jjwilser

Hey everyone-- An in-depth interview with Boris on the homepage. Check it out: http://www.clubplanet.com/news/archive/the_dj_boris_interview.asp

Hey everyone-- An in-depth interview with Boris on the homepage. Check it out: http://www.clubplanet.com/news/archive/the_dj_boris_interview.asp

D.C. Smoking Ban Approved The D.C. Council gave final approval yesterday to a broad ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and other public places, voting 11 to 1 to add the nation's capital to a growing list of smoke-free cities and states. Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/04/AR2006010401310.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Region's Bar Owners Breathing Uneasily New martini lounges, dance clubs, British-style pubs and neighborhood saloons all arrived in the Washington area this year, but the real news on the nightlife scene in 2005 concerned smoking bans. Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/29/AR2005122900375.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Football Bars for Die-Hards With the football season finally heating up, most NFL fans know exactly where their little slice of Sunday (or Monday) heaven is. For some fortunate souls, it's squarely on the 50-yard line at FedEx Field. Most of us, though, find refuge among fellow fans elsewhere. We only ask for a good view of... Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/13/AR2005101301765.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Nightclubs AFTERWORDS Jon Kaplan, Friday; Mike Mulvaney, Saturday; Hurricane Howie, Wednesday; Brian Gross, Thursday. 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-387-1462. Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/05/AR2006010500615.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Nightlife Agenda Thursday, Jan. 5In a week when a couple of bars are preparing to celebrate Elvis's birthday, it's nice to start off with an evening that'll favor rowdy beer-drinkin' songs over swiveling hips and Hollywood gloss. Merle Haggard's life story makes for a fascinating read: A runaway who found himself... Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/04/AR2006010401410.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Where to Watch the College Bowls College bowl season is here, and while sure, you could watch football on your couch, it's a lot more fun to be surrounded by other fans and alumni in school colors singing fight songs. Here's where the action -- and the largest booster groups -- will be for the big games. Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/27/AR2005122700724.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Will Pacha be worth the wait? Heh. I got a look first-hand, and I think you'll be very, very pleased. Check out the cover story on the CP homepage.

D.C. Panel Approves Smoking Ban Legislation that would ban smoking in all District bars and restaurants by January 2007 was approved yesterday by the D.C. Council's Health Committee. Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/26/AR2005102602317.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Power Hours Aware that some happy hours are happier than others, we offer this guide designed to help you find the right match for your situation. <br clear="all"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/artsandliving/barsandclubs;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=4531115024905" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/artsandliving/barsandclubs;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=4531115024905" border="0" vspace="5"></a> Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/11/AR2005081100620.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Hip-Hop vs. House: Part 2 <p>Hip-Hop and House. Yankees and Red Sox. Aniston and Jolie.</p> <p>There's some bad blood.</p> <p>If you missed it, check out <a target=_blank href="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/archive/hiphop_vs_house_part_1.asp">Part 1</a> of the great debate. As for the writers? After all the hate-mail they received, they hardly need this introduction:</p> <p>In this corner: <strong>Emily Tan</strong>, a journalist for <em>DJ Times</em>, argues the merits of House. </p> <p>In this corner: <strong>Lauren Saft</strong>, a lifelong Hip-Hop enthusiast, carries the torch for Hip-Hop.</p> <p><em>(As Emily and other readers point out, "House" is just sloppy shorthand--and an over-generalization--for all aspects of Dance, Trance, Electronic, Techno, etc. If we ever do a Part 3, we'll be sure to call it, "Hip-Hop vs. Dance, Trance, Electronic, Techno, etc.")</em></p> <p>____________________________________________</p> <p><strong>ROUND 2</strong></p> <p><strong>Question 6: Which is more conducive for mixing? </strong></p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>For a skilled DJ, the source material is irrelevant. Both dance music and hip hop can be mixed well, depending on the DJ. Take a look at Birdy Nam Nam, the 2002 DMC World Champions and performers at this year's International DJ Expo in Atlantic City, NJ.</p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>I agree. Mixing is a skill, and necessary, no matter what the material is. A good DJ can mix anything, it shouldn’t matter.</p> <p><br /> <strong>Question 7: Which <em>moves</em> the crowd more?