If you're pushing up against some girl on the floor and the beat is right, are you going to rush to the turntable to see if the DJ is playing an original or a reissue?
even though this thread has been , "does the crowd care?" centric..and yes that is a valid point...However,it is complete bullshit, in a time when getting DJ gigs is somewhat very competitive and if you work very hard and spend a lot of time and/or money digging up original records and finding great obscure records that not many folks know about or havent been played out very much, for some douchetard to get well paid gigs that have nothing but comp LPs and Jazzman/Stone Throw reissues/bootlegs is bullshit...for shitbirds like this to get paid and get the accolades(PDX Im looking at you) is fucked up...this is starting to happen... also soul funk microwave DJing is kinda bullshit also as it is tantamount to "hey folks, look what I downloaded! Pay me!" Yes you might be ripping your own records, but if you are getting your tunes from a laptop screen, it doesnt matter at the end of the day...to say "Well the people are having a good time" as an end justifying the means sucks big time. "I dont wanna take my $100-$1000 45s out to a bar" Well, then dont DJ...that would be like a band playing and the guitarist saying I dont want to take my OG 59 les paul to a bar, Im gonna take my $200 epiphone" I mean a box of 45s to play for 3 hours, is something that you can carry with you to every square inch of a bar, you can keep an eye on it very easily...stop making excuses.
even though this thread has been , "does the crowd care?" centric..and yes that is a valid point...However,it is complete bullshit, in a time when getting DJ gigs is somewhat very competitive and if you work very hard and spend a lot of time and/or money digging up original records and finding great obscure records that not many folks know about or havent been played out very much, for some douchetard to get well paid gigs that have nothing but comp LPs and Jazzman/Stone Throw reissues/bootlegs is bullshit...for shitbirds like this to get paid and get the accolades(PDX Im looking at you) is fucked up...this is starting to happen... also soul funk microwave DJing is kinda bullshit also as it is tantamount to "hey folks, look what I downloaded! Pay me!" Yes you might be ripping your own records, but if you are getting your tunes from a laptop screen, it doesnt matter at the end of the day...to say "Well the people are having a good time" as an end justifying the means sucks big time. "I dont wanna take my $100-$1000 45s out to a bar" Well, then dont DJ...that would be like a band playing and the guitarist saying I dont want to take my OG 59 les paul to a bar, Im gonna take my $200 epiphone" I mean a box of 45s to play for 3 hours, is something that you can carry with you to every square inch of a bar, you can keep an eye on it very easily...stop making excuses.
As some of this rant is probably addressed to me, I have to say that it doesn't sound to me that I'm the one making excuses. What's your reasoning to bring records to a bar then? Sound quality? At 2:00am, no one could care less about something like that.
Yes you might be ripping your own records, but if you are getting your tunes from a laptop screen, it doesnt matter at the end of the day...to say "Well the people are having a good time" as an end justifying the means sucks big time.
What is your point in this? That it matters more at a party that an actual record is played than people enjoying themselves?
even though this thread has been , "does the crowd care?" centric..and yes that is a valid point...However,it is complete bullshit, in a time when getting DJ gigs is somewhat very competitive and if you work very hard and spend a lot of time and/or money digging up original records and finding great obscure records that not many folks know about or havent been played out very much, for some douchetard to get well paid gigs that have nothing but comp LPs and Jazzman/Stone Throw reissues/bootlegs is bullshit...for shitbirds like this to get paid and get the accolades(PDX Im looking at you) is fucked up...this is starting to happen... also soul funk microwave DJing is kinda bullshit also as it is tantamount to "hey folks, look what I downloaded! Pay me!" Yes you might be ripping your own records, but if you are getting your tunes from a laptop screen, it doesnt matter at the end of the day...to say "Well the people are having a good time" as an end justifying the means sucks big time. "I dont wanna take my $100-$1000 45s out to a bar" Well, then dont DJ...that would be like a band playing and the guitarist saying I dont want to take my OG 59 les paul to a bar, Im gonna take my $200 epiphone" I mean a box of 45s to play for 3 hours, is something that you can carry with you to every square inch of a bar, you can keep an eye on it very easily...stop making excuses.
