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What makes a good DJ ?? (pg. 4)
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| starsearcher |
| quote: | Originally posted by Skipper
Well now we're getting into a matter of personal taste.
I'm saying Sven does a great job of a/ providing music and b/ creating a party atmosphere. Richie only does a/. |
I think Sven brings out more people than Richie....which concludes this argument ;) |
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| arek |
def. spinning topless.
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| Nrg2Nfinit |
| quote: | Originally posted by Skipper
No - the number of people a DJ's name will bring in is usually the highest ranking factor. Booking agents want their club full, whether people are dancing to a DJ's own tracks or someone else's. |
tiesto is NOT number one because his TECHNICAL djaying skils.
http://www.discogs.com/artist/DJ+Ti%EBsto
tiesto's name is big because of his productions and albums |
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| starsearcher |
Actually there are many reasons why his name is so big, and one of them is a really well thought out business-like marketing strategy almost...not to mention that the name Tiesto just sounds so..."catchy" simple and direct :p |
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| Nrg2Nfinit |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
Producing makes a better DJ?
I have a problem with this. I can think of a million examples of really good producers who can't DJ worth . The only reason they are DJing is to make money since producing records doesnt pay. (especially now with downloading). Many producers take a crash course in DJing in order to promoter their name and sell albums. Sure there are some DJs who are good producers but in most of these cases the producing came AFTER the Djing. A good DJ loves his craft and isn't in it to promote some record that he just made.
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i can agree with you here if your talking about the technical aspect
lets look at
Blank and jones: Piet Blank has been producing since 1997, and jaspa jones 1995.
The two must have been djaying now for over 10 years.. but still technically they are not very good. Their compilations are all created and composed digitally (as alot of professional compilations are these days)
But none the less they are ranked high as good djs, they're booking dates are always full and im sure tons of people here in toronto would love to see them. |
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by starsearcher
I think Sven brings out more people than Richie....which concludes this argument ;) |
And britney spears brings out more people than sven...
So??
:stongue: :conf: |
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| DigiNut |
I've got nothing but respect for Armin. It's not really my type of music but as I said earlier, I know he's a great guy and AFAIK he is good under pressure.
It wasn't him I was referring to with the earlier comment - it applies more to DJs such as Paul van Dyk and DJ Tiesto, who've been known to act like prima donnas on stage. Also in the front row at the Jerk Store are Dave Clarke and Steve Lawler, who cancel on a moment's notice for no good reason at all (I suppose that's different from caving into stress, but it's still very unprofessional).
I guess this can all be summarized under the umbrella term of professionalism.
So that makes three things that make a DJ great:
- Programming skills
- Mixing skills, and
- Professionalism!
Sorry, but I stand by my earlier comment that production skills don't mean jack . Production skill doesn't help one's understanding of music, either - a good producer will have already had a good understanding of music before starting his production career, and a lousy producer (again, I won't mention any *names* here) has nothing of value to contribute anyway. If anything, production skills fit under the more general category of programming skills. And no, hearing Tiesto play Traffic or Ferry play Rock Your Body does NOT tickle my pickle. I'd much rather hear Desyn Masiello play yet another far-out track that's never been heard before and can't even be ID'ed.
And one other thing:
Neither popularity nor obscurity are requirements for (or even indicators of) a great DJ!
So STOP trying to tell me that someone is good because they bring out a crowd! IT MEANS ALL!
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| Nrg2Nfinit |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
I've got nothing but respect for Armin. It's not really my type of music but as I said earlier, I know he's a great guy and AFAIK he is good under pressure.
It wasn't him I was referring to with the earlier comment - it applies more to DJs such as Paul van Dyk and DJ Tiesto, who've been known to act like prima donnas on stage. Also in the front row at the Jerk Store are Dave Clarke and Steve Lawler, who cancel on a moment's notice for no good reason at all (I suppose that's different from caving into stress, but it's still very unprofessional).
I guess this can all be summarized under the umbrella term of professionalism.
So that makes three things that make a DJ great:
- Programming skills
- Mixing skills, and
- Professionalism!
Sorry, but I stand by my earlier comment that production skills don't mean jack . Production skill doesn't help one's understanding of music, either - a good producer will have already had a good understanding of music before starting his production career, and a lousy producer (again, I won't mention any *names* here) has nothing of value to contribute anyway. If anything, production skills fit under the more general category of programming skills. And no, hearing Tiesto play Traffic or Ferry play Rock Your Body does NOT tickle my pickle. I'd much rather hear Desyn Masiello play yet another far-out track that's never been heard before and can't even be ID'ed.
