It's going to take more than just glamour to fill 26 shows, argues D-Jam, and that can only be a good thing for DJ culture.
It’s been all over the internet this week that reality show producer Simon Cowell is looking to take his talent show formula to the DJ world. From what’s been leaked, this will appear to work in a similar fashion to Idol and X-Factor, only with DJs competing (rather than singers/performers).
Already the DJ world has blown up into its predictable bevy of hate and angst for anything “pop culture” that dares to invade its private little realm. I admit I rolled my eyes at first, but after thinking about Cowell’s other shows, I now think that “Traktor Factor” might not be a bad thing for DJ culture after all.
Cowell pushes a standard
I will come clean and say I’ve only watched one episode of X Factor and a few of American Idol. What I noticed in both shows is how much Cowell pushes actual talent over “flash”. I know for many like myself, we get tired of seeing popstars come into the spotlight who honestly can’t sing or do much more than look good on a magazine cover and/or get into the tabloids.
We’ve seen videos of popstars like Britney Spears, Ke$ha, and Katy Perry where they sang live and sounded horrible. It’s been shown how the massive marketing machine will manufacture a popstar using PR wizards, focus groups, PhotoShop, and auto-tune.
There is no auto-tune, no stage set or troupe of dancers, nothing more than that person and the mic…
When I watched those few episodes of Cowell’s shows, and even looked at the list / pictures of winners, you don’t see that. Most of the winners aren’t skinny, beautiful, model-looking people. You look at any episode, and those singers have to “bring it”. There is no auto-tune, no stage set or troupe of dancers, nothing more than that person and the mic.
You’ll constantly see the judges become big sticklers on vocal control and song selection, and getting even one of those wrong can send someone home. From what I’ve seen, the people who make it to the semi-finals and especially finals are honestly talented, and we’ve even seen booted contestants still land recording deals and go places. The winner is clearly someone who can sing a wide range of music, from rock to pop to R&B and more.
So let’s bring this to the DJ realm
Just for a moment, think about that 17-year-old kid who downloads some bootleg software, hits up SoundCloud and a few blogs to put together a small collection of music, then shows up at venues offering to play for $50 a night.
Deadmau5 speaks about DJ X Factor: 'I for one, am very much looking forward to having to work harder, be more creative, and come up with new and insane off the wall ideas to keep my own deadmau5 project afloat. As for the rest of the artists out there hoping to keep their non-evolving ideas afloat by doing the same things over and over and over again... well... good luck.'
You see him just smashing together tunes with no style as well as relying on the sync button. If you spilled a beer on his laptop he would be finished, as he would not be able to operate a mixer, CDJ, or turntable. You see he has a smug attitude, believing all you need are girl-pleasing tunes, a fashionable look, and the right technique in fist-pumping and Jesus poses.
I’ve seen variants of this complaint on the internet for years, and I always believed the problem wasn’t technology, but the fact this kid (and others like him) never really had experiences that really teach them the culture. He grew up seeing superstar DJs rocking massive rooms with poses and thus believes it’s all about good looks, girl-pleasing music, and marketability.
I can see how some would think Simon Cowell’s new show would bring more of this, but I fail to believe that based on what we actually see come out of Idol and X-Factor. Getting a Pauly D haircut and body won’t fill 26 episodes, nor will taking the Colleen Shannon route of T&A.
No, they have to fill 26 shows involving DJing and make it interesting. This tells me it’s more than just playing David Guetta tunes to a mainstream crowd. I imagine this show is going to literally go through many facets of DJ culture and test these contestants in everything.
Imagine you have five finalists. They’re all handed an accapella and told to do something with it. Now they have to creatively come up with something to wow the judges and the audiences. That’s not going to be easy…
You might see one week where a laptop DJ is told to play a set with analogue vinyl on turntables. You might see one week where a hardened rave DJ will be put into a wedding and has to somehow please that crowd. You might see bar / club / mobile DJs put into a turntablist competition (thus they’d have to know how to scratch). You might see vinyl purists forced to do a set on a laptop with a Midi controller. We might even see things carried into the realms of production, remixing, and live PA.
Imagine you have five finalists. They’re all handed an accapella and told to do something with it. Now they have to creatively come up with something to wow the judges and the audiences. That’s not going to be easy for the typical poseur or wannabe.
Looking at the big picture
You’re going to run into wannabes like the kid I described earlier. Guys and girls who have the wrong attitude and thus play the system to get into the booth. However, think about how in the past we set the standards we live by.
I personally fell in love with DJing from seeing the likes of Jam Master Jay, Grandmaster Flash, and the movie Beat Street. I grew into house music thanks to Chicago’s Hot Mix 5 and the original B96 Mixmasters. I cultivated my own style from listening and watching the likes of Derrick Carter, Lego, Derrick May, Ferry Corsten, Fatboy Slim, etc.
How many of these kids really get to live those experiences in small towns, suburbia, and such? Now imagine when they watch 26 episodes of “The DJ X-Factor” and are literally shown what “talent” means.
In many ways, this could be an education to the masses on what DJing really is all about…
To see that you have to know how to do manual beatmatching, how to operate all kinds of equipment (from turntables to Midi controls), what “read a crowd” really means and why programming / song selection is so important, and especially to see and understand the different types of DJing there is out there.
