Best soul/funk DJ?

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  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    I've only ever played 45s at soul/funk gigs. It's all I intend to play as well. Even if a choice track is LP only, I won't play it.

  • i didn't mean to knock 45s at all. I love freedom through limitation and all, If I got invited to play an all 45 night i'd be all over it. I think its ill when DJs go all 45, I just dont think the audience gets anything extra musically from an ALL 45 DJ over a DJ who just plays all the freshest shit 45 and LP.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    i didn't mean to knock 45s at all. I love freedom through limitation and all, If I got invited to play an all 45 night i'd be all over it. I think its ill when DJs go all 45, I just dont think the audience gets anything extra musically from an ALL 45 DJ over a DJ who just plays all the freshest shit 45 and LP.

    Exactly the point I was making.

    45's arent a novelty effect to me, just another format to be used. So you play all singles, all night. Cool. But don't go acting like you're Making A Stand Against Modern Technology or anything bizarre like that.

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    But any muppet can just go buy a soul/funk compilation LP for each turntable & presto the party is on, shit, just pull a couple of Kent compilations & you've got a solid set. I just don't see the fun in that, if you as a DJ are not having fun it kind of defeats the purpose for me anyways. Dropping the same stuff from a couple of comp LPs all night is probably as boring to me as turning up to a soul nighter with your laptop & RCAs. If you have enough cool 45s you shouldn't need LP tracks anyways. Whatever, I guess I'm just being a dick because I love 45s waaaaaaaaaay more than LPs. Carry on.

  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    Even as someone who knows relatively little about funk 45s, it is strikingly clear that the quality of funk music on 45 pretty much obliterates what's available in LP form. I mean we are talking about the real dope deep and raw funk here, right? I just can't imagine a funk DJ with truly deep crates ever having to play an LP. I mean a lot of these guys are playing out records that even most record collectors don't know, and even less have actually heard.

  • All im saying is.... i go to like 3 funk nights a week and dudes play LPs all day. tons of 45s... but dont act like if a guy plays LPs he's a toy... theres tons of non 45 joints that people still need to hear.

    i know i know though.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    But any muppet can just go buy a reissue 45[/b] for each turntable & presto the party is on, shit, just pull a couple of Collectables repressings[/b] & you've got a solid set. If you have enough cool records, then format doesn't matter. It's not about size, it's about performance.[/b]

    Not that I'm hating on singles, just trying to prove a point.

    And besides, in your original post, Holmes, you kept mentioning Kent reissue LP's. Why does it necessarily have to be a reissue? They had vinyl albums in the sixties and seventies too that weren't comps. And since Dyke & the Blazers' tuff "Broadway Combination" wasn't released on a single, may as well cue the album it comes from on the turntables.

  • meatyogremeatyogre 2,080 Posts
    the real question is can you be a great soul/funk DJ and use Microwave?

  • shit.... I wanna say no, but people i seriously respect keep coming up with Microwave for their weeklies... so. I kinda remain hush on the issue... but ultimately I never wanna get into that shit unless im running a mashie kinda night where i'll be using origonal material... or non vinyl released material. Regardless... a funk/soul dj on the Microwave makes me cringe most of the time... unless they get that loop feature activated on the drum breaks and shit... at which point i gotta dap a little bit.

  • the real question is can you be a great soul/funk DJ and use Microwave?

    no

  • meatyogremeatyogre 2,080 Posts
    Im gettin the Seratoe so I can play with my 45s more and not worry about cue burn. Not sure If I'll be playing out like that though. But it always gets me nervous bringing out $1000s worth of 45s to a bar.

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    Im gettin the Seratoe so I can play with my 45s more and not worry about cue burn. Not sure If I'll be playing out like that though. But it always gets me nervous bringing out $1000s worth of 45s to a bar.

    I think about that all the time too. Especially when I hear horror stories like Mr. Finewine leaving a box on the subway containing, among many other rarities, a copy of the TMGs, Al & the Stark Treks, Chocolate Glass, etc.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Im gettin the Seratoe so I can play with my 45s more and not worry about cue burn. Not sure If I'll be playing out like that though. But it always gets me nervous bringing out $1000s worth of 45s to a bar.

    I think about that all the time too. Especially when I hear horror stories like Mr. Finewine leaving a box on the subway containing, among many other rarities, a copy of the TMGs, Al & the Stark Treks, Chocolate Glass, etc.

