Can NZ produce a Superstar DJ?

Having witnessed local boys outshine internationals, who's up for supporting some export talent?
Who's got what it takes to crack it, and who's gonna help?

I don't know if its possible. I nice dream maybe. To be a "top international" really means to be at the top in the UK. And with so many quality Dj's who would pay for a noname kiwi to come play??

Big name DJs represent production teams.
Thats how the game works. The DJ represents the efforts his team, and the team keep him there.
Its possible alright.
Watch it happen

Power to the people. But how many production teams are there in NZ?? I think the most likely would be a big name visiting Dj would visit and sopt talent and sign to there label or the like. Its happend before.

Theres plenty of music being made here. What is missing is the business structure to get dance tunes out of here.

We are working on that by getting internationals to do remixes of our stuff for release internationally, they are more likely if they come down here to play, and have a good time?

try freq nasty

um he's pretty big, um, um.

yeah - go the freq

What do you mean by superstar DJ?
Someone who plays cheesy cack to the
mainstream - or someone who is considered a
pioneer and also has the respect of the artists
etc.....

Good marketing will give you a superstar maybe
- but it would be better spent on flying the NZ
flag of dance music producers / DJs in
General...Someone like shapeshifter and
Salmonella has the potential...(and the major
label backing)

Thats my opinion

salmonella dub

now theres a fucking group.

there new album is dope

It would be wicked to have a NZ superstar DJ, i just dont think they are promoted properly over here (but then again what do i know!!)

i think it's poss, the talents there.

witnessed greg churchill emptying and upstaging the main room when he was playing the second room at a gig on his recent trip to u.k. Ok, so he had plenty of kiwi support in the crowd but the locals still talk'n bout him and that nite. He absolutely went off.Truly international class. Go kiwi, doin us proud.

Dont forget there is Hill too

Presha, who recently toured the U.K with the metalhedz label, is the F***N man, and is superstar dj quality, even if he isn't that widely recognised. Pots is up there in terms of skillz as well.

yep me in about ten yes time lol worth a crack lol

Steve Hill - Mr Bishi, look what he has achieved over on the UK Hardhouse scene.

Nz has got some of the best Dj's in the world.
Being a superstar Dj has nothing to do with talent or skills. It is all about marketing.

Any Sheffield hack can play a couple of toilet sets at Gatecrasher and on the strength of that becomes an international superstar. They will still be playing of the rack tracks, but they played Gatecrasher man!! (i use gate crasher as an example, use anyother super club)

Besides why would we want our top Dj's being based overseas. How would we get to enjoy them

Yup, more about marketing. Nz has the skills just not the people and marketing to push someone up..

Look at the Nz bands, there are some wicked bands here but they can't build up well known status, have to move overseas to become successful.

ur rite...its not skills. its hook ups
just like in everythin..u can be shit at sumthing but if u know people ur sorted.
while the people with real talent are left behind

I'd say hook ups are more difficult to master than DJ skills.
I don't buy the "you can be shit at something...."
I'd put it as , "just because you are good at something doesn't mean you'll be successful or recognized for it."
An act can damage its prospects with premature recognition Tall poppys!)
Greatness without recognition breeds frustration.
Balancing the two, and sustaining it- thats what it takes.
Success feeds greatness feeds success.(ideally)
However you define greatness and success is subject to interpretation - individual needs and preferences

it's more to do with respect than marketing, look at the big 3 :Sasha, Digweed and Oakenfold have all been around since year dot. They are some of the one's that started 'the summer of love' in the uk, to be a true superstar in any field you have to be the pioneer or at least take it to another level. If a NZ DJ truly wants to set the world alight they need to come up with something different, not just try and do the same thing.
(just a thought)

all i can say is GO!!!!! the FREQ
he's NASTY!!!!

Cosmo
The same but different - (!)
heres a good rule of thumb
too clever
is dumb

Especially in NZ

Indeed Morpheus

Freq Nasty is da man
nuff said

Getting the latest records is gonna also be an issue. You need to be dropping some fresh tracks so in order to get them you need to be producing,have producers sending you records, or have access to the latest records yourself.

New Zealand has some top quality dj`s as good as ANYWHERE. Nuff said.

Hell yeah !! we rock !

"superstar" or not i think many nz djs are of just as high quality as many of the internationals that come. Superstar schmoopertar i say.

"superstar" or not i think many nz djs are of just as high quality as many of the internationals that come. Superstar schmooperstar i say.

well i think it is possible for a new zealander to be become world recognised while still living in new zealand. look at omc (there's a group from the past) they may not have n e thing to do with dance music. however they made it overseas (with their one song, damn catchy i must say). ppl in aussie and the states love it. my old music teacher toured with them to the states. he said everyone loved them over there. they were so popular that bands would chase them through shopping centres! he he. but yes. i think it just takes a lot of work to be able to make it whilst being based in new zealand. if u want something that much, u'll put in the effort

omc? internationally recognised mucicians? don't make me laugh.

they made it overseas jbird. that was my point. may have only been for one song. but u have to give them credit. dont b such a fucking snob!

