DJing in the 1970s: Was it any less DJing because it didn't involve beatmatching? Pic: Preston Covillaud
I have nothing but respect for DJs who have mastered the art of turntablism or silky smooth mixing on vinyl: These are truly magical skills on a par with real musicianship. But there was a time not so long ago when DJing was all about the music you played rather than your mixing ability. Those times were in many ways far more creative and musically exciting than today.
I remember when acid house and Detroit techno first became popular in London and many of the funk, soul and reggae DJs said it wasn’t real music if it wasn’t made with instruments. They spoke against it as ersatz fakery and said uniform beats created on a drum machine were so easy to work with that it made a mockery out of the craft. Now some of those very same DJs love to talk about how they were there at the birth of modern DJ culture!
But it has come full circle, because those they criticised are returning the favour to the current generation of digital DJs.
Those they criticised are returning the favour to the current generation of digital DJs.
I have lost count of the amount of times I have heard that if you can’t mix by ear and haven’t ever spun on vinyl you have no right to call yourself a DJ. This is ahistorical nonsense of the highest order.
Some fantastic DJs were playing before Francis Grasso put two beats together and there are still many genres of music that quite simply can not be beatmatched. Even in the late 80s up to the early 90s it was quite common to hear quality house DJs using the much derided spinback or just fading out and into the next tune.
Corporate clubbing and the rise of bland
Somewhere in the mid 90s, with the rise of corporate clubbing and the superstar DJ, silky smooth mixing skills became a must for all DJs and much of the musical creativity fled the dancefloor and has struggled to return.
James Palumbo': His Ministry of Sound superclub brand spearheaded what many saw as the 'blandification' of clubbing.
Where once house DJs quite happily played hip hop artists like Chubb Rock and Public Enemy back to back with Kraftwerk and house music laden with James Brown beats, DJs fractured into sub-genre ghettos and their sets started to sound like one long three hour track instead of an exciting mix full of surprises and inspiration.
Everything became very smooth and professional but gone were the enthusiasts who made lists and sought out the tracks they heard, because the DJs weren’t there to surprise their audiences any more. The job of the nightclub DJ became to create a perfectly mixed wall of sound and not to risk clearing the dancefloor by throwing any curveballs that stood out.
Now we have a club scene that is dominated by the flat pack 4:4 beat and the austerity of minimal house.
Digital: The new punk?
But for me, mixing really isn’t the most important thing about DJing, and that’s why I think ultimately, digital is good for DJ culture.
If software and digital technology makes mixing more accessible to music lovers of all different kinds – some with natural technical ability, some without – that will breathe new life into the market.
Waveforms: Are they really to blame for the demise of quality DJing?
I have personally seen people who could never DJ on vinyl become popular – DJs who play amazing multi-genre sets on a par with the likes of Mr Scruff and Norman Jay – simply because they now have the visual aid of the software. This can only be a good thing.
To those who still insist that to be a DJ one must be able to beatmatch by ear, I have to tell you that many people would rather hear a DJ with absolutely no technical ability who just plays amazing music they have never heard before than listen to the most accomplished silky smooth mixing executed on vinyl, CD or controller.
It’s the music that matters not the technique.
We should have no problem with DJs who never learned how to mix getting professional DJ work if they have passion and dedication for music.
Many people would rather hear a DJ with absolutely no technical ability who just plays amazing music…
If not mixing disqualifies you as a DJ then someone tell David Mancuso and every funk, northern soul and reggae selector on God’s green earth that they should just admit to being frauds and hang up their headphones.
You are a DJ if you have the knowledge and music collection to captivate a crowd for four hours on a regular basis without repeating yourself. In fact if you can do that without mixing it could be argued that you are a better DJ than the person who has the technical ability to fall back on.
Blame the scene, not the kids
So I put it to you my fellow DJs, that the problem is not kids with no passion for music getting gigs because they have Serato and the Beatport top 40. No, the problem is that most nightclubs have become realms where mixing has eclipsed musical content.
Are the Beatport DJ generation the ones to blame, or is it the fault of the superstar DJs a generation before them?
That’s why in my humble opinion, digital DJ technology could be the answer. Now people who never got the knack of beatmatching by ear can spin on a level playing field with the silky smooth mixing, sub genre specialists who currently dominate the dance floors with their minimalistic 4:4 beats.
I love 4:4 beats and play them a lot myself but my software has allowed me to introduce so much more to my sets than I ever could by ear. With digital DJ tools we can bring back the musical freedom of earlier days.
We should embrace the future, and accept that digital DJ is part of the solution, not part of the problem.
• Luke James Taylor grew up in London in the 80s on a diet of soul, funk, reggae, hop hop and house. He is currently rocking Bangkok with his unique blend of soulful goodness.
What do you think? Is digital saving DJing and heralding a new age where more music fans than ever can learn to play music to dancefloors? Or are hallowed skills being disrespected and a privileged art being undermined? As alway, your thoughts are more than welcome in the comments.
Now go to:
3 Secrets Of Mixing Different Styles
Is Controllerism The New Underground?
5 Reasons Why Digital DJing Beats Vinyl
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Tags: digital vs analogue, mp3s vs vinyl
amen.
[ link ]thank you for such a great article.
[ link ]Thank you
[ link ]I think good music is amplified with technique.
[ link ]I agree completely – when the two go hand in hard you can come close to genius.
[ link ]+1
[ link ]Absolutely good music is enhanced by technical ability.
I didn’t mean to say technical skills weren’t fantastic tools to have, it’s just I know from experience they are not essential and that you can still be a great DJ without flawlessly beatmatched and impeccably EQed transitions.
I don’t think a DJ with technical ability is necessarily better and more deserving of the limelight than someone without those skills.
In my extensive experience some of the more musically exciting and popular DJs I have ever seen rarely beatmatched and when they did it was hardly silky smooth but their selection was so good they could move a crowd of thousands.
It’s so sad that today they would be considered less professional than a relatively new DJ with perfect technical ability playing a narrow band of 4×4 sub genre sounds to a few hundred people.
I still maintain that it’s the music not the technical ability that marks one out as a good DJ.
Technical ability should be the icing on the cake rather than the cake itself.
It’s one thing to learn to beatmatch modern house or trance but something completely different to be able to mix classic house, broken beats, breaks and drum and bass with disco, jazz, hip hop and funk.
To be silky smooth in the mix when you are dealing with so many different beats, BPMs and time signatures takes decades to perfect by ear. Hence a nightlife industry obsessed with silky smooth skills has been almost completely consumed by the most minimal versions of house music.
Luckily Digital DJ tools have leveled the playing field and I expect to see many more musically adventurous DJs getting in on the act
And guess what it’s the Luddites who should embrace this most.
The people I know who are most anti Digital DJs tend to be the most old school.
Vinyl DJs and people who used to party in the 80′s and 90′s but stopped as house music not only took almost complete domination but became increasingly minimal.
My article is to say to these people that digital technology can bring back the FUNK to the trunk and the S.O.U.L to the bowl so they should hush up and enjoy!!!
[ link ]There is still hope for Dance music yet…Just listen to this latest essential mix and you will see what I mean.
It’s all about the music and this proves it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0178q8j
[ link ]I always get a kick out of this idea that there is some way to do things in any genre/subgenre/field of music that is the ONE TRUE WAY OF THE TALENTED AND PURE OF HEART. More in electronic music than anywhere else is the irony in this hilarious to me. It’s like, we are all part of this changing thing and evolution is survival in music- yet the guitarist looks down on the synthesizer programmer who looks down on the vinyl DJ who looks down on the ableton dj who looks down on the serato dj who looks down on the traktor dj who looks down on the iPad DJ who looks down on the Android DJ who also looks down on the iPad DJ… Then the hierarchy of DAWs where Fruityloops users defend themselves in front of Logic/Ableton/Reason/Pro Tools users who used to defend themselves in front of old tape op dudes… and also typically fight about whose software is best… then they fight about platform…
There’s always this sort of nonsense going on- I think you become more aware of it with some time in “the biz” and maybe even that people are less concerned with “THE ONE TRUE WAY” and more worried about being sure where they spent their money was the right place.
One has to wonder, were the technology free… if everyone could adapt at no cost- how many people would stop “sticking to their guns” and try the new hot whatever? This is, of course, instead of littering forums with why the technology is garbage and why those who use item/method/flavor of the month X are actually untalented charlatans….
The history of popular music is basically the same story over and over again- something new appears, the old guard bristle, the new thing eventually dies or is adopted by the masses. If someone is doing something a new way and you are talking shit about it- you might just be turning into a relic who can’t adapt anymore. Maybe not, but it’s food for thought.
Great piece!
[ link ]+1 to this post too!!!
[ link ]+100 Dude!
[ link ]The Ballet Russe was cutting edge and avant with people walking out at the radical performance and art, then along came Jazz which was the devil’s own music, wait no rock and roll is the devil’s music, ah but hippies are the spawn of the devil. Oh hang on Punk is really the most wicked music, except for House or was it Gangsta rap or Niche music or…..
Plus ca change.
[ link ]At least we can all agree it’s the ipad users that need to be looked down on the most!
[ link ]+1
hehehe
[ link ]Now THAT comment is evil, love it.
[ link ]Great article.
I have just got back into Djing for the first time since I was a teenager – back then I had some vinyl turntables and some crappy hard dance tunes I was into. I really struggled to beat match I have tinnitus in my right ear which effects my hearing which doesnt help I am sure as my hearing is about half of my left ear.
I am not using that as an excuse though I think I could learn with enough practice. The problem is my true passion is the music not mixing. When I was younger I couldnt afford to buy all the CDs and Vinyls I wanted let alone the equipment to mix it on. When I was a student I made up for this by going out and listening to djs and producers I liked. Now I have a job I finally have some cash to spend but I still cant afford the hardware that I would want to learn to beatmatch on.
What I can afford to do though is buy lots of music online along with a cheap and powerful midi controller unlocking what I always dreamed of as a teenager. Having a massive collection of tunes that I can listen to and share with others. I always get stupidly excited by new music, I could spend my whole pay check on it if I wasnt careful.
