antifm Posted August 31 Report Share Posted August 31 It would nice if skills meant anything. Unfortunately skills have not mattered for years. I can think of several DJ's that continue to work on both a local basias and national basis whose programming and or mixing skills leave much to be desired yet they seem to be working all the time. So obviously it's who you blow and not what you know. this is so true its sickening Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funeralhome Posted August 31 Report Share Posted August 31 djing skills... they aren't playing their productions at parties.. hopefully they're spinning records that make (or break) the party...i don't know what any of them actually do in that dj booth so my statement only holds validity to what i HOPE they're doing..isn't the answer obvious though? a party is a live, real, tangible thing.. there's no space to go back and fix or mold like they do on production albums.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antifm Posted August 31 Report Share Posted August 31 please save the minds of people everywhere... and tell us that this is pure sarcasm that's undetectable via computer?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverbull Posted October 17 Author Report Share Posted October 17 wanted to bring this topic back to life, because in the last yr that i made this topic nothing has changed at all really.I keep seein djs being booked or trying to get booked because of one or 2 productions being great. And sometimes ive gone to hear certain djs for the first time and have not been impressed at all.Vice versa too some djs ive heard workin on tracks aint exactly cutting it at the moment but then thats all matter of tastes and experience working on tracks.I still think a lot of Local or Tri state talent is overlooked because of all these bookings of non proven djs, and some of these non proven djs are making alot of money and climbing up the dj list (if you care for that shit) because of thier tunes alone.Any more comments on this topic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehype Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 I still think a lot of Local or Tri state talent is overlooked because of all these bookings of non proven djs, and some of these non proven djs are making alot of money and climbing up the dj list (if you care for that shit) because of thier tunes alone.maybe they wanna stay underground Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nica Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 DJing is a art that in MY Opinion is being lost with advancement of new technology...I agree with you 100%. It makes me very sad too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepsee Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 maybe they wanna stay undergroundThe reason why some rise has little to do with talent as we've seen time and time again. Bandwagon jumping is a great little lift, if you can replicate a sound/style/trend at the time it's peaking (minimal techno anyone?). Also important is a great publicist and agent. A good PR agent can make ALL the difference in the world in terms of exposure. I used to do a lot of music journalism (staff and freelance) and from the inside, I could look at a dozen magazines (or more) and see the same CDs reviewed and the same features written. Why? Because the artist had good PR and some journalists are lazy. Factor in advertorial and you have even deeper ties between editorial and exposure.As far as the booking side of things, PR, promotions, and editorial are also closely linked. For one thing, a good publiclists is often teamed with good marketing, so you get your shows for journos and "tastemakers" (fashion, marketing, advertising, hospitality industry, and related-industry people) that bring in a ready-made audience of people who start hyping an artist/DJ/band. These success stories can sometimes ENTIRELY bypass the public until the general public follows the tastemakers example (hence, the name, they literally "make" the taste of a larger audience).I think DJs should be booked on talent alone. However, in today's media environment, a talented DJ/artist who knows his or her worth needs to also be very smart when it comes to image, marketing, and differentiation. A mediocre artist with good PR and marketing teams will do better than a very talented artist with little representation, in the vast majority of cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunic Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 dj's should scrictly be based on how many people can bring to the club and how "industry" they are. Skills should have nothing to do with it anymore u know? come on, we are in 2005 here people. fuck we need skills for? thats what computers and ableton live are for!!seriously, i had a gig where they actually wanted me to play!!! i said fuck that and sent an mp3 instead..the nerve! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarlouisxii Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 I agree with you 100%. It makes me very sad too.I disagree. I think programs such as live helps a dj be in touch with his/her creative side. Gone are the days of dj's mixing records back and forth, throwing accapella's over tracks, and such others things. One could remix a track instantly on the fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rissaisabella Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 its all about the name game ...had a chat with a promoter who has a long standing steady party for 20 years...and what he said makes some sense...he doesnt book djs wiht "names" he makes the names for the djs at his party ....he brings the people ...he creates the party and leaves it up to the dj to keep them entertained....cuz if you bring in a dj with a "name " odds are the same people that come for that name ...arent gonna come back when you have a different booking ...so i think its all not just about production etc...its about names and numbers....and of course $$$ ny is very high rent so club owners have to see numbers ...who brings numbers ??? "names " meanwhile half the names are mediocre and i can name countless no names that are 100xs better ...but again politics ..sad sad sad but hence why are scene is sooo saturated with mediocrity ...i want the days where the club hired promoters ...the promoters brought the people ...and the dj did their job in creating a vibe and giving them an experience enough to want them to come back again next week ....now as a dj you have to go around whoring yourself about ..promoting yourself trying to get a "name" pffttttttt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepsee Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 now as a dj you have to go around whoring yourself about ..promoting yourself trying to get a "name" pfftttttttbut with all the little lounges, bars, and small places trying to pass themselves off as legitimate "clubs," the DJs often ARE the promoters. Most promoters view nightclub promotion as a business; there's simply not enough $$ to