Superstar DJ's

[Hawk Butterfly Freedom]

There have been sound politic wars at Burning Man for years with lots of people whining about the myriad electronic music sound systems.

There was sure plenty of live music this year--I saw members of Burning Spear, String Cheese, and many other bands that I've never heard of playing live music of all sorts all over the playa.

The electronic music sound systems seemed to have been pimp and ho clubs that were airlifted out of Vegas and dropped onto the playa complete with cheeseball superstar DJ's and the aforementioned pimp and ho crowd.

Personally I thought the music blew at Burning Man this year. A friend theorized that the sound systems at Burning Man represent the taste of the most successful drug dealers who have the funds to put up large scale systems (since BMorg doesn't found sound projects--just projects that involve Burning Fossil fuel so cars can drive around at night with their headlights on in addition to some totally rad art). Paul Oakenfold? Tiesto? Huh? Am I at 1015?

Maybe this is just representative of the greater decline in popularity of electronic music but there is a lot of interesting e music happening in the outside world. It seems the overground has overwhelmed the underground in this regard at Burning Man.

Hawk Butterfly Freedom

[madpiper]

I pretty much boycotted Oakenfold......there are far more better DJ's out there.

[Kinetic IV]

Oakenfold has always sucked. But I wish I'd have known Tiesto was out there and I regret missing him.

[mo_corleone]

I pretty much boycotted Oakenfold.

i have essentially done the same thing every year i've been to burning man. one of my private playa gripes has always been big name DJs performing hyped up sets during the event. i love electronic dance music and i spin it and book it myself at burning man, but i do not love seeing the same tired promotional tactics in the desert that i'd typically see from a default-world dance club. to me, that's advertising... and as far as i'm concerned, advertising is the right arm of commerce.

superstar DJs have just as much right to share their music as everyone else does. however, when these "headlining" DJs are pumped up and promoted and basically brought it to boost attendance at a venue, that crosses a line for me. i noticed the actual set times of numerous big name DJs listed publicly at Opulent Temple, and for that reason i chose to not dance even a single step at that camp. no disrespect to the organizers there - i'm sure they worked hard - but to me, that's just blatant marketing and i don't like to encourage that at burning man. it's a small act of protest and i'm sure it did very little to alter the overall headcount at Opulent Temple, but it is one concrete action i can take against supporting what is essentially commercial rave culture at burning man.

if you don't like the bullshit that surrounds superstar DJs on the playa, i would suggest you skip those shows like i do.

[spectabillis]

if you don't like the bullshit that surrounds superstar DJs on the playa, i would suggest you skip those shows like i do.

yep, successfully avoided those - but I avoid center camp for the same reason.

[Sea Monkey]

if you don't like the bullshit that surrounds superstar DJs on the playa, i would suggest you skip those shows like i do.

I don't really care if a camp brings a big-name DJ with the intent to draw a crowd. If they bring Paul Oakenfold or Tiesto, they've failed miserably in grabbing my attention though. If you're gonna have a mega rave camp and want to grab my attention with headliner DJs you'll have to bring someone who spins a style of music that the playa isn't already completely oversaturated with. I could say that I'm boycotting the commercial tactics involved, but if anyone brings High Contrast, London Elektricity, Nu:Tone, Commix, Influx Datum UK, or Adam Freeland, just to name a few, I would DEFINITELY come by to catch their set.

You people can have your Oakenfold and Tiesto. I'll keep on listening to the DJs and producers who are actually breaking new ground in electronic music.

[Fat SAM]

Adam Freeland...That would be a cool show.

I boycotted Oakenfold, too, but I think it was because I was slightly bitter. We were walking on the East side of the city when he was spinning and he was playing tracks that I own which pisses me off because I mix better than he does.

Think what you want. I do. And HE gets to be at the VMA's. Fucker.

A buddy of mine saw him at the Cow Palace and he was escribing this scene to me...
Oakenfold, like always, was hellbent on pumping up the crowd so during the breakdowns he would run out to the fronot of the stage and wave his hands inthe air and etc...Then he'd run back to the tables and duck down like he was getting another track and then when he stood up again, he'd be wearing a different shirt. At first, my friend thought he was just tripping or something...seeing things...it kept happening, though, and what he finally realized was that ATB or whoever it was the Oakey was touring with was doing all the mixing while Oakenfold hid behind the tables. Then when the mix was on, he'd jump up and get the crowd going again. And he gets all the props and the big crowds. It drives me crazy. Working dj's like me and Mo and a bunch of other cats are out there busting our asses and he rides around sipping Kristal.

Makes me want to vomit.

It also makes me want to play at Opulent, but that's a different story.

