DJ Floskel Interview on bboy-style.de (English Version)
Nidan from bboy-style.de conducted a short interview with me, talking about DJing for BBoys and BGirls and the German breaking scene. Here we go...
Please introduce yourself!
My name is DJ Floskel and I've been DJing since 1997. I prefer to play for BBoys and BGirls, as well as for all those, who like music with groove and soul. Doing this, the genre is secondary so I play Funk, Soul, Rap, Reggae, Salsa etc. When I'm not DJing, I train my own DJ students at VibrA School of DJing in Marburg, Germany.
What has been your greatest performance so far?
I can't really break it down to the one performance because every gig has something special to it: Sometimes it's the crowd, sometimes the venue etc. DJing in front of a capacity crowd every night at the World Expo in Shanghai with a feeling of 60 degrees centigrade, for example, was intense. The team with me on stage at the Expo was intense as well due to the great energy they shared: Scotty 76, Marc Hype, DJ DSK, Gregor Siegel, Dickid, Zebster and others. On the other hand, events with a family vibe tend to touch me even more: Summer Jam in Altdorf, Radikal Forze Jam, What You Got, Haters Make Me Laugh, Stay Fresh Jam, just to name a few. Actually the times before and after the gigs, just hanging with the people involved in the event, having a great time, is often even more impressive than the actual events. Best gigs are often in small clubs with crowds that feel the music and who let the DJ know that they actually appreciate what's going on. If you are in a club, at a battle, jam and so on and if you feel the DJ, let him/her know - the DJ will appreciate it!
Is there anyhing in particular from DJ Floskel that ppl should check out?
To me, music's a matter of personal taste. Listen to my mixes and make up your own mind: www.djfloskel.de!
What type of music do you recommend for breaking?
I personally find that mid-70s Funk is the music to break to. 90s rap sounds that samples that type of sound aesthetic work as well for me. If you're not sure how music for breaking sounds like, listen to James Brown, Jimmy Castor Bunch and similar artist. Tracks like "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose" are the blueprint of music for breaking to me. These souinds are a good 40 years old and still rock every time I put them on.
Are you familiar with the current German breaking scene?
I consider myself part of the 'scene', have friends in the scene, DJ for the scene and have organized a couple of events for the scene, like Circle Princz Germany, for example. However, I don't think Germany has one common scene. There are many regional and local scenes and only a few ppl who move between regional scenes and even shine internationally. On top of that, the 'scene' is separated further into musical preferences and approaches of breaking. So you run into the same ppl at the major Germany events, but I wouldn't really consider that a common German scene. Besides those short-lived events I find the daily grind of the 'scene' actually even more representative: practice sessions, travelling, hanging out etc. Events come and go, pass into oblivion, but don't necessarily reflect the scene.
What would you like to share with the breaking scene?
Generally speaking, members of a scene should try to understand and respect each other. These days I get the feling that most dancers and promoters don't understand what makes up a good DJ and ppl think that anybody with a notebook can jump on the desks, start DJing and can even outdo accomplished DJs. Folks don't understand that DJing is more than a harddrive full of bboy break mp3s that were downloaded from some server without any personal commitment and actual understanding of the music. On the other hand, DJs should understand the dancers and should be in tune with the needs and mind states of BBoys and BGirls. If it's a battle, for example, you can't just blend track after track as you would in certain party or cypher situations. You have to support each run and create a fair musical backdrop for the dancers to shine. DJs have to understand the individual styles of the dancers getting down and have to consider if it's the final battle or prelims. Dudes with stamina and finesse in a final battle need different music than energy driven guys who focus on power and tricks. These are just examples that experienced DJs consider and that make up the difference. You can't download experience! To all promoters: Don't book your friends just cause they're cheap and know how to set up a digital DJ device. Book qualified and experienced DJs instead! Invest wisely, the DJ sets the tone of any music related event!
Make sure to check my website and book me for your event if you can tell the difference between quality and quantity: www.djfloskel.de!
This interview originally appeared in German under http://bboy-style.de/dj-floskel-im-interview-breakdance-beats/.