Haha U mad!
There are so many ways to tell if a DJ is for real and whether or not they're rocking off S*rato has very little to do with it...
I've never seen a DJ rock a great soul, funk, disco or rare groove set off a laptop who DIDN'T already own the records.
As most people in this thread have said, there are places where it's acceptable and places where it's not.
my whole thing with soul/funk and serrato is why? You have the turntables there anyway and a box of 45s is smaller than a 12 pack of beer...there doesnt seem to be a point in it...I understand serrato when it comes to DJs playing new shit, or playing a gig where it is advantageous to have a bazillion songs at your disposal like a wedding or club gig where a ton of requests and the like are in the equation...
Me personally, if all I'm going to do is play an hours' worth of 45s, I have no problem bringing them. Like I said, time and place. If it's a record collectors'/afficionadoes affair, likewise.
BUT, if I'm playing a 5 hour party in which I might spin anything from disco, to soul, to rap, to international or whatever, I would much rather bring my laptop and a single bag of records than four or five boxes of shit.
Not to mention I can sell records I don't really love or wish to file, and still be able to play them out. Nothing better than that.
With Josh and Lucas already getting a nod, I wonder...
Are you talking about Mike V? T'was certainly nice of him to let you at that Ray Frazier!
You and Andy would be good picks, but I'm guessing you're thinking of other DJs?
Yeah, of course Josh and Lucas should get a nod - although I prefer Josh's funk set when he plays straight ie his Deep Funk club set. Lucas' decknology is nice enough for a while (his Prolifics 'Guts' horn rework sounds great), but the whole cut up thing bores me after 15 minutes.
And of course Mike V should be mentioned. Solid DJ, great selection - I'm hoping to get him out more often in 2008 but he's a busy boy already. The Ray Frazier was a great buy from him - but the freebie he threw in was particularly nice!!
Andy and I would absolutely take the pepsi challenge for sure, but nobody off this board whose LA based has seen us play out. So we wouldn't expect inclusion yet.
The list should include soul & funk DJ's, not just DJ's that play 30 minutes of it and move on. So people in LA should be checking for;
Mike V Tommy Potts Chris Griffiths Tony Sanchez (not strictly soul/funk, but plays enough it to qualify IMO)
And those I've liked sets they've played so yeah, I'll hype 'em;
John Doe (when he's in town) DJ Renato Mike Umholtz George Rodriguez
I understand he also has a retarded secret psych collection.
Sorry I missed you the other night. When we got there, they would not let any more people in. Waited for a while and it was not looking good so we bounced. You coming back soon?
I totally agree with your choice of Troy. I had no idea what to expect when I moved to RVA, I knew he had to have some good shit. Today I can't get anough of his sets. He always brings something fresh to the table, he always surprises me, and the way he puts his sets together is top-notch. He's also one of those cats who don't care if a track is rare or not ... he mixes $500 pieces with 50 cents pieces, and nobody would notice. Bottom line, if Troy lived in a bigger city (London or NYC) and would hustle his act more, he'd be all over the place and many people would know him.
That said, I'd also throw these guys in the mix (not going by hear-say but by having listened to them) in no particular order:
Daisuke Kuroda (Tokyo, my personal favorite) Nitecrawler (D.C.) Florian Keller (Munich) Tobias Kirmayer (Munich) Perry Louis (London) Soulrabbi (Germany) Romanowsky (San Fran) Pinch (Osaka) Snowboy (London) Matt Weingarden (NYC) Honky (NYC) Gu (Bremen) Henry Storch (Unique Records, Germany) Fatback (RVA) Marty (NYC) Nick Cope (NYC) Orb Kamm (L.A.) Tom Delay (NYC - if he puts that Serrato down for an hour) Maya (Hannover)
i've had the good fortune to hear/see most of the cats mentioned in this thread, and have enjoyed them all in various ways, some more, some less. i'd like to single out a few of the maybe less-sung ones who have stood out as particularly excellent on given nights:
FRANK (soulpusher): never seen him fail to rock a party in any of his guises (vampyros lesbos sleazemaster, funk impresario, african emissary)
SPINNA: having caught the acts of a lot of the more mix-conscious and -capable of the 45 djs and wondered why they were bothering (much furrow-browed furious effort for little or no or even negative payoff), i've got to give it up to this guy, who does it effectively and makes it look pretty effortless
MAO: killer taste, has "skillz" but doesn't flash 'em and knows when they're not necessary
JASON PERLMUTTER: magic records, down-to-earth, precocious boy-next-door vibe
DADDY BONES: flawless party sense
don't be sad if i left you out; i like you too.
