#1689254 - 03/10/06 04:54 PM
Scratch DJs in rock, jazz & other genre bands
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Jeff Klopmeyer
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Registered: 10/13/00
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I was at an event one of my clients sponsored awhile back, with guitarist Paul Pesco playing pretty cool jazzy, fusiony, bluesy stuff. In his band (that apparently was a bunch of talented pick-up cats), there was a scratch DJ that blew my mind.
The guy was scratching CDs, triggering samples, and doing other DJ-like things, and the guy added an amazing dimension to the music.
I think a lot of folks are under the impression that a) a DJ can't be a musician, or b) they're only for dance-oriented music genres. I disagree, based on what I've heard with my own ears.
What are your thoughts on DJs in bands? Feel free to state the opposing opinion from my assertion!
- Jeff
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#1689255 - 03/10/06 05:34 PM
Re: Scratch DJs in rock, jazz & other genre bands
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Geekgurl
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Registered: 08/17/03
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Loc: near San Francisco
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Well, as you now know with from the "Is Jazz Dead" thread in the Keyboard forum, I play a kind of jazz music ... our recording uses percussion loops as well as real percussion. We've thought about replicating this live ... I got a laptop and Ableton Live and messed around with it ... I think it'd be cool to do, and the only reason we're not is because of the hassle for me. Our live show tends to make up in energy and improv what the loops provided on the CD anyway, so we pretty much have abandoned the idea for now.
I like the idea of using DJs, loops, etc only if it's one of the instruments, and there are other instrumentalists playing too. IE, I don't think I'd like it as much if the loops/DJ were a substitute for a rhythm section of musicians playing bass, drums, chords on guitar or keys, etc.
I'd like to see this dude's band sometime, though. Or hear a recording of a live show to hear how the DJ is integrated ...
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#1689256 - 03/10/06 06:04 PM
Re: Scratch DJs in rock, jazz & other genre bands
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Jeff Klopmeyer
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Originally posted by geekgurl:
I like the idea of using DJs, loops, etc only if it's one of the instruments, and there are other instrumentalists playing too.
- Jeff
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#1689257 - 03/17/06 11:20 PM
Re: Scratch DJs in rock, jazz & other genre bands
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Basshappi
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Registered: 06/16/03
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Loc: Tucson,AZ
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I think part of the problem is one of semantics. I feel that a "DJ" is often thought of as not being a musician and there certainly many who fall into this category.
A "Tabelist" goes beyond just spinning discs and MCing to being musicaly creative. I was very skeptical of this at first but the tabelist in the band Incubus really impressed me. I began to see that that it is possible to use this equipment in a valid musical way. I'm sure that there are other people doing inventive, creative things with this equipment.
I think of it as being a synth with a different type of control surface.
_________________________
Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai
Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands.
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#1689258 - 03/18/06 08:09 AM
Re: Scratch DJs in rock, jazz & other genre bands
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Trill
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Registered: 04/09/05
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Loc: Southwestern Ohio
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I've noticed that a few bands in Cincinnati have taken on this structure. Last week on the news (national) they showed a violinist who plays with a string quartet and a DJ . Its hip hop classical. Funny to see all the older classical listeners saying how much they liked it.
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#1689259 - 03/20/06 07:52 PM
Re: Scratch DJs in rock, jazz & other genre bands
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Jeff Klopmeyer
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The fact is, people should be able to appreciate it regardless of their preferred genre. A friend of mine, a highly-regarded club DJ, used to think of himself as a percussionist. His musical timing was immaculate. Beyond just being on the downbeat, his scratching was somewhat like hearing a masterful drum performance, incorporating super-fast triplets, polyrhythms... way cool. At the same time, he'd be doing "DJ" stuff with drum loops, breakdowns, triggered samples.
Awesome skills, and fun to watch/hear.
- Jeff
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#1689260 - 03/20/06 08:29 PM
Re: Scratch DJs in rock, jazz & other genre bands
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David R
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Registered: 05/30/03
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Loc: Montreal, QC
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This seems to be gaining more and more popularity. There are actually some really musical DJs around. DJ P-Love, a native New Yorker who now lives in Montreal, has worked with Medeski Martin & Wood and some others. I've seen him do everything from trigger samples to beat-juggle and scratch drum grooves to playing trumpet and keyboards at the same time. He was trained at McGill in jazz trumpet.
Another fantastic DJ is DJ S-Luv (no relation) from Toronto, who plays in the band The Pocket Dwellers. Definitely more out of the standard hip-hop bag, but some great improvisational reflexes and huge rhythmic skills.
DJ Olive is more of a soundscape artist - he's not just a DJ, though that is a big part of what he does. I wouldn't hesitate to call him a musician, either. Mason Bates is an interesting case: a renowned electronica DJ as well as a respected classical composer. Good article on him here .
And then there's a guy named Martin Tetreault who does really avant-garde stuff... like prepared turntables and all sorts of weirdness. I've yet to actually hear/see him in action.
David
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#1689261 - 03/23/06 04:20 PM
Re: Scratch DJs in rock, jazz & other genre bands
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wd8dky
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Registered: 03/06/06
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I enjoy Incubus, and to a lesser extent, Linkin Park, and they do that same thing. When it is tastefully done in the same context that the rest of the band is playing, it's awesome!
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#1689262 - 03/23/06 07:34 PM
Re: Scratch DJs in rock, jazz & other genre bands
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NoahZark
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Registered: 11/06/05
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Loc: Maryland, USA
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Originally posted by Jeff Klopmeyer:
A friend of mine, a highly-regarded club DJ, used to think of himself as a percussionist.
Noah
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