Listen up, Wannabe DJs. A Music Editorial.

August 23, 2006

-Adam Singer

Not everyone understands why a few simple notes repeated can be so satisfying, but it isn’t something easily explained. Repetition in music or any form of art is a powerful technique, and allows the trained mind to achieve high degrees of meditation. Forcing the listener to focus on the same loop of sound repeatedly allows him/her to see the music as a solid/visual form, and really drives the raw emotion and power behind it into their psyche. This can be positive or negative – and while countless examples exist in modern music, especially in electronic music, repetition done wrong can be as painful as some of it is beautiful.

It is just as complex and time-consuming to create a timeless and stunning piece of work that embraces repetition or minimalism as something dynamic. With repetition, the artist is putting their thought out there to be viewed essentially from every angle – analyzed, dissected. If it isn’t something that was well thought out, and every single element crafted from effective/articulate patterns and high quality instruments (traditional or non-traditional), the work suffers. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

I love repetition in music when going out to a bar, club or coffee shop – it is perfect for dancing and is an inspirational backdrop; but it should be repetition with purpose. If you don’t understand this, then you need to listen more and develop your tastes, only then you’ll really start to see what I mean. The more you listen, the more obvious it becomes what is truly stellar, and what is one-dimensional music. Yes I’m aware musical taste is subjective, but I’m taking this from the viewpoint of what is unique, intricate and compelling – not just the new trend or flavor of the week. There are artists out there making timeless music, electronic or otherwise, but it seems that lately so little truly creative and unique music is finding its way into clubs and dance-floors, as DJs are simply latching on to the latest trend and tracks, without asking the question ‘why?’. Just because something’s new, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worthwhile.

Recently, there seems to be more and more DJs that are simply just clones of each other, without taking the time to find/push their own sound, and this is unfortunate to see. Hopefully a renaissance is coming soon, and people will start craving fresh sounds again rather than hearing the same sounds/styles pushed in every single venue by a majority of artists. If you’re a big name artist, I dare you to challenge your listeners – not simply follow the latest trend – and do something unique. We’re all embracing repetition in our art and our lives, but it can be more unique and expressive than it currently is. DJ’s sometimes don’t give their audiences enough credit.

Speaking of trends – electronic music was originally about pushing boundaries, and following your own path as an artist. Not to say everyone has ‘sold out’, but it seems to me lately, especially within the niche of clubbing, that what once was a unique group has been molded to fit into one of several casts, where each one seems to blindly follow trends set by those higher up in the cultural pecking order. This can be viewed on a global and local level, and while following artists we take inspiration from is a positive thing – you have to question whether the artist who inspires you is a “trend-whore” or is someone truly into their art, and wanting to push new and exciting boundaries in the world. Life is too short to follow passionless artists, and I think it’s almost painfully obvious who has talent/passion, and who is full of fluff. No, I’m not going to name names, but if you are in the position of being a “big name” artist, realize that you should be pushing things and trying to open new doors. If you’re just always playing it safe – as a big name or small name artist – you’re in the wrong line of work.

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with following a path and taking influence from others, the more you delve into art and the more sophisticated your tastes become, the more you should try to “make it your own”. Whether that is by producing your own music or by branching out and finding new artists that inspire you and take your listening to the next level, it should be an active and unique process defined by yourself and no one else. It is something that you can develop throughout your entire life, and you should be weary of ever getting bogged down or ‘stuck’ – because like your personality and intelligence, your music taste, appreciation and sophistication should grow and get better every day. It is a beautiful, simple and incredible pleasure to have as a part of your life.

Take the time to really seek out the artists around you that are making art for art’s sake, and aren’t concerned with trends or fitting into a mold. The ones that are really exceptional you’ll either be referred to by a musically-inclined friend, or you’ll stumble across on your own by a sheer twist of fate, because these artists aren’t just about hyping themselves. Everyone has those artists in their life that make music so incredible it makes life worth living. You may not see them hyping themselves on local message-boards (note: there is a difference between hype and accepted promotion), or sending you messages/emails to vote for them in the DJ List top 100, but there is a reason for that – their work speaks for itself.

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