Photo by LastNightsParty
Yall. Feel stupid to ask ‘dumb questions.’ Weird how sometimes u just never ask certain questions because you are afraid ur gonna sound stupid for not knowing, but if u asked, u’d realize that 85% of the world was wondering the same thing as u. Our modern educational system has failed because we believe that any one who asks a question is ‘an idiot’ [via Nappy Dynamite voice].
but srsly…. does n e 1 know what DJs are doing when they are ‘twisting knobs’ and ‘acting all emotional’? Like the lifeforce of a song is flowing through the knobs into their body where their soul meets their body. Wish I knew more DJ techniques. Wish my parents got me DJ lessons as a kid instead of ‘piano’/'guitar’/'miscellaneous orchestral instrument’ lessons. Sad that I was never talented enough to be in a band, so I wish I could at least play music that makes ppl happy.
Photo by sharkvsbear
While I am asking, can n e 1 else plz explain what DJs are doing when they ‘hold 1 headphone up 2 their ear while bobbing their head and looking intently at their computer screen’? Sometimes I wonder if DJs are ‘really doing anything’ or if they are sort of just ‘pretending to be really involved’ to make sure that people don’t remember that they are ‘just playing music from iTunes.’
Still not sure if DJing is an ‘art.’ Can some1 plz tell me why we need 2 respect DJs/which DJs are ‘worth respecting’? Might need to listen to more guido techno electro core house.
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ANOTHER SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO SHOW 4-6-2009
The HIPSTER RUNOFF radio show airs Mondays at noon and again at midnight EST on Sirius XMU. Iff you’re an XM subscriber, you can listen to Blog Radio on channel 43, and Sirius subscribers can still find us on channel 26. If u really want 2 hear Carles Show, u can get a 3 day trial membership.
U can always listen 2 my podcasts if ur poor.
Playlist after the jump
Au Revoir SImone – Anywhere You Looked
Phoenix – Too Young
Coconut Records – West Coast
Neon Indian – 6669 (I don’t know if you know) [MP3]
Kaiser Chiefs – Never Miss a beat (Cut Copy Remix) [link
Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy
Hot Chip - Just Like We Breakdown (DFA Remix)
Digitalism - Apollo Gize (Breakbot remix)
Ladyhawke - Back of the Van
Grizzly Bear - Cheerleader [link]
Here We Go Magic – I Just Want To See You Underwater
Panda Bear – Bros
Foals – Big Big Love (Fig. 2)
Port O’Briend -I Woke Up Today
Deerhunter – Nothing Ever Happened
Felix Da Housecat – Ready 2 Wear
NYPC – The Bomb (Teenagers Remix)
Miami Horror – Make You Mine
Poney Poney – When Do You Wanna Stop Working (Pacific Remix) [MP3]
The Teenagers – Homecoming
Empire of the Sun – Half Mast
Holy Fuck – Balloons (Foals Cover)
AnCo – Brothersport
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IAmCarles.com
43 Comments
they are cueing tracks with their headphones and exaggerating midi control
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//////////Reply by pete
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
@dankface,
Carles didn’t u DJ once?
remember how u had like 5 back up programs…what laptop did u use?
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Depends really.
DJ’ing can be an actual performance art but more often not – especially with all the “sweet I just bought ableton and a cool macbook” gimmicks out there.
Part of mixing / blending tracks together requires using equalizers and filters. If you are good, you do actually have control over the “emotion” of the mix… and if you are a passionate DJ I guess you want to convey the epicness of the track blending…
srsly.
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//////////Reply by waggrz
//////////Posted April 6th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
if u aren’t showing every1 your elbo.ws everytime you ‘do things’ on the mixer, you probably aren’t rly ‘commited’ to being a dj. that’s why they make the ‘dj knobs’ really tight now, so that more of your effort/soul is required to make ppl ‘believe’ in your djing.
(but usually there’s an emergency switch built in the mixer for when u are forced to play a ‘mainstream gig’. it makes it so u can switch songs by just moving the crossfader from left to right while ‘being bored’. plz don’t tell!)
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//////////Reply by larhule
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
@waggrz, i got a techno emergency!1!
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DJs don’t have emotions. They’ve all been replaced by robots since Kraftwerk. Via Soviet old media.
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man yall are hella stoops!
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THEY JUST WANT YOU TO FORGET THEYRE JUST PLAYING SOMEONE ELSES SONG.
THEY CAN DO THE SAME SHIT WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE THEYRE HAVING A FIT
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//////////Reply by $$$
//////////Posted April 20th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
@LOL, wow you’re dumb. It’s the same reason why Michael Jordan had his tongue out on all his sick dunks. He knew as the DJ knows when something special comes along and you feel it throughout your body/being. If you haven’t felt this then i’m sorry for you.