I help put on a night with some friends in Manchester – it is only small and nothing commercial just a bit of fun, we were playing a house party recently and I was on from 3am to 7am, no set plan a little nervous, I played to about 10 people who were left and some people commented that they really loved my set. I was playing on a mixtrack pro with Virtual DJ LE! They really didnt care what I was using it was all about the music selection.
I think I am just trying to emphasise the point that it really should be about the music.
On a side note, the most popular guy at our night started off on a midi controller and has moved to CDs just so he can play anywhere and not have to take his midi controller with him. He is going in reverse he has just bought some turntables:) Digital Djing was his entry point, now he is looking at producing and djing together in some crazy digital analogue hybrid!
[ link ]WOW!!! Im a Dj here in Portland,Oregon, USA. I do have to admit, that here where i am located everyone is doing that hybrid “Digital Analogue”. Yet even my self!!! Glad to hear someone is doing the same around the world!
[ link ]“the problem is that most nightclubs have become realms where mixing has eclipsed musical content.”
I personally think the problem is club culture became too much of a money machine and less of anything else. DJs in most clubs now have to “play it safe” all the time. You drop that one experimental track that clears the floor, or even a popular tune that might clear the floor, and suddenly you could get fired.
In the past, it was just about throwing a party, going all out, and letting the people come in droves. Now it’s about ROI. How little you can put in to maximize profits. They want DJs now to be human jukeboxes. Make the “club sluts” happy so they’ll come out every week and guys spend their paychecks trying to get laid.
The underground scene got worse when the idea of “think different” was cast away for “stay cooler than the mainstream poseurs”. That’s been the mentality of most folks in that scene. I remember when I played a dub mix of a BRITNEY SPEARS track. I got flack for it, despite that it sounded like some simple instrumental deep house…nothing like a Britney Spears tune. Yet they saw her name and instantly thought I was a joke for playing it. This is why things in that end of the spectrum are a mess.
On all sides it’s become too much about IMAGE and nothing more. Look how many guys ask if their controller choice will make them “look professional” or not.
WHO CARES??????
I only care about
[ link ]…WHAT I HEAR!
Wow me with a great set…not your gear.
[ link ]Interesting point, D-Jam, but I think the concern with image is a side-effect of everyone having the same access to the music. This has forced DJs to brand themselves in order to stand out. As you’re likely well aware, when you become a brand, image is everything.
[ link ]This is why it is now quite valid to ask for “profesional looking” kit. You may be able to perform the same on a Traktor S4 as some bargain-bin MIDI controller but you know for a fact, the S4 guy is going to get the gig every time.
Two guys go for an office job interview: One in a business suit, the other in a tracksuit. Who would you hire? This is exactly the same situation, albeit dressed up differently (excuse the pun!).
This isn’t an attack on you D-Jam, I’m just adding my £0.02 to some of your points.
I agree with what you are saying here. The image should be a supplement, not an augment. With the advent of household names like Daft Punk and deadmau5 (extreme examples of using imagry with djing/production) appearing on TV in the grammys and hosting MTV awards ceremonies, it almost seems as if image is key. People see this (myself included) and think, “Wow! look at that huge stage and light show, and all of those people, and they’re on TV…etc” and think that having a brand and image is key. Unfortunately I think, rather know, that in today’s industry having that image and “theme”, if you will, to augment your music is the only way to become MASSIVE. That leads to all of the people wearing masks while djing and others having their fashion be just as crucial to them as their mixers (not mixing). The music industry is not so much about the music right now, as it is about the consumer. Music is just as much marketing and business as it is half notes and key signatures. I regret to say this, but until it gets better, for up and coming djs as well as anyone in the scene today the current way to become big and sucessful is to become a brand.
[ link ]I agree with what you are saying here. The image should be a supplement, not an augment. With the advent of household names like Daft Punk and deadmau5 (extreme examples of using imagry with djing/production) appearing on TV in the grammys and hosting MTV awards ceremonies, it almost seems as if image is key. People see this (myself included) and think, “Wow! look at that huge stage and light show, and all of those people, and they’re on TV…etc” and think that having a brand and image is key. Unfortunately I think, rather know, that in today’s industry having that image and “theme”, if you will, to augment your music is the only way to become MASSIVE. That leads to all of the people wearing masks while djing and others having their fashion be just as crucial to them as their mixers (not mixing). The music industry is not so much about the music right now, as it is about the consumer. Music is just as much marketing and business as it is half notes and key signatures. I regret to say this, but until it gets better, for up and coming djs as well as anyone in the scene today the current way to become big and sucessful is to become a brand.
[ link ]You are talking too much in generalist terms about what seems to be your bad personal experience.
Obviously people can only go from their personal experience but don’t then apply it to the whole scene…
From my end there’s still shedloads of clubs that are all about the party with DJ’s who are much more than jukeboxes and play whole sets of experimental stuff. You sound a bit bitter mate.
Maybe its an American thing I don’t know?? I was only on a blog last night that posted up a Mark Kinchen dub of a Celine Dion tune of all people. These guys are playing clubs all over London on a regular basis, putting out records on quality labels and they have no qualms at all about the image of a good Celine Dion dub.
You must be going to or DJing at the wrong parties dude, there’s plenty of quality stuff going on with no image worries whatsoever in my experience…
[ link ]I think Alex has a valid point if you want to be a superstar DJ then you need a marketing gimmick, some of your own successful productions and a lot of luck.
Despite marketing being much more important today it has always only been the lucky few who hit it large.
I grew up surrounded by DJs and only know one who reached superstar status but he had a chart topping hit, some great marketing and luck.
Many DJs live quite charmed lives but they are not uber rich celebrities.
To be honest I have no interest in being a big name DJ and I think it is suspect if your aim as a DJ is to be super rich and have groupies.
I am quite happy just plugging along, as long as my rent is paid, I have a moderate disposable income and I’m doing what I love then I couldn’t be happier.
Although as a DJ if you want to give up your day job and reach a modicum of financial security you will still need something to make you stand out from the rest.
My selling point is my musical knowledge and the way I play anything from the newest tech house to Motown hits, rare Reggae, funk and jazz usually all within one set.
In my location that makes me unique so I get work.
In my home town of London I am just one of many eclectic DJs so I can only earn pocket money and I still have to go to the 9 to 5 job.
If you are a sub genre specialist or commercial DJ it gets harder because you have a lot more competition.
That is when you need the right marketing.
In this image driven market I am increasingly seeing venues advertising and booking goodlooking girl DJs. The fact that they are advertising strictly for girl DJs and they are always drop dead gorgeous hints to me that they are looking for glamorous eye-candy behind the decks rather than musical knowledge or skills.
I think this is a really worrying trend and insulting to female DJs too.
[ link ]Great piece.
It should, and always be about the music. I’m a turntablist, but also use professional grade software. As long as you can throw down a great set, make people move… it doesn’t matter if you are using a cassette deck. The MUSIC will always remain king.
The art of DJing has grown so much over the years, and you learn to love all the changes its gone through since its inception. As long as we can continue to spread the music love to the masses, let the digital age carry into the next one.
-Bop City
[ link ]but who discusses digital djing now? that is so ’07
[ link ]I didn’t realise DJ culture needed saving to be honest? Digital DJing is great but don’t make out DJ culture would die without it.
Yes it is easier to put together a mixed multi-genre set but it was possible before – mixed or not mixed. I don’t really understand what this article is getting at? On one hand your lauding DJ’s who don’t mix and saying it doesn’t matter (I agree), the next your saying DJ culture is being saved because its easier for anyone to mix?
Yes technical ability is not the be all and end all but it still has a lot of importance in DJ culture. Even if your a digital DJ using sync its a massive bonus knowing how to beatmatch and phrase manually, no question…
[ link ]Well my point is that today the promoters, nightclubs and the more superficial clubbers expect perfect mixing and would think less of a DJ for not displaying 100% beatmatching skills.
This has meant that the vast majority of clubs have become the sole domain of 4×4 minimalistic house sounds and many amazing eclectic DJs are not getting booked by the clubs like they would have been 10 or 15 years ago.
Digital tools allow great DJs with imperfect skills to compete with people who are currently dominating the scene with the comparatively easy to mix tech house styles. Digital DJing gives the non technical eclectic DJ a chance to bring their sounds back to the nightclubs.
[ link ]Ok, so digital may be a solution to that, but its a solution to a problem that shouldn’t need fixing!!! Personally I don’t think the problem you’ve invented even exists (maybe your going to the wrong clubs) but lets pretend it does… Just because there’s superficial clubbers and misguided promoters, it doesn’t mean its a great thing that a new style of DJing can fix pander to their superficial needs. Surely thats just adding to the problem? Poor technical ability DJ’s (not a problem) being able to produce perfect sounding multi-genre sets, delivered to superficial clubbers who expect things that way. Is that not pushing out even further the amazing DJ’s that play one quality tune after another?
Why would I want to hear David Mancuso or David Rodigan when I can hear some kid with Traktor sync up all these tunes and make it sound like one big tune?? (That’s not me asking that question, its the so called superficial clubber you speak of).
Digital is fantastic but its not “saving the scene” and if the scene is as bad as you make out then DJ’s shouldn’t be pandering to it. As I said, its not as big a problem as you make out anyway, maybe its because the scene where I live is great but I regularly hear DJ’s playing eclectic well received sets with little or no mixing going on. Look at Andrew Weatherall. Yes he often plays perfectly mixed house and techno sets (with CD’s) but your just as likely to catch him playing unmixed Rockabilly and Experimental sets, or even sets from pretty much every genre. No one cares what he is using, no one cares if its mixed, syncing it up in Ableton would not improve it!
Again, I would stress I am not anti digital, I just disagree with your argument.
[ link ]I totally agree with you tally.
