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?
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.
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”.
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.
Perfect example, here’s a quote from Geoff Oakes, one of the men responsible for creating Renaissance. Here he is talking about John Digweed,
[quote]
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.[/quote]
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.
I am also in my late 20’s and see things the way you do about the EDM “scene” making that shift. Here in FL the reemergence of EDM is, IMO, raising at astonishing rate. Here the ratio of EDM driven clubs to non-EDM clubs is like 4:1, if not more.
The clubs that have stayed true to the EDM scene have some of the most amazing residents that have stuck through to see this point in EDM. As most things that progress or evolve, such as EDM has, I hear how these same residents have evolved into making their “own sound”. Maybe that’s the whole point of being a DJ, but to me, when I can listen to someone “make” music, no matter the format or equipment… that’s what gets ppl to come back.
Maybe I’m just a delusional bedroom DJ (as I dont feel I am where I need to be to play out or gig) but I think once you have that flow, rhythm, confidence, look, sound… or just that one thing YOU do better then anyone else… Everything else will just fall into place.
Well said mate, what part of FL are you in? I lived in Orlando and then Miami for a bit myself, but never had a chance to make it to Tampa (which I heard has a booming scene) or Jacksonville.
Im currently in Orlando. I’ve been to Miami for Ultra a couple of times… now if the amount of kids (or just the shear amount of ppl) is any indication of how EDM is growing, i’d say EDM has a long future… lol
While Tampa’s underground/local is probably stronger with the sub genres (or EDM in general), i’d say for headliners, Orlando is getting just as many big names coming through… most noticeably The EDC tour is here at the end of MAY! :eek: I am sure that will set Downtown Orlando ablaze during the Memorial weekend. As for Jacksonville I haven’t been out there for a while, but I am sure they aren’t deaf to EDM.
If you guys wanna here what orlando’s scene is like, the local Top 40 radio station has a Friday (8-12) & Saturday (10-2ish) sets… Friday being mash-up and top 40, some EDM & Saturday being EDM @ www.xl1067.com (listen live)
Interesting to read the debate of ‘20-somethings’. I’m 49, and regard the likes of Sasha and Diggers as contemporaries. Granted, I’m not NEARLY in their league(s) but have watched them evolve since the halcyon days of the mega-rave. Its interesting that they remain points of reference, despite the plethora of new-generation talent. I have always regarded them as pioneers, and always will - I don’t know if future DJ’s will be debating the current crop of ‘superstars’ 15 years down the line. Their production careers are also neglected - people bang on about the production skills of the current superstars - will their tracks be anthemic next year, nevermind in 10 years time? They weathered the storms of EDM culture changing, and when being a ‘Progressive DJ’ was the kiss of death. They also don’t run around dissing their peers, tweeting about how ‘shit’ everyone else is (then bitching about the reaction) and blowing their own trumpets. There are LOTS more contempories like them, as their like-minded current DJ’s - I use them as reference as you referred to them.
They ‘stuck to their guns’ - kudos.
lol I knew it was just a matter of time before an older cat came by asking him/herself “what’s this wanker bitching about?”
I used S&D because they are relevant to my style and were instrumental and genre defining during the birth of the rave scene world wide. So yea I think 15 years down the line people will still be talking about them if they know their history (which most “kids these days” dont bother to learn).
My intention was not to take it back to Disco, Kraftwerk or even Bruce Haack just the last 20 years or so. Not sure if the part on “how shit everyone else is” was directed towards me or the Deadmau-five? However, I feel very comfortable in marking the distinct drop in quality regarding certain areas of EDM and shit…music in general today.
Dont get me wrong Im confident in the fact that I’ll never fully turn into the typical elderly hypocrite that every generation births and rant about “in my day the music was good not like this crap now. you call THIS music?!”.
IMO there is a LOT of shit out there right now in EDM and music in general. Thats not to say that I dont respect some of the stuff that is all the rage now or even like some of it. There has definitely been a change though and I think its pretty obvious (to me anyway).
Sort of funny on the predictions KLF made in Making it Big about the Japanese making everything super accessible and affordable resulting in the ability to bypass the major recording studios. I think availability is a good and bad thing (in production and DJing).
Most “kids these days” have a S4, Machine, Midi Fighter and the Beatport top 100 playlist before they learn what 4/4 is. The fadboys/girls arent weeded out as easily now…and the clubs will put them on stage because they dont give a shit as long as $$ is being made.
PS: I just got a S4, want a Machine and Midi Fighter…couldnt care less about the Beatport top 100
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