Saturday, July 26, 2008

stinky or just dinky?


someone i am still really trying to figure out is dinky. she first made a name for herself with the excellent 'acid in my fridge', but since then it seems she has presented herself more as a dj than as a producer. i may be wrong this front, especially as she has a new album coming out on vakant in a few months... regardless, i can't quite decide what i think of her as a dj. while i haven't seen her live, the sets i've heard always frustrate me: they have some really brilliant moments and inspired selections, but more often than not the overall mix lacks enough coherence for my liking and doesn't sit well. i am not sure whether this opinion is because of a personal preference for mine, which desires a high level of coherence in a set (admittedly this may come at the price of variety). regardless, i find it a bit strange that dinky markets herself as a dj primarily, when her stronger suit is definitely her productions. she has done some really great stuff on her own horizontal label, and i'm very interested to see what the album is like. i think it might have some real gems on it. anyway, i'd be keen to hear others thoughts on her djing. i am not sure why it frustrates me so. most likely because her sets almost always include some really inspired moments. the problem is they are moments. here is a new set from dinky that got me thinking, plus some other ones:

dinky july 2008 mix
dinky RA podcast march 2008
dinky @ club mio, moscow, december 2007

also, dinky has made her mix cd on crosstown rebels from the end of last year available for free download. right when it was released, the distributor went under and her mix never saw the light of day. dinky presents get lost 03

ok, there are some recent examples of her dj'ing. if you want, tell us what you think...

43 comments:

  1. I heard several mixes of Dinky in some clubs and never liked one of them. The girl just can't mix. Of course I like "acid in my fridge" and respect her for that, but it's the same as with Daniel Bell. Just don't think you can dj if you have produced music.

    But there's hope for all. About three years ago Conrad Black wasn't able to mix properly, but a few weeks ago I heard him in the Panoramabar and his set blew me away. WOW. What a prograssion did he make.

    So for Dinky: practice, practice, practice, practice, practice... Maybe some day you'll be a djane.

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  2. Except that Dan Bell is a fantastic DJ.

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  3. yeah, i certainly wouldnt call bell a bad dj. far from it. i think you'd be hard pressed to find many that agree with you.

    as for black, i think the big difference could be traktor. i saw him a few months ago and he was really, really good, but the whole mix was very clearly traktor-fied. clean, polished mixes. perhaps a bit too polished for my liking. but it did make for a really good set, though.

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  4. the get lost mix is unbelievable good. probably a traktor mix but the track selection is awesome..

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  5. i prefer cassy ;)

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  6. "Maybe some day you'll be a djane."

    Quite patronising, that.

    We never feel the need to say DJohn, so why have DJane?

    ...and D Bell is a tight DJ.

    Google his bunker podcast for ample evidence – that set has one of the most interesting integrations of the recent Olso-y sounds with some older minimal house. The set has pace, flow, and builds. 'Pace and grace'. Perhaps the only problem with DB is that there's never any sense of madness. Very sober, proper, 'no alarms and no surpsises.'

    as for the Traktor thing: it's great that people are doing tight, clean, intricate mixes and heretofore technically impossible things, including mixing tracks of any tempo in a harmonically sympathetic way

    BUT

    it really bugs me that this also means that less talented/engaged people just use the tools do interfere with the flow. You get people using smaller and smaller modules (not even really tracks anymore) which they then tweak and fiddle with endlessly.

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  7. I second the bit about Bell's Bunker podcast... really top notch shit. I also agree that his style is sober and restrained, but I like that-- makes him seem classy.

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  8. yeah, bell is most certainly mr. reliable. and very, very restrained. speaking of which, i came across a recording of one of his recent DBX livepas. i will have to post it...

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  9. Listened to the Get Lost mix. Starts well enough but a couple of selections were terrible through the middle. Specifically Radio Slave's Bell Clap Dance just didn't fit.

    Lost interest.

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  10. I third the Dan Bell bunker podcast - super tight and a really good listen.

