There’s been much ado lately about a Melbourne set by Russian DJ and producer Nina Kraviz.
Throughout the course of the night, Kraviz inflected her mix with a variety of genres and sounds, as well we might expect her to.
The event, which saw a number of patrons loudly and unsubtly complain about ‘not getting what they paid for’ (blithering, relentless lines of techno for purists, one might assume), raises some interesting questions about what exactly it is people should – or do – expect from a DJ.
At which point, if any, do expectation and creative expression meet? What are you paying for? Are there any valid expectations in play?
While some take any opportunity to quite deliberately undermine it – and by extension appeal to base novelty (one heiress springs to mind) – DJing is a craft. It involves countless hours of practice and refining the ability to not only read a crowd, but to make adjustments to the music on the fly. Not to mention, many people simply do not have the time, will or energy to sift through hundreds or thousands of records and files, itself a proverbial labour of love.
DJing is a creative avenue. But if any performer, let alone a well-known one, deviates from a well-trodden path, they run the risk of alienating purists or those resistant to change, as seems to have happened with Kraviz. In her case, she can afford to lose a few fans along the way, but it’s no less disappointing to see people question her right to express herself.
Kraviz is no stranger to crossing boundaries in her mixing; to assail her for one’s own rigid marginalization is much more a reflection on that party than the artist, especially with the weight of evidence of her past performances proving she’s prone to occasional unpredictability. While it’s not unreasonable to court some expectation in attending any sort of musical event, much of the pleasure is in the unknown quantities. By paying the cover, we are knowingly accepting this.
This week’s playlist:
There are a couple of brilliant mixes/compilations brimming with funk to hear this week. Check out Frequency 7 (AKA Ben Sims & Surgeon) with an amazing funky techno set at Split, London in 2008 (available to stream/download on SoundCloud). Kenny Dope’s Strange Games & Funky Things III is an expertly curated and mixed selection of soul, funk/P-Funk/jazz-funk – perfectly smooth vibes. Plus, try out the rare disco, funk and soul from crate-diggers Kon & Amir on their famedOff Track Volume One: The Bronx collection.
Recommended:
THURSDAY DECEMBER 1
Deadbeat feat. Tikiman @El Topo Basement
FRIDAYDECEMBER 2
Solee @Zoo Project
SUNDAYDECEMBER 4
Tell No Tales feat. Ricardo Villalobos, Pan-Pot, Audion @Royal Randwick Racecourse
FRIDAYDECEMBER 9
Silicone Soul @Slyfox
SATURDAY DECEMBER 10
Kim Ann Foxman @Factory Theatre
P L T F R M feat. FBi Dance Class 2016 Graduates @Freda’s
SATURDAY JANUARY 14
Ulf Eriksson, TM-404 @Civic Underground
SUNDAYJANUARY 22
Summer Dance feat. Palms Trax, Roland Tings, KornОl KovЗcs @National Art School
FRIDAY JANUARY 27
Clams Casino @Factory Theatre
