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The TA Worst DJ Poll. (part 2) (pg. 13)
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| sg_57 |
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
I'm definitely annoyed by this mysterious sg_57, who's either a lurker or some special web entity who in times of great need coalesces from the nonspace of the cyber-ether to defend Parrish with terrible strawmen arguments and pipe-and-slippers diatribes against Ableton and the Youth Of Today. |
Fair enough. I just happened to stumble on this thread. What's so mysterious about that?
Like I said, "Courses For Horses" I am sorry you had a bad experience, and there is no question that all DJs have off nights.
But what I was hinting at is that there is more than 'one-size-fits-all' in this world of music, and that unfortunately a lot of the punters have never gotten exposed to the roots of what made it all possible, which is what people such as Theo or Harvey specialize in.
And there are countries and specific places where such people are considered living legends, and made welcome enough that they feel comfortable weaving the delicate threads of their stories, that are just as relevant as the banging full-on experience in Room A at Fabric and possibly with a much longer-lasting impact on culture.
None of which has anything whatsoever to do with you being pissed off at being let down for putting up your money and your time. Fair enough.
Next time do spend the time to check out who you're going to see a little better, I guess?
Not trying to start a big argument about it. But there's far worse than Theo. That's all I was trying to say. That ladder has a lot more steps on the way down. |
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| srussell0018 |
| How so? Something like musical taste is so inherently subjective that it cannot possibly be inherently good. |
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| nefardec |
| quote: | Originally posted by srussell0018
Inherently good music selection needs to be thrown out the window right away, because there's no such thing, objectively speaking. In terms of the first part of that statement, smooth mixing is something that takes practice and talent, certainly not a cover-up for anything.
If you're out on a floor dancing, would you rather hear a very smooth transition between two songs that you like or are indifferent to, or a trainwreck between two songs you love? Anybody can fader-slam between two songs. It's really not very hard, so I don't see how smooth mixing is a cover up for lack of balls. I think smooth mixing is a showcase of talent, and what you're arguing for is your opinion of great musical taste, but an inability to showcase it well. |
DEFINITELY DEFINITELY the trainwreck between two songs I love.
What the is the point of going out to hear smooth mixing? It has no substance at all! That's such an empty endeavor. Snoozefest. I go out to hear the real jams and get moved, a real ear ing. And some times they like it rough.
Smooth mixing is skill, but skill for what end? It's putting the cart before the horse.
Smooth mixing is for elevators and wine coolers.
Smooth mixing is a skill like being able to build miniature ships in bottles. You have to be incredibly patient and practice, but ultimately who gives a . |
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| srussell0018 |
| quote: | Originally posted by sg_57
But what I was hinting at is that there is more than 'one-size-fits-all' in this world of music, and that unfortunately a lot of the punters have never gotten exposed to the roots of what made it all possible, which is what people such as Theo or Harvey specialize in.
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I enjoy vegetables. The roots of what make vegetables possible are dirt and feces. I don't particularly like eating dirt and feces, just like I don't particularly like listening to 70s disco music.
Things evolve for reasons. Liking modern electronic music is completely unrelated to liking the roots of where it came from. You can have an appreciation for it, of course, but being glad that that form of music led to what you enjoy today doesn't necessitate you liking the origin whatsoever. |
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| nefardec |
| quote: | Originally posted by srussell0018
I enjoy vegetables. The roots of what make vegetables possible are dirt and feces. I don't particularly like eating dirt and feces, just like I don't particularly like listening to 70s disco music.
Things evolve for reasons. Liking modern electronic music is completely unrelated to liking the roots of where it came from. You can have an appreciation for it, of course, but being glad that that form of music led to what you enjoy today doesn't necessitate you liking the origin whatsoever. |
Actually it's more like you enjoy eating jars of processed corn syrup, and some people would rather eat it right of the cob. |
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| srussell0018 |
| quote: | Originally posted by nefardec
You have to be incredibly patient and practice, but ultimately who gives a . |
Many, many, many club-goers? What you're arguing seems kind of circular. If you have a great musical selection you don't need the ability to mix well, but if you have the ability to mix well you don't need a great musical selection.
