Has there a new breed of dj come around these days?

The ones I grew up with were collectors, that played their collection, yet I have read so many posts about selling stuff cos it didn't floor-pack and wanting the latest in demander.....and this hot-box thing!?

I know there are bound to be lads that are old skool but how prevelant is this mentality of buying and selling to make DJ status.

Is it what it's all about?

Some of us would say that once everyone has got the sound it's no longer "hot".

I think I'll start a thread what shouldn't be in a hot box.....starting with the Hamilton Movement, followed by Tolbert.

Some may say that,but if you dont have a few of the national "hotbox" tunes,many promoters will not have you...fact

Bazza

Some of us would say that once everyone has got the sound it's no longer "hot".

I think I'll start a thread what shouldn't be in a hot box.....starting with the Hamilton Movement, followed by Tolbert.

and don't forget Ellipsis

my missus has a warm box.......choons you would never hear played out

in response to my own suggestion.

Any track having excessive hi-hat cymbals.

Any track that has the word Disco in the lyrics.

Some may say that,but if you dont have a few of the national "hotbox" tunes,many promoters will not have you...fact

Bazza

...and those are the type of promotors I wouldn't want to work for in the first place Bazza.....

though obviously I do have some of thes so called hot box tunes....

Steve

Chunky wrote:and don't forget Ellipsis

and don't forget "My good friend James" - most assuredly not even luke warm!

Edited March 28, 200718 yr by Steve G

enough about the Hot Box....

What about the other DJ staple?.... the Shit Box.

Now That comment really made me smile!

And now, back to the footie!

Sean

And now, back to the footie!

Sean

Have we scored yet - even the Bill is more interesting that the soccer....

Have we scored yet - even the Bill is more interesting that the soccer....

What do you think mate?

What do you think mate?

Yes daft question. HT 0-0 - still at least I'll see some goals on Saturday

Far better i feel to have a 'Cool Box' and i don't mean a box to put your beer in either or a box of cold records i mean cool as in nice records, records you actually like, have a passion for etc. need to carry a few big hitters, a few quality classics,a couple of things not so well known but again of a quality that you believe in, some new additions a little talent to string a set together and good communication to the dance floor...cool!

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

isnt the shit box otherwise known as the sales box ?

controversy thats an excellent idea steve....what shouldnt be in a hot box....

might see some prices really drop mixed feelings an average beach record 10 years ago now a big indemander....hmmmmmm

pikey whats wrong with excessive hi hat cymbals...what did the poor hi hats do to you

Any track that has the word Disco in the lyrics......might agree their..or alternatively northern records with the over excessive use of the word love

Any track that has the word Disco in the lyrics.....

That rules out Z Z & Co then which I have always thought was a good record

in response to my own suggestion.

Any track having excessive hi-hat cymbals.

Any track that has the word Disco in the lyrics.

Oh I don't know, I like the Chubby Checker tune

Far better i feel to have a 'Cool Box' and i don't mean a box to put your beer in either or a box of cold records i mean cool as in nice records, records you actually like, have a passion for etc. need to carry a few big hitters, a few quality classics,a couple of things not so well known but again of a quality that you believe in, some new additions a little talent to string a set together and good communication to the dance floor...cool!

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Well said Mark think you are spot on there

z z & co is a great record...i dont particularly dislike the word disco ...

another topic maybe the COOL BOX SELECTION for discerning types

great all this discourse oops said the dreaded word

Oh I don't know, I like the Chubby Checker tune

"Discotheque"... different kettle of doodads.

I'm not sure I understand the concept of 'hotbox' either. If it's what I think it is, surely in principle a DJ's 'hotbox' will just (in essence) contain at least half the same records as any other DJ's 'hotbox' ?

