TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- DJ Booth
-- A good interview
Pages (2): [1] 2 »

A good interview

http://www.higher-frequency.com/e_i...ligan/index.htm

HRFQ : Reading through your technical rider for gigs you request that the DJ booth be on the dancefloor instead of raised above. How important is it for you to connect with the audience during a set?

Jeff Milligan : I think it's of paramount importance to give the audience and next generation of aspiring musician and DJs the tools to enable them to take this artform some steps forward. I truly believe that half the reason that many DJ booths are elevated in the air is because many of the big superstars aren't actually very talented and don't want their audience to know the difference. The audience should be able to see the DJ perform so they better understand mixing and how the music is composed and created. It's fascinating to watch something done well that you don't know anything about, so I think it's a better value for everyone when the DJ is on the same level as the audience

Re: A good interview

quote:

Originally posted by nrjizer http://www.higher-frequency.com/e_i...ligan/index.htm HRFQ : Reading through your technical rider for gigs you request that the DJ booth be on the dancefloor instead of raised above. How important is it for you to connect with the audience during a set? Jeff Milligan : I think it's of paramount importance to give the audience and next generation of aspiring musician and DJs the tools to enable them to take this artform some steps forward. I truly believe that half the reason that many DJ booths are elevated in the air is because many of the big superstars aren't actually very talented and don't want their audience to know the difference. The audience should be able to see the DJ perform so they better understand mixing and how the music is composed and created. It's fascinating to watch something done well that you don't know anything about, so I think it's a better value for everyone when the DJ is on the same level as the audience

I couldn't agree more with that statement. When DJ booth is set up on the same level as the audience, the party becomes more fun just because of that little detail.

i'm 99% in agreeance.

the only 1% i hate is those people that stand around in a way that you can barely move to get to the other deck, or reach for your records, etc.

some people over here even get touchy with the gear!

quote:

Originally posted by Inertia i'm 99% in agreeance. the only 1% i hate is those people that stand around in a way that you can barely move to get to the other deck, or reach for your records, etc. some people over here even get touchy with the gear!

I totally see what you're saying. I did a party at my house once and this drunk broad kept messing with the gains

Of course it'd be a hell of a lot more entertaining to watch Milligan spin. If you haven't seen him rock four decks, I highly suggest looking him up on Youtube. Fucking brilliant.

Having people watch you is one thing. Having people stand in your way and spill drinks all over your gizmo is something else.

yeah or having a bunch of flashes from the camera in your eyes.

wat are trainspotters? just people looking out for trainwrecks/

HRFQ : You are renowned for your 3 and 4 deck mixing, surely now you must be tempted to switch to laptop so you can move up to even more decks at once�

Jeff Milligan : Of course! I have been using a laptop and Serato SL since it was beta. The problem is that the scratch amp only accomodates 2 turntables so i have to rely on playing half vinyl/half digital. Once Serato SL can handle 4 decks, I will be happy to say goodbye to vinyl. Goodbye paper, goodbye gasoline, goodbye oil, goodbye airline overweight charges. I always shock people when i discuss my hatred for vinyl, i mean, i love vinyl's tangibility, but the medium is simply unnecessary now.

very good read, I also read the james holden interview, I fell in love with this site I think.

I don't actually agree with him. He is indeed a very talented DJ, no disputing that but I don't agree with the comments of the DJ booth.

Having the DJ booth on the dance floor creates a few issues for me. Not because I have any doubts in my own ability but in terms of the clubber. If a DJ is swarmed by trainspotters, and this happens to a lot of DJs with good technicall skills, basically a lot of people will not be able to see the DJ spin.
If you have a name DJ in the club, people are going to want to see them. Also, when the booth is raised you can interact with people much easier, not just the front rows of the dance floor.
There are pro's and cons with both for sure.

Coming from a DJ like this I find that comment snobbish and missinformed about what the clubbers expect from a performance. The other question is, who made him an authority on what talent is and what people want on the dance floor? Seems to only want to cater for an elite group of trainspotters if you ask me (And I know you didn't ask but I'm telling you anways he he).

If a DJ entertains then he/she is doing their job. I have played in some clubs where the DJ booth can't even be seen, now that I find really weird.

Cheers
Nem

quote:

Originally posted by Nemesis44 I don't actually agree with him. He is indeed a very talented DJ, no disputing that but I don't agree with the comments of the DJ booth. Having the DJ booth on the dance floor creates a few issues for me. Not because I have any doubts in my own ability but in terms of the clubber. If a DJ is swarmed by trainspotters, and this happens to a lot of DJs with good technicall skills, basically a lot of people will not be able to see the DJ spin. If you have a name DJ in the club, people are going to want to see them. Also, when the booth is raised you can interact with people much easier, not just the front rows of the dance floor. There are pro's and cons with both for sure. Coming from a DJ like this I find that comment snobbish and missinformed about what the clubbers expect from a performance. The other question is, who made him an authority on what talent is and what people want on the dance floor? Seems to only want to cater for an elite group of trainspotters if you ask me (And I know you didn't ask but I'm telling you anways he he). If a DJ entertains then he/she is doing their job. I have played in some clubs where the DJ booth can't even be seen, now that I find really weird. Cheers Nem

Exactly, I'm surprised nobody else said this before Nemesis did. When I go clubbing, I want to see the DJ as do most people. If he's on the ground, only a handful of people could see him. I like many, don't relish the thought of standing at the very front unable to move or dance.

How can the DJ get the crowd going if no one can see him? Imagine goin to see Eddie Haliwell only to find that he's buried behind the front row. That would be proper shit.

I went to see Fatboy slim at glastonbury this year and whilst it was a good party set (as always) he was at ground level. Last time I saw him, he was raised up high, going mental, pulling faces and writing messages on the records for the crowd to see. There was none of that this time and as a result it wasn't as good.

To cut a long story short, to say that its better to be at ground level is utter bullshit.

who cares is what I say.

one of the best nightlife experiences i've ever had was an underground party in mexico where the dj booth was actually in a sunken area, 3 feet below the dancefloor.

for most of the party i couldn't find the dj, only the vj.

everyone was dancing and making party with each other. none of this concert-style face-the-dj and cheer bullshit



the dj does not necessarily need to be seen. The DJ as the focus of the party is the reason the scene leaves such a bad taste in my mouth now. The DJ is just another person in the party as far as I am concerned.

To those of you in favor of the DJ 'working the crowd' with antics, you must never have been to a party where the dj works the crowd with his music... it sickens me when deejays do poses and what not for a cheap cheer, spoon feeding the crowd..."this is when you are supposed to put your hands up", "this is a good song". "this is when you are supposed to be happy" etc etc

it's no different than pop music in how it standardizes the response. a lot of people think this is great because they feel like they belong to a crowd, maybe they were never accepted as themselves or something

but it's all fraud

we need a culture that responds to music on an individual level. it is the universal acceptance of every individual responding to the music in their own way without someone forcing a crowd to face one direction or do one thing that is beautiful

it's also the only sustainable dance culture. otherwise it's just going to get old quickly and remain a juvenile, escapist hedonism - when it could be a positive, meditative, interpersonal, spiritual experience

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec one of the best nightlife experiences i've ever had was an underground party in mexico where the dj booth was actually in a sunken area, 3 feet below the dancefloor. for most of the party i couldn't find the dj, only the vj. everyone was dancing and making party with each other. none of this concert-style face-the-dj and cheer bullshit the dj does not necessarily need to be seen. The DJ as the focus of the party is the reason the scene leaves such a bad taste in my mouth now. The DJ is just another person in the party as far as I am concerned. To those of you in favor of the DJ 'working the crowd' with antics, you must never have been to a party where the dj works the crowd with his music... it sickens me when deejays do poses and what not for a cheap cheer, spoon feeding the crowd..."this is when you are supposed to put your hands up", "this is a good song". "this is when you are supposed to be happy" etc etc it's no different than pop music in how it standardizes the response. a lot of people think this is great because they feel like they belong to a crowd, maybe they were never accepted as themselves or something but it's all fraud we need a culture that responds to music on an individual level. it is the universal acceptance of every individual responding to the music in their own way without someone forcing a crowd to face one direction or do one thing that is beautiful it's also the only sustainable dance culture. otherwise it's just going to get old quickly and remain a juvenile, escapist hedonism - when it could be a positive, meditative, interpersonal, spiritual experience

agree with most of what you're saying, but whats wrong with a bit of juvenile escapist hedonism? thats what this culture is based on for the most part lol-

not that i dont see it the other side as well, i think it will always just be a combo of both

you're right - the hedonism is great

but not the narcissism and groupthink

i guess i meant 'childish' in the sense of 'listen to your parents and do what you're told'

not in the sense of innocence and creativity, which i think is important always

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec To those of you in favor of the DJ 'working the crowd' with antics, you must never have been to a party where the dj works the crowd with his music... it sickens me when deejays do poses and what not for a cheap cheer, spoon feeding the crowd..."this is when you are supposed to put your hands up", "this is a good song". "this is when you are supposed to be happy" etc etc

Calm down. No one in this thread, or in the aforementioned interview, are suggesting that antics make a good DJ (or that they make anything other than a retard behind the decks).

