St. Augustine and the DJing dilemma (Part 2)

Quite some time ago, I posted about the local scene here in Saint Augustine (and no, this was not the post about the venue I had a nightmare of an experience with)... and with the events that have transpired over the past few months, I'm thinking maybe its time to amend my post, and/or update my view of the local landscape (so to speak).

First and foremost, the fellas from Classic Blends have taken me in, and for that, I'm definitely greatful. Both Hu and Natural are great guys, good DJs, and stand-up businessmen. They've invited me to play multiple parties, given me carte blanche in regards to music selection, and generally been very supportive of me as a DJ, as well as supporting my radio show. For the first time in a long time, I'm attaching Subliminal Messages' name to an event, in collaboration with them, so I imagine that should put into perspective how our working relationship has developed.

I'd also like to take the opportunity to shout out DJ Josh Frazetta and Mardi Gras Mike for their support and friendship as well... and of course, Raggamuffin still holds me down, and gets my sincere and deep respect.

Now, on to the heart of why I felt inclined to write...

I'm not going to be inflating my ego here, but I have gotten close to a breaking point with the localized drama. These "DJs" around town, shooting their mouth off about being the "real" DJs in town in regards to their music, and "mixing" has brought out a seriously disturbing side of my personality. Honestly, I'm not an angry person by most definitions of the word... and I really do dislike BS like this, but I just can't help but to say something - even if it is strictly on a blog post that most people won't read. Even still, in keeping with my own rule of not "naming names," I'll briefly explain my gripes.

First and foremost: Keep my name out of your mouth unless you've got something worthwhile to say. Its the age old "if you don't have anything nice to say" rule.
You want to critique my mixing? Fine. You want to critique my radio show? No problem. You want to critique the events I throw? All good. You want to talk s*** about me to people I may or may not know, just to make yourself feel better about your lack of skill and talent? Now we have a problem. Oh, and when you call yourself the "only local source for electronic music," we've got some serious issues.

Now, I'm one of those people who believe that if you don't have haters, you're not doing something right. So, based on my own mantra, and the immense amount of 'hate' coming from these "DJs," I guess we're really making some waves. (And yes, I keep placing "DJs" in quotes because I feel like referring to these guys as actual DJs cheapens the term for those of us who didn't just give ourselves the title.)

Hu, Natural and I did an interview for a local publication last night. I'd like to re-iterate one of the main points of conversation: DJing is an art. Its work. It takes years of practice and paying dues. Its more than just grabbing some music and playing random tunes for people in a room. "Real" DJs spent years of their lives in bedrooms, living rooms, garages and basements, playing music for no one, perfecting their craft, tightening their skills, and learning their music. They've gone through thousands of dollars of equipment, and even more in records (read: actual records... you know, those things no one buys anymore), simply because they enjoy DJing... and not for people, but for themselves. I can't tell you how many times I've played a 3 hour set to an empty room. I'm sure my dog enjoyed it (actually, he probably hated it), but the only reason I was doing it was because it made me happy... Not because I expected to get a gig. Not because I wanted to get paid. Not because I wanted to be a star. I did it because it was something that I could lose myself in, and really feel one with the music.

These "DJs" expect to be top-billed and center stage. They want prime timeslots, and no one to tell them what to play or how to play it. Well, I'm sorry fellas, but there are still some of us out here who remember what its like to be a real DJ: to show up to a venue week in and week out, begging the owner or promoter for a chance to get just 15 minutes to show what you could do. I remember working for free for weeks or months, playing and promoting three to four gigs a week, hoping your time and effort would eventually land you something as simple as an invitation to come back or maybe - if you were lucky - a free drink.

Even more, I've yet to be impressed by these jokers. Seriously, you can that "mixing?" When you literally fade in one tune over a breakdown, you're not mixing, simple as that. Try a little something we like to call "beatmatching," then come talk to me. Let your mix roll for 8, 16, 32 or even 64 measures (if you even know what that means), and maybe we'll have some equal footing to stand on. And while we're at it, your software automatically syncing your tunes to the same speed definitely does not make you a DJ. Re-dubbing your tunes to the same BPM? That's cheating too... just in case you were wondering.

