'Real' DJs - what do they do

magic_murph

All these world famous DJ's playing gigs and busting out the tunes.
They spend the entire set twisting knobs and moving dials.

Are they really making a difference?
I guess they have to fade in or mix one song into the next but after that are they actually changing anything we hear or are they the ultimate spoofers?

AndyBoBandy

They would mostly be playing pre-recorded sets, with the ability to loop certain parts of songs, and add certain effects on the fly.

knob twisting can be increasing or decreasing bass/treble etc, and also used for effect strength.

Oh yeah, they also dance a lot.

Patty Hearst

magic_murph wrote: »

All these world famous DJ's playing gigs and busting out the tunes.
They spend the entire set twisting knobs and moving dials.

Are they really making a difference?
I guess they have to fade in or mix one song into the next but after that are they actually changing anything we hear or are they the ultimate spoofers?

Check out this Jeff Mills mix to see some proper old school mixing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtw2-kL32YM&t=256s

Cienciano

dj khaled gets someone to play a cd and he shouts his name over and over again.

You know you're getting old when talk like that btw. In the 90's, my mates dad used to call dance music "robot music"

geotrig

Dave Clarke and the likes ,When twisting knobs and hitting buttons is actually doing stuff ....some of these trendier :rolleyes: djs's well I think it all about the show and may be prerecorded !

AndyBoBandy

Back in the day there were some exceptional Techno DJ's that would play 3 decks, the likes of Jeff Mills (above), Adam Beyer, Surgeon etc... That was real DJing

Nowadays its all done on computers, with CDJ's thrown in.

Back when I went digital, I still used Serato Softwre/Vinyl on my Technics 1210's, as in my opinion, nothing beats a pair of turntables with an actual vinyl record on them.

I also have a huge collection of original vinyl* going back to the 60's that I shall keep forever.

*A highlight of using original vinyl was Boom Bap's brothers engagement party , and when the question was officially popped at/for the party, I immediately followed it with Queen's 'Another One Bites the Dust' on 7 inch.

francois

A lot of the sets are pre-programmed to sync with the light show-Don't get me started on Steve Aoki, a cake tossing tool. A lot of serious electronic music fans wouldn't bother with this EDM stuff anyway

JeffKenna

Lottie Ryan is probably the best DJ out there at the moment...

facehugger99

I believe the good ones 'Rock this party'.

Sabre0001

Best DJ!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9oRWKeKzC8

Lorelli!

There's 2manydjs op!

AndyBoBandy

geotrig wrote: »

Dave Clarke and the likes ,When twisting knobs and hitting buttons is actually doing stuff ....some of these trendier :rolleyes: djs's well I think it all about the show and may be prerecorded !

As much as Dave Clarke was a great DJ, technically he was pretty bad at DJing.

He could never beat match that well (I'm sure some would argue that that was his style, get the songs on asap to keep the set frantic, but a lot of the time it used to just sound woeful!) and he'd be disguising it with loads of chopping or scratching. Thing is though, when you are djing, and are in the zone, you can have beats matched within 2-3 beats, and keep it reasonably locked with fine adjustments.

JohnnyFlash

Dance music is all a bit of a whizz isn't it? Disposable and mostly forgettable music made on computers by people who don't have the skill to make real music using instruments.

Sir Osis of Liver.

Those whippersnappers aren't a patch on Larry Gogan.

AndyBoBandy

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Dance music is all a bit of a whizz isn't it? Disposable and mostly forgettable music made on computers by people who don't have the skill to make real music using instruments.

Leftfield's Leftism (and by extension Rhythm & Stealth) & Daft Punk's Homework, I would consider to be seminal works in the history of dance music, and still today sound as fresh and as amazing as they ever did.

Maybe nowadays in the age of David Guetta and the likes, it has simply become Pop Dance, and like all the generic pop rubbish of today, it will not stand the test of time.

Deebles McBeebles

Real men play strings.

