What makes a DJ stand out in your mind?

[djsienpileggi]

I know this sounds like a stupid topic, but i was just curious to know what stands out in peoples mind when they either hear of a DJ for the first time, or if they have seen them play, what stood out in there memory, for them to go back. I know the tracks they lay down is enough, but maybe something else stands out.

Being an up and coming DJ for quite sometime, I have always looked up to my mentors and noticed COOL things about them that I sort of envy. Like a cool DJ name, or Cool clothing style, or cool eyewear or headgear( and i dont mean the headgear you get from your orthodontist either )

For instance, DJs that just use their own cool sounding names like

Steve Lawler.. Roger Sanchez..Erick Morillo..Carl Cox. etc..

Even the local DJs like FaarSheed, or Chris Aureilius (however you spell it)Duane King..even Hollywood.

David Christian..Adam Webb..Javier Alba..Joey Mazzola

or DJ Names like Digital Boy.. or Scotty Boy.. The Funkler..Jose 2Hype..Vegas Vibe. OB One.Miss Joy.

Eyewear.. Roger Sanchez.. and Scotty Boy.

HeadGear: I think Boy George takes the cake on this one.

Fashion sense. Roger Sanchez. Carl Cox. Miss Joy.Boy George.Chris Gar-cia

those are just a few examples ..

but i being plagued with no real fashion sense.. the dj name is chose were my initials ESP.. but turns out there is already a DJ ESP . so i just went with my name( not cool sounding) I wear glasses, but they dont accentuate my looks like they do for Scotty Boy, or Carl Cox..

But I do lay down some fucking banging ass tracks though lol..

[lalate]

Certainly no offense, and saying this in the nicest way ......

... I dont give a flying ying yang what type of eyewear or headgear the dj wear. This flyers with girl djs in their panties saying "sexiest dj alive" playing 3,000 person arenas .. makes you wanta say "hey, girl, more power to you. But Im not going to look at your ass. I cant see it from the crowd. Im going to hear your music. Put your clothes back on. We got gogo dancers for that."

And then some of the .... even ... established guys with the beanie, the shades, the silver chains, the piercings, the edgy dont mess with me pose and attitude look ... you want say "Cool bro. Am I going to a techno event or attend a Harley Davidson testdrive?" You know which djs these are.

I dont remember the logo-cutoff shirt the dj is wearing from his "clothing line" during their show.

I DOOOOO remember when I see Markus Schultz autographing EVERY album passed to him through the crowd ... thats class.

For major venues, a dj needs to feel his crowd and play accordingly. You gotta luv a dj that blends in a certain track cuz that audience is about to roar. You gotta hate a dj that just drops the track he was planning to drop 3 hours ago when he was taking his plane flight. Feel the crowd and respond.

Also, yes it is a trend, but I really dont like venues using the term "Resident" if the person spins there once every two months. If you spin there once a month, say once a month resident. This new trend to say resident and the guy is there once in a blue moon is awful.

[edlosangeles]

I kindof have to agree with Late...

but can I add:

Unless you got a REALLY, REALLY nice RACK!!

(I think theres only 3 of these girls around)

IMO

I can't tell you how many times I have walked into a club in LA, SF, Houston, Vegas, where-ever and heard a "dj" mix two songs together OFF BEAT!!!

I sounds like a studder!

I guess it's because I used to mix back in the day and can tell the difference because I ask some friends "did you hear that?"

And they'll be like "hear what?"

[djsienpileggi]

HEHE.. yeah i guess it dont really matter about their ass.. when you are only gonna be looking at their face. .but sometimes a nice rack really brings out the color in their.... uhh.. oh yeah.. their eyes lol..

Well as far as the occasional track drifting off to create the gallop or stutter it does happen from time to time with alot of DJ's. even the BIG SUPERSTAR ONES.. but i have learned. that it doesnt matter how it started.. or how it happend.. what matters is how you deal with and correct it. some are smooth corrections. some are over corrected and turn into a train wreck.

I am sooo critical when it came to my mixes.. and yeah I started to learn that out of the few hundred people that might attend an event.. maybe 1/16 of them will be a dj ,and they are the ones that hear those little mistakes.. and say something.. everyone else just continues to rock on..

[vegasbabie]

I like a DJ when he/she is spinning for the crowd and NOT for the djs. Who care if you can mix for 3 mintues and who care if you can play all those awful mash-up mixes and scratch like q-bert. It's all about make the party alive.