one thing i've noticed in dj'ing in far-flung locales is that certain places have an established sound and feel and if you've brought the "wrong" box of 45s, you can fall flat on your face no matter who you are. case in point: hamburg. brought out to dj an r&b-heavy set. turned out that their idea of r&b was of the laid-back, fingerpopping variety rather than the raucous, raw stuff i prefer. audience was confused. host/promoter/fellow dj was unhappy and got sloppy drunk and had to be carried off the stage. there are sociological differences among different locales that extend to the typical listener/clubgoer's acceptance of the music, and they're not always predictable. on some nights, jesus could be behind the decks and if he played his favorite 45, "el monkey," instead of some "16 tons"-sounding kernel of mild belgian popcorn, he would have people streaming for the exits despite his mastery of every mixing technique known to man and others he hasn't even shared with man yet.
and in oslo, your "skillz" ain't really going to matter when the crowd is expecting several seconds of silence between the records so they can turn to you and applaud.
could talk more about this, but my stomach's growling.
one thing i've noticed in dj'ing in far-flung locales is that certain places have an established sound and feel and if you've brought the "wrong" box of 45s, you can fall flat on your face no matter who you are. case in point: hamburg. brought out to dj an r&b-heavy set. turned out that their idea of r&b was of the laid-back, fingerpopping variety rather than the raucous, raw stuff i prefer. audience was confused. host/promoter/fellow dj was unhappy and got sloppy drunk and had to be carried off the stage. there are sociological differences among different locales that extend to the typical listener/clubgoer's acceptance of the music, and they're not always predictable. on some nights, jesus could be behind the decks and if he played his favorite 45, "el monkey," instead of some "16 tons"-sounding kernel of mild belgian popcorn, he would have people streaming for the exits despite his mastery of every mixing technique known to man and others he hasn't even shared with man yet.
I once read somewhere about some multi-DJ soul night in NYC...the set was going strong until somebody dared play a song that was (gasp!) A WELL-KNOWN HIT...at which point the dancefloor was empty...WTF?? (meaning the crowd was weak-sauce and suspect, not the DJ...I woulda walked out on him if he were playing one obvious hit after another, but there's nothing wrong with dropping a common record every now and then...)
I've seen at least 3 of those DJ's kill a club dancefloor dead.
was that september 12, 2001, in plymouth, england? definitely wasn't at my best that night!
i like to think that for every dance floor i've killed in the way you mean it, i've killed another one in an altogether different sense! i like to think that, anyway.
I don't understand all these worries about bringing your 45s to the bar either
---
yea neither do i... sounds like some Microwave DJs trying to justify going pussy, I mean digital. hehe. I kid. well sorta.
I've never actually even used Microwave, but I would, especially on the instant cue burn 45s that I'm not trying to burn up. I don't really see what the beef with Microwave is anyways, if you couldn't even see the DJ, but were enjoying the music and having a good night, would you change your mind the next day if you found out the DJ was playing off Microwave? Are folks really this uptight? I realize this question has been asked over and over, just sayin.
