14 Feb 2011 2 Comments
kem web site remixed, my djing world also remixed
My web site was due for an overhaul, so I’ve redesigned it and migrated it to a new platform. You’ll find the new site is easier to read and has more functionality over my old static one. Somehow this new beginning is appropriate to reflect on the amazing journey I’ve had as a DJ. It started when one of my old mixes (dTown Express) recently shuffled onto my iPod in the car. Looking up the date it was a bit of a shock to see that the mix is already eight years old, and that doesn’t even seem that long ago in my career.
I started to DJ in 1997, my how things have come along since then. I had a hard time letting go of vinyl, it wasn’t until after 2008 that I started to explore digital DJing. At that point many vinyl distributers in the U.S. started to close their doors. I found it hard to get the European vinyl craved. I felt forced into playing CDs. At first it was awkward, but I got used to it… in the back of my mind I always convinced myself vinyl was better. It was circumstance that forced me into this situation.
The thing I love about DJing is that you can never conquer it; there is never an end. No matter how good you get there is always something to learn. This is what makes it an endless passion, if you love music you can never stop interacting with it. I accepted CDs but still clung to my vinyl allegiances even though I haven’t played vinyl in years. So I made the next inevitable step into digital DJing, I bought a digital vinyl system, Traktor Scratch to be exact. I’ve boldly embarked into the new frontier of DJing.
The plan seemed brilliant, continue to play digital music but use my beloved Technics 1200 turntables to control the music. Picking up my Ortofon needles and cueing a real vinyl disc seemed epic at first. As I tried to play my first set I realized that playing on turntables is actually a pain in the ass. Were they always this loose? Did you always have to ride a mix constantly adjusting the pitch to make sure the beats didn’t slip, even a hundredth of a second?
Was I really that naive or did I just not want to believe? As much as I touted the superiority of vinyl, maybe digital did have its place. It certainly explains why over the past few years when switching to CDJs that my beatmatching became flawless. Better living through circuitry… it made sense. Now with Traktor Scratch as my tool I feel like I’m at crossroads. Do I continue to use the vinyl timecode discs and wear each perfect mix as a badge of honor? That’s right, perfectly matched beats on these aging wheels of steel of analog grace. Or do I switch to CDJ timecode CDs, spending my time crafting the mix and not riding the beats to make sure they are perfectly matched. I’ll have to explore that in due time, old habits die-hard.
For the readers who have endured my diatribe thus far, what does this mean? Well, I’ve got a new site, I’ve got a new and better way to mix music and I have the inspiration to release more DJ mixes and play more gigs. Stay tuned.
A veteran of the SF underground, Kem starting rocking underground parties in early 1999 and maintained a busy schedule playing regularly at SF venues for many years.