I Don't like any of today's trance, even that played by John 00. Its still extremely overproduced stuff and makes me tired very easily. I view this stuff as nothing more that the dark side of the uplifting stuff, still plastic, fast, clinical and noisy. I don't know, i guess that its me growing-up (and this type of music can be a godsend present to younger ear). But still man, it doesn't have the hypnotic elegance,in-your-face directness, honest atmosphere and groove/funk as those 90s tracks (but anyway thats what i think)
SYSTEM-J
quote:
Originally posted by Sand Leaper
If this is really the best you could come up with to show how diverse and versatile J00f is as a DJ, then you've all just proven my point.
Fully agree with this. If anyone here thinks playing progressive house and about three types of trance is varied then they've no business talking about DJing.
RebeL9
quote:
Originally posted by Sand Leaper
If this is really the best you could come up with to show how diverse and versatile J00f is as a DJ, then you've all just proven my point.
When you're constantly putting yourself and your sets at the same end of the spectrum soundwise, you don't lend much credibility to the philosophy of playing a good tune no matter what people label it.
When was the last time you saw J00f do a special on old 70s funk records? When did J00f last start off his sets with some fresh techno records or a Kerri Chandler-tune? When did you hear him drop a deep jungle/drum n bass track just to throw people off and surprise them? Surely you're not trying to tell me that trance and progressive house are the only two genres he likes? Why do you all settle for so much less from a DJ known for playing trance as far as a varied selection goes?
But how many djs play let's say shranz techno and suddenly throws in ABBA - Lay all your love on me and then instantly go over to dubby ambient? I would love to hear that kind of diversity. But do they exist?
Sand Leaper
quote:
Originally posted by RebeL9
But how many djs play let's say shranz techno and suddenly throws in ABBA - Lay all your love on me and then instantly go over to dubby ambient? I would love to hear that kind of diversity. But do they exist?
I just described three quite feasible examples of how J00f could surprise his crowd and give them something different, none of which are anywhere near throwing ABBA randomly into a techno set.
I have to say, it speaks volumes about DJs and electronic music when merely the idea of a DJ straying from the sound he's known for gets perceived as close to utopic the way it is in this thread.
SYSTEM-J
quote:
Originally posted by RebeL9
But how many djs play let's say shranz techno and suddenly throws in ABBA - Lay all your love on me and then instantly go over to dubby ambient? I would love to hear that kind of diversity. But do they exist?
Of course they do. There are local DJs here who will go from hip-hop to electro house to dubstep to Radiohead to The Prodigy to disco and back again in a night. In fact, that kind of ultra-eclectic party DJ seems to have become almost the norm these days, and there are plenty of high-profile jocks who play like this too.
RebeL9
quote:
Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
Of course they do. There are local DJs here who will go from hip-hop to electro house to dubstep to Radiohead to The Prodigy to disco and back again in a night. In fact, that kind of ultra-eclectic party DJ seems to have become almost the norm these days, and there are plenty of high-profile jocks who play like this too.
Among the often-talked about DJs few of them are that diverse. I mean some of the most praised DJs such as Sasha who often is considored one who constantly renews his sound still play more or less the same type of music. Same goes for more or less every DJ among the world renowned DJs.
Diversity may also be measured. I would say going from one genre to something completely different (afghan folk music -> Radiohead) is very diverse. While going from one typ of EDM such as house -> trance is quite diverse.
But in terms of the trance scene as a whole I would say J00F is quite diverse. 95% of the DJs in the trance scene sticks more or less to exactly the same type of tracks.
SYSTEM-J
quote:
Originally posted by RebeL9
Among the often-talked about DJs few of them are that diverse. I mean some of the most praised DJs such as Sasha who often is considored one who constantly renews his sound still play more or less the same type of music. Same goes for more or less every DJ among the world renowned DJs.
If by "world renowned" you mean the ones who crop up on the DJ Mag list, perhaps.
quote:
But in terms of the trance scene as a whole I would say J00F is quite diverse. 95% of the DJs in the trance scene sticks more or less to exactly the same type of tracks.
If J00F was really a diverse DJ who would play anything as long as he liked it then he wouldn't be in the trance scene and he wouldn't be a trance DJ. He'd just be a DJ. We shouldn't have one standard for famous DJs or trance DJs and another standard for the rest. That's what this thread is supposedly railing against.
RapidFire
quote:
Originally posted by _Ocean_Drive_
You need to be telling this stuff to your friends like Armin, Tjis, PvD et al. Do you ever say to them "Hey, I think you're destroying EDM / why are you producing / playing utter e?"
Id like to see this addressed. if they are your close friends John, do you ever tell them (in a polite manner) how you feel about their mainstream approach to DJing?
