DJs Who Keep Their Tracklists A Secret
Mr_Lee_PHD
2,042 Posts
Why?
Is there a logical / 'for the greater good' reason to doing this, or is it just some kind of personal 'I know something you dont know' kinda ego trip thing?
I've noticed a lot of people doing it on youtube.. posting 'rare hungarian funk'' or whatever, without any kind of details.. and then someone will recognize it, post in the comments what the record is, so the poster will disable comments in the hopes that it will be something everybody will keep asking about.. at least thats how it appears.
I've spent hours and hours digging and finding stuff.. if someone asks what it is, I'm only too happy to share the knowledge. I'm happy that people dig the same kind of music, so I'm glad to share it. The artist deserves all the exposure they can get in my opinion. After all, I didn't record the record.. who am I to take the credit for the awesomeness of something I didn't record? I'm just a messenger with a turntable.
I understand there was a reason for it regarding rare breaks in, say, 70's New York when it was every DJ for himself and there was a lot of rivalry, but that was mainly over breaks.. these days there appear to be DJs who will play an entire song that doesn't contain a break or anything, just a damn good song. It seems to come off as 'Look everybody, look, look what I've got... I want everybody to hear it, but I'm not telling anyone what it is'.
That said, most people are cool... Andy Votel, Cut Chemist, David Holmes.. they're only too glad to educate and share the knowledge.
So what are peoples thoughts on this ?
Is there a logical / 'for the greater good' reason to doing this, or is it just some kind of personal 'I know something you dont know' kinda ego trip thing?
I've noticed a lot of people doing it on youtube.. posting 'rare hungarian funk'' or whatever, without any kind of details.. and then someone will recognize it, post in the comments what the record is, so the poster will disable comments in the hopes that it will be something everybody will keep asking about.. at least thats how it appears.
I've spent hours and hours digging and finding stuff.. if someone asks what it is, I'm only too happy to share the knowledge. I'm happy that people dig the same kind of music, so I'm glad to share it. The artist deserves all the exposure they can get in my opinion. After all, I didn't record the record.. who am I to take the credit for the awesomeness of something I didn't record? I'm just a messenger with a turntable.
I understand there was a reason for it regarding rare breaks in, say, 70's New York when it was every DJ for himself and there was a lot of rivalry, but that was mainly over breaks.. these days there appear to be DJs who will play an entire song that doesn't contain a break or anything, just a damn good song. It seems to come off as 'Look everybody, look, look what I've got... I want everybody to hear it, but I'm not telling anyone what it is'.
That said, most people are cool... Andy Votel, Cut Chemist, David Holmes.. they're only too glad to educate and share the knowledge.
So what are peoples thoughts on this ?
Comments
And others feel like that labor has earned them the right to keep shit secret. I don't see how this is different than what '70s DJs were doing. Knowledge is capital. Some people want to share it, others want to hoard it but these are old philosophies.
Although it just so happened that I had one in my box, so I plucked it out.. 'Magician In The Mountain by Sunforest, think they repressed it recently..'
DJ got all asshurt like I'd just told everyone his PIN number or something. Made me chuckle though.
Most of the time it does seem to be some ego trip bullshit though.
Also, he figures he put the work into training/schooling/research, why should he just give the info out freely to someone who's not putting any work into it.
I personally don't care and like to discuss and give info. But I kinda understand the point.
The youtube dude is probably just trying to keep people coming back to his video and getting views.
In the world we live in, information is power. His is just on a much smaller level.
Exactly. I think that the OP is missing a key point about being a successful DJ (working or part time). Maintaining your competitive edge as a DJ requires playing killer stuff that other DJs aren't playing. Why would a dj freely give away that valuable knowledge? To me, certain songs are cool to reveal to people, but others are off limits.
I'm not a working DJ but my guess is that those who are would disagree that this plays a big role in how DJs get business these days.
My point is simply that the desire to hoard or share any form of capital - information or otherwise - is pretty common in practically ANY field.
But then again, if it's a raer, not many dudes would be able to find it anyway.
Plus, someone else will always have something else new and different.
To me, you're hired not just for the one or two raers you have in your box, but your overall tastes, the way you put it all together and your abilities in being able to entertain a crowd for a couple hours.
I've never heard anyone say 'Hire him because he's got such-and-such a record'.
A mix can be more interesting and exciting if you don't know what to expect. So listening to it blind can be a great thing.
I have found that the the DJs who make these mixes are either being secretive or just lazy. Most of the time you can contact them and request and ID and they will respond. Other times they just don't respond at all, which I'm not mad at, because it makes it all the more rewarding when you do find the track in the future.
Although it can be annoying when a track is not in English making it very hard to describe in order to search for it by other means.
I really don't care about what the status quo is these days. There are still plenty of DJs to whom this matters.
Why does it have to be a raer? People ask about common shit all the time. Still plenty of $5-$10 heat out there that's off the radar.
I'm not really trying to split hairs here, just making the point that there are plausible situations where a DJ would not want to reveal a title. Myself, I've never refused to answer a question like this, and I DJ exclusively with vinyl. It makes it near impossible to hide what you are playing from other DJs vs DJing with Serato.
Yea, the "my paycheck depends on it" argument has very limited mileage. It's weird power games.
I find it obnoxious. I rarely play a night where I don???t get asked about a record or two. I would feel like a cheeseball if I responded with some weird for-me-to-know-and-you-to-find-out BS. The person likes it enough to come and ask, I'll show them what it looks like and where they can get it.
If I like the song you're playing, I may be asking just out of interest, or maybe I want it in my life, but it is certainly not a building block to taking down someone???s DJ career.
The days of limited***/exclusive releases and whole crews??? livelihoods depending on winning a crowd over (a la Jamaican clashes) are well gone. Folks have way more to work with and straight up, the DJs who are making their living at it are not really stressing about passing on the names of a few records.
Edit - ***As in number of releases/songs out in the world and access to the records.
Both times the dj was happy sharing music.
Bring me your money sucker djs.
My favourite DJs don't use laptops.
I know but we're old and know better. I'm trying to target the money here.
I don't have a problem with that. If you really want to find out you'll explore and learn a lot in the process. Especially in this era. I got into Jazz after listening to some tune in a Madlib mix around 2007 and only identified it in 2010. In the time between I became some sort of walking encyclopedia compared to what I knew 3 years before.
What says that the person asking isn't doing that as well?
Deserve?
Please.
Any djs out there rocking screen blockers?
*DJ plays jazz tune*
*homie slice digs it and approaches DJ*
DJ: Booker Little's on the trumpet.
homie slice : who ?
*DJ stares a second then proceeds to resume his duty*
I could have formulated this way: it's absurd to me to know Hampton Hawes without having a clue on Monk. Hope you get the point better.
It's music, not a badge.
Kthxbai
Personally, I don't find this absurd at all. If you're new to a particular genre everything starts off equally rare and equally new. The distinctions only become apparent when you start learning a bit more about the music.
What's absurd is the implication here that people have to follow some kind from prescribed path, starting from the well-known to the obscure. Or that you're not allowed to know about artist D until you've got everything by artists A, B and C. Who cares if someone learns about Carl Holmes or Mike James Kirkland before hearing Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield?
Happened to me a couple of times and makes me feel kind of violated :grrr:
you're in denial
about?