DJing Discussion

This area is for discussion about DJing in general. Please remember the community rules when posting and try to be polite and inclusive.

Anybody else tired of all these mashups and dj am style mixing?

Dj Fantom 11:47 PM - 5 March, 2009
in a quest to break away from hip hop and " urban music" alittle ive been getting into mashups and " dance music" and remixes and such and honestly the whole scene is getting out of hand. i mean every dj wants to be am and do " vegas style" djing. half the remixs and mashups are just terrible but djs are going crazy over them.

im not going to lie ive been on sites where djs may "share' mashups and such and i see djs requesting certain songs and when i finaly hear the track im left thinking" why" the track is usualy total garbage and it leaves me wondering what crowds actually respond to that.

i find myself not being able to weed thru all the garbage to find the gems. or should i say i dont have the time and patience. besides to me a straight mashup set is wack. especialy full of subpar remixes, and im not just talking about self made and other dj made ones but so called pro ones from remix services like av8 and crooklyn clan etc... ( no disrespect to anybody affilaited with them thats on this site)


what are yall thoughts on this?
DJ Prinvale` 11:48 PM - 5 March, 2009
carrots make me fart
DJ Prinvale` 11:49 PM - 5 March, 2009
btw: that means just do what you want. If you are tired of it, don't listen to it or play it.

If that's what your club wants and you don't, you are in the wrong club.

This isn't a hard problem to get over.
DJ Prinvale` 11:50 PM - 5 March, 2009
unless you're a girl, then ya gotta ANALyze everything, bla bla bla.

women...sigh
Dj Fantom 11:52 PM - 5 March, 2009
thanks for the intelligent responses


/sarcasm
DJMark 12:07 AM - 6 March, 2009
I think we *may* have seen this conversation before...oh, like 20-30-40 times in the past three years...

which would help explain the throwaway responses.
aj5000 12:10 AM - 6 March, 2009
Look everybody there a dead horse lets kick the shit out of it ! !
andrew b 12:16 AM - 6 March, 2009
Quote:
in a quest to break away from hip hop and " urban music" alittle ive been getting into mashups and " dance music" and remixes and such and honestly the whole scene is getting out of hand. i mean every dj wants to be am and do " vegas style" djing. half the remixs and mashups are just terrible but djs are going crazy over them.

im not going to lie ive been on sites where djs may "share' mashups and such and i see djs requesting certain songs and when i finaly hear the track im left thinking" why" the track is usualy total garbage and it leaves me wondering what crowds actually respond to that.

i find myself not being able to weed thru all the garbage to find the gems. or should i say i dont have the time and patience. besides to me a straight mashup set is wack. especialy full of subpar remixes, and im not just talking about self made and other dj made ones but so called pro ones from remix services like av8 and crooklyn clan etc... ( no disrespect to anybody affilaited with them thats on this site)


what are yall thoughts on this?


i agree with you wholeheartedly, but the problem is EXPERIENCE. alot of djs wanna be like am, but chosing the songs he plays doesnt make you good, or, playing an enitire mashup set, doesnt make you good. but the rooks out there don't know the difference. i am so sick of hearing the same shit at every club, but playing different shit doesnt make you better either. being a good dj makes you better hahaha

if i heard chi ali or brand nubian or somethign i would get really hyped up but i will have to stick with listening to rihanna. =(
sopranosupasta 12:32 AM - 6 March, 2009
Im tired of complainers.
dj_soo 12:47 AM - 6 March, 2009
So i was doing a set at a club a while back...

Was in the bathroom after my set and a couple of djs who are known for some of the more predominantly mainstream mashup scene in this city were talking about this "fantastic" MIA paper planes mashup with Bon Jovi (i'm sure some of you have heard it).

I lost and started yelling at them about how no one needs to fucking hear Bon Jovi ever. regardless of who it's mixed with...

I think they were looking at me like I was insane :P.
DJMark 1:05 AM - 6 March, 2009
I have to say at least the MIA/Bon Jovi mashup was put together very well. That's a good example of the kind of mashup I can respect and even enjoy.

"I'm wanted (bam-bam-bam-bam) dead or alive" was clever.

As to the other 99 percent of bad-sounding out-of-key mashups...I just try to pretend they don't exist. If other DJ's play they, that's their problem...not mine.
dj_soo 1:14 AM - 6 March, 2009
i don't know what's worse. The fact that the people who make out of key mashups can't tell that they're out of key, or the DJs that play them because they can't tell they're out of key.

Quote:
I have to say at least the MIA/Bon Jovi mashup was put together very well. That's a good example of the kind of mashup I can respect and even enjoy.

"I'm wanted (bam-bam-bam-bam) dead or alive" was clever.


