Sister SF Resident DJ Amber brings her DJing advice column, Cue & A, to the pages of SisterSF.com! Every month she'll be answering two questions sent in by different DJs from around the world.

Cue & A for May 2003:

QUESTION: When you're playing out, or say, making a mix CD what kinds of things make OTHER DJs go, "nice..."?

ANSWER: My answer would be different for playing out versus recording. For recording, I think a wicked track selection gets you almost all the way there. The listener only has one sesnse active—hearing. In person, because the audience can
see what you are doing versus just noises and tricks on the track, looking active, enthusiastic, and having a few tricksor effects up your sleeve always helps. The never-ending enthusiasm and popularity of Donald Glaude is a perfect example.

QUESTION: Do you pay attention to set architecture—do you really think about what you are going to start with, move into and end with? Do you start them off
gently, build up then take them down again?

ANSWER: Sometimes, it depends. :) Have a vague architecture in mind, but stay flexible to meet the vibe of the crowd and especially the sound of the DJ you go on after. For example, if I spin a hard techno set after another hard techno DJ, everyone's head is already full of banging, I need to take it down a while to let everyone catch their breath. But, if I'm following a mellow set I can blast into it quickly and it will work.

QUESTION: Do you bother trying to read the crowd or do you just play whatever you feel like and they can take it or leave it?

ANSWER: I've done both, and know DJs who one do one or the other. It's a personal call, I just go based on how I'm feeling that night. Sometimes I feel more "loyal" to my sound than I do other nights. Most often I bring what I love and—yes—the room can take it or leave it. My harder sound is under-represented so it's important for me to stand by it and give people time to spend with it. It takes time and repeated listenings to warm up to a new or challenging sound.

QUESTION: If all you have is, say, hip hop, and the crowd looks bored, what the hell are you supposed to do about it?

ANSWER: That depends, do you have anything other than hip hop in your bag? :) You work with what you have. Over time you learn to anticipate the expectations and best sounds for certain types of parties and crowds. If I know less about the crowd and the venue's size and layout I'll bring a bigger variety of sounds so I can change on the fly. If I know exactly what to expect, I can pack much less.

Want to ask Amber a question? Email her your burning request at amber@sistersf.com. Amber can't reply to all the mail she receives. We also can't guarantee she'll answer your particular question in this column, but check back often just in case! And don't forget, if Amber tells you to do the DJing equivalent of sticking your hand in the fire, don't hold us liable!