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Generally just bobbing my head cause I’m too ’shit-faced’ to keep my vision in focus
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its about image, djs cant dj without it, whats your gimmick?
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//////////Reply by dkp
//////////Posted April 6th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
@matt, im half lamb/half human.
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//////////Reply by imjustayall
//////////Posted April 6th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
@dkp,
plzzzz that s0 2k3
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//////////Reply by corydan
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 2:24 am
@dkp,
i’m only human
of flesh n blood im made [via human league]
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//////////Reply by Tyler Durden
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 3:02 am
@corydan, Half SharkAlligator Half Man/ Half manbearpig
It’s a complicated outfit
a different track is playing in the headphones and they take one headphone off so they can listen to the track that is playing on the speakers and match the beat to cue in the next song or mix. The ‘knobs’ are used for anything from distortions to fading to effects.
it’s rlly kewl
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Q-Bert, Mix Master Mike, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Kid Koala, anyone else you should have heard about at least a decade ago.
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//////////Reply by resureksiyon
//////////Posted April 9th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
@lukehackney@gmail.co, dont you forgot about dj krush?
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DYALL REMEMBER THAT TIME THE JUICE TEES ACCIDENTALLY OUTED THEMSELVES AS FRAUDS VIA GOING “UNPLUGGED”??
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That’s so weird. I was just thinking about how I wish I could DJ.
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When DJz are turning nobs they are makin sur that the music is bngng az hard az it can. I think they have a special nob that controls how hard a song Bngs. I wish I culd dj and make that sht bng.
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//////////Reply by Tomatito
//////////Posted April 8th, 2009 at 4:48 am
Yeh its like 4 knobs, one each for SUCK, GHEY, BNG, and LECTRO. I heard Jousetease have a mixer with a secret extra knob called UFF.
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//////////Reply by anon
//////////Posted August 31st, 2009 at 10:33 am
@Tomatito, lol.
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When ur a dj and love what u do, u get involved and u connect with the music, crowd, KNOBS, everything around u, making ppl dance is an art, many dj’s have different ways expressing themselves whether its exagerrating the mixing or staring intently at the macbook, its how and what we feel at that moment.
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//////////Reply by DJD2
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 12:39 am
@Boy Wonder,
BOYWONDER got it down !!!
why do guitars get crazy when there playing a killer solo? why do pianist get all ” emotional” when there finishing a song ? SIMPLE answer ! Its the music that drives us !!! the music does like flow threw us “Like the lifeforce of a song is flowing through the knobs into their body where their soul meets their body.” it is EXACTLY like that !!!! we feel the music !! we connect, the love of music connects EVERYONE, i dont care who you are, or were your from ! a DJ just finds a way to make that Music come alive !! Trust me DJ’ing is not picnic ! there is not room for mistake if you wana be good ! that beat, the sound, the bass has to remain constant !! oh to answer those Q !!
~ the one headphone thing is the cue up songs. you need to hear whats playing and whats going to be played. now a days you can simply press a button and auto sync, but its always good to hear what your playing, especially if your “twisting knobbs” you need to know if its soundin good.
~ the knobbs people make EFEX !!! different sounds, they cut, they wave, the distort, ect. its like have sex with the music !! playing is one thing, mixing it up and adding stuff is KARMA-SUTRA STUFF!!!!!
~ the looking of the computer screen …. come on people, that simple. were choosing the next song to be mixed in !! the laptop is our lil box of endless vinyls !!!
please, love, respect for DJs people
we make the world go……….. dancing !!!
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//////////Reply by brobro
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 1:01 am
@DJD2, more irony plz
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//////////Reply by anon
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 5:13 am
@brobro, i liked it
djing is a fun way of making other people listen to your favorite tracks.
also to get pussy
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//////////Reply by louis
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 1:12 am
@octopus magic, i wanna b the guy in the booth that the dj yells important stuff 2 so i can
‘get some pussy’ too
2k9, time 2 get meaningful/tugs/fucked up/
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hjay do the bros from bear collective platya guitar where can i get tabzz?
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Happy I can finally add some real life experience to answer a question for ya carles… When we are twisting knobs there’s one of two reasons, 1 if there’s too much treble or bass in a song (because all songs are not equalized the same) we are correcting that. 2 if someone is bothering us in the booth we twist knobs that aren’t controlling anything now so you’ll think we’re very busy and will leave us alone and stop asking for that song that you’re not sure what the name is but it goes like this ,, bah , bah , dum dum, dah dah.
And the headphone/1 ear thing is that we’re listening to the live mix, plus cueing the next song up and syncing the beats, beatmatching, and leveling the songs so when we switch to the next one, it sounds seamless. Also live mashups are “figured out” in the headphones before the audience hears it…
Hope i was helpful. Not funny at all
[insert google image of monkey sniffing butt here]
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//////////Reply by blip
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 5:35 am
@Tyler Durden, boy you really are a weener brain.