That's the problem with "mashup" for me. When all the genre-skipping was being repopularized in the early 00s it was about crossing the genre lines and playing good music from all eras and style. Somewhere along the lines, it stopped being about playing "good" music and more about trying to be ironic, or clever, or just stupid.

Regardless how well done that mashup is, no one should ever have to listen to bon jovi in public.

ever.
DJ Bouj 1:15 AM - 6 March, 2009
Quote:
no one needs to fucking hear Bon Jovi ever.
andrew b 1:41 AM - 6 March, 2009
not to say i never play livin on tha prayer, but i must say, that, as a party goer, i do not want to hear bon jovi ever at a club. but i have played it. as far as mash ups. you cant really hate, there are some really good mash ups out there whether or not you play, you have to respect the fact that it was a creative idea, sounds good together, or whatever. now how about blends ?? to me i put mashups, remixes, blends anything other than the original into that catergory. ? do you hate blends?
pb 2:38 AM - 6 March, 2009
The Jay-Z, Zeppelin "Whole Lotta Lovin / Just Wanna Love You" mash is sick. Some are really good, some lick balls. just like all music today.
Henry GQ 2:51 AM - 6 March, 2009
i think alot of djs like these mashups because they THINK it makes them sound better to everyone out there, everyone in la-la land is so used to radio cuts that when they hear soemthin that they havent heard before with a new twist they think its the fuckin shit.... and the dj spinnin it gets cred for it. i seen it before and it makes me sick, why complain it wont get u anywhere, just play the best mashups u can, make ur own and dont share.

most of the djs in my city fight for the better remixes. they go by this rule. its dj life, not to be an asshole, but deal with it.

oh.... an di know when i go to a club i dont liek to hear mashups, i just wanna dance!
one time me and my ex went out to have fun and dance, we ended up at this one club, we started to dance, to a song i like, the dj mixed in the next song(it was a mashup) and my girl hated it
Quote:
"i feel like im dancing to 7 different songs at once"

so we left.
DJ ST 10:59 AM - 6 March, 2009
Listen to more music, new genres.

A good mash-up is a good mash-up,
like a good song is a good song.
Same goes for the bad ones.

Mash-ups are novelties, you shouldn't drop them every five minutes.

DJ P is the underrated king of this shit,
long before DJ AM was skinny.

Listen to Z-Trip & DJ P mixes (not the Uneasy Listening, that's so ubiquitous),
but others and you'll KNOW...
andrew b 11:15 AM - 6 March, 2009
me and p are boys. we kick it. and i know
andrew b 11:16 AM - 6 March, 2009
and i am down with his crew from tulsa. soul style crew. true old school.
andrew b 11:53 AM - 6 March, 2009
www.mediafire.com

here is an example of a good mash up






(i made it. and, of course all my work is fire hahaha jk)
dj-jv 12:34 PM - 6 March, 2009
nice....thanks...
freshtodeath 2:33 PM - 6 March, 2009
Mashups are so 2006, they were cool until everyone jumped the wagon and started making 80 minute mixes of just mashups- and then everyone started calling themselves a "mash up DJ".

IMO- nothing is better than rockin the orginal versions into your sets. Technology has made it possible for us to mix them in cleaner with loops and what not.
Dj-M.Bezzle 2:51 PM - 6 March, 2009
Ive been colecting mashups LONG before 06 for my own listening pleasure (not rock mashups like now just rap beats over other rap instramentals), Its like anyting else theres the good and the bad. The good of them is for the people who are sick of hearing the radio version 100000 times a day its a change of pace. There are 4 billion club DJs out there playing Low (random song example) so if one plays low over some other beat its a bit refreshing to some people and does set you apart abit. As far as the rock remixes it gives djs a chance to play some stuf that they would not normaly get to play in the club format. It gives a little validility to play (random made up example) bon jovi in the club with low over it (i dont make mashups and i know that wouldnt work) instead of just playing bon jovi, because that playing that song by itself people may think wow thats an old random track why the fuck would he play that it or that 80s crap dosent belong in here where as when you update it with a current track its like oh this is cool and different. I know it was mentioned by someone that they dont want to hear that cause they want to dance, but i gaurentee you theres a shit ton of people who didnt come to dance who may wanna hear some rock thrown in there.

My issue (and ive never seen this personaly because noone anywhere near me does this) is with people who play all mashups or call themselves 'mashup djs'. If your playing all mashups your missing the point, their meant to catch people off gaurd and be clever. Mashups are the lemon in your water its not necessary they dont need to be there but it gives it a little extra flavor, a good dj should know what ones are good and know how to slip one in here or mabye there to set a tone or vibe.

As far as the vegas mixing i kinda of like the open format, it gives you a chance to hear alot of stuff you wouldnt normally hear and gives a little more artistic lisence with your performance. Once again time and place for it though .
DJ Young Herrera 3:33 PM - 6 March, 2009
zzzzzzz
Rebelguy 4:31 PM - 6 March, 2009
My new mentality is that I don't give a shit what a DJ is playing as long as you can rock it. I used to get pissed about all this crap as most of the remix/mashup shit is noise but the general public wants what they want.

