the ineffable genius of DJ Q

It goes back to what I was saying in the bubblers thread about a kind of plasticky high-contrast sensibility - I'll quote the relevant post when I'm not writing on my phone.

But a pretty key distinction from a lot of 'scribblers' is that dj q is not really in dialogue with us hip hop or r&b at all.

Except in the circuitous sense of recreating past uk quotations of us source material (e.g. 2step remixes of Brandy).

Here's that post:

I think the real demarcation these days is less between abstract vs songful and more along production values lines.

This is where a distinction between say 1999 garage and 2001 garage really makes sense, the earlier stuff still retaining a kind of vinyl warmth and almost-"deepness" and the later stuff sounding like the contrast has been turned up - heavier but more plasticky beats, exaggerated bass but also exaggerated treble... a generalised air of hyperreality.

This (rather than pop vs abstraction or lightness vs heaviness) is probably the key point of distinction between "future garage" and the stuff that Q plays, only it's even more extreme now, future garage being "deep" to the point where it has to shun anything that might interfere with that, and the Q interzone retaining (albeit as a kind of reigning principle rather than a clearly defined sonic property) the sickly harshness of bassline.

― Tim F, Thursday, 5 July 2012 23:18 (1 month ago) Permalink

The above is less relevant for what I say about future garage than for what I say about Q.

Picking up on r|t|c's jamiroquai/zero 7 references, even the more tasteful parts of DJ Q's sound have a kind of trebly artificiality (and perhaps superficiality) to them - the signifiers rather than the "substance" of tastefulness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM6XlH5BNh8

Glad that the owl track made it on here...

Free EP on his soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/djq85/sets/dj-q-mc-bonez-all-i-really/

FWIW: Another basically non-"dance" person here who likes what I've heard of Disclosure. I think I've liked everything, though I'm not sure I've loved any of it.

last EVER 3-hr mix on 1Xtra tonight. LOCK IN, as they say

and i don't know for sure but mc bonez may be in the building

#ThankQ

^ nice

First 12 minutes ridiculously good

ok love you nihal but please stfu now

Mike Delinquent, KCAT, MC Bonez, Slick Don, TS7, Preditah, Trevor Nelson, Toddla T, Stay Fresh, Elijah Butterz, Ed Wideboys, DJ Target, and Amnesia all in studio or on the phone for the final show -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01m47t6

sheesh

leo leo

amazing! preditah!

another mix http://soundcloud.com/societe-perrier/soci-t-perrier-dj-mix-dj-q

Like the first three minutes of this so far.

huzzah

a delight to see, not least as evidence that i'm keeping vaguely up to speed with stuff :)

shame i can't listen til tomorrow

that ejeca shit is a monster btw, the new bax perhaps

This is a great mix btw. Can anyway deny the objective truth of dj q's ineffable genius at this point.

http://soundcloud.com/theblastakastb/djq

vocal bassline - not john legend-related

https://soundcloud.com/djq85/dj-q-ordinary-people

i can't find where i spoke on wookie's '2 us' from this year before but i love this for the same reasons, that lost hippy herby 4hero acid jazz neo-soul platitude 90s vibe

http://soundcloud.com/factmag/dj-q-closer-than-close

mmmhmmm

yeah, love that

more Q action:

http://podcast.dgen.net/rinsefm/podcast/MarcusNasty191212.mp3

^ worth it just to hear flirta d mimicking the 'au seve' ahhh baby

album coming soon. lead single:

http://soundcloud.com/localactionrecords/dj-q-trust-again-feat-louise

NEWS: DJ Q joins Ministry Of Sound Radio starting 28th January 2013

Check below for more info

http://thehubentertainment.com/wordpress/dj-q-joins-ministry-of-sound-radio/

Nice!

http://i.imgur.com/nbSJg.gif

happening right now

bloody knew i'd forget

still, been 5 minutes and i already can feel the life flooding back to me

http://soundcloud.com/factmag/dj-q-closer-than-close

mmmhmmm

― Rolling "2 chainz" draadje (The Reverend), Saturday, December 22, 2012 2:37 AM Bookmark

^this track is such a jam on the low

rev would i be correct in thinking that you're super into dj q productions but less into his mixing?

