On Saturday I got a call from an unknown number and when I answered it was my good buddy Daiya Kobayashi on the other side.

He was in Penang for one night only so of course I had to clear everything off my plate and hook up with him.

Daiya is an old, old friend of mine and he was the one who first booked me to DJ in Shanghai years ago when he was the music director of the legendary California club @ Park 97. We’ve been close friends ever since and catch up whenever we can.

But not only is Daiya one of the best DJs on the planet, he’s also a diamond dealer. Yes, that’s right REAL rocks - he’s the bling king of Asia (think Jacob Arabo but legit and not laundering money for gangsters)

After downing 2 bottles of wine at the G Spot, I decided to take Daiya and his sister Hisui to see what normal Penang nightlife was like so we dropped into Mois.

While we were there listening to the crap they were playing we had a conversation about what makes a ”good” DJ and a ”bad” DJ.

When we were teenagers many, many years ago, the reason we went clubbing is because those were the only places where we could hear music you would never hear on the radio. DJs were revered and respected because they had exclusive mixes and tracks that the general public couldn’t buy or get hold of. Every time I went clubbing I would hear amazing new shit that would blow my mind and of course kept me coming back for more.

Nowadays, you drop into a club and you here exactly the same shit as what you hear on the radio. What the fuck is up with that? It just makes going out pretty pointless unless you wanna get trashed. A lot of DJs nowadays are just too damn lazy to dig for tracks and have little musical know1edge so the easiest way out is to play whatever cheese is on the radio. These people have no respect for the art of “DJing” and are what Daiya and I refer to as “bad” DJs.

Daiya and I spend ages digging for gems and trying to find new and exciting music to share with people. G spends 24 hours a day digging too, which is why his arsenal of sonic weapons is one of the best in the country.

“Good” DJs are those who continually bring new surprises to the table and know how to make people fall in love with music they have never heard before.

I could go on and on about this but I can’t really be fucked to because I’m busy getting  ready for the awesome pool party this Saturday at the g Hotel.

So if you are reading this and you consider yourself to be a DJ ask yourself this – are you a “good” DJ or a “bad” DJ?

Posted on January 12th, 2009 by BadBoyBen
Filed under: Bad News, Music