</strong></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>House music most certainly moves a crowd and allows people to really feel connected with the music, but House music can be alienating to some fans. If one is familiar with House, one can be moved, but a lot of people are intimidated by music they don't know the words to. </p> <p>Hip-Hop, because it has become such a familiar genre, makes people comfortable enough to dance. The pounding bass lines typically make dancing to the beat relatively simple, and thus people are more inclined to do it. I would wager to say that "real" House fans are more moved by their music more than your average hip-hop fan and dance more whole heartedly, but dancing to rap music is undoubtedly easier and thus more popular.</p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>A visit to the Ibiza clubs of Pacha, Space, Café Mambo, DC-10, Privilege or Amnesia reveals tens-of-thousands of music fans of all nationalities dancing day and night, indoors and outdoors with their hands raised-in-the-air and with abandon to dance music played by the world's most skilled house, techno, trance and breaks DJs. All the while, the DJs are connecting and communicating with their crowds without having to speak one word of each other's language. </p> <p><img alt="morillo.jpg" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/morillo.jpg" width="250" height="250" align=right hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p>If you want to know whether house or hip-hop moves a crowd more, ask yourself why the small side-room of New York City superclub Crobar features hip-hop, while the massive main room is reserved for big New York and global house, techno and trance DJs. </p> <p>How many "hip-hop superclubs" can you name in New York? I don't mean small bars or lounges that play hip-hop, I mean actual superclubs housing 2,000 people or more at one time with sound and lighting systems to match. How many superclubs can you name that play exclusively hip-hop? I can't think of any.</p> <p><strong>Question 8: Which makes better use of "old school" technology? </strong></p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance): </strong></p> <p>If you consider playing vinyl with Technics SL-1200 series turntables to be "old school," many dance music DJs (Danny Howells) still play predominantly vinyl. Old-school is fine, but forward-thinking dance music DJs have actually affected the evolution and development of DJ-related technology and gear: Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva (Final Scratch), Richie Hawtin (Allen & Heath's CTRL mixers), Sasha (M-Audio's Maven controller for Ableton Live).<br /> <br /> <strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>Both electronic DJs and hip-hop DJs pretty much the last people on earth who still appreciate and make great use of vinyl. But both are starting to come into the new millennium and are beginning to use laptop computers to mix their sets. I think electronic DJs (by the pure nature of the genre), are jumping on the technological bandwagon a little faster than the hip-hop guys, but eventually, it’s sad to say, vinyl will probably be a museum worthy historical relic. </p> <p>There’s something so pure and fresh about a real record that I feel is the trademark and essence of a DJ, hip-hop or electronic, but times are a changing, and technology brings a whole new realm of possibilities to a DJs repertoire. </p> <p><strong>Question 9: Which has had a greater influence on nightlife in the past decade?</strong></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>The influence of hip-hop over the past decade, especially the past few years, is undeniable. Hip-hop has gone from an underground niche to not only mainstream pop music, but pop culture. </p> <p><img alt="Ludacris.jpg" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/Ludacris.jpg" width="250" height="250" align=left hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p>Tonight, you could walk into any dance club in Kansas and probably find the DJ spinning Nelly and Ludacris and kids wearing baggy pants, chains, do-rags, and throwback jerseys. The specifically "hip-hop" clubs in more metropolitan cities are where fans have to go to find newer and more underground DJs and Emcees, but popular nightlife, popular music, popular culture, and youth culture (in America anyway) have all become synonymous with hip-hop culture over the course of the last decade.</p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>See my earlier response. More popular does not equate better. No, you cannot walk into any DANCE CLUB in Kansas and find fashion-victims wearing do-rags, baggy pants and chains! What you can find is Paul Oakenfold playing to a packed crowd of enthusiastic kids who are interested in the skill of the DJ.</p> <p>I'd argue that dance music has had the greater influence on nightlife in the past decade, if you're considering the entire world. Beyond the UK, the U.S. and Ibiza, the latest frontiers for dance music are Eastern Europe (especially Serbia and Croatia in the former Yugoslavia) and South America (especially Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela), places where those countries' dire political and economic conditions formerly made for inhospitable clubbing conditions. </p> <p>A late-comer when compared to Tokyo, Beijing has embraced dance music and the global DJs who are its ambassadors, as the grip of Communism gradually loosens. Operators of Israel's club TLV in Tel Aviv -- after having learned to live with the constant threat of terrorist attacks -- have adjusted and subsequently implement a series of check-points and other safety measures for weekly patrons who will not stop coming to hear great dance music.</p> <p><strong>Question 10. Which DJs get more gigs?