rs> i disagree with this statement entirely - i think it is essential for
rs> hip hop, house and disco DJs and probably the new genre of soul jazz
rs> funk which has been tagged acid jazz - but you never saw Gilles
rs> Peterson beatmixing Selim, and even Norman Jay doesn't beat mix when he
rs> plays rare soul or funk sets. For jazz and funk DJs the ability to beat
rs> mix is totally unnecessary if you are playing records cut before beat
rs> mixing was invented, they weren't designed for mixing, the beats aren't
rs> clicked - and often the drum patterns clash teribly even if mixed in
rs> time
the slider just south of the tone-arm (also known as a pitch control) is not
only for use when cueing up; i often ride the +/- slider when blending or
mixing, especially pre-disco tunes. another thing that helps is judicious
use of a crossfader (e.g. cutting in during a drum roll/fill). the idea of
mixing is to keep the beat going, and i do that all the time during funk
sets. i especially like mixing "straight" jazz tunes because most other djs
DON'T!
rs> how many times have you heard a DJ ruin a classic funk track
rs> because of the serious pitch change necessary to get it in time with
rs> the previous track? In fact i would suggest that beat mixing these
rs> genres is a handicap because so few old funk jazz or funk records go
rs> together there is always the temptation to go for the smooth mix that
rs> you always play and not drop a new tune. i also think massive tempo
rs> changes go down well with these sorts of sets
i don't. i think that it's more acceptable in those genres, and is necessary
more often than other genres, but you'd be surprised how much you can mix.
rs> again something that is easy to ignore if you are heavily into beat
rs> mixing.
i'll admit that technique presents the temptation of abuse, but ignorance is
not increased because of it. judgement is the most important part of dj'ing.
decide what you want to do to (and with) the crowd when you're on deck, and
acquire/master the techniques to do that. as with any instrument the goal is
to find your sound/vibe and continually refine it.
verbosely,
t-bird
"discretion is the better part of valor"-someone whose name i never knew
... the hardest thing in the world is to play like yourself-miles davis