Selling my soul to the devil

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
Silverfish
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Location: Calgary, AB

Selling my soul to the devil

Post by Silverfish » Tue May 13, 2008 5:47 pm

So my summer job fell through- they ran out of funding. Sadface.

In a search for a job, I found a local resort club that wants a full-time DJ. The job posting said "dance music", but when I called and spoke to them they really meant "hip-hop". Now, I don't mind hip-hop, but I'm more of a house/minimal/IDM guy myself, but that's a tough sell around here (I live in Iowa...)

Should I sell my soul to the devil and do it?
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sroom3000
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Post by sroom3000 » Tue May 13, 2008 5:52 pm

no, don't do it. find a club that will let you play what you want and you'd be surprised who comes out of the woodwork. even in Iowa, i think.

gjm
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Post by gjm » Tue May 13, 2008 6:04 pm

Naaah, do it. You might be surprised what you might learn if you approach it with an open mind. Its just for the summer right? You never know what new muscles you can build, or what contacts you will make, what bugs you can iron out etc, etc. Treat it as a summer internship or something, or a "project" in the educational perspective. If you are going to get paid for your summer doing music, and this is your only option, then there must be some bigger picture thing that you can use to justify it rather than turning your nose up at a specific genre. It might be what it is like being a proffesional.
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Khazul
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Location: Reading, UK

Post by Khazul » Tue May 13, 2008 6:57 pm

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.
Nothing to see here - move along!

Moody
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Post by Moody » Tue May 13, 2008 7:11 pm

Take the gig. First time around be suttle and play some hip hop. Next time around mix in a liitle Aphex Windowlicker.... well you get the idea. By the time you have done a few more gigs you can get a feel for what goes over well with the crowd and what does not.
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lowendtheory
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Post by lowendtheory » Tue May 13, 2008 7:22 pm

they have resorts in iowa?

dhilsabeck
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Post by dhilsabeck » Tue May 13, 2008 7:25 pm

I say go for it.

My brother djs a similar style gig at a hook up bar (KK) in Madison Wisconsin (lots of drunkards who love "familiar" shit music). You just have to get in the right head space for it. Beneath all the superficiality of the content, you will find some absolute gems. Maybe it's just the intro/outro beats (which you can surely integrate into your other electronic sensibilities after this gig is over).

If I had his job, I would edit the songs, keep the goodies and discard the uncool stuff, like aggression, overt misogyny, or the third unnecessary verse or the guest rapper who's trying too hard.

You'll be able to integrate a whole world of cool soul and funk as well, as we know a lot of modern hip hop borrows from this and integrates beautifully.

As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it. I think it can be potentially very cool.

Can I get a fuck you?

pixelbox
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Post by pixelbox » Tue May 13, 2008 7:35 pm

Take the job.

Everyone knows that to be a good DJ, you have to be a dirty whore.

As a matter of fact, the more "principles" and "standards" you have, the less of a DJ and more of a little diva you are.

You can play YOUR music at home. Get that dollah, lay down and hollah.
Before speaking, learn telling. And to tear magic from science is very dumb pupil-like.

Tone Deft
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Post by Tone Deft » Tue May 13, 2008 7:41 pm

you're a DJ, DJ. I don't get to pick what I work on at work.

welcome to reality.
In my life
Why do I smile
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?
-Moz

Silverfish
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Location: Calgary, AB

Post by Silverfish » Tue May 13, 2008 7:59 pm

@ Tone Deft: That's two gems in a row! And honestly, I'm doing this because I hate reality and I don't want to use my recently acquired degree in music education.

@ pixelbox: You're right. I'm going to go back out to my corner now.

@ dhilsabeck: Fuck you! (You did ask for it, right?)

@ Moody: The lady I spoke to on the phone said any time they play techno or house (who knows what she meant by that) they either get fist fights or people rolling on x.

@ Khazul: I considered your second option, and really all options are still on the table.

@ gjm: I like this perspective.

@ sroom3000: There aren't clubs that will let me play whatever I want. Iowa doesn't do real electronic music. We're lucky if we get a hip-hop mash up or a top 40 remix, but never minimal, never real techno. Maybe some house... maybe.
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hambone1
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Post by hambone1 » Tue May 13, 2008 8:05 pm

Do it. It's just a job.

U-P-G-R-A-Y-E-D-D
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Post by U-P-G-R-A-Y-E-D-D » Tue May 13, 2008 8:08 pm

take it and play minimal hiphop

xzusa8ky
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Location: Vienna

Post by xzusa8ky » Tue May 13, 2008 8:13 pm

If you are cool 8) Just go for it! There a lot of good Hip Hop out there to play...... :D
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Moody
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Post by Moody » Tue May 13, 2008 8:15 pm

Silverfish wrote:@ Tone Deft: That's two gems in a row! And honestly, I'm doing this because I hate reality and I don't want to use my recently acquired degree in music education.

@ pixelbox: You're right. I'm going to go back out to my corner now.

@ dhilsabeck: Fuck you! (You did ask for it, right?)

@ Moody: The lady I spoke to on the phone said any time they play techno or house (who knows what she meant by that) they either get fist fights or people rolling on x.

@ Khazul: I considered your second option, and really all options are still on the table.

@ gjm: I like this perspective.

@ sroom3000: There aren't clubs that will let me play whatever I want. Iowa doesn't do real electronic music. We're lucky if we get a hip-hop mash up or a top 40 remix, but never minimal, never real techno. Maybe some house... maybe.

If you are using Live one should be able to get creative with any genre and add some spice from other genres with out people ever really knowing what is going on. That is the whole point of the digital mixing scene. Fuck with there heads a little and pay your bills. :D
Ableton’s engineers are hard
at work developing code that will allow our software to predict the future, but we don’t
anticipate having this available until at least the next major release.

beats me
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Post by beats me » Tue May 13, 2008 8:28 pm

I think Hip Hop is fun to spin even though it isn't my preference either. Most of the fun comes from the reaction from the crowd. That's what the place wants is a crowd. As a DJ that's what you want too and look at it as a practice in crowd control.

I find it completely hilarious that the person you talked to said house or techno or whatever attracts fights more than hip hop. I know plenty of places that won't spin hip hop because they don't want to attract "the element" and by that they mean anybody that would frequent a hip hop club.

A lot of clubs or bars don't like people rolling around on e, not for legal issues, but because nobody is buying alcohol. If I walk into a place where everybody is drinking bottled water then I know I found the right place.

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