The Art Of Djing

[planetgroove]

(CNN) -- For me it all started with two turntables and a mixer. That's what DJing is all about.

I always loved music and, like a lot of people, I was in a terrible band and it didn't happen. Then I saw what Grandmaster Flash was doing with turntables and it really excited me. I just followed my heart.

In the last couple of years a lot of DJs have been forced into using CD players, because record companies are producing less acetate and promotional records, and just burning CDs instead. With the latest players you can do a lot of the tricks that you can do with vinyl. That makes things easier, but you're losing the art of DJing to a certain extent.

It's what you do with the equipment that matters. We can all play the same records, but what makes you stand out from the pack is what you do with them and the order you play them in.

I'm still happiest with two turntables and a box of records. You're pulling records out, trying to match the key, the structure, looking for the breaks. With a CD player you can put the CD in, press play and lock it in time, and it does it all for you.

The most important thing is the crowd and I don't think they want someone up there DJing on a laptop. It's impersonal. With vinyl, people can see what the DJ's doing. Can you imagine Grandmaster Flash on a laptop? The art form has gone.

I don't download music because the quality isn't good enough to play in a club. There's no bottom end on it. It's the difference between going to the cinema and watching a DVD. There are certain movies you have to see on the big screen, to see the full picture and get lost in it. For me it's the same with music.

I'd much rather go to a record store than download music. I like to browse, to look at the sleeve and find out who's the hot new producer. It keeps you fresh and keeps you ahead of the game.

Computers have made it easier for anyone to make a record but that's also brought the quality down. It's great that technology has made music more accessible but the biggest artists will still use traditional studio equipment because you get much better quality. The people I admire -- Liam Howlett of Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers and Orbital -- they are all artists primarily. The technology is secondary.

The record for me that brings it all together is "Papua New Guinea" by Future Sound of London. It's got a great sample, it's got the electronic bass and it's a huge club record. Those are the three elements. It's still being re-sampled, re-mixed and re-played. I just bought a bootleg that samples it.

When you're making a record or doing a remix you've got to come with a vibe or a direction before you start with the technology. If I go into a studio to do a remix I'll listen to a record 10 or 15 times to decide where the vibe's coming from.

You can't program creativity. The hit I had with "Starry Eyed Surprise" came from a sample I picked up from watching "Midnight Cowboy." You can sit there and be a tech-head, but at the end of the day the records are no good.

-- Paul Oakenfold is one of the world's leading DJs and remixers.

[soj]

And he is past his prime and gets less and less respect from fans, producers and dj's. Maybe his formula isn't workin'.

[deepspell]

hey paul....please play more than 7 records in a set. $50 bucks is a bit much to go see someone spin records for such a short amount of time.

thanks,

a concerned fan

[planetgroove]

I guess that your opinion.

[djaldo]

Well..... I agree that there is a warmer sound when it comes to

vinyl .I Personally tried to use cd's also and bought myself a pair of

cdj 800's however I couldnt get used to the feel and

wasnt anything like using a turntable so I no longer

own them. Now i'm going a different route and

using "final scratch " this requires me to use a laptop

as my music library and still lets me use the turntables.

I think the technology is great and still allows a dj

to work a table in the same way as if he had vinyl record on there.

Do you think that using a laptop like this is taking away from

"the art of djing? "

[djaldo]

Well..... I agree that there is a warmer sound when it comes to

vinyl .I Personally tried to use cd's also and bought myself a pair of

cdj 800's however I couldnt get used to the feel and

wasnt anything like using a turntable so I no longer

own them. Now i'm going a different route and

using "final scratch " this requires me to use a laptop

as my music library and still lets me use the turntables.

I think the technology is great and still allows a dj

to work a table in the same way as if he had vinyl record on there.

Do you think that using a laptop like this is taking away from

"the art of djing? "

[badassmafuka]

I only spin records

maybe I will drop a acapella on CD

[soj]

I guess that your opinion.

Yes it is. When a fucker charges $50 a head and apparently "spins" only 7 records then walks off gets no respect from anyone. Then, he plays the same drivel each time or some variant of the old crap and then dares to call it something new. I don't care what anyone says, a 2 hour set for fans who paid over $40-50 bucks to see him is basically the equivalent of fucking all of his fans in the ass with no lube.