</strong></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>House music relies almost purely on the DJ, whereas hip-hop requires an Emcee, and more of a production crew. In its origin, hip-hop was born around the DJ, but as unfortunate as this may be, over the past few years, the form has come to revolve more around the Emcee. </p> <p>Because of the popularity of hip-hop, I'm sure (though I have no actual research) that numbers would prove that there are more gigs for hip-hop DJs, but there are also more of them. Less is required of them than House DJs, so to be a House DJ is a more specialized and specific skill. The few individuals who are good at it probably get more work than the many individuals who are decent at spinning hip-hop. It's an issue of supply and demand. </p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>Let's see, on the current leg of Sasha's Fundacion tour, his itinerary reads:<br /> <br /> <img alt="Schedule 2.JPG" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/Schedule 2.JPG" width="200" height="419" align=right hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p>I'd say that dance music DJs (Sasha's known for progressive-house) get more gigs.</p> <p>I'd agree that being successful as a house DJ requires more technical and "specialized" skill, as opposed to being a hip-hop DJ. Especially in New York, house music DJs are put under great scrutiny by house music trainspotters who are quick to criticize a dance music DJ if he is not inventive enough with his mixing skills or creative enough with his track-selection. Unlike hip-hop DJs who get rewarded by their crowds for repeating the same recognized tracks, dance music DJs get thrashed-upon if they (God forbid) play two of the same tracks in two consecutive sets. </p> <p><strong>Question 11: Totally subjective question. Which one is better to listen to on your iPod?</strong></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>I love putting everyday life to a great beat, and more importantly, when you listen to hip-hop alone and with headphones, as opposed to at a loud club or party, you can really pay attention to what the Emcee says, and really appreciate the beauty and poetry in some of the better hip-hop out there. </p> <p>For me, and countless others, House is so much about the live experience. It's not just about the sound of the music, but about the DJ, the beautiful crowd, the energy, and the most importantly--the dancing. Not that dancing isn't important to hip-hop, but House music is created to be a visceral experience made with the pure intention of dancing and moving. House in its most perfect form should be bone crushingly loud with flashing lights and flailing bodies. Hip-hop can be appreciated and enjoyed in a simpler form. </p> <p>When listening to the little headphones on my iPod, I find it very hard to experience House music the way it's meant to be experienced. I don't see the point in listening to House if you can't dance, and sometimes that's hard to do at rush hour on the subway. </p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>This is like asking someone which genre of music is better to listen to on the radio; it's completely a matter of personal taste. By the way, of the four 40-gig iPods that my boyfriend and I own, we listen to punk rock, alt-rock, death metal, jazz, classical, Southern rock, Philadelphia soul…and techno, house, trance and breaks, depending on our mood, the time of day, and how hung-over we are from the night before. </p> <p><img alt="Burridge HH.JPG" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/Burridge HH.JPG" width="250" height="250" align=left hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p>Again here, I agree with your comment describing house music as being about the live, visceral experience. House and dance music in general can also be intellectual and musically sophisticated, depending on the DJ or producer. Indeed, one reason that I enjoy listening to the music of Ferry Corsten, Armin Van Buuren, Ivano Bellini, Paul Van Dyk and Boris on an iPod so much, is that their recorded music stirs-up memories and emotions recently experienced at their live shows. </p> <p>When I listen to an Oakey or Hernan Cattaneo recorded set on headphones, the images of friends' smiling faces come to mind. With great dance music however, it's not enough that the music is "bone-crushingly loud"; the music should ideally be crystal-clear, powerful, and all-encompassing as with a custom, 3-way cross-over for the front-of-house provided by acoustically-tailored, custom-made speakers.</p> <p><strong>Question 12: Which is better for a private party? For a mega-party?</strong></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>There's nothing better than hip-hop for a private party. It puts a beat to the entire evening, puts everyone on the same rhythm and just brings a cool, chilled out, and relaxing vibe to any room. The consistent bass lines act as a heartbeat for the party, and keep it at a pace. For a mega-party I think either works depending on your crowd. If you've got a savvy, pseudo-international, drug friendly group, nothing will get everyone sweating and bouncing like House. But for a more generally American, beer pounding, "I wanna grab some girls ass tonight" party, good old-fashioned mainstream hip-hop never fails to get everyone up and grinding. </p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>Beer-swilling Americans looking to "grab some girl's ass tonight" can stay the hell away from me, thank you very much. This is again a totally subjective question. The best time I had at WMC 2004 was aboard Sasha and Global Underground's private yacht cruise -- not the massive booze-cruise to which promoters sold tickets the following day -- I mean the private cruise for invited guests-only. </p> <p>This year at WMC 2005, the best times I experienced were: 1) As a guest at Paul Van Dyk's private afternoon cocktail and double-decker "bus cruise" veering through the streets of downtown Miami while listening to PVD preview tracks from his latest CD, Politics of Dancing 2; 2) 2manyDJs, James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, Tiga, DJ Hell and Felix Da Housecat playing at the Pawn Shop in downtown Miami, with a surprise guest-emcee appearance by Diddy during Felix's set; 3) A champagne-soaked, hilarious lunch with Danny Howells at an outdoor café on Ocean Drive during one of Miami's tropical thunderstorms; 4) Gabriel & Dresden, Tom Holkenborg of Junkie XL and Fatboy Slim at Crobar.