erol and annie mac [Archive]

benben

08-10-2006, 10:29 PM

similar music i guess, an shes doin the annie mac presents tour (tho im not sure how many dates) an she probably wants him there as she might like him as a dj

in cardiff erol took the roof off, while annie was fairly average (even played fedde le grand, hope that aint played in nation)

Dirty Trainers

09-10-2006, 04:46 AM

.................................................. .................................................. .........................

Coakley

09-10-2006, 12:40 PM

in cardiff erol took the roof off

I've seen Erol more than any other DJ. I've honestly never heard a mediocre set from the man. Everytime he's fuckin' killed it. As far as im concerned the lad's sound is totally in tune with whats going on right now and his sets are distinctive.

What I like about him, is he's trying to incorporate little elements of turntablism and being a showman into his sets, whether it be jugglings beats, cutting and body tricks with the mixer. It seems to me like he's never stopping trying to learn new ways to entertain.

I wrote this about him on myspace....
Erol @ Chibuku dropping one of the toughest, grittiest, trashiest house sets i've heard....then dropping Aphex Twin - 'Window Licker' JUST as the mix reached it's crescendo.

The crowd in the theatre literally 'flexed'. Thats the only word I can think of to describe what happened.

Incredible....twsited shit. I felt like I was floating.

Both times i've seen Annie Mac play i've been very impressed with her set....mostly jacking house. I hear that she's branching out into D'n'B of late, which should be interesting as it's very hard for a DJ to maintain a distinct style once they start fucking with other genres, unless you're very talented. Playing Fedde Le Grand smacks of not being confident enough in your own style to me personally. Although maybe she was just doing what any good DJ should do and was playing to her crowd and thats what they wanted to hear.

It'll be interesting to see what she does when she returns to Liverpool.

benben

09-10-2006, 01:00 PM

Both times i've seen Annie Mac play i've been very impressed with her set....mostly jacking house. I hear that she's branching out into D'n'B of late, which should be interesting as it's very hard for a DJ to maintain a distinct style once they start fucking with other genres, unless you're very talented. Playing Fedde Le Grand smacks of not being confident enough in your own style to me personally. Although maybe she was just doing what any good DJ should do and was playing to her crowd and thats what they wanted to hear.

It'll be interesting to see what she does when she returns to Liverpool.

yeah think she might have been playing to the crowd though simian mobile disco played beforehand an played a good set that wasnt that commercial an the crowd loved it. the only real highlight to her set (which i was constantly waiting for her to play something that would make me say from here onwards its good(which never happened)) was playing racing green towards the end!

the time i saw her last was for free an started playing a bit electro-house then finished up drum an bass as the scratch perverts were due on, that time her set was good

junior_jax

11-10-2006, 10:22 AM

am i the only person on here who doesnt rate erol? everywhere he goes he seems to play the same set these days. out of the few times ive seen him, his mixing has been naff. without his half decent tune selection he'd be pathetic in my opinion.

whats your betting he plays "killing in the name of" at november's gig. . . . yawn . . . . .

Coakley

11-10-2006, 10:45 AM

His mixing can be a bit sloppy at times yeah, but I think thats more about his 'by the seat of your pants' slap-dash style of cutting the tunes in.

This in itself is quite a style of it own, that I find exciting. I get bored shitless of hearing long drawn out blends myself, but maybe that's 'cos i'm coming from a Hip-Hop background. I don't know.

I take your point on RATM. I'll be disappointed if he plays it on the night....BUT! if you haven't been to global and haven't seen him at Trash this year then you won't have heard him do that "routine"....so I won't blame him if he does. Every DJ, if he cottons onto something that works really well and blows the crowd up, will use it again in the next town.

Tony Montana

11-10-2006, 10:45 AM

They are both amazing people whats the problem?

Who are you their Nan..?

Only messin'

benben

11-10-2006, 10:45 AM

whats your betting he plays "killing in the name of" at november's gig. . . . yawn . . . . .

wouldnt matter, drop it anytime he likes if you ask me

11-10-2006, 10:50 AM

But people come out to see acts do stuff they like.

Like when Felix does 'silver screen'... not my thing at all, but if that's his signature, I don't see the problem.

If the place goes nuts when he plays RATM, what's the problem?

sik80

11-10-2006, 11:58 AM

Rage Against The Machine, Blur - Song 2, Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit, Josh Wink - Higher State and fucking Teenage Kicks are all staples among somewhat unimaginative DJs. Its just a cheap way to get everyone to go woo! actually playing brilliant music that people haven't heard before and getting the same reaction would require effort.

junior_jax

11-10-2006, 12:59 PM

exactly. spot on.

11-10-2006, 02:27 PM

So you don't want them to please the crowd?