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//////////Reply by Tyler Durden
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 5:42 am
@blip, I researched your comment, and found that it is incorrect
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//////////Reply by spamdex
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
@Tyler Durden, so what knob can I turn for you to stop posting unnecesarry comments that no one gives a shit about?
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//////////Reply by Tyler Durden
//////////Posted April 8th, 2009 at 4:12 am
@spamdex, perhaps that little one in your shorts kid
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//////////Reply by spamdex
//////////Posted April 8th, 2009 at 6:17 am
@Tyler Durden, it’s not working adult :(
//////////Reply by Zzz
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
@Tyler Durden, of course everyone knows why Dj’s play with controls on the mixer or use headphones, the point is most DJ’s at these indie club events are just playing MP3 remixes off their iPod or burned CDs, but spend all their time looking like they’re deeply involved in creating music. If you look right and play the right kind of music, DJ’s like this get far more attention recently than people who practice their ass off trying to master instruments. Of course, 2 years from now things may be reversed like they were until 2003 or so, and then reversed again (capitalism loves the cool ppl, always changing their identities and buying into new shit).
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lulz@ “is ‘an idiot’ [via Nappy Dynamite voice]”
p.s. i have a crush on steve aoki (shhhhhh)
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Djs are just here to mindfuck u
also every1 can be dj with ableton tools
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//////////Reply by Break em
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 7:29 am
@Deng Xia Ping, shhhhh…
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//////////Reply by Guido
//////////Posted April 8th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
@Break em,
u should have at least two turntables next to ur lappy
gotta stay authentic
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DJ’s in the US of A = AltRock band members in Europe = ‘twats’ [via Shoreditch Lingo]
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//////////Reply by 090909090
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
@waterman, c u @ the old blue last brah
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djing is the only true ‘art’ left in the world anymore, carles. how do u not kno this.
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check this one out, twisting knobs for real…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFs8Q0iuNAc
http://www.phantombynight.com
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remember that HRO fangurl at a girl talk concert wearing a hand made HRO shirt and she had a butt where her vag should be?
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//////////Reply by AyatollahAliHosseini
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 11:38 am
@joelp, h8 that GirlTalk+Lupe r no mnstrm enuf 4 lamerz 2 lyke them nao…
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//////////Reply by larhule
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
@AyatollahAliHosseini, GRLTALK = BORING POP MEDLIES = I HURD THAT SHIT ALREADY = (STEWPID + CHEESE) = ((FARTS x HUFFING) / (SIGFRIED + ROY))
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//////////Reply by Guido
//////////Posted April 8th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
@larhule,
gt= gawd i luv this song!, aw its over, gawd i luv this song, aw its over, gawd i luv this song!…
like getting tugged by a narkylepty
<3 all yall earnest dj’s coming in to supply the ‘hard dj info’ 4 poor ol’ carles. thanx s00000 much.
still, yall didn’t really do much 2 help carles u/stand why dj’s are ‘worth respecting’. kinda the opposite.
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Good article, thanks alot for the info.
I always wondered what they do in those cases.
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that’s so crzy… always thought they were doing something important+scientific, but it turns out their just ‘adjusting the bass.’
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I think the point that everyone is missing is that whether you are a ‘real’ DJ and use vinyl or you just hook up your iPod, there is actual talent involved in keeping people interested and DANCING. Please don’t kid yourselves to think because you play what gets your motor running it’s going to keep a crowd of 500 ppl dancing their faces off…
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//////////Reply by DragonForce
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
@PantsParty curating = talent? Uh maybe, but that’s a pretty loose definition. I don’t think there’s anything that suggests any sort of special natural ability or mastery of complex skills (i.e. talent) is required to create a playlist or beat match some records. If you want to keep the party going, it helps to have decent taste and the ability to read a crowd, but actual talent? Nah, probably not.
Don’t get me wrong, I get that DJ’s like Shadow and Cut Chemist have real talent. But 90% of the “DJs” out there aren’t doing that. They’re getting up there, queuing up some shit in iTunes, and fucking with a mixer just to make it seem like they’re doing something, anything. Ya the crowd may be moving. But don’t kid yourself, that’s not talent in action in any meaningful sense of the word.
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LOOK AT ALL THESE COMMENTS I WISH I HAD THIS MANY COMMENTS
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This might be stupid question…but what are musicians doing when they are adjusting there MONITORS. Before the show, members of the band usually yell to the sound guy to adjust their monitor. What is a monitor?
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//////////Reply by larhule
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
@monster, they’re asking the sound guy to adjust the color balance in their teleprompters, otherwise known as ‘monitors’.
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//////////Reply by monster
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
@larhule, But what does color balance have to do with sound? What images are displayed on the monitor? How do the monitors improve the live music experience? Just want to understand yall.