    I too would've sold an organ to see him playing for 8 hours there.

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  11. herd her playing about 4 hours at Fusion and 6 hours at Panorama bar on saturday in the last month. amazing sets

    I think she is been a resident in the panorama bar for years
    She certainly can mix and i do like the fact that doesnt play very safe on stage.
    now tell me who can mix ESG properly ? its a band not a record made with machines.
    Some really ignorant or maybe jalous comments here imho.


    Daniell Bell is a bad dj ?, well unbelievable comment as well.
    Bell in one of the best Djs around

    the fact that Dinky is a girl ,looks good and extremely succesful act seems to me that many people specialy men overcritisice her.

    i dont think its fair to make a blog like this about her and to top it criticize Daniel Bell !

    i love dinky and Dan bell is my favourite DJ!
    whats wrong with me? ):
    Im Gay!

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  12. female power that is!
    Im huge fan and I go to see listen to her to have fun not to "anal-ize" her
    I flew 3 times to Berlin to her shows already .pure fun.

    Why the record she played had the wrong hi hat on it , blah. I dont care.
    music is music , Djs are Djs , Parties are parties.

    Djs are not scientists
    She is awesome.

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  13. thanks for the insightful comments anon. kudos for the "anal-ize" pun - that was very clever.

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  14. Not sure if mnml ssg is the right place for Dinky,

    I did take my time to "anal-ize" (!) her though,cause she has been such an inspiration for me in the last 8 years.
    heres my take:
    RA mix is really awesome,the moscow mix is well mixed ,(can not say
    that she cant mix! this is a live recording )
    I would like to concentrate on her last one cause I see that she is
    trying to do something quite brave now.

    The april mix..its diverse and its more for home listening than club.
    I dont think she wanted to show how good she can mix here.

    Now I am assuming your guys are way 2 young to understand or know what this tracks are all about. or maybe I am wrong..(36 by the way)

    ESG is a BAND as someone mentioned before ,impossible to mix straight.

    Russel ,around the 70s (genious!) ,also no drum machines I am afraid again kids..

    Hot music is one of the oldest classic house tracks ever made,drum machines or tape machines here?

    She also skips trough Chris and Cosy ! oh lord yes ..how brave ..then Night mares on wax ...check the swing on the track kids.
    after that she gets a bit more modernie bleepitie and straight , she even includes some Dan Bell track which i didnt hear for ages...
    (by the way the guy who said Bell sucked as dj defo needs an ear
    replacement )

    She is trying to mix different styles and tempos which is quite awesome.
    I hear a very wide variety of bpms here, maybe 100 to 130 ?
    Who of the minimal hypes does this now a days?

    I honestly prefer this than a bunch of minimal record mixed perfectly
    together, there is plenty of that online and in clubs to fall asleep to.
    Everyone is doing the same , mixing the same records ,afraid of changes
    and critics like this.
    No one on this scene dares this days to mix different styles and bmps

    She is taking the piss of all you nerds and all the boring perfection
    that this scene has reached.
    I dig her approach cause she is different,she plays like a musician
    music is not perfect is human and she is so.

    We dont need a new Magda ,cassy or Anja.
    No more clones please.. we are stuck and we need freedom
    music that is not tracks.

    Thanks for Dinkys existence

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  15. @ anon: thanks for explaining yourself a bit more, it'd be even better if you identified yourself.

    in terms of what you wrote:

    - please check who said what. none of the members of this blog said anything about dan bell being a bad dj. quite the opposite.

    - i don't think she is judged more harshly because she is a female. that is certainly not the case with this blog. if you bothered looking through it, you'd notice we go beyond the usual 'djane' bullshit.

    - i haven't heard her live. both times she was playing at panorama when i was there, she started at 11am, by which time i was fast asleep. so i can only comment on the recordings i've heard.

    - i am about to hit 29, and have been listening to electronic music for 12 or 13 years now i guess, which i think gives me sufficient knowledge. all the people who write for the blog are similar in this regad.

