Feature: The Art Of The DJ
Interview by Jaclyn Marinese

The art of DJing has been making some major transformations as of late. We at 'Sup thought it might be cool to sit down with some of our favorite party rockers to hear their thoughts about developments in the art form. We talked to JDH, James Fucking Friedman, Christine Renee, Stretch, Erol Alkan and Twitch from Optimo DJ's to hear about some of their DJing ups and downs.

JDH
Affiliations: FIXED, We Are 138
From: I live in Brooklyn, but am originally from Texas.
James Fucking Friedman
Affiliations: Defend Music
From: NYC
Christine Renee
Affiliations: New Fun New York
From: Austin
Stretch
Affiliations: Alister Doomington, Plant
From: New York Fuckin' City
Erol Alkan
From: North London
Twitch (Optimo Espacio)
Affiliations: member of Optimo DJs
From: Glasgow, Scotland

How long have you been DJing?
JDH: 8 years.
James Friedman: 7 years.
Christine Renee: 4 years.
Stretch: A long time.
Erol Alkan: 15 years.
Twitch: 19 years.

What was your first gig like?
JDH: I started out playing at college parties in Austin. Really fun, rowdy keg parties where people would get wasted and freak out.
James Friedman: My first gigs were at SWIM on Orchard Street in Manhattan. We did every other Tuesday night. It was pretty eclectic musically and a great way to start honing my skills in front of a small audience of friends.
Christine Renee: It was at Lit in Manhattan, shortly after they opened. Eric Foss asked me to do a 10-hour shift. At one point I really thought I couldn't go on. But this guy who said he was also a DJ looked through my crate of punk rarities and rock classics and pulled the Outfield, Love Song. He said, "Play this." And like magic, this amazing yet amazingly cheesy song carried me smoothly into the a.m. hours. Whoever that guy was, thank you!
Stretch: My friend Tamer and I started promoting parties to our friends at Columbia. They first took place under the highway on 125th street, but soon were moved to Big Haus in Tribeca, which would be the first actual club I played in.
Erol Alkan: I was fortunate to be extremely young. Too young to be in a club, for a start. Having a lot of my friends with me eased any pressure. My payment was five beers. That also helped. I didn't try to break new ground but just played for my small circle of friends. I knew what they liked and how to surprise them.
Twitch: I remember it well. It was the first time I'd ever seen a pitch control. I thought it was the volume control. I somehow managed to get people onto the dance floor but then realized that keeping them there was the hard part. I found the whole experience so terrifying that I swore I would never do it again. Ha!

How has your style of playing/music choice changed since that time?
JDH: For three or four years I only spun hip-hop. I've always been into other styles of music, but hip-hop was my foundation. Living in LA and then NYC, I sort of decided that I had all these records and loved so many other types of music, why not start combining genres and throwing down? Plus I really feel like there hasn't been a lot of quality hip-hop in recent memory.
James Friedman: I've switched up the kind of music I favor a few times over the years. Back in the day, I tried to keep the kind of collection where I could play hip-hop, funk, house, reggae or whatever as needed. While I'm always happy to bust out a surprising set once in a while, I don't really do that so much anymore.
Christine Renee: I started playing with the records I'd collected all my life, for their music and not their DJing potential. So, I started off playing a lot of punk, indie and classic rock, jukebox style. But gradually, I began to realize the spiritual power of DJing, and of transmitting the message of music, and my taste and sets are now more geared toward taking a dancer somewhere beyond the dance floor.
Stretch: I think it's actually come full circle for me, in that when I started, 12" club music - whether it was hip-hop, reggae, or house - was really for the most part an underground thing. Now I
find myself into an eclectic mix of music, which is relatively underground, much of which is dance/electronic-oriented.
Erol Alkan: It's got broader with age, that's for sure. But in a sense, the spirit is still the same. I always maintain that certain people of certain ages all react in certain ways. I try to understand what these things are, and not expect to get the same result across a huge demographic of people. I have learned to understand people better through this, that's for sure. Well, I like to think I have.
Twitch: I probably still play one or two of the records I played then, but I think my knowledge of music has increased exponentially since then. I have, of course, subsequently learned how to mix records!

