quoted 6 lines This is _exactly_ what I'm talking about. Right now, you _have_ to be a>This is _exactly_ what I'm talking about. Right now, you _have_ to be a
>technically good dj before you can start improving on such things as
>composition, logic of progression, tonality, etc. This makes dj'ing
>something limited to those who have the time and effort to first learn the
>technical art of being a dj. New technological advancements could
>democratize the industry and 'kill it' in a way.
i think i've basically lost track of where this discussion is going.
so permit me to ramble off into the twilight zone for a while...
you're basically talking about destroying the barrier between musician
and DJ. there won't be any need for records in this scenario - be
they on CD *or* vinyl. all you will need are raw "groove elements."
imagine an integrated unit: punch up a beat, punch in some trancey
acid stuff on top, or punch in some housey stuff, or whatever.
beatmatching as a skill will vanish because it will all be automatic
and computer-controlled. type in "127 BPM, key of E flat" and the DSP
in the system automatically processes all the "groove elements" to fit
into that tempo and key. and why not... that's basically how a lot of
people write their songs these days anyway. integrate a 909 & 303
emulator into the unit and nobody will ever need to buy another record
again.
house musicians won't release records, they'll release disks with more
elements for the system on them. this is already extremely common in
the techno realm - check out the ads for sample CDs in any electronic
musician magazine some time.
i don't know what i'd call this sort of activity - it's a cross
between DJing, remixing and laying tracks all at the same time. we
need a new word for it.
is this a bad thing? nope. it will undoubtedly be prone to the same
problems as every other public musical activity. and it will
undoubtedly attract a lot of people who want to become overnight
sensations rather than put the serious work into it.
quoted 6 lines The derisive snort is also exactly what I'm talking about. DJ's> The derisive snort is also exactly what I'm talking about. DJ's
>realize that being a good, recognized DJ means something. It means you've
>proven yourself in a way most others can't. In my version of the future,
>being a good, recognized DJ won't mean that you had negotiated any rite of
>passage but simply that you have what it takes up top - an emphasis I would
>like to see more of.
well, personally, i like the rite of passage aspect. permit me to get
snotty for a moment, but there are far too many people out there who
think that a a couple of 1200s and a crate full of the latest on
Rising High somehow automatically makes them a good DJ. and i suspect
the same will be true in my future envisioned above. i don't *want*
everyone to be equal. equality breeds mediocrity - read kurt
vonnegut's short story "harrison bergeron" for a depiction of this
idea taken to insane extremes.
the tool can make certain mechanical aspects simpler - you wouldn't
want to carve a sculpture with a sharpened rock when you could have a
chisel - but some flavor of training is important. to me, anyway.
i do value the DIY 'punk' feel of techno but you can't tell me that it
doesn't lead to a slew of crap records either.
this "anyone with a 909 & 303" can make a record stuff is ridiculous.
just like "anyone with a few turntables can be a DJ"... it just ain't
so.
Jon Drukman jdrukman%dlsun87@oracle.com
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This calls for a very special blend of psychology and extreme violence.