Digital Dj Tips Article Expresses That We're Moving Past Mixes

[JesC]

I think Phil has some very good points in that article. It's been said on here many many times before that to really make it in this scene you have to produce.

Great one Jes!

keeping it real. heck i book djs to play at the cave based on 1. you have to be a local or someone i know from out of town 2. talent and thats pretty much it, but they get scared of playing at a dive bar...go figure

[tekki]

Hahaha, I think I can understand.... Though the opportunity to play at 'your' dive bar!

[photojojo]

I think Phil has some very good points in that article. It's been said on here many many times before that to really make it in this scene you have to produce & have a myspace/facebook/twitter following.

fixed

Very true.

[The Vly]

"So while there’s still room for mixtapes, I think they’re no longer really much use for getting gigs – indeed, they haven’t been for a while now."

I totally agree with this and it makes me quite sad. I think with how "trendy" DJing has become, a lot of people are doing it for the wrong reasons (it's always been cool, but with digital DJing and the internet, the "trend" has become pretty much ridiculous). Everything's become about instant gratification: getting gigs quickly as fast as possible (by non-stop self promotion)...

[Snailboto]

I have to say I'm in partial agreement with the author. I mean, I think the goal of a mixtape is to show the promoter that you can transition from one song to another but

A. Sync button and recent technological advances have made this increasingly easy

B. I still believe that most people who go to clubs can't tell the difference between someone who works hard on the build up between two songs and someone who just uses the crossfader.

Thus people who wants gigs have to prove themselves able to offer something more and show that they truly understand the music. They make their mixtape more unique and more personalized; then the line between mixtape and mashup gets blurred.

Then I think there are a couple of advantages with mashups in the whole as they are relatively easy to make, short, and easy to catch on. I mean, I think a good portion of the U.S. knows about Earworm's United States of Pop, how many mixtapes can claim the same fame? This isn't to say that there aren't mixtapes that deserve the same fame, but it's just that if a mashup can become mainstream that means that the dj quickly has a following.

Anyway, I'm probably a little biased since I mainly try to produce mashups myself (I'm in love with them, both making and listening).

Tl;dr: The traditional "skills" necessary for a dj are easier to acquire with technology so mashups are a way to prove that you have what it takes.

[bucky]

Things really haven't changed all that much over the years. Those who market themselves and show that they have a following get booked. It's that simple. Promoters/clubs are about filling a venue. You can be the most technical dj in the world but if no one knows who you are you aren't going to be booked. When I was promoting events I was handed tapes and cd's all the time. I almost always listened to them but they'd never get booked for a big event if no one knew who they were.. I'd book them at a small mid week club night and if they brought a following they'd get a better booking. That's just how it works and always has.

"Mix tapes" still have a place but the 4 minute YouTube videos or Soundcloud remixes are the ones that get passed around quickly and commented on. If you post a 90 minute mix by the time everyone downloads it and listens to it days later it's already too late to go back and find it to comment on.

Great tips in the article.. if you're serious about wanting to "make it" you'll market yourself and make yourself a product, not just a name.

[Johnv]

It seems as though all this will hold true to top 40 and hip-hop, but I can't see this holding true for many other genres. At least for the mash-ups part of things. He does give some good advice on other subjects though.

[josh@firestorm]

I think Phil has some very good points in that article. It's been said on here many many times before that to really make it in this scene you have to produce.

totally..

over the last 4-5 years in Melbourne at least, thats pretty much the way its been if you are after gigs. either a) you know the club owner and get gigs that way or b) produce in some way, shape, or form.

the big thing in Melbourne over the last couple of years hasn't been mashups so much, but cheeky edits and 'remixes' of rock, hiphop and pop songs (and even some electro remixes of old hard trance bangers)...

some examples of what im talking about from some of Melbourne's current 'DJ's'

[heaps]

Mashups are just Mixtapes for people with AD(H)D. The problem isn't mixtapes are dying, it's that the club promoter's adderall scripts are getting harder and harder to renew.

Seriously though, it's your job to book DJs. "Oh noes, I have to skim through 20 mixtapes, my job sucks. DJing is dead!" Give me a break, I would love that job.

[mostapha]

Big post got deleted. Dang.

Short version:

I agree with him and it pisses me off.
Mashups suck.
DJs have been doing that live for at least 30 years anyway.
Mashups and quick mixing have nothing to do with how good you are at putting together a good set.
Neither does auto-sync.

Basically…if you're impressed by a pre-recorded mashup, it usually means that you have a 2-minute attention span and think you want something new when you really want to be spoon-fed the same bullshit you've been eating your whole life.

I don't want those people on my floor. I don't want to go clubbing with them. They're fucking amateurs and represent a lot of what's wrong with the scene.

And anyone–especially a DJ–who thinks that having auto-sync available makes it any easier to put together a good DJ set…doesn't know what a good DJ set is. I don't care which side of the debate you come down on or whether you think it's cheating…auto-sync does not teach you how to phrase a mix or pick tracks. It certainly doesn't teach you how to structure a mix or manage a floor. And it will never teach you to run a sound system.

Every time I read something like that article, it makes me want to ditch the laptop.