Ryzen 5 with Radeon RX 5600 XT – Cameras
All connected via local network via Ethernet and NDI

Software:
Traktor Pro 3.5
Radr.DJ
Resolume Avenue
Triggerfyre
Lumia Stream

Where did your musical journey begin?

My older brother was a DJ long before me and used to do block parties in Boston.  Most of my musical tastes came from him and my older sisters.  Boston also had a lot of great college radio choices in the 80s and 90s.  On weekends I would sit at home and make mixtapes by recording songs from the radio.  Even tried making my own extended mixes of songs using my own record collection.  I had no clue people were actually getting paid money to do what I was doing at the age of thirteen because I envisioned professionals in major studios with expensive gear, and I was using my mother’s stereo system in the living room.

What made you decide to take up DJing?

While attending Salem State College in the 90s, I was wandering around the campus center and accidently stumbled across the college radio station.  WMWM 91.7FM.  I started there with a Saturday morning show playing alternative, indie and electronica mixed in with some random standup comedy records.  Eventually I moved to a weekday slot where I played mostly Hip-Hop (the golden era!) and started to include Reggae Dancehall and House music over time.  From there I started getting into clubs in Boston.

What are some of your interests/hobbies/passions outside of streaming/DJing?

I love old-school video games (8 and 16 bit), especially puzzles and 2D fighters.  I’m also a huge fan of anime, roller coasters, and occasionally like to expand on my cooking skills.  I love traveling and don’t do it ne

When did you start streaming on Twitch?

I was already live streaming on Facebook and Periscope a couple of years before I moved to Twitch.  I first set up my account on Twitch in 2018, but thought it was only for gamers.  I never really used it for music until the start of the pandemic. I wish I knew there was a musical and DJ component to Twitch back in 2018 because I would have been using it a lot sooner.

Is there anything you really hope to accomplish in your life, whether it be related to music or not?

I’ve always wanted to open my own bar/club where I could bring together my love for video games, anime and electronic music together.  There’s still many countries I would like to visit, play and (perhaps) live in for an extended period of time.  Musically, I think I have achieved many things I never thought were possible including a couple of #1 remixes on Billboard but there’s still many other directions I would like to go with production.  I would like to produce a couple of indie rock/pop albums and even some Hip-Hop.  Golden era style with a modern twist.  I’m also enamored by Chillhop and Lo-fi music and would like to diverge in that realm as well.

Who are some of your favourite streamers? Why?

TheDeadpullShow is one of the most twisted and funniest streams on Twitch.  It’s supposed to be an all-request DJ show with a streamer dressed to look like Deadpool, last name changed for legal reasons.  The stream is set up so anyone watching can interrupt the show with complete wackiness and it gets really chaotic very quickly especially when it’s highly encouraged to do so.  You wind up laughing at the insanity every time.

Favorite DJ streamers (and there’s a lot of ’em but I’ll list a few) – Kitsch, TylerJohnston, UndergroundWilma, BirdcageRadio, LiquidTodd, Gabriel&Dresden, SusanEsthera, RickCorbo, DustMitesDisco, DJMarkOxford, DJBrisk (of course!), EXPLOSIVERADIO, Vivacious, DocBrownDJ, DavidTurnerMusic, WamBamHouseJam, DJChrisCraze, RogerSanchez and Ricviera.

What is your favorite genre to play? Why?

I love all styles of House music, but no matter where I go I always come back to Tribal.  African, Latino, Portuguese, Brazilian rhythms always get me going.  Once you have a crowd hooked into a tribal groove, you can go as hard or as deep as you want with the music and the crowd stays for the ride.

What are some of the most memorable events you’ve participated in or streamed?

I loved playing TTF, BirdcageRadio, Non Stop Cox, special event streams for the Amsterdam Dance Event, Winter Music Conference and the SoundGroove Records 15th Anniversary.  Most recently, I’ve done some guest sets for Koncept_k and really enjoyed them.  

What does Team Brisk mean to you?

I’m still relatively new to Teams on Twitch and only been a member of two.  But what I really like about Team Brisk is its diversity.  Just about every style of music you can think of is covered by its roster and you can tell they really love what they do.  Sometimes you can watch a lot of streamers on Twitch, many of which have amazing production and music selections, but not really connect with the personality behind what you see and hear.  That is not an issue with Team Brisk, and my experiences on Twitch are that much better because of it.

What’s your favourite thing about DJing on Twitch?

I get to experiment with different sounds and express myself in ways I usually can’t when I’m performing in person.  Plus I feel as if the people watching and listening are really there for you, unlike some people who just show up to a club/bar because they were told it was the place to be. 

What is a challenge you’ve faced as a DJ/streamer?

Like most things with computers, there’s always something new and exciting to learn.  Twitch has so many creative people that inspire me to go further, and many times I wish I could devote more of my time on the platform.  As a DJ, I want to find ways to combine more of my streaming with live gigs.  I’m surprised more venues are not doing that today given all of the available technology and especially with video.  And, of course, I’d love to make it to partner status on Twitch at some point but that’ll take some time.

Do you have any special projects, streams or events you would like to tell us about?

I have been working on a production streaming concept for what seems to be an eternity, and also plan to start gaming on Twitch at some point.  I’m also looking to reboot Mainframe, which was my industry party/event before the pandemic and a streaming concept I played with on Twitch for a little bit.  I’m also attending TwitchCom Amsterdam this July.

Is there anyone you’d like to shout out and/or thank?

Much love to my extended music family who have been with me throughout this crazy ride of mine, both on and off the dance floor – Rick Corbo (rickcorbo on Twitch), Erik Elias, Bass Rokwell, Manny Ward, Jeffrey Cheng, Elliott Matos, Benjamin Aillery, David Ohana Aviance, Breeze Godfrey, Paul Thomas, Susan Esthera (susanesthera on Twitch), DJ Deanne, Tommy Styles (aka EXPLOSIVERADIO), Reginald Johnson, Twisted Dee, Joshua D, Cee Vox… to many of the wonderful new people I have met through Twitch – ZiyahXO, Gualtier Malde, Will Silvano, UndergroundWilma, RainbowLacesMusic, ItsRene, Benji Bradshaw, Ronnie Bruno, Felicia Viliani… to all the past and current members of my weekly raid trains – HighFiveWednesdays, the QuadSquad and the Sunday Funday… to DJ Friktion, BrewMonkey, DocBugLove and the rest of the crew at 102 DLG Radio in Orlando… to all the artists and talent on SGR… I know I’m missing names and could be here forever shouting and thanking people!   🙂

Give us your social links!

Midnight Society Website
Soundgroove Records Website
DJ Catchison Twitch Page
Full Social List (and more!)