As mentioned in my previous post, I have a show coming up on Saturday May 23rd at Obsidian that I have been working on in one way or another everyday. There are more than 10 performers to consider, and my collective has been incessantly working through emails and meetings to figure out what each performer needs for their stage setup, who is gonna do sound, who is gonna set up and break down gear in between sets and how we are gonna pull it off in the time allotted. (Not to mention the things that have already thrown our plan off course.) The other side of it is that I’ll be performing during the late part of the event, so I also have my DJ set to practice now that I’ve prepared it for/with the visuals my friend Krysta has created for me. Plus, I have been exchanging texts, emails and meeting up with her to discuss new ideas and show each other what we have thought of since we last spoke. I’m excited to have a DJ set where it will be more of a concept performance piece than a traditional DJ set, because I have planned every song and the order of songs specifically to go with the visuals, and will not be leaving room for change as I usually do. Since there will be visuals, and it’s not a typical dance set that I will be playing, I am curious to see what it feels like for myself and the audience.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of interviewing my friend John K, one of my favorite DJs who goes by Rap Class and lives in Portland; of course, he used to live in Olympia and went to Evergreen. We spoke on the phone for an hour based on 4 main questions/prompts, and at the end, he turned it around and asked a question of me which was fun. Also, he happened to be playing a show that night with Garlic Man & Chikn, my friends who I apparently can’t stop raving about! I would like to transcribe the entire interview, but since we spoke for so long I will try and make a concise summary that hopefully does justice to the conversation.
Rap Class at the turntables
My questions:
- How often do you perform each month?
- Do you get paid for every show you play/is that something you are looking for when you play?
- Do you have a planned trajectory for each set before you play?
- DJ Spooky says the DJ is more than just an entertainer; that the DJ manipulates time, subjectivity and memory. He talks about songs as constantly becoming…because you’re taking it and putting it in a different context and it becomes something different. For me I think the DJ’s role is to create an atmosphere. Do you identify with that or not? How so?
Answers from Rap Class:
- Between 5 and 10 times
- It is…like tonight if I think it’s gonna be fun and a good experience, I’ll just be like ‘yeah whatever’ ya know? But like if it’s something for a stranger…I like to work for money…also I won’t say yes to something if it’s uncertain if I’m gonna get paid or not and I know that I am not 100% wanting to do it.
- Yeah I mean you have your technical skills and when you’re playing out at least once a week, twice a week…and I’ve been DJing with turntables for 10 years, you kinda have an idea of like ‘yeah this is gonna work together’. I think that every DJ that plays a set in a specific genre, no matter how many different genres or whatever you wanna call it you play out, um, they’ll cycle through 4-5 different mixes of a certain set within like a 12 month period or something. You have your songs and then you’re slowly adding throughout the year, I slowly add…you have a solid mix and then there’s variations of that mix…I really do think it takes a couple months to really understand the power of a track in your set.
- I do identify with that…in that DJ Spooky quote. When you’re taking the songs out of context…and you’re turning people onto it [therein] lies the artistry. One of my big goals when I go out to DJ…I just look at the scenario, I look at what’s going on and I try to play the songs that hopefully…you know if they’re gonna ask me for Snoop Dogg– well, I’m not you know necessarily gonna play Snoop Dogg, but I’ve figured out that that’s what they’re sorta into and the songs I have– hit that area for them. And theres nothing more satisfying. This happened the other weekend, someone came up and was like “I don’t recognize one song you’re playing but I’m completely into the vibe that you’re putting down.” To me, that’s what it’s all about!
Find Rap Class on Facebook or at:
http://www.droppinggems.com/rap-class/
his vibe