    That's why I was glad to find a 45 of Syl Johnson's "Same Kind Of Thing" on Twinight, 'cause it's a great dance song yet the album it comes from is scarce as hen's teeth and I'd rather leave that one at home.

  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    If I saw a DJ playing dope funk 45 sides using microwave I would have no problem with it. It is one hell of an elitist attitude to expect DJs to bring the best of their collections to a spot with a bunch of drunk people they don't know, only to cue burn styrene records, when the technology is out there to do otherwise.

    At the same time, mad props to anyone who brings real heat when they play out.

  • Muro

    I saw him in SF two years ago, and enjoyed it very much. He had a dude handing him records from his box . For the most part, I wouldn't call his set rocking a party, though. To finish his set, the man played 1 and a half hours of obscure steppers.

    I second Roisto on Kenny Dope in Helsinki. Against great expectations, that dude was just lazy. Safe set and no presence at all.

    OH SHIT! You where at that show...Club Six? I was in the upstairs room as well deejaying. That was a dope set, and yeah dude travels with two young protege dudes. It was a little weird because I got stuck driving 'em around that day and no one except their manager spoke English.

    I remember he started out his set with H.N.I.C. libary joint then the rest was a blur man



  • The same goes for me. Even tracks from CD or whatever media (MP3 ...) is ok. It's the sound not the format that should be the focus on. It's right that a lot of super funk tracks are 45s only, but the same goes with LP or even CD (at least for those who are not only into the late 60s funk style). My work on the funk lexicon learned me, that both 'limiting to LPs or 45s only' miss a lot of heavy funk sounds. It's like 'wow Mickey & the Soul Generation is super, but I don't want to hear their music released later on LP only' and 'there is no need to show people on the dancefloor what else, beside on 45, they have done'. That's a logic, which is a slap in the face of the musicians (in a way). They make the good music without having a publishing format in their mind.

    later for this elitist 45-only thinking

    But oh so convenient when you don't wanna pack the big heavy record bag!

    Even though the majority of my soul nites are 45-based, I still reserve the right to throw in an album or two in the pile. It was never a question of "one or the other" to me.

  • Muro

    I saw him in SF two years ago, and enjoyed it very much. He had a dude handing him records from his box . For the most part, I wouldn't call his set rocking a party, though. To finish his set, the man played 1 and a half hours of obscure steppers.

    I second Roisto on Kenny Dope in Helsinki. Against great expectations, that dude was just lazy. Safe set and no presence at all.

    OH SHIT! You where at that show...Club Six? I was in the upstairs room as well deejaying. That was a dope set, and yeah dude travels with two young protege dudes. It was a little weird because I got stuck driving 'em around that day and no one except their manager spoke English.

    I remember he started out his set with H.N.I.C. libary joint then the rest was a blur man



    Yes, I was there! We talked upstairs and you complimented my shoes, if I remember correctly. You were pretty busy with the ladies that night man...

  • The same goes for me. Even tracks from CD or whatever media (MP3 ...) is ok. It's the sound not the format that should be the focus on. It's right that a lot of super funk tracks are 45s only, but the same goes with LP or even CD (at least for those who are not only into the late 60s funk style). My work on the funk lexicon learned me, that both 'limiting to LPs or 45s only' miss a lot of heavy funk sounds. It's like 'wow Mickey & the Soul Generation is super, but I don't want to hear their music released later on LP only' and 'there is no need to show people on the dancefloor what else, beside on 45, they have done'. That's a logic, which is a slap in the face of the musicians (in a way). They make the good music without having a publishing format in their mind.

    later for this elitist 45-only thinking

    But oh so convenient when you don't wanna pack the big heavy record bag!

    Even though the majority of my soul nites are 45-based, I still reserve the right to throw in an album or two in the pile. It was never a question of "one or the other" to me.

    I use microwave and 45's on my monthly funk/soul night. It has a few benefits: no need to carry LP's or 12" around, no need to bring my $300+ 45's to a dancefloor full of crazy drunks, I can play unreleased and rare stuff that would be impossible to play otherwise.

    On our special night once in two months, http://www.soulsides.fi/, I bring only originals, box of 45's and a couple of 12"/LP's, because that's the proper thing on that night. Check the "sounds" section on our website to listen to some 45 rarities.