In many ways, this could be an education to the masses on what DJing really is all about, and thus might start to raise the bar and nudge the public on what they should expect out of the DJ booth. Even think about all the masses of non-DJs who now “get it” and thus will look differently at the poseur in the booth. They’ll now see him as the wannabe you saw him as all along.
Well, this is a big one. Would you enter? Would you watch? Can the format carry over to DJing? Does DJ culture even belong on primetime TV? Will Cowell pull this one off? Do you think the fact that this could “blow the mystique” is why some DJs are so anti the idea? Please let us hear your thoughts below…
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Tags: dj auditions, dj x factor, talent shows
I really wonder what auditions will be like. The logistics will be a huge headache. Granted there won’t be 100,000 people like Idol but they can’t screen people the same way they do in Idol either. Will the initial screening be live YouTube performances and then people are invited to regionals? Will they have three setups in the room with Simon and his judges? One with 2 1200′s, an SL box, and a scratch mixer; then two Pioneer 2000′s with an SL box and Traktor box; and finally a strictly midi controller setup?
I do like how you broke down the facets of how the competition could go. I’ve been wondering that myself and it seems like your version could work. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes. Simon will pull it off I’m sure. How he does it will decide if the community at large accepts the show or not.
[ link ]That’s true. It’s the HOW that’s actually the most interesting thing here, I think the WHY is pretty self evident.
[ link ]For me it’s far more likely that they’ll just limit people to using CDJs.
[ link ]I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed reading your article… I completely agree with you on everything you say and I hope the show turns out the way you have mentioned. I look forward to seeing what happens
[ link ]The discussion on the 17yr old kid with bootlegged software playing for 50 bucks is getting kinda old. Actually… it is kinda old. 20yr ago they played MTV Braun CD’s or other bootleg media, still for 50 bucks, ego’s just as big.
Anyone loosing a gig to a kid like that should consider two things..
1 – The customer is cheap and apparently doesn’t care for quality and is willing to take that risk. Do you really wanna be hired by that type of customer?
2 – If that kid is actually able to satisfy and entertain the audience (presuming he does truly picks and mixes the tracks), what have YOU got to offer to the audience that is extra on top of that? Cause 20 gigs further and he’ll be buying gear, wont be undercharging etc etc.
Its as Deadmau5 says.. seek the solution to competition with yourself. Bitching on the competition is the easiest and least productive measure there is.
[ link ]Right on the spot!
[ link ]I agree. When I wrote this article, I thought about those who really came out to attack the ideal of Cowell’s show. Most of them are the very same people who constantly lament on how kids with laptops are taking their jobs, and how they think “only analog vinyl or Serato” is a “true DJ”.
I’m simply going straight at the typical complaint and telling how this might change that problem.
Still, I agree one has to blame the venue, promoter, and scene that supports a wannabe.
[ link ]I could not agree with you more on it getting old. As in anything else, the consumer has the last say in it. If the competition is getting the business, it’s up to you to up your game. This is not done by sticking your chest out and talking about yesterday. If you’re a classic turntablist, you better start finding a way to produce the creativity found in today’s DJing. Honestly…if the kid with the Ipod is beating you out, you should be looking at your career. The 17 yr old doesn’t generally have the stage presence that should come natural for you. The Ipod can only produce song lists, like that of a Jukebox. It cannot produce mixes using, beatmatching, beat juggling, drops, FX/Eqing, or any else complex.
So, if you are finding that your competition is the 17 yr old and an Ipod. Work on your sales ability if the customer doesn’t see the difference in your quality. If they are to cheap and insist on paying $50 a night, forget it and move on. If you honestly feel that technology is beating you out, invest in yourself and upgrade your skills. Whining and complaining won’t get you anywhere and neither will letting ego talk about yesterday’s news.
[ link ]This was an interesting dissection.
[ link ]I do agree that the how is the biggest thing here but I’m also intrigued by the endgame. What would ‘Traitor Factor’ have in it’s pipeline for the winner?
Will there be prizes to the extent of the Idol & XF winners?
seeing how it affects the community will be interesting too… can you imagine techniques and DJ lingo being thrown about at the office cooler? Wow.
I hope you guys are right. Im having a hard time seeing how this will be beneficial to the dj community.
their going to market cheap dj software and controllers making everybody believe they can be the next big dj.
the only thing that i think will help is that people will actually realize how hard it is and the skill/art form needed to be a good dj.
as of “right now” there is still no easy way around becoming a skilled dj without putting the time in.
with that said, the competition aspect of it could be interesting and entertianing even for dj’s themselves. I guess all we can do now is hope for the best.
[ link ]I could see the companies competing with Native Instruments, Rane, and Pioneer buying commercial air time, but if we see the contestants not using that gear, then it will speak volumes.
[ link ]I can’t see how this is going to work. Probably, they’re not going to let the DJ perform for an hour to analyze his track collection and mixing skills.
[ link ]This will be more in style of Ean Golden: 3 minutes time and start mashing up/ remixing on the fly. Now you can ask: is this real DJing? Although I believe so in some way, many others doubt it, because it is more about producing music on the fly. And if they will judge you on these 3 minutes, then a lot of great DJs will not fit in these standards because they just limit themself to mixing and not to producing.