I think that Microwave would be fine if people didn't download music. The fact that cats go head to head with me with stolen music that they didn't have to work for... makes me feel like they are full of shit. The Illest DJ in the world with Microwave is going to have quite the tools. I just get sick of playing out with people who use Microwave and they play all sorts of cuts that they just stole... I feel like a big part of DJing is finding the shit you play... copying your homies harddrive... searching blogs... or hitting soulseek is Frickin' gay to me. Its not DJing... and its stupid.
Now... if every DJ simply digitized their rare 45s and played em with Microwave I'd be totally cool... but like .005% actually do that.
Now meaty... if you got Microwave would you ever download music to DJ out? Shit... that question goes out to all the rest of you guys defending the Microwave box.
Sure, microwave makes it easy for sub-par DJs to get a hold of good and rare tracks. But in all honesty, if that means more people playing good music then I'm all for it. The truly great DJs will always shine through with their selection, no matter what the tools.
I mean really, what's the difference between some dude downloading using microwave or playing compilations, and some filthy rich collector dropping $300+ on eBay records that he heard about off the same comp? Just because you own the record does not make you a good DJ with style and taste. It's the guys who have been out digging, who have heard thousands of 45s and have found a box of them that they think are the best, that make great DJs.
Sure, microwave makes it easy for sub-par DJs to get a hold of good and rare tracks. But in all honesty, if that means more people playing good music then I'm all for it. The truly great DJs will always shine through with their selection, no matter what the tools.
I mean really, what's the difference between some dude downloading using microwave or playing compilations, and some filthy rich collector dropping $300+ on eBay records that he heard about off the same comp? Just because you own the record does not make you a good DJ with style and taste. It's the guys who have been out digging, who have heard thousands of 45s and have found a box of them that they think are the best, that make great DJs.
See... i understand your logic. But if you really believe that shit, why do you collect records. I just think its over simplified logic. I guess theres no point arguing against that... same type of shit as... Why even make music whats the point. I guess we all just could get past basic positioning and realize that there is a deeper reason why we are collecting old records and playing them for people... and not simply throwing on an Ipod full of dance music at a club. Then again... IF you close your eyes and just listen... isn't listening to records at a club the same as just playing music off a harddrive pre-selected... the fact is... there is a difference. The proof is in the fact that we all gravitate towards the guys doing the authentic thing and push away from bullshit.
OF course a 5 year old is gonna ride a bike better with training wheels, but when everybody in the world starts riding bikes with training wheels and says.. hey nick why dont you just ride a bike with training wheels, its easier and man... you dont get street burn on your elbows... i say... damnit to hell thats not bikeriding!
so yes.... new djs are more fun with Microwave... actually they are more fun with CDs probably. Shit... probably even better on a set of ipods. Im just saying... you guys respect "the art of DJing" so why get all literal all the time and not acknowledge that seeing a dude play his rare records live has that certain je'n se quoi. Quit fronting... and realize if the first time you saw your idol play out... he played CDs... i bet he wouldn't be your idol.
Bring on the functional responses... but you know deep down im right... and you know deep down Microwave is Frickin' training wheels or swimmer floaties...
YES... you can load exclusives... yes you can save your 45s and other shit from cue burn... yes its safer.
But... you can Frickin' press dub plates or shit... your own 12"s.... you can play bootlegs, collections, or reissues to save your expensive shit from cue burn... and you can leave the shit at home and let someone else play it and get the respect for bringing real shit to the club and showing it off.
ultimately.... if your a producer... you should use Microwave... otherwise... buy the Frickin' records and bring that shit out and play it well.
Excellent thread all-round, but meaty has the best point so far - if you're out to enjoy music and dance, which should be the goal of anyone who is out on a dancefloor enjoying a funk night (or any other kind of dj night), why would it matter what format the records or music was in? Seems like the only ones that would complain are other dj's/collectors who resent the ease with which a non-hardcore-digger might find great tracks.
I don't think this debate would last this long if this wasn't a forum including a large group of people who collect original vinyl (obviously). But the topic is "who are the best soul/funk dj's", and to me the best dj's use whatever resources they can (including quality of soundsystem, an issue which is extremely important and contingent on the clurb/venue in question) to rock a crowd. It's a nice little bonus if they own the og vinyl which they play, but that's it, and that's mainly for the nerds in the audience.
