Previously huge DJs

Seeing people I used go to raves to hear like 10 years ago that are still in the business when it's clearly all over is so depressing. I watched DJ rap play a sick DnB set circa 2000 in a tent in the woods in TX.

And now

Please share your favorite washed up personalities.

/thread

fucking lol

  On 7/2/2011 at 1:51 AM, kaini said:

/thread

  On 7/2/2011 at 12:33 AM, slightlydrybeans said:

Seeing people I used go to raves to hear like 10 years ago that are still in the business when it's clearly all over is so depressing. I watched DJ rap play a sick DnB set circa 2000 in a tent in the woods in TX.

 

And now

 

Please share your favorite washed up personalities.

 

I remember being all about her sets in the late 90s. Then a few years went passed where I didn't hear about her, then she reamerged doing some poppy techno.

the first DJ that ccomes to mind being washed up is DJ Keoki.

Symptomatic of a cultural shift, I feel.

Late 90's and early 00's was the era of the DJ in which they were elevated to "rockstar" status.

Of course people dedicated to the music are still doing it and listening to it and some big names remain big but in general... it just isn't that cool anymore.

I remember when it was DJ Rap & Aston...

  On 7/2/2011 at 7:29 PM, jim said:

Symptomatic of a cultural shift, I feel.

 

Late 90's and early 00's was the era of the DJ in which they were elevated to "rockstar" status.

 

Of course people dedicated to the music are still doing it and listening to it and some big names remain big but in general... it just isn't that cool anymore.

I just never understood why people would pay tons of money to see DJ whatthefuckever spin other people's music...

I want to wear a shirt every time I perform that says "I'm not a DJ."

  On 7/3/2011 at 12:37 AM, Braintree said:

I just never understood why people would pay tons of money to see DJ whatthefuckever spin other people's music...

 

I want to wear a shirt every time I perform that says "I'm not a DJ."

I dunno about paying a ton of money but there's been a few DJs I've seen that have been absolutely cracking... Scion doing their Arrange + Process Basic Channel Tracks live is one of my favourite gigs ever and that was a couple of guys monkeying about with Ableton. Mind you I suppose we're unlikely to see either of the tooling about like the folk mentioned earlier in the thread.

  On 7/3/2011 at 1:06 AM, jeyemusik said:

Scion doing their Arrange + Process Basic Channel Tracks live is one of my favourite gigs ever and that was a couple of guys monkeying about with Ableton.

yeah but they have the best techno in the world as source material. i love the mix cd.

  On 7/3/2011 at 12:37 AM, Braintree said:

  On 7/2/2011 at 7:29 PM, jim said:

Symptomatic of a cultural shift, I feel.

 

Late 90's and early 00's was the era of the DJ in which they were elevated to "rockstar" status.

 

Of course people dedicated to the music are still doing it and listening to it and some big names remain big but in general... it just isn't that cool anymore.

 

I just never understood why people would pay tons of money to see DJ whatthefuckever spin other people's music...

 

I want to wear a shirt every time I perform that says "I'm not a DJ."

Tune selection? Mixing skills? The ability to read a crowd and gear the music exactly to the situation? There's loads of reasons, I'd rather see a DJ working a mixer and two turntables hard than most pasty faced people clicking away on Ableton most of the time.

  On 7/3/2011 at 1:44 AM, Solo Strike said:

  On 7/3/2011 at 12:37 AM, Braintree said:

  On 7/2/2011 at 7:29 PM, jim said:

Symptomatic of a cultural shift, I feel.

 

Late 90's and early 00's was the era of the DJ in which they were elevated to "rockstar" status.

 

Of course people dedicated to the music are still doing it and listening to it and some big names remain big but in general... it just isn't that cool anymore.

 

I just never understood why people would pay tons of money to see DJ whatthefuckever spin other people's music...

 

I want to wear a shirt every time I perform that says "I'm not a DJ."

 

Tune selection? Mixing skills? The ability to read a crowd and gear the music exactly to the situation? There's loads of reasons, I'd rather see a DJ working a mixer and two turntables hard than most pasty faced people clicking away on Ableton most of the time.

Agreed, I would be very happy if I knew of a venue near by that had DJs who played stuff I liked and could mix the music in interesting ways etc... Just because on a technical level all a DJ does is select tracks and play them in some kind of order doesn't mean its easy to pull off an amazing set.

  On 7/3/2011 at 1:44 AM, Solo Strike said:

  On 7/3/2011 at 12:37 AM, Braintree said:

  On 7/2/2011 at 7:29 PM, jim said:

Symptomatic of a cultural shift, I feel.

 

Late 90's and early 00's was the era of the DJ in which they were elevated to "rockstar" status.

 

Of course people dedicated to the music are still doing it and listening to it and some big names remain big but in general... it just isn't that cool anymore.

 

I just never understood why people would pay tons of money to see DJ whatthefuckever spin other people's music...

 

I want to wear a shirt every time I perform that says "I'm not a DJ."

 

Tune selection? Mixing skills? The ability to read a crowd and gear the music exactly to the situation? There's loads of reasons, I'd rather see a DJ working a mixer and two turntables hard than most pasty faced people clicking away on Ableton most of the time.

Why is it important to "read a crowd"? Leave that to stand up comics, good musicians are supposed to have something to say, not to be told what they should be saying by the audience, the majority of whom are probably tone deaf anyway.

  On 7/3/2011 at 1:49 AM, jim said:

  On 7/3/2011 at 1:44 AM, Solo Strike said:

  On 7/3/2011 at 12:37 AM, Braintree said:

  On 7/2/2011 at 7:29 PM, jim said:

Symptomatic of a cultural shift, I feel.

 

Late 90's and early 00's was the era of the DJ in which they were elevated to "rockstar" status.

 

Of course people dedicated to the music are still doing it and listening to it and some big names remain big but in general... it just isn't that cool anymore.

 

I just never understood why people would pay tons of money to see DJ whatthefuckever spin other people's music...

 

I want to wear a shirt every time I perform that says "I'm not a DJ."

 

Tune selection? Mixing skills? The ability to read a crowd and gear the music exactly to the situation? There's loads of reasons, I'd rather see a DJ working a mixer and two turntables hard than most pasty faced people clicking away on Ableton most of the time.

 

Why is it important to "read a crowd"? Leave that to stand up comics, good musicians are supposed to have something to say, not to be told what they should be saying by the audience, the majority of whom are probably tone deaf anyway.

Well, the most obvious version of what I meant is that it would be inappropriate to play loads of Hellfish and Producer if you're playing the warm-up slot at a house night. You've got to tailor your set for the night a little as a DJ, or you're simply not going to get bookings

Sure, I understood your point. That makes the person an "entertainer" as opposed to an "artist" though... which is fine, but my earlier observation was that this particular type of DJ (the entertainer) was elevated to "artist" status in times gone by... something which no longer seems to be the case.

  On 7/3/2011 at 1:59 AM, jim said:

Sure, I understood your point. That makes the person an "entertainer" as opposed to an "artist" though... which is fine, but my earlier observation was that this particular type of DJ (the entertainer) was elevated to "artist" status in times gone by... something which no longer seems to be the case.

This is a huge generalization and I'm not even sure how you could know if a DJ is there to say something or just entertain.

  On 7/3/2011 at 1:59 AM, jim said:

Sure, I understood your point. That makes the person an "entertainer" as opposed to an "artist" though... which is fine, but my earlier observation was that this particular type of DJ (the entertainer) was elevated to "artist" status in times gone by... something which no longer seems to be the case.

I see where you're coming from, as the person who originally made the tune should always take the credit for making it... however, there should be an element of artistry to DJing if it's done properly - it's not the same as sitting and creating a tune from scratch, but recontextualizing pieces of music in a set and mixing creatively SHOULD create a level of energy that can be just as vital. Besides from that, it should be a very personal thing for the DJ, it's presenting your own musical tastes to a crowd - the culmative result of many, many hours rifling around in record shops, listening and appreciating - for good DJs it should be a little like doing 'the knowledge' as a taxi driver, it's a lifelong passion.