What is totally wack is djs who download mixtapes or go to shows of AM, Vice, Fashion, etc., track down all the songs they played, and then go to their own gigs and copy those sets. To make it worse they perp like they came up with the shit.
DJ Young Herrera 4:39 PM - 6 March, 2009
rebelguy, you should rebel.
agentorange 5:11 PM - 6 March, 2009
i remember when we used to call it a "remix"
agentorange 5:11 PM - 6 March, 2009
....and we did it all the time
Dj-M.Bezzle 5:47 PM - 6 March, 2009
Quote:
i remember when we used to call it a "remix"

HAAH I know right, i remmeber the first time i started hearing the term mashup used as the big new thing i was lik ei gotta hear some of this and then i heard it thinking wow this isnt new at all i have tons of this crap
dj_soo 5:55 PM - 6 March, 2009
Quote:
Listen to more music, new genres.

A good mash-up is a good mash-up,
like a good song is a good song.
Same goes for the bad ones.

Mash-ups are novelties, you shouldn't drop them every five minutes.

DJ P is the underrated king of this shit,
long before DJ AM was skinny.

Listen to Z-Trip & DJ P mixes (not the Uneasy Listening, that's so ubiquitous),
but others and you'll KNOW...


that's basically who i was referring to in the above post. When Z and P were doing it (and still are), they were really digging in their crates and making some ill shit with all different kinds of music (and doing it live on vinyl) - not just some shitty anthem from the 80s mixed with some other shitty anthem from the 00s on a computer.

First time I heard a bunch of mixes from Z and P, I don't think I've gone "OH SHIT!" more.

I think that's the thing I miss the most about vinyl - just that sense of "oh shit, he has that on vinyl?" you'd get from people in the crowd...

And yes, I was long of the opinion, that there's no such thing as a mashup - it's either a blend or a remix...
DJ JAMES E 6:09 PM - 6 March, 2009
What's the difference between a mashup / blend?
DJ Sniffles 6:22 PM - 6 March, 2009
Hahaha...the whole scene and music is boring. If it means leaving the Top 40 mindless crowd, do it....its well worth it
DJ Young Herrera 7:00 PM - 6 March, 2009
I'm headed for the exit. I'm almost at the door now...
sacrilicious 7:13 PM - 6 March, 2009
Most premade mash ups I hear are godawful, whether for the tonal clashing or the attempts at irony or anything else you guys mentioned. That said--

I play a handful few solid mash ups and I'll even play a minute of Girl Talk if I get a request, but with ScratchLive it's so easy to do live blends I think you're slacking if you're not--you should know your music well enough to pull out a complimentary track and loop/scratch/blend or whatever else into making a better product. I leave a lot of music alone, too, but it's the best way for me to feel sane and legit while playing an Akon or Lil Wayne track: add another beat that I love, well known or not.
sunnylicious 7:46 PM - 6 March, 2009
I agree....dj's have turned into mashup djs...I mean hearing djs do blends and live remixes is GREAT...but just all premade mashups...not so much.
I think part of the problem is the crowd...the crowd in many clubs has turned vegas.

Perhaps DJ's admire the gigs that guys like AM play and feel that they have to follow that formula a bit for success.
agentorange 7:49 PM - 6 March, 2009
i "blend" live every night at the club. not an issue. no big deal.
Dj Shamann 8:19 PM - 6 March, 2009
I've been doing "mash ups" since I started Djing near 20 years ago, I'm not going to stop because you don't like them.
Dj Shamann 8:31 PM - 6 March, 2009
A mix from 2001, if I still had some of my old mixes I could go way older and way more diverse than just Hip Hop vs. Dancehall, but the point is I'm not going to change who I am because of some new jack bandwagoners and the Dj's they piss off.

www.zshare.net
wilkins820 9:00 PM - 6 March, 2009
Quote:
Look everybody there a dead horse lets kick the shit out of it ! !



fuck that. i got my griffey junior auto'd white sox baseball bat. i'll get that outta the case and then let's beat it with that.
wilkins820 9:02 PM - 6 March, 2009
Quote:
I've been doing "mash ups" since I started Djing near 20 years ago, I'm not going to stop because you don't like them.


i was doing them in san antonio texas when i first started dj'n back in 1994.
the owner kept telling me to play country and i kept mixing in instrumentals of house and r&b tracks.

jad no idea that 15 yrs later it would be the crazy hot and burnt out thing it is now
DJ Young Herrera 9:25 PM - 6 March, 2009
dude. I've been doing mash ups since i was four years old.
Boba Tha Hut 9:39 PM - 6 March, 2009
Is a mashup only considered two or more songs from different genres?

