As a freshman in high school, Pacal Bayley created the moniker DJ Pain 1 and began producing hip-hop beats in his parents’ house in Madison. Twenty-six years later, he’s still doing it, but now he’s got his own place.
Bayley works out of the lower floor of the west-side house he bought in 2018 and can’t imagine getting a day job again. “I love working from home,” he says. “The Madison commute has gotten so bad over the last decade and that’s how long I’ve been working for myself. I wonder why everybody’s in a bad mood, and then I go for a drive and it all becomes clear.”
A sample-based beatmaker, Bayley has spent a lot of time searching for the right piece of music to create cohesive songs. Now he’s upgraded his setup and skills to the point where he can record his own samples via a MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) keyboard connected to his beefy computer setup. “A MIDI keyboard interfaces with virtual instruments on a computer. You can play the keyboard as normal, but it triggers the sounds and effects to which you assign it on your computer,” he says.
Bayley uses ACID, originally created by Madison-based Sonic Foundry and then sold to a European company, to create his beats. Not because it’s the best, but because it’s just what he’s used to. “I’m too old to learn something new,” says Bayley, 40. “It crashes, files get corrupted, I lose so much work.”
Other than less-than-ideal software, what else is he missing? “I don’t want a full-on studio, but I’d love to have space for older analog keyboards. Rhodes keyboards are the best instruments in the world. Best tone — nothing beats it.” Bayley appreciates the value of analog art in a digital world. “Recording digitally changes the process, it takes away the spontaneity. Mistakes can be cool, it adds texture.”
He also uses his studio to record video and podcasts, and manage his large social media profile, which has proven to be crucial to his career. “If I focused only on music and never on social media, maybe I would be entirely sufficient and wouldn’t need a social media model, but I doubt it,” he says.
Bayley’s studio is his sanctuary, and he works in-person with a select few. “Working face-to-face is a major time commitment, so I mostly stick to the people I know. Most of the work is done remotely these days. I think it’s convenient, but it’s not ideal for collaboration and synergy, I’ll admit,” he says. “I like working with people in person, I’m just protective of my space.”
DJ Pain 1 will be performing Sept. 13 as part of Mad Lit on the 100 block of State Street, and every fourth Saturday at Tavernakaya.