    - as for her mixing up different styles and tempos: this is part of what the original post was about - whether this actually works. or whether it is more a case of her dj'ing style not matching with my own personal tastes and prejudices.

    - which, to reiterate one of the main points of the original post, which was to ask 'what do people think of dinky as a dj? i am not sure.' i didn't say she was a bad dj, but that i find her frustrating as a dj. again, the point was to discuss.

    - and yes, this music is about fun and dancing. but that doesn't mean we can talk about it. or question it.

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  16. About Traktor Scratch:

    I use Traktor Scratch, so I'm biased, but I spun vinyl before switching over, and in my opinion, controlling Traktor Scratch with control vinyl is just as difficult as mixing with traditional vinyl. I, however, agree that Traktor makes djing easier because, for example, I can view the soundwave, which makes cuing a breeze.

    As for Konrad Black. I've heard him live as well as downloaded his mixes. One mix in particular really impressed me: Konrad Black at Harry Klein Club 24/01/2008. It's a six hour mix and, on the whole, the mixing is spot-on but there's the occasional pitch bend from either touching the platter too hard or nudging the record. That's a little evidence that Traktor doesn't by default lead to perfect mixes.

    Yet, what's wrong with near perfect mixing? I personally really respect a dj who can beat-match well and create a mix that is contextually, harmonically, and stylistically coherent.

    I don't have a problem with the occasional mistake and, actually, I quite enjoy them if they're relatively discreet. I'm not trying to imply that there's anything wrong with rough-and-ready mixing, but I just wanted to say because no one did that I prefer seamless mixing.

    Thanks mnml ssgs crew. I really enjoy reading the blog and appreciate everyone's effort.

    Benjamin

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  17. Dink is absolutely fine DJ or live if you ask me...

    but...I find it surprisingly rude coming from a presumably smart blogger to create a TITLE like this.

    If the guy who posted it really respects the artist no matter female ,male, brilliant or not , why put a such an insulting title on her ?
    It just lacks respect and shows a cheap way degrading some one I think.
    Stinky or juts Dinky ?
    Is there any constructiveness on this?  

    Isn't this blog supposed to be smart, serious blog about electronic music but instead goes and makes a bad joke about an artist (in this case a lady!) that he just doesn't get ?
    cheap cheap cheapo ....
    Bad ,bad move mnmlssgs..I'm back to mnml.nl
    lost respect...

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  18. @eva: fair call re the title. i was trying to come up with something catchy. i'd say that the tone of what is actually written is respectful, though.

    still i don't see what her sex has to do with what i wrote. at no stage did i make any reference (positive or negative) to her sex. i really don't see what her being female has to do with it. indeed, you could make the argument that by trying to exempt female djs from criticism/comment because there are a limited of female djs about, you are just furthering their marginalisation.

    anyway, if you are going to discount this blog solely because of the title of one post, that's your problem.

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  19. @ Eva's comment: 'Stinky' is a Chris favourite in the word stakes... don't take it personally. Besides, the resonance is more comic than insulting... don't you think?

    Also – why do you equate being smart with being serious?

    @ Benjamin: the problem is not the digital tools at all per se, just a tendency to use these very powerful things in a lazy and unimaginative way.

    But I freely admit I'm prejudiced because I don't use them, and I'm a little freaked out by all this technology. You know fear of redundancy, all that jazz... hell, CDJs freak me out a bit...

    ...but there's some level where, you know, the physicality of records is part of what attracts me. It's an aesthetic thing, it's not rational. Obviously well-recorded CDs are quieter and the dynamic range is just as good. Obviously Traktor etc gives you the vinyl interface with all the added doo-dads... and so on... but... it's like PowerPoint, you know? So much potential, so often under-utilised, or used in such a way to make boring mush. This is people's use of tools, not tools. Same goes for Ableton.

    ...all the same, there is some connection between Steve Bug and R Hawtin's sucking in 2008 and their use of all this digital technology. It's not a NECESSARY connection (plenty of people can/do great stuff with all the digital tools)... but it is a connection nonetheless, even factoring in everything else, like being surrounded by coke, groupies, adoring fans, and being given primetime slots in big clubs where you don't have to earn your floor.

