How to Hype oneself.

tokyojoe69 · Post by **tokyojoe69** » Thu May 17, 2007 8:07 am

I'm in a bit of a situation. I use Live to DJ. I have no pretentions about that. I have made the odd tune here and there, but they're not great, and my passion lies in making people dance to other peoples music. I do put a lot of effort into my dj sets, and think that I pretty much use Live to make listening to one of my sets a little more unique than traditional dj'ing. However- I am just dj'ing, and in respect to those who do play their own tunes out and do a full live set, I refuse to say I'm doing a live performance.

Now, when you're trying to sell yourself to a promoter, be it through an email or talking face to face, do you just say: I dj using a laptop, cos it gives me a lot more freedom and creativity. Dot.

Or, do you say: I use my laptop to mix and remix on the fly by looping and relooping and editing and dropping in samples from other tracks and dropping so many effects that you can hardly recognise the original track, etc. etc. etc.

I dunno. I feel like I'm selling myself short by downplaying the fact that I'm playing on a laptop, cos in the end, as has been said so many times here, it shouldn't matter what media is used, as long as the music is good. On the other hand, promoters seem to be uninterested if you don't hype the 'laptop/live' thing enough.

Wow, that was a lot.

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Thu May 17, 2007 8:13 am

maybe pitch it like

'using a frankenstein portable laboratory for sonic mayhem' instead of 'laptop'

(c) 2007 sweetjesus

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Thu May 17, 2007 8:56 am

You'll be hired to make people feel euphoric and dance so they'll buy more drinks.

You love to DJ <genre> music and remix live on the fly to fit the mood and set.
You use a tool that lets you react to the crowd spontaneously and you know it well.
You don't have to explain yourself, what you use or why, it shows weakness.

Ableton Live + laptop, nuff said. They don't get it? You don't do weddings.
You're flexible and willing to start out wherever/whenever.
Send out a 'live' demo CD? An example of what you do on the fly. Music + skillz speak for themselves.

My amateur $0.02... Good luck!!! Record/post your fist gig!

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Thu May 17, 2007 11:37 am

Tone Deft wrote:...Record/post your fist gig!

Is that one of those alternative/fetish things?

tokyojoe69 · Post by **tokyojoe69** » Thu May 17, 2007 12:54 pm

hehe, Yeah I've been loosely associated with a few fetish parties around these parts of late.

Tone Deft: Thanx, great wording, although I'm not starting out, been at it for a good while now, but always looking to expand, that's why I've been thinking about this live/not live thing recently.