Nepotism: Creativities Assasin

In my time I have had the privilege of witnessing first hand the evolution of the DJ.
 
From the early Disco days when shorts where short and chest hair was long to the present visual feasts from the likes of DJ Shadow, DJ Kentaro and of course Mix Master Mike. 

Through each stage of its evolution, the DJ has has left us gifts, little time capsules that represent the society that accepts and celebrates their art.  Gifts to be used and enjoyed.  Gifts that have the power to transport us to pleasant memories of the past and catapult us into the future by the impression they leave.

Unfortunately for us all, the Adelaide DJ 'scene'  has forgotten its roots.  It has become self indulgent, lifeless and corrupt.  Cronyism and nepotism are the order of the day and its slowly choking a vibrant and beautiful creature to death.

"Harsh words" you may say, but please afford me the opportunity to explain.

Over the past few months we have had a few DJ competitions around Adelaide.  The chance to see some new talent and some old, was more than enough to get everyone in a buzz.  Talent that has been hiddden away in a bedroom, being honed by hours of practice and peer review.  As we all endured the dulcet tones of "Turn that music down" echo across the suburbs of Adelaide, a palpable sense of excitement descended.

Yes, we saw some great talent but to what end?.  All the work to put a set together.  The hours of practice.  The intense tunnel vision to life for their art. For what?  From where I am sitting unless you were friends with the judges or a resident it was for nothing.

Let me elaborate.  The Underground Sound DJ competition is a prime example.  Throughout the heats and finals the winning DJ became known as "Train Wreck Guy" amongst my friends.  Every time he played he made disastrous mistakes but still managed to take the prize.

How is this possible?

Even more disgusting is the results of the Red Bull Thre3Style comp.  How is it that such a talented young DJ like Faint1 place behind considerably less talented DJ's.

The judges of these events should be called to account for their decisions.  Selecting friends or crew to win does no one any favours.  The whole point of a competition is to find the best of the best.  By selecting your friends you are saying to young up and coming DJ's that they must tow the line and not think out side the box.  This leaves the rest of us with a music scene that is stale and devoid of life.

The judges forgot one important point (especially in the Red Bull comp).  Others are watching.  By selecting second rate DJ's to go to national competitions tells the rest of the country that Adelaide has a crap DJ culture if that’s all we can put forward.

In future if you are asked to be a judge you should decline if a friend is entering.  It is a conflict of interest and is illegal.  Yes, you do have certain legal responsibilities when taking on a judging role and can be held accountable in a court of law.

To the young DJ's out there, please stay true to your art.  Fight the Power! Do what you want to do and unleash the wave of talent I know is out there.

that red bull comp was dodgy as from what i heard.

no notice for people to register their interest, no heats for anyone to quality. finalists announced without having to prove themselves. all the finalists seem to be heavily linked to the club hosting the event as well i heard. happy to take all that back if someone can prove otherwise, but from the outside looking in that comp reeked of dodginess. no disrespect to the competitors, but the organisation behind that wasnt very transparent.

the underground sound comp is at the total opposite end of the spectrum as far as credibility goes. i judged twice in the underground sound comp and have to say it is one of the most well run and organised comps i have been involved in, either as a judge or a dj. it was good to see so much new talent, the comp went for a long time to make sure they could accomodate a lot of djs. the quality of the finalists i judged in the semi made it really hard to select a winner. i think there was less than 20 points between first and last place in that heat as well. i did hear some people in the earlier sets who still need a bit more time before they are ready to get to the finals, but it was good to see them behind the decks in a club, doing what they love.

there were acquaintances who i had to judge - its a bit hard not to see some familiar faces in there considering how small the adelaide scene is. i didnt have any issue basing my judging on what i heard and saw, regardless of if i knew them or not. harry lawless impressed me, despite him being a total stranger to me and playing a style of music i have not really paid much attention to.

i didnt get to see all of the grand final, but there were 6 judges in the venue, all with different backgrounds musically and socially. i find it hard to beleive that all 6 lodged their votes just to get a mate first place. the winner would have to be pretty good mates with every single one of them to be able to rig a comp like that, and to be honest, knowing most of those guys, that is a fair stretch of the imagination.

thanks for the reply
I do apologise for implying all judges were the problem as this is a gross inaccuracy