Do this: take two turntables (those are record players, by the way - quit calling your CDJs "turntables"), two tunes and a mixer, beatmatch them, create a quality mix, and while you're doing that, read your crowd and pay attention to the vibe. If you can't do that, please refrain from referring to yourself as a DJ. You're making the rest of us look like chumps. And while you're at it, you may want to reconsider that name, homie... a little tongue-in-cheek is fine, but you're actually serious, and that's just depressing. (And I'm not hating on CDJs at all... we're all happy we don't have to lug around 100+ lbs. of records, but the looping effect to cover your off-beat mixes just makes it more painful to listen to. Its called a "trainwreck," and you just did it.)

Yes, I am speaking to specific folks out there. There are literally hundreds of thousands of DJs in this world - and I'd say 80% or more are better at it than I am, without question... but you guys? You're not even in the same sport, let alone in my league, so go enjoy your pseudo-status as a "DJ," and I'll keep my head low, keep on my grind, and keep doing what I do... like it or not.

Come see us some time... We'll even give you a free lesson.

Posted via email from Adding To The Clutter

Music of the... since whenever I posted one last?

For a while there, I was doing one of these every week - and in a perfect world, I'd love to continue that tradition... but as we all know, its not a perfect world. :)

There have been a ton of releases since I last posted about them, but these are some of the things in heavy rotation for me recently:

First and foremost, I seriously can't get enough of this Eskmo LP on Ninja Tune. Bloody hell. I mean, its like nothing I've ever heard, and I'm all about it. (As I post this, the tune "My Gears Are Starting To Tremble" is on - LOVE IT, but too short a song, in my opinion)

If you're not familiar, Eskmo is the moniker of San Franciscan Brendan Angelides, who has released for Warp Records and Project Mu before being signed to Ninja Tune for the release of his self-titled debut LP. The album's bpm is about 85% "dubstep" (in that the beats are in the 70/140 range), with some ventures into "hip-hop's" 80-100 bpm territory.

One of the two major things that separates Eskmo's music from the norm is his extremely original percussion sounds; consisting of a combination of organic and syntheitic sounds, both glitched-out and straightforward... but the defining difference for me is Brendan's vocals. His voice is a bit creepy but still inviting, and have this ability to invoke a very emotional response without being typically cheesy. The lyrics are "abstract," but in as much that they are able to have their meanings taken differently, depending on the listener (and mood thereof, for that matter).

This one is going down as one of my picks for Album of the Year, without question.
Eskmo - Official Site

I've also been listening a lot to the album from Shobaleader One, "d'Demonstrator," which is out now on Warp Records.

Shobaleader One is a new musical venture from the production genius Tom Jenkinson aka Squarepusher. Shobaleader One is a band, but not your average band by any means. Tom puts it best in his explaination of the band here, and pretty much says it all with that little Q&A, so I won't go too much into the details.

Not surprisingly, I'm not as into the single as the rest of the LP, but I'm always excited for a new Squarepusher release, and this one came out of nowhere as well as being something completely different from his usual output, so it was a great surprise.
Shobaleader One - Official Site

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Ram Records head honcho Andy C's newest entry in the Nightlife mix series. Nightlife 5 is absolutely stupendous. They don't call him "The Executioner" for no reason. Seriously, Andy? 35+ tracks on one mix CD? And a whole second mix to boot?? LEGEND. For real. If you're a DnB fan, and one, if not all, of Andy's mixes aren't in your collection, I don't know what you're doing.
Andy C on Discogs

Ok. That's all for now... I really shouldn't be blogging from work (shhh - don't tell anyone!), so I'm off to pretend to do something productive.

 

 

Posted via email from Adding To The Clutter

Laughed my ass off

Came across this online.

Initially, it made me laugh my ass off, but I don't think there was any reason for it to go on for so long.
A verse, maybe two, but a full-length song? Might be a little much.