John 00 Fleming
quote:
Originally posted by Sand Leaper
If this is really the best you could come up with to show how diverse and versatile J00f is as a DJ, then you've all just proven my point.
When you're constantly putting yourself and your sets at the same end of the spectrum soundwise, you don't lend much credibility to the philosophy of playing a good tune no matter what people label it.
When was the last time you saw J00f do a special on old 70s funk records? When did J00f last start off his sets with some fresh techno records or a Kerri Chandler-tune? When did you hear him drop a deep jungle/drum n bass track just to throw people off and surprise them? Surely you're not trying to tell me that trance and progressive house are the only two genres he likes? Why do you all settle for so much less from a DJ known for playing trance as far as a varied selection goes?
If you read all my previous comments here, then you are proving my point! The past decade the scene has got worse not allowing DJ's to breathe musically, it's my whole point about speaking out. Did you see me play 15 years ago? I used to play all sorts of music in my sets, all pending on the length and timing of my sets. I was resident at the Zap club in Brighton (UK) along side Dave Clark, Eric Powel and Felix the House cat. We played various times slots as a team. If I dropped some Breaks or House in my sets today I'd clear the dancefloor due to the short attention span of most Trance crowds, I see this first hand, especially being a 'different' Trance DJ. I have to work like a dog keeping them interested because they are used to having big hits thrown at them, thats all they know.
So in answer to your other question, yes I am a Trance DJ I love Trance and followed it since 1990. But I use music genres as a tool to reach my love of Trance. If I'm playing a 5 hour set, why bang out Trance at 10am? I'll use those music tools to get people on the dancefloor and get them in the zone until I hit them with my favorite style of trance and again use other music to take the energy down. It's a bloody hard job to keep a dance floor interesting over a long period of time, to me that shows the real skill of a DJ, something we don't often get a change to see in todays world.
Phheww I've never posted so much on a forum! Anyway we digressing...back to the original topic....
Sand Leaper
quote:
Originally posted by John 00 Fleming
If you read all my previous comments here, then you are proving my point! The past decade the scene has got worse not allowing DJ's to breathe musically, it's my whole point about speaking out. Did you see me play 15 years ago? I used to play all sorts of music in my sets, all pending on the length and timing of my sets. I was resident at the Zap club in Brighton (UK) along side Dave Clark, Eric Powel and Felix the House cat. We played various times slots as a team. If I dropped some Breaks or House in my sets today I'd clear the dancefloor due to the short attention span of most Trance crowds, I see this first hand, especially being a 'different' Trance DJ. I have to work like a dog keeping them interested because they are used to having big hits thrown at them, thats all they know.
Well then, I'd take this sentiment from back in the day and push it even further, so you could distance yourself a bit from the "trance DJ"-label, and leave people guessing a bit more as to what they'd get to hear. People should come to hear J00f, not to hear the "trance DJ" J00f.
For instance, stop calling your show "Global Trance Grooves", and play all kinds of genres on it the way you used to do instead, showcasing your tastes to the fullest. A good example of how to do this is the Rodz-Konez livefeeds, where people reknowned for techno such as Regis and Surgeon frequently buck their fans' expectations by playing old industrial records, new wave and ambient, among other things.
This leads me to a bigger point for trance as a whole. It seems like nobody ever listens to anything else than trance. Somebody within the current "trance scene", for lack of a better term, simply has to start somewhere to infuse trance with the same level of influence from other kinds of music and experimentation that other genres of electronic music thrive on. If this happens, I'm convinced that this will spread to the bedroom producers who currently are too busy creating the next tune that will "fit in" on Armada, and that it will eventually give DJs a lot more creative breathing room.
djnitride
What is wrong with being a "Trance DJ" if you play a diverse range of tranceish music Sand Leaper? Your expectations of the average audience are totally out of whack.... :conf: Completely agree with J00F on this one.
What would J00F's essential be if at any point he dropped the trance atmosphere and energy he was building and dropped Flashlight by George Clinton?
Diversity has its place, but so does being amazing at playing a diverse range of trance. J00F is arguably one of the most respectable "trance dj/producers", and I for one would be down for him experimenting musically, but where do you draw the line when you are trying to entrance the audience with some "fresh ritual music"?
Sand Leaper
quote:
Originally posted by djnitride
What is wrong with being a "Trance DJ" if you play a diverse range of tranceish music Sand Leaper?
Your expectations of the average audience are totally out of whack....
Because, going by what J00f has said here, it obviously boxes you in and doesn't leave you with much room to try other things.
And frankly, this "the audience is too dumb to understand my music"-argument is complete nonsense. The only reason they're too "dumb" to understand it is because they've been fed the same kind of music from people who are all too happy being a "trance DJ" or "house DJ" for far too long. This isn't rocket science, people.
It's just music.
edit: the rest of your post was already brought up by Rebel9 and responded to.