[Fat SAM]

Be nice to see the Liberators out there, too

[redstickman]

aaarg. i missed jokenfold because some dude broke into our RV and was sleeping in one of the beds. i was going to throw skittles at him.

the soundsystem that bothered me more was the one next to solsystem. you know, the mega-dome with the two-tiered stage and intelligent lighting. the sound crew said that the rig cost $65K, partly due to transportation from boston. how much more was spent?

it seems that the monster.com founder was the guy who backed the project. what was his goal? honestly, i saw nothing artistic with the setup at all (besides the visuals). was it ego-driven? i heard that mr monster.com likes to spin breaks, and could be found on the decks at any given time.

the sound/visuals/lighting crew were all genuine and giving people, however. we were invited to share their dinner with them on a couple of occasions before my set at sol system.

[dj big E]

I wish they would have left on the dj before tiesto not sure who he was but he was good tiesto ruined my whole vibe we left his set blew..........

[Fat SAM]

Being a phenomenal producer does not make a person a phenomenal dj. Ask Ferry Corsten.

[horseradish]

I don't mind there being superstar DJs on the playa, but I utterly oppose them being announced. I think the board over at Opulent with the names of the DJs was a really bad idea. Where's the spontaneity or radical self-expression in that? Burning Man shouldn't turn into yet another music festival... there are dozens of those all around the world.

Does anyone know how those DJs get booked, though? Regardless of the supposed reputation of Burning Man, DJs like Oakenfold do not do it for free. I suspect the camp will have booked him and paid him... or at least paid for his flight and accommodation, which would not be cheap. I guess it's the camp's business if they choose to do it, but it seems to me like a massive waste of money and an indicator towards commercialism that Burning Man should resist.

[Fat SAM]

I actually kind of like the board...I've played sets at parties where the lineup had been all turned around and just blown the roof off but noone know who I was because it was the wrong time. It'd be nice to get that kind of recognition now and then.

[Fat SAM]

As for bringing big name dj's to the Playa...a buddy of mine wanted to fly Dave the Drummer out this year and it wasn't because he wanted traffic to his camp - he just wanted to make a present of it to the ravers out there. I can respect that. Oakenfold must really have cost a bunch though...that much is certain. I don't know. That's sort of a weird issue. There isn't any sort of benefit in getting people to go to your camp, is there? There's no incentive...Why do that unless it's just because you're a big fan?

[Kinetic IV]

Oakenfold must really have cost a bunch though

It's too bad that money couldn't have been spent on Hurricane Katrina relief instead of feeding the ego and insanely deep pockets of an already lackluster performer.

[Fat SAM]

Agreed. I was hoping to meet you at the Meet n' Greet, Kinetic....Did you make it?

[Fat SAM]

...double post....

[Kinetic IV]

I made it about 8:30 or when Tisha2 was closing up the bar. I missed a lot of people but I had a great time talking with Robbidobbs though. And Rabbi Dali Rick certainly knows how to make someone feel welcome, that's for sure.

[Chai Guy]

Oakie! Oakie! Oakie! Oakie! Oakie! Oakie! Oakie! Oakie!



So I tried to go see Oakenfold, but then I fell asleep in this amazing fun-fur lined hammock and I had this incredible dream where I'm watching him spin this kick ass old skool set and everyone is just off their nut and some candy kid accidentally kicks out the extension cord to the genny killing the music and no one else knows what's going on except me so I dive into the playa and plug the extension cord back in without even missing a beat and everyone cheers. Then Oakie points to me, cause he saw the whole damn thing and I get up there on stage with him and he pours me this huge magnum sized glass of Cristal and we're doing these monster lines of coke off his mixer and it's just completely insane, and by the time I woke up I had completely missed his set. Fuck!

Seriously though, I remember a few years back when DJ Spooky was going to play at Xara's and the Rangers had a freak-out because they thought people were going to riot or something. Hahahhaaa!

(oh and in 2001 Perry Farrell taught me how to break dance, no really, he did).

[playasnake]

Adam Freeland...That would be a cool show.

He was out there again this year you know...

[Fat SAM]

Get the fuck out.

[dj_john69]

Get the fuck out.

Yup, Opulant Temple actually had a set put aside if Adam F wanted to play.

~John

[Fat SAM]

I thought you were talking about doing a sound camp, John...

[lunachic15]

I understand your point, but I must say that Tiesto took the time to spend the week participating in the journey of BM and with all those around him - humbly and without expectation. He played for the crowd gratis as all should and bonded with many new burners. My experience was only heightened since he was around.

It can be frustrating that other DJ's will just fly in for the performance and then leave without getting a taste of what Black Rock is all about - but it is a beginning for them with good intention and perhaps we can hope that many well known and unknown musicians will continue to share their music with us alike.

:roll:

[AntiM]

Three words:

naked superstar DJs!

[Chai Guy]

PLURR

[AntiM]

Uh, euw? And wouldn't going commando be far mor comfy than that thong thing? Perhaps she's being punished by the gods of lingerie?

[Fat SAM]

It's a lovely fantasy, but I don't think I could mix like that...too distracting.

[AntiM]

Wearing a thong or the other thing?

[dj_john69]

I thought you were talking about doing a sound camp, John...

2007 i'll be doing another large sound camp...2006, i'll be doing Tramp Camp with some sound and a bar as well.

~John