RESPECT THE ARCHITECT A Brief Personal Interpretation of DJ History Manoil Tzonev
TABLE OF CONTENTS THE BEGINNING - 3 - 9 PRESENT DAY DJ’s - 10 - 16 THE FUTURE - 17 - 21 PROLOGUE/AUTHOR NOTE - 22 - 24 CLASSIC TRACK LIST - 25
THE BEGINNING
In the late 1970’s a new form of ‘disc jockeying’ was beginning to develop in Harlem, NYC.
A popular phrase emerged to describe the basis for the DJ culture, performance, and lifestyle.
“ I GOT TWO TURN TABLES AND A MICROPHONE ” Disc jockey ’s transcended local radio, and became neighbor hood DJ ’s. Known to the local urban culture simply as ‘djing.’
THE PRIMARY WEAPON’S The classic setup for any established dj, was always two Technics 2000’s SL, a Rane battle mixer, and a microphone.
Technics 2000’s SL
Microphone
Rane battle mixer
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JAM MASTER JAY Following the success of Grand Master Flash, and other acts like the Suger Hill Gang, and Afrika Bambatta, came the hip hop group RUN DMC.
“RUN DMC represented NEW school HIP-HOP” Run DMCrepresented new school hiphop, but more importantly the new wave of dj’s about to take over.
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THE GRAND MASTER His influence on the culture is everlasting, from his earliest success as Grand Master and The Furious Five, to his later work with producer’s such as Quincy Jones.
Probably the most influential DJ, to ever come out of the emergence of the culture, was Grand Master Flash.
Grandmaster Flash Put out a hit single “Don’t Push Me,” and catapulted hiphop to the for front of mainstream music.
The Grand Master was the first DJ to reach mainstream success, and carry the culture to the for front of music at that time.
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LARRY LEVAN Larry was a pioneer in the mixing aspect of djing, at a club called Studio 54 in the mid to late seventies.
Larry Levan, that’s legacy hasn’t been given the right amount of notoriety.
His unique style of mixing three to four tracks at one time, made him the most popular disco DJ at the time.
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DMC World Championships The DMC World Championships were started in 1986 as a competition for local and worldwide DJ’s, to battle for the World Champion Title.
The contest challanges DJ’s to show off there skills in mixing, scratching, beat juggling, and over all manipulation of the turntable as an instrument.
The DMC’s have have been held once a year for more than two decades. They are a proving ground for any up and coming DJ willing to challange the world’s most skillfull DJ’s.
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PRESENT DAY DJ CULTURE
THE MODERN SETUP
Present Day Setup
Today’s DJ’s havn’t changed much from the DJ’s in the past, but the technology and exectution of there mixing has changed dramatically. Modern day DJ’s have taken mixing and turntable technology to new frontiers. Allmost all DJing today takes place through or on a computer, through different softwares.
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Computer DJ
Modern DJing is based on the use of computer software. Computer Software such as Serato and Traktor Scratch have completely transformed the way DJ’s mix and perform today.
Computer software program’s allow DJ’s to imitate the same technique’s used with vinyl, with added charecteristics for manipulation through a computer.
Serato and Traktor are data based program, using two vinyl 12 inch’s and a reciever box, it takes in impulses from the record needle and channels them through the reciever box into the Serato computer software.
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DJ Production Now a day’s every DJ is also a producer, and through the benefits of computer software, anyone can produce studio quality tracks from the saftey of there home computer.
Program’s such as Logic, Abelton Live, and Pro Tools and even Fruity Loops allow the average DJ complete creative freedom to produce any kind of genre of music.
With the creation of new DJ software there has been advancement’s in the type of equipment used to produce. Now a day’s midi controllers and trigger pad modules, have replaced old method’s of production like MPC’s, and hardware synthesizers.
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Vinyl VS CDJ’s There is an on going debate between DJ’s, whether today’s CDJ’s or regular vinyl turn table’s are better for the mixing and studio performance’s.
Many old school DJ’s prefer the feel of vinyl over the plastic touch of CDJ’s, but the majority of DJing happening at clubs, shows, and festivals is performed on CDJ’s.
CDJ’s are much more practical than vinyl.
CDJ’s are much more practical than vinyl because, vinyl is heavier and more brittle than CD’s. In general CD’s are just much more, practical for the traveling DJ. CDJ’s- CD player turntables.
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THE FUTURE
Saturation & Desaturation However easier it may seem to produce studio quality tracks, than the first DJ’s and producer’s two decades back, one thing hasn’t changed,.
90% of the music being released and DJ’d today is completely generic and usually a copy of the most recent trend.
In the future this saturation will start to reduce and a gradual desaturation will begin.
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DJ INSTITUTION’S The future seems very promising for DJing as an artform and the amount of music that comes from the culture.
My clearest prediction for the future of DJing is that it will cross pollinate into other genre’s of music, and become rooted as an instrument in every genre of music.
There will most likely be DJ schools and academy’s that teach techniques and skills old school DJ’s perfected over years of practice to anyone who is willing to learn.
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Future Hardware
I predict in the future DJing will be more oriented towards using wireless and touchscreen technology djing, or even holographic devices.
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The DJ as an ICON
In the future DJ’s will most definitely become iconic figures, the likes of modern day performers. DJ’s are being considered more and more as muscisians and performers. DJing is becoming a respectable artform, and I predict will create more and more attention in the future, as it becomes gradually more accessible.
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?
The Future: Up to Us
The future of DJing is really up to the fans. The people who are willing to learn, master, and innovate the artform. The people who create and don’t follow trends.
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The DJ is a Symbol of Culture The DJ now more.; than ever is being acknowledged as a symbol that define’s culture’s. DJ’s are a direct root to the sound and substance of the culture they represent. Every genre has a DJ that communicates the music to the world.
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Author Note:
Greetings readers, my names Manoil Tzonev, also known as (DJ) Malcom Vex. I’m a sophmore Graphic Design student at the School of Visual Arts, and a resident New York City DJ (on the rise ;). I’ve been mixing and producing music for about three years now, and have been a fan of the artform/culture all my life. I love it, and try my best to live it, hope you enjoyed this short personal take on the history, and backround of DJing as an artform and culture.
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CLASSIC ALBUM LIST Rapper’s Delight - The Sugar Hill Gang King Tim III (Personality Jock) - Fatback Band Rappin’ and Rocking the House - Funky Four Plus One Christmas Rappin’ - Kurtis Blow Superrappin’ - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five To the Beat Y’All - Lady B We Rap More Mellow - Younger Generation Rhythm Talk - Jocko Rhymin’ and Rappin’ - Paulette and Tanya Winley Rap-O, Clap-O - Joe Bataan Lady D - Lady D Jazzy 4 MCs - MC Rock Rhapazooty in Blue - Sickle Cell and Rhapazooty Spiderap - Ron Hunt Looking Good (Shake Your Body) - Eddie Cheba
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