I really do appreciate your comments but from someone who has been apart of this type of music for over 30 years I see Adelaide at its lowest point ever and it does make me sad as we do have so much talent hidden away

I guess my main point is to the younger generation.
they should take heart in the fact that they can make a difference and not be daunted by the nepotism that exists

I cannot speak for the Red Bull comp, but I do have my opinions about it. My own involvement is that they approached us about sponsorship and I decided not to get involved. Then in no time, they hand-picked their own competitors, promoted a comp and held a single-night event in about as much time as our finals series only. I am happy to comment as much as you would like me to about Underground Sound, however. It is a project that I have worked very hard on for about 6 months, one that I am proud of, and one that I have kept (in my opinion) as transparent and fair as it possibly could have been kept. Despite my every intention to pay it forward and do something productive for the local scene, you are not the first to question the competition's integrity and this frustrates me. I definitely don't appreciate my event being grouped with theirs simply because they are both DJ comps. But nepotism? Seriously?! That is a big finger to be pointing.

There were about 25 judges rotated throughout the competition, each selected for their long service and dedication to various local scenes. There was a private Facebook group set up to help manage this side of the competition. I often went to this group for input on decision making, in the effort of making the process as transparent and fair as possible. The group was not established as a means of swaying or aligning others' opinions, nor was it used in this way by any stretch. Rather, the group was established as a communication hub and a means of opening up the decision making process beyond myself and Batch. Some of the issues discussed in this group could not have been made public at certain times for the sake of the competition, but I'm sure all members of the group will attest to its integrity. I'm guessing if I hadn't written this, you probably wouldn't have even known about this group!

I've only shared this information to support my argument that Underground Sound was as fair and transparent as it possibly could have been. A 2-page registration pack was provided to all interested parties (including one full page of Terms & Conditions -- available on the Adelaide Massive thread, the Facebook event page and even in print at The Oriental in case the next big DJ didn't have internet access). This pack lists my email address no less than 4 times for questions and other communique. (You are welcome to view the pack here should you wish.) I promptly replied to each and every single email that I received. For any matter that might have affected other competitors, I shared the information publicly via the AM thread and the Facebook event page. For questions relating to the competition that were posted directly to either of these forums, I also provided public responses.

All judges worked from the same set of criteria throughout the heats and finals of Underground Sound, and the judging sheet was designed as a "rubric". Rubrics are commonly used in modern education as they are considered a fair means of assessment. I am very familiar with the design and implementation of rubrics and I deemed them highly appropriate for this purpose. The judging sheet included 5 key criteria: 'Smoothness of mixes', 'Technical ability displayed', 'Appropriate selection of music', 'Crowd reaction' and 'Overall impression on judges'. Each of these 5 sections was worth 10 points, meaning that any single judge scored any single competitor out of 50 points. A scoring guide was included to ensure that scores were somewhat moderated week-to-week and judge-to-judge. There was also space for justificatory comments for each section, which almost always resulted in quality constructive criticism from the judges. At times I disagreed with judges' scores and/or comments, but this never surprised me. I'm listening through a different pair of ears, I have different musical tastes and I've come from a different musical background to each and every one of the judges. This is a subjective process after all. Unless you have any suggestions for making it more objective, I'm not sure there is a way to remove the human element from the judging process. (Should you wish, you can view the judging scorecard here.)

I will admit to being surprised by the Grand Final results, but I don't disagree with the results given the context of the night. I highly doubt that any of the judges could have even guessed the Top 3. I saw several mates not even make it to the finals. I saw several great sets not make it through either. Does it mean that the competition is rigged? No, it means that we have a lot of great talent in Adelaide.

Now I will address what I feel to be the underlying tone of your post. I will admit that I felt a bit awkward when I realised that Syme had won. Syme was a very deserving winner -- as any of the Top 6 would have been -- but Syme and I share an obvious link. He is a co-host of Neat Freqs with myself and Batch (who was also involved in the running of the competition). As happy as I am for Syme, of course I knew that somebody out there would come to the assumption that you have. However, I know how fair this competition has been. I know how much effort went into keeping it fair. I know how much the Top 3 deserved to be where they were. The finalists' set times were all drawn from a hat so that nobody had an advantage in that way. Batch and I even made sure that neither of us were judging the Grand Final so that our interests weren't confused by others. (It was also intended that neither of us would judge in the finals whatsoever, however Batch was a late fill-in for one of the Semi-Finals after a couple of pull-outs from other judges.) Absolutely every effort was made to keep this competition fair and democratic.

