Moonboots By Orlando Riva Sounds Record Causing Personal Trauma

[JussiK]

I adore "Moon Boots" by Orlando Riva Sound but after humiliating myself trying unsuccessfully to bring it out of another track sometime around 1978 I've never been able to perform properly with it. Last summer a Tom Moulton mix was made commercially available and I bought the thing in hopes of finally conquering my fear. No avail, still can't do it. Total impotence. The intro seems to have no steady bpm, the times I've tried it with a mixer with a counter the digits jumped back and forth madly. I've of course heard and even seen djs mix it, quite nonchalantly at apparent ease but for me it's jinxed. What's the bpm of the intro or the actual damn thing itself, does it have one?

[Bernie]

I recall having a hard time with Venus Dodson's Night Rider since the intro also seemed to fluctuate like you said with Moon Boots. Sounds like a job for a slip cue or knowing each variance and working it that way.

[shives]

The one that got me was Carrie Laporte's Keep On Talkin' Same thing, no steady beat.

[thommy2458]

The mid break of "This Time Baby"...it's not for kids!

[Disco Funk]

Songs with fluctuating tempos also annoy re-editors like myself who want to make extended mixes of songs. For example, the Eddie Drennon Collage album features tracks like Let's Do The Latin Hustle that feature some great bass drum intros. Unfortunately, if I wanted to make an extended edit by bringing that breakdown into the middle of the song, it's not possible because it speeds up! The same thing happens in Bill Harris' Van McCoy produced 'Am I Cold Am I Hot'. I'm not sure if Steve Gadd or Rick Marotta is the drummer on that cut, but I'm surprised the bpms weren't consistent. Then again, I've read that Gadd plays on feel rather than tempo.

Disco Funk

[Bernie]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

Then again, I've read that Gadd plays on feel rather than tempo.

Disco Funk

This is why the older music had more umph and felt more alive unlike the later mechanical sequenced music.

[discolady75]

Originally Posted by Bernie

This is why the older music had more umph and felt more alive unlike the later mechanical sequenced music.

My tip is controlling carefully the speed with my headphone on the next or current record i want to launch when spinning. Of course, it's so difficult, but i try ! For me Disco is the hardest music to spin. All records are not regular, except maybe the one with a mechanical like beat (ie Cerrone).

They all change, at one/several time of the song. You pitch in the beginning, it changes at the end, or after the break... there is nothing u can do against that. Except controlling while spinning, knowing perfectly the tracks, finding the right moments etc..

I think spinning disco is a mix of :
- chemical thing, absolute subconscious disco inspiration that u cant control in any way (u got it or you dont and will never get it..) all depends on how you feel disco, how you explore it, the collection etc..

AND

- special disco technical skills as perfect as possible with the right pitching / putting right speed at the same time / right moment of each track where to fade in and fade out / right kinds of disco and making the whole "sound design" as coherent as possible

and i dont talk about feeling how audience is, interact with them etc...

Art or science ? Both together is the best of course... but i prefer a succession of good tracks, as unexpected as possible "but but WHAT IS THIS????", mixed with the love of a generous connaisseur than a perfect mixed session, with only expected tracks, no taken risk, no travelling etc..

You can count on a indulgent audience too !!
Aïcha