be made promoting a small venue and charging a nominal ($10 or less) fee. Also, part of the reason I believe there are so many DJs these days is because today's bar/lounge model includes the DJ set up. Somebody's gotta populate these booths: hence, the birth of the promoter-DJ. To think that it's going to go back to the days when promoters marketed DJs, sort of like talent agents do actors, is just not in keeping with how things are today. I think for a lot of us (including myself) we got to the point where we are today thanks to this same system: we found some small bar or lounge that would have us, or got invited to play by friends who had a small bar/lounge. It's almost like independent cinema, which (at least used to but less now as many indy production companies get bought by major studios) where that area had its own stars, own directors, own crew of people that worked outside the major motion picture studio system: they could because someone created a parallel business stream so those indy movie makers wouldn't be dependent on the commercial market to work. Like with DJs, there's a huge market of bars, lounges, and clubs in NYC that keeps DJs employed. Simple supply and demand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mannyfreytes Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 Many of you know me from opening for DT. Danny even mentions me in the 2006 DJ Mag's annual top 100 DJs issue which asked Danny Tenaglia who will break through in 2006. That is because he likes my sound. But the fact of the matter is no matter what I do behind the decks it will take me to produce some tracks to get bookings on a regular bases. No promoter that wants to make some cash will risk hiring a DJ that will not bring a good amount of people to the club to see them. Lets face it, the club world is a business, and its the owners of a clubs that has to pay rent, pay the staff, by the drinks, spend on a sound system/lights and still try to make a profit. So they expect the promoter to get as many people in the club as possible. And that means bringing in someone that has a following. For example. Look at King Unique. He is playing this week for the 1st time in New York and there is a big buzz about his gig. Even I will be there to check out the sounds. Why? Because of his productions. Lots of people know who he is because of it. Does it mean he is a good DJ? I don't know, but the fact is the place will be packed because of it. If it was DJ " Local" (that can RIP it) was playing, not many peeps will be there and the people that are making this party happen will lose cash because not many people knows who DJ "Local" is. I wish things were different but I do understand the business side of things. Lots of people tell me I need to produce. I wish I had the time and the know how. But I am busting my ass trying to learn. Because that's is really the only way.Now that I think about it. It also takes some luck. And you still have to know how to rock a party because eventually if you suck as a DJ the word will spread and you will not see them DJing as much, but they will still hit the production side of things. So I guess if you are a DJ you need to produce to get your name out. Production and DJ are really two very different thing, but if you want to do both you have to approach it in the same way. From the dance floor point of viewPeaceManny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunic Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 Many of you know me from opening for DT. Danny even mentions me in the 2006 DJ Mag's annual top 100 DJs issue which asked Danny Tenaglia who will break through in 2006. That is because he likes my sound. But the fact of the matter is no matter what I do behind the decks it will take me to produce some tracks to get bookings on a regular bases. No promoter that wants to make some cash will risk hiring a DJ that will not bring a good amount of people to the club to see them. Lets face it, the club world is a business, and its the owners of a clubs that has to pay rent, pay the staff, by the drinks, spend on a sound system/lights and still try to make a profit. So they expect the promoter to get as many people in the club as possible. And that means bringing in someone that has a following. For example. Look at King Unique. He is playing this week for the 1st time in New York and there is a big buzz about his gig. Even I will be there to check out the sounds. Why? Because of his productions. Lots of people know who he is because of it. Does it mean he is a good DJ? I don't know, but the fact is the place will be packed because of it. If it was DJ " Local" (that can RIP it) was playing, not many peeps will be there and the people that are making this party happen will lose cash because not many people knows who DJ "Local" is. I wish things were different but I do understand the business side of things. Lots of people tell me I need to produce. I wish I had the time and the know how. But I am busting my ass trying to learn. Because that's is really the only way.Now that I think about it. It also takes some luck. And you still have to know how to rock a party because eventually if you suck as a DJ the word will spread and you will not see them DJing as much, but they will still hit the production side of things. So I guess if you are a DJ you need to produce to get your name out. Production and DJ are really two very different thing, but if you want to do both you have to approach it in the same way. From the dance floor point of viewPeaceMannyagreed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afa8317 Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 Well I'm hearing a King Unique set right now. All I have to say is thank good for the Internet.. I was about to go check this guy out but electro is not my bag. I like earthy sounds or straight up tribal; and I can never get enough 4 on 4. Anyway I'm all about Booking DJs on skills. This cat has them, but his sound is not for me. Seems Armand was also booked for his name as a producer.but from what I hear and I'm going on hearsay. The man can't work the box. When I'm on the dance floor I need a DJ that can surprise. Work tracks so hard I can't recognize them, Remix on the fly, bring tight edits. Keep the energy up but not slam it down all night long. A good DJ is a professional tease. You never he never lets you have the cake, but you think your about to bight into eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rissaisabella Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 king unique = two guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afa8317 Posted October 17 Report Share Posted October 17 It could be six guys.. I still didn't like what I heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverbull Posted October 17 Author Report Share Posted October 17 It could be six guys.. I still didn't like what I heard.lol oh really thanks for the heads up not into that electro shit myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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