I've noticed something about the US scene...

[KillerLoop]

Having viewed a lot of DJ related threads on this board it seems like loads of you US guys don't seem to appreciate your own DJs!!

I'm from England and love the Techno scene. The big names over here that pull the big crowds tend to be American DJs......Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin, Derrick May, Derrick Carter. It seems like hardly any of you guys talk about your best home grown tallent! These guys fuckin rule.

Also when you lot talk about European DJs you mention people like Picotto and Paul Oakenfold!!! Let me tell you.....these guys are pretty shit and are not really thought of much from the underground scene, where the best music comes from.

If you want to check European DJs let me suggest you check out SLAM, Umek, Layo And Bushwacka, Dave Clarke, Marco Corolla, Sven Vath, but to name a few.

I'm not saying you US guys just like shit music and are way behind etc....just that a lot of you have probably never heard some of the best stuff out of the UK and Europe because it costs a lot of money to DJ in America and it's hard to break the scene over there.

 

[nikolai_bolkov]

You're input is appreciated...but...

Yes there are many many talented US DJs, like you mentioned...but they fall into a very specific categories...techno (Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin Derrick May) and house (Derrick Carter). They play very particular kind of dance music that you have to be either a fan or in the mood for. I like some it myself, but it's not really the most banging club music out there.

Paul Oakenfold isn't really shit..the guy's been around for ages and based on very recent sets I've heard from him his music is very upfront.

Tiesto...Paul van Dyk...Sasha...Digweed...Carl Cox...to name the biggest names...are awesome..

Sorry to say, but dance music is not 'underground' anymore...

I wouldn't say the best music has to come from the underground. Yes there is cheesy radio dance music, but the DJs I mentioned hardly could be classified as cheesy.

 

[KillerLoop]

I see your point....and reading it back I realise that my post was a little biased towards my musical preferences.

If you like banging dance music then check out some of the British DJs I named. You cant get much more banging then Dave Clarke.....and have you heard Jeff Mills live?? That's some of the most aggresive shit you can listen too. Much more so then the DJs you named.

A lot of the big names are not up there with the best as far as DJ skills go but they play the big, popular tunes. Ive seen guys like Carl Cox many times at my favourite club, but Im not too impressed. His sound seems dated now. I go to the same club and listen to Marco Corolla or someone and I can have the best night of my life although he doesnt get much exposure. It's all about preference I guess.

Dance music is still underground. There will be new genres poping up within the next few years. Tech House has taken the UK by storm and reared its head in the 90s. Now Tech House is some of the best shit to dance too.

 

[nikolai_bolkov]

I hear you bro.

Yeah Dave Clark is sick...but it's still a little too much techno for me. So is Jeff Mills.

Regarding tech house...I frequented Centro-Fly in New York weekly during 2001...that must be the mecha of tech-house.

Derrick Carter and Darren Emerson are prolly my favorites (in that genre) from what I have experienced live there.

I looooved trance during the year 2000, and I have recently gotten back into it big time. To me there is no match...it's hard AND melodic, and it incorporates elements from tech house and harder techno. Tiesto has got to be my favorite...seen him twice live (in Miami, and in Dublin @ Gatecrasher) and there's no one that can match him.

I'm listening to Armin van Buuren's 7 hour set from Club Eau Haag from Amsterdam right now and it's simply amazing as well.

I guess it all comes down to personal preference. If the venue is right and the people are into, and the DJ does his job, any genre can be awesome.

I've been listening exclusively to dance music since 1992 so I have to give props to all genres.

Modern hip-hop though I can do without. lol

peace!

 

[KillerLoop]

One question bro...what's radio like from a dance music perspective in the states?? On Radio 1 (the main station in the UK) we have Seb Fontaine, Pete Tong, Judge Jules, Fergie and lots more djing on Friday and Saturday nights. They also have a guest DJ in the mix late night on saturday....this includes all the best DJs in the world.

Do you guys get stuff like this on radio in the states?

