Yoda VDJ Set

[syzygy]

(It was advertised as a VDJ set, so I guess that is the term that Yoda prefers...)


In case anyone hasn't heard of DJ Yoda, he is famous for his scratch-heacy hip hop sets that feature a lot of samples from 70's and 80's TV programmes and films.

His latest tour is a 'VDJ' set which basically means him with decks and one DVDJ (no video mixer). He played at the medicine bar last night and I saw pretty much the whole set.


My first impression was fairly mixed. The set was fun, but very obvious in its use of samples (star wars, transformers, he man, muppet show etc) and there was the usual AV problem of people watching the screen rather than dancing.

However, as the set went on, things got better. People realised that they could dance AND watch the screens at the same time. There were some really clever little moments (e.g. a reordering of the light-up paving stones in Billy Jean)

Overall though, the clever moments were the exception rather than the rule. Most of the set consisted of well known hip hop tunes with seemingly random film samples layed on top. A fun novelty (to be fair to Yoda, many in the crowd were loving the cliches) but not something that I can see having lasting appeal.

Yoda has only has his DVDJ for a few months, so I'm sure we can expect much more from him in the future. At the very least, his tour prooves that AV can work in nightclubs without creating a beard stroking atmosphere. The crowd clearly enjoyed his set; he got a huge cheer at the end. I suspect that we will have to look elsewhere for really groundbreaking use of the DVDJ though.

[sleepytom]

hmm "DJ Yodas got the skills but you guys f'ing rocked" - some munter at zoetrope commenting on the relative performances of yoda and the VJamm allstars... ;)

still he wasn't doing AV back then so its probably an unfair comparison these days.

Yoda is firmly up there in creative users of the DVJ - i've not seen his AV show but any actual scratching / juggling on DVJs is incredibly creative compared to the MTV derived shite that most dvjdjs are playing.

hiphop is a cliche in itself these days - personally i find it infinitely more entertaining to watch cut up muppets and starwars than to watch hours and hours of the latest booty shaking r+b videos - or indeed the kind of "self created" crap that certain house djs seem to be knocking up to accompany there boring music. a bad jackson loop followed by a lightsaber fight at least has the element of surprise and a what can possibly come next kind of humour where as a fluffy bra'd girl dancing out of time to the same generic house beat will never be able to offer the same surprise or humour.

(this is possibly personal taste although i do think that hiphop audiences are more willing to take interest in the visuals than an e'd up house crowd who basically don't want to look at anything that might distract them)

VDJ?? hmm "hello I'm DJ Yoda - i'm a VDJ who just can't stop scratching" sounds like some kind of intro from a sexual diseases self help group - personally I'd go with DVJ or DVDJ or DVJDJ or AVJ or something.