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. 22 Over the last decade the electronic music industry has undergone a fascinating evolu- tion. It has inevitably been slowly but surely creeping it’s way into popular music culture and 2013 was the landmark year it truly entrenched itself. Disclosure, Rudimental and Daft Punk all snatched No.1 albums in the Uk charts receiving universal applaud. One quality they all share is the aspect of live performance. For too long young DJs have been mindlessly abusing modern technology in the pursuit of fame and popularity, breeding a generation doing very little creatively. Selecting the top 10 from each Beatport genre every week and playing it to a crowd does not make you a DJ, it seems the tag has become somewhat lost in a fog of ten-a-penny wannabes. Millions of young and aspiring acts around the world are forgetting the foundations of DJ culture and as a result they are performing predictable and lifeless sets. But fear not, the flip side to this coin is the accessibility of DJ equipment; the industry is flourishing so hundreds of innovative and creative tools are now available to those with some imagination. The Native Instruments Maschine mk2 is a staple part of the live performance diet, delivering both hardware and software capabilities it can be used as a controller for mapping and time stretch- ing. Pioneer’s RMX1000 is an exceptional FX unit that also allows for programming your own samples. And Dave Smith’s Tempest is a beautifully dynamic drum machine, with over 400 samples, two LFO’s and 58 modulation destinations it packs percussive punch as well as bassy groove. It is with tools like these that young, creative individuals can relentlessly test their abilities to push musical boundaries, and with any luck it will give birth to a world of exciting and gripping performances. More and more professional DJ’s are now also turning to live performance. There is something incredibly thrilling about watching live music, which is shared with both crowd and per- former. It’s the beauty of improvisation and showmanship, the anticipation of what will happen next and the energy and vigor that goes into it. It brings the musician out of the DJ and puts their creativity to the test, and as a result it produces some truly magical experiences. Julien Bracht is but one musician who chooses to do this. Part of the Cocoon family he produces infernal sounding techno assisted by a full electronic drum kit. His undeniably raw passion is clear to see as he layers his fierce drum performance amongst pre-recorded tracks. It creates an energy in the room like no oth- er and the crowd bounce off of that energy. Having the ability to breakdown specific elements of a track, record live, edit, recon- struct and perform whilst on the fly is inspiring and it creates unique, exciting and powerful music. Guti, Mr G, Minilogue, Dense & Pika, Kink, Darkside, Bondax and Detlef are another small selection of artists who choose to perform live. Armed with an abundance of drum machines, synths, keyboards, mixers and instruments they all produce breath- taking shows with way more energy than traditional sets. It helps break the mould of the monotonous and predictable sounds that are rife in clubs at the moment and with any luck it will inspire the new gener- ation of DJs, because if you really want to make it you best stand out from the crowd. Many of the most poignant, inspiring and heartbreaking films are British. Each city seems to have a defining moment on the silver screen. Manchester has A Taste of Honey and 24 Hour Party People, Edin- burgh has Trainspotting and London has far too many to mention. Birmingham, how- ever seems to come up short, Sex Lives of the Potato Men was set here, although less said about that train wreck of a movie the better. Unfortunately the second largest city in Britain seems to lack its magnum opus. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a working relationship with cinema and Birmingham. While there may not be much to see of Birmingham on the silver screen, there is plenty to see on the silver screen in Bir- mingham. If its cult and art house cinema that takes your fancy, Scott House Social Cinema is a monthly Thursday film event that fea- tures a DJ, drinks and a viewing of cult or independent film (strictly no Hollywood blockbusters). Rachel Taylor, who runs the events, believes Birmingham is lacking when it comes to independent cinema; “Apart from the small pub cinema scene, there are only two art house cinemas in the city, which is ridiculous in a city of this size” Future events by Scott House are shaping up to be very interesting. They will be showing some lesser known films, more world cinema, animation and documen- taries. Some of the films in the pipeline include; Thomas Vinterbergs’s The Hunt, 60’s kitchen sink classic Saturday Night Sunday Morning (which is at least set in the Midlands) and Coffee and Cigarettes by Jim Jamusch. Many of the nights link the film theme to the evening, with the choice of music, food and props, resulting to a unique and fun experience. brum’s film culture Birmingham is also about to play host to the annual FlatPack Film Festival. Between March 20th – 30th Birmingham will be alive with various events across several venues around the city. Flatpack is a celebration of film, jam packed with a programme of new features, short films, archive discoveries, installations, parties, weird films for kids, and events from canal-side sound walks and artist talks to expanded cinema per- formances and live soundtracks. Flatpack began as a film night in the Rainbow back in 2003 with 7 inch cinema, eventually expanding over the years. The Flatpack team’s events have bonded great cine- ma with stimulating venues to create an atmosphere unlike any other, such as last years viewing of The Passion of Joan of Arc in the Birmingham Cathedral. This year will be even bigger for the festival. There will be 136 events in total which will include a screening of Nosferatu with a live score from one of the members of Pram and live animation from Miwa Matreyek with a soundtrack by Flying Lotus. One of Flatpack Festivals organisers, An- nabel Clarke stated that “There are some amazing links between film and Birming- ham. Oscar Deutsch born in Balsall Heath founded the Odeon cinema chain, Alex- ander Parkes invented the fore-runner to celluloid in Birmingham and there is even evidence Charlie Chaplin was born in the city”. Birmingham may not have its grand defining movie (yet), but with a past so ingrained in cinema lore and a bright future being championed by lovers of independ- ent film and cinema as a whole, it seems we may not even need it. press more than play: the future of dj culture words by: Mike Taylor words by: Lee Smith