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Cash value and artistic worth are two different things - but you're welcome to continue arguing apples and oranges if you want to.

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Originally posted by RJT Cash value and artistic worth are two different things - but you're welcome to continue arguing apples and oranges if you want to.

Granted, the logic relies on "High artistic merit = high sales" being true, but you imagine that record labels would think their customers have tastes that, if not good, at least coincide with their own. Which is why people follow labels.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Granted, the logic relies on "High artistic merit = high sales" being true, but you imagine that record labels would think their customers have tastes that, if not good, at least coincide with their own. Which is why people follow labels.

Right, I just don't think the logic of releasing a tune on vinyl or MP3 is all that different, but rather as Clovis mentioned, that the mentality of the buyer is different. It just seems like it's more of a quality control on the purchasing end than on the release end, and though it would be wonderful to think that translated into some kind of objective quality control system whereby labels only release tracks their customers are willing to spend the money on - with subjective taste being the way it is, that will never happen.

As far as the MP3 vs. Vinyl debate, and how it's affected how I personally shop for records, goes - I still think an incredible amount of good material is coming out, there's just a ton more of it that's readily available. Where I used to have to deal with sketchy record stores, long delivery times, and dicey international orders to dig and find the records I needed to own, now it takes similar (maybe even more) effort just to get through the pile of pish that is released week in and week out, the only difference is that I can do that from home.

Pretty good interview there actually, for once the interviewer wasnt asking the usual pile of rubbish of questions.

That was a good read. I'm kinda confused on his desicion to name all the work under his name even though he clearly states that he works with a group.

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�Well, I�ve got really used to Ableton now. I remember it took me a long time when I first started using it for it to feel like DJing, but now it really feels natural to me. It�s definitely a steep learning curve with it though. You can learn how to use it in the studio, but actually going out and playing live with it it�s almost like you have to teach yourself how to sound like a DJ again. If you just push fades and press buttons and stuff like that, you can end up sounding far too �clean� and not like a DJ. It�s almost like you have to learn to mimic what you did before when you were playing vinyl and CDs. It�s hard.�

I guess this explains why his transition from one track to another in recent livesets and mixes now sound less programmed and structured. I guess he's doing it on purpose...going back to the sound of vinyl mixing.

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Originally posted by nsamadi I guess this explains why his transition from one track to another in recent livesets and mixes now sound less programmed and structured. I guess he's doing it on purpose...going back to the sound of vinyl mixing.

So essentially... he's switched to Ableton and had his own controller designed only for him to deliberately use it to emulate his old mixing style on vinyl? In other words, he's switched to Ableton and had his own controller designed so he doesn't have to carry records around.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J So essentially... he's switched to Ableton and had his own controller designed only for him to deliberately use it to emulate his old mixing style on vinyl? In other words, he's switched to Ableton and had his own controller designed so he doesn't have to carry records around.

That's how far we've advanced technologically: we've gotten to the point where we need to develop new technologies in order to reproduce the results of the systems they purportedly replace.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J So essentially... he's switched to Ableton and had his own controller designed only for him to deliberately use it to emulate his old mixing style on vinyl? In other words, he's switched to Ableton and had his own controller designed so he doesn't have to carry records around.

Is there something wrong with that? He wants the same sound without the work of carrying it around. Sounds fair to me. It's only given that he'd have to go through a process of learning how to DJ again.

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Originally posted by thoughtlessjex Is there something wrong with that? He wants the same sound without the work of carrying it around. Sounds fair to me. It's only given that he'd have to go through a process of learning how to DJ again.

Because it's fucking boring and pointless. Lug your records/tracks around like the rest of us or do something cool with the fucking computer imo.

Good interview. What do you all think of Justice / Simian Mobile Disco / Boyz Noise? Sasha says they're new and exciting. I think they're fun and all but I can't see myself spinning primarily that kind of music seriously, just screams 'hipster' to me.

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Originally posted by Clovis Because it's fucking boring and pointless. Lug your records/tracks around like the rest of us or do something cool with the fucking computer imo.

Yeah, I think the convenience factor of not having to carry around your vinyl is lowest on the list of Ableton's various features and benefits.

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Originally posted by Paradox Lost Yeah, I think the convenience factor of not having to carry around your vinyl is lowest on the list of Ableton's various features and benefits.

i dunnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooo......

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Originally posted by Paradox Lost Yeah, I think the convenience factor of not having to carry around your vinyl is lowest on the list of Ableton's various features and benefits.

Thats not an excuse anyway. The dude has people who carry & setup his equipment just like they would his records. All Sasha has to do at gigs is show up and remember cigarettes.

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Originally posted by TranceArmstrong Good interview. What do you all think of Justice / Simian Mobile Disco / Boyz Noise? Sasha says they're new and exciting. I think they're fun and all but I can't see myself spinning primarily that kind of music seriously, just screams 'hipster' to me.

