Dirk van den Heuvel (dirkv@groovedis.com)
Wed, 8 Sep 1999 19:40:11 -0500
Some good questions..
Q.What do you look for in a live dj set?
A. Good music mixed well. By mixed well I also mean appropriately, i.e. I
don't expect a rare groove/acid jazz set to be beatmixed but I do expect a
house or techno set to be. I don't want to hear a lot of scratching and
tricks during a house set but don't mind it during a hip-hop or downtempo
set. Basically I want to be entertained by the music and the deejay (except
in rare cases) should be the invisible, Wizard of Oz behind the curtain (so
to speak).
Q. Do you have different preconceptions of dj's who spin one form of music
A. Yes. My expectation of technical skills and presentation vary depending
on the type of music, crowd, and venue. But I always expect good,
challenging music.
Q. Do djs always have to spin the latest cool releases?
A. It depends on what you mean by latest and cool? If you mean they have to
play every hit or trendy track out, then the answer is no. If you mean
should they always be on the prowl for cool new music to expose their
audience to HELL YES. Deejays who coast on last month or last year's records
are lazy and don't help perpetuate the scene (i.e. if no one buys the new
music and no on plays and exposes the new music, there won't be much new
music...)
Q. Beat mixing or a selector is more important.
A. Trick question--they're both important. But if I have to choose I'll
always pick selection. ALWAYS.
Q. CD or vinyl? Why?
A. Doesn't matter.
Q. Are djs paid enough?
A. Some deejays are dramatically overpaid while others are living in virtual
slavery. It depends on the dj, club and venue. When I hear of deejays
working "big" clubs for $50-100 a night I cringe, but I also cringe when I
hear about the trendy super jock getting $5,000-10,000 for a couple hours
work.
Dirk van den Heuvel (dirkv@groovedis.com)
Groove Distribution
www.groovedis.com
Your Guide To The Underground
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