What genre of music has the most technically gifted DJs?

[Muncey]

But Zabiela had a wicked set on BoilerRoom last night. 2 cdjs, a iPad, some sort of ableton looking thing, and was scratching. Was mentals.

CDJ scratching blew my mind lol. Was an insane set, so much hardware. Couldn't keep my eyes off it, he didn't stop moving for a second.

[ultraspatial]

Was going to ask this in the house forum, but this is a good a place as any. How come house and techno djs are so highly rated? Are those genres breeding grounds for better djs? Or does it have to do more with the fact that house, for instance, in whatever form, has a larger appeal to the average/casual club-goer, listener etc?

[murky21]

^ purely cos a greater volume of people like that music innit. Or cos RA readers like that music

[wub]

But Zabiela had a wicked set on BoilerRoom last night. 2 cdjs, a iPad, some sort of ableton looking thing, and was scratching. Was mentals.

CDJ scratching blew my mind lol. Was an insane set, so much hardware. Couldn't keep my eyes off it, he didn't stop moving for a second.

If you've got an hour spare, he goes into detail on what he does and what technology he is using to do it in this video;

[Genevieve]

Was going to ask this in the house forum, but this is a good a place as any. How come house and techno djs are so highly rated? Are those genres breeding grounds for better djs? Or does it have to do more with the fact that house, for instance, in whatever form, has a larger appeal to the average/casual club-goer, listener etc?

The latter. And it's also the most DJ friendly music. The tunes are often about 7 minutes long and pretty repetetive so you can do some nice, long blends with them. Dubstep and dnb and all that UK based stuff is too, but they're also more dynamic and build up/down much more in a much shorter timespan. So you have less time to fiddle and need to focus more on having the drops/breakdowns match and shit.

[Dystinkt]

the hardest stuff I've ever mixed personally has been funk and soul etc, the shit with a human drummer that makes you miss quantization, I had to do it at college last year and fuck me it was tough but also really enjoyable

[lovelydivot]

I think you need a number of parameters to gauge something like this because for example...

and this is just my opinion mind you...

turntabalism - obviously - is a mind blowing amount of technique
but I don't like having my music chopped up so much - for a long amount of time...it just doesn't groove

impeccible blending - incredible amounts of precision selection and just flat out turntable control
problem - songs that mix that smoothly over long periods of time have a tendency to sound the same
- no real movement or if there is movement - it happens over such a large amount of time - that I get bored

44xs are really not my favorite thing in electronic music...I can roll with it - especially when it's done well - but it has nothing on a breakbeat...

Now - if you have a funky beat - and bring in the right type of amen and it creates that mysterious third beat and then drops out
- to something atmospheric and beautiful and then comes back mutated and even crazier - now that is some shit

but I'm a junglist - so there you go...

[dickman69]

hip hop
disco
detroit techno

[kidshuffle]

it goes beyond genre.

when it comes to technical skillz, doorly fucking smashes it and what would you classify him as?

[lovelydivot]

A lot of my early club and rave experience was with the Sonic Groove kids...especially Adam X, Joey Beltram

and when I look back now - I see that it was very industrial - NY/DC Hardcore Techno was very funky and very dark...love it

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[lovelydivot]

I hate this rave as concert shit...

Just in this thread - I went to check out that Doorly person that someone mentioned...

and yeah he was great - but that whole over the top look at me crossfade with my peen/look at us raving super hard thing is just weak...



Back to the dark room with the really fresh sounds and the people enjoying the place like they plan to be there all night...without suffering a coolness aneurysm

[gwa]

i'm surprised the lack of mentions disco is getting. the drums and unsyncopated, the phrasing is very erratic to the point where you really have to know your records.

once you know how to beat match you can beat match anything innit.

give me 2 dance records and i'll have it matched in under 5 seconds.

give me 2 records that have drums that aren't in time and i'm riding that pitch like i'm riding your mum.

[kidshuffle]

and yeah he was great - but that whole over the top look at me crossfade with my peen/look at us raving super hard thing is just weak...

the point was more that genre doesn't define who is most gifted.

dj marky kills it while too but im not going to say dnb has the most gifted dj's out there. a good dj is just a good dj

[lovelydivot]

I think I maybe looking for sexy...If you can't bring a certain amount of sexy to what you are doing - then it's just clownin'

[leyenda]

Not necessarily that they have the best DJs but the hardest to mix:
hip hop
disco
funk
soul
aphex twin

[kidshuffle]

well if you want sexy, paris hilton obviously wins

[brasco]

well if you want sexy, paris hilton obviously wins

back in the day lady b-line or femme fatale

[lovelydivot]

I mean't sexy music...

[kidshuffle]

i also meant sexy music?

[kidshuffle]

also big ups brasco, 2 tru!