TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- DJ Booth
-- "Oh, you're a DJ? Do something cool."
Pages (2): [1] 2 »

"Oh, you're a DJ? Do something cool."

Everytime people see my decks in my room I get asked this. I don't think most people realize that a lot of djs don't scratch. It always takes me a minute to reply. People generally expect instant gratification and djing isn't about that. It's not like I can "play" my turntable like a guitar for 3 minutes and woo someone.

I just think its kind of funny. I always offer to spin a set for like 30 minutes that they can listen to, but no one has taken me up on that offer yet. Otherwise, I'd just be playing 1 or 2 songs and feel inclined to use a ton of effects or something, which isn't really that "cool." I haven't really tried mixing short sections of a lot of songs together, but I guess that is the best that I could do for like 10 minutes.

I'm curious what you all say when people ask you this.

I bet the person that says it only says it when there's other people with them. Or a girl says it.

You have value as an entertainer and by challenging you, that person can get you to lower your value in the eyes of other people.

Things to do:
-Flat out ignore them and talk about something else. Don't react.
-Do something funny, like exaggerate scratching "WIKKY WIKKY WIKKY!" then switch conversation to something else.
-Joke with them that they're challenging you and jokingly challenge them to a battle on the decks (if you know they can't scratch or dj)
-Imitate what they just said.
-Give em a weird look and switch topics.
-Misinterpret what they said as a compliment (oh thanks for thinking i'm cool!)
-Make them repeat themselves a few times ("what?")(makes them look like a fool haha)

You're not a dancing monkey, you don't have to do shit for people just because they expect you to.

Good luck

Re: "Oh, you're a DJ? Do something cool."

quote:

Originally posted by aBigWreck Everytime people see my decks in my room I get asked this. I don't think most people realize that a lot of djs don't scratch. It always takes me a minute to reply. People generally expect instant gratification and djing isn't about that. It's not like I can "play" my turntable like a guitar for 3 minutes and woo someone. I just think its kind of funny. I always offer to spin a set for like 30 minutes that they can listen to, but no one has taken me up on that offer yet. Otherwise, I'd just be playing 1 or 2 songs and feel inclined to use a ton of effects or something, which isn't really that "cool." I haven't really tried mixing short sections of a lot of songs together, but I guess that is the best that I could do for like 10 minutes. I'm curious what you all say when people ask you this.

Just put a tune on then go and sit down and have a beer. Just like a real DJ.

did this for one of my roommates actually.

hes a big daft punk as am i, we've both seen them live on separate occasions and have pretty much their entire discography.

so i got my decks sent to me from home and he said something like "cool... what can you do with them?"

so i mixed and mashed some daft punk for him and was able to re-create bits and pieces from their live set... he enjoyed.

sidenote: mixing just daft punk tunes is a blast. listen to alive for some inspiration, and then give it a try some time...

otherwise: if its a single person that asks, i may spin for a bit... usually i'll play my newest tracks and during the mix we'll chat about what we like or dont like about the songs, what else in my library they'd best go with, etc. the only people that ever ask on their own know that i take djing seriously, have heard me mix before, may know certain tracks from my library and are generally very supportive. so in return, i'll gladly mix for these individuals.

if its for multiple people i make the rule that if i mix, people have to dance. (it is dance music after all...) most of the time the conversation goes no further.

sometimes people agree, and an impromptu party spontaneously occurs. and i'll mix for that.

Re: Re: "Oh, you're a DJ? Do something cool."

quote:

Originally posted by Stu Cox Just put a tune on then go and sit down and have a line. Just like a real DJ.

Edited for accuracy

sounds like you just don't know how to do anything cool when you deejay

show them the peter hook move

I bust out the battle breaks and the wah pedal to show em the tweak scratch.

quote:

Originally posted by jupiterone show them the peter hook move

Or the Jesus pose, of course. You don't even need to have a tune playing, if they really care about your future in the industry then they'll understand.