A good DJ is a DJ that can make the crowd go "ohhhhhhh" and making them raise their hands. I don't care what kind of music they are spinning, because different kind of music should be mixed differently so I don't give a flying f*** if you are a house dj or hip-hop dj. As long as you can keep the party going and know how to mix AND program that's a good dj.

[vegasbabie]

oops double post....

[edlosangeles]

yeah, spin 4 da crowd!!!

[outofthebox]

I like a DJ when he/she is spinning for the crowd and NOT for the djs. Who care if you can mix for 3 mintues and who care if you can play all those awful mash-up mixes and scratch like q-bert. It's all about make the party alive.

A good DJ is a DJ that can make the crowd go "ohhhhhhh" and making them raise their hands. I don't care what kind of music they are spinning, because different kind of music should be mixed differently so I don't give a flying f*** if you are a house dj or hip-hop dj. As long as you can keep the party going and know how to mix AND program that's a good dj.

Not to start an argument here, but I find your position to be quite interesting, Vegasbabie, since in another recent thread in which you were putting down djs who played radio hits you said..

but I don't think he is a "true" DJ. He is just one step above wedding djs that knows the hit songs to play and knows how to push button on CD players. He his knowledge of music only extends to the limits of his CD collection. A true dj would spend hours of research and digging of old records which expand his/her knowledge of music.

I've been saying all along its pointless to insult djs because they don't play old school or use vinyl. It's all about playing what people WANT to hear and blending / programming in a way that sounds good and causes reactions. Even if it's based on RADIO hits and recurrents

[djbrandon]

I'm a DJ. I don't spin at clubs.

What I like about a good club jock is timing.

Get into a song, and then get out of it at just the right time. Sample something that song reminds me of so I can go "yeah I knew those two had the same beat." Fire me up, take me back, read my mind and then just when I think it can't get any better surprise me. Better yet scare me. Do something with the bass and sound that takes me to the edge and makes me start to wonder if this shit is normal.

Can you do that

The other thing is work hard up there. I wan't to see somebody sweatin the decks.

[djsienpileggi]

wow... all very interesting replies.

I do understand where Vegasbabie is coming from, just because I spin house doesnt mean I have to play what everyone knows already to keep them happy.I can take a chance with a sick new track that totally catches them off guard.. I can play a crazy progressive house track that does the same..

Although I do have to disagree with the part about not knowing anything about his music past the point of his cd collection. I do, not just hours of research of music, but even full days.. RedBull, some Chips.. some coffee. some Subway and I am stuck to my chair, previewing track after track after track before i find the right one.. and there are alot of DJs out there that do the same. Diving into a backroom full to the roof of old records is the traditional way.. but not needed totally.But that doesnt add or take anything away from the DJ doing the research.

Well I dont do mash up . but I do play hard electro and progressive even dance house tracks where my mixes are 2mins long to let the songs play off of eachother.and accent one another. Taking vocals from the 1st track and playing with the beat and melody of the incoming track and vice versa. If the track is long enough I will sample a simliar sounding song in for about 30secs to a min.. then bring on another Full track.

I dont really work hard behind the tables because house tracks and progressive house tracks are about 7mins long.. 2 mins in and 2 mins out. so i have 2-3 minutes to look for the next track.. cue it.. . then match it. and bring it in.. I dont have skills just yet to play around with 3 tables at the same time like Digital Boy and Faarsheed.

I do like to play for the crowd, I do like seeing them react to a track they havent heard in awhile that brings them back in time.. or exposing them to a new hard track that makes them go OOOOOOHHH SHEEEAAATT!!..

I also like taking a request that someone has.. but playing a remixed version of it to sweeten it up and show some how versatile i can be.

I dont have much exposure, but im not an unknown DJ either.. so i am learning the ropes of the industry still.But I do know what my peeps like to hear.Maybe in a year you will hear of me and want to come check me out and maybe i might be a DJ that you can remember because of how I do my thang.

[greenie]

For me it's allllllll about the music. If a DJ plays an great set the very first time I hear them in person, then I remember their name.

If anything, I tend to respect the DJs that keep everything else (name, clothes, whatever) basic but read and respond to the crowd. Joey Mazzola is probably the best & most recent example of this for me.

[Guest miztinsel]

To me, flawless mixing, personal energy to match and carry the crowd, and track selection that moves and influences the flow of the night. DJs that start hard and don't let up sometimes scare people away. Djs that start soft and stay there for too long bore the crowd and can't keep them there either. A nice mix of ups and downs and waves adjusting the energy of the music being played gets the crowd going nicely. Start them off easy. As the place gets busier, so should the music. As the crowd gets excited, give them more. But don't bang the shit out of their ears either. A good DJ will adjust to the needs of the room. Not by playing "top hits" but by track levels, styles, and speed and doing this all without trainwrecking. I also like DJs that throw in songs that may not be as popular, but throw them in at the right time so everyone in the place goes nuts wondering "damn, what track IS this? I have to know!"

