atomly said:That's a rather condescending response, to be honest. It's also been a common complaint stateside that UK DNB DJs come to the US and play lame sets because they think that they can get away with it. Thanks to the internet, most people over here know all the new songs just as well as the average UK listener does.
Additionally, it's rather short-sighted to take your approach. This mentality is why genres have a tendency to die out so quickly in the UK. Everybody is constantly obsessed with new music and focused on playing unreleased tracks, so the genre isn't given any room to breathe. It's quite a dis to lump "generic dance music" in with Detroit Techno and Chicago House, which I think are two genres that have done some amazing things and still had amazing longevity. If you can have Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin and Matthew Dear all come out of the same scene over the span of 25 years, something is going well in my book.
I have no problem with DJs playing exclusive tracks, but I think getting caught up in the dubplate culture means that most DJs are playing the same 20 songs and it doesn't really allow them to build as good of a set as having a larger pool to draw from would.
look i only put the US bit in as a disclaimer because last time i mentioned this issue, all the US DJs threw their toys out of their prams about how it didnt matter they didnt have dubs because to their audiences it was all new music - which i can appreciate. i realise that now due to the 'net, most US headz know what dubs are running as soon as anyone else, but i think the point, as was made to me about US audiences by US DJs, stands. either way i was just trying to describe what it was like for UK parties.
i completely disagree about genres dieing out, however. this is a discussion about dubplate culture (which applies only to dubstep, dancehall and d&b afaik) yet you've make a generalisation across all UK dance music, many of which dont use dubplates.
i think the opposite is true: the use of dubplates doesnt cause current genres to die out, they allow new ones to be formed and change quickly. and you reference Atkins, Mills and Hawtin, but where would they be without their productions?
and boomnoise, you make a point about tunes selling out but until very recently only the biggest dubstep tunes managed to sell out. something as incredible as 'sholay' by goldspot and horsepower on tempa, only had 300 copies pressed. if fans are patient and buy the 12"s, then more will be pressed, no doubt.