Not that I need to support anyone else, but badmouthing DJs won't change results. Your label of Syme as "Train Wreck Guy" is nothing more than that -- your label of Syme. Another label one might use for him is "Underground Sound DJ Comp Champion". Your suggestion is based purely upon opinion. My suggestion is based purely upon fact. Your suggestion doesn't make him any less worthy because you call him that "amongst [your] friends". My suggestion makes him very worthy because the judges scored him higher than anyone else in the Grand Final. It's pretty simple.

In the past 6 months, I couldn't tell you the number of hours of my own time I've spent communicating with sponsors, the venue, 48 entrants, 36 competitors, 25 judges, printers, photographers, media and others via phone, email and meetings. Add to this the weekly promotion on Adelaide Massive and Facebook, plus regular advertisements in Onion, plus the task of typing and emailing judges' feedback to competitors. Add to that the 2.5 hours of set-up and 1.5 hours of pack-up every single week for 12 weeks, plus a full-time university study load, plus work, plus time with my wife, friends and family. Add to that having to borrow a van, pack a couple hundred kilos of sound equipment and drive it across town, carry it all into the venue and down a narrow set of stairs. Add to that reversing the whole moving process after the comp finished. Add to that sacrificing my own turntables for 12 weeks. Add to that Batch sacrificing his studio bench and all sorts of other equipment for 12 weeks. Add to that designing the artwork, printing, delivering and uploading it, modifying it every couple of weeks so that every single competitor had the chance to have their name printed in Onion. That right there can be a big step when you're first getting your name out. There's still more -- a lot more -- but I think you get the picture.

I didn't do this for money. I didn't do this for glory. I didn't do this just so I could give a trophy to a mate. I did this to give something back to a scene that has given me great joy over the years. My intention is the same now as it was before the competition. You are drastically misinterpreting it.

To say that I am spouting opinion and you fact is false
I put it to you that you have reacted with emotion and i have given fact

You have missed the point of my post
The DJ comps are a symptom of a greater disease

I have been involved with the music scene in adelaide for over 30 years.  We were the ones who organised the secret raves of the late 80's and 90's.  We were the ones who got the Australian DMC Finals in Adelaide.

I have seen a lot in my time and all I am trying to tell you that there is a problem. 
obviously this forum is not the place for me as it is obvious it is a part of that problem.

If you dont know your past you cant know the future

As for "Train Wreck Guy", well this was not intended as an insult its just a fact that that is what he became known as due to his inability to recover or even cover up a mistake.  DJ 101 - if he cant perform live and be able to cover his arse then he has no place taking out first prize.

Ban for overheated rhetorical hyperbole, and for misspelling assassin, IMO.

I am trying to point out a serious problem and all you can come up with is a spelling mistake!
Ban me for trying to fix something I love
YOU my friend are a part of the cancer that is killing our industry

The spelling mistake was clearly an ancillary grievance. I have a list of others, including, but not limited to: shit avatar, wanky name, writing mind-numbingly terrible prose, supererogating the subaltern, making me care even less about a contest I already didn't care about, and sounding kinda douchey.

I also don't care about your industry, I'm just part of the furniture here.

Oh, and the title of this thread makes me want to punch things.

You want to punch things because you are being told truths you don’t want to hear

"I also don't care about your industry, I'm just part of the furniture here."
If this is true then why are you making comments that have no bearing on the point of this post

At least Khem and Rya's replies have given me something to think about, your kind of motor moron mentality helps no one

I want to punch things because you write terribly. If the truth is that a bunch of people I don't know, and some I have met a few times ran a faux competition to elevate the status of friends in a parochial community whilst doing lines of coke and laughing at your meager dreams, more power to them. The coke and laughter part sounds kinda fun.

I'm not looking to help anyone, I just find your writing so terrible and your cause so frivolous that I feel the need to muddy the waters. I feel I can offer some advice, though. Your life is not as important as you think it is. Go eat some cake, breathe slowly and contemplate some more constructive uses of your time (Irony, I know). Maybe sit outside and take some notes. It is a nice day and vitamin d is important.

