MP3 as Vinyl?

There was a time when being a DJ meant that you were also a collector and a connoisseur of vinyl records, but the invention of the Compact Disc (CD) changed all of this.  One might have thought that the invention of the digital CD deck was a great advancement in bringing DJing to a new generation, but the recent major decline in sales of CDs and records has led the way for a rise in MP3s.  This rise in MP3s is what caused New Zealand based Serato Audio Research to release Scratch Live in 2004.  Serato is a system that plugs into a laptop computer and turntables.  This system allows for MP3s (or other digital music files) to be played back on blank vinyl records.  The program that is used on the laptop is almost like a virtual DJ program in which you click and drag the songs that you want to be played to the turntables on the screen.  The screen also displays how many beats per minute (BPM) each song is, which allows for better mixing, mashing, and looping of songs.  Serato Scratch Live can be argued to be a cheat tool in which people can illegally download music and then create mixes and mash-ups with ease.  Serato has also opened a brand new door to endless possibilities that couldn’t be performed in the DJ world prior to this technology, and has even had 8 updates since its initial release.  Because the program allows a person to easily acquire music libraries (sometimes illegal downloading of digital music files) for DJing purposes as opposed to going out and spending eternal amounts of money on vinyl records or CDs, it has enabled many DJ’s to cross over, and can help explain the recent rise in DJ’s over the past few years.

90’s.

Many DJ artists from the 90’s house/techno/electro era such as Daft Punk, Fat Boy Slim, Prodigy, Chemical Brothers and Aphex Twin are becoming huge sensations again.  Daft Punk alone has been playing for sold out crowds for the past few years with their laser-lit extravaganza.  This year’s Coachella Music Festival even featured Aphex Twin djing at one of its stages where he was seen simply sitting down on the corner of the stage behind what looked like CD decks.  Personally, I think the guy just pressed a simple play button and sat there. 

From Strumming Guitars to Spinning Records

Some of the major new DJ groups have actually grown out of an initial rock band.  The two major examples of these are MSTRKRFT and Simian Mobile Disco.  MSTRKRFT basically grew out of the group Death From Above 1979 (DFA 1979) which was a very heavy dance punk band that consisted of only two members: one on drums and vocals, and the other on bass guitar and keyboards.  Jesse F. Keeler, the bass and keyboard player in the band, started MSTRKRFT with his DJ partner Al-P.  They became well known after remixing a few of DFA 1979’s tracks into what would become huge club hits.  DFA 1979 split up in 2006 because of “creative differences”, amongst other things.  This led way for Jesse Keeler to turn MSTRKRFT into a highly sought after live act.

Another example of a band turned DJ’s is the British rock group Simian.  Two members, James Ford and James Anthony Shaw, both formed the DJ duo Mobile Disco but didn’t become a major success until Simian disbanded in 2005.  The United States didn’t hear about Simian until their song “Never Be Alone” became an international hit as a remix in 2006 by the French DJ duo JUSTICE.  This was perfect timing however, considering that they now had a new project in the form of Simian Mobile Disco who now have a major following here in the United States. 

Milking it for What its Worth?

Considering that some of these DJ duos have grown out of their former bands, could it be that they are just using this DJ hype to continue their fame and glory?  One must remember that these DJ groups didn’t make it big until their bands bit the dust.  One can also say that this is their way to keep their old fans while continuing a new musical journey.  This DJ hype can very well be something temporary in which people are once again wearing loud, colorful clothing and going to raves and DJ gigs.  However, from an entertainment standpoint, watching a couple of guys stand there and click mouses, press buttons, turn knobs, and flip switches isn’t nearly as exciting as watching a live performance by a live band unless the purpose is to feel as though you’re at a dance club.