Blank & Jones

Yay! Had an amazing time!
Johnny Funk kicked ass as always. I've never been disappointed, and he played all the fav tracks that I like to hear from him. Had my boy, Benjamin DuBose, (who DJs in Houston and opened for Blank & Jones the night before there) come up to see the show. He really enjoyed JFunk's set. He's looking forward to coming up here to see him play again soon.
Oh, JFunk - "Zombie Nation" --- Awesome, babe! When I heard that kick in, I was, omg - no way! lol

Checked out the video bar a few times, and Raydar and Shaolin were kicking ass in there. Loved hearing my fav remix of "Say Hello" I hadn't heard it in so long. Seems like everytime I go to see these guys, they always slam on a song that I've been dying to hear.

Blank & Jones - wow! I enjoyed them last time they were here a few years ago, and still enjoyed them just as much last night. Got to meet the guys again and get some pics taken with them. They are super sweet. And excellent eye candy for the girls. They played some of my new summer tracks like, "Formentera What," and "Needs to Feel" - which was one of my favs....I was completely taken over by the music. Then they played some of their new songs, along with some old favs of theirs like - "mind of the wonderful," "Forest," and "City of Angels." I really really really wanted them to play "Perfect Silence," and I even went to the booth and begged them to play it, but they pretty much had their set planned out ahead of time. So after the show, we went to my car to play the song as loud as I could Most disappointing thing of the night.....I don't mind when DJs use their laptops to DJ as long as they actually mix. I watched from VIP as they setup their set. Sure enough, he starts up Traktor and goes through all the tracks to select for the night. Then Traktor does the rest automatically. They would change the order of the tracks or select some to add in throughout the night, but most of the work they did was just one channel going straight to the mixer - so they played on the effects a lot. Not seeing them actually mix the songs together was a big disappointment.

SnoWhite finished out the afterparty crowd, and we stuck around to check her out for a little bit. I thought it was funny that I was just saying how I hadn't heard "Say Hello" in so long when I heard Raydar play it last night. Then SnoWhite kicks it in, the same remix of "Say Hello." LOL So I got to enjoy that precious gem twice!

All in all, a wonderful time! I got pics and vids coming soon.

[mali]

I was dissapointed to see them using their laptop and not mixing. All they did was fade and do some flanger and filter effects.

Music selection was okey, there was some nice tunes.

All in all I wasnt impressed, but I had a fun eitherway.

[mal1ce]

Originally Posted by sharper

but they pretty much had their set planned out ahead of time.

Thats lame, so much for being a professional DJ and reacting to what the crowds into.

Originally Posted by sharper

Sure enough, he starts up Traktor and goes through all the tracks to select for the night. Then Traktor does the rest automatically. They would change the order of the tracks or select some to add in throughout the night, but most of the work they did was just one channel going straight to the mixer - so they played on the effects a lot. Not seeing them actually mix the songs together was a big disappointment.

Thats complete BS, may as well have brought an iPod and played tracks off that. It's lazy DJ's like this that give laptop DJ's in general a bad name, not all of us let the software do all the work for us.
I use Traktor and constantly get people that come watch me and remark, "oh wow, you are mixing".

[dj jonas]

The worst part of it is that they never select tracks on the fly to respond to the crowd. They have the same track list that they had for the Houston show, and most likely every show they have played recently. I can see having a core set of tracks loaded and ready if you are going to use software and not mix. But damn, show some spontaneity during the set and react to the crowd a little.

On another note-be glad they didn't actually use tables. They may still be good producers, but their mixing skills have gone in the toilet. If anyone was at the Utah Saints show, think of how bad their mixing was. B&J mixing ranks right up there with it.

