DJs who DON'T really DJ

[lucasvickers]

Re: DJs who DON'T really DJ

Sorry, but I want to hear live mixing from DJs when I pay my money to see them. If they're just going to push play then why have a dj at all. Someone just change the cd every hour or so. It'll be like a party. And if I was a club owner, I wouldn't hire those DJs who don't use their skills.

As for DJs not DJing, I witnessed this Thursday night. I went to a club and started talking to the DJ about tracks, well when the end of the track was coming up and I kinda backed off so he could mix, but he keeps talking then next thing you know here comes in another track while he's still talking. He was just letting the cds play.

the art of djing is changing
i got into a debate with someone the other day at a club who told me the art of djing involved knowing the physical characteristics of each of your records

well he can have fun doing that but I'll be busy using sequencing software to set up sick live pa sets, and you know what if theres an amazing mix that I think about but I know its too complex to do it live -- then im gonna pre record it. not the set mind you, but that mix

the 'art' of djing is changing
get with it or have fun doing the same shit every other person in the world can do

[the sun the sea]

Re: DJs who DON'T really DJ

it's kind of hard sometimes to mix quality tracks because i prefer to mix with tape decks:

[lucasvickers]

Re: DJs who DON'T really DJ

it's kind of hard sometimes to mix quality tracks because i prefer to mix with tape decks:

well im confused

[GrantT]

Yesterday I watched Sasha up close play an entire 3hr set from Ableton Live. He didn't use the CD decks or SL1200's once. There's absolutely no doubt about it - he was definitely working hard. There's a huge amount of effort that goes into his performances.

BUT! The big concern are those that will 'cheat' and cover up sub-standard DJing ability with technology.

As someone who receives a lot of promos from different levels of professional experience, I've certainly seen more than one example of people who aren't much chop on the wheels of steel - but can sure point and click their way through a demo. The problem is that they're not adding anything to the music by technology. The same, especially after last night, is most definitely NOT the case for Sasha.

This from Ben Korbel - not only the promoter of the gig I was at, but also a previous guest on Diggers' Kiss 100 show and renowned DJ:
Just to give you all a little more idea of the effort that goes into Sasha's new live laptop show. We didn't advertise it in the marketing as Sasha has only been using the laptop for part of his sets up until now, as a third deck (using mostly CD mixing). Last night was the first time he has performed an entire set from laptop. Now just to let you know what's involved.

Sasha has three full time staff whose sole job is to contact labels and producers of tracks Sasha wants to play, requesting the seperated/layered parts of a particular track. When they can't get the parts, they pull the track apart themselves. These parts are then sent to Sasha and loaded onto his laptop. When he mixes in Abelton, he has individual control of the bass note, vocals, percussion etc etc and uses an outboard controller and mixing desk to manipulate and introduce each layer.

Ontop of this he has an outboard fx unit that can change the sound of any layer on a particular track he is mixing. For all intensive purposes he is performing just as live as any electronic band. The reason that it sounds so seemless and programmed is that Sasha spends weeks on his laptop, familiarising himself with his music so that it flows. As for it being boring to look at, this is subjective but I agree an interesting and fair point and there is something cool about the more manual visual aspect of a turntable. Sasha is now developing an integrated controller for his live show with a joystick type device so it might look like he's playing Playstation. Who knows what's next, perhaps DJs with virtual reality goggles!

[lucasvickers]

Yesterday I watched Sasha up close play an entire 3hr set from Ableton Live. He didn't use the CD decks or SL1200's once. There's absolutely no doubt about it - he was definitely working hard. There's a huge amount of effort that goes into his performances.

BUT! The big concern are those that will 'cheat' and cover up sub-standard DJing ability with technology.

As someone who receives a lot of promos from different levels of professional experience, I've certainly seen more than one example of people who aren't much chop on the wheels of steel - but can sure point and click their way through a demo. The problem is that they're not adding anything to the music by technology. The same, especially after last night, is most definitely NOT the case for Sasha.

This from Ben Korbel - not only the promoter of the gig I was at, but also a previous guest on Diggers' Kiss 100 show and renowned DJ:
Just to give you all a little more idea of the effort that goes into Sasha's new live laptop show. We didn't advertise it in the marketing as Sasha has only been using the laptop for part of his sets up until now, as a third deck (using mostly CD mixing). Last night was the first time he has performed an entire set from laptop. Now just to let you know what's involved.