    Even taking all this into consideration, Hawtin and Bug were much, much, much more interesting as DJs when they used nothing but vinyl in the mid to late 90s. And I make the claim that his is not entirely coincidental.

    Discuss...

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  20. I've followed this exchange long enough, it's time to add my comments now.

    re: the title
    of course it comes across as disrespectful (while the text itself is more balanced - true). it doesn't say 'stinky or not?'. It says 'bad' - but that's just dinky.

    What surprised me in the first place was how history is basically turned on its head here. True, Dinky had her first major hit with 'Acid in my Fridge' in 2005, but that was not her first step on the scene at all. She had studio time before, but was very active as a party organiser and dj - e.g. at legendary NY club '59 Canal'.

    You do not establish a underground techno event in NY around 2002 by being a bad dj. She has certainly proven her skills to rock a party - by whatever mixing means - and should be respected for that. Period.

    Taking her 'commercial' hit as a standard for what she's worth is ridiculous.

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  21. "True, Dinky had her first major hit with 'Acid in my Fridge' in 2005, but that was not her first step on the scene at all."

    i didn't suggest it was. what i wrote was "she first made a name for herself with the excellent 'acid in my fridge', but since then it seems she has presented herself more as a dj than as a producer." i then followed it immediately with the qualifier, 'i may be wrong this front'.

    i think i am at fault for framing the post badly with the title, but what i was really trying to get at was that i find something appealing about dinky as a dj (i keep downloading her sets after all), but there is something that leaves me frustrated with her dj'ing.

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  22. who cares if she makes mistakes here and there ..
    we all do ..
    people really like her ,promoters book her, her music is good and she is far from being a "bad mixer "...
    i only herd great sets of her live and never herd her on a bad nite..
    Im sure she had a few but we all know that no DJ is perfect.

    I doubt a bad dj-mixer would have been booked in such enormous venues and important events if she or he didnt know how to mix..its too much of a risk for the club and promoter..

    cocoon club, amnesia opening ,dc10 closing ?Fusion closing set ? Panorama Bar residence for years..
    hmmmmm...
    promoters are not stupid, these are the best clubs in the world. Period.
    Harsh critics are the price of success I guess...

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  23. @ Kaspar & Sven:

    How come you guys are all rounding on Chris like this?

    READ THE POST: Chris was expressing curiosity, doubt and incredulity. The repeated phrases are 'I'm not quite sure about..'

    Chris says:

    "someone i am still really trying to figure out is dinky."
    "i may be wrong this front" ...
    "i can't quite decide what i think of her as a dj."
    "i am not sure"
    "she has done some really great stuff"
    "i'd be keen to hear others thoughts on her djing."
    "i am not sure why it frustrates me"

    @Kaspar: one needn't have lived in NYC in 2002 and been digging the scene to form an opinion on Dinky's DJing. I could base an opinion on her published mixes and podcasts, could I not?

    There's this peculiar, almost perverse tendency which I feel is surfacing here, in which all the fine texture of doubt and detail gets flattened out into a position that looks more like a wall... the 'opponents' then organise themselves against this partially imaginary position, hate on it, and boost themselves and what they like.

    Instead of saying

    'Dinky is GOOD and don't you dare say otherwise'

    Or, 'You are BAD for not thinking Dinky is GOOD' (because Dinky is good, and I am good for liking Dinky)

    Why not be more descriptive... what kind of DJ would you say she is? What might be some of her peculiarities, strengths, weaknesses?

    & lastly, on the post title:

    ...well, perhaps a comma would clear things up, but to me, the sense of what Chris was saying was

    'Stinky' (bad)

    OR

    'Just dinky' (good)

    and the fact that it was expressed as a question convey's Chris' doubt about that... I think that's fair enough. Based on what I've heard, I'm not 100% convinced by her DJing either.