 

[nikolai_bolkov]

Actually radio sucks majorly for dance music here...it always has.

UK's Radio 1's essential mix is infamous, and I also love Digweed's show on Kiss 100.

A new station in Miami (93.1) broadcasts live from Club Space every saturday, and on sunday nights they air 'Global DJ broadcasts' when world reknown DJ guests, so it has perked up.

Btw, I missed Steve Lawler here last night at club Space...

Steve Lawler...Danny Howells...tribal tech house kings! (from the UK...lol)

 

[smoknjilly]

killerloop...

my favorite dj in the world is jeff mills...detroit techno is my favorite genre of dance music...like juan atkins, rob hood..etcetc.

what you don't seem to understand is that these guys hardly ever play in the states...maybe once a year....

one of my all time faves is jay denham...who moved to belgium and never comes here...

One DJ I get to hear alot is richie hawtin since he moved to brooklyn, and I am sorry to say since then he has been playing alot of electro and I cannot take that crap.

I am lucky that here in nyc we have a monday party called tronic treatment (tronic record label-christian smith etc) and we do get to hear some world talent...however its on mondays and it hard to stay up till 2am (when the hard stuff finally comes on) and then go to work the next day...

One of my other faves is one of your boys..Trevor Rockliffe...

 

[KillerLoop]

Jeff Mills doesn't play much here anymore either because he was getting done by UK immigration for coming over too often in the past!!

smoknjilly......I think you better move to the UK

 

[smoknjilly]

I have never been, and I know when I do make my trip over..I'll never leave!

on december 9th devilfish will be playing here...so I hope to hear some nice hard and dirty beats...

 

[manny78]

it's all about marketing. A guy like Todd Terry or Junior Vasquez (when both were still able to find contracts here in Montreal) would easily get 10k for a night while guys who had 20x more talent were paid 400$. Thing is they had a name, even if technically speaking they sucked big time. I've heard Tiesto, Sasha and they're nothing impressive compared to Green Velvet or Roger Sanchez. Oakenfold can technically be good since the guy has hip-hop roots (so I guess he went through all the scratch quick mixing thing).

 

[nikolai_bolkov]

manny78...with all due respect...what are you talking about??

Top DJs don't become top DJs if their mixing and track selection is not top notch. There is no marketing machine in place that picks up unknown DJs and propels them to stardom. The top DJs today have gone through the grind for a long, long time.

Roger Sanchez...Green Velvet...you can't compare to Tiesto and Sasha because their genres are so very different. If you think Tiesto or Sasha are nothing impressive then you have misunderstood something badly...

Also, technically, hip hop and 4/4 mixing are waaaay different. One is not better or more technical than the other. A good hip hop DJ won't necessarily make a good 4/4 DJ, and vice versa.

 

[manny78]

manny78...with all due respect...what are you talking about??

Top DJs don't become top DJs if their mixing and track selection is not top notch. There is no marketing machine in place that picks up unknown DJs and propels them to stardom. The top DJs today have gone through the grind for a long, long time.

Roger Sanchez...Green Velvet...you can't compare to Tiesto and Sasha because their genres are so very different. If you think Tiesto or Sasha are nothing impressive then you have misunderstood something badly...

Also, technically, hip hop and 4/4 mixing are waaaay different. One is not better or more technical than the other. A good hip hop DJ won't necessarily make a good 4/4 DJ, and vice versa.

they all started on the bottom, but some got pushed more than others. Here in Montreal we have the perfect example with Daniel Desnoyers. This guy was acrappy DJ in the 90's, now, he was also working as a technician for Musique Plus (same as MTV here) and released some mixed CDs, sponsored by..... Musique Plus lol Now he's a good, he has a radio show (even if he doesn't mix live), works in techno clubs for at least 1k a night. Same with Misstress Barbara (another from Montreal). If it wasn't from her CDs, she would still be spinning at the Laika....lol At one point in your carreer, you need go be different, give a reason to promoters and owners to hire you more than another one. And this can be achieved by making yourself a name through record deals.

