2,704 research outputs found
Rethinking live electronic music: a DJ perspective
No full textThe author critiques the conventional understanding of live electronic music through empirical research on his own DJ practice and investigates others working in the field. In reviewing the opinions of theorists and practitioners in both the live electronic music genre and DJ-ing he argues against the body/machine dialectic that has determined much of the thinking in the former. The author forms a notion of the DJ as a real-time composer working beyond traditional binary distinctions who brings the human body and machine into a mutual relationship. Through practice-led research he charts an investigation beginning in physical human gesture and culminating in digital machine repetition. He concludes that mechanical and digital repetition do not obscure human agency in the production of live works and that this concern is imaginary
hpDJ: An automated DJ with floorshow feedback
No full textMany radio stations and nightclubs employ Disk-Jockeys (DJs) to provide a continuous uninterrupted stream or “mix” of dance music, built from a sequence of individual song-tracks. In the last decade, commercial pre-recorded compilation CDs of DJ mixes have become a growth market. DJs exercise skill in deciding an appropriate sequence of tracks and in mixing 'seamlessly' from one track to the next. Online access to large-scale archives of digitized music via automated music information retrieval systems offers users the possibility of discovering many songs they like, but the majority of consumers are unlikely to want to learn the DJ skills of sequencing and mixing. This paper describes hpDJ, an automatic method by which compilations of dance-music can be sequenced and seamlessly mixed by computer, with minimal user involvement. The user may specify a selection of tracks, and may give a qualitative indication of the type of mix required. The resultant mix can be presented as a continuous single digital audio file, whether for burning to CD, or for play-out from a personal playback device such as an iPod, or for play-out to rooms full of dancers in a nightclub. Results from an early version of this system have been tested on an audience of patrons in a London nightclub, with very favourable results. Subsequent to that experiment, we designed technologies which allow the hpDJ system to monitor the responses of crowds of dancers/listeners, so that hpDJ can dynamically react to those responses from the crowd. The initial intention was that hpDJ would monitor the crowd’s reaction to the song-track currently being played, and use that response to guide its selection of subsequent song-tracks tracks in the mix. In that version, it’s assumed that all the song-tracks existed in some archive or library of pre-recorded files. However, once reliable crowd-monitoring technology is available, it becomes possible to use the crowd-response data to dynamically “remix” existing song-tracks (i.e, alter the track in some way, tailoring it to the response of the crowd) and even to dynamically “compose” new song-tracks suited to that crowd. Thus, the music played by hpDJ to any particular crowd of listeners on any particular night becomes a direct function of that particular crowd’s particular responses on that particular night. On a different night, the same crowd of people might react in a different way, leading hpDJ to create different music. Thus, the music composed and played by hpDJ could be viewed as an “emergent” property of the dynamic interaction between the computer system and the crowd, and the crowd could then be viewed as having collectively collaborated on composing the music that was played on that night. This en masse collective composition raises some interesting legal issues regarding the ownership of the composition (i.e.: who, exactly, is the author of the work?), but revenue-generating businesses can nevertheless plausibly be built from such technologies
Characterisation of DJ1 (PARK7) in human brain: possible involvement in idiopathic Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders
No full textMutations in the DJ‐1 gene can induce the development of early‐onset Parkinson's disease
(PD) through a loss of protein function. Currently any possible role for DJ‐1 in sporadic PD
remains undetermined. To address this, we have studied the characteristics and activities of
DJ‐1 in post‐mortem human brain tissue in order to gain insights into its contribution to the
development of PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Western blotting revealed DJ‐1 protein expression to be reduced in several brain regions
associated with PD pathology including nigra, striatum and frontal cortex. Similarly levels of
DJ‐1 mRNA were also shown to also be lower in PD striatum and frontal cortex suggesting a
transcriptional regulation of protein expression in human brain. Further analysis of DJ‐1
gene expression showed PD related changes to be variable throughout the brain, with
regions like the amygdala and entorhinal cortex displaying an up‐regulation. DJ‐1 protein
was also shown to undergo increased oxidation in PD cases, highlighting the elevated
oxidative stress conditions in PD. By using immunoprecipitation to investigate a possible role for DJ‐1 as an in vivo regulator
of translation, we found DJ‐1 protein associates with RNA transcripts for selenoproteins,
PTEN/Akt pathway components and mitochondrial subunits of complex 1. Protein levels for
a number of these transcripts were altered in PD tissue without any parallel change in
mRNA levels. DJ‐1 is reportedly involved in a diverse range of cellular activities and its
proclivity to associate with multiple RNA species provides a simple biochemical mechanism
for this. Moreover it demonstrates that under conditions of elevated oxidative stress, DJ‐1
can instigate a rapid and compartmentalised up‐regulation of pro‐survival proteins in a
transcriptionally independent manner.
Analysis of DJ‐1 in tauopathies showed co‐localisation with 3R and 4R tau, implicating a
possible chaperone function for DJ‐1. Unlike in PD, no altered expression of DJ‐1 mRNA and
protein was observed
Interview of author Phenderson Dj\ue8l\ued Clark at the Zora Neale Hurston Festival in Eatonville, Florida
No full textAward winning author and founding member of FIYAH Literary Magazine, Phenderson Dj\ue8l\ued Clark, is interviewed by Grace Chun, project coordinator at University of Florida Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, as part of the 2020 Zora Neale Hurston Festival in Eatonville, Florida. Mr. Clark shares how his time in Trinidad, his exposure to afro-creole folktales, Hindu stories, Muslim festivals as well as his exposure to Twilight Zone and old horror movies from his parents nurtured a deep interest in the fantastic. Mr. Clark defines afrofuturism as something to do with the future, whether it is how Black people will exist in the future or futuristic ideas. He describes how his writing fits more with retro-afrofuturism, where you imbue the past with future elements and explore a past that never was. Mr. Clark says that afrofuturism offers a way to resist the kind of future in a world like now and how to form a resistance against it; it empowers people to imagine a different future, a possibility of a different future. He also talks about how afrofuturism extends beyond literary work into music and other creative forms
Identification of the recognition sequence and target proteins for DJ-1 protease
No full textDJ-1, the product of familial Parkinson's disease gene and an oncogene, is a cysteine protease which plays a role in anti-oxidative stress reaction. In this study, we identified the recognition sequence for DJ-1 protease by using recombinant DJ-1 and a peptide library. Protease activity of DJ-1 lacking C-terminal alpha-helix (DJ-1 Delta H9) was stronger than that of full-sized DJ-1, and the most susceptible sequence digested by DJ-1 Delta H9 was valine-lysine-valine-alanine (VKVA) under the optimal conditions of pH 5.5 and 0 mM NaCl. Divalent ions, especially Cu2+, were inhibitory to DJ-1's protease activity. c-abl oncogene 1 product (ABL1) and kinesin family member 1B (KIF1B) containing VKVA were digested by DJ-1 Delta H9. Structured summary of protein interactions: DJ-1 cleaves IUF1B by enzymatic study (View interaction) DJ-1 cleaves ABLI by enzymatic study (View interaction) (C) 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Stimulation of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 activity by DJ-1 in SH-SY5Y cells
No full textLoss-of-functional mutation in the DJ-1 gene causes a subset of familial Parkinson's disease. The mechanism underlying DJ-1-related selective vulnerability in the dopaminergic pathway is, however, not known. Dopamine is synthesized by two enzymes and then packed into synaptic vesicles by vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2). In this study, we found that knockdown of DJ-1 expression reduced the levels of mRNA and protein of VMAT2, resulting in reduced VMAT2 activity. Co-immunoprecipitation and pull-down experiments revealed that DJ-1 directly bound to VMAT2, and DJ-1 was co-localized with VMAT2 in cells. Furthermore, ectopic expression of wild-type DJ-1, but not that of L166P, M261 and C106S mutants of DJ-1, increased mRNA and protein levels of VMAT2 and VMAT2 activity. Since VMAT2 and a portion of DJ-1 are localized in the synaptic membrane, these results suggest that DJ-1, but not pathogenically mutated DJ-1, stimulates VMAT2 activity in the synapse by transactivation of the VMAT gene and by direct binding to VMAT2 and that cysteine 106 is necessary for the stimulating activity of DJ-1 toward VMAT2
The DJ as Critic, "constructing a sort of argument"
