2011 State of the DJ Address

[JesC]

This is going to be depressing on DJTT.

I'm calling it right now. 90% of this board is going to miss the god damned point.

I understand what he is saying, anyone can be a dj...

[bucky]

Anyone could be a dj back in 1999 as well when there were record shops all over the place and dj's back then bitched that "mommy and daddy" were buying kids new 1200's.

[Patch]

Is there an argument that technology stops people being crap? Cos' some Serato/Traktor/Live users suck big time.

[Tha Gooch]

Cue the dude with the Dinosaur in a meteor shower pic.

[JesC]

Is there an argument that technology stops people being crap? Cos' some Serato/Traktor/Live users suck big time.

Im one of them. I suck but I keep on trying to better myself.

[Coldfuzion]

Very well written. I disagree with the technology parts here and there, but all in all his post is simply about supporting DJs and understanding the need to continually support good DJs whilst comprehending why the fuck you are paying a cover charge.

Honestly I go out almost every weekend to some club or something of the sort and to this day - till I read this post - never even thought about the cover charge that way. I mean I guess I kinda knew where the cover charge went but it didn't hit me until just now.

[xtianw]

i get what hes saying.

and as a guy thats been dj'ing on and off for 23 years, he, and everyone else needs to worry less about what other dj's are doing, how they are doing them and just love the music, play it for the crowd and do it with whatever works for them.

Theres a quote about life in general I think more dj's (or just people in general) shoud live by.

"Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt,sing like no one is listening,and live like it's heaven on earth."

people claimed the same shit when gemini started selling cheap gear back in the late 80. they complained the entry point was "too low" and needed to be more expensive and that was flooding the market with too many terrible dj's.

the real point of his article?

people can be dicks

[Eliot Han]

Btw he did respond back to those who needed clarification on his "Technology" piece ...

First off, thanks for reading the post, however, I’m not sure you read the whole thing with an open mind. Only a small portion of it was about digital DJing and the rest dealt with issues that every underground music DJ deals with today. You obviously get very defensive about the technology issue, which is fair, but hear me out…

In the 6th sentence of the ‘TECHNOLOGY’ section I stated “A computer can aid you, but it shouldn’t do your job for you.” I actually use control records and a computer running Serato at most of my gigs. Most of my sets are close to 50/50 vinyl and computer because there’s just some things I can’t get on wax, some records just don’t leave my house anymore and there are unreleased demos of mine I want to play. Had you read my other posts here, you would have read sentences that said “Sure, CJs [Computer Jockeys] can bring the house down and DJ’s can suck” or “After all, there is one thing that a computer, itunes, beatport or blogs can’t show you and that is how to express your soul and do it for a dance floor of sweaty bodies.” My statements had nothing to do with Computer=Bad, Vinyl=Good. My point was that there is a process to becoming good at an artistic discipline. If you want to be an architect you have to first learn basic drafting and physics, if you want to be a painter you have to learn color theory and light, if you want to be a designer you have to learn typography and layout, etc. You also have to put yourself out there, be critiqued and prove yourself amongst your peers and audience.

My problems with the current DJ scene are that people who never paid a dime for their music, never slaved away learning how to beat-match, never made mixtape after mixtape and gave them to every promoter in town, and who have never played a gig outside their bedroom calls themselves a DJ. And those “DJs” go out and undercut pay rates and clueless, dollar-obsessed club management takes them up on it. That’s why my piece was meant to be read as a whole, not just in parts, because one problem is creating another.

You can call me old (I am in my thirties) and jaded all you want, its fine. However, there has always been competition in the DJ scene and just cause there’s more now that there are computers doesn’t shake me at all. I’m happy with what my DJ career has been and what it will continue to be. What I’m unhappy about is so many shit “DJs” giving what I do a bad name.

I think if you read my post with an open mind through it all I am optimistic that good things can happen for this scene. I think I made it clear that I believe if the music directors, general managers, owners, etc. stop grasping at straws and start to create working relationships with DJs they believe in and trust, good things can happen. I know you’re “ready for some more positive messages and encouragements” and when they are due I give them, however, without critical analysis and the occasional rant we’ll all just continue to ignore the problems we’re facing rather than working at fixing them.

PS
As a side note, Bassnectar’s fans extend far beyond dubstep fans and into the realm of hippies, stoners and jam-band crunchies. Comparing that event to a house music night is like comparing apples and oranges. Also look at those numbers… 2,000 out of 15,000 is only 7.5% of the people invited are answering attending and as all of us that promote events on FB know, only a fraction of your confirmed “Attending” actually show up. I wouldn’t concern yourself too much with those numbers.

[Maxted]

I'll just copy and paste a little bit from my reply over at DJF:

It's painful when i see them undercutting and taking yet another gig that could be mine, but i don't blame them (Talentless DJS) or the technology that has got them there, i blame the commercialism of the scene and general corporate mentality of nowadays that is ruining more than just our club scene.

[xtianw]

I'll just copy and paste a little bit from my reply over at DJF:

the problem with the whole "hes undercutting me and taking my gig" argument is that it can be used against any new dj, regardless of how much experience or what technology theyre using, when that newbie gets a gig.

its like "hes breathing my air!" or if he gets a girlfriend "hes dating a girl that could have been mine!"

seriously, people need to worry less about what everyone else is doing, and focus more on themselves and what they are doing.



edit: i accidentally the whole english language