Our Music Culture Explained

Our Music Culture Explained

16 May, 2008 | 9.14AM

• Written by: monkey82
• Filed under: Music News: our music culture explained

Based off my experiences old and new, I have decided to write a small break down / observation of how I view our music industry.

Without telling you who I am other than that my name is Jon, I’ve been a “professional” house producer for over five years, DJing for about nine.

My first record was in 2003, and since then I have had about 40-some odd releases, have been on some top-name DJ CDs, yadda yadda.

I have never been the greatest producer in the land—far from it—however, I have always thought of myself as consistent and true to my sound.

So that’s me, in a nut shell.

Over the past years, I have seen an explosion of new producers.

Beatport is littered with them.

Some great, some good, some horrible, and some just as a comic relief.

Years ago, the joke was, ‘Everybody’s a DJ’, now it’s, ‘Everyone’s a producer’.

Anyone with a music MySpace page, a computer and a music program, can basically become an instant producer; they can also buy a flat screen and have an instant “studio”, woohoo.

Make sure to change AIM status to “in studio”, just to let everyone know you are hammering away in your bedroom, aka “The Studio”.

If there is one thing I am not, it’s a hater, so I hope that’s not what I come off as with anything I comment on or anyone I point out. 

I’m just an observer, I call a spade a spade.

I love watching the success of others, I love seeing my friends’ progress, and I love to progress myself.

I just love the struggle altogether.

However, I feel like not enough people ever really take the time to enjoy the ride (call it the ‘struggle’) and all they want is fame and fortune.

So many people constantly complain to me about how they are depressed or disappointed because they aren’t touring the world, or because they can’t get their kick to sound like Deadmau5, or because they aren’t on the Beatport charts.

Boo hoo.

My thing is that if you can’t be happy learning and can’t be happy perfecting that craft, then what’s the point?

You are never going to be happy with fame if you ain’t happy without it.

And shit, just work harder.

There are some that work hard to stay ahead of the game, some that work hard to stay in the game, and some that carbon copy others to try and replicate success, and some just flat out pay someone to do it for them (I wish I had money).

People are always analyzing our industry’s culture.

Where it’s going? What’s the secret? Who is this? What is that? Who am I? Whose leg is that?

So I figured to break it down—my way, the only way I know, based off of how I see it—is to break it down into groups, mixed with the talented, the legendary, the false, the unknown, and so on and so forth, encompassing a great deal of what we know as our industry and the people in it.

The Legends:

These are the DJ/Producers who have been around for years (with the exception of the talented breakthrough producers).

They continually play around the world, are the highest paid, and draw largest number of people.

Much respect, much deserved.

The Big Dawgs:

These are the producers that have been around for a good while (some are new).

Consistently making good music, and put out the great majority of what everyone plays.

These will eventually be legends, but for now, they just stay in this category. 

Props.

The ‘I paid to be here’ / The Frauds:

These are the people that have zero ability in production and DJing.

They range from professionals to beginners, and are the ones that use their money to pay someone to produce for them.

Add some extremely cheesy press shots that use wind machines, alongside their consistent train-wrecking abilities, I say congrats on being a douche.

Great example: Nick Terranova (please also refer to “I hype me, there for I am”).

The Lifers:

This is the category that I fall into.

This is the place where a good number of artists go to any measure to try and get to the next level, and where the greater majority of the struggling artists reside.

A lot of people get to this point, but give up because of the lack of results, money, fame, respect, and recognition, that they feel they deserve.

This is also where a good number of the complainers are (the ones constantly providing their theories on how Beatport is rigged, how someone is out to get them, and blame that fact that they don’t have breasts as a reason they don’t get booked, yadda yadda… No, you just aren’t that good.)

The others are in it for the long haul.

They love their small fan bases, they love the music, and do it because they love it.

Big ups, keep at it, I know I am. Woot.

I Hype Me, Thereore I Am

Oh, boy.

These are the guys that live and die by the MySpace Bulletins, blogs, the over-hyping newsletters, the self-written biographies that do nothing but lie to you and tell you what a god they think they are.

Oh, and let’s not forget the You-tube tours of their bedroom studios.

Very cool, guys. 

I guess to some extent, I give a certain level of respect for people that put in the time to promote themselves, but when your product is crap or you don’t even have anything to sell, who the f*ck are you kidding?

Watch out for buzz words like (in caps, mind you): “BIGGEST, NEWEST, HOTTEST, THE BEST, WORLDWIDE, GOD, DJED NEXT TO, MAKING HISTORY, GOD, I RULE....”

Oh yes, and these are also the ones that instead of taking the time to learn production correctly, or actually put in any sort artistic effort in anything they do, they spend that time in the mirror prepping for their debut “press” picture (which will be featured on MySpace—don’t worry, they will notify you via bulletin, email, text, blog, and flyer when it’s up—thanks again for the add.)

Here is a great example of “I hype me, there for I am”, taken from a REAL bio:

“The energy and sexiness that are hallmarks of Terranova’s live shows are also his trademarks as a producer and remixer - a dance music “triple threat.”

“That dirty vocal track your girlfriend keeps singing in the shower? It’s a Nick Terranova production”

WOW!

To clarify, I’m not hating on Mr. No Va, he just always has the greatest examples of what I am talking about.

He isn’t alone.

The New Guys:

These are the guys that feel the need to constantly send me and artists alike DJ mixes (consisting mostly of Beatport Top 100 for that week), followed by them asking for my feedback.

Sounds great man.  Flawless mixing.

With that mix always comes the inevitable, “Hey so, I’m trying to get into production. Gonna start making some beats soon. Blah blah blah.”

Shut up and do it, and send me something original…AHHH!!!!

So that’s how I see it. It’s probably all wrong, and probably was pointless to write this.

I’m not trying to better this culture, just trying to figure it out like everyone else.

Hopefully this will spark someone that actually knows what they are talking about, and I will get a lesson.

Until then, blah.

I would also like to say one last thing: What the f*ck is up with all the goddamn remixes of tracks from 10-15 years ago?

Can’t you f*ckers do something more original?

And how the hell isn’t anyone being sued for this shit?

I feel like music is turning into TV and Hollywood, where they just keep reviving old TV shows and old movies from the 60s.

Let’s be original people.

Come on now.

OK, I’m done.

Jon

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