From my mind to yours. Technology is what keeps things interesting as far as playing records is concerned, is it not? The layering and punctuation of the machines in order to edit and effectively remix on the fly is something that all DJs should aspire to. Otherwise where’s the artistry, the craft? There must be more to this lark than simply playing one record after another with, if you’re lucky, enough sequencing skill to make the connections inconspicuous. Having said that, it’s really not that important, depending on the audience and the aim. The quest for seamless perfection and, at the same time, showing off, is eternal. Letting the music speak for itself isn’t always at the top of everyone’s priorities. It’s probably just as cliched to say that if the track is good enough in the first place, why arse about with it? This isn’t necessarily wrong, but unless something is being added it’s unnecessary. I think it’s more acceptable the further back you go, and the more antiquated your equipment is. The analogue age invited this sort of interpretation because of its tactile nature. It’s all about pushing buttons nowadays though, and that obviously means that there is a certain distance between DJ and music. And then you’ve got EQing. Unless records have been badly produced their often extreme manipulation doesn’t really add anything. That doesn’t mean it’s always wrong though. In the hands of a master the ability to stretch, drop in and out and overlay can change a tune the listener is indifferent to into a sonic bomb. However, I don’t want what I am waffling on about to be confused with mixing. A skill that nonplusses a lot of modern DJs. It should be to playing other people’s records as drawing is to painting. Unless a good foundation of beatmatching and coordination can be proven, then sync buttons should be off limits. Similarly, playlists should be banned until the DJ can prove that they are able to instinctively select the correct record from a huge pile, in the dark and wearing boxing gloves. This would, consequently, manifest a sixth sense. That instinctive ability to choose the correct track for the occasion or moment by simply reaching into the void and inexplicably laying hands on it. Knowledge like this isn’t acquired by accident. It’s the cumulative result of years spent in record shops, as well as (more so nowadays) being permanently plugged in to the sonic realms of cyberspace. Maybe I’m only coming out with all of this because I don’t really engage much with digital DJing beyond a rudimentary level. I understand its general concepts but lack the patience to engage too deeply. Maybe this will change. Vinyl for me will always be important, but it hasn’t been vital for a long time. Moreover, I think vinyl only labels are doing everyone a disservice and don’t see hos there is any more mileage in them. Not only are there backlogs at pressing plants, but they are now longer environmentally sustainable. So vinyl, a weapon of nostalgia; a prop of misplaced authenticity; a dance music staple . . . but paradoxically because of its tactility and street credibility. The message is more important than the medium, and there is room for both creativity and reverence.
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