    & last but not least: one can be a merely good DJ and get booked. It's all who you know, right? As long as you're digging the scene, know the right people, play the records they like and do a reasonable job, you will get booked. You may not conquer the world, but clubs are full of people who've plugged away at it until they've carved out a niche.

    And in any case, most big clubs just book based on name recognition, brand recognition, label recognition... and not only that, but they book producer-DJs in any case, many of whom are completely craptastic. In fact I'd go so far as to say that you've got buckleys of making it as a DJ without doing production these days, but, if your productions are successful, you can spend a year becoming an adequate DJ and play all the biggest clubs in the world.

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  24. In fact: can somebody name 1 DJ who was made it in the past decade without producing?

    I mean, REALLY made it.

    There must be a few... who though?

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  25. "There's this peculiar, almost perverse tendency which I feel is surfacing here, in which all the fine texture of doubt and detail gets flattened out into a position that looks more like a wall... the 'opponents' then organise themselves against this partially imaginary position, hate on it, and boost themselves and what they like."
    not really a surface tendency, more of a standard part of human nature.

    non-producing DJs, I guess Craig Richards comes to mind. Ryan Elliot, too, although he's dipped his toes a few times...Magda likewise.

    I've been enjoying the Get Lost podcast a lot. Good tracks, nice pacing, agree a bit with whoever didn't like the Bell Clap Dance inclusion but I'm not a fan of the track anyway. Looking forward to her album now.

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  26. get lost podcast? mix cd.
    bedtime.

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  27. PC,

    It's funny but a lot of people are saying that digital djing has caused many djs to produce thoughtless and, more specifically, gimmicky mixes. I don't disagree with this, but I wonder if this is a product of the minimal backlash?

    It doesn't help that most minimal and some techno (e.g. Beatport top 100) is thoughtless and gimmicky and, furthermore, that Richie Hawtin and Steve Bug, although to a lesser degree, continue to push the same old sounds. I, therefore, posit that the real issue is not digital djing but poor choice in music.

    I heard Richie Hawtin and Steve Bug live this year, and Richie's set was uninspired while Steve's was incredible, so I don't think it has to do with the tools so much as the music.

    I've thought a lot about whether the tools matter or whether it's just about the music because, not surprisingly, this has been a popular topic of conversation lately in the electronic music community. I didn't have an opinion until recently but my opinion is...it's all about the music.

    Yet, there is a caveat: I think that digital djing and, particularly, Ableton Live have shrunk the learning curve so much that, in addition to forgoing the necessity of learning how to beat match, many new djs have failed to learn the finer points of djing, such as producing a mix that is stylistically and contextually coherent. An artist who clearly understands the "finer" points is Mike Parker. Thanks, by the way, for posting his recent mix.

    What fascinates me about new djing technology is that djs are now starting to define their sound not only by the records they play but by what method they use to dj. Sasha, for example, has reinvented himself with the use of Ableton Live. Eddie Halliwell and James Zebiela are widely known for their extraordinary skills on the CDJs. Marcel Dettmann, who is by far one of my favorite producers (plug), uses, as far as I've heard, traditional vinyl. Each method of mixing creates a distinctly different sound, which intrigues me.

    About your following post: I agree completely. It seems to me that djs are booked more based on popularity than ability. The problem is identifying great djs who are not necessarily producers since there are so many damn djs. I admit that I'm a part of the problem because I generally listen to mixes by my favorite producers. This is wrong and needs to change. Just because someone is a great producer doesn't automatically make them a great dj. I'm curious what the mnml ssgs crew think about solving this problem if you agree this is a problem?

    Eddie Halliwell, by the way, is one dj who has really "made it" - commercially speaking - in the past decade without producing.

    Thanks for the thought provoking discussion.