It seems like the role of the DJ is transforming as technology changes and pop culture becomes increasingly celebrity-driven. The word DJ means different things now to different people as celebs take to the decks or well-known band members do guest iPod sets at parties. In your personal terms, how do you define the DJ?
JDH: As far as I'm concerned, celebrity and band member "DJs" are really having a detrimental effect on people's overall perception of what a DJ is. In NYC in particular, I feel like it's a huge problem. The average kid goes to a club or bar and hears someone from some band playing his iPod, and the vibe is just whatever. No one is dancing. The sound is shit. So this is what people start to think a DJ is. To me, a real DJ is someone who can rock the crowd and get people going. Sometimes that means playing the right tunes at the right time. Sometimes it's just mixing and killing it with skill.
James Friedman: For me, DJs are truly DJs only when they know how to mix records. These knuckleheads with a big CD collection or a couple of iPods full of their friends' music are not DJs. They are just playing fucking music and I'm not too impressed by their attempts at party rocking or the public's willingness to support this kind of douchebaggery.
Christine Renee: Mostly because I respect anyone who's excited enough about music to present to a crowd what they're listening to, I'll call anyone who's ever played music for an audience, on vinyl, CD or mp3s, a DJ. But that said, I also think there are only a few DJs out there who really "get it." I mean, if you are DJing you should ask yourself what you are playing for. DJing is a powerful form of personal expression, and like anything, you have to be honest about your intentions with it, or it won't be good.
Stretch: I've been to some of these nights with the actor/rock star-turned-DJ, and nine out of 10 times, it's insufferable. It's interesting how people's perceptions change depending on who is doing the music-playing. For instance, if Paul from Interpol is playing '80s and '90s hip-hop and R&B at The Annex, the party gets written up in the Voice, and there's a decent crowd of people getting their "I love dancing to ironic music" fix, but after hearing "My Posse's On Broadway" and BBD's "Poison" and the like for 20 minutes, it wears thin. The actors are worse. They get ooh'ed and aah'ed just for figuring out to put a needle on a record. A DJ is someone who understands rhythm, emotion, tempo, musical color, and timing and can use these things to fuck with people's heads and asses.
Erol Alkan: A good DJ should know the pressure he or she truly has. They can excite, entertain, and educate in equal measures. If they choose to do this, then the general public will probably hold them up in some esteem. Anybody playing their record collection or a cassette recorder is, in a sense, equally as valid to a degree, since they are broadcasting somebody's song or music. But I do believe that if it isn't structured, presented or executed with the approach of having each piece of music resonate against each other, then strictly speaking, it isn't the same as DJing. I enjoy parties when somebody's throwing random records together and the place is going nuts. This is good DJing, because whoever is doing it knows how to keep lifting the room higher and higher. Same party, different DJ, someone trying to be clever, maybe keeps killing the atmosphere by playing unknown tracks, can in effect be a bad DJ, as they haven't assessed the situation right. There's a time and a place to dust off that third Holger Czukay album, and it may not be now. Half of the art of DJing is to agree to doing the right gig.
Twitch: To me a DJ is someone who knows music, knows how to put it together, and strives to always be interesting and entertaining. Anyone can play a load of records and there is nothing wrong with that (although I find the idea of people going to hear someone play JUST because they are a celebrity rather sickening). But the term DJ, to me, implies that a big investment of time and effort has been invested.