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    But any muppet can just go buy a reissue 45[/b] for each turntable & presto the party is on, shit, just pull a couple of Collectables repressings[/b] & you've got a solid set. If you have enough cool records, then format doesn't matter. It's not about size, it's about performance.[/b]

    Not that I'm hating on singles, just trying to prove a point.

    And besides, in your original post, Holmes, you kept mentioning Kent reissue LP's. Why does it necessarily have to be a reissue? They had vinyl albums in the sixties and seventies too that weren't comps. And since Dyke & the Blazers' tuff "Broadway Combination" wasn't released on a single, may as well cue the album it comes from on the turntables.
    Man, Collectables 45s drive me crazy!! I wasn't meaning the original Kent label, I meant those 80s UK comp LPs on Kent that collected heaps of great soul tracks together. "Broadway Combination" is way cool but I can live with playing "Funky Broadway", "Funky Bull", "We Got More Soul", "So Sharp" or any other of their amazing 45s without having to bother taking the LP out. I can see your point, I just don't totally apply it to my rationale

  • If I saw a DJ playing dope funk 45 sides using microwave I would have no problem with it. It is one hell of an elitist attitude to expect DJs to bring the best of their collections to a spot with a bunch of drunk people they don't know, only to cue burn styrene records, when the technology is out there to do otherwise.

    At the same time, mad props to anyone who brings real heat when they play out.

    This shouldn't be an argument. It's a smart move to use Microwave, especially in the case of Meaty.
    You'd be stupid to bring rarities out on a constant basis. Take advantage of technology fellas

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    If I saw a DJ playing dope funk 45 sides using microwave I would have no problem with it. It is one hell of an elitist attitude to expect DJs to bring the best of their collections to a spot with a bunch of drunk people they don't know, only to cue burn styrene records, when the technology is out there to do otherwise.

    At the same time, mad props to anyone who brings real heat when they play out.

    This shouldn't be an argument. It's a smart move to use Microwave, especially in the case of Meaty.
    You'd be stupid to bring rarities out on a constant basis. Take advantage of technology fellas, and this is one definite case where them Kent reissues come in handy![/b]

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    But any muppet can just go buy a reissue 45[/b] for each turntable & presto the party is on, shit, just pull a couple of Collectables repressings[/b] & you've got a solid set. If you have enough cool records, then format doesn't matter. It's not about size, it's about performance.[/b]

    Not that I'm hating on singles, just trying to prove a point.

    And besides, in your original post, Holmes, you kept mentioning Kent reissue LP's. Why does it necessarily have to be a reissue? They had vinyl albums in the sixties and seventies too that weren't comps. And since Dyke & the Blazers' tuff "Broadway Combination" wasn't released on a single, may as well cue the album it comes from on the turntables.
    Man, Collectables 45s drive me crazy!!
    I wasn't meaning the original Kent label, I meant those 80s UK comp LPs on Kent that collected heaps of great soul tracks together.

    I knew that, that's why I counterbalanced it with Collectables, another reissue label. Even though the sound quality could be shoddy (ESPECIALLY on their early-'80s records with the pink label), you have to agree they did release a lot of good obscure stuff on 7", not just the usual oldies radio staples.

  • Microwave makes DJs lazier in my opinion. And every DJ i know who bought Microwave slowed down on buying vinyl. Maybe thats a good thing, but to me it just seems like everyone harddrive swaps and ends up with all the same tracks. Plus the sound quality of Microwave bothers me.

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    But any muppet can just go buy a reissue 45[/b] for each turntable & presto the party is on, shit, just pull a couple of Collectables repressings[/b] & you've got a solid set. If you have enough cool records, then format doesn't matter. It's not about size, it's about performance.[/b]

    Not that I'm hating on singles, just trying to prove a point.

    And besides, in your original post, Holmes, you kept mentioning Kent reissue LP's. Why does it necessarily have to be a reissue? They had vinyl albums in the sixties and seventies too that weren't comps. And since Dyke & the Blazers' tuff "Broadway Combination" wasn't released on a single, may as well cue the album it comes from on the turntables.
    Man, Collectables 45s drive me crazy!!
    I wasn't meaning the original Kent label, I meant those 80s UK comp LPs on Kent that collected heaps of great soul tracks together.

