In The Studio With DJ Harvey TECH
Why did you choose the D&B Audiotechnik system rather than firm club favorites like Void or Funktion One? “I think Funktion One has become almost the standard for a lot of touring sounds and installations, but it does have some shortcomings. Some people do accuse it of being a little harsh, but again, you know, tuning a soundsystem can go a long way to solving these problems using EQ and that. Getting rid of problem frequencies will help a sound.
“Basically, for the London gig I went with my man Micky Moist. When I do my own parties in LA, we use predominately a JBL system, an old school JBL with a classic sound. At the Oval Space party, the D&B system was Micky’s recommendation. He basically said he had access to this new system and it was a good one, and I was like, ‘OK, let’s go for it’, simple as that. It definitely lived up to its reputation for power and clarity, but we should have looked into the finer details, considering the venue. But hey, as they say, ‘Nothing ventured nothing gained’.”
You teamed up with your original engineer Micky Moist. What was the significance of getting him back onboard for these events? “We are really just good, old friends. He used to do the sound for me at a bunch of events like Moist and various warehouse parties, it was really lovely to link up with him again, reconnect and reminisce. He is part of my party heritage and party family. He is one of the top boys, as far as that I would advise anyone to try and get him to provide soundsystems and engineering for their parties. He still does the Mastermind sound at Notting Hill Carnival, which is spectacular. It was really just keeping it in the family and getting the old band back together.”
Do you get obsessed about the sound at your gigs? “I think it is really important to make an effort and try and get the best sound possible within the
limitations that you have to deal with. It’s like, I try to have high quality new styli when I DJ out, if I DJ using digital files, I try to have high quality, high bit-rate files. It is quite difficult to get the message across if the sound is bad, if you can’t hear the lyrics to the song or if the mid range is screamingly painful — whatever it may be.
“I think it is the DJ’s job, the engineer’s job, the club’s job to aspire to be as good a sound as possible.”
So you’ve been drawn down the digital route when it comes to DJing? “I do play quite a few CDs, as there are a lot of things that haven’t made it to vinyl, like edits, remixes or brand-new productions. As far as USB sticks/Serato, I think for me it’s a case of never say never. I thought I’d never play CDs, and I do. I honestly don’t think it really makes a difference. I think the spirit of the party and mastery of the DJ should trump all formats. Personally I like the way vinyl sounds, I like the feel and touch of it, but hey, do you like oysters, do you like snails? I like them both.”
djmag.com 065
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