Obviously however, there are many, many DJs who are terrible, who are probably in the game for the wrong reasons

if he's "reading the crowd" he's doing it for their entertainment, no?

Of course - but the challenge is to represent what YOU want to play and your tastes and take it to where you want to go without clearing the dancefloor. There's no point in being willfully obtuse and difficult. Unless the occasion calls for it of course

  On 7/3/2011 at 2:07 AM, jim said:

if he's "reading the crowd" he's doing it for their entertainment, no?

I guess its just hard for me to relate to this concept when its discussed so cut and dry. You can still read a crowd and play music you really love. Its all about just matching the music with the atmosphere. My other point is I'm not sure how you could even determine if a DJ is playing stuff they love or not... you'd have to ask them after or maybe you could tell by how into it they are while mixing or something? I guess I would just hope a DJ would always want/hope to present his/her taste to a crowd, rather then just play a bunch of pop tracks cause its "safe."

I just don't think that a DJ should ever be on equal footing as the artist that made the music. Period.

There is definitely a skillset to being a good DJ, but I think the whole movement in the early 00's devalued live original electronic music. I get asked "who were you spinning?" a lot. ME GODDAMNIT. JUST ME.

I think the danger these days more is kids downloading the top 10 from Beatport or whatever and burning it onto CD-R... too much playing it easy these days. I'm glad in recent times DJs like Jackmaster and Ben UFO have become more popular, people who can pull all sorts of stuff out the bag from old Detroit to ghettohouse to old acid stuff... whatever really, not JUST the music that's not the big thing right now

  On 7/3/2011 at 2:07 AM, Solo Strike said:

 

I see where you're coming from, as the person who originally made the tune should always take the credit for making it... however, there should be an element of artistry to DJing if it's done properly - it's not the same as sitting and creating a tune from scratch, but recontextualizing pieces of music in a set and mixing creatively SHOULD create a level of energy that can be just as vital. Besides from that, it should be a very personal thing for the DJ, it's presenting your own musical tastes to a crowd - the culmative result of many, many hours rifling around in record shops, listening and appreciating - for good DJs it should be a little like doing 'the knowledge' as a taxi driver, it's a lifelong passion.

 

Obviously however, there are many, many DJs who are terrible, who are probably in the game for the wrong reasons

Well I absolutely agree with all of that. I must admit I actually haven't gone to see anyone DJ since Aphex about 2 years ago, (just getting old maybe) but that was exactly the kind of set you just described. I'm mainly talking about old big names (my knowledge certainly can't be described as "current") like John Digweed or whatever. The fact is that they were releasing what were essentially just compilation albums with their photo on the cover attempting (successfully) to pass them off as original artistic statements. I don't get much enjoyment from listening to it nowadays but something like Decks EFX and 909 was a slightly different kettle of fish...

  On 7/3/2011 at 2:12 AM, karmakramer said:

  On 7/3/2011 at 2:07 AM, jim said:

if he's "reading the crowd" he's doing it for their entertainment, no?

 

I guess its just hard for me to relate to this concept when its discussed so cut and dry. You can still read a crowd and play music you really love. Its all about just matching the music with the atmosphere. My other point is I'm not sure how you could even determine if a DJ is playing stuff they love or not... you'd have to ask them after or maybe you could tell by how into it they are while mixing or something? I guess I would just hope a DJ would always want/hope to present his/her taste to a crowd, rather then just play a bunch of pop tracks cause its "safe."

Yeah I suppose spontaneity and creativity aren't mutually exclusive. It's just that I remember that particular phrase "read the crowd" being used by lots of late 90's DJ's (some as ludicrous as Judge Jules) to aggrandize themselves when they were really just providing background music for alcopop sales.

the comparison is not important. DJing is basically an extension of your listening habits. Music you create is an extension of your feelings/emotions/ideas. Both are interesting and of DJs I respect I would like to hear the music they make and vice versa. Its exploring minds you respect while having fun. :sup: