VJING 47
VJing is a term disliked by the dance music and hip said, the digital thing is going to get quicker and faster; DJ Fresh is the first drum & bass artist to have a
hop communities, which is ironic considering that easier to use and more accessible. I have had moments serious DVJ project in the works. In discussing his
these people are currently pushing this trend to where I’ve downloaded a track in a club and then future plans, he touches on some of the relevant
the next level, attracting huge crowds and media played it whilst I’m VJing,” he says, unable to hide his software needed to become a DVJ. “I did loads of
attention in the process. Due to the distorted media delight. “Things like that will become faster and easier; research into it for a while,” Fresh says, “and the
depiction of the VJ, the term conjures images of a as will having access to bigger amounts of media more most user friendly bits of software that have the
vegan Moby look-a-like swirling his hands behind quickly. VJing, I think, is the future of digital technology.” kind of depth to let you mess around with VJing
a laptop to flowery visuals at some corporate Xmas are definitely Resolume [www.resolume.com] and
party. Kmag roped in audiovisual DJ Yoda to set the Watching someone like DJ Yoda perform could be Modul8 [www.garagecube.com/module8]. Modul8
record straight. “If people ask what I do I generally off-putting for the casual enthusiast. The man in allowed me to get closest to what I want because it’s
explain it as: ‘I’m a hip hop DJ but I play everything question is so far ahead that he could make others got really good MIDI control and that way, you can
else as well’,” Yoda states with Jedi-like precision. want to give up before they’ve even started. “The assign MIDI controllers to operate Ableton, Serato or
“So, I play everything that I like, but in a hip hop weird thing is that, especially with the technology Traktor at the same time. I want to be able to move
way. Obviously, I do a lot of work with video as well, being very new and quite different, that everyone a controller for the level of the track in Ableton, for
and scratch DVDs. So – a producer, DJ, VJ person.” is using it in their own different way,” Yoda states. “I example, and change the level of a visual clip output
haven’t seen anyone using the DVJs like I do, apart simultaneously.”
Anybody who has seen Yoda perform audiovisual from maybe one or two other people, maximum. I
sets will agree that they are captivating. And as it don’t know anything about VJing really, because I’ve What is the scoop on Fresh’s audiovisual plans? “I’m
goes, the leading technician in this field is about to only ever done one gig where I just did video with no working with this vocalist called Ivory who’s done
unleash a brand new 90-minute extravaganza, with sound. So, you kind of custom fit the visual aspect of a lot of breaks stuff and is really blowing up at the
a countrywide tour called The Magic Cinema Show. it to the way you DJ. That’s the way I did it, anyway. I moment,” Fresh announces. “I’m also working with
“It’s not VJing as much as swirly visuals on a screen thought, ‘I’m always dropping samples and I love to a dancer called Edge, as well as Deekline & Wizard.
to make you feel all psychedelic and tripped out – it’s scratch, so why don’t I get together clips of movies Deekline is scratching and Wizard is doing some
nothing like that at all,” Yoda laughs. “It’s basically and scratch them?’ It kind of seemed obvious to me, programming stuff, like using plug-ins live. It’s a
like YouTube but with VJing – clips of all my favourite but there are other ways of doing it. You just have to mixed drum & bass / breaks project with visuals.”
movies, music videos, cartoons, bits of TV programs, make everything fit to your style of DJing.”
stuff I’ve filmed for myself – anything that I think Fresh is trying to take his sound to the next level. “If
is cool. And I can scratch it in the same way that I Kmag flagged down Pioneer’s UK Sales Manager you cut in a stab or a beat from one tune, you could
scratch audio, so it’s like flicking channels on a TV Martin Dockree to hear from the horse’s mouth have a visual appearing in sync with it,” he explains.
and a stereo at the same time.” about what they think a VJ is. “A general rule is that “As you apply a filter to a track, on the music side
VJing is a craft that is restricted to the creation and it can filter the sound, but also this can trigger a
Anything and everything can work its way into a manipulation of visuals only, a VJ would normally visual filter. The great thing about what Pioneer are
mix infused with Yoda’s trademark movie themes, create/perform a visual show to accompany and doing – they’ve realised you can apply the same level
including the likes of High School Musical pop enhance an audio set being played separately of control to visuals as to a piece of music. People
culture, the classic brilliance of Taxi Driver and, by a DJ in the same venue,” he tells us. “What the in the crowd recognise when visuals are following
of course, Star Wars. Cutting and scratching his likes of Yoda do is what we at Pioneer refer to as music. For me, it’s all about trying to break the songs
way through a stunning array of visual manna, The ‘DVJing’. DVJing involves a DJ not only playing and down into more components, with each of those
Magic Cinema Show looks set to raise the bar for manipulating music but also performing visuals at setting off a reaction visually. For this reason, I’ve felt
both club DJs and AV enthusiasts, taking the crowd the same time, allowing a far more effective synergy frustrated by working with the structures of tracks
into original entertainment territory. “I’ve basically between the artist, the AV content and experience as they’ve been made for vinyl DJs. But now, because
worked out how to get YouTube stuff onto the of the audience. Current DVJ artists include Sander drum & bass has opened up to digital technology,
DVJs,” Yoda reveals, referencing Pioneer’s premier Kleinenberg, Coldcut, DJ Semtex, Addictive TV and I can arrange them the way I want to; in parts, and
VJ technology, “which was always a big barrier for Hexstatic amongst a growing list of others.” also get ones off other people, like I’ve been doing
me. Now that I’ve broken that down, the wealth of with Shy FX, Future Prophecies, Baron, Brookes
material that is at my fingertips has become infinite.” The DVJ-1000 is the VJing equivalent of Pioneer’s Brothers and Pendulum.”
