…And Justice for All

I’m sure you don’t (I know I sure as hell don’t), but just in case you needed another reason to hate the nauseating, hip-electro duo Justice, then look no further than the little picture posted above. The little MIDI controller that homeboy to the left is so expertly tweaking is, ummm, not plugged into a damn thing. Someone give that man a glow stick to twirl instead! Earlier this week they also came out and confessed the use of over 400 uncleared samples used on their debut album. You know, I seriously doubt that boastful amount of samples used. I doubt these guys own 400 records from which to pull to achieve their crunching bluzz of synth-diarrhea.

I really love electronic music but I’m really tired of the “live dj set”. Just because there’s some pasty boob wearing his sister’s tight jeans, constantly fiddling with his laptop on stage doesn’t mean there is much of anything “live” going on. Why do we need to even see you playing (whether you actually are or not) with your knobs and gadgets anyway? A kid with nothing but two dusty slabs of vinyl and two record players with ye ol’ mixer plopped between the two is working harder (and usually with more skill), and giving more of a “live” set than said pasty boob. You know I think this is the main thing that irritates me about the hipster-electro-dance scene. Why has it become necessary to turn the DJ into the rockstar? DJ culture came about as the antithesis, the destroying of the hero-worship in rock and roll, the pure celebration of the music. Jesus, I could carry on like this for a while.

People aren’t coming to your show to see you, they are coming to hear you. Everyone please leave your laptops, goofy Serato records and Abletons at the house, put your head down, shup up, and play some damn songs (at least a minute and a half of each before you go screeching off to the next). Now if you are making your own electronic music then go ahead and bring all the toys you’d like, but unless you are really going at it to give us that real-time “live” show, don’t try to convince us you are doing more than essentially hitting the play button.