[possibly NSFW due to language]

Posted via email from Adding To The Clutter

Eminem to appear on 60 Minutes.

This video is just one of the reasons he's friggin awesome.

I'm actually looking forward to watching this interview... and I haven't watched an episode of 60 Minutes in, well, I've never watched an episode.

Posted via email from Adding To The Clutter

A Musical Dilemma

A recent conversation with an old friend - someone who is deeply embedded in the electronic music scene - got me thinking about our (read: everyone's) tastes in music, and how they evolve as time goes by.

He mentioned that he had recently been into a specific genre of EDM, but his tastes were pulling him away from it; he just couldn't get into it so much now as he did in past months/years. This was definitely not a foreign concept to me, as I’ve gone through plenty of these phases before. Hell, there have been times that music in general has just been something I couldn’t find the right “groove” in anymore… granted, it never takes me long to get right back in, but its happened.

The strange thing (as far as I was concerned) was that the music he was no longer “feeling” was a genre of EDM that I feel is as healthy as its been in years: enormous diversity, new upcoming producers willing to try something new, and a shift in where the more “mainstream” output of the genre is headed.

He said he felt it was a tempo thing… which made me question if it might simply be overload. I mean, this is a guy who works with producers and DJs day in and day out, and I’m just thinking it’s the static BPM that he’s listening to that might be the culprit.

I wonder sometimes if we overload our ears with one specific genre of music, and that’s where these ‘genre funks’ come from. As I’ve said plenty of times before, I’m a total drum & bass fanatic. There’s something about that 170-180 bpm tempo that just speaks to me… but in the same breath, I listen to absolutely anything and everything, and try to make it a point to not over-do it with the dnb, making sure I have a varied diet of music in my day-to-day.

I’m interested because I definitely don’t want to see him walk away from what he does, but I also want him to see how healthy this form of music is, and how its evolution is opening doors to new fans and new directions for the music. I also understand the need to branch out and see (hear) what else is out there – especially with EDM in general being in such a great place right now, both musically and culturally.

Is this something that happens to you as well? Do you get genre overload? Is there a way you’ve found to snap yourself out of it, or is it just a matter of going through these phases to eventually come back to a genre that might have been “on the outs” for you?

Hit me up on Twitter or comment here with your thoughts. I’m very interested to know what others think about this “phenomenon,” and how they’ve overcome the same challenges when it comes to our musical tastes.

Posted via email from Adding To The Clutter

A quick note regarding yesterday's post

Wow. Quite a reaction from yesterday's blog. Honestly, I didn't expect to hear so many responses to it, and I'm torn as to whether or not its a good thing.

Allow me to clarify a few things, if you would:

1. I purposely left out names of all parties involved (minus Brian, as he has done nothing but been a friend and partner since I moved here) due to the fact that I really don't like drama. Believe it or not, I want to work at this venue, and I still think they have a ton of potential. Sure, my experience was unfortunate, but these things happen, and I think a meeting to discuss the issue and/or an opportunity to explain both sides of the situation could work wonders to solving the problem.

2. I don't believe in bashing other DJs, but sometimes I just can't keep my mouth shut. Blame it on my upbringing, being a Leo, whatever... but when someone is taking jobs away from people who have worked hard and proven that they deserve an opportunity, simply because he happens to be friends with someone, it upsets me. Sure, I've been given gigs because of who I know and not necessarily because of my abilities, but I've always been willing to give another DJ a shot to prove themselves - even if it means I make a little less money or get a little less exposure. We work in a very small scene here: I've constantly said that our sandbox is too small to have beef with another DJ. That being said...

3. I never claimed to be a great DJ. I've worked with some of the best DJs in the business (in my opinion), and I know my limitations and how I rate next to other DJs. I'm very humble when it comes to skill, talent and showmanship... but I also know what those things are and how important that are to our profession. I believe that DJing is a job. It may be one of the best jobs in the world, but its a job none the less. As a DJ, you've been hired to work. I think sometimes DJs forget that: playing music for an audience is WORK. You're not there to party - you're there to do a job, plain and simple. I've seen DJs who bust their asses for hours on end, pouring their heart and soul into what they're doing, but also being able to enjoy themselves... and a good DJ does just that. But they do it knowing that its work, not a social event. Sure, we all have a drink from time to time throughout the night - I'm as guilty as the next guy: asking for a drink before, during and especially after a set. But I don't get wasted behind the decks. And no DJ should. Its unprofessional and just plain disrespectful to the people paying you (both the venue/promoter and the audience).

I do appreciate all the comments, feedback and input, and believe me: my feelings on the subject don't necessarily mean that there isn't another side to this story. I'm more than open to hear from the venue, owners, or other DJs involved, and discuss the situation and come to a logical and mutually beneficial solution... But something tells me that may not happen.

Posted via email from Adding To The Clutter

So there's this new club in town...

I know its a rare occurrence that I'm posting new blogs now-a-days - and God only knows how many people even remotely care about what I have to say - but there's something that's been bugging me for a while now, and I feel that if I don't get it off my chest, it'll just make me bitter... well, more bitter, maybe. It'll be a long one, but here goes...

About 2 or 3 months ago, I got a phone call from a guy who was given my info by someone who had heard me DJ an event here in town. The call came in about 10:30 on a Tuesday night. Now I don't know about most of you, but at 10:30 at night, I'm not really in the mindset to talk business... but be that as it may, he wanted to talk about this new club he was opening, and having me involved based on my reputation locally (as well as the fact that I'm on the radio at least 2-3 days a week, I'm sure). So we spoke, exchanged info, and kept in touch here and there as the opening of the club was approaching.

Fast forward to 6 weeks ago.

I got an invite to go in and meet the owner on their first night. The club was beautiful. The atmosphere... the look of the place... the whole thing reminded me of being home (read: South Florida, for those of you who have no idea where I'm from originally). The sound system was a little lacking, but I figured that just had to do with growing pains, first night of working out the bugs, etc. That being said, there were two DJs going 5 for 5 (or so), and one of them was far better than the other - there was an obvious difference between the two that even the girl I was with (who is no expert) noticed it right away.

I spoke for a few minutes with the owner, who told me about their plans for the place, and what type of vibe they were looking to create, etc. He seemed to have a pretty good vision for what they wanted to do - and Lord knows we need a proper venue here in St. Augustine. The girl and I hung out for a while, and as the night went on, the place got pretty busy... especially considering it was their "soft opening," and they had done little to no promotion yet (most of the promo was basically word of mouth - news travels pretty fast in this little town of ours). As far as I could tell, the place definitely had potential, and I wanted in.

A about a week later, my friend Brian (Raggamuffin) was DJing there, so I headed back. I spoke more to the owner about coming in and playing. He told me the DJ they had in on Friday nights just wasn't cutting it, he wanted to bring someone else in, and basically offered me the night. Of course, I accepted graciously - I mean, what DJ worth their salt turns down a Friday night residency? He said we'd be a go for that Friday (it was Sunday night that we spoke). It goes without saying, but I was amped. It had been a while since I held a residency - I'd been playing gigs here and there, and still doing Subliminal Messages every week - and I was excited to get back into the swing of things. When we spoke, I explained to him that the DJ he heard on our local pop station was not the DJ he'd get on Friday nights. Sure, I'd play hits - I know this town isn't ready for DnB and dubstep on Friday night - but I'd be playing remixes and mashups... basically "party music," but not the radio versions. He said that was exactly what he wanted, but also asked if I could throw a little promo mix together for him, just so he knew what to expect on Friday. I figured that wasn't asking too much - even though I have 5 studio mixes and over 3 years of radio show archives on my website he could've checked out - so I threw together a 45 minute, one-take mix for him to download and listen to. I emailed him a link on Wednesday night, and asked him to call me once he gave it a listen.