What would you consider an R&B acapella over a hip hop beat? mashup/remix/blend???
DJ Young Herrera 9:40 PM - 6 March, 2009
its a mashmix reblend.
agentorange 9:51 PM - 6 March, 2009
^^ hahahha
sopranosupasta 11:19 PM - 6 March, 2009
I spit mashups out of the womb son! I'm a mashup OG!
Henry GQ 11:41 PM - 6 March, 2009
dood i been doing mashups since i was 1 and half yrs old. so that that.
Crickett 12:52 AM - 7 March, 2009
Quote:
i remember when we used to call it a "remix"



I remember when it was called a blend... -sigh-
Trashups are on there way out... Hopefully for good.
Dj Fantom 1:30 AM - 7 March, 2009
wow sorry guys didnt know this was a deadhorse subject around here. im a very active member of another forum where we highly hate deadhorse subjects so know i wouldnt intentionaly make one....

with that said i see alot of you still felt like discusssing it. lol and i agree with different parts of all your posts... before i continue i should clarify what I consider a "mashup" a"remix" "and a "blend" again only my opinions

Mashup: 2 or more songs of totaly different genres mixed together live or pre recorded

Blend: 2 or more songs of the same or complimenting genres (ie rap and rnb , or rap and reggae etc...) blended together live.


Remix: a song made over. a remix can be just a song with a extra verse or something added or even a new beat or the beat slighly tweaked. a remix is usualy premade but can be done live


now with that cleared up i think some of you have missed my point or may get the wrong idea about me or how im feeling about it. lol personaly ive always blended and did "live remixes" even back when i played strickly vinyl. and now with serato and midi controllers of course im still doing it and to the next level. its dope if adj can mix abunch of different genres together and remix and make it sound dope live and not clash etc.... but like most of you were saying those off key mashups are just terrible. but those seem to be the most " popular" ones lol.

i play mashups blends and remixes and blend and remix on the fly but when its appropriate my whole point was a 2 hour set of straight mashups is just wack. kakes the dj seem like he got more skills then he does. beleive me im not realy worried what other djs are doing im just talking in general.

yo Dj Shamann that mix is F**king dope as hell. thats not " wack mashups" thats a dope a$$ hiphop/reggae mix. i dont see no problem with that at all
Chrisjin 1:52 AM - 7 March, 2009
I like to mash the dirty version track with the clean radio version.
dj_soo 4:47 AM - 7 March, 2009
blend: done on turntables
remix: done on computer/studio

mashup: stupid term invented by the media
Liquidice 7:20 AM - 7 March, 2009
on the fly mixing and remixing is where it's at especially when you just rock and edited or original version of the song. Instrumentals/accapella's for the win

check out Enferno's live remix project, he knows what he's doing
DJ Sniffles 8:43 AM - 7 March, 2009
Did you forget my invention last year that was all the rave?

Crash ups!! The mixing if two acapellas with no music
Dj_Roger 10:28 AM - 7 March, 2009
example on great mashup Watchwww.youtube.com
Watchwww.youtube.com
Rebelguy 3:06 AM - 8 March, 2009
Quote:
example on great mashup Watchwww.youtube.com
Watchwww.youtube.com


I am gonna vote no on both.
sopranosupasta 3:22 AM - 8 March, 2009
Quote:
Did you forget my invention last year that was all the rave?

Crash ups!! The mixing if two acapellas with no music


the biz right there.
DJ Doug Collins 3:39 AM - 8 March, 2009
I have a decent selection of stuff from CC and some of the other sites, but honestly it's almost all back catalogue stuff. I might one or 2 songs a month from them, but for the most part, everyone has lost their creative touch. You can only mash up Jay Z, Flo Rida, and Benny Bennassi so many different ways before it just turns into garbage.

I think the mashup craze will be over soon. If for nothing else, it's all been so saturated with bad mashups that it's hard to find the good ones. I've been laying instrumental loops over top of vocals live since I started playing in clubs. It's more fun and creative that way imo.
DJ Nick Lee 6:02 AM - 8 March, 2009
Quote:
I think the mashup craze will be over soon. If for nothing else, it's all been so saturated with bad mashups that it's hard to find the good ones. I've been laying instrumental loops over top of vocals live since I started playing in clubs. It's more fun and creative that way imo.


Yezir
Turn Table Tennis 6:14 AM - 8 March, 2009
the people who are doing it to make a dollar are ruining the craft. mashremcutlend's should be left for live performances, and not to be sold and whored out to all the DJ's around the US.
$1.00 - .98 cents.
DJ Young Herrera 8:41 AM - 8 March, 2009
Quote:
example on great mashup Watchwww.youtube.com
Watchwww.youtube.com


what the fuck did you just make me watch? are you fucking serious? i bet you think michael jackson over abba is cool.
dj lad 8:58 AM - 8 March, 2009
Quote:
the people who are doing it to make a dollar are ruining the craft. mashremcutlend's should be left for live performances, and not to be sold and whored out to all the DJ's around the US.
$1.00 - .98 cents.

