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It was fun while it lasted...
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Re: Digweed, Mayan, LA on Wed., Aug. 3rd, 2011
If you’re a Los Angeles dance music aficionado, you know that John Digweed at the Mayan is about as close as you can get to an institutional event. Since the good folks at Liquified brought the iconic DJ into the equally iconic downtown venue over a decade ago, Digweed’s midweek all-nighter has consistently brought out LA’s best dance crowds, and the music is always top notch.
You’ve always had a great relationship with Los Angeles, the Mayan especially. Why is that always a special gig?
John Digweed: Anyone that comes out on a Wednesday or a Thursday night, not on a normal weekend night, they’re there specifically for that gig. They haven’t just stumbled across a club on aweekend when they’ve been out with friends. It’s like, “Right, I wanna go and see this person play because I enjoy what he does and this is the only time I’m gonna get to hear him for X amount of time.” Yes it’s gonna be hard going into work on Thursday morning, but it’s gonna be worth it. I think what’s been special about those Mayan nights is that they’ve always attracted people that want to come out and party old school, which is they don’t care what day of the week it is. They don’t care if they’re late for work or got a bit of a fuzzy head the next day. They want to go out and have a good time.
It’s funny, I always see the same faces at the front of the line each year.
John Digweed: Oh yes. (Laughs) There’s something nice about that as well. It’s nice that there’s maybe some people that don’t go out as much, but they’ll still make the effort on a Wednesday night.
Speaking of old school, I was listening to Structures Two, and it’s so nice to hear something with an arc that progresses and moves from one vibe to another. So many DJs now just bang it out. Do you think that more patient aesthetic is unique to DJs like yourself, Sasha or Carl Cox?
John Digweed: Nowadays, a lot of the young DJs coming through aren’t having to play longer sets. You’re not playing five- or six-hour sets. It’s all about crash, bang, wallop…you’re on for two hours, you bang out the big hits, then you’re offstage. I think a lot of the older DJs come from where you play a lot longer, you build the night up, and you set the pace. I’m not sure those kind of skills are what someone new coming into the scene looks to gain. I think for them it’s like, “Right, I’m gonna play the biggest record, get the best reaction right from the start, and bang it out for 90 minutes, hit after hit. It’s hands in the air from the very first minute to the last record. For me, I’d rather work it a little bit, get that reaction throughout the set, have peaks and troughs and play good music. I don’t want to play hits. I don’t want to play records that are on the radio that just have a club mix. It’s about playing good music; music that people are gonna listen to that has a bit of depth to it. If you start with the biggest record in your box, where do you go after that? I think people, to a certain extent, don’t dance anymore. They just jump up and down punching the air because that’s all the record has allowed them to do. There isn’t any time to take a breather.
There isn’t any musical foreplay.
John Digweed: No, but it’s horses for courses. If every DJ played the same it would be really boring out there. I’m not playing anything down. For me, this is how I prefer to DJ, but I can see other DJs tend to want to go for the jugular straight from the start.
You did a 10-hour set at Matter for Bedrock’s 10-year anniversary. Are you planning a 15-hour set in 2013?
John Digweed: (Laughs) I don’t know if the club is open that long.
What’s the secret to those marathon sets? Do you pack a little picnic basket?
John Digweed: Well, you don’t want to peak too soon on the alcohol, that’s for sure. If you get into the Grey Goose too early, it’s gonna be all over. It’s very important to pace yourself. I’m not a massive drinker anyway. Once I get locked into what I’m doing, the time just seems to fly by. But it goes back to what I was saying earlier. You don’t peak too soon. But no muffins or bananas or anything. (Laughs)
What you and Sasha were doing at Twilo in the late ’90s—then with Delta Heavy tour in 2002—was really trying to push dance music into the mainstream consciousness. Well, it’s kinda there now. Do you feel good about what’s going on with that pop crossover? Has dance music finally made its way into the mainstream?
John Digweed:Yes and no. I think the stuff that people like Carl, Sasha and Richie Hawtin (are doing) is not in the mainstream conscious. The Swedes, David Guetta, Afrojack, they’ve made a more commercial sound; they want a record that’s going to be played on radio. We don’t make records that want to be played on radio, and we don’t play records that have been played on the radio. I think there’s a connection, but it’s two sides. They’re on one side with their commercial electronic music, and we’re on the other with the underground.
But are you happy with it?
John Digweed: I don’t know. America is definitely having a second breath of club culture this year. You can definitely tell with the amount of festivals that are doing well, the club shows, everything like that. I think it’s injected it with new life, so that’s not a bad thing. Hopefully those people who start listening to David Guetta and the Swedes will want something a bit deeper down the line. I think it opens doors for both people.
How often do you gig? Out of the 365 days of the year, how many are you working?
John Digweed: I always do a Friday and Saturday, but in the summer you’ll do a Wednesday, Thursday or the odd Monday, so I’d probably say between 120 and 140 gigs a year, which is enough I think. I never really add ’em up, though. I consider myself very privileged to do what I do, because there are a lot of people that want to be in my shoes, and I’m lucky enough to be living the dream for quite some time! I don’t charge for DJing now, I charge for the traveling. (Laughs)
Did you have the same hands-on approach to A&Ring this record as you did with the previous Structures mix? I know there was a lot of back and forth with some of the producers to get their tracks just right.
