Must have albums

cian1500ww

So I'm starting out in DJ'ing and I'm wondering what are they must have albums that a proper DJ should never be without ??

jonnny68

cian1500ww wrote: »

So I'm starting out in DJ'ing and I'm wondering what are they must have albums that a proper DJ should never be without ??

Depends on what genre your into i suppose, everyones got different tastes!

cian1500ww

jonnny68 wrote: »

Depends on what genre your into i suppose, everyones got different tastes!

House mainly.

jonnny68

cian1500ww wrote: »

House mainly.

Can recommend loads was only listening to this recently comes highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Masters-Work-10th-Anniversary-1990-1995/dp/B00004RCEH
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Masters-Work-10th-Anniversary-1996-2000/dp/B00004WEYP

electrogrimey

cian1500ww wrote: »

House mainly.

What kind of house? Throw up some artists you like. Some albums you should have, not to play out, but just to sculpt your taste in dance, are artists like Kraftwerk, Future Sounds of London, Aphex Twin, Burial (Untrue), and Trentmoller (The Last Resort). They're just off the top of my head.

jonnny68

Yeah unfortunately that's the problem thesedays there is so much pigeonholing of genres you really need to specify what type of say House or Techno your into

electrogrimey

I wouldn't call it pigeonholing, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. You're into house, and I'm into house. However, you're into old school house, deep, funky, piano etc, and I'm into tech-house, electro-house and figet-house. They're just different types of music.

Executive Steve

electrogrimey wrote: »

Some albums you should have, not to play out, but just to sculpt your taste in dance.

Words cannot express how much I agree with you.

The amount of heads out there trying to call themselves "dj's" with absolutely zero knowledge of the heritage and foundation of their music beyond the torrented beatport top 100 charts they download and play on their cracked copies of ableton is depressing and staggering.

As far as buying tunes to mix with however, you'll quickly cop on that house is very definitely a singles genre, same as most electronic music really.

rcaz

With my limited knowledge of electronic music, I'd personally recommend the Come To Daddy EP by Aphex Twin. Shattered my expectations of what I thought 'dance music' could sound like. I'm sure everyone could like a track off it.

But I guess don't have the proper authority to answer your question. I'll be keeping up with this thread

cian1500ww

I'm only learning and I don't call myself a DJ, far from it, just finding it hard to find some good tunes, I've been listening to loads of mixes but you can't mix mixes

jonnny68

electrogrimey wrote: »

I wouldn't call it pigeonholing, and it's not necessarily a bad thing. You're into house, and I'm into house. However, you're into old school house, deep, funky, piano etc, and I'm into tech-house, electro-house and figet-house. They're just different types of music.

They're just different types of music

Yeah totally but the amount of pigeonholing in dance music much more so that any other style of music is huge, there was a time when the vast majority of people just said (when asked what music they were into) Rave or Acid House,after 93 the floodgates opened as it were and loads of different names were given to types of dance music (IDM being the worst of them)nowadays there are so many different types it can become somewhat daunting for a newbie on the scene to grasp im sure you'll agree.:)

cian1500ww

jonnny68 wrote: »

Yeah totally but the amount of pigeonholing in dance music much more so that any other style of music is huge, there was a time when the vast majority of people just said (when asked what music they were into) Rave or Acid House,after 93 the floodgates opened as it were and loads of different names were given to types of dance music (IDM being the worst of them)nowadays there are so many different types it can become somewhat daunting for a newbie on the scene to grasp im sure you'll agree.:)

Exactly, very confusing and overwhelming

electrogrimey

cian1500ww wrote: »

I'm only learning and I don't call myself a DJ, far from it, just finding it hard to find some good tunes, I've been listening to loads of mixes but you can't mix mixes

If you're listening to mixes, look up the tracklisting online, and if you like any of the tracks, look them up on youtube, listen to them, and if you like them, buy them on beatport/whatpeopleplay. That's one of the best ways to find music.

Otherwise you can find an artist you like, check what label they're on, and listen to the other artists on that label, chances are you'll like them, as artists on a label generally have the same sound.

Another good way of finding artists is to look up artists you like's myspace, and then go into their friends. Artists are often friends with people of the same genre.

Forums specific to the genre you like are also good, for example the ErolAlkan.com forum is great for finding tech-house and electro-house, and I'm sure there are forums for all the different genres.