Er, so those of us who make a living by DJing are ruining the craft? That kind of sucks to find out.
combo808 12:19 PM - 8 March, 2009
Quote:
in a quest to break away from hip hop and " urban music" alittle ive been getting into mashups and " dance music" and remixes and such and honestly the whole scene is getting out of hand. i mean every dj wants to be am and do " vegas style" djing. half the remixs and mashups are just terrible but djs are going crazy over them.

im not going to lie ive been on sites where djs may "share' mashups and such and i see djs requesting certain songs and when i finaly hear the track im left thinking" why" the track is usualy total garbage and it leaves me wondering what crowds actually respond to that.

i find myself not being able to weed thru all the garbage to find the gems. or should i say i dont have the time and patience. besides to me a straight mashup set is wack. especialy full of subpar remixes, and im not just talking about self made and other dj made ones but so called pro ones from remix services like av8 and crooklyn clan etc... ( no disrespect to anybody affilaited with them thats on this site)


what are yall thoughts on this?


Had to drop my 2 cents on this. In my opinion mash ups are dead, and I personally never throw down a mash up. What is DJ AM style mixing? If it is technical scratching, beat matching, creative mixes and throwing down gems... then the answer is no, I will never get tired of that.

DJ AM is actually doing what old skool hip hop djs like kool herc, grandmaster flash, etc. used to do at block parties. They would play everything and anything to get people to dance. From disco, funk, soul, electro, rock and so on. Even though shit has gone digital the art of digging is still very alive in deejaying. If you ain't digging for records and going through the garbage then u ain't a real DJ. I will go through at least 500-1000 tracks a session when I digital dig. Before this whole digital era u had to go to the record store, stand or squat , take a record, put the needle on the record, play though the record, put the record back, and repeat the process until u get tired or your legs hurt. Today, you just have to download a whole batch of files and click play while your getting a blowjob.

I think the problem with DJs nowadays is that many of them will not even "break" new records unless its getting airplay. That's wack!
Dj-M.Bezzle 2:39 PM - 8 March, 2009
Quote:

I think the mashup craze will be over soon. If for nothing else, it's all been so saturated with bad mashups that it's hard to find the good ones. I've been laying instrumental loops over top of vocals live since I started playing in clubs. It's more fun and creative that way imo.


Shit where Im at is usually about 5 years behind the trends so that means i still have to look forward to this one to hit, better start collecting some now.....sigh :(
Turn Table Tennis 3:08 PM - 8 March, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
the people who are doing it to make a dollar are ruining the craft. mashremcutlend's should be left for live performances, and not to be sold and whored out to all the DJ's around the US.
$1.00 - .98 cents.

Er, so those of us who make a living by DJing are ruining the craft? That kind of sucks to find out.


no dude, im talkin about crooklyn clan, and all those other remix/mashup services. you get kids that buy 100 of those tracks and sooner or later, that's all you hear. the same mash over and over. it get's to be like hearing "paper planes" on B96 for the 20th time that day.
Henry GQ 6:40 PM - 8 March, 2009
i dont think mashups will go away...
its here to stay.
people are gonna continue to put acapellas with different instrumentaLS..
its been done longer than u think
ever since acapellas and instrumentals were put on a record...people have been throwing the two together.... or more.
its just been in the last 7 years or so since cool programs came out that everyopne has been pre-making them...
i have had acid pro for like 8 + years and been doing simple mashups...
dirtbag filthy 8:10 PM - 8 March, 2009
too many djs not enough fans
Audio1 8:49 PM - 8 March, 2009
I find the terms "mashup" and "dj am style mixing" extraordinarily funny, simply because, before the advent of the terms "mashup" and "dj am style mixing", We were doing the same, without those labels. This whole mixing multiple genres is not a new thing. It really depends where you are at in the world and what youve experienced and what was the norm. In the SF Bay Area, Mixing multiple genres has been going on since the late 70's. Guys like Cameron Paul perfected the craft into the 80's... On radio, Stations played all styles, Pop, R&B, Rap, HipHop, Alternative. It became normal to hear Color Me Bad next to Pearl Jam and then some hardcore rap. Even before we knew who DJ AM was, mixing Freestyle, House, Techno with rap, HipHop and R&B seemed pretty normal to us out here. I dont see what the big fucking deal is. If you dont like multiple genre music, Just do your own thing. Stick to what you like best and fuck what others think. All I know is, When I was a one-dimensional hiphop DJ, It didnt really take me nowhere. It wasnt til I actually started playing all the genres that I liked that I made a name for myself in my club scene and an impact for my career. Henry is right. Ever since Acapellas and Instrumentals have been put to wax or cd, people have been flipping them live or remixed. Its not going to change. We live in a digital world and we are all in this for whatever amount of time is left.
Dj-M.Bezzle 9:40 PM - 8 March, 2009
Quote:
I find the terms "mashup" and "dj am style mixing" extraordinarily funny, simply because, before the advent of the terms "mashup" and "dj am style mixing", We were doing the same, without those labels. This whole mixing multiple genres is not a new thing. It really depends where you are at in the world and what youve experienced and what was the norm. In the SF Bay Area, Mixing multiple genres has been going on since the late 70's. Guys like Cameron Paul perfected the craft into the 80's... On radio, Stations played all styles, Pop, R&B, Rap, HipHop, Alternative. It became normal to hear Color Me Bad next to Pearl Jam and then some hardcore rap. Even before we knew who DJ AM was, mixing Freestyle, House, Techno with rap, HipHop and R&B seemed pretty normal to us out here. I dont see what the big fucking deal is. If you dont like multiple genre music, Just do your own thing. Stick to what you like best and fuck what others think. All I know is, When I was a one-dimensional hiphop DJ, It didnt really take me nowhere. It wasnt til I actually started playing all the genres that I liked that I made a name for myself in my club scene and an impact for my career. Henry is right. Ever since Acapellas and Instrumentals have been put to wax or cd, people have been flipping them live or remixed. Its not going to change. We live in a digital world and we are all in this for whatever amount of time is left.


+1 well said
DJ Doug Collins 10:37 PM - 8 March, 2009
Quote:
I find the terms "mashup" and "dj am style mixing" extraordinarily funny, simply because, before the advent of the terms "mashup" and "dj am style mixing", We were doing the same, without those labels. This whole mixing multiple genres is not a new thing. It really depends where you are at in the world and what youve experienced and what was the norm. In the SF Bay Area, Mixing multiple genres has been going on since the late 70's. Guys like Cameron Paul perfected the craft into the 80's... On radio, Stations played all styles, Pop, R&B, Rap, HipHop, Alternative. It became normal to hear Color Me Bad next to Pearl Jam and then some hardcore rap. Even before we knew who DJ AM was, mixing Freestyle, House, Techno with rap, HipHop and R&B seemed pretty normal to us out here. I dont see what the big fucking deal is. If you dont like multiple genre music, Just do your own thing. Stick to what you like best and fuck what others think. All I know is, When I was a one-dimensional hiphop DJ, It didnt really take me nowhere. It wasnt til I actually started playing all the genres that I liked that I made a name for myself in my club scene and an impact for my career. Henry is right. Ever since Acapellas and Instrumentals have been put to wax or cd, people have been flipping them live or remixed. Its not going to change. We live in a digital world and we are all in this for whatever amount of time is left.


I like it. And I agree. I was the the hip-hop DJ for a long time, then got bored and thought "what would happen if I kept playing that, but played all the other stuff I like as well?" It works if you can do it right, no matter who you're playing for. Admittedly, hearing guys that were doing it before me DID help, though.
Audio1 11:02 PM - 8 March, 2009
Like even before Z-TRIP blew up, Him, Radar and Emile would DJ at raves in Oakland and play everything from James Brown to Josh Wink, transcending all bariers and genres. I came up on both the hiphop and rave scene. In the 90's, Rave music sampled hiphop and other genres so much. hiphop is the same. To me, Playing Daft Punk or Stereo MC's in the same, Its all about the delivery. You gotta hit people with new stuff that they like and take them on a Journey. If you want to stick to a certain genre, No problem, Master it. There is a rise in so called mashup DJ's. If all people play are mashups, That can be a problem. If a person knows how to spread em out to enhance their sets then more power to them. I remember when DJ Vice used to only mix hiphop. Hes another dude that has a multi-genre background. Nowadays, hell play the hardest electro then take you a ride thru compton and back, with style, utilizing all of SSL's functions.
Audio1 11:05 PM - 8 March, 2009
Also recognize, Many people, including myself, used to say "Naw. Ill be hiphop/tablism for life".... Some of the biggest names nowadays were either hiphop DJ's or tablist champs at some point. I think as time progressed, Alot of people realized that "KEEPING IT REAL" can be a big hinderance.
dj_soo 6:41 AM - 9 March, 2009
that's the thing right? "Hip hop" has always been about playing hot tracks from different genres. In the 70s, before hiphop was an actual genre, djs were playing funk, jazz, rock, punk, disco, whatever was hot and flipping it with the turntables.

People who seem to think that "mashups" are somehow a recent trend need to brush up on their history.
dj_soo 6:43 AM - 9 March, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
I find the terms "mashup" and "dj am style mixing" extraordinarily funny, simply because, before the advent of the terms "mashup" and "dj am style mixing", We were doing the same, without those labels. This whole mixing multiple genres is not a new thing. It really depends where you are at in the world and what youve experienced and what was the norm. In the SF Bay Area, Mixing multiple genres has been going on since the late 70's. Guys like Cameron Paul perfected the craft into the 80's... On radio, Stations played all styles, Pop, R&B, Rap, HipHop, Alternative. It became normal to hear Color Me Bad next to Pearl Jam and then some hardcore rap. Even before we knew who DJ AM was, mixing Freestyle, House, Techno with rap, HipHop and R&B seemed pretty normal to us out here. I dont see what the big fucking deal is. If you dont like multiple genre music, Just do your own thing. Stick to what you like best and fuck what others think. All I know is, When I was a one-dimensional hiphop DJ, It didnt really take me nowhere. It wasnt til I actually started playing all the genres that I liked that I made a name for myself in my club scene and an impact for my career. Henry is right. Ever since Acapellas and Instrumentals have been put to wax or cd, people have been flipping them live or remixed. Its not going to change. We live in a digital world and we are all in this for whatever amount of time is left.


I like it. And I agree. I was the the hip-hop DJ for a long time, then got bored and thought "what would happen if I kept playing that, but played all the other stuff I like as well?" It works if you can do it right, no matter who you're playing for. Admittedly, hearing guys that were doing it before me DID help, though.


Same boat but I came from being a dnb and hiphop dj (rarely both at the same time) to just playing everything I liked and thought was good.

I think part of the rise in the trend of DJs playing many styles is that the digital era has made it more affordable. Before, a lot of djs concentrated on one or two styles cause it was just too bloody expensive to keep up with many different genres...
Audio1 2:21 PM - 9 March, 2009
^^ Remember I was just a DNB DJ for a long time? LOL
Audio1 2:21 PM - 9 March, 2009
Buying tracks from the UK and cutting dubplates started to get super expensive...
dj_soo 8:54 PM - 10 March, 2009
Quote:
^^ Remember I was just a DNB DJ for a long time? LOL


damn straight - how I first met you was you posting mixes on various dnb boards :)
emile 11:16 PM - 19 July, 2009
I still do it all... and live programming as well
DJ Ritmo 1:52 AM - 20 July, 2009
fuk a mashup mash the dezz nutz up.....how bout that.......lol.

Jus playing I barely use mashups so I dont have a porblem with them. Maybe outta of a 4 hour set I play 2 mashups.
DJ Alkemy 2:06 AM - 20 July, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
in a quest to break away from hip hop and " urban music" alittle ive been getting into mashups and " dance music" and remixes and such and honestly the whole scene is getting out of hand. i mean every dj wants to be am and do " vegas style" djing. half the remixs and mashups are just terrible but djs are going crazy over them.

im not going to lie ive been on sites where djs may "share' mashups and such and i see djs requesting certain songs and when i finaly hear the track im left thinking" why" the track is usualy total garbage and it leaves me wondering what crowds actually respond to that.

i find myself not being able to weed thru all the garbage to find the gems. or should i say i dont have the time and patience. besides to me a straight mashup set is wack. especialy full of subpar remixes, and im not just talking about self made and other dj made ones but so called pro ones from remix services like av8 and crooklyn clan etc... ( no disrespect to anybody affilaited with them thats on this site)


what are yall thoughts on this?


Had to drop my 2 cents on this. In my opinion mash ups are dead, and I personally never throw down a mash up. What is DJ AM style mixing? If it is technical scratching, beat matching, creative mixes and throwing down gems... then the answer is no, I will never get tired of that.

DJ AM is actually doing what old skool hip hop djs like kool herc, grandmaster flash, etc. used to do at block parties. They would play everything and anything to get people to dance. From disco, funk, soul, electro, rock and so on. Even though shit has gone digital the art of digging is still very alive in deejaying. If you ain't digging for records and going through the garbage then u ain't a real DJ. I will go through at least 500-1000 tracks a session when I digital dig. Before this whole digital era u had to go to the record store, stand or squat , take a record, put the needle on the record, play though the record, put the record back, and repeat the process until u get tired or your legs hurt. Today, you just have to download a whole batch of files and click play while your getting a blowjob.

I think the problem with DJs nowadays is that many of them will not even "break" new records unless its getting airplay. That's wack!


