Will The Real DJs please stand up?
When Paris Hilton is considered a “DJ” and is making hundreds of thousands of dollars “mixing” you know the term DJ has gotten seriously watered down. Look at the DJ Mag Top 100 and it’s embarrassing to see how acts like Vinai and possibly worst of all DVBBS at #20. I mean seriously DVBBS? When you spend just as much time with your hands in the air and jumping around as you do with your hands on the decks, sorry you aren’t mixing. In the video below doesn’t seem like they’re really doing anything at all. Don’t get me wrong I actually like some of DVBSS productions, they’re catchy and they get crowds to go nuts, but these guys are producers not DJs and I’m not dropping any cash to go see someone jump up and down and hit play. It’s not just DVBBS either, it seems like every other DJ on the Top 100 list is one of the “hands in the air” DJs so this isn’t an attack on one specific group or DJ.
Anyways thanks to artists like DJ Craze, we’ve seen that the art of mixing is still alive and well and in his latest YouTube video he shows all the fakers what it really means to DJ. Craze might not have a ton of Beatport hits, but the dude has more DJ championships than pretty much anyone on the DJ Mag Top 100 which in my opinion is way more impressive. No pretend button pushing here, just some crazy turntable skills and masterful use of Traktor. If you’re looking for the spot when he uses the sync button you aren’t going to find it here. The routine which utilizes “New Slaves” by Kanye West, sampling, and scratching is pretty mind blowing and you can see how much skill and technique is being displayed from the second he starts to when he finishes. It’s a shame that this kind of talent seems to be fading out, but DJ Craze isn’t going anywhere and his label Slowroast Records is doing a great job of keeping real DJs in business.