Will I Am Not

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Dance music is all a bit of a whizz isn't it? Disposable and mostly forgettable music made on computers by people who don't have the skill to make real music using instruments.

Why don’t you fire up the old computer and make us a tune?

Boom_Bap

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

*A highlight of using original vinyl was Boom Bap's brothers engagement party , and when the question was officially popped at/for the party, I immediately followed it with Queen's 'Another One Bites the Dust' on 7 inch.

A party that I missed because I went to see Daft Punk that night in Marley Park
I heard you were great though

magic_murph

francois wrote: »

A lot of the sets are pre-programmed to sync with the light show-Don't get me started on Steve Aoki, a cake tossing tool. A lot of serious electronic music fans wouldn't bother with this EDM stuff anyway

That Steve Aoki is probably a prime example of what inspired this post.
He is on my hit list.
As in hit in the face a few times rather than end his existence

AndyBoBandy

Boom_Bap wrote: »

I heard you were great thought.

I was f***ing Awesome.

Boom_Bap

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I was f***ing Awesome.

Actually, I think that someone texted me to tell me they got engaged and I went back to the party after DP.

geotrig

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

As much as Dave Clarke was a great DJ, technically he was pretty bad at DJing.

He could never beat match that well (I'm sure some would argue that that was his style, get the songs on asap to keep the set frantic, but a lot of the time it used to just sound woeful!) and he'd be disguising it with loads of chopping or scratching. Thing is though, when you are djing, and are in the zone, you can have beats matched within 2-3 beats, and keep it reasonably locked with fine adjustments.

oh i know and he is still as bad lol ... I just thought he was a good example of a nob tweeker that did stuff rather than just visual effect !Which to be fair even at times doesn't work for him ,he still puts together a decent set that most other cant even match.

Another example is Richie hawtin who on his day Bitd could do great sets ...these days he in my opinion at times seems to be a nob tweeker for visuals more than anything ...pity

Will I Am Not

The ‘real’ DJs that you mention are the dance music equivalent to Xfactor contestants topping the mainstream charts.
They’re making sh*t loads of money so fair play to them in that regard.

Oh and if you think “sure anyone with a computer can make that dance music sh*te”. Go ahead and make it.
Anyone can pick up a guitar and make noise come out of it...

MadYaker

Berties_Horse wrote: »

They scratch their arses, that art has been in decline since 1991.

Hey look at me I'm in my late 30s and I'm too old to party therefore the party is dead. Not true I'm afraid. The DJ scene in Ireland is pretty vibrant at the moment. Techno is still big but it's different to how it was in the 90s. There are still lots of great producers and DJs if you know where to go.

thecornflake

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I was f***ing Awesome.

House or garage?

Autecher

The key to being a good DJ is knowing when to drop the bass

Boom_Bap

Here's a taste what my homie DJ Flip does

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agcvFI0S6Y8

GinAndBitter

thecornflake wrote: »

House or garage?

Balaeric pumping or commercial pumping???

Hector Savage

Check out this guy, think he is an incredible talent to mix films and tv like that

GinAndBitter

MadYaker wrote: »

Hey look at me I'm in my late 30s and I'm too old to party therefore the party is dead. Not true I'm afraid. The DJ scene in Ireland is pretty vibrant at the moment. Techno is still big but it's different to how it was in the 90s. There are still lots of great producers and DJs if you know where to go.

Where exactly is the scene you speak of? At least 10 dance clubs have been closed in Dublin over the last 15 years. What exactly is left bar one or two places. The scene is undeniably in serious decline and has been for a long time.

Dial Hard

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

*A highlight of using original vinyl was Boom Bap's brothers engagement party , and when the question was officially popped at/for the party, I immediately followed it with Queen's 'Another One Bites the Dust' on 7 inch.

Hang on, they only got engaged at their own engagement party???

Boom_Bap

Dial Hard wrote: »

Hang on, they only got engaged at their own engagement party???