If you don't know the name for the genre you like, look up some of your favourite artists on beatport, and they're music will be sorted in a few genre, then check out other people from that genre, and especially their charts, and the Top 100s. (Beware though, 99% of stuff on Beatport is muck).

b45

try getting a hold of :



Mr Fingers - Ammnesia

Dave Clarke - Archive 1

Carl Craig - Landcruising

Carl Craig - More Songs About Food And Revolutionary Art , infact just get
everything Carl Craig has done its all pretty essential

Robert Hood - Minimal Nation

Galaxy to Galaxy - A Hitech Jazz Compilation

V/A - Artificial Intelligence - Warp Records

E Dancer - Heavenly

Ron Trent - Dance Classic

I could go on ..... as mentioned already try to listen to as much old stuff as possible even if you dont plan on using it in your sets , it will give you an idea of where the music comes from and it will put todays house and techno in proper context . good luck digging !

teddy_303

Executive Steve wrote: »

Words cannot express how much I agree with you.

The amount of heads out there trying to call themselves "dj's" with absolutely zero knowledge of the heritage and foundation of their music beyond the torrented beatport top 100 charts they download and play on their cracked copies of ableton is depressing and staggering.

As far as buying tunes to mix with however, you'll quickly cop on that house is very definitely a singles genre, same as most electronic music really.

Yeah! Exorbitantly accrued beatport download tracks, played on very expensive licensed versions of ableton with all the time consuming security features unlicensed copies allegedly do not have, is way more loike it, roisht!
Thats not musical snobbery you have there pal, it's straight up D4 style snobbery! I can just imagine what your tunes sound like!

electrogrimey

teddy_303 wrote: »

Yeah! Exorbitantly accrued beatport download tracks, played on very expensive licensed versions of ableton with all the time consuming security features unlicensed copies allegedly do not have, is way more loike it, roisht!
Thats not musical snobbery you have there pal, it's straight up D4 style snobbery! I can just imagine what your tunes sound like!

1) You proudly promote illegal downloads
2) You look down on people who buy music legally
3) You promote pirate programs
4) You mock people who save up to buy said programs legally
5) You think someone will be a better DJ because they steal their music and programs
6) You (trollingly) insinuate one of the most well respected DJs on here is a bad DJ because he legally buys his vinyl.

If you can't see that all 6 of those points are both idiotic and disgraceful, then please vacate this forum, stop trolling, and go join the Pirate Party.

b45

teddy_303 wrote: »

Yeah! Exorbitantly accrued beatport download tracks, played on very expensive licensed versions of ableton with all the time consuming security features unlicensed copies allegedly do not have, is way more loike it, roisht!
Thats not musical snobbery you have there pal, it's straight up D4 style snobbery! I can just imagine what your tunes sound like!

lol , you're an idiot

djhaxman

Have a listen to Leftfield - Leftism - one of the best ever dance albums imo.

Massive Attack are well worth checking out too.

Executive Steve

electrogrimey wrote: »

go join the Pirate Party.

Bizarrely enough, I'm actually a member of the Irish Pirate Party!

Executive Steve

teddy_303 wrote: »

Yeah! Exorbitantly accrued beatport download tracks, played on very expensive licensed versions of ableton with all the time consuming security features unlicensed copies allegedly do not have, is way more loike it, roisht!
Thats not musical snobbery you have there pal, it's straight up D4 style snobbery! I can just imagine what your tunes sound like!

Record collections are like rose bushes, the ones that produce the finest flowers and win all the prizes have all been neatly trimmed over a period of many years by someone who really knows what they're doing.

What do you imagine my tunes sound like?

electrogrimey

Executive Steve wrote: »

Bizarrely enough, I'm actually a member of the Irish Pirate Party!

Really? Do you produce your own stuff? I agree with some of their policies, but if they were actually allowed make any changes, it would basically make it impossible to have a career as a musician. Either that or gig prices would skyrocket. That's why I don't really support them...

electrogrimey

Executive Steve wrote: »

Record collections are like rose bushes, the ones that produce the finest flowers and win all the prizes have all been neatly trimmed over a period of many years by someone who really knows what they're doing.

If this was one of those annoying forums where people took other people's quotes as signatures, I might take that. Just lovely.

Executive Steve

electrogrimey wrote: »

Really? Do you produce your own stuff? I agree with some of their policies, but if they were actually allowed make any changes, it would basically make it impossible to have a career as a musician. Either that or gig prices would skyrocket. That's why I don't really support them...