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//////////Reply by larhule
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
@monster, The images displayed on the monitors are determined by the artist. They usually pick stuff that gives them inspiration, like jewelry and cool boots and ice cream.
//////////Reply by AstroCandy
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
@monster, haha awesome
chk out deadact.com for lots of extremely energetic knob tweakers/suckers. gay it up, gays.
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i wuz djin b4 all the h8 cuz all the cool kids wanted to do it…they moar popular so i dun get gigs no more….now im a h8r
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//////////Reply by larhule
//////////Posted April 7th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
@dmangstar564, i h8′d dj’s b4 u were cool…and after.
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Which DJ’s to respect?
The one’s that make you happy!
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//////////Reply by Guido
//////////Posted April 8th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
@jordan,
PLUR!
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like all DJs Im just trying as hard as possible to look cool. I actually have no idea what those knobs do or why they are there…
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If I see another lame Dj Set using Ableton and a UC33 I’m going to kill myself. When did this become cool?
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the knobs control the vibrators that they stick in their poopers b4 performin, and they’re listenin to good music in their phones while they play bad music 4 bangers
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They’re thinking “Hahahahaha, these idiots think I’m an artist, and I’m taking them all the way to the bank!!”
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They are triggering filters (c.f. every “French touch”song). Duh. When you hear the filter effect kick in, it creates an emotional surge (a la playing a guitar solo) which in turn results in “filter face” (c.f. the photo you cited).
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EGOCASTING
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They’re messing with the equalizer to level tracks, highlight elements of a track or throwing on effects.
Unfortunately US hipsters sadly know next to nothing about dance music and sick DJing… 99.9% of ‘blog house’ DJs play on Ableton and Serato which are programs which make the experience 10x easier.
The best DJs still rock out proper on Technics 1200s + vinyl and the occasional CD for unreleased shit.
Within the dance world relevant / proper DJs are dudes like Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills, Theo Parrish etc.
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//////////Reply by Scott
//////////Posted April 8th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
@b, yeah being efficient is s000 inauthentic. twatpipe
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btw, this post is one of the gr8’s, not due to the post itself but for the comments. luv u guyz, h8 my blog
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//////////Reply by Guido
//////////Posted April 8th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
@Scott,
ME2
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Really? I find your article skewed more than “The O’Reilly factor.”
Too bad you missed the WMC in Miami. You could have learned what real electronic music is. No, instead, you listen to the junk that no one gives a shit about and, in turn, give it “meaning, substance, and artistry.”
Please, stick with shitty indie rock groups and, for
Pete’s sake, do not try to delve into electronic music. You are obviously clueless.
Keep up the good work, with the exception of understanding the party scene.
-KEV
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ur got a hih mid and low frequency knobs on all mixers, tuou can for ex take out the mids on one track and the bass out of another one while you’re blinding em, or you can take all the lows out of a song, making the track sound like there’s a party going on in the room next door, then, turn the knob back, BOOM! the party is back in this room. a dance track takes on average 3-6 minutes to play out, during those 3-6 minutes the only thing u can do is look for a next record (takes secs) and then the frequency knobs are all you can play with, you can also throw your hands up, or dace alot more enthousiasically then you would normally do on the dancefloor. Hey, How many dj’s only dance when they’re BEHIND the turntable!
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God forbid a DJ enjoy his own music and bop around a bit and put some feeling into what he is doing.
A good DJ is going to be whipping out a layered track at least every 2 minutes, between beatmatching and making it sound good, playing with filters and effects etc that doesn’t leave you much time. A lot of DJs also use pads and such for live DJing. Sure things like ableton can make spinning 2 tracks at the same time a breeze but then again, you’ve got people like Richie Hawtin playing 4 tracks at the same time and such and that would just be impossible without automated beatmatching and that, not to say that djing of minimal techno is anything really impressive compared to say DJing Drum and Bass or Electro or something.
Half the art of DJing goes into the preparation, knowing all your tracks through and through so that you know which ones you can mix. If you are able to go up to a DJ, make a request and have him actually deliver then you know he’s shit. I live in the UK and the demand for air-tight Djing is MASSIVE.
DJs have no talent? 95% of all the DJs worth giving a damn about also PRODUCE their own music, which is ten times harder than learning a single instrument. Production is a true art, DJing is the way in which you are able to perform it. I would like to see some of you even attempt proper DJing, its hard as hell and there are no limits to the crazy things you can churn out.
Keep listening to your crappy DJs. One day when you fall in love with proper dance music you’ll see what an art it truly is.
DJing is easy? Get your friends together and try recreate this, I might mention that half the tracks were created by those same talentless DJs just trying to get pussy as you so eloquently put it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhrx-KREskg
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The knobs are HOT, they are burning the dj’s fingerS!
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