theDutchess
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Philadelph-ohsh**takecover!!!

I brought it up in a conversation with a friend this morning. There are a lot of people who compose chipmusic who call themselves DJ ______.
I don't have a problem with it- you can call yourself whatever you want- but there are many times when it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me.

If you're onstage with a single Gameboy, I don't really see how you can be dj-ing anything. Two Gameboys, that I can believe. A laptop? It's just a generalization, but you're probably just pressing play. If you remix something and play it that makes sense to call yourself a DJ, but writing only original song and calling yourself a DJ? How does it fit?

Additional question: In electronic/VGM/chipmusic, what's the difference between a cover and a remix? It's kind of an extreme analogy because she performs rock, not electronic music but bear with me. Linda Ronstadt would never consider herself a DJ even though her claim to fame is re-interpreting rock songs.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not mocking anyone who calls themselves "DJ" but I want to hear why you chose the prefix.

SuperBustySamuraiMonkey
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Madriz, Supain

Remixing uses some of the original tracks while covering is you playing an existing song, using whatever tools you want. Disc jockey is what dj means so i think its fair to use it if you use discs on your performances. Or if your name is disc and you ride horses.

egr
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Abandoned on Fire

Ditto all that with "producer". It seems theres widespread fear/aversion to calling yourself a musician or artist.

Last edited by egr (Jan 19, 2013 3:50 pm)

nitro2k01
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Sweeeeeeden

Oftentimes chip music involves pressing play rather than "playing" something. (As in one stroke on the instruments generates one tone type of deal.) Maybe it's a subconscious reflection on this. You're more like a dj playing his own tunes on disc, than a rock band.

defiantsystems
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.FILTHadelphia

I think the DJ prefix is nothing more than people confusing electronic music production with DJing. The general populous just doesn't know the difference and lump them together because they think it's the same thing.

EDIT: Not to insult anyone with my post I'll clarify that some people may make this mistake in the beginning and just roll with it or some people probably started out DJing.

Last edited by defiantsystems (Jan 19, 2013 4:00 pm)

theDutchess
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Philadelph-ohsh**takecover!!!

I'm liking the answers I'm seeing, so far.

When I see Bit Shifter play, he's swapping in and out cartridges, changing a few things to songs he's already written, mixing fading. Like Sam says, I think this is what a DJ does- though I'm really glad he doesn't call himself "DJ Bit Shifter"

Edit: To be honest, defiantsystem's opinion is pretty close to mine, too.

Last edited by theDutchess (Jan 19, 2013 4:02 pm)

Saskrotch
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Chicago IL

wait who uses the DJ prefix? I can only think of DJ Cutman

edit: seems like it's used mostly to differentiate from things that already exist, cause the only other one I can think of is DJ Scotch Egg

Last edited by Saskrotch (Jan 19, 2013 4:10 pm)

walter b. gentle
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babylon
Saskrotch wrote:

wait who uses the DJ prefix? I can only think of DJ Cutman

edit: seems like it's used mostly to differentiate from things that already exist, cause the only other one I can think of is DJ Scotch Egg

these were the only two i can remember also. i dont know much about cutman but scotch egg mixed his stuff i thought.

theDutchess
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Philadelph-ohsh**takecover!!!

We get a few open mic-ers at 8static who use it

Also I have a bad memory and can't remember

Last edited by theDutchess (Jan 19, 2013 4:19 pm)

Invisible Robot Hands
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Playboy Man-Baby

All of my tracks in LSDJ either have been set up to demand constant pattern triggering, set up to allow for shit-tons of changes (even alternate bridges/endings), soloing/muting, set up to add stuff in from scratch on the fly, or all of the above (and thensome). With a little planning and imaginative laying out of chains, 1xLSDJ can be super interactive for live stuff. The "oh chiptune? I think everyone just hits play and dances" thing gets old pretty fast. Plus, lsdj keyboard.

Last edited by Invisible Robot Hands (Jan 19, 2013 4:24 pm)

herr_prof
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Unsubscribe

im not a dj cause i actually do musical things when i perform live.

defiantsystems
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.FILTHadelphia

To answer your second question I think there's a spectrum when it comes to playing other people's songs. Cover being on the one end and reimagining being on the opposite with remix being that gray area in between. Cover is just basically playing someone else's song as close to the source material as you can get. Reimagining is taking that source material but completely breaking it down into almost something completely different. Remix is a combination of both.

Invisible Robot Hands
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Playboy Man-Baby
Saskrotch wrote:

wait who uses the DJ prefix? I can only think of DJ Cutman

edit: seems like it's used mostly to differentiate from things that already exist, cause the only other one I can think of is DJ Scotch Egg

I do love DJ Scotch Egg. DMG+bullhorn is a match made in heaven.

xX 8 BIT CHAMPION Xx
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Madison, Wisconsin, USA

shouldnt it be chip jockey

yesyesohgodyes
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This is a joke right?

ForaBrokenEarth
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Nottingham, UK

DJ B8Kin Bitz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt6p57elVfo

Last edited by ForaBrokenEarth (Jan 19, 2013 5:24 pm)