Good point, in Xfactor or Idol, contestants perform 3 minute songs, still comprable to the average pop song.
[ link ]Average DJ set is upwards of an hour, how are they going to manage that? can you give a good representation of DJing in 3-5 minutes?
Okay, let’s say that Ean Golden type DJing is real DJ-ing.
But the question is, can the fella who competes/wins, and who is judged by those mashup/remix criteria endure the whole DJ set by doing the whole Ean routine over and over again during the hours and without making mistakes and without premade mixes(all live). I think not.
I agree with both José and David.
[ link ]What about 3-5 tracks over a few different genres. That could show if you know the basics of manual beat matching and programming.
It will keep time to showcase low but still shows skill set.
[ link ]I dunno. I can see one day where they make the contestants do 3-10 minutes in controllerism…but again, I stress that if they do the same thing every week, it will get very old very fast.
One could make the same case for Idol or X-Factor, but the few times I’ve seen it, the judges put the contestants through challenges. One episode the contestants had to pick a song from the 1960s and perform it. Another week it was Elton John week…where everyone had to perform an Elton John tune.
This is where it becomes a challenge, as the girl who can only do smooth R&B won’t go far trying to do Janis Joplin, or the hard rock singer trying to do Elton John tunes.
I personally think if Cowell wants to fill 24-26 episodes, he will have to go into the different facets of DJing, and I think whoever wins is going to be someone who can DJ a wedding, a club, a rave, a lounge, and he/she can use vinyl, CDs, midi, laptop, etc.
You have to put everyone through the same scenarios…or how else can you judge an analog vinyl DJ versus a laptop DJ using Ableton. It’s apples and oranges.
The only foreseeable complaint I can see arising will be the underground music lovers who will get mad when the contestants keep the music more “mainstream”, even if it’s remixes of mainstream stuff.
[ link ]>>I personally think if Cowell wants to fill 24-26 >>episodes, he will have to go into the different facets >>of DJing, and I think whoever wins is going to be >>someone who can DJ a wedding, a club, a rave, a >>lounge, and he/she can use vinyl, CDs, midi, laptop, etc.
Well as I can do all of the above sounds like Ive won already! lol
[ link ]LOL go for it!
[ link ]I think D-Jam makes some great points in this article, but I dislike reality TV in general, and Cowell in particular, mainly because I don’t think that outright nastiness is the way to develop people’s talents, or encourage them to do better.
[ link ]I don’t like Cowell’s attitude either…but I also think he’s the “harsh reality” many have to hear.
We all think we sound phenomenal when we sing or DJ, but others might not agree. I know I might sound bitter at times when I speak of the scene, promoters, and the politics…but I had to get the “hard reality” that it’s not all about talent, but marketing that pushes a DJ into the big times. That simply “playing great” isn’t enough.
I hated it, and backed off into “hobbyist” mode…but I had to get the hard reality. The only way we get singers who can actually sing or DJs who can actually perform is to be a little harsh on those who delude themselves.
Turn it around…in my normal line of work (Interactive Media and design), we have loads of college and trade school graduates who think they can work for Google, Apple, ESPN, or Vogue….but the hard reality sets in that they might have to first make websites for mom and pop businesses or menus for restaurants first.
I had to get hard reality back after the dotcom crash…which is why I keep pushing to stay ahead of my coworkers. Why I try to do many things in PHP, JQuery, and Photoshop that make my colleagues ask me for help.
[ link ]You mention how the judges in XFactor/Pop Idol are about the quality of the singer, however once they reach the last how ever many it becomes public vote. This means that the incredible dj playing acid house will no doubt lose to a dj who decides to backspin out of deadmau5 into Levels.
Also the difference between a singing competition and a dj competition is that anyone can hear if someone has a good singing voice no matter what style it is, whereas when djing song selection is a pretty large part of it and everyone has different tastes. So even if someones managing to mix 4 deep house songs together on vinyl you’ll have people not voting for them as they played no dubstep.
[ link ]Well…I honestly don’t think the backspin guy would make it to the finals if they have to get past the judges.
Look at American Football. Many women and non-die hard fans got into it the day they started illustrating and explaining how things work. Now imagine if we saw this with a reality show. Imagine that girl with the terrible video on how to beatmatch suddenly now seeing how to do things correctly, or what it really takes to be a superstar DJ.
I know song selection is important, but too many DJs only look at their own tastes and not of the crowd’s. I always ask any guy who is hardcore into the “underground” what he/she would do in front of a crowd of college kids who only know MTV and will clear the floor when you go to the underground. The usual answer is “I wouldn’t play that event”…but I reply “then how can you claim to be a good DJ?”
The crowd is king…and that’s the essence of being a DJ. We can gripe to death about pop culture, but in the end it’s like gladiators…whoever wins the crowd wins the game.
I said in another reply that the only complaint I can forsee are underground music lovers hating the song choices and remixing/mashing up of mainstream music we’ll probably hear.
[ link ]I love backspins and wheelup pullupz. I could play a whole set backwards Dj xfactor hear I cum
[ link ]Good article never really looked at it that way. However Cowell is obviously in it for the money and a few “gimmick” acts will get through. All I look forward to is all the wannabes going out snatching up expensive laptops, decks etc to then realise that DJing is actually a discipline which not everyone can master without dedication, to then sell their gear cheaply so I can snap up a bargain!
