I recently saw Steve Bicknell and a couple of months before, Oliver Ho, both for the first time. I find their style of mixing infinitely more interesting than a lot of other DJs. I think this is because the music travels. Bicknell's music I found to have depth and although it didnt exactly have that funk, it was aurally captivating. He made an hour set seem like one on-going everchanging moody track. The feeling his music created was like a living thing in the air that transformed and changed and molded into something else. All whilst maintaining a feeling that it was all heading in the same direction.
Ho on the otherhand (although I cant remember that much of his set) broke the music down into nothingness several times before building it back up into a deep tribal rythm He also however constantly seemed to move the music forwards, as if it was all going somewhere. I Love this style of DJing and find it far more captivating that a cut-up style with no substance (D.C.). anyone agree/disagree. ps. Surgeon also does it for me in this way. >-----Original Message----- >From: tristan watkins [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: 09 October 2000 20:16 >To: arora; M. Todd Smith >Cc: 313@hyperreal.org >Subject: Re: [313] Re: Mixing and musical structure > > >> On Mon, 9 Oct 2000, M. Todd Smith wrote: >> >> > If you learned to DJ by counting then you missed >> the point, DJ'ing is about >> > listening not counting. Just because you don't >> count doesn't mean you >> > aren't aware of the beat. When people dance they >> are very aware of the beat >> > (some even stop if the DJ brings in an offbeat >> mix), I know when I dance I >> > don't count, and it would by my fervent belief >> that no one else does either. > >Absolutely agreed. You can usually hear where to cue >up the record and start matching things from. However, >I suspect I am "counting", just no in any literal >sense. But, this depends on knowing you records (see >below) > >> > The best DJ's I have ever met can pick up a record >> they have never heard >> > before and throw it down like they've owned it >> forever. This is the >> > intuitive knowledge of musical structure gained >> through listening and paying >> > attention to music. > >This may be partially true with one new record, if >it's of a standard format, with nothing too surprising >happening along the way, and the DJ takes some time to >familiarize him/herself with the track before throwing >it in, but it isn't true with two new records you've >never heard before, unless they're trance records >maybe. Also, I bet most of the best DJs would tell you >they can't do this with any record. It just isn't that >easy. You can usually rely on changes occuring every >eight bars, and larger changes around every fourth set >of eight bars, but lots of songs deviate from this, >and this is just sort of a basic rule for the most >standard of formats. Even then, if you don't know the >record lots of surprising things can happen to throw >off subtle EQing, two big bass lines might collide, >whatever. You gotta know your records. > >Disclaimer: I know that's a total oversimplification, >and that's my point. > >Tristan > >> > Perhaps the reason behind your disconcertation >> with Isotope 127 is that you >> > are internally trying to count, instead of >> listening, and feeling the >> > rhythm. Just my 2 cents >> > >> > Todd >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > To: "Hillegonda Rietveld" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > Cc: <313@hyperreal.org>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2000 11:02 AM >> > Subject: Re: [313] Re: Mixing and musical >> structure >> > >> > >> > > hello, >> > > >> > > I guess it all depends on what you mean by >> internalizing. If you do not >> > > count time, or are unware of it, chances are you >> probably suck. If you >> > > can count time and be aware of bar changes >> without it taking most of the >> > > space in your conscious mind you are probably >> better off. It used to be >> > > that I would have to use my fingers to count the >> bars while counting >> > > time, then I counted them verbally in my head, >> and nowadays in the back >> > > of my mind I just see that bars coming and going >> while I think about >> > > other things. You are both right in a sense. You >> have to be aware of >> > > time, but it cannot be all that you are aware >> of. >> > > >> > > I saw isotope 217 play a month or so ago, their >> structures were alot >> > > more complicated than the usual dance stuff. I >> had a very difficult time >> > > keeping up with everything that was going on, it >> was very pleasant >> > > actually, been a long time since I have heard >> something that made me >> > > feel absolutely bewildered. why does music seem >> less magical the more >> > > you understand how it works? >> > > >> > > I will shut up now. >> > > >> > > take care, >> > > Mike >> > > >> > > Hillegonda Rietveld wrote: >> > > > >> > > > Hillegonda; >> > > > Yes, it helps to know about musical structure >> before embarking on >> > mixing - >> > > > how otherwise can one distinguish beats, bars >> and sections? >> > > > >> > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]: >> > > > - wut? you actually just need to be able to >> count. >> > > > ----------------------------- >> > > > >> > > > I hope you're joking - what do you count to? >> 3? 4? one bar? 15? counting >> > is >> > > > for nippers in toddler trunks who are in >> learning stage - when you >> > > > actually DJ, you need to have internalised the >> structure and other >> > aspects >> > > > of your musical selection. Only then can you >> play from the heart, be the >> > > > music and play with flow rather than act out >> some sad calculator without >> > > > direction. >> > > > >> > > > To use a parallel example: if you are in the >> middle of some busy >> > traffic, >> > > > do you count distance, speed and accelleration >> when crossing the road or >> > > > overtaking a car? I hope not, by the time >> you'd rationally achieved >> > that, >> > > > you'd be dead. >> > > > >> > > > Hillegonda. >> > > > >> > > > >> >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > > > For additional commands, e-mail: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > > >> > > -- >> > > Michael Taylor : [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > > http://www.billionairesforbushorgore.com >> > > >> > > >> >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > > For additional commands, e-mail: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > > >> > >> > >> > >> >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > To unsubscribe, e-mail: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > For additional commands, e-mail: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > >> >> >> >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> For additional commands, e-mail: >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Photos - 35mm Quality Prints, Now Get 15 Free! >http://photos.yahoo.com/ > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >