HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!! :p One of my resolutions: Write more.
Poor blog. So neglected. I feel bad. But....Aqui estoy. Ready to have my creative juices flow onto the screen and display what goes on in my crowded little head. And crowded it has been. "Thought" over load in most cases. So for one of my first blogs of the year I decided to go to my beloved. Mi amorcito, mi bon bon...mi tesoro. Mi musica.
While reading the Huff, I came across this article about DJ Shadow from da Bay Area.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/03/dj-shadow-too-future_n_2403810.html
So, as a DJ and a life long partner of music, I have to say this shit is ridiculous. Booting a DJ in the middle of his set? Just because he wasn't "Commercial"? Wow. Sounds like some elites shit but more on that later.
As a DJ, I have always loved playing to the crowd. I am; and guide myself as being the "give them what they want to hear" type of DJ. Very upbeat, I like digging in the crates (now my hard drive), pulling out those jams that make people say "Holy Shit! I remember this!" Or "Dayum I haven't heard this!" I like taking people on a journey with music. Which is what a good DJ does, take people on a journey and have them enjoy it.
But this idea of DJ Shadow not being commercial enough is an insult and I do agree with him. I wouldn't sacrifice what my vision and interpretation is no matter how big the venue. What a DJ plays is an extension of himself. His style, his craft, shared with the world. Problem is, some people may not see it that way. I mean, that's what makes us unique as human beings, we are different and we don't all like the same things. Music being the point here. So for club owners to decide what people want to hear, I don't think they understand the art form or really care about the music. At that point, its all about their status and keeping people drunk. That's it.
I've worked with shady ass promoters who want nothing more than money in their pocket. Granted, we as DJ's do want some compensation but dealing with these individuals can be discouraging. At times it is a necessary evil that DJ's endure just to make it and get to the top. For me personally, the love of my art is far grater than a promoter/club owner who is worried about meeting the minimum bar take and packing the club. In my history as a DJ, I've done gigs just for the thrill of playing in front of people and sharing my journey, not for monetary gain. While it is not a good strategy to come up in the "industry", what a DJ plays is HIS art and his legacy. How do you put a price on that? But as long as we have the "Hiltons", the "Lilos" and all these other celebrities poppin bottles and making the promoters/club owners drunk rich, DJ's are just tools. And if you follow my drift, the music suffers.
And then you wonder why the quality of music is on a decline nowadays...tsk, tsk...
Aight, who wants to party? :)
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