Let's jump to Friday... after I had promoted the hell out of me playing there via Subliminal Messages, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

I called him around lunchtime to check in, make sure everything was still as we discussed, as I hadn't heard anything from him since we spoke that previous Sunday. Voicemail. I called again when I was on my way home from the radio station (around 4:30). Voicemail. Then, I called Brian (Ragga) to ask him if he'd be willing to meet me at the club a little early to soundcheck, as I wanted to be sure that the setup was ready to go. Of course, he said he would, so we planned to meet there around 7. I had not even put my cell phone back in my pocket when it rang: the club owner was finally calling me back.

He was calling to let me know we were going to push my gig to the next week... at 6pm the night I thought I was supposed to be DJing. He told me he had booked another DJ to play that night. I informed him that I'd been promoting it all week, talked about it on my radio show, had a ton of callers who asked for details and made plans to come out, and also had a bunch of my friends who were planning to head out there for their first time - because I was supposed to be the DJ. Long story short: he called the other DJ who he'd double-booked me with, and the two of us agreed to split the night, and take a little less money than we'd both negotiated.

I got to the club at 7 to soundcheck... the DJ booth was (for lack of a better term) a complete clusterfuck. The CDJs and mixer that I was told would be there had been unplugged and moved off to the side, and the other DJ had set up two 1200s and his own mixer, plugged in to his Serato (which, of course, was what I was planning on using, but on my laptop with my own music - I had planned on playing 4-5 hours, remind you). Unfortunately, the DJ booth was an afterthought when the owners renovated the building, so the turntables were picking up massive vibrations from the subs, and Serato wouldn't run correctly. After attempting to troubleshoot the issue, we decided it would just make more sense to scrap his 1200s and re-plug in the CDJs. at almost 8:30 (doors scheduled to open at 9). So in a massive hurry, Ragga and I re-wired the booth for the CDJs, with barely enough time to have music on when the first few people were coming in. It should go without saying that I had no plans to be there since 7, so I was still in my work clothes, and without some of the things I always have with me when I DJ (sweat band, towel, water bottle, etc.)... Luckily, I had my laptop and my headphones in the car. I should also mention that I hadn't eaten lunch or dinner that day. The other DJ said he was going to go home, shower and change, and he'd be back "in a little while." He was kind enough to offer to bring me back some food and a bottle of water, and I took him up on it.

2 hours later, he returned. It was a welcome sight. At that point, I just wanted to slam down some food, and smoke a cigarette... but the other DJ forgot to inform us that he'd never played on CDJs and had no idea how they worked (which I found a little tough to believe), so he was going to "let" me play the whole night. Mixed feelings aside, I'm a professional, so I just kept on doing my thing.

Around 10:45-11pm, one of the other owners came into the booth. There were probably 50-75 people there at this point (in a club that easily packs in 500), and he just wanted to BS for a minute, make sure I was doing ok and find out if I needed anything - a rare thing for an owner to do, but when your owners are also managers/promoters, I figured it was a nice gesture.

About 10 minutes after that, the "head of security" came into the booth (a guy I'd never seen before), telling me that I "need to get people dancing." Now, basic psychology (and years of experience doing this) told me that you can't get 100 people dancing at 11 o'clock when the club appears to be more than half empty... he "suggested" I start playing hip-hop, so I did. A number of hits from Pharcyde, KRS-One, Ludacris, Jay-Z and even Ying-Yang twins later, still nothing... a few girls bouncing around a bit, but nothing too major. Then, the security guy came back and told me I had to get people dancing and I needed change it up... not necessarily what I want to hear from a security guard. 10 minutes later, another "owner" (yet another person I'd never seen before) came into the booth and, when I was in the middle of a mix - headphones on, hands on the mixer/CDJ - starts tapping me on the shoulder. He told me to play "dance music." So I transitioned out of hip-hop and into (no joke) "Boom Boom Pow." I figured it doesn't get much more "dance music" than that. Not even two songs later, the "owner" is back in the booth - again, tapping me on the shoulder during a mix - and says, "This isn't dance music. This is like hip-hop rock techno shit. You gotta do something else." I was playing a remix of "Birthday Sex." Really?