    Benjamin

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  28. I was only expressing my view that Dinky had gained her position as a dj before she had her major hit as a producer. This has nothing to do with 'digging the scene' or 'living in NY'. I just thought that this might not be totally unfamiliar to users of this board - given that she organized those parties with Magda. it's just a historical fact I wanted to add to this discussion. It also says: she has always presented herself more as a dj than a producer (in answer to Chris' post). Her success as a dj is enough to give her legitimacy to keep spinning records. Maybe there are clubs who book her on name recognition - though I doubt that one hit from 3 years ago will go a long way there. And looking at the residents' list of a place like Berghain/Panoramabar I don't think they need to book her to draw the crowd. They must somehow have found that they like Dinky's spinning.

    I am not hating on anybody who has a different opinion, especially on such a necessarily subjective question of taste. In fact, PC, I don't understand how you can read my opinion as hateful. It's a contribution to this debate. Don't insist on the legitimacy of one argued position if you call a different one 'perverse' and 'hating'. I'm here to contribute to what I perceive as a very interesting, thought-provoking board. If my comments are taken as 'hating' - I apologize!

    And one more thing about producing vs. djing: I don't see why one thing should not go without the other. Of the few people I personally know who try to make a living from their (electronic) music, I know that they pay their bills with the dj sets, not necessarily the - quite successful - producing . Maybe that looks different for others, I don't know.

    But to come back to Dinky as a producer:
    The title track from her 'Kill the Bass Kick EP' on Carpark Records remains a favourite 'secret weapon' - never played this without someone asking for the name of the record. Have a listen here:
    http://www.nuloop.com/en/vinyl-records/detail/14828/miss_dinky-kill_the_bass_kick.html

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  29. @ Benjamin (& thanks in advance for such a thoughtful post)

    quote: "it's all about the music."

    Okay, but what is the music about?

    If groove-based electronic music is a rotational form that's about exploring the possibilities of 'spinning', mixing between grooves, then what we use to do that mixing (and the kind of mixing that promotes, allows, and prevents) surely affects that in some way. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it changes what it means to DJ, and therefore what it means to be a DJ.

    On one level, we're just making and sharing music, and generating social relations through that. So sure, nothing has changed but the means....

    ...unless the means fundamentally alters the form and substance of those relations.

    I think part of the issue is that so much of DJ mastery these days is laptop-mediated: not just distribution (sales, sharing and piracy), but also production, re-production, circulations of those reproductions, and the kinds of social relations that all this ICT both facilitates and destroys.

    ...it also creates new possibilities, too, of course.

    @ kaspar: please don't think I meant you specifically. I just read through and the general tone seemed to turn towards rounding on Chris, so I felt the need to defend what I thought was the essence of his comment: questioning, doubt, curiosity, and putting forward some ideas. Of course you're welcome and I value your contribution – please keep engaging, I'm enjoying it too!

    NB: Magda has put out an EP on M_nus, which I play with boompty records. It works well.

    Lastly – sure, producers have to DJ to earn money these days because of all these wonderful laptops and networks, but would they get the gigs without their productions, associations and the recognitions that follow?

    ...as far as recognition goes, recall that R Hawtin's RA podcast got well over 300 comments, most positive, despite the fact that it was craptastic...

    NAMES are very, very important.

    BUT/AND a lot of people I know who live in Berlin go to Panoramabar with no idea who's playing. This seems fairly normal for people outside the geek community. They go 'cos the place is good, and you have a wild experience there... of course, this might be a minority, but I think it's a much larger one than we think...

    ...and then as well, the dedicated techno fan community is quite small. I think it's bankrolled by enjoyment of drugs and the possibility of sex. If you couldn't pick up or get wasted in nightclubs, I doubt groove-based electronic music in its present form would survive...

    ...what say you lad(d)ies?

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  30. i Think you guys should base your opninion in live recently recorded mixes instead of Studio mixes created for the home or the car..
    I like the Moscow one but think its not much her ,maybe the fact she was playing in Russia, who knows

    I herd some great mixes of her in Harry klein where she plays often in Munich ,my home town ,the one with Magda and the one for her label night Horizontal (last May) where I was present

    She was playing only Vinyl and using a small sampler and it was pretty amazing, i think i also saw some Cds here and there but not many..

    http://www.badongo.com/file/9661300

    its quite a big download but She starts at the second hour
    The flying dutcham from Guillaume is her opening track and plays for at least 2 and a half hours after that...
    "onjoy"..back to work..
    Sven

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  31. Thank you Sven for the file... let's base some description on this, hey cats?