Excellent thread all-round, but meaty has the best point so far - if you're out to enjoy music and dance, which should be the goal of anyone who is out on a dancefloor enjoying a funk night (or any other kind of dj night), why would it matter what format the records or music was in? Seems like the only ones that would complain are other dj's/collectors who resent the ease with which a non-hardcore-digger might find great tracks.
I don't think this debate would last this long if this wasn't a forum including a large group of people who collect original vinyl (obviously). But the topic is "who are the best soul/funk dj's", and to me the best dj's use whatever resources they can (including quality of soundsystem, an issue which is extremely important and contingent on the clurb/venue in question) to rock a crowd. It's a nice little bonus if they own the og vinyl which they play, but that's it, and that's mainly for the nerds in the audience.
I understand the OG ethic, and like I said, I maintain it myself at a certain context. I would never take Microwave, reissues or downloaded tracks to a gig, that enforces this ethic, like Oslo Soul Experience or our own Soul Sides night. It would not be proper. And I would never book someone there that didn't have the records.
Some gigs I do for money, playing for hours alone to crowds that couldn't, for the most part give less about the records. This applies to the drunken mess at my local bar, where I have more of a hiphop approach to DJing, doubling up and mixing the rare soul and funk with disco and such. At those settings it's nice to hear tracks like Timeless Legend or Split Decision Band, songs that I have not yet been able to buy or are out of my reach, but the crowd seems to like alot.
just make sure frank raines pays you up front, g-----s!
i'm still waiting for my $400 from like a year and a half ago, on a night when brad wasn't there and frank must have pocketed $1,200+ in door money and didn't give me or shingaling a Frickin' penny.
I have to say, the night we had you Mr. Finewine with Janda, Poust, High-C and loads other top shelf DJs was the best night of soul records I have ever heard in my life....
Comments
If you're pushing up against some girl on the floor and the beat is right, are you going to rush to the turntable to see if the DJ is playing an original or a reissue?
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As some of this rant is probably addressed to me, I have to say that it doesn't sound to me that I'm the one making excuses. What's your reasoning to bring records to a bar then? Sound quality? At 2:00am, no one could care less about something like that.
What is your point in this? That it matters more at a party that an actual record is played than people enjoying themselves?
Haha U mad!
There are so many ways to tell if a DJ is for real and whether or not they're rocking off S*rato has very little to do with it...
I've never seen a DJ rock a great soul, funk, disco or rare groove set off a laptop who DIDN'T already own the records.
As most people in this thread have said, there are places where it's acceptable and places where it's not.
BUT, if I'm playing a 5 hour party in which I might spin anything from disco, to soul, to rap, to international or whatever, I would much rather bring my laptop and a single bag of records than four or five boxes of shit.
Not to mention I can sell records I don't really love or wish to file, and still be able to play them out. Nothing better than that.
Yeah, of course Josh and Lucas should get a nod - although I prefer Josh's funk set when he plays straight ie his Deep Funk club set. Lucas' decknology is nice enough for a while (his Prolifics 'Guts' horn rework sounds great), but the whole cut up thing bores me after 15 minutes.
And of course Mike V should be mentioned. Solid DJ, great selection - I'm hoping to get him out more often in 2008 but he's a busy boy already. The Ray Frazier was a great buy from him - but the freebie he threw in was particularly nice!!
Andy and I would absolutely take the pepsi challenge for sure, but nobody off this board whose LA based has seen us play out. So we wouldn't expect inclusion yet.
The list should include soul & funk DJ's, not just DJ's that play 30 minutes of it and move on. So people in LA should be checking for;
Mike V
Tommy Potts
Chris Griffiths
Tony Sanchez (not strictly soul/funk, but plays enough it to qualify IMO)
And those I've liked sets they've played so yeah, I'll hype 'em;
John Doe (when he's in town)
DJ Renato
Mike Umholtz
George Rodriguez
All worth making the trip for, in my book.
