Who is the best DJ?

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The other day someone told me that Paul Van Dyk was the best DJ going. I'm not familiar with his work, but it did bring up the question: Who are some of the best DJs? I would guess Primo would be up there, and obviously Shadow and RJD2 are critically praised all the time. Babu of Dilated Peoples? I'm less familiar with "dance" DJs, though Paul Oakenfold or John Digweed or Rupture or who? Name some DJs that must be heard. I hope this makes sense.

Adam Harrison-Friday, Tuesday, 2 September 2003 23:24 (twenty years ago) link

THEY'RE JUST PLAYING OTHER PEOPLE'S RECORDS

steven wells (blueski), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 23:41 (twenty years ago) link

despite being an avid enthusiast of dance music/rave culture/whatever over the years I've never really cared much about who the best DJs are and why. I tend to go by how good they are as producers personally - so over the years I've looked out for and enjoyed DJ sets by Fatboy Slim (but he's average as a mixer he just picks a great selection of tunes and works them good enough which is enough for me), Darren Emerson, Basement Jaxx, Dave Clarke, Sasha & Digweed, Carl Cox, Justin Robertson, Fabio & Grooverider, Weatherall and yeh Oakenfold on occasion. I seem to be Brit-biased here but I was also loving sets by Deep Dish, Carl Craig, Laurent Garnier and Freddy Fresh in the past. Of course you can't really compare Coldcut with Jacques Lu Cont with Tiesto with Cut Chemist etc. so it's a pointless question unless you specify more. Paul Van Dyk has never interested me in the slightest however.

stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 23:49 (twenty years ago) link

darn hard question, especially since the standards that can be used to judge are so vastly different. my favorite sets ever are Deep Dish two Februaries ago at Axis in Boston, and Alton Miller at the second Detroit Festival. The reason? I guess what is important to me is a DJ who can strike a really good balance between a)developing a theme by using similar records and b)knowing the right moment to let go of that theme. In DDs case, they played a lot of dark tech-house, but knew when to lighten up, and in AM's case, he played a bunch of deep house at first, and it wasnt working the crowd at all, so he dropped MJ's "off the wall" right in the middle of his set, and then actually built from there, which is a hard thing to do.

Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Tuesday, 2 September 2003 23:57 (twenty years ago) link

Even though I like some of the individual tunes quite alot, I personally don't care for the whole "dj" culture, mainly because of the seemlessbpmonesongallnight crap. Dull. I was at a club where Mr.Scruff was "selecting music" and it was great! Instead of the tired modern notion of the above style spinning (usually complete with CarlosSantana-like pained faces when turning the effects knob!), he played anything and everything (60's lounge, roots reggae, rock and roll, electrowhatever, r'n'b, hip hop...), and it all made sense even though we didn't know what was coming next!

peepee (peepee), Wednesday, 3 September 2003 00:13 (twenty years ago) link

But that's still part of DJ culture. A big part, at that.
I find this question impossible to answer.

oops (Oops), Wednesday, 3 September 2003 01:39 (twenty years ago) link

I'm just curious as to which DJs make albums that are great. I guess I'm asking what DJs produce great tracks. Bodies of work, etc.

Adam Harrison-Friday, Wednesday, 3 September 2003 01:43 (twenty years ago) link

DJ Doug, baby... props to ANY man who has 8 versions of Volcano by Jimmy Buffett sampled for his own uses... yeah but no one has heard of him.

Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Wednesday, 3 September 2003 01:58 (twenty years ago) link

Herbert's Lets All Make Mistakes is unbeatable if you're not quite sure how intricate and interlaced house DJing can get.

Andy, Wednesday, 3 September 2003 02:08 (twenty years ago) link

dj/rupture,surgeon,and jeff mills in my opinion

robin (robin), Wednesday, 3 September 2003 04:20 (twenty years ago) link

the late great Larry Levan, surely!

Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 5 September 2003 04:11 (twenty years ago) link

so from this thread i see that apparently the best djs are ones who put out lame trip-hop concept albums

trife (simon_tr), Friday, 5 September 2003 04:20 (twenty years ago) link

yeah, I hated Larry Levan's "Pot Smoker's Delight" and Jeff Mills "3AM Comedown".

oops (Oops), Friday, 5 September 2003 04:41 (twenty years ago) link

so from your post i see that you apparently have no idea who any of these people are

Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 5 September 2003 04:44 (twenty years ago) link

yeah sorry i said thread when i meant the original post...best dj is FUNK FLIZZY!!!!!!!