I think they are all boring. The whole 80's synthpop revival felt fun to me when I discovered The Faint's 1999 and 2001 albums "Blank Wave Arcade" and "Danse Macabre." Both beat the shit out of the new Justice album in the aspect of musical ideas and lose by a small margin in the aspect of sound engineering only because The Faint had to work on a much smaller budget and recorded all those tracks like 7 years earlier.

All those acts mentioned in the interview just mechanically recycle the 80's sound and plug in the "electro" bassline, wow big fucking deal. That is just soooo cool and original. It's all trends. Pitchfork gave a rave review on Justice and shit all over MSTRKRFT, that is why everyone listens to Justice and only certain people listen to MSTRKRFT.

It's kind of upsetting that one of the most respected dj's in the world thinks that these kinds of artists are a breath of fresh air.

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Originally posted by Clovis Thats not an excuse anyway. The dude has people who carry & setup his equipment just like they would his records. All Sasha has to do at gigs is show up and remember cigarettes.

+1 - the last couple of years (save for a show or two) have been pitiful.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J The operative word being "worth". The worth of an MP3 release is a lot less than the worth of a vinyl one.

I think the amount of "quality control", while not entirely all-encompassing, is affected by the fact that "anyone" can release an mp3 or start a digital label, whereas not just any Joe Schmoe has the ability to press vinyl records all day and send them to anyone they want without cost.

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Originally posted by thoughtlessjex Is there something wrong with that? He wants the same sound without the work of carrying it around. Sounds fair to me. It's only given that he'd have to go through a process of learning how to DJ again.

It's the much-touted Maven thing that gets me. Sasha is one of the most high-profile "Ableton DJs" and yet by his own admission he is not using Ableton for anything close to its potential.

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Originally posted by david.michael I think the amount of "quality control", while not entirely all-encompassing, is affected by the fact that "anyone" can release an mp3 or start a digital label, whereas not just any Joe Schmoe has the ability to press vinyl records all day and send them to anyone they want without cost.

Good point.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J It's the much-touted Maven thing that gets me. Sasha is one of the most high-profile "Ableton DJs" and yet by his own admission he is not using Ableton for anything close to its potential.

Indeed...one really wonders...after all the hype and work and "proving time" wtf is the point?

Clovis, you are making some pretty ignorant statements.

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Originally posted by TranceArmstrong Good interview. What do you all think of Justice / Simian Mobile Disco / Boyz Noise? Sasha says they're new and exciting. I think they're fun and all but I can't see myself spinning primarily that kind of music seriously, just screams 'hipster' to me.

I don't think you should write off a subgenre of music due to the social scene surrounding it. Just cause hipsters happened to have picked up on the Justice/Digitalism thing shouldn't impact your view on it.

That's like saying, I kinda enjoy this hip-hop music thing, but I don't know, if just seems to scream "black people" to me.

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Originally posted by DOOMBOT Clovis, you are making some pretty ignorant statements.

when isn't he lol

I have a hard time breaking down what's happened to Sasha over the past few years. Until he started using ableton, I really thought his sound was unparalleled in quality, both in terms of track selection and mixing. Even at the very beginning of the ableton 'era' I still was into his sound. I think the point at which he fell off was the release of Fundation.

That album really threw me for a loop because it was so un-reflective of the Fundation NYC parties during the previous summer. They were massive, especially the night with JZ (I might be biased on that one, as I got to party in the booth that night).

Anyhow since then, aside from his sets with John, which are consistently brilliant, I can't really identify one single Sasha set that I'd listen to more than once. I've found his sound really average, with sets that have a couple of interesting moments, but that's all. That's not to say that I haven't had fun at one of his live shows since then.

That being said, I can't really complain about his Emfire productions, as I think they're all quite good. Plus I think the band concept with COMA is unique and interesting.

Do I miss the pre-ableton Sasha? yeah, big time, but that's progressive music - always changing! Hopefully his current averageness will 'eat itself and spit out' something better.

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Originally posted by Stasis I don't think you should write off a subgenre of music due to the social scene surrounding it. Just cause hipsters happened to have picked up on the Justice/Digitalism thing shouldn't impact your view on it. That's like saying, I kinda enjoy this hip-hop music thing, but I don't know, if just seems to scream "black people" to me.

hahahaha I guess that's true. It should be all about the music.

Musically though, I don't think any of them are as good as say LCD Soundsystem or Junior Boys. Those groups seem to be doing a lot more than just cool 80s sounds over a farty bassline.

No doubt--I was surprised Sasha praised them like he did. Maybe he was just playing "politician" and not trying to offend anyone after his "minimal is for wankers" comments earlier.

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