I just want to know who this guy is. I'd say a lot of us must know him, if he was putting on parties in the early days.

Why the anonymity? You deal in truth and integrity. You are in no danger. Will it effect future business dealings?

Edit: Wiz post this refers to deleted.

On the night Groove Terminator lost the DMC finals here in Adelaide an oath was made to ensure the Adelaide scene would remain open minded and not stifle creativity so that great DJ's would have the opportunity to shine.

We are just upholding that oath

You are upholding it by whining and then going all Mark 5:9 on a barely inhabited forum. This seems like a rather impotent approach, Legion.

To say that I am spouting opinion and you fact is false
I put it to you that you have reacted with emotion and i have given fact

Please elaborate on your first point here. I've made every effort to say so wherever I spoke from my own opinion. Otherwise, I spoke truth based on actual occurrences (which can be backed up by others involved wherever necessary, or by the various records I have kept on EVERYTHING comp-related). As for your claims, how are they anything more than biased elaborations of your own anecdotal observations?

I don't deny that there was a great deal of emotion in what I wrote. You've made quite the accusation here, yet, in my own humble opinion, have failed to provide ample support of your argument. More recently I would avoid getting involved in such petty tripe, but to label Underground Sound nepotistic is to label myself and others fraudulent, dishonest, self-interested and oblivious to the needs of the local scene. I strongly oppose this.

Rya the last person I wanted to offend was you
In my opinion you are the hardest working person in Adelaide at the moment and I know for a fact that others have noticed too.

Please dont be discouraged by my words, the work you put in organising this event was out standing, it's just the predjudice that is systemic in the Adelaide DJ scene that let you down

You are upholding it by whining and then going all Mark 5:9 on a barely inhabited forum. This seems like a rather impotent approach, Legion.

Haha so you have figured it out. Yes we are many

I had needle jumps in two of my sets through out the comp and apart from that I can't recall too many other serious stuff ups.. The judges were given the job to vote and they did, I know alot of people who were proud and happy that I won and how I played so your thread and names mean nothing to me. If I knew who you were maybe I could come up with a few names for you??

Dear 'TheWiz'.

You are a fkn tool.

You dont know wtf you're talking about.

You are the problem and present no solutions to your perceived problems.

Be sure to let us know when you run a DJ comp from start to finish off your own back, at your own expense so we can enjoy picking it to pieces hidden behind some wak bogan avatar preaching about how it was 25 years ago. 

Im very keen to see how you would set up a comp to make it more 'fair' than Rya's model for assessment. Given that both Rya and I are professional educators, I think we know a thing or two about this shit.

You say to be part of the solution. WTF have you done for the scene lately?   

and yes- very emotional response from me.. id expect nothing less from me considering your seriously offensive first post naming the Underground Sound DJ Comp as 'jobs for the boys'.

I can guess who you are given you mention of Faint1 etc etc but im hoping you will grow a set and stand by your words with your real name. but i bet you dont. That would take INTEGRITY. Something you seem unfamiliar with.

peace.

P.s- Have fun at Groove Terminator at HQ tonight!! LOL



 

Smells like jaded raver in here.

This is all for me but considering the length of the post and the responses I am guessing this discussion has some merits. This is the soap box as well so please don't make personal attacks and just discuss the topic at hand.

Thx

Pretty sure someone's already made personal attacks!

Yeah but I'm too lazy to edit posts. Easier to just ask people not to make any more.

Unfortunately, it looks like TheWiz was right all along and here's the proof. If Lake threw in the clam hanging out of his wallet we probably would have had a new champion. Fucking nepotism.


image not archived: UGS.GFw-37.JPG

Sorry bro.. great picture, pretty sure that's Bribery though.. 

Dear 'TheWiz'.

You are a fkn tool.

You dont know wtf you're talking about.

You are the problem and present no solutions to your perceived problems.

Be sure to let us know when you run a DJ comp from start to finish off your own back, at your own expense so we can enjoy picking it to pieces hidden behind some wak bogan avatar preaching about how it was 25 years ago. 

Im very keen to see how you would set up a comp to make it more 'fair' than Rya's model for assessment. Given that both Rya and I are professional educators, I think we know a thing or two about this shit.

You say to be part of the solution. WTF have you done for the scene lately?   

and yes- very emotional response from me.. id expect nothing less from me considering your seriously offensive first post naming the Underground Sound DJ Comp as 'jobs for the boys'.

