As someone who is just getting into live DJ-ing (Ive been producing electronic music for a few years now though), I’m a little confused as to what most “stars” of the scene are doing up there on stage. Obviously theres the transitions between songs, some slight Eq-ing in-between, and figuring out/loading up the next track, assuming it isn’t a pre-made mix. But most of that can be done within the first 30 seconds of a track. There seems to be alot of fake knob twists, exaggerated tapping of stuff, and just overall movements that arent actually doing anything. Is there actually something going on here, or is it just to look busy?
It all kind of seems inauthentic. I get that it adds a little bit of a stage show, and it looks like your engaged in your performance. In no way am I trying to be negative about it, I’m just trying to understand the live aspect of DJs. Can someone enlighten me on this ? Thanks
Pressing record, changing from one fx to another kind of fx controlling the amount of wet/dry/fx. Song selection, favorites, playlists deck selection, gain multiply that by 2 or 3 and then I think you’ve got everything covered oh and pressing record again to stop recording.
Mostly, it’s people needlessly tweaking EQs or Effects or drumming on cuepoints to “add live flavor” to their set…which more or less actually means that they’re just screwing up the groove and ruining their music to look busy.
Sometimes, they’re de-activated effects or dead mixer channels…which actually makes me feel a little better…since then I actually get to listen to the music.
Also, if you are using effects and what not, you probably need to reset your knobs when you’re done…so the next time you turn it on, it’s non in some weird state that immediately destroys the music. You might as well do that in a way that makes you look like you’re doing things.
A few people are actually “making music” live. How live it is depends on the artist, but don’t think that’s a new thing…groups like Orbital, the Prodigy, the KLF, and Underworld have been doing it for decades (or at least did it decades ago). Their knob tweaking actually does things.
Mostly, it’s DJs puttng their “performance” and ego above the music they’re playing because they don’t have the balls to just stand there and enjoy the music they’re supposedly curating…probably because the vast majority of them don’t actually like the top40 remixes and mainstream dance garbage that they play.
I heard DJ Sneak in an interview state that it’s a nervous habit of his to just touch the knobs all the time. He doesn’t actually move them, just touches them, which is kinda weird, and funny.
Obviously there’s what many have pointed out, and the few that really twist things that are on a dead channel to look good.
But the single most important thing is twisting with style. You’ve got to really over-exaggerate your knob twists if you’ll ever have any chance of making the DJ Mag Top 100 list.
Haha alright I see. Being somewhat entertaining instead of just standing there bobbing your head until the next track comes in makes sense. In a way its like when watching a band, no one wants to see 4 guys standing still on stage boringly playing their instruments. A band moving around on stage and head banging and all that stuff apply in the same sense as knob twisting and exaggeration. Its part of the show nowadays, whether they’re just messing around with dead channels are actually doing something to the mix
I do that too, actually. And it turns into this big thing where I check every single knob on my X1s and mixer to make sure they’re where they’re supposed to be.
I think Sneak did a session for DJSounds on youtube. (which is a cool channel BTW because they actually show the mixer in a screen-in-screen kind of view with the DJ) It’s hilarious actually. I think afterwards he got interviewed and talked about it being a nervous habit.
I don’t agree with this. People don’t want to see somebody just standing there doing nothing. When I used to go to the barber (before I was bald) there was a whole lot of needless scissor work going on as well, cut could be done in 8 minutes but they make it last 20~30. Meeting the customer’s perception is an important part of the job. There is a point of passing silliness but just standing there enjoying the music is on the other end of the extreme.
Honestly, I think we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on this one.
If you’re standing there like a zombie, you’re probably doing it wrong (other than john digweed, Sasha, Mr. C to an extent, and a handful of other “old guys”). Frankly, they’re all better than basically any DJ that I’ve seen who looks busy. Sasha walks around and talks to people. Mr. C dances a bit. But they’re not constantly playing with stuff.
If you touch a knob or turn on an effect just to be doing something, you’re way off on the other side. You should probably be dancing and watching the floor instead.
It’s kinda like…we have all this technology (even just CDJs with pitch that doesn’t fluctuate), and the reason people always give is either “I’m not carrying hundreds of pounds of records” or “it gives me more time.”
And we still haven’t figured out what to do with all the extra time. So we make ourselves busy because we know that all were doing is playing with a really nice stereo system, and we feel bad about it for some reason.
I’ve done it too. I used to own a Xone, and I kind of never want to hear those filters again. Same with all of pioneer’s color effects. I almost always wish they weren’t there.
I’ve heard both used well, but never more than about once an hour.
I’d rather not watch a boring-looking DJ and focus on the music and the party than have everybody staring at some guy who mixes right after the drop and never plays a track dry.
One is DJing, the other is wanking around with equipment.
I saw Oakenfold last year. He’s quite busy behind the decks, but dancing not twisting knobs. And I loved the dude back in the day - even this set was really good. He obviously has some sense of rhythm, but I’ll just say his body doesn’t express that rhythmic sense very much. But he was having a blast DJing and really into the tunes, which made the show all the more fun. I mean, Paul Oakenfold can dance however he wants to - even like a white 8th grade boy that has no rhythm, cause he’s Paul freakin Oakenfold.
I don’t feel bad about it, guilty yes, but not bad.
I look at djs who are just touching knobs differently than those who fake stuff. But usually I’m a little off center and triple check everything. Lock the door and pull on it hard to make sure type of guy. I’m touching the knobs because I’m checking that I’m not a dipshit…plus…the added bonus is that people actually think I’m doing something other than just being a dipshit.