[ link ]AWSOME IDEA WE NEED TO SHOW THESE KIDS TRU DJING
[ link ]Honestly, would you sit there for an hour and watch these “dj’s” spin all the best top 40 hits and mashup?
I guess they will do anything to get ratings.
[ link ]The concept is nice but pray that simon or any of the producers do not cheapen the art.
[ link ]Personally, I wouldn’t see myself joining this type of competition ever, but I think I can speak for many of the experienced DJs out there that they would have some interest in catching a few, if not all, of the shows episodes.
It seems pretty dynamic in the sense of how choosing a genre and DJing style will allow the judges to analyse and thus judge the participant, but like all the others have commented about, it may still seem linear because the question remains on how exactly are the participants judged.
Taking all the technical DJ talk of the equation, how would one then sell themselves off as a superstar on the show? I mean, if everyone on the show knows how to beatmatch, crossfade perfectly, keep their mix’s momentum going, etc., how exactly will one stand out? At least the DMC is more focused because it is all about scratching, whereas here we’ll probably see a plethora of contestants playing on either vinyle, CDJs, MIDI controllers or even now with iPad controllers. What then is the criteria for winning?
For me, being a big DJ is all about song selection, crowd reading, and making the music work for the crowd, per se, because to realistic have people judging this competition, it would have to at least capture the atmosphere and emotion of an actual live set, instead of just being up there and performing in front of 3 judges who might or might not even be dancing to the music because they’re being too analytic and critical.
I guess by what I’ve said, all I really mean is that it’ll be interesting to watch how the contestants will try to rise and claim star status, whilst the rest of us who feel are not good enough or still think the show is a joke because we’re DJs who play regular enough to understand when a crowd is enjoying themselves or not, will sit back and see what these fellows have that’s new and worth picking up into our own techniques.
[ link ]I’m a DJ for over 20 years and I blend my music mix and I since converted over to laptop mixing and I like it. But I don’t see how the judging can be done on this or how to even audition, and how much time are u going to be allowed to show your stuff? Are they going to let you use your own set up or use what they got / Every true DJ has his own way and skill. How would you judge that? Just saying.
[ link ]I’m a DJ for over 20 years and I blend my music mix and I since converted over to laptop mixing and I like it. But I don’t see how the judging can be done on this or how to even audition, and how much time are u going to be allowed to show your stuff? Are they going to let you use your own set up or use what they got / Every true DJ has his own way and skill. How would you judge that? Just saying.
[ link ]Really good article and perspective you took on this one, Phil. Now I can’t wait to see how it really pans out for the show
[ link ]It’s D-Jam’s article actually
[ link ]This will scare the life out of the old school. But I think it can only do good to have some exposure and competiton in the industry it will bring new products and reduce the price to buy. DMC Championships have been doing comps for years but it old restricted format needs competition too. I can wait to see some 9 year old rock the spot with his mixtrack and out do some old schooler on his turntables who thinks he is the dogs Thats entertainment and in my opinion thats hiphop ,using what you have to the best it can be used. The problem is alot of people dont want to be that old schooler and they will be out there saying `there using sync they are cheating` but isnt Dj`ing about pleasing the crowd ? (or yourself in the bedroom )I have met old school Dj`s who dont even know how to use traktor properly and they fail to understand the full potential of sync and the fact we dont need to rub the track if its was made on a sequencer so why wouldnt we use sync ?. Go back in time to when Kool Herc started back spinning the Apache break and offer him the choice between the S4 AND Sl1200 , which do you reckon he would have used ? I think competetion is good and if you are not a self indulgent and can rock a crowd then take your toy what ever it is and enter…if you are not afraid that it.This is an oportunity for you too make it big and there might be big bucks on the table. May the best man win.
[ link ]There is a show here in the U.S on the B.E.T channel that has done this called mixmasters with kid capri and a few others. I can’t see Simon as a judge tho cause what does he know about DJing? Anyways I think this may be good for the culture but I guess we will see. Tell you one thing, it may be a real big boost for sales in the ever growing dj equipment dept. Plus it’ll make a already competitive field more competitive. Talk about being a starving artist lol!
[ link ]I dunno. I think Simon would only be a judge if they thought it would help ratings.
Again, for the sake of credibility, the judges need to be industry people who understand. There should be a producer like Guetta, Orbital, Moby, etc. There should be a turntablist. There should also be a known name in DJing for clubs and/or radio.
If I had to pick three to be judges, here’s what I’d choose:
1) Pete Tong (The club/radio guy)
[ link ]2) Jazzy Jeff (The turntablist/hip-hop guy)
3) Moby (The EDM producer who also understands DJing)
This is very interesting, all I can say is “WOW”. More reality. But I must say I really agree about the young kid picking up his laptop and doing a 4Hr gig for $50.00. I’ve been seeing this happening more and more often. It will be quite interesting to see how this plays out though. If nothing else maybe “just Maybe” there will be some sort of appreciation for the craft after a show like this. Myself I have used all forms of equipment and it’s not just a lot of fun; it can be work. Reading your crowd, keeping them pumped, going from Club DJ to Wedding DJ, Mainstream to underground, Making announcements and being the master of Ceremonies, The art of Scratching & Mixing. Your right you really need to be a certain kind of individual and a well rounded Individual to pull Be a REAL DJ.