You could just break out a bit of dodgy scratching, the chances are they won't know how shit it is. Or the Eddie cheat scratch is easy enough if you've got a CDJ with a loop function and a mixer with a transform effect. Or just abuse any effects/looping etc for a few minutes - if you're talking about people who know nothing about it then I don't think you have to worry about whether they're going to criticise your overuse of effects...

Them: "Show me something cool with your DJ spinny mixer thingys!"
You: "Ok"
Them: "Goah, just play the tune, where's the progression?"

Not gonna happen really.


People rarely ask me that anything like that anymore - most of my mates are either DJs themselves, or they know enough about DJing to know not to ask stupid questions, or they're indie fans who believe that dance music and turntables are the tools of Satan so would never want to have anything to do with them.

i love those people that stand there with their arms crossed with the "show me some cool shit" look on their face. funny thing is, after you do some cool shit, they usually just continue to stand there like "yeah I saw that, do some more cool shit."

just ignore them and talk to some ladies

Or you can do some tricks with the turntable. You don't need to scratch to do tricks. Doubles are easy, flanges are easy, echo's are easy after some practice. You can do all those and a lot more with turntables and a plain old mixer.

tell them you spin country

Usually if im asked to do something like that i just go "ah, maybe another day.." or "you want a copy of a mix or something?" But if i had no other choice id just turn on a tune and play with the effects a bit.. shut em up.

I wish i had more people around my area who understood a single thing about mixing and the works of it. If so id be inviting them around a lot more and doing some B2B stuff..

Only time iv ever done that was at a party i was playing at where i was told to play house.. But it turned out everyone just wanted nigga/rock music. One guy was into EDM and we did some B2B mixing when everyone was too drunk to give a shit anymore.. So much fun.

I'm currently getting desperate and teaching my mrs howto mix. Who knows where that may go..

ha, been asked that question so many times about doing a scratch for someone. Though I take the route of I don't do that stuff or maybe another time, and then I'm labeled a stuck up ass because I didn't demonstrate for them on the spot. Oh well Fuck off I say.

put on some sick techno like blood angels. then have a bear

quote:

Originally posted by palm put on some sick techno like blood angels. then have a bear

Now the question is...grizzly or polar?

Effects are gay and scratching usually doesn't go over well with trance. I've been able to woo all of the people who have ever seen my decks in person by doing a 5 min mix containing 3 songs. They always love it and ask for more and then we're partying lol.

I guess it also helps that I educate my friend's well on the trance scene. It may sound too good to be true but, everyone that has seen me DJ has also been very open to learning about the EDM scene.

I don't know... I think every DJ should practice with scratching, no matter what genre you play. It really helps with your general ability to control the records better. Even before I spun hip-hop, I had a few scratch/breaks records that I'd play with.

What I'm saying is, find a few hip-hop instrumentals, get a scratch sample record, and learn simple shit like chirps. Guaranteed action from the ladiez, yo. (kidding)

I learned how to scratch properly far before I learned how to beatmatch well. I just couldn't help myself. I had turntables and records.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Blitzkrieg Effects are gay and scratching usually doesn't go over well with trance. I've been able to woo all of the people who have ever seen my decks in person by doing a 5 min mix containing 3 songs. They always love it and ask for more and then we're partying lol. I guess it also helps that I educate my friend's well on the trance scene. It may sound too good to be true but, everyone that has seen me DJ has also been very open to learning about the EDM scene.

Do you have any downloads where you mix like this?

If you don't want to do anything, just tell them you're not a trained monkey.

Kill switches, it's all about the kill switches.

My mates love using them. I tell them to flick 'this switch' and they over use it to fuck but love the fact that they're changing the sound.

Otherwise the serato set up on it's on keeps people asking questions..

If they want me to show them something, I just tell them no.

Don't get me wrong I do practice scratching but for those who don't and can't fit it into a trance song that really doesn't warrant it just stick to quick mixes.

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