It's was a surprise birthday party which turned into a surprise engagement party.

Sephiroth_dude

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq81Sr3Z1U4

Give this a listen, sasha at his best, I think 98 - 2003 were the best years for dance music.

grindle

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Leftfield's Leftism (and by extension Rhythm & Stealth) & Daft Punk's Homework, I would consider to be seminal works in the history of dance music, and still today sound as fresh and as amazing as they ever did.

Maybe nowadays in the age of David Guetta and the likes, it has simply become Pop Dance, and like all the generic pop rubbish of today, it will not stand the test of time.

This reads like you imagine good electronic music isn't made any more - get out of the house a bit. It's at it's peak now, it didn't die in 1997.

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Dance music is all a bit of a whizz isn't it? Disposable and mostly forgettable music made on computers by people who don't have the skill to make real music using instruments.

Is there anything you're not a wizened curmoudgeon about? Aphex Twin is forgettable and lacks skill, sure thing. Must be why Philip Glass and Penderecki wanted to work with him, his idiotic bleep-blooping entranced them.

mossy464

GinAndBitter wrote: »

Balaeric pumping or commercial pumping???

Sash or Chicane?? :p

Billy Mays

grindle wrote: »

This reads like you imagine good electronic music isn't made any more - get out of the house a bit. It's at it's peak now, it didn't die in 1997.

There's some brilliant techno being produced today. I've been into dance music all my life and have seen all the big name djs over the years (Garnier, Mills, Cox, Hood etc). Unexpectedly ended up at Ben Sims a couple of weeks ago and he was as good if not better than any of them.

jester77

Lorelli! wrote: »

There's 2manydjs op!

Soulwax You just made me throw on - As heard on radio soulwax pt. 2

BalcombeSt4

IMO Carl Cox is the most talented DJ since the start of the Acid House craze in the late 80's.

His signature 3 turntable mixing, which is really hard, without the fancy new stuff CDJ's & Mp3j's have at their exposel. Having to count in your head the beats (kick drum) 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4, 16, 32 etc... to the match the speed of the other record (s) playing so the beats match up when mixing is not an easy skill by no means.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e7O-QwFodU

Paris Hilton is very good also.

JohnnyFlash

grindle wrote: »

Is there anything you're not a wizened curmoudgeon about? Aphex Twin is forgettable and lacks skill, sure thing. Must be why Philip Glass and Penderecki wanted to work with him, his idiotic bleep-blooping entranced them.

Less of the personals please, Grindle. Listen, some dance music is fine - I'll boogie along to it. Most of it has no lasting appeal - I remember that bald headed gimp, Moby, being all the rage about 20 years ago selling a CD of elevator and TV ad music. Seen as some type of visionary.

Stuck on some of that Aphex Twin. Awful dirge - random beeps and squeaks, and not a hint of musicality about it. Sounds like kittens being blended in a food processor.

castletownman

One thing that can be certain when a music thread such as this is started, that music snobbery is to the forefront.

It really seems to be the medium whereby people are criticized for their personal preferences more than any other.

EmmetSpiceland

There was a time when you had a vibrant live dance music scene, DJs mixing live whilst using prerecorded backing tracks of course.

These days it seems like it’s just one gimmicky producer after another pressing play and then throwing shapes. That’s not to say that wasn’t happening back in the 90’s either, it just wouldn’t have been done by the big hitters.

But at least we have to put up with clowns driving around in Subaru Imprezas blasting out Scooter’s “And The Beat Goes On” now.

BalcombeSt4

GinAndBitter wrote: »

Where exactly is the scene you speak of? At least 10 dance clubs have been closed in Dublin over the last 15 years. What exactly is left bar one or two places. The scene is undeniably in serious decline and has been for a long time.