[ link ]I don’t know if the idea of a kid doing a gig for $50 will end, but my hope is the bar gets raised. That someone who just slams in tunes or relies too much on sync (but cannot manual beatmatch to save his life) will perahps see and understand what he is missing…and thus might want to raise his own bar.
Even moreso, if the crowds of non-DJs understand, then they too will expect more. They’ll want to see the guy on his laptop “bring it” or see someone play vinyl. That the $50 kid who takes the easy route will not get respect and people won’t see him as worth their time.
[ link ]The way I perceive this; and not that I even see the show, or am an aspiring DJ. It is like with boxing, and ultimately will end up like with WWWrestling. Even UFC started out on the streets, and look how “far” or farse it’s come.
There’s really none of these that I can think of that hasn’t come out of the humble streets of some urban setting. All the way from Jazz to street fighting, to the olympics to free running. And what about booz! There’s something about adding legitamacy, the way media intends to add, seemingly takeing away from it what initially made it beautiful.
Time will tell, and we will see.
What do I believe; well, that legitamacy that sometimes makes for a rather boring, get it over quick, situation can always be the big step behind the super heroes in the game, and I explain.
Here we have now a television program that takes you behind the scenes. Who’s got there stuff together; who can master what and with what ability or amount of ease.
Guess who is riding on the wavelike success of that programming. It’s not you and I, sadly I admit. It will be the already superstars. The Armin Van Burens, The Tiestos, yes and maybe even the dead mou5es. People will see “amateurs” competing for proffesional recognition, thus the already recognized will be dubbed as “proffesionals”. It means steeper hills for some of us and the possibility that real talent will suddenly become a thing of the past because of the monoply that comes with legitimizing the brand or products intended to be for everyone and anyone. Now there will be great Djs receiving Grammys possibly while even greater ones go dwelling in the mist of the unknown. It’s as easy as saying, that a certain officer, at some point of the night had to arrest an individual who was pestering around the officers beat; the officer noticed that the individual was asking to grab some of his books, and that these books were on the subject of quantum physics to say the least. When the officer asked the gentleman refering to the books, the gentleman answered that he was the first black man to have graduated from MIT.
So I say, and this is me. Don’t watch the program; cause like UFC, how do you really know who’s got the goods unless he’s getting his eyes poked out, or getting kicked in the nads. And this is exactly the point I am getting to. As a soldier having served in the military, I was an expert rifleman, i could dismantle the M-60 blindfolded and put it back together in less than two minutes. But if it would occur to anyone to throw in an AK-47, I would have been lost. On that same note then, buy your equipment, own it, give it a name, get acquainted with it master it, no matter how much you have spent be it lots or little because you didn’t have a little more, just do it. Inspire yourself!
[ link ]No, No, No! These shows are never good for any “talent” finding. they are all designed to line the pockets of the producers they are made by. It’s yet another example of having too many TV channels and not enough quality material to put on them! Totally unnecessary TV!
[ link ]Agreed
[ link ]I would happily watch this show, as long as there is some form of talent and creativity. I cannot get enough of all types of DJ entertainment.
I’m probably like a lot of bedroom DJs out there. I was into hip hop as a kid, and I loved seeing DJs. In the early 90′s, a friend introduced me to his “real” setup and all of the masters. I’m a nerd, and I didn’t have the budget or room for vinyl. Plus I have no interest (nor the hand dexterity) to be a turntablist. Yet, I love music, mixing, and creating. So, I fit into the wannabes. Around 2007 I picked up a BCD3000+Traktor LE, then upgraded to Pro, then learned about midi mapping, then an APC40 and Live, and now an S4.
I find it so fascinating that many threads in the DJ resources complain about the integrity or “loss to wannabes”. Isn’t this the same kind of hating that rock and roll faced when evolving? Imagine… A kid picks up a guitar (maybe even one of those new noisy electric ones) and thinks he can play music…
The DJ “community” should be rejoicing that the art has grown from nothing to worldwide popularity in such a relatively short time. Art and creativity should be encouraged. Not everybody will have the skills or the means to mix vinyl, CDJs, produce, whatever. And for that matter, how many kids even have access to vinyl or turntables. It is a tired discussion.
The art form is changing. Don’t be scared… it’s just music.
[ link ]B.E.T already has a similar show called Master of the Mix. http://www.bet.com/shows/master-of-the-mix.html
[ link ]Even if they really do get quality talent, and make it a challenge (having to use controller, know how to scratch, etc) do you really think more than 5% of the viewers will have any idea what’s going on, or that the people doing this are very skilled? American Idol is for the idiot’s of the world (no offense if you watch and aren’t a brainless sheep)
[ link ]There’s been two seasons of the Mixmasters shows BET channel. Check it out on Youtube and some other sites. It was judged by real DJs and was worth a watching for a few episodes.
Personally, although I appreciated his high standards when it came to judging musical talent, I got very tired of Simon Cowell get paid big bucks for being a professional asshole. If he combines that with his lack of knowledge about DJing, I’d be sure to through a brick though my TV.