[vegasbabie]

Not to start an argument here, but I find your position to be quite interesting, Vegasbabie, since in another recent thread in which you were putting down djs who played radio hits you said..

I've been saying all along its pointless to insult djs because they don't play old school or use vinyl. It's all about playing what people WANT to hear and blending / programming in a way that sounds good and causes reactions. Even if it's based on RADIO hits and recurrents

Wow...I didn't know that you were that interested in my opinions. I think someone likes me...

Okay just to clear something straight DJ OutoftheBox. I wasn't putting down DJs that play radio hits. I wasn't putting down any DJs except for Masterweb. Because I know that he's doing it to get attention and make money, he "tries" too hard to impress. I don't know how many times I said I like all the dirty south they play on the radio....when I am drunk and just want to get "crunk". But a DJ should extend beyond just playing one type of music.

Sorry, I was trying to be short...but damn I didn't know that you would go that route. There is a difference of being a good dj @ at a party and a TRUE dj at heart. Understand?

Just let it go!!!!

[outofthebox]

Vegasbabies, you really are a piece of work. So what nights do you spin and where? Oh wait, you remain anonymous but also act like you're an authority.

[vegasbabie]

Vegasbabies, you really are a piece of work. So what nights do you spin and where? Oh wait, you remain anonymous but also act like you're an authority.

Me?? A peice of work? Why thank you!!! You are so kind.

Authority? Authority of what?

And what do you do?

Sorry I can't tell you what night I am spinning because I don't like to bring drama to my work. Messageboard is one thing (entertainment), but my DJing career is worth more than this. But if you really want to know who I am then go to the Magic Convention. I'll be djing there every day.

[outofthebox]

I'm actually not looking to start drama at your work. I'm just curious who you are since you ANONYMOUSLY bash another in the industry, something that is quite unprofessional in my opinion. We can argue all day about djing and music selection, etc., however you claim to be part of the industry so it would be nice if you would stand behind your opinion like a professional, not an anonymous coward. I personally am a nobody in the local industry. I just support people with whom I am close and the scene that I personally enjoy.

[outofthebox]

Besides I already know who you are... DJ Supra aka Shauna aka PlurKittie. Don't worry this stays on the message board, not your places of work.

By the way, it's a bit ironic that you say kind words about OPM on Napkinnights whenever you shoot photos there But it also explains one of the reasons you may judge DJMW the way you do. You shoot photos at OPM before 2am and you probably never experience the artistic portion of their night. You get to see the warmup when they play the bigger radio hits.

Anyway don't be a hater. You have done a lot of good work in this town. Some people look at things differently than you. It's not worth getting bent out of shape because people don't include the original culture in the current version of a scene.

I also often wonder why you don't share your opinion about Serato whenever Freeze DISRESPECTS every DJ who uses it. YOU yourself are now learning to use it. Do you only anonymously stand up for your opinions when you think the target of your argument doesn't know who you are?

[marcblemberg]

What make a dj great is .

1) creating your own mixes.

2) give the crowd a show.

3) learn how to scratch.

4)make sure all mixes are clean.

5)More important then anything,don't listen to out box.

Mr freeze

rock steady crew

[djbrandon]

[4)make sure all mixes are clean.

For sure. Nothing to kill the vibe like when a mix sounds like shoes in a dryer "thump thump ...thump thump thump...thump"

[djsienpileggi]

I knew this was a stupid topic. .we have drifted way off course Gilligan.!

Appreciate all comments and opinions.. but i wasnt asking how to be a good DJ, every DJ has their own little flare that makes them good.

Although I have never met Supra, I know of her through my friend Miss Joy.I am not into the downtempo stuff, so i havent heard her play live. But she must be good if she landed a gig at Studio 54 and ICE and Tao. so props to her on that.

as far as mixing clean.. Even the superstar DJs make mistakes .. and some up and coming djs mix better than the superstars.

But we have all had that unforseen element take our perfect mix and trash it.. a piece of lint.. or an invisible scratch on vinyl or cd.. or someone having a great time to the music get a little too close to the dj booth and KAPLUNK!KAPLUNK!KAPLUNK!KAPLUNK!

[vegasbabie]

what is your original topic then? I'm confused.

[djsienpileggi]

so whos your favorite team for the superbowl? THe Bulls or the Astros?