Anybody can press play and then turn some knobs. If what you're saying is true, you'd just as likely pay money to go see someone stand behind a computer, press play on a pre-constructed set, and just mess with some fx throughout the playlist? That seems ridiculous to me. The whole point of being a "good" DJ is having the ability to flawlessly transition between songs. Obviously that's the ideal and not the norm, but there's no arguing the fact that good mixing is necessary to a good set.
I'm not saying someone who plays terrible music, but mixes it together well will be successful in doing so, but it sounds like you're arguing that the mixing doesn't matter as long as the track selection is good in your opinion. If that's what you're trying to say, I couldn't disagree more. |
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| srussell0018 |
| quote: | Originally posted by nefardec
Actually it's more like you enjoy eating jars of processed corn syrup, and some people would rather eat it right of the cob. |
Now, now. You're starting to argue about musical tastes, which is unrelated to the topic at hand.
I don't like the music he plays, yes, but what I was commenting on is that his style of playing is what I dislike more. |
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| sg_57 |
| quote: | Originally posted by srussell0018
Things evolve for reasons. Liking modern electronic music is completely unrelated to liking the roots of where it came from. You can have an appreciation for it, of course, but being glad that that form of music led to what you enjoy today doesn't necessitate you liking the origin whatsoever. |
certainly one of the reasons I always enjoy Derrick May's sets, because he so effortlessly put it all together and makes it sound relevant and deeply entertaining no matter how old or new. |
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| srussell0018 |
| quote: | Originally posted by sg_57
certainly one of the reasons I always enjoy Derrick May's sets, because he so effortlessly put it all together and makes it sound relevant and deeply entertaining no matter how old or new. |
That's understandable. What I'm saying is that even if the particular songs he's playing I'm not all that into, it makes it even worse when he mixes so terribly. |
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| nefardec |
| quote: | Originally posted by srussell0018
Many, many, many club-goers? What you're arguing seems kind of circular. If you have a great musical selection you don't need the ability to mix well, but if you have the ability to mix well you don't need a great musical selection.
Anybody can press play and then turn some knobs. If what you're saying is true, you'd just as likely pay money to go see someone stand behind a computer, press play on a pre-constructed set, and just mess with some fx throughout the playlist? That seems ridiculous to me. The whole point of being a "good" DJ is having the ability to flawlessly transition between songs. Obviously that's the ideal and not the norm, but there's no arguing the fact that good mixing is necessary to a good set.
I'm not saying someone who plays terrible music, but mixes it together well will be successful in doing so, but it sounds like you're arguing that the mixing doesn't matter as long as the track selection is good in your opinion. If that's what you're trying to say, I couldn't disagree more. |
No I am saying that there are different ways to mix besides the snoozefest smooth pick two songs that sound exactly the same way to mix. And it works if you play bland music that sounds all the same, like dub techno or minimal techno or tech house or any of this modern deep house muzak with plug and play intros and outros, super repetitive samey sequencing the same instruments and chords and progressions, but that's not what Theo plays.
And no, playing a prerecorded set is not at all acceptable - the point is to play music for the present moment and connect with and move a crowd.
When I began deejaying I used to be totally obsessed with beatmixing. I was practicing all of the time - I would even test out my mixes before I recorded mixes, mix in perfect harmony, pick songs that fit like puzzle pieces, etc. I could do the perfectly smooth mixes, and I did this over and over. And I would spend all this energy picking tracks that would 'mix well' instead of picking the right tracks. And this became really ing tiresome, and I found I wasn't focusing anymore on what I fell in love with originally, which was just playing music for people plain and simple.
It's not that there is anything wrong with mixing smoothly - sometimes it's the best way to transiton. It's definitely not the only way, and it's secondary to good music. If you play ty music with good transitions, you're just going to be one of a million deejays who has spent a couple more hours to learn how to do a simple skill that allows you to mix two equally boring quantized overproduced house tracks into an easy bake house set. If you don't have a unique perspective, taste, angle, bias, you're never going to have anything to say except "i can beatmatch" or "i get beatport emails". |
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| DJ Patski |
| quote: | Originally posted by Stanza
Remember that article some TA member a while ago wrote on his blog about Richard Durand?
Something along the lines of 'Get the off the stage"?
That post still makes my day everytime I read it :) |
Best. Review. Ever.
http://chinstroking.blogspot.com/20...ard-durand.html |
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