trife (simon_tr), Friday, 5 September 2003 04:48 (twenty years ago) link

or rectangle

trife (simon_tr), Friday, 5 September 2003 04:48 (twenty years ago) link

Off the top of my head:
Derrick Carter
Kid Koala (please don't make me call him a 'turntablist')
Mr. Dibbs
Jeff Mills

oops (Oops), Friday, 5 September 2003 05:11 (twenty years ago) link

*BOMB NOISE*

trife (simon_tr), Friday, 5 September 2003 05:15 (twenty years ago) link

whew, that was just a bomb noise, not an actual bomb. close one.

oops (Oops), Friday, 5 September 2003 05:23 (twenty years ago) link

*OH SHIIIT*

gabbo giftington (dubplatestyle), Friday, 5 September 2003 05:24 (twenty years ago) link

YO IT TRIFE HERE IMA COME UP IN YALLS DJ THREAD CUZ IM DA BEST DJ IN DA GAME DJ SIMON TRIFE AND YO IT AINT MOTHERFUCKIN SAFE NO MORE!!!!! *BOMB NOISE!!!!!!!*

trife (simon_tr), Friday, 5 September 2003 05:27 (twenty years ago) link

IT'S GOIN DOWN, BABY!

oops (Oops), Friday, 5 September 2003 05:29 (twenty years ago) link

an ill dj mix but sadly more syrupy gothy evil than bomb noise stuff

trife (simon_tr), Friday, 5 September 2003 05:34 (twenty years ago) link

Mr Scruff IS a fantastic DJ, but fuck this not mixing shit, go and see him do 6 hours when he is mixing and you'll really be impressed.

I'm not really that technical about this, favourites are probably Felix Da Housecat and Jacques Lu Cont because they're always willing to do something unexpected. X-Press 2's six decks house/techno/whatever thing can be pretty great.

It's funny I must have seen Jon Carter and Dave Clarke about 20 times between the two of them but I'm bored of both now.

2 Many DJs are the new Fatboy Slim I guess, mixing irrelevent cos tune selection is so good.

One DJ who I thought was technically really good and also played a weird selection of tunes aswell as loads of his own stuff from a laptop was DJ Falcon from Roule. He never really gets mentioned and I doubt he's expensive but he's fantastic. I've only seen him once so it's difficult to say for definite how great he is.

Garnier's mixes on record are great, I've only seen him once and I can't really comment. Long story.

Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 5 September 2003 08:03 (twenty years ago) link

DJ Sneak and Derrick Carter were great the time I saw them too.

Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 5 September 2003 08:04 (twenty years ago) link

X-Press 2's thing can also be total shite.


Ashley Beedle tends to be good. Rooty DJs from Basement Jaxx's club night (Frank Tope and Tayo) were absolutely brilliant the one time I saw them, loads of french house and generally just one big laugh.

Weatherall has been brilliant both times I've seen him, amazing at building a set. Justin Robertson is more party and very very housey techno but solid enough.

Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 5 September 2003 08:06 (twenty years ago) link

Ronan, have you heard any Laidback Luke sets?

Siegbran (eofor), Friday, 5 September 2003 08:16 (twenty years ago) link

Dexter from the Avalanches!

mentalist (mentalist), Friday, 5 September 2003 08:25 (twenty years ago) link

rupture is fantastic, youngsta is one of my faves as far as garage goes, radar and z-trip for a hip hop party vibe, q-bert for the turntablist angle, michael mayer for selection nad sequencing, not necessarily mixing, ricardo villalobos and i want ben wilcox and norman jay to dj at my wedding!

Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Friday, 5 September 2003 08:28 (twenty years ago) link

arsenio fabay, facelift & minna

minna (minna), Friday, 5 September 2003 14:41 (twenty years ago) link

tim westwood

sean g, Friday, 5 September 2003 14:57 (twenty years ago) link

whoever plays "a diverse mix of hard chunky house and tribal funky techno, all segued with a foundation that includes tight 3 turntable mixing and creative scratching and programming".

vahid (vahid), Friday, 5 September 2003 20:30 (twenty years ago) link

i nominate bad boy bill from chicago. oh and dave clarke, too.

vahid (vahid), Friday, 5 September 2003 20:31 (twenty years ago) link

Any DJs who shout stuff over the records, especially when found on mp3s. I can't imagine NORE's 'Grimey' without Westwood shouting 'YEEEAAAH!' here and there. K- Slay and Funkmaster Flex are good for this also.