</p> <p>Soaring, epic dance music is best experienced at vast locations filled with thousands of like-minded clubbers -- be they outdoor raves, superclubs or arenas -- and so logic would dictate that electronic dance music is better suited for "mega" parties as opposed to more intimate, "private" parties. </p> <p><img alt="Flash.jpg" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/Flash.jpg" width="250" height="250" align=right hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>Well, for those of us who weren't invited to Paul Van Dyk's "private afternoon cocktail" party or Sasha and Global Underground's "private yacht cruise," being just one of the masses who spent all their money just getting down to Miami for a chance to hear people like Paul Van Dyk and Sasha was pretty freakin' sweet. I'm sure your "champagne-soaked lunch" was fabulous, but so was being sweat and cheap beer-soaked at ULTRA. </p> <p><strong>Question 13: Which will be stronger in five years? </strong></p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>With the rapid ascent of satellite radio and the advance of online paying music stores like iTunes and with the popularity of iPod, the better question might be, "Which will be better in quality in five years?" </p> <p>With music selection no longer being dictated solely by media monoliths like Clear Channel -- the company largely to blame for the homogenization of this country's broadcast radio -- it stands to be seen whether dance or hip hop will be "stronger" in five years. Moby started as a dance DJ and is now a household name. Paul Van Dyk stars in Motorola commercials, and music by Basement Jaxx, Ming & FS, Fatboy Slim and other dance music producers are heard frequently on TV and in film.</p> <p>Early hip hop was dance music, before the "house" sub-genre evolved and before the chasm between "dance" and "hip hop" widened to current proportions.</p> <p>Listening to early hip hop/dance music like Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and witnessing Diddy and Missy Elliott's forays into electronic dance music, we might think that "dance" and "hip hop" aren't that far apart, after all.</p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>Well, I also agree! </p> <p><img alt="Kanye HH.JPG" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/Kanye HH.JPG" width="250" height="250" align=left hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p>With the emergence of satellite radio, all these definite groupings of music are soon to go out the window. There will be much more room for newer and more experimental artists willing to blur genres, and create hybrids of what popular radio forced us to compartmentalize as “hip-hop,†“electronic,†“easy listening,†and every other genre that was assigned it’s title and place under the umbrella of “music.†</p> <p>The future of music lies in options, and access to kinds of music that may not have been as accessible in the past. I think that electronic music is definitely on the rise, and because hip-hop is SO huge right now, it’s inevitable that the bubble will burst to make room for a new craze. </p> <p>But hopefully, the future of music will change the need for one type of music to dominate pop culture and have to bring itself to appeal to the lowest common denominator to turn a profit. Hopefully, now there will be room and opportunity for everyone to choose what they like, and artists of all genres will be freer to raise their standard of music and be able to present it to a public more open to something they might not have heard before. </p> Full Story: http://www.clubplanet.com/news/archive/hiphop_vs_house_part_2.asp

Hip-Hop vs. House: Part 2 <p>Hip-Hop and House. Yankees and Red Sox. Aniston and Jolie.</p> <p>There's some bad blood.</p> <p>If you missed it, check out <a target=_blank href="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/archive/hiphop_vs_house_part_1.asp">Part 1</a> of the great debate. As for the writers? After all the hate-mail they received, they hardly need this introduction:</p> <p>In this corner: <strong>Emily Tan</strong>, a journalist for <em>DJ Times</em>, argues the merits of House. </p> <p>In this corner: <strong>Lauren Saft</strong>, a lifelong Hip-Hop enthusiast, carries the torch for Hip-Hop.</p> <p><em>(As Emily and other readers point out, "House" is just sloppy shorthand--and an over-generalization--for all aspects of Dance, Trance, Electronic, Techno, etc. If we ever do a Part 3, we'll be sure to call it, "Hip-Hop vs. Dance, Trance, Electronic, Techno, etc.")</em></p> <p>____________________________________________</p> <p><strong>ROUND 2</strong></p> <p><strong>Question 6: Which is more conducive for mixing? </strong></p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>For a skilled DJ, the source material is irrelevant. Both dance music and hip hop can be mixed well, depending on the DJ. Take a look at Birdy Nam Nam, the 2002 DMC World Champions and performers at this year's International DJ Expo in Atlantic City, NJ.