And one other thing:
Neither popularity nor obscurity are requirements for (or even indicators of) a great DJ!
So STOP trying to tell me that someone is good because they bring out a crowd! IT MEANS ALL!
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well if they werent good they wouldnt bring out a crowd now would they
desyn masiello is a great dj i agree with you
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Desyn+Masiello
he also has a couple of productions under his belt.
the fact is.. most professional djs aspire to create music as well as play it
preach is a perfect example of a canadian dj whos done so.
please name me one dj that you would go out of your way to see (outside of canada) that has not even attempted to produce. The fact is, when it comes to electronica, djaying and producing usually come hand in hand.
and it definatley should be a factor in considering whether a dj is GOOD or not. |
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| DigiNut |
^^^ are you for real?
I wouldn't even know which DJs I like have attempted to produce and which haven't, because I DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THAT. IT DOESN'T MATTER!
And as for this:
| quote: | | well if they werent good they wouldnt bring out a crowd now would they |
Uh, yeah, they would. Jesus christ, how many examples do you need from the pop world to confirm this? Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, Milli Vanilli... are you trying to tell me that trance is somehow special and that unlike every other genre on the face of the planet, popularity is directly correlated with talent?
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| Nrg2Nfinit |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
^^^ are you for real?
I wouldn't even know which DJs I like have attempted to produce and which haven't, because I DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THAT. IT DOESN'T MATTER!
And as for this:
Uh, yeah, they would. Jesus christ, how many examples do you need from the pop world to confirm this? Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, Milli Vanilli... are you trying to tell me that trance is somehow special and that unlike every other genre on the face of the planet, popularity is directly correlated with talent?
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milli vanilli didnt even produce their own songs
as for backstreet boys it was denniz pop, kristian lundin & max martin behind the music, not the actual singers.
you might not realise this but 90 % of the djs you like are probably very experienced producers.. and this definatley does sum up to how good they are. since they are in fact partially behind the music they play.
richie hawtin
preach
mauro picotto
sven vath
david morales
danny tenaglia
chus and cellabos
etc etc etc
the list goes on and on and... |
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| Yoshiesque |
some nice replies so far..
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
You also left out:
Programming / track selection |
You're right... I knew I was forgetting something. It's probably one of the most important aspects of a good dj, but I do think solid production skills can definately add to it as well.
| quote: | Originally posted by Skipper
However, there are many excellent DJs out there who are not producers. I think the fault lies in your wording, Yoshi - producing improves ones understanding of the music, therefore making them a better DJ, but that doesn't mean they weren't excellent to begin with. |
Yes I agree... my wording sucks. :p I have difficulty expressing what I really mean on here half the time. I agree with your other point too though.. producing doesn't MAKE the DJ but it definately makes them a better DJ.
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
Sorry, but I stand by my earlier comment that production skills don't mean jack . Production skill doesn't help one's understanding of music, either - a good producer will have already had a good understanding of music before starting his production career, and a lousy producer (again, I won't mention any *names* here) has nothing of value to contribute anyway. If anything, production skills fit under the more general category of programming skills. And no, hearing Tiesto play Traffic or Ferry play Rock Your Body does NOT tickle my pickle. I'd much rather hear Desyn Masiello play yet another far-out track that's never been heard before and can't even be ID'ed.
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Those far-out-never-heard-before tracks that Desyn Masiello lays down in his set... they wouldn't be there without his production skills.
| quote: | "I listen and take inspiration from almost any type of music. Many tracks I find may not be instantly playable, so I use technology such as Pro Tools and Ableton live to re-edit tracks or update them so they will then fit into my vision of how the music should sound on the dance floor”.
- DESYN MASIELLO |
Maybe what he does is considered to be under the umbrella of "programming"... but either way.. whenever a DJ can bring HIS OWN music to the dancefloor.. THAT, in my opinion.. is what make's a good DJ great.
and hey, it's just that.. my opinion. Everybody seems to have a different concept of what constitutes a good DJ so it seems pretty trivial to argue because like everything else in life... different strokes for different folks! I like hearing everybody's opinions though... so keep them coming! ;) |
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| DigiNut |
This debate is futile... Desyn Masiello may remix a few tracks here and there to fit them into his set (like Preach does), but he also scours the Earth looking for unique records and doesn't try to attach some special significance to his own remixes as if the audience should whip into a frenzy because - OH MY GOD - HE'S PLAYING HIS OWN TRACK! :rolleyes:
How does Milli Vanilli and Backstreet Boys not producing their own songs have ANYTHING to do with the gap between popularity and talent? |
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