Question for electronica fans

[RockStr4Life]

I'm just kinda starting to get into trance, house, electronica. Thinkin about getting into DJing. I know Reason pretty well and can make some cool electronica songs. What makes artists like Tiesto, Paul van Dyk, Benny Benassi, etc. so much better than the average electronica artist that comes around? Why do they get spots on the Coachella lineup and all the other millions of electronica DJs don't? Even the ones who play fairly high up at various raves/dance shows?

[DeltaSigChi4]

Trance is dead /davewang

E

[RockStr4Life]

thanks

[jackstraw94086]

What makes artists like Tiesto, Paul van Dyk, Benny Benassi, etc. so much better than the average electronica artist that comes around?

*sigh*

[PineapplePete]

I'm just kinda starting to get into trance, house, electronica. Thinkin about getting into DJing. I know Reason pretty well and can make some cool electronica songs. What makes artists like Tiesto, Paul van Dyk, Benny Benassi, etc. so much better than the average electronica artist that comes around? Why do they get spots on the Coachella lineup and all the other millions of electronica DJs don't? Even the ones who play fairly high up at various raves/dance shows?

Average people suck and those people.....dont? no thats not right THEY ALL SUCK

[kreutz2112]

Right now I am listening to The Field. They are on Kompakt records. I would recommend their newest or anything on Kompakt. Daft Punk.

[orbit]

I'm just kinda starting to get into trance, house, electronica. Thinkin about getting into DJing. I know Reason pretty well and can make some cool electronica songs. What makes artists like Tiesto, Paul van Dyk, Benny Benassi, etc. so much better than the average electronica artist that comes around? Why do they get spots on the Coachella lineup and all the other millions of electronica DJs don't? Even the ones who play fairly high up at various raves/dance shows?

1. I'd recommend you to start with FL Studio instead of Reason.

2. Tiesto, Van Dyk, Benassi, Guetta, etc,etc, ARE NOT much better than average electronic djs. They play everywhere because they are popular, mainly because they know how to sell themselves as DJs. Good marketing, good businessmen. They are ranked as top djs thanks to their popularity not their ability to spin or produce. So everyone outside this music circle assume they are the best djs, and give them more gigs, more publicity, more contracts, more promotions.

3. I dont know why they got spots at Coachella. I was surprised when i saw them in the lineup the first time. Actually, Im still surprised. Its a popularity fact. They attract loads of people. Just compare how many people are going to Coachella to see Evil Nine who are awesome DJs/PRODUCERS and how many people are going to see Tiesto who is not precisely a dj but a rockstar.

[instinct]

you just named like the three most overrated artists..

[joppy-slow]

I'd have to disagree about Paul Van Dyk being overrated. Almost all of his released records are his own material, written by him, except a few compilation albums such as the Politics of Dancing series. He is a musician and classically trained and he writes very very good trance and progressive music. Tiesto is also a classically trained musician, but I find his own material avg. at best.
I think people just bag on those at the top because they 1) are jealous 2) they don't like how their favorite obscure DJ (their are thousands) don't get the same airplay.. Now I would much rather see Evil 9 then Tiesto or PVD, but thats because I don't have as much exposure to them as artists, unlike the #1 and #2 supposed DJ's in the world. just my 2 cents.

[caco0283]

They are ranked as top djs thanks to their popularity not their ability to spin or produce. So everyone outside this music circle assume they are the best djs, and give them more gigs, more publicity, more contracts, more promotions.

i take it you didn't see fatboy slim at ultra on saturday.....well he spun all vinyl and had the cd spinners flipped over towards the crowd...everytime he did some crazy ass fatboy slim trick and the crowd went nuts he did a crazy little fatboy slim dance while pointing at the cds


my only answer to the music is the same as all music....they make music people can connect to and love to dance too.....not only being able to record it but produce it for everyone live in a manner that gets their dancing feet moving.....you can ask the same thing about live bands....why does U2 suck but bands like Massive Attack and Tool kick ass???

[orbit]

i take it you didn't see fatboy slim at ultra on saturday.....well he spun all vinyl and had the cd spinners flipped over towards the crowd...everytime he did some crazy ass fatboy slim trick and the crowd went nuts he did a crazy little fatboy slim dance while pointing at the cds

I was talking about Tiesto, Guetta, Van Dyk, not Fatboy Slim. I respect Norman because his great contribution to the breaks scene ion the 90s, besides hes a good producer. Digweed is in the top 10 and I like him a lot. But cmon you cant denied Tiesto is a total businessman and not precisely an awesome Top Dj.

Anyone has heard his production for Windows Vista yet?

[orbit]

I'd have to disagree about Paul Van Dyk being overrated. Almost all of his released records are his own material, written by him, except a few compilation albums such as the Politics of Dancing series. He is a musician and classically trained and he writes very very good trance and progressive music. Tiesto is also a classically trained musician, but I find his own material avg. at best.
I think people just bag on those at the top because they 1) are jealous 2) they don't like how their favorite obscure DJ (their are thousands) don't get the same airplay.. Now I would much rather see Evil 9 then Tiesto or PVD, but thats because I don't have as much exposure to them as artists, unlike the #1 and #2 supposed DJ's in the world. just my 2 cents.

I dont like Van Dyk but I do recognize he has skills, and I'd prefer him over Tiesto all the way. I was surprised years ago when I listened him spinning breaks, it was really interesting.

[elChurro]

Get a akai sampler and make your own stuff, hopefully bringing some life into this stale scene.

[instinct]

I don't like Paul Van Dyke because I have seen him like 10 times and he has never impressed me, his sets have always been on the boring side.. I like Tiesto's produced tracks a lot, although I hear he gets a lot of help from "sound engineering", but it's pretty hard to say that he is not OVERRATED, He has the biggest name out there and he is not that amazing. Benny Bennasi... No need to explain.. One Hit.. Played Out.. The rest of his music sounds VERY similar.

Fatboy is awesome, nothing against him. BT is really good too.. He also is a classically trained musician, and probably has more talent than 99% of the rest the trance deejays/producers.

[el pescado]

There are big differences between beat match dj's and production dj's.Paul Van and Tiesto are of the beat match variety while the BT,Fat Boy Slim and Uberzone type are dj/composer/production whizzes.Much more talent to be in the later.

[kreutz2112]

There are big differences between beat match dj's and production dj's.Paul Van and Tiesto are of the beat match variety while the BT,Fat Boy Slim and Uberzone type are dj/composer/production whizzes.Much more talent to be in the later.

Thats funny, I actually got in an arguement with my friend about this very subject last weekend. I agree with you.

[jackstraw94086]

Tiesto does produce some of his own music, but his tracks are mostly just a series of annoying 5 minute buildups. And he technically doesn't "beat match". He performs with ableton this days. I believe BT uses it too.

Uberzone is a somewhat unique act. i love the live drumming.

[RockStr4Life]

Does he really perform with ableton? Who uses what? This would be another interesting question I have. Do any artists perform live with reason? Who uses an akai sampler? Is performing live with Ableton or Reason and a Powerbook legit?

[rage patton]

My friend is getting into DJing JUST so he can get with chicks. His inspirations are Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk and Benny Benassi.
I told him hes a douchebag.
I cant stand Benny Benassi. Tiesto is OK. However, I will admit I do enjoy a bunch of PVD stuff. However, he will most likely be playing during Rage and/or Manu Chao. And hes no where near that good.

[RockStr4Life]

I guess it would be a good way to meet chicks lol...like High Fidelity. I love that movie. But seriously, can anyone answer my question about the equipment these kinds of DJs use? What is legit? Do Coachella DJs just use laptops and do sets on Ableton? Or just do sets with an akai sampler? Or Both?

[orbit]

Does he really perform with ableton? Who uses what? This would be another interesting question I have. Do any artists perform live with reason? Who uses an akai sampler? Is performing live with Ableton or Reason and a Powerbook legit?

Depends on what you want to use it for. Ableton Live is a pretty good software for production and live perfomance. I dont see any problem using it, it has a lot of tools, live mixing, effects, edits, add midi controllers, etc,etc. Many DJs like Tiesto, Sasha, Zabiela, Junkie XL, Hawtin, BT, etc use it, some of them as a plus to their show, another ones as the whole show just to play music. Same for similar softwares as Final Scratch, Serato, Traktor.

Reason, Protools, are more into the production thing. Autechre, Luke Vibert, Liam Howlett, Aphex, Tom Middleton, Mouse on Mars even Mylo use those for production, and sometimes they include it in their live shows. Its awesome to see a show where the DJ uses all kind of things as turntables + cd players + softwares + synths/hardware.. People always will argue about Vinyl vs CD, Ableton vs turntables, PC vs Mac, cdjs vs Serato, etc,etc

At the end its all about personal taste. Besides, the reactable thing is coming soon.

[RockStr4Life]

what reactable thing?

[el pescado]

Tiesto is a producer ,but live is a beat matcher...Pro tools is a production tool not a live device,serado and final scratch are digital "SRATCH" devices so you don't need to haul a bunch of vinyl around.BT,Uberzone,chem bros,fat boy......Roll with live samplers,moogs,korgs,then serato or pro tool so they can manipulate thier mixes live.True musicians.

[jackstraw94086]

Live is way more than a "beat matcher". It's an entire production suite.

[Tylerdurden31]

Or just do sets with an akai sampler?

DJ Shadow made Endtroducing with an AKAI MPC60. DJ Crook (team sleep) uses an MPC. A lot of hip hop uses MPCs. MPCs are good because they give you an option to trigger things on the fly with a flick of the finger and make beats as you wish. I've seen guys using all 10 fingers on an MPC. If you can master an MPC live...I think you've got it made.

[fober]

There are big differences between beat match dj's and production dj's.Paul Van and Tiesto are of the beat match variety while the BT,Fat Boy Slim and Uberzone type are dj/composer/production whizzes.Much more talent to be in the later.

Paul van Dyk falls into the dj/composer/production whiz category just as much as BT.

[jackstraw94086]

Paul van Dyk falls into the dj/composer/production whiz category just as much as BT.

True. the only difference is PVD's resulting music sucks a bit more. BT's had some gems though.

[full on idle]

Jack you went old school you fucking board whore.

[canexplain]

i know jack about this kind of music really but i do know the "pro" version of protools is very very expensive ... but most people swear by it, although a lot of old school swear at it ... i always like Orbit (not the avitar lol but the group) and Underworld, but not sure where they fit into this ... cr***

[RockStr4Life]

so it would be legit to go to a rave and see a DJ doing a live set with nothing but a laptop and Ableton? Is that what any Coachella artists will do?