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  32. @ kaspar: fair points. sorry if we were getting a bit defensive. gets frustrating when people misinterpret what you say (but that was partly myself in the way i framed the post, anyway...). i forgot about dinky's NY stint when posting, so that does change my thinking which was that dinky had previously thought of herself as a producer first...

    either way, i think dinky is an excellent producer. she has a unique vibe to her sounds which i like. i am not convinced these translate as well in her dj'ing, but as i said, this could be a personal bias.

    i've just grabbed the big set sven kindly posted, so shall listen to that now and report back later.

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  33. Your welcome!
    To Chris:
    Absolutely fair if you prefer her productions to her online mixes
    She is very unique in her studio stuff.
    I personally find djeing far easier and less deeper than producing in general and i tend to respect producers more than djs..maybe thats wrong but I cant help it..

    what Im not sure if its really worth to make a negative thread about her as a dj before even seen her live or having an own concrete opinion but asking for others.

    I actualy not sure if its worth to make a thread about such topic on your interesting blog specially if u are such a fan of her records...

    I believe concentrating in what you think she is strong in , or ...lets say what you know better instead of exposing her negatively before listening to her live would be more congruent or interesting..

    I know you say you are misunderstood in your thread but it just comes across a little rude, negative and degrading when ones read it..

    If ones read other threads in your blog ,i think this is the only one of its kind and goes lower than most.
    There would be so much to talk about her before making negative quote about her dj style I think.

    the girl is been making music since the 90s and already had a beautiful mnml/ ambient album on Traum when she was quite a young lady .. before minimal was even thinking on becoming popular one day...

    juts my 2 cents..
    Or maybe im juts being too German..(:

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  34. agree w some o the posts that this thread reads rude and slightly suspicious
    If u dont like something you dont eat it , but asking the public to eat it for you is either a power game or a way of attracting haters to jump on board like the first poster..
    next time make an effort and see her with your own eyes and listen with your ears when she spins at the bar..
    I dont think you can judge a dj by seeing her only a few times or listening to a few online sets
    i dont think you can jump and say that she cant mix after all her mixes recently recorded in clubs are technicaly well mixed..
    To Merliijin:have you seen Dinky play recently? and where?
    im realy curious cause I live in berlin and i have seen her many many times since 2003 , theres been a huge improvement in all aspects of her dj..
    she was never a bad dj and shes been always popular since she moved here, before her major commercial hit she was higly wanted in the berlin club scene and panorama bar took her under their wing before most of the residents and way befoer Acid in my fridge blew out..
    her last panorama gigs have been outstanding.
    (People who live here do know when certain djs are playing at panorama bar by the way , and we do avoid some of the residents )

    passing the djane shit but there is a thread about the best female dj in RA and she is one of the most mentioned names on it as is her RA podcast as best of 2008..

    last thing id like to add is that no one on this scene now a days can live entirely of her music, and if a dj is good and in demandlike her I dont see why you find strange that she is "marketed" as a dj..
    I even dont think she is marketed as a dj !
    she IS a dj and a real good one.

