In the midst of fist pumping and sweaty dancing, many familiar to Uptown dance nights may notice the music and energy of the venue, but fail to know what goes on behind the DJs’ turntables.
“It’s pretty terrible when people don’t like the music you’re playing — we know when it’s working or not,” said Joe “Mad Hat” Sherwood, DJ for local group bustedBASS. “It’s all about trying to get that feeling of the room.”
Being a DJ is more difficult than simply shuffling an iTunes library through an expensive sound system. It requires an enormous amount of knowledge and practice to not only be able to mix original recordings, but also to incorporate them into a live performance with seamless transitions.
Many DJs have certain subgenres that they specialize in, such as house, reggae, hip-hop, dubstep, electronic and dance. Paul “DJ Pro Bono” Bonasera, who has been in the Athens area for four years, said it is not necessary to stick to that subgenre, however.
“(Some DJs I know) are multi-genre DJs, so you’re getting electro, house, dubstep and drum and bass,” Bonasera said. “It depends on the DJ and what they want.”
He added that he tries to stay diverse, playing anything from all-disco sets to parties at sorority houses where he goes through the latest U.S. top 40 charts.
DJs also have unlimited options when it comes to equipment. The three main standards for equipment are MIDI, CDJ and traditional turntables.
MIDI is where all of the music is controlled through the computer and preset samples and sounds. Bonasera said MIDI represents where most of the industry is going in terms of becoming completely digital.
CDJs are the most expensive form and essentially work like old-school turntables, but use CDs instead.
Some artists still hold on to the early days when state of the art vinyl was used to scratch new beats. For the most part, though, vinyl has given way to the digital world.
“The vinyl I use today is supposed to be digital vinyl hooked up to my computer, and since hip-hop was my gateway drug into DJing, I got into rap and then all the stuff that rap samples,” said Michael “DJ Barticus” Bart, one of the few local artists who still uses turntables.
He added that he would not recommend turntables to up-and-coming DJs because the industry is moving to digital exclusivity. Turntables are also too expensive to invest in and require vast collections of records; Bart said he already had quite the collection when he started.
DJing and the use of turntables began with the early beginnings of hip-hop in which the distinct scratching sound became the backbone of many beats. Bart said he enjoys playing hip-hop the most, but has to stay diversified in order to keep the crowd happy.
“We want to be open to everything,” said Arthur “Empty Cups” Henke. “Party music is just party music, no matter what you call it, and if it’s going to make someone dance, that’s what we’re here for.”
wh092010@ohiou.edu
