Digital Dj Tips Article Expresses That We’re Moving Past Mixes
Before I go on a tangent, I’ll post the link:
Now, that being read, I’d like to know what everyone thinks about what he has to say.
Is this something that is on everyone’s mind? or do many of you disagree? Why? Could this be something that all digital dj’s need to do to become more relevant to the club scene, or music scene in general?
Considering we have so many resources at out fingertips, I feel like it is a very important point to consider when faced with club owners and promoters that feel that using midi and a computer isn’t what they want. It seems like it is a distinguishing trait, that we can create completely new music while djing and using full tracks produced by other artists?
So I’d like to hear some thoughts regarding the fact that “mixtapes” are becoming obsolete and what you guys (and girls) do in the face of this new obstacle to overcome?
Also, if you are heavily mashing and creating while in the club, what type of tips do you have for the forum? Things like resource websites, general guidlines, how you work with key and song structure.
soo true about how promoters dont even listen to mixes anymore.
I cant tell you how many times ive approached someone ive gotten “so do you have a facebook page?” no? oh ok no thanks.
goddamn facebook!
and i agree. i know id much rather listen to a 5 min mashup than a 45 min mixtape if i was a promoter… (as a dj, i appreciate the long transitions and mixes) thus making it easier as a DJ/Producer to get noticed by a promoter/club/label…but what it really is going to boil down to (for most of us in the pursuit of gigs) in the long run is song selection and reading a crowd. if you can still do that you will be successful as a dj.
I’m sure every DJ got into this wonderful business because of the music. In the end, all that matters is the music, so what is the difference if you are using midi, turntables, cdjs or 2 cassette decks taped together with volume controls, if the music coming out gets you up and dancing? Technology changes, and if DJs and promoters don’t embrace the change, you will end up with outdated techniques. Look at what Ian Golden is doing with those midifighters. Things you couldn’t dream of doing with turntabes 15 years ago. Its about the music, and getting the club dancing.
While I kinda feel like this article is encouraging you to 'hop on the bandwagon of mash-ups ‘cause it’s the cool new thing,’ I think they offer good advice on how to play the game to get booked.
I don’t necessarily think though that mixes are becoming obsolete, at least not the people that actually enjoy listening to DJ’s outside of clubs. I still enjoy downloading a sweet mix by a non-producing DJ because I think there’s a lot that can still go on other than just beatmatching and transitioning… as for promoters though, I’ll believe that they don’t really give it a listen at all.
I would love to believe that promoters and club owners thought the very same. But unfortunately many studies have been published proving the fact that the vast majority of people would rather hold onto what they have, rather than take a chance on something new, even if it wasn’t good for them. This ideology is directly related to how venues would rather see their acts using the traditional medium because it is what they believe is the only way for them to make the money that they do (other than ridiculously overpriced drinks of course).
We are a part of a very interesting culture, many view “digital djing” a counterculture to what old school is all about, and in many ways it is. With so many resources available to us, and the specific modality that we can piece together something very professional, is very different from the rudimentary and almost basic, slow rise to professionalism that was largely part of just “two tables and a mixer”.
I wholeheartedly agree with you that it is just about the music… for us. whether old school or new, it needs to be about filling the dance floor with happy people dancing in a sonic experience that can allow people to transcend the mediocrity of every day life.
BUT, earning our true stripes is a lot harder than what it used to be specifically from the very tech that we love. My point is, Djing isn’t completely going to cut it if we are completely in the digital realm. Ean earned a ton of recognition by bringing our new found voices to the masses via DJTT, and furthered his accolades by being at the forefront of anything that could be used as a new form of expression, whether it be adding arcade buttons and a foot pedal, or designing an entirely new piece of kit that helps bridge the gap between dj and live performance.
What i believe that means for us, is that we’ve been perceiving blending and song selection as what they always have been, rather than something that is growing and evolving. Just like our way of utilizing tech to convey the message that we know about song selection and blending, we need to be able to take them to the next level, to show promoters and club owners, in such a way that they can’t readily compare us to what they are used to. I do think it is going to take a certain degree of eloquence to really facilitate this change in perspective for them, but i think mash-ups are a very good way to go about this. The whole idea that a “live performance” is different from “djing” is something that could be embellished a little more, even though we could be spending most of our performance spinning records anyways.
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.
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
“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)…
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.
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.
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.
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’
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.
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.
