What's this guy thinking?

[kofman13]

beat me to it. the date should always check the date.

i did check the date but its still relevant to me because its a topic people stil bring up. i am a classcal pianist, brought up my strict russian parents who are also professional musicians. they brought up the same thing i when i was talking how i want to do DJing more seriously. and so do a few of my other friends too. so i had to explain it to them. even though its 5 years old people still bring up the same topic

[exokinetic]

Where his point falls shallow is his inference that DJ's to not incorporate any of their own material, and do not incorporate anything "new" or created "on the fly" in their performances.

Witch is UTTERLY untrue.
So your telling me a piss poor Pianist, who is still practicing his craft, HE is an artist.

But a self proclaimed DJ who produces his own music, across many different genres, as well as playing those production into other artists productions during his sets. And in such sets, if you actually pay atention to the vocals and sounds in the tracks themselves, it will take you on a journey through the DJ's political views, religious inferences, the evolution of the human experience, and so many other things.

But he is NOT an artist?

He is NOT a musician?

He tells a story through the selection and manner in witch he plays the compilations he decides to play...

How about Bassnectar sampling the crowd noise in the middle of a set, then immediately replaying the the sound of the crowd back into the mains, let it play into an effect loop and then effect it down to a beat that then holds the bass-line for the the rest of a track, built completely on the fly.

But that is not musicianship?.

And that is not artistry?

The author of that blog post makes MANY generalizations about what a "DJ" is and what their performances consist of to back up his position.

And many of these generalizations are just flat wrong.

[Georgeo0]

How about Bassnectar sampling the crowd noise in the middle of a set, then immediately replaying the the sound of the crowd back into the mains, let it play into an effect loop and then effect it down to a beat that then holds the bass-line for the the rest of a track, built completely on the fly.

Sorry to get off topic here, but that is sick!!! really creative

Were you there for that?

[Conall]

can people stop getting producers and dj's mixed up please?

whether someone produces or not is irrelevant to the discussion

[exokinetic]

Unfortunately no ):

But the video is rather epic, and demonstrates an idea I always had at desert parties of sampling wind gusts with a mic during a set and using that...

Art and musicianship is in the eye (or ear) of the beholder.


The author of that blog clearly states that he see's music as a background form of entertainment. He doesn't "actively" participate in the listening experience. He passively participates in it.

So he doesn't have the contextual observational experience to be able to comment on the subject, in my opinion.


In order to form an objective opinion on ANY subject, you have to base your decision on actual observation, and even harder than that, unbiased observation. Making your decision based on the opinion and observation of others, or making your own observations with the bias of those opinions eliminates your ability to form your own objective opinion.

You are now merely a lemming, following the decision making processes of others, instead of forming you own.

[exokinetic]

can people stop getting producers and dj's mixed up please?

whether someone produces or not is irrelevant to the discussion

How is this irrelevant to the discussion?

As soon as someone produces something themselves they cease to be a DJ?


Is that what you are saying.


Because that as well, is flat wrong.


A producer, in my mind, does not cease to be a DJ, until he, or she, or they arrange the pieces of their various "productions" on the fly, so they are playing their tracks from their component pieces in their live "show".

So that it is no longer a DJ set.

It is a live performance.


And the author of that Blog post is implying that anything short of a live performance is NOT musicianship, and is NOT art.


And many on this forum have been quick to echo his sentiments. While I believe his fundamental statement is based on passive experience, and other peoples opinions.

[dafe]

In my experience the majority of DJ's I have ever seen live don't do anything inspirational. Mix one track into the next, and that's it. This goes for some big name DJ's too. I'd be hard pressed to label them artists. It's for this reason that I am completely unsurprised when people hate on DJ's. The arguments presented in this thread, whilst true for a small minority of performing DJ's, does not reflect on the craft overall.

Don't get me wrong, I love being a bedroom DJ and putting my mixes on an Ipod to listen to on the train into work, but I can't pretend that the majority of 'DJ's' aren't bland and boring when it comes to performing (lights, video clips and dancers do not a good performance make). Some people will argue track selection and reading the crowd, but that's not performing, that's just (and should be) the bare minimum expectation for a working DJ.

There will always be the proverbial kernel of corn buried in amongst the crap, but don't be surprised if people who put their opinions on blogs would prefer not to go digging for it.

[ponyboy]

Where his point falls shallow is his inference that DJ's to not incorporate any of their own material, and do not incorporate anything "new" or created "on the fly" in their performances.


Witch is UTTERLY untrue.


So your telling me a piss poor Pianist, who is still practicing his craft, HE is an artist.


But a self proclaimed DJ who produces his own music, across many different genres, as well as playing those production into other artists productions during his sets. And in such sets, if you actually pay atention to the vocals and sounds in the tracks themselves, it will take you on a journey through the DJ's political views, religious inferences, the evolution of the human experience, and so many other things.

But he is NOT an artist?

He is NOT a musician?


He tells a story through the selection and manner in witch he plays the compilations he decides to play...


How about Bassnectar sampling the crowd noise in the middle of a set, then immediately replaying the the sound of the crowd back into the mains, let it play into an effect loop and then effect it down to a beat that then holds the bass-line for the the rest of a track, built completely on the fly.


But that is not musicianship?.


And that is not artistry?


The author of that blog post makes MANY generalizations about what a "DJ" is and what their performances consist of to back up his position.


And many of these generalizations are just flat wrong.

Hardly any DJs do that kind of thing though. Most play 1 tune after another so people can dance to it or enjoy their drinks.

Where's the crime in that?


None.

[ponyboy]

In my experience the majority of DJ's I have ever seen live don't do anything inspirational. Mix one track into the next, and that's it. This goes for some big name DJ's too. I'd be hard pressed to label them artists. It's for this reason that I am completely unsurprised when people hate on DJ's. The arguments presented in this thread, whilst true for a small minority of performing DJ's, does not reflect on the craft overall.

Don't get me wrong, I love being a bedroom DJ and putting my mixes on an Ipod to listen to on the train into work, but I can't pretend that the majority of 'DJ's' aren't bland and boring when it comes to performing (lights, video clips and dancers do not a good performance make). Some people will argue track selection and reading the crowd, but that's not performing, that's just (and should be) the bare minimum expectation for a working DJ.

There will always be the proverbial kernel of corn buried in amongst the crap, but don't be surprised if people who put their opinions on blogs would prefer not to go digging for it.

Most people who hate on DJs don't listen to dance music or go clubbing. It's like me hating on the Ballet, my opinion means f*ck all.

[dafe]

Most people who hate on DJs don't listen to dance music or go clubbing. It's like me hating on the Ballet, my opinion means f*ck all.

You're comparing music to dance.. apples and oranges

I don't like top 40 music, and I sure as hell don't listen to it. Doesn't mean I can't have an opinion on the over marketed and over rated "artists" that perform in the industry.

Same goes for the blog author.