Do EDM producers really just push the "play" button live?

[Yuval Levy]

its no secret. when it comes to “live” performance of EDM… that’s about the most it seems you can do anyway. It’s not about performance art, its not about talent either (really its not) In fact, let me do you and the rest of the EDM world button pushers who fuckin hate me for telling you how it is, a favor and let you all know how it is.

http://deadmau5.tumblr.com/post/25690507284/we-all-hit-play

I respect his honesty. It's not surprising that he doesn't "perform" those songs live. A lot goes into creating a track like that (composing, sequencing, automation, Ableton, FL Studio, etc) and it would be nearly impossible to recreate that live with just one person.

Now pardon me for my ignorance (I'm a fan of EDM myself Gareth, Kaskade, Aphex, Armin).... They dont play any instruments or sing.. just curious what exactly it is that they do more to their music on stage? Their remixes/tracks are already recorded, might as well just play it on speakers and they dont even need to be there and let all the lasers and the screens do the entertaining. In other genres of music the difference is they can recreate their works on spot.

I just had to ask this after giving my nephew an Avicii concert ticket as a gift for his birthday

 

[scrubido]

They pump their fists pretty convincingly....

Besides it doesn't matter what they do or don't do when 99% of the audience is on X. They could fart into a microphone and the crowd would go wild.

 

[Matt4786]

Haha that was an awesome little read. I respect his honesty too.

 

[Yuval Levy]

Haha that was an awesome little read. I respect his honesty too.

Funny how Ingrosso reacted and compared himself to the Beatles, LOL

 

[Matt4786]

Funny how Ingrosso reacted and compared himself to the Beatles, LOL

And it's also ironic considering the Beatles eventually stopped touring and became a studio band.

 

[Yuval Levy]

And it's also ironic considering the Beatles eventually stopped touring and became a studio band.

Yeah but comparing yourself to the Beatles is waaaay off base man, The Beatles are musicians, not programmers.

 

[Madmick]

This is why Radiohead is the greatest band in the world (or has been). Not just musicians, not just performers, not just composers, not just audio engineers...but all in one, and they even did it live on stage.

 

[Hagelslag2]

One of the Dutch dj's said the exact same thing two weeks ago on national television. It's impossible to have that whole show going on with the dj actually interfering too much with the music.

 

[Reverse Flash]

Lol at these EDM and old school DJ's.

 

[AgeofEmpires2**]

Compare Mozart to the best DJ in the world.

These days people don't enjoy music the most, they enjoy the vanity of their environment.

 

[Fiction1982]

Lol at these EDM and old school DJ's.

What's funny about old school djs? I never found Cut Chemist, Dj Shadow, Z-Trip funny when I would see them live.

 

[Gambledub]

Dj'ing is quite hard to appreciate and tell the difference between pressing play and actually mixing tracks. Most drunk/high people think a Dj is good purely based of how many songs they like/know get played.

Dj'ing (properly) is an art form that not everyone can do, but it is hard to appreciate. it also doesn't help that once you reach a certain level of success people are going to your shows for your name, rather than technical skill (as compared to EDM hipsters who will look out for mix quality!)

Turntabilism is a lot better for people who dont know anything about mixing to appreciate.

Good luck saying a guy like this isn't a musician/talented

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlNbZK7TP8o
[YT]wlNbZK7TP8o[/YT]

 

[CreativeTomato]

Compare Mozart to the best DJ in the world.

These days people don't enjoy music the most, they enjoy the vanity of their environment.

This is what disgusts me most about the EDM scene. As a fan of electronic music and music in general, this is exactly what turns me away from that BS.

 

[Fiction1982]

Dj'ing is quite hard to appreciate and tell the difference between pressing play and actually mixing tracks. Most drunk/high people think a Dj is good purely based of how many songs they like/know get played.

Dj'ing (properly) is an art form that not everyone can do, but it is hard to appreciate. it also doesn't help that once you reach a certain level of success people are going to your shows for your name, rather than technical skill (as compared to EDM hipsters who will look out for mix quality!)

Turntabilism is a lot better for people who dont know anything about mixing to appreciate.

Good luck saying a guy like this isn't a musician/talented

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlNbZK7TP8o
[YT]wlNbZK7TP8o[/YT]

I remember back in 2000 Z-Trip would host shows at the Fillmore with all of the best turntablists. I can't imagine being able to watch something like that ever again. We would go to actually watch them DJ and not just push a few random buttons. You know things are over though once Technics stopped producing turntables..

 

[Gambledub]

I remember back in 2000 Z-Trip would host shows at the Fillmore with all of the best turntablists. I can't imagine being able to watch something like that ever again. We would go to actually watch them DJ and not just push a few random buttons. You know things are over though once Technics stopped producing turntables..

I think the competitive battle style scene, really pushes the DJ's to innovate and try and outdo the other, something that is lacking in EDM unfortunately

 

[Yuval Levy]

Compare Mozart to the best DJ in the world.

These days people don't enjoy music the most, they enjoy the vanity of their environment.

Yeah, it should be the lighting and laser guys who are getting paid the most

 

[Frode Falch]

no.. some just press play. but many do more then that.

go to youtube and search for live clips with the prodigy, faithless, infected mushrooms, ect

 

[v.kevin]

I don't get it. I guess I'm too old or out of touch or both but I hear a song playing on Pandora and look to see who the chick is singing it and it says the artist is some DJ.

It's sung by Ellie Goulding or Lana Del Ray. I can't think of his name but it makes me wonder how the whole process works. Like, did he write the music, the lyrics, or take an existing tune or 3 and mix them together?

Edit: Calvin Harris is the DJ or whatever. Or David Guetta. Both probably.

 

[Yuval Levy]

Dj'ing is quite hard to appreciate and tell the difference between pressing play and actually mixing tracks. Most drunk/high people think a Dj is good purely based of how many songs they like/know get played.

Dj'ing (properly) is an art form that not everyone can do, but it is hard to appreciate. it also doesn't help that once you reach a certain level of success people are going to your shows for your name, rather than technical skill (as compared to EDM hipsters who will look out for mix quality!)

Turntabilism is a lot better for people who dont know anything about mixing to appreciate.

Good luck saying a guy like this isn't a musician/talented

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlNbZK7TP8o
[YT]wlNbZK7TP8o[/YT]

DJ's like that actually perform live. I don't think that's something these Like Mike Vegas or Guetta guys can do.

 

[EGarrett]

Compare Mozart to the best DJ in the world.

These days people don't enjoy music the most, they enjoy the vanity of their environment.

In Mozart's day people wore crazy wigs and bustiers. It's also well-known in history that most genius artists, writers and composers...including Mozart...died broke and often unappreciated until later. There was no such thing as the "good old days."