John Digweed: Yeah. I was asking the guys, especially on the downtempo one, “Could you do a more chilled out version of this, do a version without the beats and see how it sounds?” I was really happy with the way the first CD turned out because I think it shows the label in another light; that we’re not just a label that puts out club tracks. We’ve got more depth. It’s important for the label as we move on to show our range, and I think it’s good for the artist as well because it encouraged them to make a different sound to what they normally do.
You’re still packing crowds, still loving what you do, always making it into that famed DJ Mag Top 100. (Laughs) What’s been the hardest thing for you to sustain?
John Digweed: It’s funny. I did an interview with someone in Macedonia the other day and they’re going, “How does it feel to be #29 in the Top 100?” Well, it feels the same as when I was #1 or #3 or #10. It’s not a race. DJing isn’t about coming first, and I think my fan base don’t really care what number I am as long as I’m playing well and they can see that I’m passionate about what I do. I think the Top 100 is kind of a mixed bag when you’ve got people like Laurent Garnier or Josh Wink not even featured. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher. For me, it’s about going out week after week, playing as well as I can and delivering, and I think if you do that your fan base will stay with you. I think that’s testament to what I do and sort of reinforces what you were saying about the crowd that’s gonna be at the Mayan on Wednesday. There’s gonna be people there that were probably there ten years ago. I think in this day and age, to have a fan base that stays with you is very important.
Words by Rich Thomas. Photos courtesy of John Digweed.
http://www.chinashopmag.com/2011/07/win-tickets-to-see-john-digweed-at-the-mayan-in-la/Comment
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Re: Digweed, Mayan, LA on Wed., Aug. 3rd, 2011
Great article! Very interesting read. I'm glad I'm getting to see Digweed for the first time here at the mayan.
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Re: Digweed, Mayan, LA on Wed., Aug. 3rd, 2011
Not long now!!!!!!!!
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Re: Digweed, Mayan, LA on Wed., Aug. 3rd, 2011
It was fun while it lasted...Comment
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Re: Digweed, Mayan, LA on Wed., Aug. 3rd, 2011
Great Interview!!
If you’re a Los Angeles dance music aficionado, you know that John Digweed at the Mayan is about as close as you can get to an institutional event. Since the good folks at Liquified brought the iconic DJ into the equally iconic downtown venue over a decade ago, Digweed’s midweek all-nighter has consistently brought out LA’s best dance crowds, and the music is always top notch.
You’ve always had a great relationship with Los Angeles, the Mayan especially. Why is that always a special gig?
John Digweed: Anyone that comes out on a Wednesday or a Thursday night, not on a normal weekend night, they’re there specifically for that gig. They haven’t just stumbled across a club on aweekend when they’ve been out with friends. It’s like, “Right, I wanna go and see this person play because I enjoy what he does and this is the only time I’m gonna get to hear him for X amount of time.” Yes it’s gonna be hard going into work on Thursday morning, but it’s gonna be worth it. I think what’s been special about those Mayan nights is that they’ve always attracted people that want to come out and party old school, which is they don’t care what day of the week it is. They don’t care if they’re late for work or got a bit of a fuzzy head the next day. They want to go out and have a good time.
It’s funny, I always see the same faces at the front of the line each year.
John Digweed: Oh yes. (Laughs) There’s something nice about that as well. It’s nice that there’s maybe some people that don’t go out as much, but they’ll still make the effort on a Wednesday night.
Speaking of old school, I was listening to Structures Two, and it’s so nice to hear something with an arc that progresses and moves from one vibe to another. So many DJs now just bang it out. Do you think that more patient aesthetic is unique to DJs like yourself, Sasha or Carl Cox?
John Digweed: Nowadays, a lot of the young DJs coming through aren’t having to play longer sets. You’re not playing five- or six-hour sets. It’s all about crash, bang, wallop…you’re on for two hours, you bang out the big hits, then you’re offstage. I think a lot of the older DJs come from where you play a lot longer, you build the night up, and you set the pace. I’m not sure those kind of skills are what someone new coming into the scene looks to gain. I think for them it’s like, “Right, I’m gonna play the biggest record, get the best reaction right from the start, and bang it out for 90 minutes, hit after hit. It’s hands in the air from the very first minute to the last record. For me, I’d rather work it a little bit, get that reaction throughout the set, have peaks and troughs and play good music. I don’t want to play hits. I don’t want to play records that are on the radio that just have a club mix. It’s about playing good music; music that people are gonna listen to that has a bit of depth to it. If you start with the biggest record in your box, where do you go after that? I think people, to a certain extent, don’t dance anymore. They just jump up and down punching the air because that’s all the record has allowed them to do. There isn’t any time to take a breather.
There isn’t any musical foreplay.
John Digweed: No, but it’s horses for courses. If every DJ played the same it would be really boring out there. I’m not playing anything down. For me, this is how I prefer to DJ, but I can see other DJs tend to want to go for the jugular straight from the start.