While I agree with some of your points I think your missing the point. DJ's these days are a spoiled bunch and while I would guess that DJ AM has paid his dues I really do get annoyed at the DJ's who just copy the style and do these DJ sets that cram in as many songs from as many different genres as they can before theyre done. Now Im all for listening to different musical styles as Im into Hip-Hop, Rock, Blues, Drum N Bass..whatever is good music. But the difference is that before Serato and the digital DJ age how many of these "DJ's" owned a Led Zeppellin..a Guns N Roses...a Frank Sinatra record?...If Im doing a set and mix in (MIX IN, NOT DO A MASH UP) AC/DC with a bit of Prince you can be damn sure its because I have an understanding of the music and have probably got it in my record collection and am not doing it to sound 'hip'. And though I agree that DJ AM is a real good DJ, I fail to see the connection between him and the likes of Kool Herc & Grandmaster Flash. Yes they both played disco, funk, soul and whatever to make the crowd dance but old school DJ's actually parted with there hard earned dollars n cents and spent hours digging for these records..when you do that you get a whole lot more respect for the tracks you are playing. These days all people have to do is sit at their PC, look up the Hip-Hop charts (or whatever music they are into) type it into a peer to peer application and they are done. I listened to a guy in the club the other day...he was playing J5, then Rakim..so far so good...then he done some stupid mash up of Paid In Full into the Pump Up The Volume track...please cut that shit out!...it was the most obvious and tedious thing to do. These clowns are so spoiled by the digital DJ software it makes them lazy and unoriginal...my advice to these people..go back to the old school, study DJ'ing in its purest form and get an understanding of what you are doing cause soon, when this silly mash up thing goes away, you will only have yourself and your skills to rely on...hope you dont get caught short.
HizTiteness 5:44 AM - 20 July, 2009
GOOD MASHUPS
These are great to sprinkle some flare into your mix. When mashups are done right, they sound almost like the songs were meant to be put together. Some of the guys who do it well: DJ Earworm, Party Ben, Norwegian Recycler, DiscoTech, The Rock-It Scientists

BAD MASHUPS
Like Fantom mentioned up there, I hate mashups that sound almost like a guy pulled two songs out of a hat (one labeled "New Top 40" and one labeled "Older Top 40 With Good Beats.") The term "mashup DJ" is stupid as well. There's no point in restricting yourself only to mashups. A lot of DJs that do this delude themselves into thinking that just by playing a mashup or a different version of a song that they found online, they are being creative and original. Not the case.

That said, I've heard great DJ sets with and without mashups. The unifying factor between both types of sets is that what really stands out is not just the selection of tracks, but more so the musical identity of the DJ who is playing them. Their musical perspective
Dangerous Dan 7:47 AM - 20 July, 2009
Quote:
Quote:
in a quest to break away from hip hop and " urban music" alittle ive been getting into mashups and " dance music" and remixes and such and honestly the whole scene is getting out of hand. i mean every dj wants to be am and do " vegas style" djing. half the remixs and mashups are just terrible but djs are going crazy over them.

im not going to lie ive been on sites where djs may "share' mashups and such and i see djs requesting certain songs and when i finaly hear the track im left thinking" why" the track is usualy total garbage and it leaves me wondering what crowds actually respond to that.

i find myself not being able to weed thru all the garbage to find the gems. or should i say i dont have the time and patience. besides to me a straight mashup set is wack. especialy full of subpar remixes, and im not just talking about self made and other dj made ones but so called pro ones from remix services like av8 and crooklyn clan etc... ( no disrespect to anybody affilaited with them thats on this site)


what are yall thoughts on this?


Had to drop my 2 cents on this. In my opinion mash ups are dead, and I personally never throw down a mash up. What is DJ AM style mixing? If it is technical scratching, beat matching, creative mixes and throwing down gems... then the answer is no, I will never get tired of that.

DJ AM is actually doing what old skool hip hop djs like kool herc, grandmaster flash, etc. used to do at block parties. They would play everything and anything to get people to dance. From disco, funk, soul, electro, rock and so on. Even though shit has gone digital the art of digging is still very alive in deejaying. If you ain't digging for records and going through the garbage then u ain't a real DJ. I will go through at least 500-1000 tracks a session when I digital dig. Before this whole digital era u had to go to the record store, stand or squat , take a record, put the needle on the record, play though the record, put the record back, and repeat the process until u get tired or your legs hurt. Today, you just have to download a whole batch of files and click play while your getting a blowjob.

I think the problem with DJs nowadays is that many of them will not even "break" new records unless its getting airplay. That's wack!


Well said......DIGGGGG FIRST!!! Then, play what the people wanna hear, play a bit of stuff you're feelin' to introduce em' to new music (and some classics), then toss in some good technical skill and you're straight!

We are all up to rock the party. If you can do it with a good ear for music and great talent more power to you. Conversely, if you're one of those guys who buys remixes and mashups, and worse plays them back to back, can you really say your heart and soul are in it?

I really wish peeps would figure out how to make use of a pre-made mash-up. Play the original first, drop in the mashup-up and transition to something else. I see them as a tool to get more of a 3 turntable feel. If you play more than about 2 a night its probably overboard unless you've got a planned set and they are in there for a reason other than the people in the club enjoying hearing out of key blends.