I'll be warming up for Marshall Jefferson on March 12th

I thought it was a thought-provoking article. I think he's right on some aspects but maybe wrong on the economic bias. there are complex issues at play here.

1. economic - modern dance gigs are supply/demand like all capitalism. wages reflect your pull. In Jefferson's case, legendary producer but never a great DJ and increasingly a heritage act with a shrinking fanbase. the wages are obscene of course for DJs at the top (a separate debate) but I think it is 'colourblind' in theory. if you're big, the promoter won't give a shit what you look like. It is obv unfortunate that black house music in terms of the soulful stuff that emerged out of Chicago and New Jersey, based on soul, disco and jazz is not popular these days in black OR white markets. In order to sell to a white market, it has to dilute (ie shit remixes for the mass market) and I agree with him on that. But then a lot of modern dance music is only very narrow because that's what the punters want. Which brings us on to 2.

2. cultural - the scene went 'white' for a number of reasons. the festivalisation of music turned dance music into stadium gigs with a rock band aesthetic. this had nothing to do with the roots or sweaty black clubs. (*there is a lot of black rock incidentally - it didn't all die with Hendrix - but the mainstream would prefer to ignore alternative black culture - too awkward or difficult to package). Secondly, dance music itself changed because prog/trance influences crept into house from the 90s onwards, music rooted in a European classical or symphonic rather than black american soul tradition. Gradually that has taken over because it is easily digestable, cheap as chips to produce and very lucrative. Meanwhile, black kids now are not into house or techno, period. This is heartbreaking because there used to be a lot of passionate black kids when I started out, breakdancers and people who really gave everything on the dancefloor. The largely forgotten hiphouse scene too now long lost to youtube nostalgia. Yes there is a growing African scene but hiphop/rnb/dancehall and related offshoots are still king across the anglosphere. I've heard Larry Heard and Kerri Chandler say that they will look out at European gigs and not see a single black person in the room, apart from maybe security. Now obviously, that is nobody's fault and everyone is free to like what they want, but it is interesting that there is this big division still and there is this feeling that all these guys are now in their 50s/60s and not getting replaced by younger blood. Take away the black influence on music and it is a whole lot poorer imo. The reality as I understand it although feel free to correct me if you have a different experience.
 
Interesting - especially as he let Solardo update Move Your Body recently. Solardo also said Marshall Jefferson team approached them to do it, and that MJ was receiving 100% of the royalties from it, yet this is the thing he is partly complaining about, no?
 
I guess he's complaining about having to whore himself out to eat

you take the money every time though.... I know I would
 
I thought it was a thought-provoking article. I think he's right on some aspects but maybe wrong on the economic bias. there are complex issues at play here.

1. economic - modern dance gigs are supply/demand like all capitalism. wages reflect your pull. In Jefferson's case, legendary producer but never a great DJ and increasingly a heritage act with a shrinking fanbase. the wages are obscene of course for DJs at the top (a separate debate) but I think it is 'colourblind' in theory. if you're big, the promoter won't give a shit what you look like. It is obv unfortunate that black house music in terms of the soulful stuff that emerged out of Chicago and New Jersey, based on soul, disco and jazz is not popular these days in black OR white markets. In order to sell to a white market, it has to dilute (ie shit remixes for the mass market) and I agree with him on that. But then a lot of modern dance music is only very narrow because that's what the punters want. Which brings us on to 2.

2. cultural - the scene went 'white' for a number of reasons. the festivalisation of music turned dance music into stadium gigs with a rock band aesthetic. this had nothing to do with the roots or sweaty black clubs. (*there is a lot of black rock incidentally - it didn't all die with Hendrix - but the mainstream would prefer to ignore alternative black culture - too awkward or difficult to package). Secondly, dance music itself changed because prog/trance influences crept into house from the 90s onwards, music rooted in a European classical or symphonic rather than black american soul tradition. Gradually that has taken over because it is easily digestable, cheap as chips to produce and very lucrative. Meanwhile, black kids now are not into house or techno, period. This is heartbreaking because there used to be a lot of passionate black kids when I started out, breakdancers and people who really gave everything on the dancefloor. The largely forgotten hiphouse scene too now long lost to youtube nostalgia. Yes there is a growing African scene but hiphop/rnb/dancehall and related offshoots are still king across the anglosphere. I've heard Larry Heard and Kerri Chandler say that they will look out at European gigs and not see a single black person in the room, apart from maybe security. Now obviously, that is nobody's fault and everyone is free to like what they want, but it is interesting that there is this big division still and there is this feeling that all these guys are now in their 50s/60s and not getting replaced by younger blood. Take away the black influence on music and it is a whole lot poorer imo. The reality as I understand it although feel free to correct me if you have a different experience.
100%
 
You read these 15 year old threads and you do wonder what happened to the DJ in question?

Where is Bubble?
 
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Yeah and there's a guy from I know put picture up during the week say this time 8yrs ago I was warming up for DJ (I can't remember) at a villa in Ibiza..
Screenshot_20201031_002200.jpg
I never even knew he played in Ibiza.. and another picture with a very sweaty heavy Solly at the neon night in sankeys PDB..
 
I saw Marshall Jefferson train wreck every mix in Ibiza about 5 years ago. I was amazed to look at him and see he was completely unaware his mixes were completely out!?

Maybe one reason why he doesn't earn $250,000 a gig?!
 
I saw Marshall Jefferson train wreck every mix in Ibiza about 5 years ago. I was amazed to look at him and see he was completely unaware his mixes were completely out!?

Maybe one reason why he doesn't earn $250,000 a gig?!
This.. LoL.. and the look on his face when the dance floor is clearing ? to early to play Move your body
 
gotta say that given the choice (and - I should stress - not a choice I'd ever want to face) i'd rather hear Jefferson trainwreck 2 classics than some no-mark seamlessly mix the most boring soulless tech wank on earth
 
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