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DJs who don't love music...

In the past couple of years I have been noticing that there are a disturbing number of DJs out there who aren't really all that "into" their music.

It may just be localised to here in Melbourne (or perhaps Oz), as at the moment buying decks and "being a DJ" is very much in vogue, however it'a all too often that I ask DJs "what is this track?" and they genuinely can't tell you what the name of it is, because they don't know, or don't care.

Personally, music transcends all else for me. Sadly, socialising is only a by-product of clubbing for me. If the music is good, everything else is unimportant. In the same vein though, if anyone wants to talk tunes with me; they'd better settle in for the long haul, because I'm going to ignore what's going on around me and talk music.

Masses of local DJs that I speak to, both friends, acquaintances, and complete strangers, often seem completely disinterested in the discussion of music. i.e "great set tonight, loved x & y tune", "thanks, I'm going to get a beer, you want one?". During the day, a lot of them don't even seem to listen to dance music.

On the discussion of mixing, many of them will bring out such gems as "phrasing? what's that?" or "mixing isn't important at all".

The last and most frustrating conversation you can have regards certain elements of a track; i.e "that hi-hat/kick drum/whatever is awesome!", "they all sound the same to me...?", or perhaps they will admit that they don't know the difference between techno or trance.

It's easy enough to tell the real music lovers. I've never met Adam/nefardec or seen him play, but the way he talks about music on here makes it abundantly clear that it's his number one priority in life. In person, it's even easier to spot.

How is it that people with only a passing interest in dance music are getting gigs all over town? Why do they bother? I'm fairly certain it's purely a status thing, and that shits me to tears that such unworthy dolts are out clogging up our bars and clubs with their shit music.

So, yeah, anyway that was a long rant, but go ahead and discuss...

For the record, I'm talking entirely about local DJs, not big internationals.

kinda weird... ive never encountered this. i could understand this maybe if they were doing a music genre that they were not into such as hip hop. but it seems like you are really talking to novice DJs if they dont even know phrasing or dont think mixing is important.

Or maybe they just don't care to discuss it with you?

quote:

Originally posted by theognis1002 kinda weird... ive never encountered this. i could understand this maybe if they were doing a music genre that they were not into such as hip hop. but it seems like you are really talking to novice DJs if they dont even know phrasing or dont think mixing is important.

Some of the guys I'm thinking of have been playing out for two years or so! It's not so much that they're ignorant of certain mixing techniques, it's that they don't care to learn. If someone was to tell me about a new technique I'd never heard of, I'd definitely be interested...

quote:

Originally posted by Project-K Or maybe they just don't care to discuss it with you?

I knew someone would say that.

It's not me, it's them.

I know a dj like that. He plays total garbage and doesn't know jack shit about music, or Djing for that matter. It pisses me off.

Seen that kind of wankers a few times, but exclusively in crappy nightclubs where you go in flip flops and drunk.

I don't know, I'd probably give out the same type of answer if someone I didn't know came to ask me a bunch of questions 5 minutes after I'd finished my set. It's a bit like the interviewers shoving a mic in the face of someone who just completed the marathon to ask how they feel when they can barely catch their breath.

in a lot of scenes it's just not cool to get technical like that in a social situation. if you catch these guys one on one in a studio or something they'd be a lot different.


there are ignorant people too, but for the most part id guess you are fighting with egos and social behavior

i kind of agree with you in some of the things you are saying, i put it all down to people using cd's these days. I know that sounds stupid but i think music is so much more accessible these days, you dont have to wait for tracks to be imported to oz, you sit at home and click buy and have it straight away.

I too had a conversation at a club with a melbourne dj, whom i wont name and i asked him "what should i expect from you tonight?" his reply was "I dont know, i downloaded a heap of shit last night"

hahahahahaa.. why would anyone want to discuss music and all that shit when the main point of going out is to PARTY and have a damn good time!??!!?

reserve your opinions n technincal mumbo jumbo for the studio or some other setting...

The stuff he mentioned is hardly very technical.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Mystery I don't know, I'd probably give out the same type of answer if someone I didn't know came to ask me a bunch of questions 5 minutes after I'd finished my set. It's a bit like the interviewers shoving a mic in the face of someone who just completed the marathon to ask how they feel when they can barely catch their breath.

Agreed. I'm not necessarily talking about seeing them straight after their set though, it could be down the street during the day, or at a club they're not playing at that night.

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec in a lot of scenes it's just not cool to get technical like that in a social situation. if you catch these guys one on one in a studio or something they'd be a lot different.