But this brings up the bigger issue of the hyper-competitive culture behind these types of shows. I’ve been a sports fan my whole life, so I don’t have a problem with competition (and winners and losers) per se, but do we really need to bring that attitude into the arts? Things like the Academy Awards and musical competitions like Idol and X-Factor primarily exist to advertise the products (and sell advertising). Do we really need to have a single 2011 World Championship Hollywood Movie (i.e. Best Picture of The Year) instead of celebrating say, 5-10 great movies?
I couldn’t agree more with everyone who laments the way that way laptop DJing has lowered technical bar for beginning DJs, has also lowered the aesthetic standards and resulted in a glut of mediocre (or worse) DJing. It’s affected my income and most alarmingly, lowered the standards and understanding of what constitutes high quality DJing. I just have strong doubts that a prime time commercial TV DJ competition and all the baggage that accompanies productions like these, is going to anything significant to make things better and in fact, I think there’s a high probability that it could go the other way and wind up leaving bizarre impressions about DJs and DJing on the wider mainstream population, that could take years to erase:
“Oh dearie, we need a DJ for our party! Can you do handstands and that sexy dance in your Speedo while playing that Guetta-Brittany-Bieber-Motown-Skrillex mashup, just like that cute little guy in the jump suit that Simon loved on his DJ X-Factor show?”
=%-[=== me, barfing!
[ link ]lol spot on
[ link ]when does the show start?
[ link ]No point in lying, I have just over 2 years of experience using software only like Virtual DJ and around one months experience with using a controller: Numark Mixtrack Pro.
I have never mixed using vinyl or a CD because I have never been offered the opportunity, and if it was given, it would take time to master the 2 formats.
As you may notice I do not call myself a DJ because a crowd would know when I mix in front of them!
Another point is that I do not mix Commercial Over-Hyped Tunes, the genres which I mix is Hardstyle, Hardtrance, some UK-Hardhouse, some Trance and I do drop in an odd Dubstep or Drum and Bass track into the middle of my Hard-Genre (Underground Dance) Sets as a Breakdown.
So no-way would I wish to be a contender seeing they would want me to mix Cheese!
Nether the less, I would like to see what will happen, and I hope I will not be sickened?
[ link ]I got mix feelings. First of all, competitions always screw over true talent. I’ve witnessed this first hand with poetry competitions. A judge may be biased against subject matter. In this case, a judge may hate someone picking a particular genre. As for the folks who do win Idol? Let me remind folks Ruben (a winner) got dropped from his label. No matter how many Simons we got, we’re always going to have artists with more ego than talent. Also, I agree with a previous comment. Folks need to quit picking on the kid with the laptop. I’d blame venues for undercutting. Right now, I’m working the same venue DJs with more experience work. I guarantee they’re making the same amount as me.
[ link ]Simon Cowell would have booted off the X-Factor Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, James Brown and just about any singing songwriting genius of the modern era because he is not interested in real creative talent.
He is interested in stage school type karaoke performers on which he can use his marketing skills to turn a quick buck.
This is not good for music.
[ link ]Let’s be careful with the bashing of the 17-year-old laptop-DJ; they aren’t all bad. I started DJing a year-and-a-half ago at age 15 off a laptop (using legitimate software). I had good tunes already, I’ve only ever bought tunes I myself enjoy, I read deeply and heavily into DJing and sound engineering, and I spent hundreds of hours practicing and learning, picking up manual beatmatching, going to my local store and to friends’ houses to learn CDJs and turntables, investing hours into perfecting custom mappings, and playing any gig I could get, even for free. I started volunteering as my school’s sound tech, and read and learned enough to become capable. I bought controllers with my own cash and kept practicing, learning, modifying, and most of all enjoying. Now, I can select my gigs, I can play the tunes I like, and I feel confident calling myself a DJ, because I can drive a crowd with good music and exceptional sound quality, as well as plenty of flair and skill (I enjoy live remixing).
I’m just one of many stories. Besides, didn’t many of us already agree that it doesn’t matter what you use or do as long as at the end of the day you do a good job and everyone goes home happy? Please appreciate new talent and a desire to learn. The new generation has a lot to offer.
[ link ]I usually leave the younger crew alone…unless they have a huge ego. When folks get older, nostalgia gets the best of them. Old school DJs forget some folks began hating DJs…and this was during “the vinyl age”. They got fed up with DJs acting like they know music more than anyone else. Plus they got fed up with those who don’t take requests. That same behavior is why many DJs don’t get many gigs now. I’ve seen DJ vets who never grew with the times. Of all the DJs from the Central Florida 1990s, I only know one that spins dubstep. And this is the one who always keeps a gig. Yet, others want to take their frustrations out on the kids and new DJs. Some of these people need to watch Iceman’s video again.
[ link ]No no no no no.
Cowell is Satan and with the help of people like Akon, Madonna and Lady Gaga he has crushed almost all of the creativity and diversity out of mainstream culture.
Of course the charts have always been full of homogenous pap so is it really any different now?