How odd.

junior_jax

11-10-2006, 02:32 PM

he could do it in a more imaginative way. he banks on 4 or 5 records which could work for anybody. theres no element of anticipation or suprise with his sets.

technically, he's honestly one of the worst djs ive ever heard.

i notice with erol that he seems to be one of the djs that appeals to people who know absolutely nothing about dance music. the slight dose of commercialism in his sets and people are hooked.

he should stick to his work with trash.

11-10-2006, 02:53 PM

junior_jax

11-10-2006, 03:12 PM

am i saying that people shouldnt enjoy themselves? im glad you enjoy erol, but dont call him a fantastic dj like ive heard some people say because he isnt.

11-10-2006, 03:16 PM

Didn't say I like him ;)

I just find there is a bizarre dance music snobbery over 'proper' dance music fans, who seem to be more worthy than people who just go out to have a laugh and don't actually care how technically adept it is, or whether its obscure, just that they enjoy it.

Don't think it needs disecting so much is all.

sik80

11-10-2006, 05:58 PM

Aah right. So people shouldn't just enjoy themselves?

They should 'know about dance music'.

I apologise for not knowing the track listing of djs I go and see, I'm just out to have a laugh, not scratch my chin and study the dj's technique.

What wanky snobbery.

There's ways to enjoy yourself other than by listening to overplayed tracks that everyone knows and that doesn't require you to "know about dance music" - the only prerequisite is you have to know what GOOD music is, thats all, its not hard and requires no chin scratching. Good music makes me jump up and down and dance. I've heard Rage Against The Machine before - I don't want to hear it again, I want to hear something new that gets me excited and has me wondering what the hell it is

Coakley

11-10-2006, 07:00 PM

I wouldn't say Erol Alkan is comercial at all.

As for breaking new tunes have a listen to his Essential Mix from over a year and a half ago where he's playing and championing tracks like Christopher Just - Popper and SebastiAn - Ross Ross Ross which have only recently come out and are far from comercial. Theres countless more tunes i've heard him play first and that people are only just getting onto.

Is RAGTM not good music? I think it is. Matter of fact I think in 20 years time that track will go down in history as one of the greatest and most important tracks of all time, in terms of OUR generation.

I take your point about it not being a new track....but does everything have to be the next big / new throwaway thing?

Honestly....you house heads! So fuckin' temporary and anal.

junior_jax

11-10-2006, 07:13 PM

"greatest and most important" - makes it acceptable?

its funny you mentioned "a year and a half ago" i geniunley believe he has gotten worse in recent times. his mix from glastonbury a few years back is excellent. even if he's dropping bootlegs from the soulwax camp left, right and centre.

erol alkan as a club dj is a solo soulwax. only pants.

oh and besides. . . . .who says im a house head?

Coakley

11-10-2006, 07:32 PM

I've just realised how twattish and assumtious my comments above are. Appologies if anyone's offended.

It's just i've noticed this throwing away of anything that's not new and upcoming from some house heads....in comparisson to what i'm used to which is people having a much higher regard for the classics and 'digging in the crates'.

I find it odd. Good music is good music.

At least Erol uses effects and different loops/cue points, to make that mix a bit interesting. I'd understand if he was just playing the tune unaltered and from start to finish, but it's a very small (albeit noteworthy/attention grabbing) part of his set.

It's not quite the same as Morrillo and co dropping 'Sweet Dreams' for the 900th time. I don't think.

sik80

12-10-2006, 10:48 AM

II take your point about it not being a new track....but does everything have to be the next big / new throwaway thing?

The music i like to hear doesn't need to be new - just has to sound fresh/not overplayed. For example, I was watching a Theo Parrish video on youtube the other day and he drops this freaky hip hop jam over some deep house and it sounded great. I had to find out what the track was cos it was ace (Too $hort - I Need A Freak from 1997 by the way). What i'm actually bemaoning is the playing of very obvious tracks that are garuteed crowd pleasers as a cheap way of whipping up the atmosphere rather than making the effort to seek out the gems. I love hearing a classic tune tune dropped into a set, however maybe my definition of classic tune differs from yours.

BobRoss

12-10-2006, 12:44 PM

I am pretty knowledgable about dance music.
And certainly know a little about "Good" music.
And I think Erol is a great DJ. Yes he does play
things like Josh Wink and Justice Vs Simian but amongst
a sea of more "underground" music. The amount of tunes
I heard for the first time from him like
Sebastian - Dolami
DJ T - Time Out
Paul Woolford - Erotic Discourse
Cut Copy - Going Nowhere (Digitalism Mix)
Sisqo - Thong Song (joke)

Now these tune are not cheesy (apart from the last).
And the classics he plays he always messes around with
by looping, acapellas, effects, etc...
So I am happy to hear them.