    I knew that, that's why I counterbalanced it with Collectables, another reissue label. Even though the sound quality could be shoddy (ESPECIALLY on their early-'80s records with the pink label), you have to agree they did release a lot of good obscure stuff on 7", not just the usual oldies radio staples.
    With those early Collectables 45s & some of the RCA & Last Night & Ripete stuff from the same era you can hold them up to a bright light & see through them

  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    Microwave makes DJs lazier in my opinion. And every DJ i know who bought Microwave slowed down on buying vinyl. Maybe thats a good thing, but to me it just seems like everyone harddrive swaps and ends up with all the same tracks. Plus the sound quality of Microwave bothers me.

    While I'll heartily cosign on the crap sound quality of microwave (and while most people don't care there are people on this board who will back me up on this. I'm not teh crazy.) it sounds like the DJs you're talking about just aren't very good or don't have very deep knowledge. There are plenty of DJs out there who use and rely on microwave who put together unique sets on the regular.

    I really do hope that the sound quality of microwave gets better and people stop using mp3s and start using WAV files, but due to the very nature of the audio processing that microwave does, it will never ever replace vinyl. It will, however, sound better than a styrene record that's been played and cue burned 50+ times.

  • i wont name names... but these aren't crappy DJs... these are some of the biggest DJs in LA, vegas, SF... Then again... Ima diss the fuck outta Microwave until I get enough money to buy my own set up. I figure I could turn out 2-3 worth while mash up re-edits a week and rock mad exclusives all over town. that would be a bonus.


    speaking of Microwave... can you download the program for free? Because the place i spin at on wednesdays has a Microwave box.

  • BelsonBelson 880 Posts
    i wont name names... but these aren't crappy DJs... these are some of the biggest DJs in LA, vegas, SF...

    Amazing thread, that has yet to mention the best soul and funk DJ's in California.

    ....seems heads will only go with what they know, rather than what's potentially on offer.

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    i wont name names... but these aren't crappy DJs... these are some of the biggest DJs in LA, vegas, SF...

    Amazing thread, that has yet to mention the best soul and funk DJ's in California.

    ....seems heads will only go with what they know, rather than what's potentially on offer.

    There are soul and funk DJs in California?!?!

    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?

  • heres a thread from Soul-source, that might be of interest to some of you here;
    umm heres the origianl post ;

    Soul Night Disgrace thread
    Ok i know this thread has been on before but i just have to get this off my chest. Last night i travelled to a northern soul venue ( No name mentioned ) to listen and enjoy a night of good music and i was not let down. However i have been collecting vinyl now for about 20 years and have a decent collection of originals of which i have spent a small fortune on and seached and haggled for that elusive single to put in my box. So when a Dj gets up and starts playing great originals be it ??20 or ??2000 i know he has worked hard to build a collection and reputation to stand proudly behind the decks.
    What a HATE however is a person who strolls up and is allowed to play an hour of bootlegs and re issues of rare records without the other Djs batting an eyelid and stepping off the decks to a round of applause. The set SHE played was fine except for the absence of 90%originals. Maybe im being a little biast but if i had been going on next i would have been cheesed off Knowing a ??1000 original i was going to play had been played on a ??5 bootleg previously.
    I realise that the average northern soul punter doesn't care what format the record is as long as they can dance, but surely the event organisers sould stop this to keep some credability to there soul event. Needless to say we left before the end


    i never really had a problem with boots( i'm from oshkosh wisconsin so i never see/hear them)? but alot of those folks claim if it is not an original then the Dj should not play it(even reissues, esp. mp3s n cd's), and i'm with you guys in the fact that no one wants to bring a 300$+ 45 to place with a bunch of drunkards. i think any media is fine as long as it is not a bootleg vinyl and even in that case i wouldnt say anything. as long as it makes me dance and goes in the set. i think it's all good.


    alot of the people that post thaer agree on this ; "there are record collectors and there are dee-jays. SOMETIMES the two mix but.... very rarely."..


    but when i come here it goes hand in hand. that's why i love the strut
    alot of you guys i consider some of my favorite dj's in many ways.

  • ElectrodeElectrode Los Angeles 3,083 Posts
    45 King is an excellent DJ and a great beat maker as well. Belson, I stopped by one of your gigs last year and I remember you played some slick stuff. I haven't been to any soul nights in L.A. in quite some time, mainly because everything happening in the city and the surrounding area is always a long drive.
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