And I just can’t understand when Luke says: “the way I play anything from the newest tech house to Motown hits, rare Reggae, funk and jazz usually all within one set.” – Are you a resident dj mate??? It’s almost the only way these days to play multi-genres in a gig. Just to the record, I have a lot of respect for resident dj’s, (I have been one too), and I know how hard is to keep a club banging day after day.
and then: “If you are a sub genre specialist or commercial DJ it gets harder because you have a lot more competition.” – mate, at least here in Europe top dj’s or the called top dj’s play one or two sub genre. Please take a look on the best world clubs and see what the guest dj’s play out there.
About commercial dj’s, I personally don’t like cheesy but, if you want to win real money, it’s the easiest way and as you said before, produce a couple of tracks that get you to the spotlight.
Last, but not least as vic said above: “good music is amplified with technique” – that is so true and hope always will be.
[ link ]I am from London and know the scene very well from back when house and hip hop first arrived.
I am currently a resident DJ and a guest DJ in Asia.
I choose to play multi genre sets as that is the DJ culture I grew up in and love.
I’m surprised you don’t understand how I could do such a thing as London has a proud tradition of underground eclectic DJs and still has clubs packed out to hear them.
Outside of London, New York and a few other cultural hotspots it is a different matter.
There aren’t many nightclubs who would consider booking a DJ like me that is why I wrote this article. The nightclub culture needs to broaden it;’s horizons.
Because most nightclubs only book house sub-genre DJs I work in private members clubs and posh bars instead of nightclubs. It works for me fantastically.
There’s less DJs competition fishing for work so there is more opportunity, the crowds are usually more musically open minded and the money is better.
Anyway up until the mid 90′s most DJs played multi genre sets.
Hip hop DJs played just as much funk and soul as anything that identified as hip hop.
Most big name house DJs would play all styles of house (and there weren’t many)and bulk out there sets with hip hop, breaks (like New York’s Frankie Bones) and hardcore house ( eg:proto jungle/old skool) Plus you would usually hear a lot of underground disco (Larry Levan style) classics stirred into the brew.
It was a time of musical freedom and it didn’t matter which genre you liked most, there was almost always cross genre dabbling. In my opinion it was a much more creative time for all.
Nowadays most people don’t even consider you are real DJ unless you mix everything or are an amazing scratch DJ and you can be considered eclectic if you play both minimal tech and tech house; which in my opinion are both so similar that they don’t really qualify as two separate genres.
In London there is still a great tradition of serious multi genre DJs who pack out venues. People like Gilles Peterson, Norman Jay, Benji B, Mr Scruff and Ross Allen.
For eclectic DJing beatmatching is optional, track selection is what matters.
I think this could be a generational and scene thing.
I just posted this on my facebook and got a totally outraged reply from a friend of mine who is a deep house sub genre house DJ. For him techniques like beatmatching are what it’s all about.
He sees the music merely as paint and his mixing techniques as the art.
I see the music as the art and mixing as a tool to enhance the presentation.
I can see the skill in both approaches although I find the minimalistic, perfectly mixed “The wall of sound” style of session boring I can admit that is my subjective view and that a sub genre DJ is worthy of respect.
I just wish that sub genre beatmatching DJs could see my point of view and respect people who don’t focus on the mixing.
[ link ]“I can see the skill in both approaches although I find the minimalistic, perfectly mixed “The wall of sound” style of session boring”
You obviously need to take more drugs then! As then you won’t care about the boring monotonal music being played.
[ link ]Seriously though, I do think the drug use increase in early 90s was part of what allowed the boring DJ set to prosper.
Now there are some good points raised Tally, a lot of people think that every tune will be perfectly Beatmatched by pressing the Sync’ Button and hey prsto! Not quite, I do have to say the Sync’ Button will do the job for you most of the time, but sooner or later you will find a tune which will “Not Sync’” to the outgoing tune and it will be Off-Beat, then if you can not Beatmatch by Ear, you will have problems!
By the way I always use “Haedphone Monitoring” and most of my Transitions are around 1 minute long (sometimes even longer).
[ link ]In fact I would argue many aspects of digital DJing culture go completely against the argument of letting the music do the talking and bringing “the funk” as you say through the music alone.
Increaingly i’m seeing young DJ’s in bars and clubs with all the latest toys mashing the shit out of their tracks, hammering effects constantly and generally making a horrible noise that sounds so much more worse than if the expertly produced tracks were left alone. Creative? Yes. Nice Sounding? Definitely not..
Obviously you don’t have to do that with digital but its definitely a negative side effect of digital DJing culture that would have Jimmy Saville turning in his grave…
[ link ]The “horrible noise” you mention could be avoided with harmonic mixing. MixedInKey offers “Mashup” software that can prevent disharmony: http://mashup.mixedinkey.com/
[ link ]I’m really happy that I grew up in the ‘corporate’ clubbing days.
The music was amazing. The mixing was amazing. The clubbing atmosphere was amazing. If I could go back, I would.
[ link ]The illegal raves had better atmospheres and in my humble opinion far better music although the mixing wasn’t as good but that didn’t matter in the slightest.
[ link ]Roger that. It was all about the atmosphere. I used to go to an underground club called The Manor near Ringwood in Dorset. The people there were amazing. No drunken louts and everyone there for good times and good music.
[ link ]License fees have killed the DJ culture, at least in most countries in Europe. Somehow it lead all of us to produce our own tunes (4:4 because it’s easier), or play our friends music to save some cash and avoid playing more diverse music that people like to hear just because they’re used to hear it so much in the TV and Radio. Luckly, with the internet, we have now access to more white label tunes, so I guess that Digital DJ is also helping to restore DJ culture that the music industry almost destroyed.
[ link ]Your point may support the title better than the author did.
[ link ]D-JAM hit it right on the nail.
“I personally think the problem is club culture became too much of a money machine and less of anything else. DJs in most clubs now have to “play it safe” all the time. You drop that one experimental track that clears the floor, or even a popular tune that might clear the floor, and suddenly you could get fired.
In the past, it was just about throwing a party, going all out, and letting the people come in droves. Now it’s about ROI. How little you can put in to maximize profits. They want DJs now to be human jukeboxes. Make the “club sluts” happy so they’ll come out every week and guys spend their paychecks trying to get laid.”
AMEN!
[ link ]Yes, I agree to a certain extent.
When I started collecting tunes in the 80′s I always thought that a good DJ was someone who searched high and low to find the most amazing tunes both new and old.
Someone who played amazing music no one had ever heard before plus rocked the party.
The DJs were musical educators bringing inspiration and broadening horizons rather than regurgitating the stuff we all new already. Some DJs had turntablist skills or could beatmatch some didn’t but they all knew their music and knew what to play and when.
Nowadays most people think of a good DJ as someone who either plays within the confines of a tried and tested sub-genre or just reels off the MTV hits.
The idea of a professional nightclub DJ doing a set of music no one had ever heard before and mashing up the genres is a real rarity.
So it’s no wonder that mixing has become what maketh the DJ a DJ!!!
After all, If the crowd and the venue don’t want to hear anything new and just want to play it safe then it is only the DJs skills and technique that set him apart from plugging in your i-pod.
I still consider myself like the old skool DJs my job is to surprise, educate, inspire and entertain. To bring you stuff you never heard before and rock the party right
When a DJ is viewed as a crate digger and musical educator then mixing is secondary, if the DJs main job is to build a perfect, three hour pulsating, minimalistic wall of sound or slam the latest Lady Gaga then skills are indeed everything.
[ link ]D-Jam didn’t hit the nail on the head, he just seems to be being bitter about his own bad personal experiences. Plenty of good quality club culture going on pretty much everywhere as far as i can see. Yes there are these awful places he talks about (there always has been) but there’s more than enough quality going on. Maybe D-Jam played at some awful clubs, I don’t know?
[ link ]Tally old bean as a Londoner you live in one of the most vibrant scenes in the world.
It can be slim pickings elsewhere.
In London I could quite easily drop anything from rare skinhead reggae to drum and bass without clearing the room but most places in the world from Hertfordshire to downtown Delhi unless you play top 40 or house you will not be appreciated.
[ link ]Different scene outside of London, even in Chicago.
There are pockets of creativity, but they’re only relegated to a few spots and mainly weeknight events. On the weekends most of the spots a DJ would play at are filled with frat boys and Jersey Shore wannabes with the music being held strictly on Top-40 in a “play it safe” and “make women happy” overtone.
I’m not bitter, but simply stating truth based on my experiences. My personal gripes nowadays are when people assume a DJ is ONLY someone who manually beatmatches on vinyl, or a DJ is ONLY someone who spent thousands on his gear as opposed to less.
Even the branding/image thing I know is important. I did write whole guides here on how to utilize that, but it’s one thing to sell an image with a funky helmet or something compared to “I have an S4″.
[ link ]unmixed music = jukebox
[ link ]With respect that’s a crazy thing to say. The music defines whether you’re a “jukebox” or not, not how you get from one record to the next.
[ link ]cheers and respect to you as well.
not that it matters but IMO a dj is expected to mix music. picking the right tunes and where and how to mix them is part of the art of it.
if one is referring to a mobile or bar dj then sure mixing is probably irrelevant. but i would argue that the art form that is djing today has grown out of what dance music culture has produced, and in that respect mixing is essential.
mr. taylor also argues for the importance of mixing by stating that software has allowed individuals who couldn’t beatmatch to pull off good mixes now. speaking of which the growth of dj software in and of itself makes the case for the importance of mixing, else everyone would just be playing songs off their itunes.
[ link ]Cheers mate. For the record Mr Scruff is a pretty newish DJ from Manchester who came to prominence only 10 years ago. Whilst remaining underground he is a highly popular and successful DJ. Whilst spinning strictly on vinyl he doesn’t beatmatch. He prefers to use effects, timing and selection to transition and keep the crowd hyped. A real legend.
[ link ]Narf with that comment you clearly don’t have a clue…
[ link ]so a jukebox plays mixed music? news to me
[ link ]narf says:
“so a jukebox plays mixed music? news to me”
Nice reply… That wasn’t your point was it though?
If you were saying DJ’s who don’t mix are just jukeboxes then, i’ll repeat, you don’t have a clue mate. If you were saying something else I have no idea what you are on about.
