I like DJ Z-Trip . Who else should I look for?

Lyrics Born

Azeem

RIYL Z-Trip:
DJ P
DJ Jester The Filipino Fist

(I have no idea what he is trying to do with his music with that said. I love his mixes. It is what the radio station in my mind kinda sounds like.)

But yeah, he's totally a backpacker headnodder. No dancing allowed.

Ben got cut off for time constraints and Z-Trip did a lot of backtracking during the interview. I don't think anyone won and I think there's a lot of dialogue that needs to happen in regards to that.

The followup commentary on Ben's site is worth a laugh:
"Why couldn't he be more like DJ Shadow, whose easygoing attitude extends to making mixes of Keane and Radiohead (using computers, I bet?) as well as being a blindingly great turntablist. Perhaps it's because Z-Trip has made a career out of playing AC/DC records for crowds full of frat boys, and is starting to feel a little insecure?"

It really does not matter, does it?

That's the gist of the whole thing. Vinyl's cool, computers are cool. When they team up, magic happens.

while i love the grooves and mash stuff he rips up,

i just wish he'd shut the fuck up ..

I respect Z-trip for being one of the first live mashers in that context. If he wants to sound like a cranky old man about how current mash up artists are hacks or aren't "keepin' it real" or whatever, that's his filter of choice in which he wishes to view the world. let him be.

i meant 'shut up' during the mix i have !

he rants on over the beats constantly .. which becomes somewhat annoying as i just wanna hear the cuts .. whcih on the whole are mighty fine.

see: Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, James Brown, Charles Mingus, shit, you name it.

That said, the majority of the population can't tell the difference between doing a live blend and playing out a mash-up and turntablism is beardy as hell. This entire "respect the artform" and "I respect you as an artist" thing on that radio show is funny. I would imagine Z-Trip doesn't especially have a lot of respect for DJs who just play out records and do minimal crossfading either -- it's just not his thing. The radio guy, on the other hand, is mostly likely doing that exact thing most of the time.

Well, what music genre isn't saturated with a lot of talentless, well, talent? Some DJs/turntablists may be virtuosos. Some guitarists can be great soloists. But what's the end product? Good? Bad? Same ratio for any type of music, really. Is it because of the solos themselves? Depends on the listener.

This isn't specific to Z-trip. I think half of the employees at the Guitar Center nearest you know "how to play instruments better" than anyone in, say, LCD Soundsystem. But most of them are still going to end up playing in places no bigger than their local tavern.

The music industry doesn't reward virtuosos as much as they used to. Some folks who are skilled musicians still have a bitter attitude about this. I'm not singling out Z-trip in this case. This applies to almost everybody. Why isn't good songwriting or orchestration seen as anything more than "auteurism" rather than being a "song arrangement virtuoso"? Probably because you can't be dared to prove your talent when thrown your tools, and show it off that second, that's why. People are still attached to wanting to see "immediate" talent. That's not going to change any time soon. But Guitar Center employees aren't going to become major rock stars with their "awesome" blues bands anytime soon either.

OK I'm rambling.

But it's more about resentment, isn't it? Or just wanting to take someone down a peg who thinks they're the shit. I don't think anyone would have a problem with "talentless producers" if they would cop to being talentless producers, but more often than not (or, at least, that's the assumption) they carry a big head around with them. You see the same thing in other artforms.

If someone were to just claim that my career as a software engineer taught me nothing, and allowed me no skills to transfer to other areas, I'd fucking defend myself too!

He does a 30 minute continuous mix of original mashups, some by other people, and just plain songs during drivetime.

But good try.

Sure. Humility should be something that comes with experience. I think that developing a skill like that should teach you both how difficult and humbling it can be, but also that anyone could do it given time, a small amount of natural ability, drive, and will. But it doesn't raise you up above anyone - everyone has a talent, something they're good at. And some people are just naturally inclined to dabble. That doesn't make them less.

Specialization shouldn't stifle broad vision.

Of course, I don't really go in for the beardy thing in the first place. Age or skill doesn't demand respect, action and attitude does.

are you for real??

But I'm playing Virtuoso's Advocate for a reason.

Xii pretty much nailed it with a great refutation already, though.

the newly posted obama mix is very good.