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2018 In Review
This annual newsletter gives us the opportunity to reflect on everything Four on Four achieved over the past year and to share what’s coming next for our fans and followers.
2018 was an exciting yet challenging year. While personal milestones—like DJ Alexander purchasing a new home—meant there was less time for producing mixes, the momentum behind Four on Four continued. We released 8 new mixes, including 4 Four on Four exclusives and 4 entries in the Four on Four Radio series. Edition #34 wrapped up the year, and we’re thrilled to continue with more in 2019. With these additions, our collection reached 50 total mixes.
Fan engagement remained strong. Our mixes received 4,034 plays and 148 favorites over the year. The standout mix of 2018 was Shikodachi, which broke into Mixcloud’s Top 20 for global Big Room House and climbed to #22 in the overall Big Room category. Other exclusive mixes, including This Is My Section, Gioca Sole Mio, and Kibadachi (the follow-up to Shikodachi), also gained attention, though Shikodachi clearly led the pack. EDM remained the top-performing genre, with even older mixes like 2017’s Dirty Vegas continuing to draw strong listener counts.
Our fan base on Mixcloud doubled, surpassing 250 followers. However, we didn’t see the same growth on SoundCloud, and this will be an area of focus as we look to expand further in 2019.
One of the most important milestones last year was the creation of the official Four on Four logo. This visual identity is now the anchor of the Four on Four brand—something fans can recognize across all our mixes and materials. In 2019, we plan to refine the logo further with new color and format variations, making it even more versatile for cover art and digital content.
Major development also occurred behind the scenes on the Four on Four Portal. Several functional upgrades were released throughout the year, all aimed at giving fans a robust and engaging experience while allowing DJ Alexander to better manage and curate content. From a personal workflow standpoint, the portal now makes it easier to find, organize, and mix new material. It also helps track trends across labels and artists, adding value on both the creative and discovery fronts.
Some of the major updates to the Four on Four music portal in 2018 included:
- February (v4.6): Introduced a structured change management framework with visible release notes, along with features for organizing content by record label.
- May (v4.7): Rolled out music compilations and introduced the ‘Producers’ concept for better organization of DJ compilations.
- July (v4.8): Launched a fully re-architected version of the site using Bootstrap for mobile compatibility and visual consistency. New features included search tools, album artwork, music label logos, and more dynamic UI elements.
- November: Released key enhancements like continuous play for playlists, seek functionality, and content previews that show how many tracks are in a given album, band, or label.
And notably, the Four on Four music library surpassed 4,000 tracks in 2018—a major achievement that sets the stage for what’s next.
Looking Ahead to 2019
2019 is shaping up to be a defining year for Four on Four. The investments made in 2018—from brand identity to portal capabilities—have laid the groundwork for stronger, faster, and more consistent content production, all under a unified brand that fans trust.
We’ve already begun standardizing our news content into dedicated editorial series:
- Four on Four Essentials will highlight top recommended tracks curated by DJ Alexander, designed to be core selections in any serious DJ’s collection.
- FOF DJ Toolbox will provide how-to guides on DJ gear, software, and practical techniques.
- FOF Pulse will focus on music event highlights from Southern California and beyond, spotlighting key moments in global electronic music.
Our goals for growth in 2019 are ambitious but clear:
- Triple the fan base to 800 or more
- Release 20 new mixes (all House or EDM), including 6 exclusive Four on Four mixes
- Land at least 3 mixes in Mixcloud’s Global Top 20 charts
- Double total Mixcloud listens to 12,000+
- Double Mixcloud favorites to 300+
- Perform a minimum of 3 live shows
From a branding perspective, we’ll be creating variations of the Four on Four logo, adding new DJ drops, and making sets more interactive with voice segments from DJ Alexander. We’ll also be running ad campaigns targeting EDM-enthusiastic states like Maine, Missouri, South Dakota, and Alabama to grow our listener base.
All active platforms—Mixcloud, Facebook, SoundCloud, Twitter, YouTube, and the Four on Four Portal—will be updated and kept in sync to ensure fans can access Four on Four content anywhere.
Specific 2019 goals for the portal include:
- Expand the music library to 6,000 tracks
- Improve the mobile experience across all portal features
- Release 4 new versions with feature enhancements and bug fixes
- Launch a major new feature: Ratings for mixes, individual tracks, and other DJs’ radio shows
In Summary
A heartfelt thank you from DJ Alexander and the entire Four on Four team. Your enthusiasm and feedback made 2018 a meaningful year for us, and we’re energized to deliver even more in 2019.
To kick things off, be on the lookout for Four on Four Radio Edition #35 — dropping this weekend. Let’s make 2019 the biggest year yet.
— The Four on Four Team
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