I like his mixing and it was his mixes that made me realize just how great that track is. Why?

And I've been playing his Todd Edwards mix the most, which doesn't even have any of his own stuff.

okay nm maybe it's more a function of his mixes often being talked about in the bubblers thread and his productions being talked about here so I got the impression you were more interested in one than the other.

I mean, I can understand if it looks that way cause I haven't really been paying a ton of attention to his greater UK dance wheelhouse lately (hence my lack of participation in the bubblers thread), but he's so good at what he does that he's unignorable.

http://www.ministryofsound.com/radio/dj/99/essential-garage/

Beyonce remix = finest Todd ripoff since god knows when

soundclouded it and *of course* it didn't sound half as good at original tempo

oh yes please!!!

you fool!

Beyonce remix = finest Todd ripoff since god knows when

soundclouded it and *of course* it didn't sound half as good at original tempo

― Mind Taker, Wednesday, 30 January 2013 11:05 (8 hours ago) Bookmark

my thoughts exactly, it's awesome

iirc i'd heard it before on ez's show but even he didnt have it pitched up that high

aw fuming, forgot this show was monthly

last one up here fwiw

http://www.mixcloud.com/djqmusic/dj-qs-essential-garage-show-on-ministry-of-sound-radio-280113/

Speaking of DJing vs producing, here's a DJ mix of his own tracks he did for Cameo:

https://soundcloud.com/djq85/dj-q-radio-raving-mix

01 DJ Q - Dance With Me
02 DJ Q - Trust Again ft Louise Williams (TS7 Remix)
03 DJ Q - Ordinary People
04 DJ Q - Ordinary People (2 Step Remix)
05 DJ Q - Armagideon
06 DJ Q vs Hot Natured - Forward Motion
07 DJ Q - Woooo Step Garage
08 DJ Q - More Than You
09 DJ Q - All Junglist VIP
10 DJ Q - Steel Em
11 DJ Q - Closer Than Close VIP
12 DJ Q - Notice Me
13 DJ Q & Classified - Ghetto

Out of the corner of my eye, I keep thinking this thread is called "The Insufferable Genius of P.D.Q. Bach"

http://www.ministryofsound.com/radio/radio-djs/99/essential-garage/

Moony - Out Of My Mind
AlunaGeorge - Attracting Flies [Shift K3y Remix]
Sam Smith - Lay Me Down
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit [Dare Me EdinBooty]
DJ Q - Big
Zoe - Turn You On
Zed Bias - Luther
BK Squared - The Preacher
Frenzy - Wandering Eye [Danny Phillips Remix]
Jodeci - Freak'n You [Marcus Jakes back to 98 booty]
Turntable Orchestra - You're Gonna Miss Me [Ejeca Remix]
Jakwob - Fade [Club VIP Mix]
Taiki & Nulight - Take Me Up
Jonarr-Dotzz & Lorenzo - Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
Champion - Prince Jammy
TS7 - Bane
Spooky - Baby [DJ Q Remix]
Burkie - Bad Gal
Shift K3y - Get Right
Flava D - Fine
Mista Men - Yours
Kinky Movement & Adaja Black - Loco Love [Amnist Dub Mix]
Krystal Klear ft Jenna G - Addiction
Duke Dumont ft AME - Need U (100%) [Skreamix]

one of his finest ever sets imho

basically speaking your favourite dj is here [raises arm to midriff] and q is here [raises inspector gadget style extending arm to moon]

Finally, Mr. Berman stood up, took a fresh stick of chalk, climbed onto his chair, and reached above the blackboard to draw a horizontal line on the paint. “This,” he said, after a theatrical pause, “is Milton.” He let his hand fall a few inches, drew another line, and said, “This is Shakespeare.” Another line, lower, on the blackboard: “This is Mahler.” And, just below, “Here is Browning.” Then he took a long drag on his cigarette, dropped the chalk onto the floor, and, using the heel of his black leather loafer, ground it into the wooden floorboards. “And this, gentlemen,” he said, “is you.”

aye, that set is *fantastic*

ashamed that i was sleeping on Q for so long, he really is the greatest