I'm in there because I do genuinely believe the copyright system needs fundamental and far reaching change to reflect the game changing effect the internet and the growth of digital media has had on the arts and the creative industries; I don't think that legislation as it stands is particularly efficient at rewarding smaller artists either, and it's slowly getting pretty much impossible to have a career as a small artist as it is; in a fair world people would be justly rewarded for their work if it enriches culture and the people who enjoy it, and that very often isn't the case even now with highly restrictive laws. I'm of the mindset that forcing a debate will force more sensible approaches to be considered sooner or later.

Also, I buy pretty much everything, games, DVD's, vinyl, books. I'm certainly not a "freetard".

Executive Steve

electrogrimey wrote: »

If this was one of those annoying forums where people took other people's quotes as signatures, I might take that. Just lovely.

Thank god I used the rose bush analogy rather than the pubic hair one so!

franklyshocked

As a get out of jail card :

Floorfillers-Club-Classics

Mostly house and classic dance so you can hit a wider audience

Executive Steve

franklyshocked wrote: »

As a get out of jail card :

Floorfillers-Club-Classics

Mostly house and classic dance so you can hit a wider audience

Jaysus... Alex Party, Robert Miles, Corona, 2 Unlimited?

No offence mate, but WTF

cian1500ww

Thanks for the advice, what about compilation albums from the likes of Ministry of Sound ??

Executive Steve

cian1500ww wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, what about compilation albums from the likes of Ministry of Sound ??

That sort of thing can be pretty good for building up a collection quickly, but in fairness, you're probably best off listening to classic old mixes by your favourite DJ's and cherry picking the best tunes off them...

You'd probably be best off checking the first 20 tunes on any record label with more than 50 vinyl releases that was founded by someone you enjoy than you would be checking Ministry of Sound compilations, purely because of the way that licensing tunes to those compilations works. A lot of charty house tunes are a few years before they're repackaged for the mainstream market, often with unnecessary vocals on top. Although Ministry are still miles better than the likes of Hed Kandi etc etc etc.

Also, the list of albums a DJ should never be without is pretty low on Ministry of Sound compilations...

cian1500ww

Executive Steve wrote: »

That sort of thing can be pretty good for building up a collection quickly, but in fairness, you're probably best off listening to classic old mixes by your favourite DJ's and cherry picking the best tunes off them...

You'd probably be best off checking the first 20 tunes on any record label with more than 50 vinyl releases that was founded by someone you enjoy than you would be checking Ministry of Sound compilations, purely because of the way that licensing tunes to those compilations works. A lot of charty house tunes are a few years before they're repackaged for the mainstream market, often with unnecessary vocals on top. Although Ministry are still miles better than the likes of Hed Kandi etc etc etc.

Also, the list of albums a DJ should never be without is pretty low on Ministry of Sound compilations...

As you said yourself, I think it might be a quicker way to build up a collection, might pick up their 'One' album today. Some awesome tunes on it as well as some awful ones, no harm in picking it up I suppose.

What's everyone's opinions on artists like deadmau5 and The Prodigy, would they make good additions to a collection

MikeHoncho

Basic Channel - BCD and BCD2
Carl Craig - Sessions

Both are really collections of singles though.

Albums need to be judged on different merits to singles / tunes. Some of the "dance" albums that I would consider essential.

Leftfield - Leftism
Orbital - The Middle Of Nowhere
UNKLE - Psyience Fiction
DJ Shadow - Entroducing
Aphex Twin - Richard D James
Kraftwerk - The Man Machine
Layo&Bushwacka - Night Works
Les Rythmes Digital - Darkdancer
Daft Punk - Homework
LFO - Sheath

But as I said thats all very personal. The next fella wouldn't have the same. Some might have the same artists but different albums. For example LFO Sheath is probably not considered their best album but I picked it up on a whim when it first came out in 2003 and hadn't really been exposed to much other LFO stuff. Its the first album of theirs that I heard so I hold it in a high regard.

milltown

cian1500ww wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, what about compilation albums from the likes of Ministry of Sound ??

Biggest problem with those, I find, is that they're often full of radio edits, i.e. 3 or 4 minute versions of tunes. Probably not a bad way of finding out what you like though, if you find a Ministry type album with a few tracks you like on it then there's a good chance you'll like a few of the others that you hadn't heard of. Then you can go buy the full versions from Beatport/Whatpeopleplay/Juno etc.

Also, don't forget what a good resource this very forum is. The new music thread and the member's mixes thread have introduced me to a few gems I might have otherwise missed. The previously mentioned pigeonholing is one of my pet hates and there's some lovely stuff out there, and in those two threads, that you may never come accross by browsing the house/electro/tech/progressive genres on Beatport.

Executive Steve

cian1500ww wrote: »

What's everyone's opinions on artists like deadmau5 and The Prodigy, would they make good additions to a collection

Do you like them?