What medium do you currently use when you play? (Vinyl, CDs, Serato, live performance equipment, others?). Why do you prefer this medium?
JDH: I'm still a purist. I only spin vinyl. Honestly, if I made my own music or did re-edits, then I would play CDs, but I just like the feel of vinyl and the control it gives you. I'm definitely interested in some of the stuff that is happening with DJ technology, but I haven't been fully persuaded yet.
James Friedman: I use vinyl and the occasional CD. I like vinyl the best for the hands-on quality of the mixing process.
Christine Renee: I play vinyl and burned CDs of tracks I don't have on vinyl. I prefer vinyl 'cause its reliable, sounds better, and I just like the medium itself: the cover, the size, the feel in my hand. All of it triggers emotions in me that make for a more "felt" set. But it's expensive and heavy.
Stretch: I've been on Serato since the summer of 2005, and it has saved my back, and injected my approach to DJing with a bit of enthusiasm. I also use Ableton Live but not for playing out, more for making my own mixes, edits, remixes, and tempo/pitch changes.
Erol Alkan: Vinyl, Pioneer CDJ 1000s and a DJM 600 mixer. Laptops are fun, but for the time being, I am happy with what I use.
Twitch: I use vinyl and a laptop running Ableton Live. I prefer this setup as it allows me to do things that would be impossible to do just on turntables but I like using vinyl too as there is a different energy from mixing records together which I'd miss if I went laptop-only.

What's your opinion about the development of some of the newer DJ technology, like Final Scratch Live & Serato Scratch Live, where people are basically playing mp3s like records?
Have you used it? Even if you haven't, what are your thoughts about the concept?
JDH: I've never really used Serato or Final Scratch, but I'm definitely interested in it. The thing is, I've seen those things crash on people so many times, and honestly, the only person I've ever seen anyone kill it on Final Scratch was Richie Hawtin. I do think the idea of not having to bring vinyl to every gig is pretty awesome.
James Friedman: I think it seems dope, though I do believe it further breaks down the barriers to accessing the world of DJing, making it easier for any asshole to just say that they are a DJ even if they have never spent a minute hunting for a coveted record or put in any work learning the foundations of the craft.
Christine Renee: I haven't used these programs, but there are some great advantages to them. Getting the music is cheaper, carrying the music doesn't hurt as much, the risk of loss/damage is somewhat diminished, and you can play ANYTHING in your library. It makes it easier to cater to a crowd. Catering is good, but there's a lot to be said for being forced to work a crowd with only 70 songs in your bag. A lot of magic can happen there.
Stretch: Using Serato has just opened up possibilities that weren't there with records. I always had the ill records, which was always a huge part of establishing oneself as a DJ, but now, anyone who wants can get up and running without having to spend mad time and money amassing at least a minimally sufficient collection. It has clearly had a democratizing effect on DJing, which is good and bad.
Erol Alkan: I tested it years ago and I thought it was pointless. I didn't get excited by it at all. But that's just my opinion. I know a lot of people who are using it in very creative ways. If
I had the time to look into it, I'm sure I could get something out of it-but the hassle of setting it up just bored me.
Twitch: I am a total vinyl junkie and buy as much music as I've ever bought but I think anything that allows a DJ to manipulate music in new ways is a good thing.

