Page 25 - Zone Magazine Issue 007

When trawling for music nowadays, how does it compare to the old way of going into a shop and auditioning vinyl?
The majority of DJs on Power FM are still buy vinyl over the counter, compared to other internet stations where the vinyl DJ is in the minority, we off course have DJs that buy digital tracks online and use Traktor, Serato but the vast majority of DJs on Power FM choose vinyl as their preferred format.
Has the skill of mixing been reduced to the auto sync button on various digital devices available to DJs, do you take somebody a bit more serious if they run their set from vinyl or is this just nostalgia?
The DJs doing it the easy way with the auto sync button will be found out in time, there is a lot more to mixing tracks together than hitting a sync button such as track selection, basically keeping three tracks ahead is a pre requisite for any DJ worth their salt. Playing tracks via Vinyl or CDs is a medium of a craft and to be honest a lot of people don’t really care as long as the music is good. That being said all the technology like AIFF / WAV files are not going to replace the texture and sound of the vinyl format.
At Power FM we archive all the shows on to our Mixcloud so anyone can readily listen to our DJs style and hear if it suits their tastes. I suppose in a way the moral of the story here is progression in both a DJ and technological aspect. Vinyl is the equivalent to the dinosaur but keeps on spinning, refusing to be extinct and rightly so. Technology has progressed so much that you can play an entire set through a USB Drive. There is nothing wrong with this as again it is just another medium, a format that works better for some people. The main thing is the tunes being played and how well they gel in unison with one another.
It’s become more and more popular for DJs to use samplers, synths and other device's live, any thoughts on this practice?
If you learn how to use DJ samples, synths the right way and improve your set then cool, but overdo it and run the risk turning off the crowd then it can be difficult to win them back. So it depends on how much experience you have with the equipment that makes all the difference.
Plans for the Future?
Continue building on our existing relationships with Art / Music
organisations within the local community / city and possibly build new partnerships globally in music and cultural industries. Also do more club broadcasts, build out our mobile presence further and of course we want to carry on rockin 247!
Current top Tracks on Power FM DJ Phil - God's House Kupa - Caida Hubie Davison - Sanctified Floating Points - Silhouettes (I,II,III) Kid Drama - Azure Part 2
Danny Scrilla - Lone Ranger Martyn - Falling for you Owiny Sigoma Band - Luo land Floorplan - Ritual (Original Mix) Cotton Crown - x6 (Mark Broom Edit) C.O.D - In the Bottle
Educution - On the Ron Again
Written by Golden Maverick, Don Rosco, Andy Byrne, Anthony O’Brien, Paul Grant, John McCallion
Edited by Paul Grant / John McCallion
Connect:
http://www.powerfm.org/
Words By Mike Moggi Mannix Pic By Keith McGovern
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