Myron Kosloff, Friday, 5 September 2003 20:36 (twenty years ago) link

Detroit's unsung hero: DJ Rolando

Mike Taylor (mjt), Friday, 5 September 2003 21:33 (twenty years ago) link

and continuing on the 313 tip: after seeing him in action again last monday, I gotta put DJ Bone up there near the top.

tylero, Friday, 5 September 2003 22:26 (twenty years ago) link

DJ Q-Bert

Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 5 September 2003 23:30 (twenty years ago) link

snrub is close to what i was gonna say, i saw the pikklz a few times in their heyday and my personal tastes lean toward dj disk over q-bert and mike.

gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 5 September 2003 23:51 (twenty years ago) link

what was dj bone's mixing like?
i'm not too fussy about mixing having to be perfect all the time or anything,but the time i saw him his mixing was atrocious...

robin (robin), Saturday, 6 September 2003 03:00 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...
it's not the most clear question , "Who is the best DJ" . How you compare a Dj like rectangle or mixmaster mike 2 some deadshit like paul jokenfold , I like hip hop and breaks so i listen to hip hop and break beat Dj's , trance dance and club dj's are just not really Dj's . Where was paul jokenfold back in 93 ??

Dj EviL B, Saturday, 1 January 2005 13:08 (nineteen years ago) link

You've got to be kidding. Where was Mix Master Mike in 83, I could well ask you, if I didn't respect MMM more than I do.

JoB (JoB), Saturday, 1 January 2005 13:25 (nineteen years ago) link

does boy george still dj ?

whiteboys, Saturday, 1 January 2005 16:51 (nineteen years ago) link

oh boy.

ana (ana), Saturday, 1 January 2005 17:05 (nineteen years ago) link

Mike Reed
Steve Wright
Noel Edmunds

Johnney B, Saturday, 1 January 2005 17:16 (nineteen years ago) link

does boy george still dj?

Probably.

JoB (JoB), Saturday, 1 January 2005 17:36 (nineteen years ago) link

four years pass...

bump

dan138zig (Durrr Durrr Durrrrrr), Thursday, 29 January 2009 03:53 (fifteen years ago) link

*BOMB NOISE*

and what, Thursday, 29 January 2009 03:54 (fifteen years ago) link

funk/soul Keb Darge
hip-hop J-Rocc
disco Kenny Dope/Danny Krivit

oscar, Thursday, 29 January 2009 04:18 (fifteen years ago) link

Where was paul jokenfold back in 93 ??

playing stadiums

surm? lol (sic), Wednesday, 8 July 2009 00:26 (fourteen years ago) link

never seen Hawtin, and at this point I don't thing I'm going to ever end up doing so (especially if he always plays the shit venues with pricey admission.

That being said Jeff Mills is coming here, and as much as I'd love to see him once before I die, it's under some of the worst conditions I'd have guessed.

5 months pass...

Martin Streek was the best DJ in Toronto.. fired after 20+ years from 102.1 the Edge earlier this year, he took his own life yesterday :(

― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Tuesday, July 7, 2009 10:20 AM (9 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Not that I have any modicum of respect for the edge, but damn. . . do you know why they let him go?

EDB, Wednesday, 8 July 2009 00:33 (fourteen years ago) link

following the axis of personal anecdotes about detroit guys who deservedly fall in this thread. I had the utmost pleasure the see Dan Bell for 4+ hours, for free, at a 200 capacity bar (and with no guestlist in effect), and that man can DJ. A few weeks ago he didn't make it in due to flight cancellation, I was depressed for a few solid days after.

EDB, Wednesday, 8 July 2009 00:37 (fourteen years ago) link

*no (conscious) pun intended on 'axis', there. haha.

EDB, Wednesday, 8 July 2009 00:37 (fourteen years ago) link

DJ from Full House

Mike Crandle, Financial Analyst, Bear Stearns, New York, NY 10185 (res), Wednesday, 8 July 2009 01:51 (fourteen years ago) link

what the fuck is up with peter hook in that youtube clip?????????????????????????????????????

scott seward, Wednesday, 8 July 2009 02:21 (fourteen years ago) link

- Spencer Kincy
- The Underground Resistance DJ Assault Squad
- Francois K.
- Dandy Jack and the Junction SM (this is for real one of the most amazing sets i have ever seen)

gonna be a long hot summer for the MS Word paperclip (the table is the table), Wednesday, 8 July 2009 02:25 (fourteen years ago) link

he is drunk and playing a mixmag cd. is that the 'just fuck' one?

gonna be a long hot summer for the MS Word paperclip (the table is the table), Wednesday, 8 July 2009 02:25 (fourteen years ago) link

It is (and I believe there's plenty more where that came from too)

I knew someone who DJ'd under the name "DJ from Full House"

EDB, Wednesday, 8 July 2009 02:43 (fourteen years ago) link

since the question of best dj is even more dubiuous than the opening post, I'll take it upon myself to revive this great thread. best sung/unsung dj of all time: an ILM fest

EDB, Wednesday, 8 July 2009 02:44 (fourteen years ago) link

four years pass...