I'll have a go at explaining what a hotbox is. It's a playbox where every tune demands to be in there, not just a box full of 'quite like that, could play that' records, selected from a collectors vast library. They could demand to be in there by being massivly popular but not over played, a great new discovery, something that fits in with the current sound, a great lesser known track, a great rarity that not many have got, a floor filler that isn't cheesy and over played...

It's NOT a box full of current biggies! so no one without a lot of knowledge but a lot of money could be an effective hotbox DJ, cos it requires exclusives or near exclusives, which requires new or recent discoveries, which requires a lot of research and knowledge.

Something that people often fail to acknowledge on here is that new or recent discoveries are often really expensive. Probably more often than they are found for $3 in a crate somewhere.

I think hot box DJing falls down when it's the sole buying method because the tunes are often too dissimilar.

A collector who keeps nice records they've had years may find a new discovery that's in the same vein as a bit of a classic.

Great DJing would be to play the classic and then the new discovery.

A hot-boxer wouldn't be able to do this, so sometimes do dis-jointed sets in my opinion, with too much emphasis on the rarity of each indiviudual record and not enough on the flow of the set.

They dont seem to mind at Northern do's if a track from 1975 follows one from 1965, but that's not good DJing in my opinion, however good or rare either record is.

Edited March 28, 200718 yr by mik parry

That rules out Z Z & Co then which I have always thought was a good record

Rules is rules.

Let one slip through the net and the next thing you know, you'll be doing the double-bump whilst partying all the way to the "Bus Stop"...

another topic maybe the COOL BOX SELECTION for discerning types

Now I;m getting confused but this thread is great fun.

So true..But much more going on here..Some djs overseas only play a few time a year if that,here its 3 times every weekend for some ,easy to get stuck with the same play box...

I am german, so outside the UK. But I don't think you could really say that outside-uk deejays are generally more adventurous. This might be true concerning some deejays, but not all. Don't get me wrong, I think there are many many great european deejays and I am very seldom disapointed with what I hear from non-uk dj's. As Stevie says, there are many more venues on your island than over here and it's difficult to compare those situations. But with usually, as in my case, 3-4 dj dates per year you can really mix your playlist nicely and it's quite easy to not get repititive. And I'd say that there are enough deejays in the uk which have very interesting(to me) playlists and so I would like to hear them.

Also nearly impossible to define what makes a good deejay. I'll stick with a quite simple description I read on here: anyone who puts effort, commitment and some thoughts into it when he deejays and who really is behind his records when he/she is behind the desks. I don't want to see a deejay trying to impress god knows who or play records he thinks will add to his status. I want to see and hear a deejay who loves the music he plays and mixes it up a bit.

I am not bored when I hear records played out loud that I already have. I bought them because I like them, so what's wrong with hearing them? And so far it never has happened that someone plays only easily available 5 dollar 45's I already have/ sold or could buy.

Surely the big name deejays can add that something special to a soul night, but personally, I wouldn't want to hear 1000 pound plus records allnight. The mixture of tunes does it for me and I can see a lot of uk dj playlists that do mirror this.

Obviously the hot box topic is of interest to quite a few.

I collect soul 45's and sometimes someone asks me to deejay,fine, then I try to give it my best. But the deejaying would never affect my record buying, I would never sell cherished records to buy new expensive ones. Most of my records actually are not dance records, actually to me soul music is not a dance music in the first place.

And if people would stop asking me to dj, also fine, I'd still have my records and I would keep buying records.

But if other people do that, that's fine, to each his own.

But I don't understand the point why a constantly changing record box would automatically improve the standard of tunes being played. the records will be played out by someone anyway, and I don't see the rare soul scene becoming musically stagnat, I have a feeling it's the opposite. And what's hot to one person is rubbish or an old hat to the other. there are thousands of great records, rare and not so rare ones.

Sorry if my thoughts might not seem to be very fluent or understandable in english..

best,

stefan

pikey whats wrong with excessive hi hat cymbals...what did the poor hi hats do to you

They hurts my poor super-sensitive canine ears.

Unnecessary icing on the cake - equivalent to Mariah Careys warbling atrocities i.m.h.o.

Well said Mark think you are spot on there

Phil, i think my reference to the beer box swung it for me....lol something that Mr Waterman avoids...lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I'd have to agree, allot of djs in the Uk can be very predictable...

Mal.C

Haven't we had this discussion before...? and very recently too.

I think hot box DJing falls down when it's the sole buying method because the tunes are often too dissimilar.

A collector who keeps nice records they've had years may find a new discovery that's in the same vein as a bit of a classic.

Great DJing would be to play the classic and then the new discovery.

A hot-boxer wouldn't be able to do this, so sometimes do dis-jointed sets in my opinion, with too much emphasis on the rarity of each indiviudual record and not enough on the flow of the set.

They dont seem to mind at Northern do's if a track from 1975 follows one from 1965, but that's not good DJing in my opinion, however good or rare either record is.

i think within 200 tunes (effectivey 8 sets worth) getting a set to flow would be relatively easy if you buy within your own taste range which i imagine we all would ?

They hurts my poor super-sensitive canine ears.

Unnecessary icing on the cake - equivalent to Mariah Careys warbling atrocities i.m.h.o.

i thought it might be or the bolivian army powder!!!!!! although tom moulton used to say it "crushed" the the top end sound...

Far better i feel to have a 'Cool Box' and i don't mean a box to put your beer in either or a box of cold records i mean cool as in nice records, records you actually like, have a passion for etc. need to carry a few big hitters, a few quality classics,a couple of things not so well known but again of a quality that you believe in, some new additions a little talent to string a set together and good communication to the dance floor...cool!

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

And as we all know, all the best Soul records are "cool" by their very nature. That's the added bonus of being a Soul fan!

i think within 200 tunes (effectivey 8 sets worth) getting a set to flow would be relatively easy if you buy within your own taste range which i imagine we all would ?

think that's the problem with some hot box DJs, their 'taste range' becomes dictated by what's new, obscure and rare, rather than what works well together, or even what they actually like the best. Hence super rare 70s newie followed by super rare 60s newie etc etc. Heard it.

I like to hear new stuff, but I'd rather hear Elipsis precede a new discovery in a similar style, even if it's considered over played.

And I'd always rather hear a brilliant classic than a shite or average newie.

enough about the Hot Box....

What about the other DJ staple?.... the Shit Box.

now your'e talking!!!!

think that's the problem with some hot box DJs, their 'taste range' becomes dictated by what's new, obscure and rare, rather than what works well together, or even what they actually like the best. Hence super rare 70s newie followed by super rare 60s newie etc etc. Heard it.

yeah i think a certain amount of self control is needed and for me personally i wouldn't buy outwith my own taste range anyway ....becomes hard work and it's all about loving playing the tunes you love

yeah i think a certain amount of self control is needed and for me personally i wouldn't buy outwith my own taste range anyway ....becomes hard work and it's all about loving playing the tunes you love

yes but we have quite defined taste, when it comes to our DJing styles anyway. I think people who just like soul find it a lot harder to make their set flow. Personally i love 70s, but find it very jarring when you suddenly hear a disco track between two 60s records, even though I'll like all 3 records.

I'd certainly never play a record i didn't love and i dont think many DJs do, but I think you also need to know when not to play a record you love.

Er, anyway, the point is, the hot box DJ will struggle to play a set that smoothly flows from one style to another more than someone with a big collection might.

For example, I just bought a rare big 60s funk record but I hardly play any funk records at mod do's, so thank god I've kept funk classics like Hector to play before it.

If I was a strict hot shit-box type, it would stand right out in my set and sound odd and i might not even have dared buy it for that reason, even though I love it, but i'll be able to blend it in nice...but still probably clear the floor!

Edited March 28, 200718 yr by mik parry

And as we all know, all the best Soul records are "cool" by their very nature. That's the added bonus of being a Soul fan!

Nail on head i feel....it's cool to be involved in the scene in general so let's embrace it instead of pulling it to pieces all the time.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I used to do a bit of DJ'ing. I was never particularly good at it, but did usually enjoy it.

I always liked to play a mix of class but rare oldies with (to my ears) class lesser known stuff.

I don't have a clue about what tunes are "in" nowadays, but my philosophy always used to be to just keep buying more vinyl.

I appreciate it's more difficult now with Ebay etc etc. But surely there are, even now, tons and tons of really great records that never get played? My frustration used to always be the "me too" sets played by so many DJ's on the scene - plenty of money but no imagination or nerve.

I don't go anywhere anymore so can't comment if it's like that now, but I suspect it is.

Anyway I'm now a fan of digital music. I'm in the process of converting all my vinyl (which I never play anymore) to high quality digital files. So if anyone has a want list - send it to me

Phil

Before long I reckon some DJs will stick "go fast" stripes on the side of their hot boxes.

That will help them to stand out from the crowd, like proper boy racers.

Paul Mooney

And his crew

In the car park outside Tesco

I am german, so outside the UK. But I don't think you could really say that outside-uk deejays are generally more adventurous. This might be true concerning some deejays, but not all. Don't get me wrong, I think there are many many great european deejays and I am very seldom disapointed with what I hear from non-uk dj's. As Stevie says, there are many more venues on your island than over here and it's difficult to compare those situations. But with usually, as in my case, 3-4 dj dates per year you can really mix your playlist nicely and it's quite easy to not get repititive. And I'd say that there are enough deejays in the uk which have very interesting(to me) playlists and so I would like to hear them.

Also nearly impossible to define what makes a good deejay. I'll stick with a quite simple description I read on here: anyone who puts effort, commitment and some thoughts into it when he deejays and who really is behind his records when he/she is behind the desks. I don't want to see a deejay trying to impress god knows who or play records he thinks will add to his status. I want to see and hear a deejay who loves the music he plays and mixes it up a bit.

I am not bored when I hear records played out loud that I already have. I bought them because I like them, so what's wrong with hearing them? And so far it never has happened that someone plays only easily available 5 dollar 45's I already have/ sold or could buy.

Surely the big name deejays can add that something special to a soul night, but personally, I wouldn't want to hear 1000 pound plus records allnight. The mixture of tunes does it for me and I can see a lot of uk dj playlists that do mirror this.

Obviously the hot box topic is of interest to quite a few.

I collect soul 45's and sometimes someone asks me to deejay,fine, then I try to give it my best. But the deejaying would never affect my record buying, I would never sell cherished records to buy new expensive ones. Most of my records actually are not dance records, actually to me soul music is not a dance music in the first place.

And if people would stop asking me to dj, also fine, I'd still have my records and I would keep buying records.

But if other people do that, that's fine, to each his own.

But I don't understand the point why a constantly changing record box would automatically improve the standard of tunes being played. the records will be played out by someone anyway, and I don't see the rare soul scene becoming musically stagnat, I have a feeling it's the opposite. And what's hot to one person is rubbish or an old hat to the other. there are thousands of great records, rare and not so rare ones.

Sorry if my thoughts might not seem to be very fluent or understandable in english..

best,

stefan

Good post Stefan, and very clear. Not so sure aboutt eh last comment theough, sadly. Awful lot of people playing the same records to death (Because of You, Got To Have Money, that sort of thing, great records but played to death, please those responsible stop playing them ). Its very difficult to guage what an audience does know, never ceases to amaze me what record speople ask about, but then I sometimes do exactly the same, as you say, hardly anyone knows everything.

Edited March 29, 200718 yr by Stuart T

Just going to sew some record labels and soul patches onto my ovengloves.

I wouldn't want to burn my fingers while carrying my DJ box....now would I ?

Edited March 29, 200718 yr by NASHEE