Saturday, May 17, 2008


Last night, I was hanging-out with some old friends. some of which were former DJs and 1 who is an 'old-school' DJ. Its always interesting to hear how a bunch of the 'old boys' reminiscing and glorifying their past. Eventful nights during their glory days are meant to be exaggerated in order to gain interest on the common ear. Unfortunately, some things are just not meant to be compared with. Especially when the person talking is ignorant to the developments that has been happening in the past decade. After awhile, I became quite agitated with some of his comments as it is non-relevant and has no base of actions. So, this is where the bitching starts.......

So what if you were 'the best DJ in Singapore'....? (move on dude, that was in 1983)
The days of TOP TEN, FIRE, SCANDALS and EUROPA are over. Keep the good memories, just move on. So what if you're the Head DJ of one the region's biggest clubbing group? So what if you have groupies screaming for you every single night, so what if you get laid every single night, so what if you've played in every city in Indonesia? (only Indonesia??!)

Apart from that, I don't agree with his comments on the younger DJs and the current state of DJ-ing. Please take note "MR-ONCE-BEST-DJ-IN-SINGAPORE"..... not all young DJs are stuck up or full of attitude. Most of them may lack personality and action in the console but there are some 'jumping-monkeys' infesting the scene (which is also unsightful). He claims that DJ-ing has lost its art coz it is more digitalized an involves lots of unnecessary media formats. He prefers the 'old-skool' method of using turntables (not turntablism, just using turntables) My response to him is...... "You would understand if you travel and play internationally (oops, I forgot, you're incompetent to play international gigs), how convenient such technologies are. And for the record, we are still using turntables.... incorporating with other media formats and programmes."

Last I remembered, this particular DJ can't even hold 2 records together for 8-16 bars, don't understand harmonics, key-mixing, or even what 'phasing' is. He may have come from the 'old-skool' but not from the SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS! I'm sure of that coz he doesn't know what is XLR or quarter-inch jacks, what is gain-structure, the difference between an amp and a processor...........etc.

So........ with all that said, what makes him the right to comment on the current DJ-ing techniques, or the art as itself? Who gave him the right to be part of the DJ-culture if you don't want to embrace the developments of the art?

I suggest you start looking for a new career. Try getting out of the bucket and see what the world has to offer.

3 comments:

Adminstrator said...

yawn... old skool, nu skool... NO SKOOL the best.

razaq said...

Roger Kool..... I think now he can see.

Adminstrator said...

end of the day... all the that's said and done... singapore is still singapore... what kind of world class club scene we have when R&B and retro reign supreme. until the day some local dj or collective and go against the grain and make a change. which i for one can't be arsed about anymore. nuff said.