</p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>I agree. Mixing is a skill, and necessary, no matter what the material is. A good DJ can mix anything, it shouldn’t matter.</p> <p><br /> <strong>Question 7: Which <em>moves</em> the crowd more?</strong></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>House music most certainly moves a crowd and allows people to really feel connected with the music, but House music can be alienating to some fans. If one is familiar with House, one can be moved, but a lot of people are intimidated by music they don't know the words to. </p> <p>Hip-Hop, because it has become such a familiar genre, makes people comfortable enough to dance. The pounding bass lines typically make dancing to the beat relatively simple, and thus people are more inclined to do it. I would wager to say that "real" House fans are more moved by their music more than your average hip-hop fan and dance more whole heartedly, but dancing to rap music is undoubtedly easier and thus more popular.</p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>A visit to the Ibiza clubs of Pacha, Space, Café Mambo, DC-10, Privilege or Amnesia reveals tens-of-thousands of music fans of all nationalities dancing day and night, indoors and outdoors with their hands raised-in-the-air and with abandon to dance music played by the world's most skilled house, techno, trance and breaks DJs. All the while, the DJs are connecting and communicating with their crowds without having to speak one word of each other's language. </p> <p><img alt="morillo.jpg" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/morillo.jpg" width="250" height="250" align=right hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p>If you want to know whether house or hip-hop moves a crowd more, ask yourself why the small side-room of New York City superclub Crobar features hip-hop, while the massive main room is reserved for big New York and global house, techno and trance DJs. </p> <p>How many "hip-hop superclubs" can you name in New York? I don't mean small bars or lounges that play hip-hop, I mean actual superclubs housing 2,000 people or more at one time with sound and lighting systems to match. How many superclubs can you name that play exclusively hip-hop? I can't think of any.</p> <p><strong>Question 8: Which makes better use of "old school" technology? </strong></p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance): </strong></p> <p>If you consider playing vinyl with Technics SL-1200 series turntables to be "old school," many dance music DJs (Danny Howells) still play predominantly vinyl. Old-school is fine, but forward-thinking dance music DJs have actually affected the evolution and development of DJ-related technology and gear: Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva (Final Scratch), Richie Hawtin (Allen & Heath's CTRL mixers), Sasha (M-Audio's Maven controller for Ableton Live).<br /> <br /> <strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>Both electronic DJs and hip-hop DJs pretty much the last people on earth who still appreciate and make great use of vinyl. But both are starting to come into the new millennium and are beginning to use laptop computers to mix their sets. I think electronic DJs (by the pure nature of the genre), are jumping on the technological bandwagon a little faster than the hip-hop guys, but eventually, it’s sad to say, vinyl will probably be a museum worthy historical relic. </p> <p>There’s something so pure and fresh about a real record that I feel is the trademark and essence of a DJ, hip-hop or electronic, but times are a changing, and technology brings a whole new realm of possibilities to a DJs repertoire. </p> <p><strong>Question 9: Which has had a greater influence on nightlife in the past decade?</strong></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>The influence of hip-hop over the past decade, especially the past few years, is undeniable. Hip-hop has gone from an underground niche to not only mainstream pop music, but pop culture. </p> <p><img alt="Ludacris.jpg" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/Ludacris.jpg" width="250" height="250" align=left hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p>Tonight, you could walk into any dance club in Kansas and probably find the DJ spinning Nelly and Ludacris and kids wearing baggy pants, chains, do-rags, and throwback jerseys. The specifically "hip-hop" clubs in more metropolitan cities are where fans have to go to find newer and more underground DJs and Emcees, but popular nightlife, popular music, popular culture, and youth culture (in America anyway) have all become synonymous with hip-hop culture over the course of the last decade.</p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>See my earlier response. More popular does not equate better. No, you cannot walk into any DANCE CLUB in Kansas and find fashion-victims wearing do-rags, baggy pants and chains! What you can find is Paul Oakenfold playing to a packed crowd of enthusiastic kids who are interested in the skill of the DJ.