Spinnerty. Hands down.
His 45 at Labcabin!
He has a lot of great mixes too on his website.
Of course he plays newer ish, but it's still got soul!!!
hahaha...Labcabin....womp womp!
wait...is there a reason why it wont link to turntable lab?
meh, here is the 45:
http://www.labcabin.com/vinyl/217/1280/37577.html
grrrrrrrr!
COSMO BAKER
MIZZO (where ya at homie)
and if were gonna go by deep crates and selection, Dante seems like an obvious choice...
D is good folks
The new cd and 45 are available at Groove Merchant as well.
yea neither do i... sounds like some Microwave DJs trying to justify going pussy, I mean digital. hehe. I kid. well sorta.
I totally agree with your choice of Troy. I had no idea what to expect when I moved to RVA, I knew he had to have some good shit. Today I can't get anough of his sets. He always brings something fresh to the table, he always surprises me, and the way he puts his sets together is top-notch. He's also one of those cats who don't care if a track is rare or not ... he mixes $500 pieces with 50 cents pieces, and nobody would notice. Bottom line, if Troy lived in a bigger city (London or NYC) and would hustle his act more, he'd be all over the place and many people would know him.
That said, I'd also throw these guys in the mix (not going by hear-say but by having listened to them) in no particular order:
Daisuke Kuroda (Tokyo, my personal favorite)
Nitecrawler (D.C.)
Florian Keller (Munich)
Tobias Kirmayer (Munich)
Perry Louis (London)
Soulrabbi (Germany)
Romanowsky (San Fran)
Pinch (Osaka)
Snowboy (London)
Matt Weingarden (NYC)
Honky (NYC)
Gu (Bremen)
Henry Storch (Unique Records, Germany)
Fatback (RVA)
Marty (NYC)
Nick Cope (NYC)
Orb Kamm (L.A.)
Tom Delay (NYC - if he puts that Serrato down for an hour)
Maya (Hannover)
FRANK (soulpusher): never seen him fail to rock a party in any of his guises (vampyros lesbos sleazemaster, funk impresario, african emissary)
SPINNA: having caught the acts of a lot of the more mix-conscious and -capable of the 45 djs and wondered why they were bothering (much furrow-browed furious effort for little or no or even negative payoff), i've got to give it up to this guy, who does it effectively and makes it look pretty effortless
MAO: killer taste, has "skillz" but doesn't flash 'em and knows when they're not necessary
JASON PERLMUTTER: magic records, down-to-earth, precocious boy-next-door vibe
DADDY BONES: flawless party sense
don't be sad if i left you out; i like you too.
one thing i've noticed in dj'ing in far-flung locales is that certain places have an established sound and feel and if you've brought the "wrong" box of 45s, you can fall flat on your face no matter who you are. case in point: hamburg. brought out to dj an r&b-heavy set. turned out that their idea of r&b was of the laid-back, fingerpopping variety rather than the raucous, raw stuff i prefer. audience was confused. host/promoter/fellow dj was unhappy and got sloppy drunk and had to be carried off the stage. there are sociological differences among different locales that extend to the typical listener/clubgoer's acceptance of the music, and they're not always predictable. on some nights, jesus could be behind the decks and if he played his favorite 45, "el monkey," instead of some "16 tons"-sounding kernel of mild belgian popcorn, he would have people streaming for the exits despite his mastery of every mixing technique known to man and others he hasn't even shared with man yet.
and in oslo, your "skillz" ain't really going to matter when the crowd is expecting several seconds of silence between the records so they can turn to you and applaud.
could talk more about this, but my stomach's growling.
m
I once read somewhere about some multi-DJ soul night in NYC...the set was going strong until somebody dared play a song that was (gasp!) A WELL-KNOWN HIT...at which point the dancefloor was empty...WTF??
was that september 12, 2001, in plymouth, england? definitely wasn't at my best that night!
i like to think that for every dance floor i've killed in the way you mean it, i've killed another one in an altogether different sense! i like to think that, anyway.
