Selling my soul to the devil

three · Post by **three** » Wed May 14, 2008 1:30 am

Silverfish wrote:@ starving student: I'm pretty sure there are like three people in Iowa that know the difference. It's kind of like when I try to explain the type of music I produce: to everybody around here, it's techno (even when it clearly isn't).

gawd, i wish you guys would finally get a durn grip. everybody knows that TECHNO mean muzak that was made with TECHNOLOGY.

you think those beeps and bleeps are natural? well of course not, and god doesn't think so either! so i would thank you to accept this convenient label so i don't have to listen to it backwards and see if there are any demonic voices.

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Wed May 14, 2008 5:57 am

They are going to PAY you MONEY to play MUSIC and make people HAPPY...

What's not to like?

I thought you were about to go for a career in advertising, or something...

spkey · Post by **spkey** » Wed May 14, 2008 12:34 pm

Khazul wrote:Yes - take the job and play your normal stuff instead.

Or take the job and shoot yerself.

Or tell them to get some taste or f*** off.

taking the job and playing his normal stuff (IDM) is the same as taking the job and shooting himself.

three · Post by **three** » Wed May 14, 2008 12:38 pm

spkey wrote:
Khazul wrote:Yes - take the job and play your normal stuff instead.

Or take the job and shoot yerself.

Or tell them to get some taste or f*** off.
taking the job and playing his normal stuff (IDM) is the same as taking the job and shooting himself.

No, it's significantly worse. If you shoot yourself it's over pretty quickly, and no matter what happens you can be sure it was more interesting than dying in your sleep.

If he plays them his music, they may well try to heal him, which is far worse and takes far longer.

chris

andydes · Post by **andydes** » Wed May 14, 2008 1:03 pm

Treat it as a challenge.

Sure you could just turn up with all the standard hip hop tracks they'd expect to hear and play a set you're not into.

Or you could try and find some hip hop you like (there must be some), mix it up with some other stuff and make it a bit more original. Try to do something that will go down well with the bar, the punters and yourself.

Obviously you'll still some stock big hits to play or at least have ready. But there's lots of different directions you can go with hip hop, maybe start off with some pretty chilled jazzy hip hop, mix in some ninja tunes stuff or something. You could probably go a bit breakbeat later in the night with tracks like Evil Nine - Crooked (I'd definately use this).

There's lots of potential with ableton to add loops from all sorts of genres to make something really interesting and flowing.

Could be really good. I'd just give it a shot. You can always quit if it doesn't work out.

briandervish · Post by **briandervish** » Wed May 14, 2008 5:00 pm

I had a job like this once for six months. Detach yourself from your musical hangups for a bit and you can gain valuable experience learning how to work a crowd, learning how to keep them buying drinks, knowing that all you need is to get the girls to dance (especially works with tracks they can sing along to). If you want to make a living as a DJ, you must learn these things. There will be better jobs, where you have more choice in what you play (leading up to the superstar DJ gig, where you can fart into a microphone and people will cheer) in your future if you grasp these basic lessons.

SuperBassMexican · Post by **SuperBassMexican** » Wed May 14, 2008 5:01 pm

More money means more gear! If I had the opportunity to get paid to play music I would be that closer to bringing home a machinedrum. yOU'RE NOT COMPROMISING YOUR ESSENCE. But I bet all your music will have a hip hop flavor added to it.

Quit your bitchn and get in the kitchen!

Silverfish · Post by **Silverfish** » Wed May 14, 2008 5:31 pm

Thanks, everyone. All of the advice is greatly appreciated. I submitted a demo last night, and I'm waiting to hear back from them. I have to say, DJing hip-hop with Ableton was a bit of a challenge (no four on the floor to beatmatch to, way fewer instrumental bits to mix in and out of). I actually really want this job. If I get it, I may go splurge on some CD decks and a mixer (suggestions? I thought the Pioneer CDJ400s would do).

Anybody have links to vids or mixes of people using Ableton for hip-hop?

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Wed May 14, 2008 5:35 pm

Silverfish wrote:Anybody have links to vids or mixes of people using Ableton for hip-hop?

first saw this a year ago and I still get this set stuck in my head, this guy has a handful of very good youtubes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kWRFwZP ... re=related <--- Realtablist

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:33 pm

Silverfish wrote:Thanks, everyone. All of the advice is greatly appreciated. I submitted a demo last night, and I'm waiting to hear back from them. I have to say, DJing hip-hop with Ableton was a bit of a challenge (no four on the floor to beatmatch to, way fewer instrumental bits to mix in and out of). I actually really want this job. If I get it, I may go splurge on some CD decks and a mixer (suggestions? I thought the Pioneer CDJ400s would do).

Anybody have links to vids or mixes of people using Ableton for hip-hop?

good luck and if I were you i'd get those cdj400's they're pretty cool, actually really really cool

from the title of your post I thought you didn't like Hip-hop, but I guess you do

I don't like most forms of country music, I would never dj a country gig. I do like everything else, except for that one kind of music that sucks, you know, that one kind?

Silverfish · Post by **Silverfish** » Wed May 14, 2008 10:46 pm

I know exactly what you're talking about, Adonis.

When I was growing up, I loved rap music: 2pac, Coolio, Tribe Called Quest. While hip-hop and rap aren't usually my thing nowadays, secretly I do enjoy a lot of it, and the more I listen to the really new stuff, the more I like it. As many of you said, this wouldn't be selling out, it would be broadening my horizons and being professional (getting paid).

@Tone Deft: That video

. I'll never be able to do that (lol, unless I buy the CDJ400s.....)

Martyn · Post by **Martyn** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:00 pm

beats me wrote:If I walk into a place where everybody is drinking bottled water then I know I found the right place.

+1, That's not happened to me in a long, long time though.

Silverfish · Post by **Silverfish** » Wed May 21, 2008 2:43 am

Well, I got the job.

I start Thursday, and I'm actually nervous. The first few nights might be just mixing from one unwarped track to another. I'd love to be able to do some more than that, but I think between moving and making sure I've got all the tunes I need, I'm not gonna have time for much more.

I'm actually considering just getting Traktor for this. I love Ableton, but I'm not convinced I can very effectively play hip-hop for 6-7 hours a night without A LOT of prep work.

Thank you all for your advice and comments. Any other thoughts or advice?

kaffein · Post by **kaffein** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:06 am

Do it under another alias.

GG.

Silverfish · Post by **Silverfish** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:16 am

Thank you, kaffein.

Is a stage name really necessary for something like this? Why can't I just be me? Perhaps I'll break out the old alias from freshman year of high school - DJ Supadupe.

... I'm just gonna use my real name...