'Antics' and 'technical skill' are entirely separate things. When a trance DJ does a Jesus pose or climbs up on the turntables or some other stupid shit, you'd call it 'antics.' And yes, it's pointless and embarrassing. When a DJ like Jeff Milligan (the one in the interview) starts mixing on 4 turntables, that's 'technical skill,' and that's what is good for a crowd to see. Did you even read the interview? His whole point in suggesting the DJ be where the crowd can see is so that the crowd can better appreciate what the DJ is doing to create the sounds vibrating throughout the dancefloor. Not because the DJ is some hero worthy of worship, but because the more people know about and appreciate things like skillful DJ mixing, the more they will appreciate the music and the scene.

This is Jeff Milligan (click)

Good interview, but he's somewhat hypocritical on certain issues, such as the business/economical and vinyl vs digital arguments.

nrjizer - you misinterpreted what i was saying a bit:

nothing wrong with seeing the dj. just don't put him on display

in the example i gave you could easily watch the dj mix because you could look into the sunken dj booth from all sides. and indeed i did watch him for some time because it was really quality

Still sounds more like a DJs DJ than a clubbers DJ to me.

Don't get me wrong, respect is due, but it seems like we have a difference of opinion on this.
When I DJ, I like to see the place, it's nice if people want to see me too but not the be all and end all.

I accept that technical skills are a major part but to me it actually kills the atmosphere if you have guys standing round with note pads staring at the likes of Halliwell and Zabiela. I can appreciate that people want to learn it because it sounds good but a DJ should play to the whole room, it's important to know what is going on in the whole room not just the first couple of rows.

I also am in the belief that the bigger a venue is, the more important it is to have the DJ booth raised, otherwise people tend to just mill about, get distracted and kill the atmosphere.

Cheers
Nem

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec one of the best nightlife experiences i've ever had was an underground party in mexico where the dj booth was actually in a sunken area, 3 feet below the dancefloor. for most of the party i couldn't find the dj, only the vj. everyone was dancing and making party with each other. none of this concert-style face-the-dj and cheer bullshit the dj does not necessarily need to be seen. The DJ as the focus of the party is the reason the scene leaves such a bad taste in my mouth now. The DJ is just another person in the party as far as I am concerned. To those of you in favor of the DJ 'working the crowd' with antics, you must never have been to a party where the dj works the crowd with his music... it sickens me when deejays do poses and what not for a cheap cheer, spoon feeding the crowd..."this is when you are supposed to put your hands up", "this is a good song". "this is when you are supposed to be happy" etc etc it's no different than pop music in how it standardizes the response. a lot of people think this is great because they feel like they belong to a crowd, maybe they were never accepted as themselves or something but it's all fraud we need a culture that responds to music on an individual level. it is the universal acceptance of every individual responding to the music in their own way without someone forcing a crowd to face one direction or do one thing that is beautiful it's also the only sustainable dance culture. otherwise it's just going to get old quickly and remain a juvenile, escapist hedonism - when it could be a positive, meditative, interpersonal, spiritual experience

+20

I actually like a really high and far-away DJ booth. I like when they aren't the focus of the party, when you're just in a sea of people dancing and going nuts and you occasionally look up during a huge, long, building mix and see some guy's head up there concentrating.

I guess I'm really talking about Digweed, since thats the vibe I got last time I saw him on his own.



I dont really like the idea for a sunken booth, because imo the DJ should have a reasonably good view of the room, to be able to guage the space and the atmosphere.

quote:

I dont really like the idea for a sunken booth, because imo the DJ should have a reasonably good view of the room, to be able to guage the space and the atmosphere.

maybe for someone like digweed going to a new club for the first time, but it's cool for a residency at a small club with a proper scene.

[Random Booth Related Post]

My favorite booth to have played in so far has been this one:









Which was the way it was set up for Funk D'void this past June. There was a dancefloor right in front of the booth, then steps down to the bar. Great vibe, great crowd interaction, and the place felt like it was packed from open to close.



Love the booth on the floor.

I agree with clovis. I've never see that many booths in my life or attended a huge club party but I would guess that a dj that can see the whole floor and isn't on the spotlight so much would do his job a lot better.

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright © 2000-2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.