[la dj]

that's what's been getting me about trance djs/acts. there's just nothing to it anymore. this is a perfect example of that. there are exceptions to be sure, but this type of 'performance' has become the norm.

i was explaining to all of my friends that have been asking me about what i've been doing, musically. i was telling them that my focus has completely switched from trance to either a harder less vocal techno sound or flat out funky house. simply because it's what moves me and i cant play something that doesnt move me.

there's just no soul to trance. and that sucks. there was a time when it was gritty and THAT was its soul. but not so much anymore.

i'm sorry, but djing is still a very much 'in the moment' experience and i dont think that should be deviated from in the least. further, why even bother to show up if you've got your whole set pre-planned? it's ok to have a general idea as to what you're going to do, but if that crowd doesnt/isnt responding you have to go another direction.

[A Guy Named Jes]

Originally Posted by la dj

that's what's been getting me about trance djs/acts. there's just nothing to it anymore. this is a perfect example of that. there are exceptions to be sure, but this type of 'performance' has become the norm.

I'm with you on that one. It's upsetting to see these big guns hook up a lap top and push play. Where is the challenge in that? If ur gonna do something like that, bring along a few midi controllers, and just do a live pa. When gabriel and dresden were at fire, and had all their tracks planed out..they looked so bored on stage.. I was so dissapointed. What will make these "pro djs" realize that this is not want people want to see?

if my armin starts doing that, I'll give him a talkin' too. luckily he sticks with his cdjs and mixes like a master.

[Mexidamus]

Originally Posted by la dj

there's just no soul to trance. and that sucks. there was a time when it was gritty and THAT was its soul. but not so much anymore.

i'm sorry, but djing is still a very much 'in the moment' experience and i dont think that should be deviated from in the least.

Trance still has soul...but your right, alot of the headliners dont play for the moment! I could be dead tired, and when I play, I am jumping around like Donkey Kong because I am IN the moment. Well said LA DJ

[BradH]

Props to Johnny Funk for bangin out the tracks proper in the main room to start the night as usual!

I think everyone covered what I would say about B&J. "Fun" show but yeah it was mostly run by a computer. They focused mostly on the effects and such.

[DJ FRENZ E]

Originally Posted by Mali

I was dissapointed to see them using their laptop and not mixing. All they did was fade and do some flanger and filter effects.

Music selection was okey, there was some nice tunes.

All in all I wasnt impressed, but I had a fun eitherway.

[mali]

what?

[dj jonas]

Originally Posted by la dj

i'm sorry, but djing is still a very much 'in the moment' experience and i dont think that should be deviated from in the least. further, why even bother to show up if you've got your whole set pre-planned? it's ok to have a general idea as to what you're going to do, but if that crowd doesnt/isnt responding you have to go another direction.

Agreed. I will pick thirty tracks or so that I think I want to play before the gig and pick and choose from that with a couple of variations. If you can't do that and have to pre-record or pre-select your set, you need to either get out of the game or go back to the drawing board and try to figure it out.

[Johnny Funk]

Many thanks for the kind words. I had a blast and was glad to see some newer sounds doing some damage on the dancefloor. I have loads more new tunes for this weekend and have been working on some re-edits/bootlegs for a few days now.

I was trying my best to get into B & J but I had a gnarly headache that was preventing me from having any kind of fun. I had to leave early and try to sleep it off.

Cheers to a good night.

[Matisfaction]

Originally Posted by la dj

there's just no soul to trance. and that sucks. there was a time when it was gritty and THAT was its soul. but not so much anymore.

Trance lost its "soul" back in 2001...there are a few exceptional songs since then though...

Deep Dish - "Say Hello" is one of them

Oakey killed the Trance movement

Originally Posted by Johnny Funk

Many thanks for the kind words. I had a blast and was glad to see some newer sounds doing some damage on the dancefloor. I have loads more new tunes for this weekend and have been working on some re-edits/bootlegs for a few days now.

I was trying my best to get into B & J but I had a gnarly headache that was preventing me from having any kind of fun. I had to leave early and try to sleep it off.

Cheers to a good night.

Hey Johnny, you played Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko earlier in the night. What mix was that? I've always heard the original. I sang along every single word.

Oh yeah....Sander's mix of King of my Castle --> another one I freaked out over. *S*