With the March Miami musical madness about to jump off, now is a great time to reflect upon dance music’s past and celebrate how far the genre we affectionately call “electronica” has progressed. Whether you prefer deep house, techno, trance, DnB, High NRG or freestyle, there is no denying that the dance genre has gone through several revolutions, and the new wave is just beginning.
DJ Lugo Rosado is someone embodies the term “constant evolution.” When I met him at the end of the Hot Mix Five’s 2007 reunion concert, I was immediately floored by his knowledge of the history of Chicago-style hot mixing. As we reminisced about parties, venues and gear from back in the day, Lugo mentioned that he had a pair or Technics SL 1100s. I nearly passed out. One look at a pair of 1100s can underscore how far DJs and the art of hot mixing have come. I’ll go on the record and say that things are definitely better today, but it’s fun to reflect upon the past.
I’ll never forget being in high school and witnessing the legendary DJ Kenny Jammin’ Jason scratching, doing break extensions and triples on these unique decks. Built like a tank, the 1100s had a heavy platter that screamed “torque!” Kenny would throw double copies of a record into a lush flange as he worked his Clubman mixer, sending the crowd into all-out frenzy.Kenny was breaking major ground then, and continues to push the technological envelope today with his countless mix shows on both terrestrial (Chicago’s V-103 FM) and Internet radio (1Club.FM). Kenny Jammin’ Jason will always be a legend and it’s comforting to know that he continues to bang relentlessly–LIVE!
Lugo Rosado’s 1100s should remind us that we now live in a world where practically anything is possible relative to the production, performance and dissemination of electronica. Yeah, a lot of things have changed, but for those who really love dance music, there are tons of legal options for both listening to and purchasing anything you want. Legal Internet radio is a potent option and a medium that we plan to discuss at length.
At DMAclub.com, we consider ourselves to be “open source” and have no problem promoting the work or others. Yes, we have our fledgling Internet radio experiment (DMAclub.com Radio), but we look forward to promoting other entities that support dance music. Moreover, we urge anyone to hit us up with suggestions via our contact page.
The opportunities for self-expression are virtually limitless when you consider the myriad filters, algorithms and interfaces we have at our disposal to mold our sonic masterpieces. Sure, there is the valid “button pusher” versus “legitimate hot mix DJ” debate, but the potential performance enhancements at our disposal are hard to ignore.
Now is definitely a perfect time to buckle down, push one’s own personal envelope and simply create whatever comes naturally. The array of available tools—at every price point—is totally mind-numbing, so there is no good reason to abstain from the joys of creation!
We look forward to showcasing the new tools that DJs are using to take their sets AND productions to the next level. If you can make it to Miami next month for the Winter Music Conference or Remix Hotel, you’ll definitely see what I’m talking about! 🙂 As we have been saying for some time now at DMA, “These are very exciting times indeed…so produce!” –J. Medley