I just wanted to further “big up” James previous post about our last installment of freethinking NYC. Top night all around. To go a bit farther on this thought, I wanted to talk about a DJ mix I heard that sort of pushed me to the freethinking attitude even more. My DJ attitude from the get go has been that of the original DJ’s: Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, etc.: play good music from different genres, mix it well, and don’t be afraid to jump boundaries or take chances.
There I was in 1996 and I’m listening to everything from Grant Green to Funkadelic to two guys from the UK that go by the names Tom and Ed. You know who I’m speaking on, the Chemical Brothers. I’m thinking to myself, “Exit Planet Dust is brilliant, Big Beat is brilliant, I need to find out more about these two. I think they are on to something”. My local record shop,The Red Rocker, had Bad Brains but it didn’t have the Chemical Brothers. I had to travel an hour to the old Vintage Vinyl in Ocean, NJ, (sadly R.I.P.) to find something that really changed my mind as a DJ for good. I got a copy (UK only) on cd of Live at the Social Volume 1 mixed by the Chemical Brothers. Genre crossing, Funky, dance prevoking, eye opening, and banging, this all live mix from two guys known more for their “party rockin’ than fluid mixing” has always stuck in my head as an example of guys doing it their way, and doing it well. A philosophy to DJ by really. It solidified my attitude that if you’re going to do DJ nights, be open, play different genres, and make people open their minds. I want people to come to our night and leave feeling a changed person. Music has that ability to do that. I want people to say:” I don’t know half of this music they’re playing, but I couldn’t stop moving all night”, and then go tell two friends. Where are these nights any more? freethinking NYC is bringing that back.
This is what we do here at freethinking NYC. Volume 2 was even more packed than Volume 1. Coincidence? I think not. “This is as a movement, not an anthem” as Mike Skinner aka the Streets would say. I’d tend to say I agree with him. The next freethinking NYC is June 10th at 9PM. See you there.