MikeHoncho

Executive Steve wrote: »

Do you like them?

Thats the key question really.

Scubadevils

Loads here I'd definitely agree with - only listening to BCD2 yesterday on the headphones in town, really is such essential music... although I might add it could take some getting used to if you are coming from a strictly house base.

Excellent point also regarding buying essential electronic albums from a listening perspective, some of which you may never use in a set but are must-have albums.

A few others I would include for now (this could get expensive if you are buying - which I hope you are, a lot more satisfaction/learning in buying music, rather than just acquiring it!). I'm throwing in various genres here in keeping with 'essential albums' and not limiting to any genre.

Convextion - Convextion
Scion - Arrange & Process Basic Channel Tracks
The entire Artificial Intelligence series from Warp -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence_(series)
Photek - Modus Operandi
The Other People Place - Lifestyles of the Laptop Cafe
Move D - Kunststoff
Plastikman - Sheet One & Musik
LFO - Frequencies
Viewpoints Chapter One (essential compilation from 2008)
Various - Delsin II (amazing collection of tracks from the Dutch label, Delsin)
The Black Dog - Book Of Dogma (collection of their tracks from early years)
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Model 500 - Deep Space
Kenny Larkin - Azimuth
69 - The Sound of Music
Drexciya - any album!
Derrick May - Innovator
Various - In Order to Dance 5
Sonar Base - Sonar Bases 4-10
Scuba - A Mutual Antipathy
2 Unlimited - Get Ready!

...to name a few.

Another point, as with all [good] music really, some albums may not click on first listen and at times can take several listens to be fully appreciated... so make sure to give them time!

Is mise le key

You could go for any one of these from 1 to 18 really as they span years of tunes, follow the navigation arrows on the bottom to find more in the series..........

Various - Reactivate 18

Or these gems also never get old for me..........

Various - Behind The Eye Vol. 1
Various - Behind The Eye Vol. II

cian1500ww

Anyone know where I'd get my hands on this album: http://www.discogs.com/Denki-Groove-Niji-The-MFS-Remixes/release/865367

Executive Steve

See the link "for sale" on the very page you posted?

Takes you here:

http://www.discogs.com/sell/list?release_id=865367&ev=rb

10 snots.

cian1500ww

Executive Steve wrote: »

See the link "for sale" on the very page you posted?

Takes you here:

http://www.discogs.com/sell/list?release_id=865367&ev=rb

10 snots.

Looked all over and never seen it !! Thanks

Diego Smartly

2 of my favorite electronic/house albums that aswell as listening to might give you an idea of the stuff you want to start playing as a "house" DJ are

Guy Gerber - Late Bloomers

Loco Dice - 7 Dunham Place

I dont DJ that much, but I know that those 2 helped me figure out what kinda sound I wanna play. And they have a few tracks in them that you could defo play out.

teddy_303

electrogrimey wrote: »

1) You proudly promote illegal downloads
2) You look down on people who buy music legally
3) You promote pirate programs
4) You mock people who save up to buy said programs legally
5) You think someone will be a better DJ because they steal their music and programs
6) You (trollingly) insinuate one of the most well respected DJs on here is a bad DJ because he legally buys his vinyl.

If you can't see that all 6 of those points are both idiotic and disgraceful, then please vacate this forum, stop trolling, and go join the Pirate Party.

You said the above, not me, Mr Self Appointed Moral Police Man. My point was what difference does it make, to him what others do, or to his faithful cronies/entourage. I mock no one. You misrepresent others statements to attempt to undermine their points, when you have nothing else to work with. I buy my vinyl, and have done for over 30 years, not cyber vinyl or any other rubbish either, so save your cronie nonsense for your idol thanks. I hope he knows of your feeling for him.Now night be a good opportunity if he doesn't!

Executive Steve

teddy_303 wrote: »

You said the above, not me, Mr Self Appointed Moral Police Man. My point was what difference does it make, to him what others do, or to his faithful cronies/entourage. I mock no one. You misrepresent others statements to attempt to undermine their points, when you have nothing else to work with. I buy my vinyl, and have done for over 30 years, not cyber vinyl or any other rubbish either, so save your cronie nonsense for your idol thanks. I hope he knows of your feeling for him.Now night be a good opportunity if he doesn't!

The point is that the greater convenience that the availability of easy to use software and weekly torrents of all the big tunes have afforded is by no means a beneficial thing for those looking to really engage with the effort and the soul searching of becoming a proper DJ in the sense of someone with a taste that spans decades and depth of selection to be able to pull out the right record for the right time.

