Re: what's a good D.J.?

Dylan (dylan@exmachina.com)
Tue, 18 Jun 1996 11:12:20 -0400


At 08:41 AM 6/18/96 +0100, Javi wrote:
>Hi you all!!
>I'd like to start a discussion about the acidjazz/tr*p-h*p/jungle/... D.J.s
> When i saw James "Mo' wax" Lavelle (who is suppossed to be one of the
>best D.J.s) i realized he didn't mix anything, he just played one track
>after another one. No technical exhibitions, no mixing masterlessons,...
>just a fine selection of tunes that take everybody to the dancefloor. The
>set contained lots of different stuff from the Beasties to Goldie through
>The Clash(?) or the Wu Tan Clan crew.
> Recently i read in a Spanish mag an interview to some Spanish D.J.s. One
>of them said (and i agree) the most important thing is not the mixing
>thing but to play the right stuff at the right time. Another d.j. replied
>that is quite easy for people, like James Lavelle, who receive lots of
>free white labels, promos,.. everyday, and he considered the mixing thing
>as a very important part of the d.j. work.
> I know there are many d.j.s in the list, so i'd like to know their
>opinion. What do you do on the turntables? Do you try to mix and to be
>creative or just to pay attention to the tunes selection?
>
> -------------------------Javi-------------------------------------------

Well, I would have to agree that, ultimately, the most important thing for a
DJ to do is "to play the right stuff at the right time." This helps the
mood of the environment continue on it's natural progression, and is what
distinguishes a coherent set from a bunch of cool songs. HOWEVER (*big*
however), mixing skills are very important, especially when it comes to
dancefloor oriented music or groove oriented music like AJ or [insert the T
word here]. By matching tempos and blending one song into another, the DJ
continues the flow of the music in a more literal (and physically
accessible) way than just by selecting the right songs (which remains
essential). When songs are mixed, they become movements of a larger piece
of music, and it's up to the DJ to know how to compose that music on the
fly. That's where the creativity comes in: say you're playing track X, and
tempo-wise you could possibly mix in any number of tracks. But only a few
tracks can successfully carry and progress the mood of the environment. It
is up to the DJ to choose which way to steer the mood (by which track s/he
chooses to play), and how to successfully get there (by deciding on what
mixing style to use). (By mixing style I mean a slow blend vs. cutting back
and forth and gee should I sprinkle a few scratches in there, or even
deciding not to mix at all.) So it is possible to have a good set without
mixing at all, and while mixing is a *tremendous* enhancement, it's not as
essential to the success of the DJ's performance as being able to
effectively select the tunes to be played. The DJ in the interview that
claimed that it's easy for James Lavelle (and the like) to choose good songs
because they get sent a lot of promos is way off base. Just 'cause you have
fat tunes doesn't mean you have the ability to choose the right song for the
moment. The "fat tune" factor has even tripped me up a couple times. I'm
playing some song and thinking "Wow, [track X] would go great with this
because..., and it's so fat!" but when I mix it, no one follows me in that
direction and I've killed the mood. Spin and learn, I guess.

My $.02.

Dylan.
dylan@exmachina.com

My $.02.