At one point or another in most DJs' careers, they've had to deal with a partygoer who just can't live without hearing a certain song. I recently heard a story where someone was playing and a kid tried to put his own CD on right in the middle of the set. Do you remember any incidents of a request that really stand out to you, either in a good or bad way? How did you respond?
JDH: I'm usually pretty bad when people make requests. Usually it's something ridiculous that isn't even close to what I'm spinning, and most of the time the dance floor is already going. The funniest request I've had was at the Aktion party at Lit. A girl came up to me and said, 'I just got out of jail and I notice you guys are playing '80s stuff. Do you have any Stray Cats?' Amazing.
James Friedman: I always respond the same way when people ask to make a request. I listen to them and if the request is reasonable, I'll do what I can to oblige. However, if I'm playing techno records and some schmuck wants Lloyd Banks, I tell them it's not gonna happen and hope they go away. If people get pushy, I usually tell them I'm not taking requests. Nothing too crazy, nothing too mean.
Christine Renee: I realized this year the DJ angel and devil in me: I'm really nice to people who come up and ask for something they can dance to or '80s or whatever it is. I'll say what it takes to make them feel like I'm acknowledging their needs, and then I do the exact opposite of what they ask for after they walk away smiling. Which is pretty evil I must say.
Stretch: It depends on the level of stupidity coming from the individual. I always loved playing Run-DMC and Eric B. & Rakim at both the Tribeca Grand and Marquee in Manhattan, only to be asked by some idiotic 20-year-old chick to 'Please, please, please play hip-hop!' Generally, hip-hop has become the de facto requested music for bland, mainstream jerk-offs, and the funny thing is that they really think that they're being culturally progressive and cool, as if they discovered hip-hop! Some of the promoters who are currently active in NYC used to hire me back in the early '90s and I would play hip-hop, only to be scolded and told to please play something more dancey. What's funny is that they all deny it.
Erol Alkan: I listen to every request, as it can inspire you to make the party better, and it's also an insight into what all these strangers want to hear. If it sounds like a good idea, and I have it, let's play it! There's no ego in me to dispute someone's input or taste. But if someone was to try and sabotage my set, they would probably spend the rest of the week pulling their CD out of their ass.
Twitch: I have been bottled, spat at, had a lit cigarette thrown at me and had someone try to punch me when I wouldn't play, or didn't have, their request. I find that a short, sharp spray of mace in the face usually does the trick. Seriously though, I don't mind requests too much as long as they are polite, take no for an answer and don't try to interrupt me when I am in the middle of a mix.

What was your most memorable gig to date? Why was that night so important to you?
JDH: A few months ago Dave P and I did a gig on the Radio Soulwax tour in Manchester at this place called Sankey's Soap. The vibe in that place was unreal. People going off from the first record we dropped. It didn't hurt that the other people on the bill were Soulwax, Vitalic, and Headman. It was the kind of gig you wish every one could be like.
James Friedman: My favorite DJ gig ever was playing Berlin's Week-End club with Max Pask in April 2005. We played from 12:30 am until 7:30 am, going three records each in a tag team set. By about 5:30 or so, the sun was rising, the moon was setting and the whole club, which is on the 12th floor of an office building, was going bananas.
Christine Renee: I guess the night I played for painter Pia Dehne's after-opening-party. I was exhausted, but I had a small dance floor of people really going for it, and we were at the historic Chelsea hotel. The dancers were drenched in sweat. It was like the music I played forced them to dance beyond the point of exhaustion. They danced to a 20-minute song I thought only I could love, and they loved it. It was just a magical night, with good sound and good people who were ready to let go, and I was proud I helped them do it.
Stretch: Too many nights. I always love playing in Europe. It's quite different than the States. There, if you play too many songs that are popular, they look at you funny. There is a deeper respect for DJs, and a desire to be turned on to new music by DJs, rather than be fed what is already known.
Erol Alkan: Many of the Trash gigs always stand out. They have been my heartbeat for so long now.
Twitch: Optimo is named after a song by Liquid Liquid. They reformed in 2003 and played a show in New York. We went over and pestered them to come to Glasgow which they did in the summer of 2003. The reaction they got from the audience was the best I have ever seen in any club, ever. When they played 'Optimo,' I was in tears.

What DJs have you looked up to?
JDH: Andrew Weatherall is pretty much my favorite DJ. That guy can spin every type of music, and he does it flawlessly.
James Friedman: To many to list. The one who's been the most instrumental in getting me to pick up DJing even years before I bought my first pair of Technics was Kaiser P., a.k.a. The Wiz. Without him, I'm not sure I ever would have started DJing at all.
Christine Renee: Eric Duncan, Hugh Herrera, David Mancuso, Harvey Basset, Daniele Baldelli. All dudes, but honestly I'm still looking for the lady who wows me. It's been a male-dominated place.
Stretch: By far, in my early days, I learned the most from Duke of Denmark.
Erol Alkan: Many of my friends who DJ. I like the way Andrew Weatherall has done his business. Larry Levan is someone who I read about and admire - he really cared about the people he played for.