I’ve just recently been wondering why the world gives such recognition to the Paul Van Dyke’s and Paul Okenfold’s of the DJ super stardom, they don’t produce their own music (Plz correct me if I’m wrong , they are a covers band that can put together a good set.

I’ve got far more respect for the Sanchez, Pooley, and the like.

wtf? since when did producing music make a dj?

hmmmm.... guess i'm going to have to try and rationalise my view now.
I'm very ignorant of the politics of the dance scene, but they just buy their record then they spin it and make thousands of dollars and the producers get kinda left out in the cold.
Then there are the people who think that these dj's have produced what their playing! producers left in the cold again. But then you can't base an arguement on the lowest common denominator.
hmm.. then big dj's playing small producers tranks gives them recognition then they in turn sell more and make more money....

yeap, you've got me.

ps, guess I'm un-necessarily letting myself get bugged by people who don't recognise the producers.

Sanchez is cheeze but good cheeze - i will be there at his little eventy thingy. yeah I think when it comes to looking at what makes a superstar DJ you need to ignore the production side of things and look soley at their turntable skills as well as their application of music to crowds.

Who cares about having the title 'superstar DJ' really who gives a shit. As long as weve got our talented peoples out there playing us raging sets with everyone having a goodtime, it doesnt really matter. Whats in a name?!?

Guess it's about people having (or being given) recognition, and everyone thinks it should be distributed differenetly.

Yeah i mean good point tarnce but I think its more of a factor of just is tyhere some one from Nz who will be a massive internatiuonal name. They are all wicked and we know that and respect them but the question is wether the rest of the world has the balls to liosten to a kiwi on the tables.

Kiwi's will always struggle when compared to international djs not for lack of talent since we have some awesome ones out there, but due to access to records.
Correct me if i'm wrong but apart from a select few getting record company promo's, the rest are down to criminal to stock up.
All the biggest tunes are in the hands of the internationals 6 months or more before nz djs get them (if they ever do!!!)

paul van dyke does so produce his own music! moose i think before u make a comment u should read up to make sure the accusations that ur going to make are actually factual

You have to do production to get famous
only example that stands out is Darude
NEVER DJ'd in his life, sits at home makes a song
it goes #1 world wide and becomes famous
Djs a gig and cant mix etc.. makes another song and its climbing the charts again.

And some djs in NZ are maybe only 2 weeks behind the uk so its not about "we cant get the tunes"
Its more like people dont want to spend the money getting them or are too lazy to find new material
Saying NZ is too far behind to produce a star is a COP OUT!

Sorry to offend some, but the point I was trying to make still stood. Even if I then proceded to pull it appart when questioned.

Totally agree with Siege. The underlining factor seperating NZ djs from internationally recognized djs is PRODUCTION.

Certainly in Hardhouse/Trance where are the local producers? As far as recognition and exposure Auckland has dance divisions in global companies Sony and Universal who are willing (and have been in the past) to sign/contract up local talent who PRODUCE. And if they deliver the goods work hard to sign them and their music up to Dutch/UK labels.

NZ is full of wicked djs who play OTHER peoples music hence 95% although great on the decks have no real international recognition and never will unless they make their own tracks that are signed up to labels - MAKING and PLAYING your own music gets you alot further - example - Steve Hill aka Mr Bishi aka Phlash! aka Nylon + a few other monikers is NZs most successful international producer/dj followed by some of the Fevah boys at least in the Hardhouse/Trance genre..they produce and play their own music (as well as other peoples) - this is the difference between a local and internationally recognized dj.

Bang on there Mr Siege and Mr Haze. The key is production. Another example of many is Futureshock, They release Sparc and next thing they are playing GC!

The question can NZ produce a 'superstar DJ'? We already have. Steve Hill (HH), FReq Nasty (Breaks - 2 step), Rob Salmon (House). But these guys have all taken off overseas to make a living out of DJing. Its just not possible here, yet.

There will be more to break through.

Oh heck!! What happened to Rob Salmon?? Last time I saw him was his going away party YEARS ago!?

Oh heck!! What happened to Rob Salmon?? Last time I saw him was his going away party YEARS ago!?

Siege, i stand by my call that the top dj's ie jules, tiesto, van dyk et al have tunes a long time before they are released to the public and therefore available to other dj's (anywhere).

Case in point, heard Judge Jules play members of mayday (still the tune of 2001 in my opinion) in May. Found out the name of the tune and went to a record store in London to be told it wasnt available until middle of June. Chemical Brothers Afrika, got an mp3 from April of Tiesto playing. Wasnt available non-promo until July/August here.

I agree production is the key if you want to make a name for yourself worldwide.
But if you intend to do that and want to make a living solely off playing out and selling tunes, you need to tour overseas alot. This is because the market here is too small. NZ alone cannot support a "superstar" DJ (for want of a better word) money wise because the population is too small....

mixmasterkev:
I agree to a point but just cause a big name dj gets a promo given direct to him from the artist doesnt mean you have to wait months to get it
He would have had the white label
theres nothing stopping people from getting the white of a track all you have to do is find it
i think you would have been told of the official release thru a record company eg. dutyfree (for lack of a better)

If your keen you can find whatever you want sometimes it may cost you more but to play it first is worth it