Compromise & Paying Dues
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  1. #1
    Tech Mentor rvltion909's Avatar
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    Default Compromise & Paying Dues

    Interested in hearing your views on "cross over" and or compromising your personal music tastes when playing out.

    Im a 110% EDM DJ with most of my stuff being barely tolerable by the typical top-40 crowd. I dont consider it to be completely break-out or genre pushing but it definitely is not the stuff daytime radio calls "dance music".

    Anyhow, Im in my late 20's and have been listening EDM for most my life (back when they needed to call it “electronica” to place it in one spot at the brick and mortar music shops). You may or may have not noticed the saturation on the airwaves, in the media and at the clubs of an “electronic element” for the last…I’d say 5yrs. Those who were lucky enough to experience the birth and peak of EDM here in the states have definitely noticed a shift in the dynamics of the culture.

    Maybe it’s the beginning of the cyclic generation gap. Those who were around to experience the emergence of the electronic music culture (and eventual mass marketing and commercialization) here in the States are now in their mid 30’s to 40’s. A lot of them have stopped making/spinning music and go out a lot less. The “new generation” has started to emerge/redefine things and what Ive noticed is a large-scale shift towards commercial accessibility electronic music (think lots of top 40 “EDM remixes”).

    Im not too fond of this type of stuff but it seems like less and less of the younger generation finds “traditional” EDM appealing. It seems the ease of getting into the DJ culture now (and even becoming a “DJ”) might be contributing to a dance scene dominated more by poppy subgenres or track selections (i.e. electro & dubstep).

    I often wonder how the DJs I respect who have made it big and still play to thousands at a time around the world got there. EDM used to be a very exclusive and acquired taste. Im sure many of them experienced crowds, venues or even regional areas that were *not* into EDM at the time.

    My question is…how do you suppose they built their following? Did Digweed, Sasha, Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox, etc, etc get to be the masters they are by just sticking to their guns the whole time and playing only what they play? I cant imagine it went that well all the time in the beginning.

    How do you all feel about it? I have stuff that I consider to be a little more “accessible” to people not really into EDM but I *only* spin EDM and usually it’s the stuff you would never mistake to find in the top 40 section. What are your views on “cross-over” type tracks or genres. ***strictly EDM DJs*** how do YOU feel about spinning other genres aside from EDM when the crowd seems not to be an EDM crowd? How did the greats turn people who weren’t EDM lovers into EDM fanatics?
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  2. #2
    Tech Guru Nesquigs's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rvltion909 View Post
    How did the greats turn people who weren’t EDM lovers into EDM fanatics?
    one track at a time. :P
    Quote Originally Posted by Xonetacular View Post
    Ya I've heard one song. It's called Skrillex.
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  3. #3

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    The biggest reason good Djs become super-popular Djs, are that they cross over to producers, in my opinion. Plenty other reasons why people are popular, but if you want to make it big time as a DJ, you HAVE to produce your own music, or at least remix stuff.
    But that might be a bit on the side of the discussion. As for crossover-stuff, I believe consistency is paramount.

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    Well, first off you can't really compare the US to Europe, two completely different cultures. Plus radio has a huge influence on what people listen to and "like". In Europe, people have grown up with dance music all around them and it's just part of their culture.

    Part of it could be the club/venue/promoter. If you get booked to play at a top 40/mashup spot then of course the crowd isn't going to be responsive to what your doing.

    And as far as how the older cats got popular, there was a lot less competition then and if you had an ounce of talent and a decent and unique sound you would more or less get noticed.

    And I don't think it was the "greats" who turned people onto EDM, it was more or less the drugs in all seriousness. First time you take a big inhale on a nitrous balloon, your first roll and so on and are listening to these DJs, it's more an experience than anything else that you couldn't find again.

    And club culture as a whole as changed the last decade. Before, people use to go out because they genuinely wanted to hear new unique music and wanted to DANCE. Now, people go out just so they don't feel like a loser by staying in and are only interested in getting drunk and getting laid, they could care less about the music so they might as well go to a place that plays music they know instead of this "techno".

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lysgaard View Post
    The biggest reason good Djs become super-popular Djs, are that they cross over to producers, in my opinion. Plenty other reasons why people are popular, but if you want to make it big time as a DJ, you HAVE to produce your own music, or at least remix stuff.
    But that might be a bit on the side of the discussion. As for crossover-stuff, I believe consistency is paramount.
    This is true now, but not back in the early hay days of dance music. You didn't have to produce shit to be honest, and you could still have a booming career as a DJ

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nephew View Post
    This is true now, but not back in the early hay days of dance music. You didn't have to produce shit to be honest, and you could still have a booming career as a DJ
    Yep, but that's the world we live in. In one way it's good, since it helps to weed out the really bad ones. Production and Dj skills are not the same, but at least it proves that you have a sound, and it demonstrates professionalism.

    Some colleagues of mine made a mixtape and were offered a big contract with EMI based on it, this was in '99. You know, back when there were money in the music business.
    Last edited by Lysgaard; 05-06-2011 at 02:42 PM.

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    Perfect example, here's a quote from Geoff Oakes, one of the men responsible for creating Renaissance. Here he is talking about John Digweed,
    i had only been running renaissance for a few months when a mix tape from a completely unknown dj from hastings landed on my doorstep. it was, of course, john digweed. john put music together in a really unique way and it was when i teamed him up with sasha that the musical identity of the brand crystallised. i had the best 2 djs in the world as residents and they helped shape renaissance’s reputation for musical integrity.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nephew View Post
    And club culture as a whole as changed the last decade. Before, people use to go out because they genuinely wanted to hear new unique music and wanted to DANCE. Now, people go out just so they don't feel like a loser by staying in and are only interested in getting drunk and getting laid, they could care less about the music so they might as well go to a place that plays music they know instead of this "techno".
    This part I think is all wrong, though. The ratio between people that just wanna get laid vs those who genuinely want the music are the same, but people move. In my city, you just have to know which clubs to go(and not go) to.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lysgaard View Post
    Yep, but that's the world we live in. In one way it's good, since it helps to weed out the really bad ones. Production and Dj skills are not the same, but at least it proves that you have a sound, and it demonstrates professionalism.
    I know, but he was asking about the top jocks of today who have been around for 20+ years got the success they have.

  10. #10

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    Yes, but isn't the point how can we use this knowledge to become superstars ourselves?

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