industry standard CDJ-1000 deck. “The DVJ-1000
Armed with the Pioneer SVM-1000 – a piece of is the successor to our original ground breaking We’re assuming that the visual aspect of Fresh’s
cutting-edge DVD-mixing technology that he has DVJ X1,” says Martin. “The original DVJ concept was plans will be influenced by his penchant for ’80s pop
been key in developing and that is currently only designed by one of Pioneer’s product planners in culture, i.e. Daleks? “You know this!” Fresh laughs. “If
used by a handful of turntablists worldwide – DJ Japan called Kou Atsumi, with input from a team you look at the artwork for Breakbeat Kaos – that’s
Yoda will be showcasing a host of state-of-the-art of engineers, international superstar DJs and VJs the best indication of what I’m into visually: old and
deck tricks in his show: “It’s the first time that you along the way. The concept is simple, we wanted new sci-fi films, cartoony stuff. Check www.myspace.
can DJ and VJ on the same mixer. You can have audio a CDJ-1000 where instead of putting in a CD and com/freshbadcompany to read all about Sound
and video effects at the same time. It has a colour manipulating the audio [scratching, pitch bend, Weapon, which is the project.”
touch screen where you can draw out cool shapes speed adjust and so on] the performer could insert
and stuff, add effects and type things that come a DVD and alter both the audio and video content Fresh, a tireless servant of dance music and an
up on video output. Yeah – it’s pretty mental in that on that disc, in sync, as if it were a 12” single on ambassador for the digital revolution if there ever
there hasn’t been anything like it really, so that’s why a vinyl turntable. And that is exactly what the was one, wants to instill his chosen profession with a
I rushed out there to be the first person to use it.” DVJ-1000 does, as well as a whole host of other renewed sense of freshness. “You look at people like
digital tricks that can’t be performed on a turntable Daft Punk who’ve been around for almost 20 years
What has Yoda’s role been in developing this including real time AV looping, auto looping, hot and they’re ten leagues ahead of what’s going on in
hardware? “I’ve been working with Pioneer for years. cues, internal and external (SD card) memory to D&B in terms of live performance,” he concludes. “I
They’ve always come to me for everything from mix store video samples.” think just standing on stage with a band and getting
set-ups; mixers; headphones and DJ equipment, them to recreate something that was never made
which basically entails Japanese men coming round Can Pioneer’s representative part with some advice for live instruments isn’t the best way of showcasing
my house to watch me DJ, which is pretty surreal.” and information for DVJ beginners, or those who a futuristic cutting-edge style of music like drum &
aren’t interested in the art because it looks too bass. So I’m trying in my own little way to experiment
Does Yoda think that audiovisual performance has complex? “For the real beginner there is plenty of with finding what is and hopefully, as more people
reached its potential yet? “No way,” Yoda states. content available to download [try www.djsounds. pick up the gauntlet, if it’s not me – somebody will
“Even with this new equipment for the AV shows, I com/category/dvj-loops/] and burn onto a disc,” find it. It’s all about just starting that process really.”
still maintain that in 20 years time we will look back Martin advises. “Alternatively, commercial content is
and it will be so old school. I can see that it’s all readily available. After all, virtually every commercial If you’re into drum & bass, dance music and
heading towards a much more exciting, much more track these days has its own promo video to be ultimately DJing, you’d better keep on your
immediate way of working. At the moment I’m still shown on the music channels – you can subscribe technological toes, because DVJs, through the
using DVDs, but in the future I think that this format to monthly compilation DVDs for this type of footage cutting-edge technology pioneered by Pioneer, are
will be redundant – it’s all going to be stuff on hard from, amongst others, www.mixmash.com/start_ soon to redefine the club experience and leave the
drives. Also, working with video is a very slow process go.aspx, who offer a range of different genre titles medieval art of two-decks-and-a-mixer in the dust.
– chopping it up and moving it around – so, no way from urban to eighties. They even offer a service
has it reached its potential.” where you can compile your own DVD from their
library of promo videos. For the more technically
As a pioneer in the audiovisual field, how does DJ Yoda minded, there are many different types of AV content
envisage the future of his chosen profession? “Like I creation software packages available.”
K46-47_VJing.indd 47 23/4/08 14:04:44
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