</p> <p>I'd argue that dance music has had the greater influence on nightlife in the past decade, if you're considering the entire world. Beyond the UK, the U.S. and Ibiza, the latest frontiers for dance music are Eastern Europe (especially Serbia and Croatia in the former Yugoslavia) and South America (especially Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela), places where those countries' dire political and economic conditions formerly made for inhospitable clubbing conditions. </p> <p>A late-comer when compared to Tokyo, Beijing has embraced dance music and the global DJs who are its ambassadors, as the grip of Communism gradually loosens. Operators of Israel's club TLV in Tel Aviv -- after having learned to live with the constant threat of terrorist attacks -- have adjusted and subsequently implement a series of check-points and other safety measures for weekly patrons who will not stop coming to hear great dance music.</p> <p><strong>Question 10. Which DJs get more gigs?</strong></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>House music relies almost purely on the DJ, whereas hip-hop requires an Emcee, and more of a production crew. In its origin, hip-hop was born around the DJ, but as unfortunate as this may be, over the past few years, the form has come to revolve more around the Emcee. </p> <p>Because of the popularity of hip-hop, I'm sure (though I have no actual research) that numbers would prove that there are more gigs for hip-hop DJs, but there are also more of them. Less is required of them than House DJs, so to be a House DJ is a more specialized and specific skill. The few individuals who are good at it probably get more work than the many individuals who are decent at spinning hip-hop. It's an issue of supply and demand. </p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>Let's see, on the current leg of Sasha's Fundacion tour, his itinerary reads:<br /> <br /> <img alt="Schedule 2.JPG" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/Schedule 2.JPG" width="200" height="419" align=right hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p>I'd say that dance music DJs (Sasha's known for progressive-house) get more gigs.</p> <p>I'd agree that being successful as a house DJ requires more technical and "specialized" skill, as opposed to being a hip-hop DJ. Especially in New York, house music DJs are put under great scrutiny by house music trainspotters who are quick to criticize a dance music DJ if he is not inventive enough with his mixing skills or creative enough with his track-selection. Unlike hip-hop DJs who get rewarded by their crowds for repeating the same recognized tracks, dance music DJs get thrashed-upon if they (God forbid) play two of the same tracks in two consecutive sets. </p> <p><strong>Question 11: Totally subjective question. Which one is better to listen to on your iPod?</strong></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>I love putting everyday life to a great beat, and more importantly, when you listen to hip-hop alone and with headphones, as opposed to at a loud club or party, you can really pay attention to what the Emcee says, and really appreciate the beauty and poetry in some of the better hip-hop out there. </p> <p>For me, and countless others, House is so much about the live experience. It's not just about the sound of the music, but about the DJ, the beautiful crowd, the energy, and the most importantly--the dancing. Not that dancing isn't important to hip-hop, but House music is created to be a visceral experience made with the pure intention of dancing and moving. House in its most perfect form should be bone crushingly loud with flashing lights and flailing bodies. Hip-hop can be appreciated and enjoyed in a simpler form. </p> <p>When listening to the little headphones on my iPod, I find it very hard to experience House music the way it's meant to be experienced. I don't see the point in listening to House if you can't dance, and sometimes that's hard to do at rush hour on the subway. </p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>This is like asking someone which genre of music is better to listen to on the radio; it's completely a matter of personal taste. By the way, of the four 40-gig iPods that my boyfriend and I own, we listen to punk rock, alt-rock, death metal, jazz, classical, Southern rock, Philadelphia soul…and techno, house, trance and breaks, depending on our mood, the time of day, and how hung-over we are from the night before. </p> <p><img alt="Burridge HH.JPG" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/Burridge HH.JPG" width="250" height="250" align=left hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p>Again here, I agree with your comment describing house music as being about the live, visceral experience. House and dance music in general can also be intellectual and musically sophisticated, depending on the DJ or producer. Indeed, one reason that I enjoy listening to the music of Ferry Corsten, Armin Van Buuren, Ivano Bellini, Paul Van Dyk and Boris on an iPod so much, is that their recorded music stirs-up memories and emotions recently experienced at their live shows. </p> <p>When I listen to an Oakey or Hernan Cattaneo recorded set on headphones, the images of friends' smiling faces come to mind. With great dance music however, it's not enough that the music is "bone-crushingly loud"; the music should ideally be crystal-clear, powerful, and all-encompassing as with a custom, 3-way cross-over for the front-of-house provided by acoustically-tailored, custom-made speakers.</p> <p><strong>Question 12: Which is better for a private party? For a mega-party?