I can guess who you are given you mention of Faint1 etc etc but im hoping you will grow a set and stand by your words with your real name. but i bet you dont. That would take INTEGRITY. Something you seem unfamiliar with.

peace.

P.s- Have fun at Groove Terminator at HQ tonight!! LOL

If i could be bothered writing more it would be along the exact same lines as this so i won't bother!

Dear Wiz grow a pair and stop whinging like your the most hard done by posse on earth maybe if you guys thought about changing your attitude's you'd get somewhere in life!

Bigups my my main man Train wreck guy aka no bassline syme aka THE WINNER OF THE COMP thankyou kindly and fuck off!

I do apologise for any comments on here that were taken out of hand and if it bought any bad blood into the comp or mad it look bad in any way that was the last thing i was trying to do after Zack and Batch put so much effort into organising it, I did my bit behind the scences to resolve any issues but seems some people didn't wana let sleeping dogs lie!

Sorry bro.. great picture, pretty sure that's Bribery though.. 

I was using poetic license! 


Is this better?

image not archived: nepotism2.jpg

  

So i'm gonna call the big pink elephant in the room and point out that Mr 'TheWiz' is either Lotek or a supporter of. It doesn't take sherlock holmes to see that. So even if Syme did somehow get a magical 'Nepotism' bonus as you are suggesting, there were 2 other DJs (Lake & Harry Lawless) that rinsed that shit and placed 2nd & 3rd. So from a fellow competitor's (and self appointed judge) point of view, both DJ'd better than Lotek on the night as well. And i'm gonna throw Stylus up there too, she was an easy 4th imo.

I have mad respect for what each DJ threw down on the night but if you don't cut it with 5(or 6?) independant judges and a clear judging criteria, it's back to the drawing board my friend. That might be a hard cookie to swallow but i suggest you spend some more time learning how to swallow it and less time spitting your dummy and dribbling the cookie down your shirt which is what this thread is the equivalent to.

If you don't like competitions and the way they work, don't enter. Simple.

This coming from a 2009 inbound comp 3rd place, 2010 Homegrown freqs national mix comp runner up and 2011 underground sound semi finalist - so i'm a master at swallowing that damn cookie with my mixing resume of 'not winning comps'

Sorry bro.. great picture, pretty sure that's Bribery though.. 

Shame to waste a perfectly good picture though

so.. 

Haha, nice!!


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On the night Groove Terminator lost the DMC finals here in Adelaide an oath was made to ensure the Adelaide scene would remain open minded and not stifle creativity so that great DJ's would have the opportunity to shine.

We are just upholding that oath

did you guy's take some acid or amphetamines that nite too ? cause that's some gay shit rite there.
you sound like george lucas & steven speilberg's gay love child !
 

 

On the night Groove Terminator lost the DMC finals here in Adelaide an oath was made to ensure the Adelaide scene would remain open minded and not stifle creativity so that great DJ's would have the opportunity to shine.

We are just upholding that oath

Which begs the question, wtf have you guys been for the last 20 years? also, do you have secret meetings? with secret handshakes? How about code names?? i think code names are pretty sweet too! Is there a monthly email/ newsletter type thing that you send to the upholders of the oath? How about mission & vision statements? - I think saying that the scene should 'remain open' is a little ambiguous.  If you really want to increase engagement levels with your Oath crew, I suggest hammering out a solid mission statement in consultation with your crew so they feel have ownership of your operation.

sounds pretty cool bro. 

 

  @ Toby.

Wow, if I was a whiney pussy, I'd probably care about what he wrote.
What a stupid cunt, lol.

edit: big up Rya, you did a crazy good job man, was glad to be a part of it.
It was a great opportunity to hear some new DJs and have played/booked some already.

double edit: shit, just realised I booked Rya as a DJ at one of my shows for the first time ever desoite having known him for years.
My judging in the grand final is now clearly invalid.

Disclaimer- I don't agree with the OP

However I was stunned when I heard a Dude stopped the playing track, and went on to win the heat

For the record I have no idea who it was, but in all the comps I've been involved in, that kinda mistake pretty much meant you were done

What do you mean "stopped the playing track"

I believe it used to be called "pulling a C1". Instead of stopping the track you just mixed out of, you stop the one you just mixed in to. Silence ensues.

