Midnight Rebels X &Friends DJ/Producer Contest Winners

While the concept isn’t new globally, we’ve launched a unique DJ/Producer contest in the Philippines to inspire both communities and showcase their potential. This unexplored contest aims to capture DJs’ attention, motivating them to create, edit, and mash up music, while also demonstrating to beatmakers the performance aspect of their craft. By merging these worlds, we aim to push the boundaries of the DJ and nightlife cultures in the Philippines. Thank you to &Friends for joining forces with us and giving artists the chance to perform at such a large-scale festival!Thank you to &Friends for joining forces with us and giving artists the chance to perform at such a large-scale festival!

Alongside launching this contest, we have also developed an on-chain, trustless voting platform secured by blockchain technology. Our aim is to eliminate fraudulent votes and ensure complete transparency.

Regardless of this contest’s outcome, we’re excited to announce plans for future events. So, keep an eye out! Start preparing your tracks, refine your mixing skills, and together, as DJs and producers, we can continue to innovate and elevate our scene. Join here to get the latest.

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Terrence Liquigan / RAVE.PH

An enthusiastic veteran partygoer, promoter, and road manager’s POV feedback for each artist (note: this did not reflect the overall contest result, just for enjoyment and insider info from an audience view).

AIS NICAUTION

• Strength: Great energy was present, mixing was on point, and music choices were excellent. Plus, going the extra mile with those captions was super appreciated! Recovery from a tiny hiccup was like a pro.
• Room to grow: There was a tiny, almost imperceptible error during the set, but it was quickly and effectively recovered.
• Overall: Totally nailed it, showing off some serious skills and a thoughtful presentation, even handling minor issues smoothly.

ALBERT OPONDA

• Strength: Personal remixes were really good and showed off the creative side.
• Room to grow: The video presentation felt pretty basic, and sprucing up the overall video and presentation would make a big difference!
• Overall: While the remixes are a highlight, a more invested approach to the overall video and set presentation would elevate the performance.

ALLIVES

• Strength: Transitions were super smooth, and track selection felt like a real journey. Personal remixes and production were good.
• Room to grow: Even with that cool musical journey, there wasn’t a real connection with the audience or the camera, so engaging with the audience more would make the set even more captivating!
• Overall: Great mixing and production skills are present, but enhancing audience interaction would make the set more captivating.

ARDEN FORMENTO

• Strength: A good job was done engaging the video audience (about 3% impact!). The overall presentation was strong, DJ skills were excellent, and mashups and remixes were especially good.
• Room to grow: No significant areas for improvement were noted.
• Overall: A really solid performance all around, with strong technical and presentation skills.

BERGAMASK+ PHB

• Strength: DJ skills and production quality were top-notch.
• Room to grow: Video quality had some issues, and there wasn’t direct interaction with the camera or audience. Making videos better and connecting with the audience would boost the performance.
• Overall: Super skilled, but improving video production and audience connection would enhance the overall impact.

CHASEDREAM

• Strength: Music choices, remixes, production, and video quality were all great.
• Room to grow: Big audio quality problems were present, a primary focus on the laptop limited interaction, and sudden, buggy transitions really held things back.
• Overall: Strong musical and production ideas are present, but technical issues and a lack of engagement detracted from the performance.

CHELSEA YU + VQ

• Strength: Awesome interaction, great video editing, cool branding, and music choices told a clear story. Using the drum pad was a unique and personal touch!
• Room to grow: A transition with the buildup felt a little weird as the energy was building but then the original song came in unexpectedly. It would be cool to know if all the music edits were self-produced.
• Overall: A super engaging and personalized performance with great branding. Just a few little tweaks on those transitions could make it perfect.

CRUZ CONTROL

• Strength: The camera angle was a good choice, and music selection was solid.
• Room to grow: A lack of interaction with the camera/audience was noted, a few small errors in transitions, and no original tracks or mashups meant definitely could amp up the audience engagement and add some creative flair.
• Overall: A decent set musically and visually, but could benefit from more audience engagement and original creative input.

DANIEL JIMENEZ

• Strength: Music choices were good.
• Room to grow: No apparent effort was put into the video. Transitions had errors and were often really sudden. No interaction with the camera/audience, and no original tracks or mashups meant the overall presentation and how transitions were handled really need a lot of work.
• Overall: The music was okay, but the overall presentation and technical execution require significant improvement.

DEPOLL

• Strength: Music choices were fantastic all the way through. Transitions were smooth and well-done. The way the set ended was especially good. Even without direct camera interaction, a super energetic vibe was given off!
• Room to grow: No significant areas for improvement were noted.
• Overall: A really strong and energetic set with smooth transitions and great music flow.

