Re: Wake Up Folks!

Joe Spaeth (jspaeth@unm.edu)
Fri, 12 Jan 1996 09:11:22 -0700


I've been reading this thread. The concept of DJ's as musicians/producers
and turntables as musical instruments is true and, I believe, will become
increasingly more common not just with regards to hip-hop, Acid Jazz, etc,
but also in some lines of rock and pop as well. There is no doubt that a
very creative DJ can change the entire mood of a piece.

My biggest problem stems from the fact that a turntable as a musical
instrument is not at all like a piano or a trumpet. When Freddie Hubbard
plays a note on his trumpet, the air blowing through the horn is not from
Miles Davis' lungs. DJ's would have no or very few sounds available to
them if it were not for a long, rich history of work being handed down to
them in the form of recorded music. My only point, and this has been said
before, is that I believe credit needs to be given to the pioneer whose
work is being re-used.

If you believe that my argument demonstrates a lack of understanding of how
a DJ samples old rare grooves, please don't flame...enlighten!--Joe