Stems are audio files with separated instruments. All the synths in one track, drums in another, vocals, etc. They're used for remixes, playing live and mastering.
“He performs like he's on broadway. He produces giant, epic dance-floor bangers. He runs his own record label. Bankai is the honey badger of the digital world.”
- Danehunnerup.com
Since becoming a minor cult figure after his first online release, Bankai has flown around the world playing huge stages and house parties, all with the same tastelessly danceable, DIY banger ethic. Expect wireless DJing with Wii remotes, tunes bouncing between bleeding edge bass music, balkan folk tunes, chip-tunes and bad 90s pop. Bankai makes people dance. Please don't book him for 'chilled' sets, it doesn't work.
I often get questions about gear. Here's an interview with Mark, from RMIT's audio production course, which should cover most questions:
Everything centres around Macbook Pro, with a reasonably recent version of Ableton Live. Some or all of the following are used as needed:
Yes. In the studio (read, my lounge room) I run a somewhat aged version of Logic Pro on the same laptop, with noteable plugins including the Slim Slow Slider (a free sidechain compressor) and Native Instruments Massive.
I also have a MOTU 896HD and a pair of beautiful Yamaha NS-1000 monitors, neither of which I use much because I don't have a firewire 400 to 800 adapter for the MOTU and I do most of my mixing on headphones at the pub (apologies, audiophiles).
At first I knew nothing about DJing - I used to play guitar and sing in a punk/metal band. Not much has changed. I still can't beat match or play CDs/Vinyl.
In 2009, a bunch of kids from Vancouver put enough money in a Paypal account to fly me over for a show. Accordingly, I frantically learnt how Ableton Live worked and bought a Behringer BCR2000 (because it was what Daft Punk used and it's really cheap).
Since then, touring internationally and experiencing the horror of New York + LAX airports, my main goal has been slimming down gear until I can fit it - plus all clothes, toiletries and stuff - into a Megalolopolis backpack. It fits in the overhead compartment, thus no check in luggage.
It also means I can carry everything on my back and ride my motorbike out into the countryside to play doofs (outdoor raves) here in Australia.