I don’t know about your own skill level or experience as a DJ but I am very confident many many DJ’s who don’t mix their music who would wipe the floor with the likes of you…
Is Andrew Weatherall a jukebox? David Rodigan? Russ Winstanley? John Peel? No idea who you are but you’d have to be pretty good to compete with these guys playing (unmixed) sets…
[ link ]“Is Andrew Weatherall a jukebox? David Rodigan? Russ Winstanley? John Peel? No idea who you are but you’d have to be pretty good to compete with these guys playing (unmixed) sets…”
Well said Tally. All total legends who don’t mix. I would add David Mancuso, and the likes of Gilles Peterson, Norm Jay and Ross Allen who like me only really mix the house they play.
[ link ]Ok, there are some “legends” who don’t mix. But try and establish yourself today as a DJ who doesn’t mix.
Not happening.
Which was the whole point of this article, right? Thanks to software, people are able to DJ without having to manually beatmatch. In other words, the barrier to entry (the ability to mix) has been removed and is bringing fresh perspectives in.
So, I’m not sure what YOUR point was, but given the tools available today…yes if you aren’t mixing you’re just a jukebox.
[ link ]I have just moved to another part of the world where DJ culture never reached until mixing was already established but I have managed to establish myself with great track selections despite my sets being at least 30% unmixed.
So you are wrong
[ link ]The whole point of this article is that the tools available today might give eclectic DJs and DJs without technical ability the chance to get back into nightclub spots.
If you re-read the article you will realise I am pointing out it’s only an issue with nightclubs.
There is very little barrier for non beatmatching eclectic DJs in high class lounges, private members clubs, festivals and illegal parties. It’s only nightclubs which sacrifice a musical adventure for mixability and monotony.
[ link ]congrats on your success.
[ link ]WOW, I just want to say as a DJ that started on vinyl back in the day and still DJing but now with a controller and software THAT yes you should expect a DJ to do “smooth silk” mixing. If for 4 beats or 400. You cannot expect people to dance to train wrecks. I love yes that digital DJing has now created a great way to mix cross genre, but please stop letting color schemes and musical key software pick your mixes. Some mixes just don’t make sense. Clubbing is a culture in it of itself. Know what was hot in the clubs before you were able to go clubbing. If you don’t you better go out and listen to DJ’s that did. Respect your predecessors. Hahaha. No one is re-inventing the wheel. A club hit is a club hit is a club hit.
[ link ]D-Jam has a point but let’s be real these club owners opened these clubs to make money, not to have a place for people to hang out. It is hard to make your nut on 1 or 2 days income. No club is successful 7 nights a week. Real estate is expensive in big cities.
Luke wrote about how DJing has gone from DJing vast music to sub-genre specifics. Is is a bit monotonous. I agree. Club owners and promoters are putting on as many DJ’s a night as they can most likely hoping it brings in more people too. What happened to the DJ’s that could and how many DJ’s can really handle a 6+ hour night. Not many anymore. But they should. It is essential for the DJ to run the night mood atmosphere for the people at the club and leave the promoting to the promoter.
Reading this forum, I just came up with a theory why some oldschool vinyl djs complain about the lack of skills of a kid using the sync button or djs who don´t mix. Perhaps it´s because if you wan´t djing to be considered as an art, there is kind of a legitimity problem: you could argue that without technical skillz, a dj is just someone who plays other peoples music . I think it´s not enough to make a good song selection to be called an artist. Technical skillz ,whether they are beatmaching, scratching, juggle cue points, using effects etc, are tools to do more than just play songs, to create something new. And that´s art. And that´s why skillz are important to get respect as a dj.
[ link ]Absolutely true if you want to be an artist. Most DJs are promoters and performers. They promote and perform other peoples music.
The artistry side comes from phrase, fx and eq mixing, chopping up, looping, and rearranging songs and mashing them together. Wedding DJs could care less about that side, mobiles as well for the most part.
EDM DJs HAVE to care about the mix and the phrasing, because otherwise people’s dancing is constantly interrupted.
[ link ]That being said, I am squarely in the controllerist side of DJing. I quit tables years ago and I am completely comfortable kicking the crap out of a turntablist unless they are VERY good. DJing in the end is about music selection and music arrangement, not the equipment used.
[ link ]Also agree fully, say you want to become a painter, you have reasonable talent and your artwork is nice but not “WOW” then you decide to go for art classes and they teach you, perspective, depth, shading, colour mixing and various other techniques. The you apply these techniques/tools in your creative process and with practice you can create master pieces, same if you DJ, easy enough to play and mix in and out, but being creative is key I think
[ link ]DJ’s _are_ just people who play other people’s music, “technical” skills (dude, it’s counting to four, and being able to match sounds coming in one ear with different sounds coming in the other. That’s not technical) aside.
The problem, IMO, is the way Corporate Clubbing made the DJ the focus of the night – instead of the party.
Note that I have a similar opinion of the people who want Rock Musicians to be considered artistes …
[ link ]“DJ’s _are_ just people who play other people’s music”
[ link ]That´s not true. Listen to 90 premo mixtapes, watch q bert scratch, listen to ean goldens controlerism, listen to a beat junkies mixtape, watch mixmaster mike in the beastie boys video. And then, tell me that this is just “playing other peoples music”.
Let me try to understand. If I follow your logic.
Funk, soul and reggae DJs are less legitimate than house DJs?
I think not!
This is the problem, too many people seem to have grown up thinking the word DJ means a house DJ mixing in a nightclub environment or at a push a mobile/wedding DJ and nothing else. The fact is many of the greatest DJs are not house, trance or commercial DJs and beatmatching is not essential to being a great DJ.
The point of my article was to remind people that house is not the only sound and there are other equally valid approaches to track transition than the beatmatch.
[ link ]That´s exactly my point. There are creative ways to mix unbeatmatchable styles, like cuts and scratches etc. But just fading in an out is what I tunes does, so a dj needs to do more.
[ link ]“That´s exactly my point. There are creative ways to mix unbeatmatchable styles, like cuts and scratches etc. But just fading in an out is what I tunes does, so a dj needs to do more.”
Agreed there are many creative ways to transition between tracks but you can still be a quality DJ and let tracks finish or just fade out from time to time. That’s where I seem to differ from modern EDM dj’s who gauge the quality of a DJ on their technical ability. I do not.
I have far more respect for a DJ with a depth of music knowledge and track selection to die for who just fades in and out than I would for a four deck beatmatching wizard spinning nondescript minimal house all night.
Music maketh the DJ in my world but maybe I’m not keeping up with the times.!!!
[ link ]I like this article a lot but I disagree with one thing entirely.
“In fact if you can do that without mixing it could be argued that you are a better DJ than the person who has the technical ability to fall back on.”
So you are basically saying, if I make a perfect itunes playlist and I just let that shit play for 3 hours, I’m a good DJ? Are you joking? I agree with the whole beat matching is not a requirement anymore, but thats because we have SOFTWARE. People can now use the software to sync up beats. Nothing kills a dance floor faster then a beat going out of sync. I heard it at North Coast 2011 on the headphone stage with some cheap DJs mixing on DVS. Everyone stopped bumping. Energy was killed.
Regardless of how you mix, your mix better sound good.
[ link ]agreed…i’m completely baffled by some of the points of view put forward here.
[ link ]I would say it could quite easily be argued that a DJ like Mr Scruff who regularly plays 6 hour multi-genre sets of rare and adventurous music, unmixed, to thousands of people is a more talented DJ than a sub genre DJ who flawlessly beatmixes minimal, deep or trancey music that doesn’t go anywhere for a couple of hours a week.
It seems many of you are misunderstanding the meaning of “not mixing” that doesn’t mean mixing atrociously it means using other techniques to transition between tracks.
Anyway even if there is the odd clashed beat or gap between tunes it really is not that important when it’s your track selection people have come to hear rather than your technique.
Sure if you are a house DJ and you hear a beat clash or some bad EQ work you may flinch but the majority of punters really are not that focused on the technical wizardry of the DJ.
Unless the DJ is making a total hash of it the odd imperfection barely gets noticed apart from by other DJs.
It’s the music the punters are listening to and the beatmix is just the icing on the cake not the cake itself.
I think this is a cultural misunderstanding.
It seems to me that many house and trance DJs are having difficulty envisioning a set in which beatmixing is irrelevant.
That says to me that many EDM DJs are suffering from a severe lack of imagination and a touch of elitism and probably need to step out of their musical comfort zones a little bit.
Watch this to see the drop. He just chose the right time to drop in the next tune and it flows perfectly. Beatmixing is not and should not be an imperative!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjGOsW3mefU&feature=related
[ link ]If you made a “perfect” i-tunes playlist than yes you would be a good DJ to some degree. Not everyone can make a “perfect” play-list can they? Still a lot of skill in tune selection, flow and programming…
Obviously a good DJ wouldn’t just make a playlist and leave it for three hours though would they? A non mixing DJ approaches a set exactly the same way as a mixing DJ. Are you that ignorant to think they’re just bringing a pre-prepared play-list and hitting play?? Ever heard of reading a floor?
Use as much software as you like mate, theres much more to DJing than the sync button (as useful a tool as it is).
[ link ]As we used to say Nutted by Reality. You hit the nail square
[ link ]I’m going to weigh in on this one with a few random thoughts, and already regret my decision…
From the original article: “It’s the music that matters not the technique.”
I would argue *it is* and *it should be* both. Someone with great music and no technique isn’t a very good dj. But neither is someone with great technique and a crappy selection of music.
I also don’t like the idea that mixing multiple formats of music was made possible by digital. I’ve been doing just that that from day one, long before bringing my computer to the club was an option. I still have blisters on my hands from those eff’in milk crates…
As for all the disagreements in the comments, and especially those of Tally Wacker towards D-Jam – I think you’re just as guilty of over-generalising the state of the industry. Fantastic that you live somewhere where club culture is healthy, but it certainly isn’t the norm across the world. It’s in a very different state from one city to the next, and that makes some of these discussions hard to keep in context when they are being had at a global level. In my city, for example, the issue for dj’s right now is the huge resurgence of live music and how it is displacing a lot of dj’s and dramatically changing the format people expect when walking into a bar or club. A decade ago you would be hard pressed to find a bar or club with a band on a Saturday night, but everywhere had a dj. That wall of minimalist house is certainly not the norm around here, but neither is anything particularly creative or envelope-pushing…
Anyway, that’s my rant for the night.