As for Hip hop DJs being different, I disagree. Some may have no clue about 4/4 mixing but most started with 4/4, learning how to mix 2 tracks beat-to-beat. Most hip hop tracks have an intro of 4, 8 and sometimes 16 beats. that's not a lot compared to techno/house, where it's usually a good 64 and more, so it gives you time to build up your mix.

What makes the difference between a good and a bad techno/house DJ is its track selection cause they're all the same (almost) when it comes to their technique.

Now for hip hop DJs it's basically the cut/mixing technique and the track selection, even if I heard some making wonders with crappy songs/beats.

For example, if I gave the 2 same 12" to let's say Carl Cox, Roger Sanchez, Danny Tenaglia and Tony Touch and placed them behind a wall, would you be able to tell me who is who ? Personally I wouldn't. I bet my ass it will sound the same.

The reason why I mentionned Green Velvet is cause I heard and saw the guy live, and not only was he working with 3 turntables but also with a sampler/keyboard. Nothing to do with Judge "I mix then smoke a cig for a while" Jules.

 

[vinylgroover]

IMO, most of the best underground DJ's hail from Germany and Holland where dance music is still true to it's roots and they are both countries which are very accepting of experimental and 'new' sounds. They are the testing ground if you like for a lot of the different genres that surface.

Names like Lucien Foort, Fred Numf, westbam, Dr Motte etc etc.

At the end of the day i find guys like Erick Morillo and Roger Sanchez to be cheesy because they play 'handbag' which i can't handle. One man's cheese is another's underground.

But because something is popular, doesn't make it cheesy. That is the biggest problem with dance music, too much pigeon holeing and genre flexing instead of supporting the whole 'dance' music scene.

Have a think back to tracks like Armand Van Helden's 'you don't know me' which was a great track when it first hit the clubs. Then radio got a hold of it and suddenly it became a popular crossover track and everyone labelled it as 'cheesy' because it suddenly wasn't cool to play or like that track. The list goes on and on.

Personally, i like everything from psy and goa trance to tuff techno and breaks and everything in between (as long as it's up-tempo and on the banging side).

The only 'dance' music i don't listen to is electro or down tempo shit.

 

[supergirl]

i appreciate JP

 

[V-SHAPE 2]

word up, did you go to classicks?

 

[manny78]

i appreciate JP

I recently heard JP and I would place him in the most-underrated DJ's category. On the other hand a guy like David Morales would easily fit in the most-overrated DJ cat....

 

[supergirl]

word up, did you go to classicks?

from 7-11

wayyyyyy to crowded and i could not believe the amount of muscle there that night.. much more than usual

 

[NJstacked]

YEah...Supergirl...You brought all the Muscle!!! Factory was sick...although the Anxiety was high!

 

[deppnade]

when is the night night that factory will be bangin, and maybe me and the king will come out of retirement, although i might add that there is a mrs. king to think about as well, hence the king spending many nights with his mrs. and a blockbuster movie, but i cant blame him, i myself have been quoted to do the same, or we even do it together, that didnt sound soo good did it

for all you factory guys, which i havent met, which is a bunch, would u say that this winter has been a good one soo far or do you think it has been lacking~~~factory wise i mean, the music, when i have gone lately, is good yes, but im in need of another "goin through it", thats why i have been going elsewhere, and factory is my last option, like hearing tenaglia vs howells, or just going out fridays to cyberia then vinyl to hear tenaglia, DT always always always is on point, great music, and every friday i hear new songs, i cant say the same for factory, i wish they had the factory crowd at vinyl although it definitely is picking up

vshape, dont listen to supergirl when she says i punch people when i dance, that was only when i was sexually frustrated

 

[supergirl]

vshape, dont listen to supergirl when she says i punch people when i dance, that was only when i was sexually frustrated

LMAO.. no you punch when you try to dance all cracked out LOL..

you know i luv ya!! tne biggest sweetheart i know other than stacked