DISHTHESALAD

• Strength: Transitions, music choices, and remixes were all excellent. The video vibe and branding were also spot on.
• Room to grow: A lack of direct interaction with the camera was noted, unclear personal edits (since well-known tracks were used), going over time, and a long period of silence at the end meant connecting with the audience more and keeping an eye on the clock would help!
• Overall: A high-quality set musically and visually, but could improve on artist-audience connection and time management.

DJ DRONE

• Strength: A lot of effort was put into video editing, especially with those cool camera angle changes. Personal mashups were great. Awesome energy was present, especially when hyping things up and jumping around!
• Room to grow: The color grading could be better, and even with all that energy, interaction with the camera wasn’t much. The set also went over time.
• Overall: A dynamic and well-edited set with cool personal touches. Just a few small tweaks on the technical side and time management would make it even better.

DJ JAMES321

• Strength: Music choices were good, and a steady energy level was kept.
• Room to grow: No apparent effort was put into the video presentation.
• Overall: The music was consistent, but attention to how the video looks is really needed.

DJ LEO

• Strength: Effective camera angle changes were present. Music choices showed a clear beginning, middle, and end. Controller use and effects were excellent.
• Room to grow: Transitions were noticeably off-beat, and not much interaction with the camera/audience meant work on transition timing and engaging the audience is needed.
• Overall: Strong technical control and storytelling with music are present, but timing during transitions and audience engagement need work.

DJ NEGATIVE

• Strength: Transitions were good, and music choices were strong. Remixes were well-done. Good effort was put into changing camera angles.
• Room to grow: The set felt more like a club gig than a contest entry (which might not fit the judging rules), and interaction with the crowd wasn’t much.
• Overall: A technically solid set with good music, but tailoring the style for contests and getting more interactive would be beneficial.

DJ WAV

• Strength: The opening was strong. The camera angle was good. A lot of effort was put into choosing the venue. Transitions, music choices, and interaction were all good.
• Room to grow: The camera angle was a little shaky sometimes. It’s not clear if any original tracks or mashups were included.
• Overall: A well-rounded and engaging performance with strong technical and presentation skills.

EVALE

• Strength: The set would be great for an opening slot.
• Room to grow: No interaction with the camera/audience, a plain and simple set, going over time, and bringing in progressive music too late meant more dynamic progression, engagement, and sticking to time limits are needed.
• Overall: Good for a specific role, but needs more dynamic progression, engagement, and adherence to time limits.

GAVRIO

• Strength: Music choices were good. The set could work well for production music.
• Room to grow: No interaction with the camera/audience, and a plain and simple set meant it needs more visual engagement and energy for a performance.
• Overall: Musically sound, but lacks the visual engagement and dynamism for a performance-oriented set.

HUNDRED DIGITS

• Strength: The opening music was strong. Personal remixes were included effectively. Camera interaction was good. Even with a few small errors, recovery was quick on transitions. Camera angle changes were effective. And the set ended really well.
• Room to grow: No significant areas for improvement were noted.
• Overall: A dynamic and engaging performance with strong skills, and minor issues were handled like a pro.

IVANJAY

• Strength: Music choices were good, with a clear beginning and end. Effort was put into lighting and creating a personal crowd.
• Room to grow: Big video and audio quality issues in some parts, unclear original mashups, and a lack of interaction even with a personal crowd meant the technical quality and audience engagement really need a lot of work.
• Overall: The set had good musical flow and atmosphere, but technical quality and audience engagement need significant improvement.

JARO CAB

• Strength: The opening was good. Music choices were strong, and personal mashups were well-done.
• Room to grow: Minimal camera interaction and not much effort put into the video presentation meant the visual and interactive parts could definitely be improved.
• Overall: Strong musically, but the visual and interactive elements could be enhanced.

JUST ALVS

• Strength: The opening was a nice, chill start. Video editing with captions and music titles showed great effort. Transitions were well-done. Wordplay was cool, and personal mashups were strong.
• Room to grow: No significant areas for improvement were noted.
• Overall: A really well-produced and thoughtful set with awesome personal touches.

KEHELE KEFF

• Strength: Personal remixes and production added a lot of value. Energy buildup was excellent. The video vibe and branding were strong. Good interaction was present, and camera angle changes were effective.
• Room to grow: No significant areas for improvement were noted.
• Overall: A super engaging and professional set with strong original content.

