Interview with Rocky & Diesel from X PRESS 2 pt 2

0:00 We had to stop that halfway through but last question gentlemen

Alright folks, we had to stop that halfway through but last question gentlemen. Any advice, any sort of, you know, your experience, what can you, what advice can you give to people who let's say would like to become a DJ but you're more DJs but you're also producers aren't you? So what advice can you give from that, say from the production point of view? That's a big one. It's a big one. I think the thing is, it's changed a lot over the years. When we first started out, at the very beginning, we just wanted to be faces in a club. So you went to the club and become a face and get to know people. And then you fancy yourself as a DJ. You think, well, I could have a go. But as it sort of develops, I mean...

This isn't new news, it's been going on for years now, but DJs are now expected to produce records which definitely takes you up a notch. I think what happens now with DJs is what they really seriously have to think about is becoming very media savvy. So, but yeah, I mean the productions, I think it's just a case of, I don't know, it's the best idea wins for you. It's originality. I think that's the key word, you've hit it there, it's originality. Because it's so easy nowadays, like Diesel was saying there, you know, any... Young, sort of aspiring DJ producer who's got himself a laptop PC and relatively cheap piece of software can make tunes now. And that fact that there is so many people there doing it...

2:21 People like Andy, Andrew Wetherill, who's

A heck of a lot of music being made, so to kind of stand out from that you've got to do something pretty special. So do you think it's a happy medium between following the trends but also maybe just thinking, sod that, I'm just going to go completely in the opposite direction? Yeah, yeah, yeah. For me personally... The people that always stand out, with all the staying power, you look at people like Andy, Andrew Wetherill, who's always just completely bucked all the trends, done his own thing, and always, always done that in the past 20 years that we've known him. He's still out there, right at the forefront, right at the cutting edge, but has just never really followed fashion, so there's definitely something to be said for that.

I don't know, it's a tricky one, but yeah, I think originality and just stand out from the crowd. And that could be the same for DJing as well, you know. It's easy for any guy to go in and download the latest beatball chart. You don't even have to mix. No, exactly. So a lot of it is on, even more so now, on the two things I'd say is that with production originality, And with the DJing, again, originality and, you know, it's hard to describe that thing about putting records together. I think as well, sorry, we were talking earlier on about people like Bam Barter and Kool Herc and all those hip-hop guys, and for me nowadays, if I hear a DJ and someone that really makes me sound like, wow, that was great,

There'll be someone that's kind of thought about it and kind of looked at a broad spectrum of music and not just played like the current top hits. They'll play old records from, I don't know, years ago and kind of mix up as well. So there's that as well, there's that doing your... basically studying, do you know what I mean? And learning about all this other music that's out there because there's just such a broad range. It's brilliant. I've said that many a time. What I find is, you know, I'll get an email from someone that says, Jonathan, I want to be a DJ, what gear do I buy? And I tell them, you know, if it's vinyl turntables, direct drive, if it's CD players, make sure they're MP3, jog wheel, etc. And then, what do they do? They try and buy the latest electro house.

4:33 Different genres because maybe you might

And then I'll email them back or they'll email me and quite often I'll say, look, why don't you go move away from that and look at different genres because maybe you might like something else not just what everybody else likes. It is a minefield out there but my philosophy is if you like hip-hop then by all means always play hip-hop but at the same time look at house, look at techno, look at trance, look at rare groove, look at salsa because... The likes of Red Roof and Salsa, you could incorporate that into your hip-hop set, which will take it to the next level. And that's absolutely what, for me, DJs that do get to the next level, that's what it's all about with them. People that surprise you, for want of a better word, you'll just be standing or listening to a CD or a tape or whatever, and they'll be like, wow, where did that come from? And they're the ones that always kind of stand out, I think. I think the other thing is that, I think with the DJ world,

It's always looking to go forwards, you know, like ever forward, you know, technology things. It is very technology based. But I think the other thing which can give people an edge, which not meaning to sound too much like an old gig, but I think that it's wise to look at the roots of it. Because I think in order to go forward... You do need to check what's happened in the past. I don't think it's essential, but I think that it does give you another dynamic. I think it could be the same in any kind of situation if you're a photographer. Thank you very much indeed and I'm quite privileged to see it. Practice and enjoy. Thank you. And by the way, can you say that because it's a big Will Wilds thing? Practice and enjoy.

This is Express 2, practice and enjoy. Now that is one for the record, thank you. Nice one.

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