[ link ]Larry Levan played great music, and had no “technique”. Are you seriously suggesting he wasn’t a very good DJ?
See also: Norman Jay MBE (who didn’t beatmatch at all the time I heard him play)
[ link ]Yes Sir Norm only mixes his house, everything else (50% of his output) is unmixed. Mr Scruff too.
[ link ]I believe I’m implying that someone with his musical selection *and* technical ability to put it all together would be a stronger talent, yes. That really isn’t any different than any job in any industry. The guy with skills A and B is stronger than anyone with just A or B.
That being said, please note I said “technique” and not specifically beatmatching. I think beatmatching, spin-outs, break and starts, hard cuts and all that jazz, if used well, constitute good technique. In fact, the person who can use all of those (A, B *and* C) is once again stronger than the person with just A and B – and leaps and bounds above someone with just A, B, or C.
[ link ]I fully understand there are many many places without a vibrant club scene across the world. I also understand your point about context; that is why I responsed – he made sweeping generalisations about the scene as a whole.
There may not be much creative stuff going on where you live, or in some remote corner of Russia, or wherever D-Jam lives; but there are a hell of a lot of towns and cities around the world where there is…
I agree with your comments about mixing multiple genres. Has been going on a long time before the lap-top was even invented..
[ link ]i would like to meet you in person and you can try and show me how you would “wipe the floor with the likes of me”
you hack.
[ link ]Im in my early 30′s and i grew up with vinyl. I never became a dj and at the time i never learned to beatmatch but i did try at a friend even if not that many times. It was so hard hearing and feeling what i heard in my left ear while listening to the beat in the room.
There’s two reasons why i think you should learn to beatmatch by ear. The first one is that you can actually hear the transition between two tracks when they slip slightly ahead of each other. It brings life to it! I love watching a awakenings clip where Cari Lekebusch with a smile quickly adjusts one vinyl going to fast.
The other is what happens in your brain. While not necessary needed in order to be a dj. But..! You will build up tons of connections in your brain and they’re all made for music! Never underestimate this. It is hard, it’s a long workout pass for your brain. But there will be results. That’s a reason why i think this syncing and visual response is bad. When you use your eyes your brain will focus more on them than your ears.
Consider how a blind persons hearing goes superhero-style.
I dont think my two arguments is in any way linked to the 70′s thing you wrote of. They’re not based on the It-was-better-in-the-’ol-days way of thinking
[ link ]Djing is so much better now!!! You can concentrate on being creative and trying new things you would have never tried before digital djing.
[ link ]Luke has done a wonderful job of curating his post and I thank our commenters for remaining polite. My few points:
• Yes the scene is different the world over but it’s still a worthy pursuit to try and spot big trends. Nowadays there are global brands, websites and music releases and more than ever, to quote Stereophonics, “only our accents change”.
• The ability to perform a smooth 8-bar beatmix between two sections of EDM tracks is desirable however you do it, as it is one of the basic building blocks of DJ set, but it is only one way of mixing and as the likes of Mr Scruff prove, amazing transitions are possible (and in his case the norm) by timing, key, and programming.
• The very fact that we can all kind of agree on a shortlist of great DJs who are artists but don’t mix shows that it’s a precious skill to be a good PROGRAMMER of music, and I agree with Luke that in these days of push button beat mixing, there’s now a more level playing field for music fans to be DJs, and that digital will help to usher in that culture.
• On a personal note, I am a competent musician and DJ of 20+ years and have mixed and mashed up beats on vinyl, CD AND digital, often extremely technically. I’ve come to see song placement as far more important than mixing. I’ve concluded that a well timed drop negates the need to ever mix at all, and that goes for all genres including house, Mixing in all but the best hands has detracted from, not enrichened, the art of DJing. So to lump non-mixing DJs in with jukeboxes is wrong.
[ link ]“Mixing in all but the best hands has detracted from, not enrichened, the art of DJing.”
wow.
[ link ]Come on, don’t be glib please.
I refer to lowest common denominator, ubiquitous beatmixing to create “wall of sound”-style mixes which Luke speaks of. In my career I have heard and indeed played with countless DJs who hide behind competent beatmixing yet pack a crate of tunes that say nothing. I am speaking from long experience, not conjecture.
(That’s why it makes me smile when vinyl jocks berate how tedious some digital DJs are, forgetting the majority of lesser talents of their own sort are in exactly the same camp, it just took those guys longer to get good at being tedious.)
The best DJs use beatmixing as a tool to SAY something, like the best DJs use cutting, scratching, and simply dropping the next tune in for exactly the same purposes. My point is, as Luke’s, that the pursuit of the seamless beatmix has detracted, in lesser hands, from the whole purpose of DJing in the first place.
[ link ]Uhmm.
Agree with the musical selection importance… Psytrance was mixed on DATs for most of its formative years. And with most parties being held outside; dust, humidity, melting sunrays or just the urge to get into the mindblowing music… weren’t helping us Djs to carry turntables or CDJs less attend beatmatching. Plus traditionally that style had beatless breathing parts each 3 minutes or so, hence mixing was sometimes more like passing to a completely different room (Psychedelics ala MR BUNGLE’s “Disco Volante”), rather than seamless smooth transitions.
That said, I’ve come to learn the value of live multilayering mixing akin what Mr Hawtin has been doing for over half a decade… Something traditionally minimalist Djs(Housey, Technoid, Trancey or whatever) have accomplished mostly, by adding half-hearted layers that are thin enough or similar enough to facilitate a good final blend.
However that blend it’s done, it doesn’t matter!!!(here the Digital Dj mantra also applies). Because it’s not only the freshness or the new combinations everytime, but that exteeended perceptual moment oOOooaaAAEE, when dancers don’t actually know where the next chord or shape its going to land.
Certainly, no need to talk about the value of the skillful transitions and effects a good turnablist or scratch Dj can create into their sets…
Finally, I come to -again- agree with the article premise: Digital tech is allowing BOTH expertises (track selection+mixing) to come together and shine anew. In my case, a good layering strategy on real-time-able DAWs, like Ableton’s Live or recently Cubase, could help me re-create and re-mix my mash-ups, loops, other people’s tunes and what not? into my performance. That is already the present.
While freeing me to get into the music and Dance. Probably thru Kinect 2.0 or similar remote, together with hands-on controllers, touch surfaces, and tactile faders. That’ll come real sooon
Great talk!
Lucky us, D
[ link ]Is beatmatching what makes the dj world go round – NO, but it is the main tool to mix music and transform your regular itunes playlist into a never stopping flow.
So with the current technical tools there is no excuse for out of sync mixes. You do not have to mix 4 or more decks together in a collabs way, but just keep the beat going …
[ link ]I’m with Luke and Phil on this one, perhaps it’s as someone suggested a generational thing? I never learned to beat match particularly well mostly because I have never played a lot of house etc. Coming from the soul, funk, reggae scene I adopted the sound system style of presentation using effects, drops and spinbacks etc. This was in the late 70′s early 80′s.
[ link ]DJing is about the music!! Presenting it is an art that can be approached in many different ways some work and some dont
Personally I’d much rather hear someone playing amazing music, than someone who mixes mediochre music amazingly.
“Where once house DJs quite happily played hip hop artists like Chubb Rock and Public Enemy back to back with Kraftwerk and house music laden with James Brown beats, DJs fractured into sub-genre ghettos and their sets started to sound like one long three hour track instead of an exciting mix full of surprises and inspiration.”
Absolutely.
Originally House wasn’t a specific genre of music, but a fairly eclectic mix of music you could dance to which gave rise to a new type of music also called House, which was also reasonably varied in itself.
As for DJ skills, mixing tracks that all come from the same sub-genre is really, really easy. It’s a mechanical skill that just about anyone can master with some practice. Mixing tracks that have a wide variety of tempos and rhythm structures, now that needs actual talent and some musical feel. Not to mention playing a track from start to end can work better at times than invisibly mixing it through.
[ link ]Good musical choice always trumps good mixing skills, though combining the two is even better.
I wouldn’t be so crass as to suggest DJ’s who can’t beat match are merely jukeboxes. BUT . . . . .
I think there’s a big difference between playlisting and djing.
I’ll play devil’s advocate and accuse DJ’s who can’t mix of two things:
1) They’re merely pleasing the crowd.
If pleasing the crowd is the only standard for a truly great DJ, then what’s the difference between all the non-mixing DJ legends listed on this page and hack wedding jocks playing the Hokey Pokey?
2) They’re relying on music snobbery, not creativity.
Obviously Larry Levan, et. al are better than “Hokey Pokey” weeding jocks but then . . . . everybody who clicks on iTunes thinks they’re playing a cool song. Where does that end? Even if you DJ some hip club in London where everybody grooves to smashing eclecticism, who’s to say one crowd is cooler than another?
I’ve see too way too many iTunes DJ’s who compensate their lack of mixing skills with attitude. They’re merely showing off their eclectic music collection with sets that go all over the place and nowhere at the same time. One minute its Nigerian 70s pop, then its Trance, then Death Metal, and so on. How is that different than a scratch DJ who’s amazing for 2 minutes but – 45 “waka waka waka” minutes later – doesn’t know when to stop?
To me, ultimately, DJing is about editing music together creatively to please people. Sometimes the creativity comes from clever sequencing of songs, other times it comes from beatmatching/controllerist techniques. There’s a big difference between crappy “eclectic” college radio stations and KCRW eclectic 24; John Digweed’s beautiful minimalism and hack knob twiddlers in underground dives.
Finding the right balance is not easy and always a judgement call – what DJing is all about. Digital vs Analogue are the surface symptoms of this larger issue.
I hope my comments are putting a new twist to this discussion and not fuelling flames. Ironically, I wrote this listening to an absolutely brilliant set (with little beatmatching) on SSR streaming radio. Luke Richardson – Doing something with Jazz.