Maybe people would listen to what he has to say about DJing if he actually DJ'd. My guess is that his blatantly obvious laziness has him sitting on his fat ass and not learning these new technologies, therefore he can only try and say it sucks, because he's finally realized he's obsolete.

DJ's spanning from Digweed, Sasha, PvD, Deep Dish, etc all are using some technology outside of 2 turntables and a mixer and are all doing quite well. My god, even JP uses a laptop. Oakie needs to get a new job.

[planetgroove]

the post is not about the 50$ or 7 records spun its about the new technology against the old hard core djing?

[choptrop]

When I started this thing I asked tons of people what they prefer and went with vinyl. I'm glad I did because it made me work hard at beat matching something I could have easily avoided with cd players since most of them have an auto beat match option.

My only downfall came when I got offered a gig at a pretty decent size club. I show up with all these records and the guy's like, "no man, we have cd players, the tables don't work!" I didn't wanna seem like a schmuck so I said I used them b4. Took me a while to get used to them and my set hurt because of it.

Now I incorporate both into my sets because not only do most clubs only use cd decks but now if you wanna keep up with the more popular dj's and the music they are spinning, I need a cd deck.

I prefer vinyl, but it appears to me that the writing is on the wall. Everyone is going more compact. Going with convenience, and with that I feel a little bit of the artform is being lost. Is there anything we can do?? Look at Subliminal records, they now offer an mp3 store!! What happened to all the "test presses" and "upfront promos"?????????????????????

[djmikeloikith]

reel to reel is the warmest. aaaahhhhh.

[djaparz]

there are many advantages and disadvantages - me being a mobile Dj i am 100% digital at parties - whether its cds, minidisc, mp3 and video dance parties - i mean no one wants to shell out from $650 - 3,000.00 on a Engagement Party, Wedding or Bar Mitvah and see a guy carry in 10 crates of records and a coffin...

on the club end i think you need to go with the technology up until a certain point - i know DJs that bring cds and records to the venue sometimes they spin 100% cd sometimes its varies - premixed cds that are done in the studio should not be used by a club jock for more than just a quick segue into another track

a few years back i was with Sal Parm at a club in Brooklyn, - we walked in with 3 cd books - the bouncers were like where are the crates of records - Sal was like no this is all my music - one bouncer was like sure - yeah good luck with that how do you mix cds? - By 4:00am we were leaving and the bouncers said that they couldn't believe that he mixed all that music live from Cds

hello your club have dennon's and pioneers set ups for a reason!!!

[flightcaptain]

Vinyl baby Vinyl, can't imagine DJing on n e thing else. CD's are for when i need a break from the tables, otherwise i need to feel the music, and when i set a record with my "bare hands" I feel the music and so does the crowd... Mario u the man.

[stiffler]

Two turntables with a mic and I learned to rock like a dolimite(sp)

Time went by and as God's creation I knew someday I would rock the nation.

So I made up my mind just what to do and I joined with the Jam On Production Crew!!

Go crazy, go crazy don't let your body be lazy........................................

Jam on it

Yeah yeah we know we know

[kevtherev1]

reel to reel is the warmest. aaaahhhhh.

they dont even know what that is.

Tape scratching....rocking the reels.

what is an Oakenfold ??

Isn't that a type of sunglasses??

[djmikeloikith]

The DJ should spin whatever he is comfortable with, whatever format it may be. He is the one doing the work. I don't see the difference, as long as you rock the party. Yes, vinyl sounds better but believe me, 99% of the people there cannot tell the difference. 75% of the people who go out don't even know who is DJing, nor do they care. They are just out to have a good time and meet people. It is stupid, people have been having this argument for years. Who cares what the DJ uses? It's all about having fun.

[paul76]

The DJ should spin whatever he is comfortable with, whatever format it may be. He is the one doing the work. I don't see the difference, as long as you rock the party. Yes, vinyl sounds better but believe me, 99% of the people there cannot tell the difference. 75% of the people who go out don't even know who is DJing, nor do they care. They are just out to have a good time and meet people. It is stupid, people have been having this argument for years. Who cares what the DJ uses? It's all about having fun.[/quote}

AMEN

[DJWET]

wood is good ... but vinyl is final ...

Wayne ( DJ WET )

Forked River , N.J.