Again, I agree, and ditto as above. Also I'm not necessarily talking about technical stuff like harmonic mixing, it might be the simple matter of me asking "what tunes do you like at the moment?" to which they might respond "I don't know, I can never remember the names of the songs..." (It's not that they're trying to withhold their "fresh" new tracks from me either)

quote:

Originally posted by narcism i kind of agree with you in some of the things you are saying, i put it all down to people using cd's these days. I know that sounds stupid but i think music is so much more accessible these days, you dont have to wait for tracks to be imported to oz, you sit at home and click buy and have it straight away. I too had a conversation at a club with a melbourne dj, whom i wont name and i asked him "what should i expect from you tonight?" his reply was "I dont know, i downloaded a heap of shit last night"

I know a reasonably popular local DJ who goes to the record store every week, spends four hours listening to tunes, then goes home and illegally downloads all the tracks he's heard without buying a single record! That's the kind of shit I'm talking about.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles The stuff he mentioned is hardly very technical.

i guess you're right

but still...it's about getting fucked up and laid...not the music. LOL

quote:

Originally posted by Beat Blog (It's not that they're trying to withhold their "fresh" new tracks from me either)

actually, it's fairly likely that that's exactly what they're doing. A lot of people are very protective of the stuff they find, especially now that mentioning a track gives someone else instant access to it (there's no variable of whether or not he can find it in a record shop or if it's even being sold anymore). With all the new technology available, adequate mixing isn't so hard to come by. Meanwhile, the number of tracks available has skyrocketed, making for a huge gap in the quality of track selection. It really just boils down to confidence. The better you feel about your own skills, the less you're bound to care about revealing your 'secrets.'

quote:

Originally posted by Beat Blog I know a reasonably popular local DJ who goes to the record store every week, spends four hours listening to tunes, then goes home and illegally downloads all the tracks he's heard without buying a single record! That's the kind of shit I'm talking about.

What a waste of effort.

quote:

Originally posted by inconspicuous actually, it's fairly likely that that's exactly what they're doing.

No, it's not.

I'm talking about acquaintances and friends here; I can tell when they're lying. Most of them are happy to share track names with me if they can ever remember!

They could just be tired, if they arent into the music then why are they a DJ?

People don't love music neway, so the DJ don't matter, it's all about boose and drug. In fact, it's better for the club if the DJ dont care

quote:

Originally posted by saluyamo They could just be tired, if they arent into the music then why are they a DJ?

Bah!

You people are frustrating.

I'm not talking about one specific instance here.

I'm talking about six or eight people, all of whom I've noticed this trend in over the last year or so, on many occasions, in many different social settings.

OK???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

quote:

I'm talking about six or eight people

Then its probably like what HaeD said, their are there for the booze/chicks etc

First off, there are 4 ways to get gigs.

1. Have contacts

This means you can be utter crap and still play. It is because of who you know, not what you know.

2. Have lots of friends

A club will often let these people play because they can guarantee a strong attendance. Attendance equates profit. The music is always 2nd (if even that) to profit.

3. Be so good they can't say no.

This is one of the rare ones. some Dj's are just so talented that clubs will take chances knowing they have a genuine shot of being something special. This makes attendance not as important for the first few gigs. This is done to try and bank on having one of the area's best residents before anyone else. This can lead to big draws down the line. If no one shows after a while, its bye bye good or not. (Usually production is the big factor in this. A DJ that produces will always be more bankable and a better risk to take.)

4. Be close with big talent. (could be under contacts but not the same.

The most profitable way to book international acts is to develop a relationship with them and cut the agent out. This can save alot on DJ fees and is mostly predominant with mid level players.(ie: a DJ that isn't in demand yet but about to blow up.) If you make nice with a DJ that can bring you this it stays interesting for the club. Talented or not. Often (not always) the less talented DJ's also double as the bookers for clubs. This is not a coincidence.

That being said, because they do not answer you does not mean, "They don't know shit.". Use the example of the professional athelete. How many times do you think an NBA player is asked for tips about jump shots? Or why any athelete will give the same generic answer in TV interviews?
The answer is simple, they are sick of talking about it.

Reporter: "That was a great shot , how did you do it?"

Athelete: "It was a team effort, we worked hard and it paid off."

Is that the real answer? Most likely not, but we do hear it in every sport on a regular basis.

As far as track names go, you shouldn't ask. Its not a crime, but if you are going to train spot...you do it the same way anyone else does. You search for it. Never expect any easy answers. If you do ask and they tell you, so be it, the DJ is a nice guy and confident enough in his skills it will not matter. The people you are talking about are local. This job is even harder than the International headliner, because they do not have the freedom of playing the same set every week.(they also don't have big budgets to get every track they want.) They need to keep fresh and stay ahead of the competition. Gigging is a competition , make no mistake.

This is not meant to offend, but what you asked makes it seem like you are a recent entry into the scene. You will see alot of things that baffle you. In the beginning, i did not understand why it was taboo to make requests. My advice is learn as much as you can however you can. This way you can get your own answers. If DJ's have been doing it for years, they don't always want to talk basics. They might not feel as passionate that night as others. For them this is work, not funtime. Being a successful DJ is hard work, alot of people do not realize this. You need to realize they don't need to give you an all access pass to their knowledge, because simply they don't have the time.

Another reason for this could be.
1. They think you are a douche.
2. You are right and they are douches that do not know anything.

Just my 2 cents.

Short version. Clubs and Dj'ing is a business. In business things are rarely right or fair.

^ the answer I was too lazy to write myself

Getting paid to do it is even better.

quote:

Originally posted by HaeD People don't love music neway, so the DJ don't matter, it's all about boose and drug. In fact, it's better for the club if the DJ dont care

Quite likely the most nonsensical post I've ever read.

quote:

Originally posted by HaeD People don't love music neway, so the DJ don't matter, it's all about boose and drug. In fact, it's better for the club if the DJ dont care

?

quote:

Originally posted by MrsPiemont Well thought out and intelligent stuff

Good read to say the least. You seem to know what your talking about.

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