At this point, it's about 11:45 and I'd venture that there was 150-200 people there... with about 40% of them moving to the music. Not a bad ratio considering how this town is (read: not lot of dancing to be found). The "owner" is now hovering behind me, watching over my shoulder - one thing almost every DJ will tell you is not a comfortable position to be in... especially in a booth this size. He keeps telling me I need to get people dancing, to which I reply, "I've played house, breaks, b-more, electro, and hip-hop... there's not much else I can try at this point. Just let the alcohol do it's job. Give it time." He doesn't.

Around 12:30, he comes back into the booth with "his boy," the DJ who - according to the original owner I had been dealing with - wasn't cutting it, and he proceeds to tell me he's going to take over. Problem being that at this point, I've got a pretty decent group gathered on the dancefloor, and people have begun streaming through the doors... I had just started to stop holding back and had begun to play my go-to gems in my library and slamming them with the stuff that blows up the dancefloor.

But, I came to find out, the equipment I was playing on didn't belong to the club, but the DJ that was going to take over - and we all know how badly things can go from here: if I were to tell him to piss off, that I was booked, its my night, and I was going to finish it out, he could've proceeded to unplug the equipment and take it away - it was his, after all. So, tired and frustrated, I simply gave up. I spun in my last tune - which killed, by the way - and started packing up.

Never, in my 12 years of DJing in a club environment had I ever been "kicked off" the decks. I've played plenty of "opening" slots - for acts like AK1200, Icey and Dieselboy to name a few - and I know the difference between playing for an hour and playing all night, opening compared to closing, etc., but I had never warmed up a crowd for 3+ hours to have a DJ come on (read: take over) and play the same type of music I was playing!

Worst of all, this guy is not a good DJ. His mixes are sub-par at best, his track selection has a lot to be desired, and he's got no flow whatsoever. On top of all that, he's not well liked - by DJs or by partygoers. He's known to be shady. He's known to act like a rock star. Seriously dude, you're not in a rap video: the bottles of champagne in the DJ booth? Not a good look. (And definitely not a good thing when you spill a bottle on the main mixing console for the club... well done, buddy.)

When I left the booth (and proceeded to take full advantage of my bar tab), I got nothing but compliments on my set, and was asked more than I care to remember why I wasn't playing anymore - especially now that the place was packed, and was getting complaints about the music and mixing from the guy who took over. It was just one of those nights...

A week later, I was asked by another local promoter/DJ to come out and play a set at his Friday night weekly - and as I hadn't gotten any calls back from the club where I was supposed to be a Friday night resident - I took it... and absolutely smashed the place.

I tried for about two weeks after this whole debacle to be in touch with the original guy I spoke with - the one who sought me out and I had been dealing with exclusively until the night of the gig - and I still haven't gotten a phone call, email, text message, or anything else back from this guy. Ragga was doing Sunday nights there, and come to find out, this past Sunday, Ragga shows up to play and no one is even there. The doors are locked, lights are off, and no one called to tell him they'd cancelled his night. I've also been told that they were a no-show on Tuesday night as well - which they'd been promoting as our only local "Latin Night." There have also been rumors flying around town about the club pulling some other shady business that I won't repost here, as I can't speak to the validity of the accusations.

What I can tell you is this: I lived in South Florida for 25+ years, and worked as a DJ for 10 of those, and never had anything close to the bad experience I've had here. Maybe I was spoiled. Maybe I'm over-thinking it. But maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm just a DJ who loves music, loves to play, and wants to work... and I guess that makes me a magnet for the few guys that give our scene and our industry a black eye.

Or maybe not. I guess the future will tell... but hopefully it doesn't get interrupted in the middle of a mix to be told what to do by someone who has no idea what they're talking about... and then can't get a call back to save its life.

DISCLAIMER: If you're reading this and feel like any or all of it is directed at you, you're probably right... but I'm really a pretty nice guy deep down. All it takes is a phone call to make things better - or at least start the healing process. Just sayin.

Posted via email from Adding To The Clutter