</strong></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>There's nothing better than hip-hop for a private party. It puts a beat to the entire evening, puts everyone on the same rhythm and just brings a cool, chilled out, and relaxing vibe to any room. The consistent bass lines act as a heartbeat for the party, and keep it at a pace. For a mega-party I think either works depending on your crowd. If you've got a savvy, pseudo-international, drug friendly group, nothing will get everyone sweating and bouncing like House. But for a more generally American, beer pounding, "I wanna grab some girls ass tonight" party, good old-fashioned mainstream hip-hop never fails to get everyone up and grinding. </p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>Beer-swilling Americans looking to "grab some girl's ass tonight" can stay the hell away from me, thank you very much. This is again a totally subjective question. The best time I had at WMC 2004 was aboard Sasha and Global Underground's private yacht cruise -- not the massive booze-cruise to which promoters sold tickets the following day -- I mean the private cruise for invited guests-only. </p> <p>This year at WMC 2005, the best times I experienced were: 1) As a guest at Paul Van Dyk's private afternoon cocktail and double-decker "bus cruise" veering through the streets of downtown Miami while listening to PVD preview tracks from his latest CD, Politics of Dancing 2; 2) 2manyDJs, James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, Tiga, DJ Hell and Felix Da Housecat playing at the Pawn Shop in downtown Miami, with a surprise guest-emcee appearance by Diddy during Felix's set; 3) A champagne-soaked, hilarious lunch with Danny Howells at an outdoor café on Ocean Drive during one of Miami's tropical thunderstorms; 4) Gabriel & Dresden, Tom Holkenborg of Junkie XL and Fatboy Slim at Crobar.</p> <p>Soaring, epic dance music is best experienced at vast locations filled with thousands of like-minded clubbers -- be they outdoor raves, superclubs or arenas -- and so logic would dictate that electronic dance music is better suited for "mega" parties as opposed to more intimate, "private" parties. </p> <p><img alt="Flash.jpg" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/Flash.jpg" width="250" height="250" align=right hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>Well, for those of us who weren't invited to Paul Van Dyk's "private afternoon cocktail" party or Sasha and Global Underground's "private yacht cruise," being just one of the masses who spent all their money just getting down to Miami for a chance to hear people like Paul Van Dyk and Sasha was pretty freakin' sweet. I'm sure your "champagne-soaked lunch" was fabulous, but so was being sweat and cheap beer-soaked at ULTRA. </p> <p><strong>Question 13: Which will be stronger in five years? </strong></p> <p><strong>Emily Tan (Dance):</strong></p> <p>With the rapid ascent of satellite radio and the advance of online paying music stores like iTunes and with the popularity of iPod, the better question might be, "Which will be better in quality in five years?" </p> <p>With music selection no longer being dictated solely by media monoliths like Clear Channel -- the company largely to blame for the homogenization of this country's broadcast radio -- it stands to be seen whether dance or hip hop will be "stronger" in five years. Moby started as a dance DJ and is now a household name. Paul Van Dyk stars in Motorola commercials, and music by Basement Jaxx, Ming & FS, Fatboy Slim and other dance music producers are heard frequently on TV and in film.</p> <p>Early hip hop was dance music, before the "house" sub-genre evolved and before the chasm between "dance" and "hip hop" widened to current proportions.</p> <p>Listening to early hip hop/dance music like Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and witnessing Diddy and Missy Elliott's forays into electronic dance music, we might think that "dance" and "hip hop" aren't that far apart, after all.</p> <p><strong>Lauren Saft (Hip-Hop):</strong></p> <p>Well, I also agree! </p> <p><img alt="Kanye HH.JPG" src="http://www.clubplanet.com/news/blogpics/Kanye HH.JPG" width="250" height="250" align=left hspace=5 vspace=5/></p> <p>With the emergence of satellite radio, all these definite groupings of music are soon to go out the window. There will be much more room for newer and more experimental artists willing to blur genres, and create hybrids of what popular radio forced us to compartmentalize as “hip-hop,†“electronic,†“easy listening,†and every other genre that was assigned it’s title and place under the umbrella of “music.†</p> <p>The future of music lies in options, and access to kinds of music that may not have been as accessible in the past. I think that electronic music is definitely on the rise, and because hip-hop is SO huge right now, it’s inevitable that the bubble will burst to make room for a new craze. </p> <p>But hopefully, the future of music will change the need for one type of music to dominate pop culture and have to bring itself to appeal to the lowest common denominator to turn a profit. Hopefully, now there will be room and opportunity for everyone to choose what they like, and artists of all genres will be freer to raise their standard of music and be able to present it to a public more open to something they might not have heard before. </p> Full Story: http://www.clubplanet.com/news/archive/hiphop_vs_house_part_2.asp

Nightlife Agenda Thursday, Oct. 13All the development going up in Clarendon, Court House and Ballston can make it hard for neighbors to get to know one another. SoBe Seafood Co. -- the restaurant located around the corner from Mister Days -- is offering an old-fashioned neighborhood social this evening, though it's... Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/12/AR2005101201781.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Pacha to launch new club in New York City After 36 years Pacha has come along way since Ricardo Urgell founded the club in the seaside town of Sitges. It is soon to make its mark on New York this December. Full Story: http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.asp?id=7205