No full textCountering romanticized representations of the disc jockey (DJ) as author, rock star, or shaman, this essay argues that the DJ is best understood as a critic, emblematic of appropriation as criticism in a mediascape characterized by content surplus, not scarcity. The paper theorizes DJ techniques (e.g. playback, mixing) as processes of selection and sequencing that enact Foucault’s model of commentary. The work of American DJ Z-Trip provides a case study. I contextualize this argument according to institutions like patriarchy and copyright, and situate DJ work in a history of appropriative forms, from the ancient cento to digital curating platforms
DJ-1 binds to mitochondrial complex I and maintains its activity
No full textParkinson's disease (PD) is caused by neuronal cell death, and oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are thought to be responsible for onset of PD. DJ-1, a causative gene product of a familial form of Parkinson's disease, PARK7, plays roles in transcriptional regulation and anti-oxidative stress. The possible mitochondrial function of DJ-1 has been proposed, but its exact function remains unclear. In this study, we found that DJ-1 directly bound to NDUFA4 and ND1, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA-encoding subunits of mitochondrial complex I, respectively, and was co-localized with complex I and that complex I activity was reduced in DJ-1-knockdown NIH3T3 and HEK293 cells. These findings suggest that DJ-1 is an integral mitochondrial protein and that DJ-1 plays a role in maintenance of mitochondrial complex I activity
Oxidized DJ-1 Inhibits p53 by Sequestering p53 from Promoters in a DNA-Binding Affinity-Dependent Manner
No full textDJ-1 is an oncogene and the causative gene for familial Parkinson's disease. Although the oxidative status of DJ-1 at cysteine 106 (C106) is thought to affect all of the activities of DJ-1 and excess oxidation leads to the onset of various diseases, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of oxidation of DJ-1 on protein-protein interactions of DJ-1 remain unclear. In this study, we found that DJ-1 bound to the DNA-binding region of p53 in a manner dependent on the oxidation of C106. Of the p53 target genes, the expression level and promoter activity of the DUSP1 gene, but not those of the p21 gene, were increased in H2O2-treated DJ-1(-/-) cells and were decreased in wild-type DJ-1- but not C106S DJ-1-transfected H1299 cells through sequestration of p53 from the DUSP1 promoter by DJ-1. DUSP1 downregulated by oxidized DJ-1 activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and decreased apoptosis. The DUSP1 and p21 promoters harbor nonconsensus and consensus p53 recognition sequences, respectively, which have low affinity and high affinity for p53. However, DJ-1 inhibited p21 promoter activity exhibited by p53 mutants harboring low DNA-binding affinity but not by wild-type p53. These results indicate that DJ-1 inhibits the expression of p53 target genes and depend on p53 DNA-binding affinity and oxidation of DJ-1 C106
The Interactive DJ: Audience Participation in a Live DJ Performance Setting
No full textThe goal of this project was to develop a live audience engagement tool for DJs. At the project’s inception in the fall of 2022, there were already a number of tools available to provide audiences with an opportunity to give musical input - namely Festify, LimeDJ, and RequestNow. After critically analyzing the aforementioned tools, the author designed and held a DJ set wherein the audience voted for styles of music and he created mashups of the two most-voted-for styles. Having a DJ act as both programmer and performer led to some significant obstacles in the performance not limited to heavy computer CPU load; nevertheless, the project became a use-case for quickly evolving AI stem generators (particularly Serato Stems1) and the author intends to recreate the project as a game for DJs to test their transition and mixing skills.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-production-technology/1342/thumbnail.jp
- …