KENZIN67ON

• Strength: Transitions were good. Personal mashups were included.
• Room to grow: Audio and video quality issues were noted.
• Overall: Good creative ideas with mashups are present, but the technical quality of the recording needs a big improvement.

KEROZCENE

• Strength: The opening buildup was good, creating some nice anticipation. Music choices were also good.
• Room to grow: The point-of-view was cut off suddenly, and that ring light was way too bright and distracting (“hurt my eyes”), so refinement of the video and lighting is needed.
• Overall: A promising start, but technical execution of video and lighting needs refinement.

LENRD

• Strength: Transitions were good, and effects were well-utilized. A good energy buildup was present.
• Room to grow: Audio issues in some parts (maybe from low-quality downloads), no personal mashups or productions, and an ending that felt sudden with an unexpected “kumabayo” part meant fixing the audio quality, adding original content, and making the ending smoother is needed.
• Overall: Good technical mixing, but audio quality, original content, and a smoother ending need attention.

LHUDWIG

• Strength: Transitions were all good. Music choices were also good.
• Room to grow: A noticeable lack of energy and interaction, and the set feeling more like a club performance than a contest entry meant more energy and engagement are needed for a contest setting.
• Overall: Technically sound in mixing and music, but needs more dynamism and engagement for a contest setting.

MARCY REMEGIO

• Strength: Video quality was good. The most was really made of the controller controls, which was a huge plus! Transitions were excellent. Personal mashups were included, and music choices were fantastic. The whole set flowed smoothly.
• Room to grow: Minimal camera interaction was noted.
• Overall: A super skilled and polished performance with strong technical execution and creative content.

MARKDC

• Strength: A lot of effort was put into the lighting, creating a great atmosphere. Music choices were unique, not just typical EDM. The music was built up really well, telling a story instead of just playing tracks. And the ending was smooth.
• Room to grow: No interaction with the camera.
• Overall: A musically sophisticated and well-structured set with a cool vibe, but could benefit from direct audience engagement.

MARK NAGARE

• Strength: A good music buildup was present.
• Room to grow: An audio quality issue was noted.
• Overall: Potential is shown in how music is built, but the audio quality really needs to be addressed.

PIGNU

• Strength: A cool aesthetic vibe was created. Transitions were good, and the set had a groovy feel.
• Room to grow: No original tracks or mashups were included.
• Overall: A visually and musically appealing set, but incorporating original content would add depth.

YANZO

• Strength: Transitions were good.
• Room to grow: No original tracks were included, and the set was plain, simple, and didn’t show much effort in presentation.
• Overall: Basic in presentation, but technically sound in transitions.

ZAITEN

• Strength: Transitions and music buildup created a real journey. Strong production power and DJ skills were shown. Branding was effective.
• Room to grow: No interaction with the camera.
• Overall: A highly skilled and well-produced set with a clear musical story, but enhancing the connection with the audience would be good.

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On-Chain Voting App

The on-chain voting app (beta V1), developed by our CTO John Sedano with assistance from Daniel Dulce and monitored by NJ Bigornia and Terrence Liquigan, was designed to provide real-time and transparent results.

 

Click here to view the app

YouTube Analytics

Here’s a screenshot of the participants’ video analytics, showing the average watch duration, total watch hours, views, and impressions. The data shown covers the period from May 13th to 19th, as this is the current timeframe for which YouTube provides analytics.

 

Metric Source: YouTube Studio Analytics

The judging evaluation was conducted during the voting round, entailing 8 hours of review across 33 entries. It was fun to see the variety in productions, skill sets, and music selections. It was definitely a tough scoring process internally, and the judges [ Nicky Montes and Jared Celemin ] agreed. The talent displayed by all participants was remarkable, making the final decisions incredibly difficult.

Here are the contest results, with the average scores calculated from the following criteria: 40% Music Production, 30% DJ Skills, 20% Voting App and YouTube Likes/Views, and 10% Visual Video Production.

See the full results – click here!

Congratulations to our top three scorers: Hundred Digits, Zaiten, and AiS NiCAUTION! We also extend honorable mentions to the following outstanding participants: People’s Choice – Kerozcene, Original Production – Kehele Keff, Cinematography – DJ Wav, and Storyteller – MarkDC.

• The Top 3 Winners will each receive 3,000 pesos, 2 VIP tickets, 20 expo passes, and a slot to perform at the &Friends Music Festival on May 31st (Day 2).
• Notable Entries mentioned will each receive 1,500 pesos.

A big thank you to everyone who participated and showed support! This isn’t the last of our contests, so make sure to follow us on Instagram for updates – we’ll see you next month!