Sounds like a complete fail to me and I am completely uneducated in these matters.

I believe it used to be called "pulling a C1". Instead of stopping the track you just mixed out of, you stop the one you just mixed in to. Silence ensues.

 Best description ever

 Edit - your mum

c'mon we've all done it.. But you certainly don't win DJ comps doing so. 

Edit - your mum

  Ah memories.

Silence is the new double drop

Silence is the new double drop

artistic silence

I miss the Missy Elliot acapella and "The Mexican".

Those were the days 

Disclaimer- I don't agree with the OP

However I was stunned when I heard a Dude stopped the playing track, and went on to win the heat

For the record I have no idea who it was, but in all the comps I've been involved in, that kinda mistake pretty much meant you were done

That happened in Lakes set, in my heat. Myself, skinny, lake & loukabratz. Was that it?
Stopping the wrong tune is about as fatal an error as you can get, yet he won the heat. I was shocked!

I can't comment on the Adelaide DJ "scene" fuck I hate using that term, pre 2001, and as for 30 years ago...I was 6 and more troubled by finding the brake on my peewee fitty. What I can comment on is the state of DJing Australia wide since 92 as my involvement on decks stems*from there in QLD, NSW and SA. The DJ "culture" (ahh that's better)  in Adelaide seems exactly the same and in some cases better as far as underground movements go.
All breakbeat genre have gone onto making there own in this town, with the exception of nu skool breaks which per capita, as far as Marty B and myself rock a set here and there job done :P.
Competitions have there own criteria plainly set out by the promoter from day one. Each AND EVERY judge in the Underground Sound comp adhered to these criteria and each and EVERY judge would take offense if charged with playing the favoritism card. We are a close knit fam in this town yes but to suggest that the comp was tainted by a mediocre beef (which comes in any battle) or that the winner was given a free pass is the act of unsportsmanship (unmixoligistship) behaviour.
I have been in contact with Lotek since the final and he is fine with the outcome. He is a breed of DJ that whilst skilled on the decks is also humble to acknowledge that a comp with a major percentage going toward cohesive and articulate transitions in a mix can weigh on a decision over technical capability. The criteria for judging was not that of a DMC, a Red Bull, an ITF, or even a Lockdown. The criteria for judging was extensive and transparent enough for the judges to see who a winner of any heat or final would be.
I watched the final via soundpond.net and was even gunning for Lotek to win as a fellow tablism fanatic. I'm glad to not have judged on the night as from my perspective each competitor excelled in there own strengths. The outcome is an image of the strengths of the individual effort along with what they brought toward other criteria set out by the promoter. Nothing more nothing less.

*can I get apostrophe police here as it doesn't seem right lol

(unmixoligistship)


*can I get apostrophe police here as it doesn't seem right lol

You win the thread for using that term.

Thanks.

That happened in Lakes set, in my heat. Myself, skinny, lake & loukabratz. Was that it?
Stopping the wrong tune is about as fatal an error as you can get, yet he won the heat. I was shocked!

No idea who it was but numerous people said he did the same thing on sound pond last night

IM IN HIS HEAD!!

(Lol)

thanks for the reply
I do apologise for implying all judges were the problem as this is a gross inaccuracy

I really do appreciate your comments but from someone who has been apart of this type of music for over 30 years I see Adelaide at its lowest point ever and it does make me sad as we do have so much talent hidden away

they should take heart in the fact that they can make a difference and not be daunted by the nepotism that exists

I have a very hard time believing you've been involved in the Adelaide scene for 30 years and have only just realised the level of nepotism and scenism which occurs.

Wow, if I was a whiney pussy, I'd probably care about what he wrote.

So, this means you do care? 

 

The spelling mistake was clearly an ancillary grievance. I have a list of others, including, but not limited to: shit avatar, wanky name, writing mind-numbingly terrible prose, supererogating the subaltern, making me care even less about a contest I already didn't care about, and sounding kinda douchey.

I also don't care about your industry, I'm just part of the furniture here.

 

I feel this thread should be named hypocritical (group) sore loserism.

That might be a hard cookie to swallow but i suggest you spend some more time learning how to swallow it and less time spitting your dummy and dribbling the cookie down your shirt which is what this thread is the equivalent to.

^^^ On the money! BAM!