It took you 30 years to get those records, you must have spent a fair old whack on them, suppose I could get your collection together with a few clicks of a mouse and carry it around in a flash card? Would I have learned the same amount about music as you? Would I have done the same thing? Would I have enjoyed it as much?

And what on earth is Cyber Vinyl?

Scubadevils

Felixdhc wrote: »

Loads here I'd definitely agree with - only listening to BCD2 yesterday on the headphones in town, really is such essential music... although I might add it could take some getting used to if you are coming from a strictly house base.

Excellent point also regarding buying essential electronic albums from a listening perspective, some of which you may never use in a set but are must-have albums.

A few others I would include for now (this could get expensive if you are buying - which I hope you are, a lot more satisfaction/learning in buying music, rather than just acquiring it!). I'm throwing in various genres here in keeping with 'essential albums' and not limiting to any genre.

Convextion - Convextion
Scion - Arrange & Process Basic Channel Tracks
The entire Artificial Intelligence series from Warp -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence_(series)
Photek - Modus Operandi
The Other People Place - Lifestyles of the Laptop Cafe
Move D - Kunststoff
Plastikman - Sheet One & Musik
LFO - Frequencies
Viewpoints Chapter One (essential compilation from 2008)
Various - Delsin II (amazing collection of tracks from the Dutch label, Delsin)
The Black Dog - Book Of Dogma (collection of their tracks from early years)
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Model 500 - Deep Space
Kenny Larkin - Azimuth
69 - The Sound of Music
Drexciya - any album!
Derrick May - Innovator
Various - In Order to Dance 5
Sonar Base - Sonar Bases 4-10
Scuba - A Mutual Antipathy
2 Unlimited - Get Ready!

...to name a few.

Another point, as with all [good] music really, some albums may not click on first listen and at times can take several listens to be fully appreciated... so make sure to give them time!

This one was supposed to be a joke, but I best highlight that fact!

Executive Steve

Felixdhc wrote: »

This one was supposed to be a joke, but I best highlight that fact!

Scubadevils

Aha, 'techno, techno, techno'. Did you have that edition of Melody Maker to hand?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFd5Cci_pE4

teddy_303

Executive Steve wrote: »

The point is that the greater convenience that the availability of easy to use software and weekly torrents of all the big tunes have afforded is by no means a beneficial thing for those looking to really engage with the effort and the soul searching of becoming a proper DJ in the sense of someone with a taste that spans decades and depth of selection to be able to pull out the right record for the right time.

It took you 30 years to get those records, you must have spent a fair old whack on them, suppose I could get your collection together with a few clicks of a mouse and carry it around in a flash card? Would I have learned the same amount about music as you? Would I have done the same thing? Would I have enjoyed it as much?

And what on earth is Cyber Vinyl?

I agree totally. But that a lot of the youngsters wanting to get into DJ'ing do not have the resources/ means/ credit card to buy individual tracks on line never mind original vinyl copies of the above records. I was offered £100 for my copy of LFO Frequencies 12 years ago. How much is it changing hands for now? New guys have to work with what they got. Me, I'm glad I trawled the record shops of this city for as long as I can remember. It was tiring and pricey as hell, but well worth it. Newbies can't help not being around when it was possible to do these things. BTW, I don't know wtf cyber vinyl is, just annoying that other guy (Ralph) RE: how can this vinyl be bought these days anyway? ie What type of vinyl is he talking about? Laters.. :-)

Executive Steve

Felixdhc wrote: »

Aha, 'techno, techno, techno'. Did you have that edition of Melody Maker to hand?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFd5Cci_pE4

No actually - there's a big discussion thread on "90's dance" over on a (rather highbrow) forum I also frequent, and someone put it in there, figured it would raise a chuckle

cian1500ww

Worth getting: http://ie.7digital.com/artists/markus-schulz-%281%29/global-dj-broadcast-top-15-march-2010/ ????

Executive Steve

cian1500ww wrote: »

Worth getting: http://ie.7digital.com/artists/markus-schulz-%281%29/global-dj-broadcast-top-15-march-2010/ ????

Do you like any of the tunes on it?

If not, why would you get it?

cian1500ww

Executive Steve wrote: »

Do you like any of the tunes on it?

If not, why would you get it?

Bought it, could only tell from the previews, seems good so far

g5fd6ow0hseima

cian1500ww wrote: »

Bought it, could only tell from the previews, seems good so far

Here's one Schulz tune I do like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nZJ_LQdoSI