I would have to say yes because people like Cowell, Madonna, Gaga and Akon have taken the production techniques of underground artists and mixed them with pornstar imagary, gangsta chic, bling and other lowest common denominator tricks to capture the imagination of the masses ensuring there really is no other game in town.
Damn there really is no other game on this planet, if you want to reach a mass audience you are going to need to start using the marketing tricks and formulas of the rogues I have mentioned otherwise you can forget about it.
In the past the mainstream was catchy and wholesome but not sexy or dangerous, which is why there was room for underground music to cross over into the mainstream because Chuck D fighting the power was always going to carry more weight than Kylie Minogue singing “I should be so lucky”.
Fast forward twenty years, put Kylie in a pair of hot pants dancing on a bar and suddenly she is an unimpeachable musical genius and Public Enemy are just a footnote in the history of political hip hop.
In the past there was always a steady stream of quality crossover artists that charted allowing them to work their magic on a mass audience and introduce the masses to the great well of creativity that was bubbling way beyond the Top 40
This ensured that the underground stuff which didn’t chart still had exposure to an impressive following because when the kids of yesteryear heard The Specials or De La Soul on Top Of The Pops they went on to seek out underground ska bands like The Selector or other hip hop like BDP and thus the underground had a strong following and the charts were less dull and cheesy. It was a win win situation.
What a proud tradition we have had, stretching back to the sixties with amazingly raw talent like The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and James Brown regularly charting all the way through the 70′s with The Clash, Sex Pistols etc etc, the 80′s with De La Soul, Public Enemy and the 90′s with bands like The Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses etc etc.
The list goes on and on but eerily dries up in the last decade or so
Since the end of the 90′s almost all the music reaching a mass audience adheres to a Simon Cowellesque formula.
A karaoke pop hop/rnb thing with a dash of Guetta or Deadmau5.
Boy band meets pop tart with an auto tune rapper and Guetta or Tiesto in the background pretending to be Jesus after the stylist has seen to him.
It’s so bad now that I have DJed at hip hop nights and spent all night fending off Gaga and Akon Requests.
If Cowell gets his hands on DJ culture he will not be looking for the new Francois K, Theo Parrish, Norman Jay or Jazzy Jeff it will be yet more Guettas and Deadmau5s and more uneducated crowds who think they are educated but would consider Jazzy Jeff to be a crap DJ because his hair isn’t as good as Guetta’s and he wont play Madonna and Justin Timberlake on demand.
God help us all
[ link ]And by the way… look below for what Digital DJ Tips is offering (sort of hypocritical to theorize about a show that doesn’t exist yet while this website offers a course that the DJ “community” would seemingly disdain)
How To Digital DJ Fast
[ link ]Brand new online video course from Digital DJ Tips gives you all you need to get from complete beginner to your first DJ gig in just four weeks
http://www.digitaldjtips.com/how-to-digital-dj-fast-cb/
Just a quickie about the 17 year old stereotype. Now I agree that the poser types who fist pump their way through sets are not the future of DJing, but at the same time as a 17 year old DJ I was a bit miffed at the comment about the Laptop. Considering this is a website named “Digital DJ Tips”, I thought the dig at the fact that they would not be able to continue without their laptop was, in my opinion, a bit unfair. As a 17 Year old DJ myself, I have managed to collect the money together to afford a Mixtrack Pro and a copy of Traktor – how am i supposed to be experienced in the use of turntables and CDJ’s without the money to own them! Apologies if I’m missing something, but I can’t practise on clubs decks because a serious club won’t employ you unless you are experienced in the use of CDJ’s alot of the time, so we are left to use our controller and laptops in bars/clubs. As young DJ’s we are always told to go out and get a gig, no matter what equipment we have, so maybe young DJ’s using a laptop shouldn’t all be stereotyped as the fist pumping wannabe’s. Remember, this websites founder, Phil, begun Djing in clubs with only his laptop.
[ link ]Anyway, I think the show’s effect can only really be judged once we see the layout of the show, and the type of DJing it promotes, but i wouldn’t bet on simon cowell promoting anything other than the Dj that could potentially make him the most money- whether that be the fist pumper or the skilled DJ
As an older DJ, WE didn’t all have the pleasure to start off on 1200s from day one.. We interned, we learned, we carried crates for bigger DJs.. We did what we had to do UNTIL we had enough for 1200s or such
[ link ]I used to borrow turntables for every party until I could get a pair, and this was for almost 4-5 years!!!
C’mon you younger guys have it way to easy to start in this game and in my opinion.. and my opinion only.. far too many younger guys just don’t appreciate when someone wants to teach them!
They think because they have a laptop and 10,000 songs they’re just as viable as the vet – learn & respect the craft folks
Reading your post made me reminisce of the things I had to do as a young DJ as well. You wrote it almost word for word.
[ link ]…with the midi controllers with the laptop,are they going to be using traktor, virtual dj or serato. and with live remixing is it going to be four decks or two decks, and which player type, CDJ 2000 OR DNS3700? plenty questions on HOW.
[ link ]I’m just curious if it will be “DJ exclusive”. I personally am a producer first then a “DJ” (so everyone understand what I do). I don’t technically DJ though, I use clips and such to actually play with and edit the tracks live, this means I have got most of my set pre-planned, which people might see as bad but I see it comes down to entertainment value and what I feel comfortable with.