[ link ]Thanks, Michael. It’s interesting that you identify the “other end” of the spectrum – on the one hand are the identikit beatmatchers, and on the other the eclectic-for-eclectic’s-sake hipsters pressing “play”. Both miss the point, of course, which is exactly what you say – editing music together creatively to please people.
This is indeed a welcome new twist on the subject – thanks again for your thoughts.
[ link ]Most welcome! Wow, that was a fast reply, too.
[ link ]Brilliant reply and agreed playing gabba after Otis Redding you are a crap eclectic DJ lol Although if you can get them to mix then you got technical skills
[ link ]Thanks again! I thought you’d find my response harsh. I guess you liked it.
Yeah I used to do crazy genre-jumping mixes when I was starting out before I saw the larger DJ picture. But at least its a mistake that comes from inspiration.
I’ll probably make the mistake again once I get into my brand new Traktor S4 system. ;-P
[ link ]I’d also add that some DJ’s who don’t beatmatch are just showing off that they’re part of the ‘in’ crowd.
I still remember this pretentious DJ from 10 yrs ago in Williamsburg Brooklyn: Nerd Glasses, Ironic T-Shirt, Mustache, FauxHawk, etc.
His expression was like a cartoon of a pretentious snob but he was just playing tedious indie rock. No beatmatching just added insult to injury.
[ link ]I am an eclectic DJ but that doesn’t mean randomly jumping from genre to genre like a lunatic on speed.
It all depends on the crowd and venue. There is a method and it is really important to read your crowd.
For instance last Thursday I was playing in a gastro pub to an older crowd some of them eating.
My first hour was very jazzy, then I graduated onto a Northern Soul set with quite a few 60′s soul/RnB hits, then onto some 80′s soul. I finally ended up spinning disco re-edits and soulful classic house. It went down a storm.
On Saturday night I was doing my residency in a bar situated round the corner from our city’s number one undergroundish nightclub so the crowd is always open minded and ready to party.
So no need to start off slowly or win them over by smuggling in any hits.
I started my set with some Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Tribe Called Quest and other soulful hip hop, then hit them with some Jamaican ska and raw funk with a little liquid drum and bass interlude then progressed onto some underground disco peppered with some Prince, Cameo and other classics. I finally dropped some brand spanking new jackin house.
The result! Plenty of satisfied customers, a party atmosphere to die for and bar takings well up from when they were booking silky smooth minimal DJs.
Being an eclectic DJ is about knowing your music, reading your crowd, sensing the vibe of the venue and creating a journey through music.
Whereas the technical EDM DJ uses skilled mixing, subtle key changes, amazing eq techniques and FX to put the drama into their set a good eclectic DJ creates a journey through music but ultimately lets the music do the talking.
It should be a musical adventure that flows logically whilst shifting gears and surprising the crowd at every turn.
My job is to pick music that will excite and delight how I transition from track to track is irrelevant as long as it flows and my track selection is educated and exciting.
Multi genre sets are not about playing thrash metal back to back with Mozart and Peruvian pipe music, it has got to be logical and educated.
As for nerd glasses leave off mate, my glasses are x-ray specs lol
[ link ]I have no problem with any of this but lets come up with a new name for those that don’t “jockey discs”. That is what a DJ is after all.
Be it vinyl, CDs, or timecode on turntables, CDJs, or controllers if there is no disc, you’re not a DJ by definition. Being a DJ doesn’t require beatmatching by ear, that isn’t a requirement of the word DISC JOCKEY, but jockeying disks is.
[ link ]Radio presenters rarely use vinyl and they are termed a DJs
[ link ]The term DJ has evolved past it’s original meaning. English words do it all the time. Take the word ‘gay’ for example – 50 years ago its meaning was very different. Clinging onto its previous definition is usually a pointless last ditch attempt to try and take away merit from controller DJs, much like the old “It’s not real DJing” line you get from some echelons of the analogue camp.
[ link ]Isn’t it time we moved past this?
My laptop has a disc, and all my music is played from it.
[ link ]Trying to strip people who flip music with software of the title DJ is a desperate attempt to discredit them.
I read another blog written by a vinyl DJ and he wrote an amazing polemic about how only vinyl and CD DJs are real DJs by definition. The 4 things that seemed to have got his goat were….
1st – Vinyl DJs had to spend years learning the technical skills so why shouldn’t the next generation?
My Answer to that takes the form of a question. WHY?
2nd – Downloading the Beatport Top 40 in an hour then hitting a gig and getting love for doing nothing but downloading some hits and hitting synch is killing the game.
My answer to that is I agree. There is nothing worse than someone with no passion or creativity getting respect when they don’t deserve it. There are plenty of cats around like this some who spin strictly on CD, this is not only a digital DJ phenomenon. No excuses if you just play the Beatport Top 40 with some other tried and tested tracks thrown in you are a nonce. I have seen a lot of this and it pisses me off no end.
3rd – Don’t undercut our prices!!!
This is a tricky one. On the face of it I agree. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get people to pay decent money but I think that this is less because digital DJs are undercutting vinyl DJs and more because digital DJ tools have boosted the amount of competition. Novice DJs have always played for free beer and pocket money. Nothing new there. The big difference is there are just so many more novices out there. But in the long run I think this is another positive. It pushes us as DJs to stop creating minimal wall of sound type sets and make our music actually stand out and actually SAY SOMETHING…. Musical knowledge and quality selection will win out.
4th – Real DJs use solid artifacts called discs, digital DJs don’t.
My answer!!!! That is pure pedantry and as someone said above. I use control disks and my computer has a disk so there
I feel the chagrin of the DJs who sweated blood and tears to learn to spin on wax only to see software come along that takes much of the hard work out of it but to try to rebrand those of us who use software and MP3s as somehow NOT REAL is just petty desperation.
[ link ]great topic, what the main article said i discuss and promote since more than 24 years as a dj. i experienced so many parties where i played and rocked the crowd with eclectic sets and i played them first on vinyl then on cds and now cds and digital… no one cares about beatmatching in the audience and it is insulting the intelligence of the crowd that they could not dance when the beat changes every few minutes. thats a fairly recent thing coming from house and techno but if you ever witnessed a soundsystem reggae party with only one turntable back then and people dancing like mad, although the selectors just moved one record after another..and there were real pauses and stuff… so i am all for the first poster…it really has nothing to do with beatmatching. cheers great stuff here as always
[ link ]Absolutely, one of the heaviest nightspots in London back in the 90′s was Covent Garden in London’s West End.
You had the Africa Centre which was basically a community centre with some backdrops, a UV light and the lights turned down low.
Soul 11 Soul put on road block funk and soul sessions that people still talk about today. No beatmatching going on there just solid tunes. I think this video might even have been shot in the Africa Centre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1lvnbTZE-Q
Africa Centre also had a b-boy night called Funkin Pussy which played a smattering of hip hop but was HEAVY on the rare deep 70′s funk. Hardly any of the DJs were DMC type turntablists. They were just dropping funk 7′s to the breakdancing crews battling it out on the floor.
No beat matching there baby
Next door was The Gardening Club where Andy Weatherall and my mate Steve Isbell where dropping anything from Balearic cuts of 80′s electro pop to Detroit techno and Madchester baggy tunes cooked up with some house wizardry. Believe me this was not about the beatmatch.
So just in that one square in the West end of London three legendary nights with Jazzy B and Andrew Weatherall who are still considered two of the best DJs in the world and on the whole not a beat was being matched.
As for reggae!!!
Carnival pulls nearly two to three million punters over three days of partying on the streets of London and other than the Sancho Panza soundsystem and Norman Jay’s Good Times bus there is nearly zero beatmatching.
Try telling a reggae selector who has just rocked a street corner jammed with a few thousand people from AM to PM that he isn’t proper because he doesn’t know how to beat match but I warn you be wearing a helmet and flack jacket lol
Love Parade eats Carnivals dust
Proof positive that beatmatching is not what it is about.
[ link ]So if your selection is so much more important than technique, what exactly prevents you from making an iTunes playlist of great extraordinary songs and just following around with that?
[ link ]its different to a playlist… you still can do loops, brakes, fx and stuff and do wild transitions all things you cannot do with an itunes playlist…. especially if you use cd players with samplers or digital sw…….with a controller.. that makes a difference imho
[ link ]I-tunes doesn’t read the crowd.
I-tunes cannot do cuts and drops or effects.
I-tunes cannot pitch up or down the tempo.
I-tunes cannot scratch.
I-tunes doesn’t know that a Chaka Khan accapella sounds amazing over that Mo’horizons track.
I-tunes can’t play that Chaka Khan accapella simultaneously with anything.
I-tunes doesn’t know the perfect time to flip from ska into drum n bass or soul into house etc
I-tunes can not bring the passion and knowledge that a human being brings to a session.
There is sooo much more to DJing than beatmatching EDM
[ link ]Clubbing since 1987, I know exactly what this article speaks of. In Orlando and other parts of Central Florida, house sometimes played right along with hip hop. I remember that’s all one guy used to spin, house and hip hop. Then the scene got cliquish. What really irritated me was the way some house folks looked on drum-n-bass. In Orlando, there was a scene called Funky Breaks. DJ Icey was known for it. House folks looked down on that scene too. When house music started getting elitist, I lost taste in it. I hate people and their rules. When I use comedy in poetry, some folks try to say I’m not a poet. Because I’m not oh-so serious, I am called a comedian. In my opinion, a DJ should know what songs to pick. Forget beat-meating or whatever. Heck, I remember rocking the crowd with my MP3 player. Nice article.
[ link ]I used to love hearing Stetsasonic or EPMD thrown into a house set. It could really set things on fire and breath new life into a session.
Today just within house music you have commercial house, electro house, tech house, minimal tech, techno, progressive house, funky house, jackin house, deep house, hard house, club house etc etc etc
Now a days you are considered eclectic if you play both Minimal tech and tech house, throw in some techno and you are blowing minds!!!!
It shows such a lack of imagination.