The thing I like most about him is that he has a very Edbanger
style to a lot of his sets. Edbanger is certainly not cheesy
(except Justice vs Simian).

Coakley

12-10-2006, 01:03 PM

What i'm actually bemaoning is the playing of very obvious tracks that are garuteed crowd pleasers as a cheap way of whipping up the atmosphere rather than making the effort to seek out the gems.

I think i'm beggining to understand where you're coming from la....and yeah I totally agree it's always better when the DJ wows the crowd with something you haven't heard before yeah....'cos that's educating your crowd.

I still don't see that Erols any worse than anyone else in that aspect though in fact. As Bob says if you're hearing stuff like SebastiAn over a year and a half before it's getting a release surely thats doing the job?

I accept that his style isn't to everyones taste and that the whole Dirty Electro house thing has become a bit played out lately. I'll also give you that his mixings pretty sloppy, but I think it's a bit harsh if someone says he's not breaking new tracks.

sik80

12-10-2006, 01:25 PM

his mix from glastonbury a few years back is excellent. even if he's dropping bootlegs from the soulwax camp left, right and centre.

I was there and yes, it was good. I've got a great photo of Erol wearing a lions head mask standing over the cdjs that night. I like Erol as a DJ when he's playing more Trash type mix up of styles and less of the generic electro house.

My gripe is not with Erol, its with overplayed anthems whoever they come from

Hawkster

12-10-2006, 01:59 PM

Saw Erol recently and he did play a much more trash based set which was quality. Still dropped Rage Against the Machine though.......!

Agree with the comments above but I think Erol is good simply because he can appeal to all. Plus he's an entertainer with it if you know what I mean. Yeah he can be predictable but its never rubbish. You could say the same for Felix Da Housecat on some occasions.

benben

12-10-2006, 02:09 PM

as never seeing him at trash, what would be the style he plays there?

Tony Montana

12-10-2006, 02:59 PM

Now Mylo is the 1st to admit he's not a v.good DJ - an personally some of his selections are shocking - but his set @ Creamfields was one of the best and the enthusiasm he put in also counted for a lot. IMHO

sik80

12-10-2006, 03:54 PM

You could say the same for Felix Da Housecat on some occasions.

Remember seeing him years ago at Bugged Out mixing Rhythim Is Rhythim - Strings Of Life into Plastikman - Spastik. Last time i saw him he played rubbish house remixes of both Blur Song 2 and Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit. Nuff said

sik80

12-10-2006, 04:00 PM

as never seeing him at trash, what would be the style he plays there?

Allsorts old and new - disco, rock, pop, electro, DFA Records stuff, as well as electro-housey Soulwax, Tiga things

junior_jax

12-10-2006, 04:31 PM

"Agree with the comments above but I think Erol is good simply because he can appeal to all. Plus he's an entertainer with it if you know what I mean. Yeah he can be predictable but its never rubbish"

thats the biggest pile of bolox ive heard. if he "appeals to all" which he doesnt by the way, how is that you slag off djs like tiesto and judge jules?

"an entertainer" > does that make a good dj? whats your opinion on fatboy slim and the two above? nobody's more entertaining than norman but i beg your first to slag him off.

Hawkster

12-10-2006, 05:39 PM

Ok so maybe "appeals to all" is the wrong way of putting it. I guess what I mean is that his sets (and Alkan isn't the only one) makes "dance" music a bit more easy going for some people. I know a couple people who dont go clubbing a lot and would generally find alot of the nites I go to a bit tedious. However they have always enjoyed Alkans sets.

I would put Fatboy in the same bracket. I'ver only seen him twice I think, and while I may not have liked all the tunes he played, I liked the way he goes about his sets. Carl Cox is another one. Always gives that little bit more to the crowd. Now I'm not saying this is what I want to see everytime I go out, but it is nice every now and then.

Plus I'm not saying "being an entertainer" makes a good DJ. Far from it. Seeing a DJ play a technically perfect set is the best but I'm guessing that is lost on most punters. At the end of the day its all about the music and enjoying yourself is it not? If the room is jumping and everyone is smiling then the DJ has achieved what he set out to do?!

benben

13-10-2006, 09:27 AM

"an entertainer" > does that make a good dj? whats your opinion on fatboy slim and the two above? nobody's more entertaining than norman but i beg your first to slag him off.

i saw fatboy slim at global as i was just interested due to never seeing him, although he played alot of music that was popualr an i knew (which i did like) he also played tracks that id never heard before which suprised me an made it even better

Now Mylo is the 1st to admit he's not a v.good DJ - an personally some of his selections are shocking - but his set @ Creamfields was one of the best and the enthusiasm he put in also counted for a lot. IMHO

too true, listened to his set via download, very good, if sound levels werent so rubbish i would have stayed in there instead i headed for a spot at the front waiting for prodigy!