I've never actually even used Microwave, but I would, especially on the instant cue burn 45s that I'm not trying to burn up. I don't really see what the beef with Microwave is anyways, if you couldn't even see the DJ, but were enjoying the music and having a good night, would you change your mind the next day if you found out the DJ was playing off Microwave? Are folks really this uptight? I realize this question has been asked over and over, just sayin.
Now... if every DJ simply digitized their rare 45s and played em with Microwave I'd be totally cool... but like .005% actually do that.
Now meaty... if you got Microwave would you ever download music to DJ out? Shit... that question goes out to all the rest of you guys defending the Microwave box.
I mean really, what's the difference between some dude downloading using microwave or playing compilations, and some filthy rich collector dropping $300+ on eBay records that he heard about off the same comp? Just because you own the record does not make you a good DJ with style and taste. It's the guys who have been out digging, who have heard thousands of 45s and have found a box of them that they think are the best, that make great DJs.
See... i understand your logic. But if you really believe that shit, why do you collect records. I just think its over simplified logic. I guess theres no point arguing against that... same type of shit as... Why even make music whats the point. I guess we all just could get past basic positioning and realize that there is a deeper reason why we are collecting old records and playing them for people... and not simply throwing on an Ipod full of dance music at a club. Then again... IF you close your eyes and just listen... isn't listening to records at a club the same as just playing music off a harddrive pre-selected... the fact is... there is a difference. The proof is in the fact that we all gravitate towards the guys doing the authentic thing and push away from bullshit.
OF course a 5 year old is gonna ride a bike better with training wheels, but when everybody in the world starts riding bikes with training wheels and says.. hey nick why dont you just ride a bike with training wheels, its easier and man... you dont get street burn on your elbows... i say... damnit to hell thats not bikeriding!
so yes.... new djs are more fun with Microwave... actually they are more fun with CDs probably. Shit... probably even better on a set of ipods. Im just saying... you guys respect "the art of DJing" so why get all literal all the time and not acknowledge that seeing a dude play his rare records live has that certain je'n se quoi. Quit fronting... and realize if the first time you saw your idol play out... he played CDs... i bet he wouldn't be your idol.
Bring on the functional responses... but you know deep down im right... and you know deep down Microwave is Frickin' training wheels or swimmer floaties...
YES... you can load exclusives... yes you can save your 45s and other shit from cue burn... yes its safer.
But... you can Frickin' press dub plates or shit... your own 12"s.... you can play bootlegs, collections, or reissues to save your expensive shit from cue burn... and you can leave the shit at home and let someone else play it and get the respect for bringing real shit to the club and showing it off.
ultimately.... if your a producer... you should use Microwave... otherwise... buy the Frickin' records and bring that shit out and play it well.
I don't think this debate would last this long if this wasn't a forum including a large group of people who collect original vinyl (obviously). But the topic is "who are the best soul/funk dj's", and to me the best dj's use whatever resources they can (including quality of soundsystem, an issue which is extremely important and contingent on the clurb/venue in question) to rock a crowd. It's a nice little bonus if they own the og vinyl which they play, but that's it, and that's mainly for the nerds in the audience.
I understand the OG ethic, and like I said, I maintain it myself at a certain context. I would never take Microwave, reissues or downloaded tracks to a gig, that enforces this ethic, like Oslo Soul Experience or our own Soul Sides night. It would not be proper. And I would never book someone there that didn't have the records.
Some gigs I do for money, playing for hours alone to crowds that couldn't, for the most part give less about the records. This applies to the drunken mess at my local bar, where I have more of a hiphop approach to DJing, doubling up and mixing the rare soul and funk with disco and such. At those settings it's nice to hear tracks like Timeless Legend or Split Decision Band, songs that I have not yet been able to buy or are out of my reach, but the crowd seems to like alot.
i'm still waiting for my $400 from like a year and a half ago, on a night when brad wasn't there and frank must have pocketed $1,200+ in door money and didn't give me or shingaling a Frickin' penny.