The problem is the music nowadays is so over produced. The analoge sound was much better quality sounding than the stuff nowadays. A 303, 808, 909 & a JP 800 made some amazing sounding music. Compare a "good" techno record to a old Harthouse record or a "good" new trance record to a Eye Q record, there is no comparing them, you can just tell by listening to them a lot more time & effort was put into the records that came out of Frankfurt Beat, Suck Me Plasma, Le Petit Prince etc.. everything, the strings, synths, snares, kicks just sounded so much more crisp & natural sounding.

Relikk

Surprised at the lack of mentions for Sven Väth. His '97 Essential Mix (below) is incredible. Alongside Carl Cox and Richie Hawtin as one of the very best. Honourable mention to Jeff Mills, but because he tried to cram in so many tracks into his sets, his beat mixing suffered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg0odHwDUaQ

AndyBoBandy

thecornflake wrote: »

House or garage?

Techno always.

Early on there was some drum n bass as well, and some hip hop/scratching later on, but it was always techno.

Seen the likes of Adam Beyer, Chris Liebing, Surgeon, Carl Cox, Ben Sims, Dave Clarke, Dj Rush, Par Grindvik, Derrick May, Laurent Garnier, Marco Carola, Richie Hawtin plus many many more over the years.

Played around at a few parties and the odd pub/club here and there, and had a few goes on the radio too but the awsomeness from above was a regular hits party. I love that too, playing normal music at regular parties, especially with turntables and Serato. You have all your music, but on vinyl so you can have fun with it (see hip-hop/scratching above)

We were a very DJ family. My dad was a radio/club DJ through the 70’s / 80’s. So we were always around the scene and the equipment used. Then in the mid 90’s, my dad put a new counter in the shed* for a set of turntables and that was it. 1210’s moved in soon after and that was it.

*he had purpose built the shed for his own DJing days, so it was sound proof and perfectly set up for djing in.


Haven’t played in a good few years, but still have all the stuff, and about 30,000 tracks (digital tracks from roughly 2006-2013)

Richard Hillman

castletownman wrote: »

One thing that can be certain when a music thread such as this is started, that music snobbery is to the forefront.

It really seems to be the medium whereby people are criticized for their personal preferences more than any other.

To be fair, there are DJs out there that basically just press play on a laptop and then pretend that they're doing stuff. Then there is (as highlighted in another post) people like Carl Cox that actually go out and mix the stuff there and then.

Older DJing is a remarkable skill to be able to pull off live. Whereas yourself or myself could do a Modern DJ set just by pressing play. Look at the amount of Celebrities that just go out and do a DJ Set. There is limited skill to it.

It is akin to miming.

GinAndBitter

When dance music start being called EDM and getting popular in America it all went pants. Obviously there are still good djs out there now but most of them have been around a long time. Eric Prydz' pryda and cirez d stuff is quality. I haven't bought mixmag in about 10 years but their cds were class,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgpFonI6chA

GinAndBitter

Mylo was **** hot when he came on the scene also, techno lovers probably won't like this one but it's a great mix all the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlH6RyVKKYc

Sephiroth_dude

Any pirate radio stations in Dublin anymore? I remember going on trips to Dublin for records and listening to a couple of pirate stations while up there, cork had radio friendly, good while it lasted.

Boom_Bap

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Any pirate radio stations in Dublin anymore? I remember going on trips to Dublin for records and listening to a couple of pirate stations while up there, cork had radio friendly, good while it lasted.

No Surrender FM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErMLQlS6-Rs

Billy Mays

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Any pirate radio stations in Dublin anymore? I remember going on trips to Dublin for records and listening to a couple of pirate stations while up there, cork had radio friendly, good while it lasted.

Phever is the main one now.

Power FM was the GOAT. Think they still broadcast online.

GinAndBitter

Did anyone else notice a progression in tastes in dance music among their group? For me and my pals we were all mad Into trance at the beginning then onto house and eventually all mad techno heads. Seems like a natural progression.

Anyone remember pulse 103fm? Frankkkk Kennedy :pac: