LETTER OF THE MONTH
Sep 1, 2004 12:00 PM
MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE
DJs who spent years fighting the notion that they are little more than human jukeboxes are now heaping scorn on digital DJs as illegitimate upstarts. Vinyl, they maintain, is tactile, warm and friendly; computers are cold and boring. Then, they drop a track full of samples and synths composed on Pro Tools. Irony, anyone?
Vinyl is a container. It holds music. Turntables are tools that open it. Digital encoding is just another container, and computers are a way of opening it. Analog and digital instruments, turntables and computers are no less legitimate as tools for making music than a hollowed log. Is your didgeridoo compromised if you amplify it, add reverb, record it, press it to vinyl, spin it, mix it? Tools themselves aren't good or bad; it depends on how they're used. Complaints about these new tools are really expressions of fear: Now, everyone will be doing something once done by a select few who worked hard to learn their trade.
Well, what if everyone does? Bedroom musicians and DJs now have access to tools that once took a lot of time and cash to acquire. Will they be more creative because of this? Probably not. Are more options open? You bet.
Artificial-intelligence guru Alan Turing proposed the following test: An interrogator uses a terminal to converse with a person and a computer and asks questions to find out which is which. If the computer can “fool” the interrogator, it's unreasonable to say it isn't intelligent. I think the Turing test applies to music. If it fools me into dancing — whether it's a live band, beat-matched vinyl, an impromptu digital remix or an organ-grinder and a monkey — it's unreasonable to say it's not legitimate.
Steven R. Boyett
Burbank, Calif.
For sending in this month's winning letter, Steven R. Boyett receives a UDG SB Slanted DJ bag. If you write the pithiest, silliest, bitchiest or smartest letter next month, you will win a Gemini SB-30 ($25) 30-record-capacity, lightweight DJ bag. Just send an e-mail to remixeditorial@primediabusiness.com, and please include your full mailing address. Published letters may be edited for space and clarity.
SO TELL US WHAT YOU WANT
I am a 19-year-old who wants to remix, DJ and make a career out of it. My dream has always been to remix. Over the years, I have collected remixes from many huge remixers, such as Peter Rauhofer; Frankie Knuckles; Junior Vasquez; Chris Cox; and my absolute favorite, Hex Hector. But what I want to know is, how do I start? What do I need to start my remixing career? I am so confused on what I have to do. I have had thoughts about going to a music-production school, but I don't know if that would be something I would need to do. I want to remix dance music and make huge club hits. So can you help me out and please let me know what I need to do to start my life-long dream?
Steven Lewis Jr.
Ostrander, Ohio
WHAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT
I love your magazine. However, there is one topic that Remix has covered very poorly, and that is the business side of remixing. Specifically, how does an aspiring remixer go about getting a remix project from an artist or label? Do we ask a label for the a capella? Do we send in demos of our remix work? We all know that there are remixers who get contacted by artists to do remixes based on their reputation or body of work. But there is a whole group of talented Remix readers, like myself, who are talented enough to work on remix projects on a pro level but simply lack the savvy to get noticed. Surely, this is as important a topic as gear or technique.
Igor Levit
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Igor — You're right: Learning the biz is just as important as making the music, because without that business knowledge, how do you get your music heard? All I can say is, please stay tuned.
— Kylee Swenson
MAKIN' US PROUD
I've been in your readers' radar for about a year now, and since then, I have grown. I don't mean grown up, 'cause that's boring, but I have seen my calling on this planet called Earth. Since becoming a reader, my life goals have expanded, and I have really just opened my eyes for my life ahead as I construct it. I am a scratch DJ, hip-hop junkie and friendly neighbor. Production work has become the key element in this image-driven rap race; I just plan on giving hip-hop music everything it gave me. Keep up the excellent work.
FabCab0
via e-mail
AT LEAST PLAY FAIR
I found the Vintech X73i review (“Tech Sector,” July 2004) an interesting read, but I was a bit shocked when I got to the end and the reviewer had not been able to test the unit with a vocalist. I didn't consider the review to be complete without this sort of test being done. I had visions of the speech test being a last-minute, “Oh, wait, I was supposed to do that. Quick, put a mic up before I have to give this toy back.” I don't mean to be hard on the reviewer, but it smacked of sloppy journalism. Yes, it's true that I am jealous that he gets to play with $2,000 worth of preamp that I can only dream of. But don't mush it in our faces with an incomplete review.
Daniel Sepke
Durham, N.C.
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE
Since you haven't reviewed either the Roland MV-8000 or the Akai MPC4000, I was wondering if you could get some well-respected beat makers to pit the two machines together and share their pros and cons on each machine. That would help me decide which one to get, too!
Jerron Barnett
via e-mail
Jerron — Patience! You can expect a review of the MV-8000 in an upcoming issue.
— Robert Hanson
LOVE HURTS
Love is rare enough that when you come across a good one who also shares the same passion for music that you do, then you've found a magnificent treasure. How could I ever be so lucky? He loves my passion for my music, and I have wanted for so long to share it with another musical soul. But, today, he told me that what brought us together is also that which has torn us apart. He can only give his heart to one thing, and his band is happening now. Why do some people believe you must sacrifice happiness for your art? And why must his music be exclusionary? My music begs for love's inspiration, and in turn, it fills me with light and love, which are meant to be shared. I just don't understand.
Heidi Weiland
Anchorage, Alaska
Heidi — Why? Because he's a jerk! Actually, I have no idea. Questions like these are best left for the love experts.
— Erin Hutton
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