I added a note in the discussion section for the livecoding section on the
computer music page.
I'm not sure exactly what context the quote from Nick's paper comes from but
I'm a livecoder as well as a DJ and somewhat involved with the alternative
turntablism scene and I don't think this should be in there. If we want to
make that claim we will have to define DJing in away that does include
laptop usage (potentially without external controllers) yet excludes
livecoding.
You won't succeed in creating that definition, particularly as it would be
possible to perform in a way that will be fully TOPLAP compliant yet also be
called DJ-ing (likely even turntablism). We could for example use a adapted
turntable with a mouse-sensor instead of a needle and read data from that
into our favourite livecoding system, using it to control a clock to sync
to, for example.
Aside from this issue of definitions I wouldn't use the note on "charisma"
because much of the "laptop DJ" scene has some sort of inferiority complex
towards vinyl purists and flame-wars ensue. On top of that there are fields
like "controllerism" which have made great strides in bringing this
"charisma" to laptop-djing and so on.
I don't think this is a claim we want to make as it can't really stand up to
closer inspection.
Yours,
Kas.
Received on Thu Mar 04 2010 - 18:39:00 GMT