Sasha has three full time staff whose sole job is to contact labels and producers of tracks Sasha wants to play, requesting the seperated/layered parts of a particular track. When they can't get the parts, they pull the track apart themselves. These parts are then sent to Sasha and loaded onto his laptop. When he mixes in Abelton, he has individual control of the bass note, vocals, percussion etc etc and uses an outboard controller and mixing desk to manipulate and introduce each layer.

Ontop of this he has an outboard fx unit that can change the sound of any layer on a particular track he is mixing. For all intensive purposes he is performing just as live as any electronic band. The reason that it sounds so seemless and programmed is that Sasha spends weeks on his laptop, familiarising himself with his music so that it flows. As for it being boring to look at, this is subjective but I agree an interesting and fair point and there is something cool about the more manual visual aspect of a turntable. Sasha is now developing an integrated controller for his live show with a joystick type device so it might look like he's playing Playstation. Who knows what's next, perhaps DJs with virtual reality goggles!

yeah but without charlie may at his side he can only do so much

[djkix]

Re: DJs who DON'T really DJ

Nick Muir has done sets yet apparently cannot DJ, and doesn't BT just plug in a laptop and reel of the exact same set time after time?

the 1st time I saw BT do a non-live set, he had 1200's, and it was a bloody train wreck. The next time was all Ableton, and it was all his own tracks, minorly remixed. It wasnt too bad, but it was a BT Greatest hits show, so somewhat disappointing.

the first time i saw bt, he was mixing records. granted the beat counter on the cdm-1000 was on but he pulled off a great set. the second time, he used his laptop and other electro-gizmos that didn't work properly and it sucked beyond words. i have no problems going digital... just make sure it's at least as good as before.

[djkix]

What the h--l am I paying $40 to see again?

its all about hearing mate

Egg fucking zactly. Why does it jmean so much to folk how they do the mix, are you not there for the music? If so let your hair down, stop thinking the dj is cheating and have a bloody good time

that's a crock of shit. pre-program all week, arrive at the club, and just play? seriously, what ever happened to mixing tracks that suited the vibe at the moment? the different energy due to the crowd, location, venue, weather? how can you do that if everything is preprogrammed?

[MJ]

pre-program all week, arrive at the club, and just play? seriously, what ever happened to mixing tracks that suited the vibe at the moment? the different energy due to the crowd, location, venue, weather? how can you do that if everything is preprogrammed?

I saw Sasha play at Fabric in London last month, now you say he may have pr-programed that set the week before just to arrive at the club and play. Are you saying it isn`t going to sound as good as if he had just gone and played vinyl? I`d like you to tell that to the 1000 or so people who stayed there till 8.15 in the morning hanging on his every next track. For 6 and a bit hours he played and he kept everyone interested the entire time. I couldn`t give a shit how he did it all i know is it sounded fantstic and i`m not huge Sasha fan.

For the hundredth time... it`s all about the music.... and not how it`s done. We don`t like change but times are changing... move on... get into the future,, listen to the music... let your hair down... have a good time.

[Yao]

That is so sad...If you can't DJ, get a f*cking job, don't go ruining peoples evenings...

:edit: I meant the losers that have to cover up their trainwrecks with technology...

[Hambrecht]

Digweed barely ever mixes live!

[Steve Graham]

^^^ are you saying he plays mix cd's?

[diskofreak]

Digweed barely ever mixes live!

please explain this statement?? iv seen him a bunch of times.. sounded like he mixed his tracks to me..

[scottpuig]

Re: DJs who DON'T really DJ

i was in orlando in 96 to see digweed play @ paradise island....
before the show i had the opportunity to hang out with him @ jimmy van m house
( if anyone thinks I'm full of shit ask him ...Jimmy... about the trampoline in his living room)... any way john made a dat tape @ Jimmy's b/c he didn't have the proper visa's...work permits etc... and disney wasn't going to let him play... so we heard kimball collins followed by digweed on the dat followed by Jimmy van m around 6am a wide eyed diggers brings up the place no one cared about visa's then it was the first time i met john and he told me it was the first time he ever danced to his own mix

[Steve Graham]

^^^ interesting story

[scottpuig]

don't get me wrong he wasn't trying to pretend he was playing we were on the floor