Lastnight I started my set with The Young Rascals – Groovin and ended it on a Henrik Shwarz re-edit of Bill Withers.
I beatmatched about 50% of my tracks, a mix that flowed nicely was Steve Arrington – Dancin’ In The Key Of Life into Shiela E & Prince – A Love Bizarre then a pitched up Shep Pettibone cut of BB&Q Band’s Dreamer. I had such fun and I can assure you I was one of the only DJs in Bangkok playing anything other than tech house or MTV hip hop and it means I am in demand because I am different
In the words of Bill Hicks play from your ****ing heart!!!!
[ link ]Brilliant read. Hats off to you Mr Taylor.
I had this very conversation yesterday with another one of my fellow DJ’s in town. We spoke for a decent amount of time debating if mixing is really a set requirement in spinning these days, after spending 3 hours dropping a set for a promo. I asked “Do people really “need” you to mix, cut and loop until their ears explode? or do they just need you to play the right tracks at the right time?” Our outcome opinion was the latter.
Don’t get me wrong, the techniques a DJ possess are a set requirement if you want to be a proper DJ. If it werent, iTunes set playlists would be in every club these days. The point is that the true skill of DJ’ing, which in my opinion is being able to read the crowd and know what they need and when to give them what they need, is being lost in translation with todays DJ’s.
The oldschool knows what I’m talking about. Its the newschool that needs to know this.
I would much rather dance to a classic track I havnt heard in years that a DJ just pulled out unexpectedly, than dance to a recent track that has been overlaid another just to make it mix.
A DJ’s most underrated skill = The Unexpected.
[ link ]yeah you got it right its about the unexpected!!!!! dropping things nobody believes you would play creates havoc on the dancefloor ….also this makes a difference..
[ link ]Cheers D
[ link ]Natural Nate Lets break this down. I only speak for myself on this topic. For me? I guess being old school, if thats what you want to say? Going to a show where there was nothing but decks was a tribute to pure talent and wonder. The whole thought that something COULD go wrong was a part of what made it so magical. You could tell a lot about a person and their personality for one night by the way the mix would come out. LIVING ON THE EDGE OF A NEEDLE AND A PITCH to show what true concentration is about. Touching the wax, and touching the pitch as if you are touching a drifting star to make two tracks sing has a magical effect not only for the DJ involved? But the crowd that s actually witnessing this effect. THE DJ IS PUTTING ON AN ACTUAL SHOW! SHOWMANSHIP? Does anyone remember that? HOW ABOUT THAT! Its fun to watch these different technics used to create different sounds than what the music is actually doing by manipulation is what a controller lacks. There is no heart in a flatline mix made for the masses that dont care about what the performance should be. 80% of this generation still has no concept of what is a real mix vs. pre made mix and really don’t care. Or do they?
Its sad to me that most controller DJs think they are in comparison to these 20-30 year vets in the craft of mixing is were the vibe goes sour. Abelton has made the average person seem like a freshly bought CD from the store with a MEGA STAR NAME BEHIND IT NOW!. Thats awesome. *Lets go back to the real show now*. ITS FREAKING BORING to watch someone press a button that really does nothing but program a perfect mix. Whats so great about that? Is that what I really want to go and pay $100 to go see? The music can be the best in the world in that fact but PERFORMANCE VALUE WILL ALWAYS BE CRAP. Im sorry. This is to true. Now Im not saying anyone with a turntable is a pure out show because it does not work that way. Most are boring at that also. But. The Idea of being able to mold a mix with the mind is what is compelling to those that know the truth about this devices. There are SOOOO many online radio DJs that use only a mix program and walk around like the world owes them something for a skill they really do not have. Bring your program and your controller. I will bring my dex. Lets see for ourselves. Stop calling yourself a DJ and we might be on better terms for those with a controller. You are a programer. That just sounds weird. Lets Program someone elses music. Sounds Illegal if you ask me. The bottom line is. There is a Difference in a great Track and a Great performance. There is a difference in raw talent and a person pushing a button.
This topic does not really matter anymore because again 90% of the people are at shows for the Drugs. Who needs anything else than that. They are usually making their own music up in their heads anyways. The other percent has noooo Idea what the DJS name is. So who really cares how its done. Really thats where we are at with it. There is a time and place for everything. If you are happy with own self. Who gives a rats ass what others think. My last thing to say is. The-Lost-Art is based on Nothing but true DJs of a dying industry. DYING? Well… If turntables and the craft was on the verge of death? Why do we have one of the biggest stations in the world? We must not be alone? These magazine write ups can sugar coat anything for the industry at hand. They can hide the fact that a guy with two turntables will AND CAN STEAL THE SHOW! Thats why we were pushed out by the controller. To make it more of a minimal scene were everyone as equal as the next. How does anyone really stand out these days being a controller in the wall? It dont matter. What is is what is. Controller DJs keep doing what they do and TLA will do what we do. At the end of the day. Lets just be happy we are all alive for one. Just respect one and another for being human. Love the music first before the device. :}
[ link ]Learn the roots of djing before getting on your midi controller, auto synching and auto keying ur tracks and mixing.
[ link ]Trust me I got no problem on new age technology, I personally embrace it! But the raise of dj cheaters and wanna bee’s have risen.
That is like saying learn to ride a horse before you take your driving test.
DJing is about music, not about mixing.
Sure if you are a teenager and your music collection only stretches to 5 years of Beatport top 10 releases then you will need to be able to mix but if you know your music, can read a crowd and have decades of genre spanning sounds then mixing is not that important.
if you play special music in the right order and can read the crowd, regularly for four hour sets without repeating yourself, then you ARE A DJ.
It doesn’t matter whether you splice tape, spin vinyl or look at a sound wave on a computer screen.
The DJ with the ability to read his crowd and play the music with the most imagination and adventure is the better DJ.
If you have something special, unique and inspiring to say with music then technical ability is only a way to enhance your innate DJ talent.
If you have technical ability in abundance but all you have is a box of 4×4 beats with subtle key changes then you are a musical pedestrian posing as a DJ.
The way some of the EDM DJs talk you would think that the craft of DJing is solely about mixing 4×4 beats in nightclubs. IT IS NOT
The history of DJing tells us, MIXING DOES NOT MATTER MUSIC DOES
John Peel & Larry Levan R.I.P xxxxxxxx
[ link ]I feel like digital djing has brought forth a death in the vinyl world all together. I personally prefer the feel of vinyl all together. Also the sound. Having said all of this I recently purchased a controller because everywhere you go these days 1200′s are disappearing. I purchased serato scratch live when it was introduced so I wouldn’t have to carry tons of records to a party. With scratch live you still get the vinyl feel and the ability to scratch. I just feel as though if your not using the pitch you are short cutting your way. A drummer doesn’t become a good drummer on an MPC or drum machine. Any musician or artist in general. They put the time in. Learn the basics and improve their skill. I use my Serato Itch controller as a means of setting my cue points, edits and setting my loops. Then going back to access them in Scratch Live because the two programs work together. A good DJ knows when to ride out a mashup, knows when to scratch and how to rock a party. I just feel as though in my opinion if you are using sync you are not true to the art. Improve your ear and work on the basics. Use the digital world to highlight your skill. Do not let the sync do all the work. To be a good DJ overall takes a keen sense of music knowledge. I just hate when I go out and see the digital kids thinking they are on the frontline of creativity and I watch them throw a set down at not once does the pitch get moved. All I guess I am saying is let’s preserve the pitch and stay true to the art. The real DJ’s know the difference. I would rather see some one train wreck a mix in the middle of blowing two records up together that normally wouldn’t go together on a vinyl mix then some one with a digital program having it all mapped out for them… At least the vinyl guy went out there and did his thing true to the art. Whatever format you use learn the skills, please don’t just push a button. As for this keeping the DJ culture alive, That’s non-sense… They said Hip Hop was a fad that was going to fade away quickly. Now it’s in McDonald’s commercials and playing at Verizon when you go to buy the new iPhone. Real DJ’s will never die. I am waiting for the iPad app that causes real graffiti artists to not have to climb interstate ramps and break into train yards. Everything in life…. you get in what you put out. If you take the time to learn the skill you will be better in the long run. Whether it be business, music, art, education or just simply people skills. Stay true to the art guys…. preserve the pitch.
[ link ]First of all, while I can’t argue about your point on the feel of vinyl (I disagree, but that’s just my opinion), why does everyone keep saying that it sounds better? If I wasnted to listen to hisses and crackles I’d just listen to my radio tuned wrong.
As for the dissappearing 1200s, they’re dissappearing because Technics shot themselves in the foot in making them too well. Great for the consumer, but a pretty s**tty business move. Why would new buyers pay for a new pair of decks when they can get them cheaper 2nd hand and safe in the knowledge that they’re pretty much invincible and spare parts are piss-easy to obtain.
“I just feel as though in my opinion if you are using sync you are not true to the art.” Seriously, this is getting old now. Sync is a wonderful tool and if you did your homework, you’d know that it’s not some magic bullet that turns everyone into Armin van Buuren. S**t DJs will still mix like s**t DJs regardless of whether they’re using beat-sync or not. There’s more to transitions that keeping the beats in time.
“I would rather see some one train wreck a mix in the middle of blowing two records up together that normally wouldn’t go together on a vinyl mix then some one with a digital program having it all mapped out for them…” Really?! Because when I go clubbing, I go to dance. Tranwrecks stop me from doing that and have, on multiple occasions, killed the atmosphere in the roo and EVERYONE there felt it. Also, musically, some things aren’t meant to go together for a reason. Admittedly, this rule can be bypassed to great effect – but, more often than not, it just sounds s**t. IMO, knowing what doesn’t go together shows more about your understanding of music structure than knowing what does. A DJ that’s trainwrecking while kludging together two tracks that shouldn’t even be in the same gig-bag should put his headphones down, pack up and go home.
[ link ]I have seen some of the best DJs out there train wreck because they were “going for it” rather than playing it safe. Mostly in the scratching and turntablist community. That’s what is different between a human DJ and a controller. It is part of the showmanship like Nate said above. I obviously don’t want to see or hear some one fuck up a mix at a club. However if the mix comes off due to the effort of putting together a dope mashup and the guy was rocking the party. I give him credit for having the balls to go for it. I have seen world famous DJ’s fuck up a mix and the crowd cheer because they knew he wasn’t playing it safe.