Saw Kerri Chandler last night and holy fuck he's good

paolo, Sunday, 1 June 2014 13:03 (nine years ago) link

one year passes...

idk i'm so into move d's sets lately. he's the dj i look to for inspiration right now. i don't know that he plays the freshest stuff or has the technical game locked in necessarily, though he has his moments in both categories. in some ways he's more competent than like next-level. and he's probably been treading somewhat for years (though this has its charms for me tbh). i just really really get turned on by his vibe. it's the balance between the realness and the deepness with lightness and easily translatable material that has a "point," isn't too boring, isn't too on-the-nose. maybe a little middle-of-the-road, i don't know! also that he's all-vinyl! i'm really into that right now. hoping someone will tell me who else i should check out tbh.

map, Wednesday, 25 May 2016 16:32 (seven years ago) link

is there an american dabbling in disco-deep-detroit right now i should dive into? with a good amount of solid material somewhere online?

map, Wednesday, 25 May 2016 16:36 (seven years ago) link

Do you have an example of a recent good set, because for me he's been on autopilot for such a long time, I think he's very stuck in a rut

saer, Wednesday, 25 May 2016 16:50 (seven years ago) link

what does 'on autopilot' mean for you?

i probably don't have one that would prove otherwise but i enjoyed this: https://soundcloud.com/move-d/move-d-gewolbe-2015-11-21

map, Wednesday, 25 May 2016 17:01 (seven years ago) link

Move D at corsica studios a year ago was definitely one of the best sets I've seen in a good while (says I who doesn't go out so much anymore, but still, he was amazing)

EDB, Wednesday, 25 May 2016 17:09 (seven years ago) link

@map can i borrow your phrase "the realness and the deepness" for my next mix?

Thee Macallan 18 Year, Thursday, 26 May 2016 00:09 (seven years ago) link

uh sure! lol

map, Thursday, 26 May 2016 01:24 (seven years ago) link

only if you bump this thread with "Me. I'm the best DJ. *link to mix*" when you're done with it.

map, Thursday, 26 May 2016 01:27 (seven years ago) link

"real n' in the deep"

nashwan, Thursday, 26 May 2016 13:26 (seven years ago) link

two years pass...

Me. I'm the best DJ. *link to mix*

https://www.mixcloud.com/saddadhouse/the-real-and-the-deep/

Sad Dad House (Thee Macallan 18 Year), Friday, 17 August 2018 14:05 (five years ago) link

the mad man actually did it

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Friday, 17 August 2018 14:09 (five years ago) link

apologies for the delay

Sad Dad House (Thee Macallan 18 Year), Friday, 17 August 2018 14:34 (five years ago) link

it turns out I’ve been wrong all these years: it’s Tiesto. very surprising, but what are you gonna do?

mh, Saturday, 18 August 2018 14:41 (five years ago) link

fp'd for disrespecting thee macallan

the late great, Saturday, 18 August 2018 21:13 (five years ago) link

Isn't thinking you're the best DJ an integral part of "being a dj"

change display name (Jordan), Saturday, 18 August 2018 22:39 (five years ago) link

no

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Saturday, 18 August 2018 22:42 (five years ago) link

most definitely not! some of the best dj sets I’ve been at have been by people who openly praise their peers

pareidolia, Saturday, 18 August 2018 22:59 (five years ago) link

jordan you're confusing "thinking you're the best dj" with "only listening to your own mixes"

the late great, Saturday, 18 August 2018 23:18 (five years ago) link

honestly i really thought i was the best dj but now i see there's no point in even trying

mods can we lock "djs post ..." plz?

the late great, Saturday, 18 August 2018 23:19 (five years ago) link

i DO think, and i have told my friends this, to near-universal scorn, that i have better track selection than, say, ben ufo.

but really by that i just mean i have a different set of "favorite tracks" than anybody else, and i'm the only person that only plays those "favorite tracks". in other words i'm just always approaching it from the attitude of playing whatever i want to hear, so by default i play better shit than anybody else.

that said my selections NEVER surprise me and i never learn about new tracks from myself. so in that respect i suppose i'm the worst DJ

so i think there's something to that, if you're not playing things you're 100% into, you're doing it wrong

the late great, Saturday, 18 August 2018 23:24 (five years ago) link

also it's amazing that ilx once took questions like this seriously

the late great, Saturday, 18 August 2018 23:26 (five years ago) link

Yes that's exactly what I was thinking tlg, if you're not your favorite selector, then why would you be doing it at all?

