I agree with you to a degree.kabuki wrote:Really, if you break down what a typical (not necesarily REALLY good, just typical) DJ does - play other people's music - what's the difference if they play a premixed CD or not? I suppose its up to each clubber's personal preference, but shouldn't folks be dancing to the music instead of worrying about how the DJ is playing it?
There are those (this may be a BIG shock for a few on this board) that concider using a computer to DJ as "cheating". GASP!!!!
Really, who f-ing cares?
If the guy was promoted and sold tickets for their "scratching ability" or live remixing, and they played a CD of Q-Bert's DMC performances, I would be rather sore. If the DJ was promoted as the "best DnB DJ in town" and he played DnB, well, if I was dancing beacuse the music was really good... you get the idea.
In the long run, yes - the dancefloor is all that matters. I use that argument all the time to validate DJing with Live to Vinyl purists.
But there's something to be said about the Club DJ's job - are you there to represent your 'sound,' or are you there to affect the overall mood by setting your music to the environment?
In other words, is it your job to be the music, or is it your job to empathize with the dancefloor through your music?
Now, this distinction gets blurred with big-name DJs who play peaktime sets, but for the rest of us, I would argue that DJing is changing an environment with music, not just playing music....
(See, we DJs don't need some producer to look their noses down on us, we have our own levels of snobbery, and can manage quite well on our own, thanks