Basically my question is can I enter if I technically am not a “DJ” yet I can perform all the skills of a DJ using various midi controllers and ableton?
Related: It seems to me these days people might be thinking to be a DJ you are a producer and vice versa. I don’t know if that’s due to big name DJ’s becoming big name producers recently or whatever, I’ve just noticed that when people say “what do you do?” and I reply with either DJ or Producer. They get all excited for the DJ part and seem to have no clue what a Producer does.
[ link ]What I like about DJ culture:
1) It’s NOT a competition.
You’re sharing your love of music with others.
2) It takes time, and evolves organically.
Great sets slowly build over the night.
I can’t see how either 1 or 2 would translate well on TV. Seems like glitz or scratchin’ is the only way it could go.
But I’m not a 17yr old with a laptop. So maybe I’m an old guy feeling nostalgic about a DJ culture that’s now dead. Or maybe this show would kill it. I just hate how reality TV turns EVERYTHING into a competition.
Would I enter? Personally, the thought of being a reality star gives me the creeps. But I think older dj’s like me getting back into things through digital would be a great “category” to represent on the show. Phil, D-Jam, Ready for your 15 minutes?
[ link ]You are old guy and feeling nostalgic about a DJ culture what’s pretty sure dead.
Here you go the proper djing,view and surprised: http://youtu.be/EKGL6qVpZg8?t=11s
[ link ]Uh,
1) I’m not surprised, controllerists (what you call “proper” djing) have been around for at least a decade. Not my cup of tea, but the video seems cool.
2) If you’re going to diss me about my age, maybe a link featuring a DJ with a receding hairline isn’t the best choice.
[ link ]We lived like rock stars, so we’re rock stars: D
http://klubitus.org/liitteet/16373824fa89.jpg
[ link ]I agree with you when you say that “talent” means being able to play on all sorts of equipment, but what about those who can’t afford to practise on expensive turntables? For example, take a 16-year-old DJ, who can only afford a MIDI controller to use with his laptop; how could he put his hands on turntables and vinyls, except by getting into a shop (and here in Italy there aren’t many shops that sell DJ equipment, and if you’re lucky enough to find one, it sells old products like the Hercules MKII or it overprices things – speculation is reeeally common here) and asking to try them? It won’t be enough to properly learn to use that stuff, unless you go there often (and you need, again, to be lucky enough to find a clerk that lets you do that). What if he’s got talent, but no money to put it into practice? “One can be a genius, but if he can’t read nor write, the world will never know about him”.
[ link ]Well then you just learn when you can. But you’re right, that would disadvantage the talented kids who’ve not had a chance yet on pro gear.
[ link ]I’ve wondered for years about how a show like Idol or X-Factor would work in the DJ world — mostly because the other shows give the talent a few minutes to make their “statement” and then it’s back to the judges. DJing is NOT something that can be judged in a few minutes. A truly talented DJ will be able to build a set, enticing a crowd out onto a dancefloor, keeping them there by mixing what they know with with what they don’t, and ultimately creating an energy that finally explodes, leaving the crowd dripping in sweat, basking in joy, and wanting still more.
That kind of a set is filled with pop from the radio, house that can’t be denied, progressive and electro that drives the frenzy, techno to the creshendo, and then trance to push it over the edge and bring it all home. In other words, a full journey that just cant be done in anything less than a few hours.
A truly talented DJ does all that by reading the crowd, knowing when their ready for the next level, and then taking it there.
How do you fit all that into a few minutes? You can’t.
But there still needs to be a way to judge and select a “winner.” One way I can think to do it is to have a group of DJs tag-teaming, playing one song and stepping away from the decks to make room for the next person. That method would not only demonstrate how well a DJ knows the music and how to program a full set, but also how well they could read a crowd.
I’ve been DJing for over 25 years. I started on vinyl, moved to CDs and transitioned to digital. I’ve played small venues and big ones as well; short one-hour sets up to a 9-hour set. If Cowell can figure out a way to make the competition be about DJ TALENT, I’d be eager to sign up and take my chances. I just wonder how he’s going to do it…
pete
[ link ]I am pretty skeptical of how the format is going to work. All of the “rockstar” DJs who have found success in the mainstream are producers as well. That’s what they are primarily recognized for (you can tell- Deadmau5 and Guetta didn’t do a lick of actual DJing in their Grammy performances). Most TV audiences don’t know or care about the techniques of turntablism, I doubt Simon Cowell really knows much about it either. And as others have said, to really be able to judge a DJ’s talent at the tables you have to have them go through a set longer than the average pop song, and everyone uses different tools.
[ link ]Also I’m concerned about genres. Of course everyone will eat up electro house and modern dubstep, probably trance as well. But when you get into things like hardcore, techno and oldskool rave, they are less palatable to the uninitiated. Are they going to skip over whole genres that have defined dance music over the course of its history in order to cater to a mass audience? That’s a concern to me. Of course an awesome DJ can play anything, but some real talents (like BBC Radio 1′s Kutski for example) specialize in harder, rave-oriented music. If they give these genres significant airtime, I’d be amazed.
At any rate, let’s see what they can come up with. If it actually honors talent in the techniques of DJing and includes a variety of genres, more power to them.