(I know I'm not that skilled at, say, beatmatching, but of course I think I play the best tracks)

change display name (Jordan), Saturday, 18 August 2018 23:46 (five years ago) link

soon enough we'll be beatmatching so well we'll be bored of it, enjoy the fun while it lasts

the late great, Sunday, 19 August 2018 00:06 (five years ago) link

the best dj sets give you something unexpected or recontexualize favorites

more difficult to find the unexpected patterns in the familiar when you're mixing yourself

pareidolia, Sunday, 19 August 2018 00:15 (five years ago) link

agree

i enjoy having my friends over for b2b mixing 1000x more than practicing by myself

the late great, Sunday, 19 August 2018 00:21 (five years ago) link

I've never done that so I have to settle for serendipitous mixes that make me hear something new in a track (which def happens when I'm by myself), but it sounds fun.

change display name (Jordan), Sunday, 19 August 2018 01:18 (five years ago) link

my favourite DJ is me, with access to a laptop with two Youtube tabs and an aux cable after four or five drinks

my biggest weakness as a DJ is the lack of Mis-Teeq b-side remixes on Youtube though

boxedjoy, Sunday, 19 August 2018 01:42 (five years ago) link

i'm glad my shameless plugging sparked a little convo

black coffee, honey dijon and ben ufo are 3 djs that i look up to immensely. i mean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGqg_ZzThDU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_qewI-1cEs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7ME0UVdtM

Sad Dad House (Thee Macallan 18 Year), Sunday, 19 August 2018 11:46 (five years ago) link

I'm digging these videos, would totally love to see more people post their favorites.

Black Coffee is smooth as hell. I also covet his shirt, and that club is really beautiful. Where is that?

The Honey Dijon street party looks super fun. Great crowd, great energy. I love how much she's feeling it.

Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Sunday, 19 August 2018 15:22 (five years ago) link

maybe this can be the 'what is going on in your dj life' thread

change display name (Jordan), Sunday, 19 August 2018 18:58 (five years ago) link

last month i djed my best friend's wedding in italy, on lago maggiore, and it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life, despite one of my usb sticks going missing thanks to airport security. featured a bunch of italians getting excited about laura branigan's 'self-control' and asking me if i'd heard the RAF version.

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Sunday, 19 August 2018 19:16 (five years ago) link

i got a new mixer (djm450) to replace the s4. must say it’d nice to get the damn laptop out of my face.

also perma-busted one of my m44-7s by trying to service it myself so switched to reloop cartridges w elliptical stylus, and yeah, they’re good. should have switched a long time ago!

the late great, Sunday, 19 August 2018 19:18 (five years ago) link

that’s one for the bucket list karl

the late great, Sunday, 19 August 2018 19:19 (five years ago) link

Wow, where was it? My band used to do a jazz festival there, it's very beautiful indeed.

I'm djing tonight, which is exciting because I don't get a lot of opportunities to do so locally (or at least good ones, the not-good ones I just don't do). Playing a dance set after two quiet-ish live sets, so I'm going to see if we can go from 0 - 100.

change display name (Jordan), Sunday, 19 August 2018 21:35 (five years ago) link

Kane West uses “best dj” as his online self-description: https://twitter.com/djkanewest

stan in the place where you work (morrisp), Sunday, 19 August 2018 22:25 (five years ago) link

Black Coffee is smooth as hell. I also covet his shirt, and that club is really beautiful. Where is that?

It says right on the video - Le Salle Wagram in Paris (although it seems to not be a club but a venue that hosts classical music concerts).

Britain's Sexiest Cow (jed_), Sunday, 19 August 2018 22:36 (five years ago) link

Wow, where was it? My band used to do a jazz festival there, it's very beautiful indeed.

in the mountains around porto valtravaglia

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Monday, 20 August 2018 19:35 (five years ago) link

This thread has inspired me to dig up YouTubes of my favorite 90s techno DJs in action. Nice to see that a lot of these old timers are still going strong.

Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Tuesday, 21 August 2018 21:24 (five years ago) link

one year passes...

I may not always remember this is the case, but every time I listen to Patrice Scott DJ in the moment I feel he is the best DJ. Very singular, yes, but…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgNpVEHoiLY

Chewshabadoo, Sunday, 26 April 2020 16:12 (three years ago) link


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