You did a 10-hour set at Matter for Bedrock’s 10-year anniversary. Are you planning a 15-hour set in 2013?
John Digweed: (Laughs) I don’t know if the club is open that long.
What’s the secret to those marathon sets? Do you pack a little picnic basket?
John Digweed: Well, you don’t want to peak too soon on the alcohol, that’s for sure. If you get into the Grey Goose too early, it’s gonna be all over. It’s very important to pace yourself. I’m not a massive drinker anyway. Once I get locked into what I’m doing, the time just seems to fly by. But it goes back to what I was saying earlier. You don’t peak too soon. But no muffins or bananas or anything. (Laughs)
What you and Sasha were doing at Twilo in the late ’90s—then with Delta Heavy tour in 2002—was really trying to push dance music into the mainstream consciousness. Well, it’s kinda there now. Do you feel good about what’s going on with that pop crossover? Has dance music finally made its way into the mainstream?
John Digweed:Yes and no. I think the stuff that people like Carl, Sasha and Richie Hawtin (are doing) is not in the mainstream conscious. The Swedes, David Guetta, Afrojack, they’ve made a more commercial sound; they want a record that’s going to be played on radio. We don’t make records that want to be played on radio, and we don’t play records that have been played on the radio. I think there’s a connection, but it’s two sides. They’re on one side with their commercial electronic music, and we’re on the other with the underground.
But are you happy with it?
John Digweed: I don’t know. America is definitely having a second breath of club culture this year. You can definitely tell with the amount of festivals that are doing well, the club shows, everything like that. I think it’s injected it with new life, so that’s not a bad thing. Hopefully those people who start listening to David Guetta and the Swedes will want something a bit deeper down the line. I think it opens doors for both people.
How often do you gig? Out of the 365 days of the year, how many are you working?
John Digweed: I always do a Friday and Saturday, but in the summer you’ll do a Wednesday, Thursday or the odd Monday, so I’d probably say between 120 and 140 gigs a year, which is enough I think. I never really add ’em up, though. I consider myself very privileged to do what I do, because there are a lot of people that want to be in my shoes, and I’m lucky enough to be living the dream for quite some time! I don’t charge for DJing now, I charge for the traveling. (Laughs)
Did you have the same hands-on approach to A&Ring this record as you did with the previous Structures mix? I know there was a lot of back and forth with some of the producers to get their tracks just right.
John Digweed: Yeah. I was asking the guys, especially on the downtempo one, “Could you do a more chilled out version of this, do a version without the beats and see how it sounds?” I was really happy with the way the first CD turned out because I think it shows the label in another light; that we’re not just a label that puts out club tracks. We’ve got more depth. It’s important for the label as we move on to show our range, and I think it’s good for the artist as well because it encouraged them to make a different sound to what they normally do.
You’re still packing crowds, still loving what you do, always making it into that famed DJ Mag Top 100. (Laughs) What’s been the hardest thing for you to sustain?
John Digweed: It’s funny. I did an interview with someone in Macedonia the other day and they’re going, “How does it feel to be #29 in the Top 100?” Well, it feels the same as when I was #1 or #3 or #10. It’s not a race. DJing isn’t about coming first, and I think my fan base don’t really care what number I am as long as I’m playing well and they can see that I’m passionate about what I do. I think the Top 100 is kind of a mixed bag when you’ve got people like Laurent Garnier or Josh Wink not even featured. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher. For me, it’s about going out week after week, playing as well as I can and delivering, and I think if you do that your fan base will stay with you. I think that’s testament to what I do and sort of reinforces what you were saying about the crowd that’s gonna be at the Mayan on Wednesday. There’s gonna be people there that were probably there ten years ago. I think in this day and age, to have a fan base that stays with you is very important.
Words by Rich Thomas. Photos courtesy of John Digweed.
http://www.chinashopmag.com/2011/07/win-tickets-to-see-john-digweed-at-the-mayan-in-la/ Especially this But I'll bet I still get the annual email asking for my voteI think people, to a certain extent, don’t dance anymore. They just jump up and down punching the air because that’s all the record has allowed them to do. There isn’t any time to take a breather.
I feel so popular with Djs at this time of the year. About the only one I don't get that email from is the one I always vote for 
The 'club spirit' is in the soul. It Never DiesOriginally posted by TheVrkComment
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Re: Digweed, Mayan, LA on Wed., Aug. 3rd, 2011
Well I usually have him somewhere in the voting
The 'club spirit' is in the soul. It Never DiesOriginally posted by TheVrkComment
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Re: Digweed, Mayan, LA on Wed., Aug. 3rd, 2011
I've been going to see Digweed since 1997, IF you like his deep, dark, relentless, and just out right nasty, then last night was for you!
TOP 3 set I've ever witnessed.Comment
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Re: Digweed, Mayan, LA on Wed., Aug. 3rd, 2011
Digweed was so sick! I couldn't believe my ears. Definitely the best set I've heard live. I'm so glad I ended up going to see him!
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