[ link ]@HybridStylez
I fully understand your position and what you are trying to say. But it is this exact mindset that is holding back the progression of the art of DJ’ing.
To say you would rather have someone play a destroyed mix attempting to beatmatch on vinyl as compared to someone who will sync in their next track smoothly is ludicrous. I certainly would not find one person in a club who would listen to that. Thats like saying you would rather walk 10 miles to get somewhere rather than driving. Sure, it can be done and there are some positives to it, but it would be quicker and more efficient if you drive.
Progression is in everything. From the way your house is built, to the car you drive, heck even to the way you warm your food. DJ’ing is no different because its a part of the society we live in hence it reflects the changes. Technology progresses, as does society, as does life.
Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with you that you need to know how to beatmatch by ear, mix in, and understand your crowd and records, the fact that software and technology makes these things easier to accomplish should be embraced by those who did it the “hard” way. And why shouldnt it be? Dont you embrace the fact that you can drive a car instead of walking everywhere? Im sure you do. If you dont then you must have some incredibly strong legs.
I look at it like this, the core tasks are easier. My tracks can be matched, I know more about whats happening, the legwork is taken out and all of this combined leaves me much more room to be CREATIVE! The more creative I am, the better I sound, the more the people love me, and the more money I will make.
I love DJ technology, so should everyone else who ever spun, is spinning, or looking to spin.
[ link ]This topic has really been discussed to death….The OP has SOME valid points but….
I adore Stockhausen, Boris Brejcha, Beastie Boys, System Of a Down, Sex Pistols and Portishead all the same….The fact that I CHOOSE to play 4×4 beats for three hours, all be it minimalistic techno tunes doesnt mean Im not musically educated nor that I have fallen victim of the 4×4-beatmixing-only trend the OP describes. Its just a choice! Frankly and only speaking as personal taste I do not really like extreme genre-switching – when I go out to listen to rock music I want to listen to rock music, when I go out to listen to techno I want to listen to techno.
As much as it is elitism to only consider silk-smooth mixing proper DJing, arguing that silk-smooth mixing 4×4 beats is less musical approaches elitism as well.
Just my 2 cents!
[ link ]I absolutely agree, in my opinion there is room for everything and everything is valid from people who want to hear nothing but Lady Gaga and David Guetta all night to death metal enthusiasts. Who am I to say whats right and wrong.
I just know what I like and I know there is a massive groundswell of opinion amongst clubbers that they are getting bored of the perfectly mixed ‘wall of sound’ type minimalistic sets.
The problem is that the elitism and snobbery of the 4×4 crowds has made it very difficult for non beatmatching DJs to be taken seriously. For many people who have grown up on a diet of trance or modern house if they see a DJ spinning a funk tunes letting it play then dropping the next then that DJ isn’t “real” this narrow minded view is prevalent in almost all nightclubs with promoters and beyond. Good music has been sacrificed on the alter of technique.
As was made evident by some of the posts on this thread. There are many in the EDM community who think there is only one kind of ‘real’ DJ who seamlessly mixes EDM and everyone else from funk, soul and reggae DJs to classic house and disco are just pretenders.
[ link ]PS: Punk bands couldn’t play for toffee but they were still fantastic because of their passion, anger and energy. They had something to say.
[ link ]A lot of people on this thread have said stuff like “People in Clubs don’t care about beatmatching” Au Contraire!
I remember people cheering and whistling to one of my build-ups at Centro-Fly in NYC from 10 years ago. I still remember the wild cheers I’d get from good slam mixes at a hip-hop club almost 20 years ago.
I can’t be the only one with fond memories like this (and hopefully most readers here have more recent ones).
Most club goers may not walk into a club thinking “I want to hear some good beatmatching tonight” But they sure go crazy when its done well.
[ link ]“I have to tell you that many people would rather hear a DJ with absolutely no technical ability who just plays amazing music they have never heard before than listen to the most accomplished silky smooth mixing executed on vinyl, CD or controller”.
I remember the time when people would come up to the booth to ask the name of the brand new song i just played. That was a long time ago! The majority of the crowds i play for do NOT care about hearing new tunes. They only want to hear what they know: the hits.
Ofcourse it’s up to the DJ to entertain the crowd, but i still believe that it’s also up to ‘us’ to break new records and throw in that off key oldschool joint that they may have never heard before. You will never catch me playing safe and only play the hits.
I have cleared entire dancefloors by playing a new hot track that they didn’t know yet. A few months later the same people are begging me to play the exact same songs because they became hit records. For example: Terror Squad – Lean Back, Shaggy – It Wasn’t Me, Wiz Khalifa – Black & Yellow, etc.
I can’t agree with the statement that a lot of people care about good mixes either. A lot of times they don’t even pay attention to the DJ or his skills. All they care about is girls, drinks and hearing their favorite hits. Now, this does not mean that they will not notice if the DJ is awfull at mixing, but if he plays the hits they won’t really care that much. It’s sad..
The perfect party (for me) is an event where the people appreciate good music and great DJ skills. I feel blessed that i get the oppertunity do play at a few spots here (The Netherlands) where the vibe is just like that.
I’m speaking from an R&B/Hip Hop point of view. I don’t DJ at house clubs so it might be totaly different at those events and i can’t comment on that, but i can imagine that bad blends do disrupt the vibe
[ link ]Sounds like your playing in a very commercial venue bro!!!!
[ link ]I can always count on finding a good article in this website, as I did today, but it seems we keep looking for ways to justify being a digital dj. As I understand it here, to be a good dj you need to have the same great taste in music the crowd has because no skills are required. You have to be a good programmer like a radio dj because after all that is why we listen to our favorite radio station, and now that is why we like to hear our favorite dj.
[ link ]NO WAY! Being a good dj is way more than knowing what music the crowd likes. It’s more than playing the latest tracks. A dj is definitely a musician but not because he plays music recordings, but because he makes music. “MAKE” is the key word. Something original (or maybe not that much) that makes you say “wow, did you hear that?!” the way we are seeing things here is like saying that a singer not sounding good does not matter as long as the lyrics are ok. Skills is what makes the difference, and by that I mean skills with whatever you choose to play the music, being turntables or your computer and controller. But doing what just about anybody can do does not cut it. I never liked playing where there really is no need for a dj for a party where you play one song after the other without putting your personal touch to it. They could just ask one of the waiters to push play on a list of songs they already selected. Yes, having the right tunes has a lot to say about the feel of the party, but one can always make a playlist in your computer and just hit play and let it run by itself. Using the computer to beatmach is valid if you are doing something else that sets the difference, but not if all you do is play one song after the another one. Killing the song with FX does not count as Djing either. Having 4 tracks playing at the same time is quite a task if you are the one who does it, but not if your computer does it and it just does not make sense. And scratching for more than a break on a song does show how skillful you are but it is very unnecessary. Please people if you buy a portable electronic piano learn to play music yourself, not just press buttons to hear the demos and presets.
The thing is most beat matching obsessed DJs are spinning in a narrow 4×4 sub genre ghetto so musically they are not that exciting.
The more musically adventurous DJs tend to be the less technical and in my book the musically adventurous DJs are better than the technical 4×4 wall of sound minimalists.
I am excited by music not some silky smooth blending of a 4×4 beat with no vocals or percussion.
But music is subjective so none of us are wrong and none of us are right, it’s all just opinion but I think it is generational divide.
Younger people who grew up listening to superstar DJs and going to corporate clubs to hear nonstop, perfectly mixed austere EDM tend to think that mixing maketh the DJ
Those of us who grew up in the 70′s, 80′s and early 90′s tend to think beatmatching is a bonus not an imperative and track selection maketh the DJ.
[ link ]DJ is NOT getting better because of digital. Let’s keep in mind there is a difference between a wedding dj and a club dj. A club dj should be trying to produce a vibe and not necessarily focused on mixing across tempos really the set is and the whole vibe of the set is the most important thing. A lot of these so called DJ’s that cant beat match are really just glorified wedding dj’s, because the whole point of mixing a track for a long time is to keep the vibe going. Very sad the way the music is going but I will take Sharam or John Digweed, playing “boring” tech house over benny benisse playing some dubstep mixed in with his electro house. JMO! Ow yea and one other thing maybe the problem is people want to jump into djing before their ready. I practiced in my bedroom for 5 years before I played life. I read that Derrick Carter was a bedroom dj for 10 years before he started playing gigs. Put in some dues and anyone can learn to beat match and mix and create a vibe.
[ link ]Some of the greatest DJs of all time are not beatmatchers. To call them glorified wedding Djs is just plain wrong.
[ link ]I think what we need is a final definition of what a dj is. Not what diferent types of DJs are, but what a person who stand behind the turntables or controller should be. Some types of DJs dopn’t even need most DJ equipment so lets keep that in mind
[ link ]if beat mixing is not important why they invented the pitch?
[ link ]I don’t think anyone’s saying beat mixing is not important, Henrique. But historically, the pitch control was not invented for beatmixing, as believe it or not Technics with pitch controls existed long before anyone beatmixed.
[ link ]What was the original purpose of turntable pitch controls?
[ link ]It pains me to see people try and define what DJ culture should be, although I can understand where they are coming from, I was in Seattle in 2009 when Dubstep started becoming more popular in the underground music scene, and when I moved to southern Indiana this year I started hearing a few of my hipster friends talking about skrillex, and I had the “oh yeah well I thought Dubstep was cool before it went mainstream” attitude. It is true with electronic music becoming more popular it seems like everyone wants to be a DJ nowadays, but in the end its the people who have the most skill, and passion for music that will make it. I say embrace change, its part of our culture, if it wasn’t then we would still be spinning big band and jazz.
[ link ]If any of you are still wondering how we can say that to be a quality DJ you don’t have to beatmatch just watch learn and enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXJbkCWBDQc&feature=related
[ link ]