Young, Restless and Finally Catered To Without leaving the familiar environs of a strip mall, suburbanites in Northern Virginia will soon be able to fancy themselves dancing all night in one of Europe's most famous entertainment districts. Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/16/AR2005091601720.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Power Hours Aware that some happy hours are happier than others, we offer this guide designed to help you find the right match for your situation. Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/11/AR2005081100620.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Hit the Roof Is it the old childhood thrill of the treehouse? The novelty of a new perspective? The happy astonishment of a postcard-perfect view? Or simply that slightly unworthy but all-too-human touch of Potomac fever that makes us enjoy looking down on the less elevated? Adams Morgan has traditionally...... Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/14/AR2005071400569.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Five Spots to Lift Your Summer Spirits Sure, the advent of summer means the return of mosquitoes, sweltering heat and throngs of tourists. But the hot months are also a prime time for chilling out with a fruit-garnished cocktail while soaking in the sunshine (or moonlight, if you're the nocturnal type) at your favorite local haunt.<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/artsandliving/barsandclubs;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=41664042460" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/artsandliving/barsandclubs;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=41664042460" border="0" vspace="5"></a> Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061601459.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Liquor Makers Offering Luxury by the Glassful Matt Stutts is a government geographer, but that doesn't mean he can't occasionally enjoy a little opulence. He's in the lounge of Dupont Circle's voguish Topaz Hotel on a recent weeknight, sitting in front of a plate of chocolate truffles. A band is playing smooth jazz. The air is chilled. Here... Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/11/AR2005061100683.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

An Old Town Trifecta FOR THE PAST two years, readers of washingtonpost.com have voted Old Town Alexandria "Best Place for a First Date." It's not hard to see why people might be attracted to the Colonial port: the quaint houses and walkable streets, the shops and boutiques, the opportunities for people watching -- and... Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/19/AR2005051901023.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Spots to Sip Tequila With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, my thoughts have turned to sunny Mexico and the tequilas I tasted on a recent visit. The mythic beverage, laced with intoxicating powers rumored to bring one closer to the gods, has a reputation for being a frat-party shooter. But tequila comes in many... Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042801487.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

Comfortable Spots on Barracks Row OVER THE past few years, the historic shopping district on Eighth Street SE known as Barracks Row has transformed itself into one of the bright spots on Capitol Hill, attracting a lively mix of shops, restaurants and bars. After dark, crowds buzz at new hot spots Finn Mac Cool's and Belga Cafe...<br clear="all"/><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/wpni.rss/artsandliving/barsandclubs;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=41664044192" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/wpni.rss/artsandliving/barsandclubs;pos=ad9;tile=9;ad=rss;sz=479x40;ord=41664044192" border="0" vspace="5"></a> Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/03/26/AR2005032602000.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/barsandclubs

-By Cody Dolan You don’t feel them at first, not right as you walk in the door. It’s not until you’ve paid $6.50 for your pitcher of Miller Lite, weaved your way through the mixed crowd of older hard drinkers and college age bar hoppers, and sat down on a hard wooden chair that you’re aware of the eyes staring at you. Once your beer is poured into its plastic cup and you’ve sat back to enjoy a night out, that’s when it hits you just how many dead animals they’ve got hanging on the walls at Fitzwilly’s, a popular bar that for years has served as the unofficial western border of College Station, Texas’ Northgate. This strip of bars and bookstores has been around for decades and shows no signs of slowing down, so it’s there I went to judge just how crappy the nightlife is in a typical small town. Read the whole story in the Daily Planet.

Who is he? The public doesn't know. Clubplanet doesn't know. I don't even know. He's a doorman. A bouncer. And thankfully for all of us, he's a writer, too. When he's not working the door, he's writing in his blog, exposing the glamour and grit of the nightlife universe. Each week, check back for more insights, anecdotes, gossip, rants, and celebrity tidbits. On the Clubplanet home page, check out "Volume 2: The Bouncer Gets Guidojacked." Jeff Wilser Editor In Chief