    Do you think anyone on her feet would have rejected such a fun ride only cause of the fact that some really anal people dont think she is good enough to be so big..
    one said it before Djs are not scienticts they are entretainers..
    If you wanna go deep into her concentrate in her music..
    Andreas

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  35. i just listened to Get Lost 3 and I must say I really enjoyed it

    I dig some of her productions, Da 20s on Vakant and her remix of La Raza on her label are my recent favorites. some of her arrangements are a little too ambitious for my tastes though

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  36. She is a winner for sure..(in a good way!)
    In my opinion little Dinky got to put on huge stages quite young and before she had the right experience to perform perfect..even she is playing now for many years her first x periences where in small sounds
    In europe she was faced with big sounds, big crowds and suddenly a big hit and a mix Cd in one of most knows techno brands in the world.
    She was almost no one when she had to open up for Vaeth and miss kitting in that amnesia monster in ibiza..I was there.
    her techinque was not perfect enough yet, but people still raved about her and wanted to see her.
    (maybe only 10 percent of the pople realize if a dj is a great mixer or not , most people are just there cause of the hype ,music or name who is playing but wont think too much on mixes)

    I have seen her a few times the last 2 years and her mixing is super, i have seen her making small mistakes but i also have seen Villalobos and hawtin made giant mistakes as well..

    there was something quite appealing and excitng that i must say i miss in her more linear sets now..

    Like Garnier who plays soul , techno funk , dupstep and drum and bass and people love him , or Dj Hell (in his good days) short mixes different styles but so much fun or Carl Craig (who many say he cant mix but still pay to go see him) also plays different things, or Jeff Mills that mixes so quick his mixing is a mess but you can feel the excitement..
    i like that!
    I also fall asleep with purist djs , its ok for 30 minutes but not more..

    now a days with all these djs around i guess a dj has to stand out from the rest to be noticed and not put on the basket with all the "minimal "or" deep house djs"

    Unfortunately here she got taken wrongly and treated a little unfair ..
    waiting 4 her albm now!!!!

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  37. @ Carlos: "maybe only 10 percent of the pople realize if a dj is a great mixer or not , most people are just there cause of the hype ,music or name who is playing but wont think too much on mixes"

    ...I think there's a note of truth in that. Provided you don't trainwreck, it's only a small minority who really cares about the subtleties of mixing.

    Most people go out to get wasted, have a dance, pick up, and... maybe listen to some music. Nightclubs are primarily social venues, not music venues. This is part of the interest, challenge, and problem of trying to present music in this space, don't you think?

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  38. I think the get lost mix is very good.
    personally, I'm a fan of variety and I
    believe it is showcased here quite well...(I'm listening to it as I type...)

    I've always strived to please people by introducing songs/tracks they have never heard before or to simply remind them of a forgotten classic...as a dj, I believe it is important to play different styles or genres and mixing it all together...which, to me, is really what house music is all about...the combination of different styles under one roof...different types of people dancing and having a good time together.
    Of course...everyone strives for that "perfect" mix...
    but without being open to variety...we may as well all take some acid and listen to a metronome in the dark...

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  39. All i can say is that Dinky was absolutely brilliant at panoramabar 9 days ago. She might be playing a bit obvious sometimes but her mixing was perfect! And she looks cool too!
    Saw Daniel Bell deejaying and i was really really bored...never seen him live though so can't comment on that.

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  40. mupets!
    she made it
    you didnt.

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  41. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  42. this is what the last post by ACHIM said (part of it i had to delete):

    to: chris
    is there any joy on puting the lady down on every single thread you are signed in?not the first time I read something against her coming from you..

    or are you trying to destroy her DJ carrer assuming you have some sort of "power" ?

    im afraid youll have a hard time doing that
    it seems iike a lot of people desagree with you , not only here..but everywhere

    Dinky has a new mix on Ibiza voice ...her mixing is dreadfully .......hmmmmm...perfect!

    this thread made me laugh a bit its amazing how people waist their time in trying to destroy someone they dont even know , or even herd play before !
    amazing
    go on Dinky!

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  43. and to ACHIM, all i'd say is that i don't think i have commented on dinky elsewhere. if i have, can you please provide the link. and if you bothered reading carefully what i originally wrote, and my responses, it should be clear that i lack the malice you assign me with. questioning and disagreeing is a long way from trying to 'destroy' someone, as you unfairly suggest. anyway, this 'discussion' has more than run its course.

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Say something constructive, bitte. Or if you're gonna take a swipe, at least sharpen your nails.

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