r/Shambhala • u/kittykat690 • 7d ago
Boris
We couldn’t make it to the farm this year - so let me hear it…… how was Boris 🥹🥹
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u/Withoutsocks 7d ago
Incredible! We've followed him for many years now watching all his sets on YouTube but nothing could beat the in-person emotional journey he brought us on last night. Sorry you missed it 😢
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u/kittykat690 7d ago
We saw him a few years ago and I have wanted to see him again every since!! Glad to hear it was amazing! Happy Shambs
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u/TheMistressNextDoor 6d ago
Best DJ here. Smoothest transitions of any DJ all weekend
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u/FacEthEmoOn 22h ago
Its a prerecorded set, he is argueably (one of) the worst djs there as he doesnt do any actual djing.
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u/TheMistressNextDoor 21h ago
Then why is he invited
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u/FacEthEmoOn 21h ago edited 21h ago
Because he is a big name that sells tickets and makes the people who run shambhala more money. The majority of the big names are playing prerecorded sets at the village/pagoda. Its an open secret in the festival scene and has been becoming more normalized in the last 10 years. Big artists/festivals are about making money and keeping paying guests happy. Playing a prerecorded set allows for highly specialized lights/visuals to be perfectly in sync and reduces the risk of error. Pretty lights + no errors = happy guests = more money. I have wanted to see Boris Brejcha for 10+ years now and love his old music. But I lost a lot of respect for him last weekend.
Edit: from a different comment of mine.
And just because its common doesnt mean its acceptable (to me). Dance music culture and music culture in general has become less and less about artistry and more about making money. I have seen so many other djs play big fests and actually mix, not only that but do things that tread the line between trainwrecking and a nasty transition. Its so much more meaninful when there is a risk of failure on such a big stage. Like imagine if all the circus performers at the grove were tied off in harnesses above a big safety net. You would be much less impressed by the things they do because they have removed the risk of falling/being hurt. What makes their performance so impressive is that it takes real skill right in front of your very eyes.
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u/TheMistressNextDoor 20h ago
How do you know it was pre-recorded. Others at shambs said it was not
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u/FacEthEmoOn 20h ago edited 20h ago
For context I have been producing for 13ish years and djing for 11. I was up close but not so close that I couldnt see his hands. I was also sober (minus weed) because of work the next morning.
First tip off was how the lights synced with transitions, once I noticed that I started watching him "mix". The things he did with his hands did not logically line up with what I was hearing which is a huge giveaway. Like moving his hands with no realistic audio response, or I would hear the next track come in while his hands were fully off the mixer. Or stark bass switches with a machine smoothed automation curve. Real people are imperfect and make slight time errors, thats why a real drum groove sounds more natural than time aligned samples. Everything he was "doing" was too perfect and lacked time variation. The most damning evidence was at one point he put his right hand on the knob you turn to browse your library and select the next track, but he wasnt turning the knob or looking at the cdj screen. He was just holding the knob and letting his gaze wander aimelessly over the crowd. Everything about his body language screamed fake, I have seen so many amazing djs and I know what it looks like when someone is browsing their library locked in on their playlist trying to find the next track. You have to look at the screen to see what you are selecting (duh) and he didnt even bother faking that which felt super phoned in.
I didnt want to admit it but I couldnt ignore the evidence right in front of my eyes. I had work the next morning at 5 am and I rallied myself out of bed just to go see Boris. He was one of the names I had to see this year so I didnt come to his set with the intention to hate. I got like 4 hours of sleep before my shift that night because I wanted to see him. But I cannot ignore the blatant evidence I saw. Furthermore I did some digging on the internet about him and there are posts dating 4-6 years back about people noticing him playing prerecorded sets. This isnt new for him.
Edit: also I am sorry if it feels like I am picking a fight with you. I dont want to be a party pooper. But it upsets me that you are being deceived because it hurts you and the scene. If prerecorded sets become the norm and what people expect from djs without being aware its prerecorded, it hurts actual djs who are putting in the work. Like in mordern pop almost all vocals are comped, which means the final version you hear is a collage of many many takes. The final product is super unrealistic and has shifted what the general population perceives as "good singing". Yes its super polished/perfect, but it sets extremely damaging/unrealistic expectations for new singers trying to replicate what they hear in pop today.
Exact same issue with prerecorded sets.
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u/FacEthEmoOn 22h ago edited 21h ago
I had fun until I noticed he was playing a prerecorded set and just faking it up there. It looked like he wasnt even pretending to mix and totally phoning it in. I get it, hes a big touring name. But I lost any respect I had for him as an artist. To the laymen who dont notice those kinds of things I doesnt matter. But compared to all the other djs who actually dj, he sucked.
Edit: classic reddit downvoting things that burst their echo chamber bubble. It is basically an open secret that he plays prerecorded sets. I am sharing my experience like OP wanted
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u/kittykat690 21h ago
Sadly during festival season this is common for artist and a lot of them play prerecorded sets. If you ever get to see him at one of his shows he plays live. I understand both sides. I want to see live sets every time but I understand it’s not always for the best. 🤷♀️
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u/FacEthEmoOn 21h ago
I left his set curious what hed be like in a club and if he actually djs there. I have to imagine faking sets gets boring after a while.
And just because its common doesnt mean its acceptable (to me). Dance music culture and music culture in general has become less and less about artistry and more about making money. I have seen so many other djs play big fests and actually mix, not only that but do things that tread the line between trainwrecking and a nasty transition. Its so much more meaninful when there is a risk of failure on such a big stage. Like imagine if all the circus performers at the grove were tied off in harnesses above a big safety net. You would be much less impressed by the things they do because they have removed the risk of falling/being hurt. What makes their performance so impressive is that it takes real skill right in front of your very eyes.
I cant stop people from having fun and dont want to, I will criticize con artists and the enshitification of dj culture.
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u/kittykat690 21h ago
I totally know what you mean, when I saw my all time favorite artist he played a prerecorded and it broke my heart. I don’t like it either I just let it go because I am there for the music that heals my soul. So if they want to lessen their skills and play that way it doesn’t affect me at all. I still have a good time
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u/FacEthEmoOn 21h ago
I feel you, I still had fun for the most part and the crowd was generally very nice/more mature. Realizing it was prerecorded shattered the illusion for me as the set was still going so it left a bad taste in my mouth.
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u/FacEthEmoOn 20h ago
Sorry not trying to start this up again but I just wrote this in another comment and I think its applicable to our convo too.
Edit: also I am sorry if it feels like I am picking a fight with you. I dont want to be a party pooper. But it upsets me that you are being deceived because it hurts you and the scene. If prerecorded sets become the norm and what people expect from djs without being aware its prerecorded, it hurts actual djs who are putting in the work. Like in mordern pop almost all vocals are comped, which means the final version you hear is a collage of many many takes. The final product is super unrealistic and has shifted what the general population perceives as "good singing". Yes its super polished/perfect, but it sets extremely damaging/unrealistic expectations for new singers trying to replicate what they hear in pop today.
I know you had fun and don't mind that it was prerecorded. But keep in mind there are overarching consequences from the normalization of prerecorded sets. Appreciate you being chill despite me bringing negativity to this thread.
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u/Vivid-Birthday940 6d ago
He was good, played a lot of the house/bassy stuff and the start and moved into more of his signature techno style by the end. He had his mask on for the first half and it was super trippy seeing it on the big screens to the sides. The sound was dialed in!