Lord of the dance?
If a Dj reaches the top of this profession. He can date a supermodel. He can become a millionaire.
He will visit and play at some of the most astonishing events and stadiums on the planet; and reach them via private jet, or by helicopter.
And yet most DJs would do this for free; or at least for a nominal fee if only they just can get a venue to play at.
You don’t believe me? Well, check out the hundreds of thousands of people around the world who are employed within the nightclub and nightclub venues environment.
Even more than that the millions of clubbers and ravers who will pay accordingly just to see and hear these same DJs performing at the top of their abilities will also add weight to the argument.
But you may have heard these statements before in your lifetime wherever you are in the world.
And to be honest this is just one of the reasons why I have decided to write an article like this for you.
Have a read of the statements below which just gets my blood temperature rising.
“Anybody can be a DJ? You’re playing other people’s music for god sake.
One record after the other. You’re not making the music yourself”
Have you heard of these statement/s or similar statements mentioned above before?
But Is it really easy to become a DJ? What is it that a DJ does?
A very simple synopsis of what a DJ is is that he is both a Presenter and a Promoter at the same time.
Presenting a series of records for an audience, for their pleasure. He is also at the same time promoting records for us to buy. That’s one simple explanation.
Well, break it down even further that’s closer to what today's modern Radio DJs do. Isn’t it?
Well, let’s break it down. A modern-day Radio station DJ plays a series of records to the general public for their pleasure.
But in between the playing of the records, they will also introduce the records that they are to play with either witty or educational chat of the record that they are about to play.
However, Club Djs has lost that art or is more honest about it. Abandoned it more to the point. And by doing so they have made the art form of DJing much more creative.
The practice of Introducing records to the public was abandoned by Club-styled DJs, whereas the act of using records as a “Performance” of DJing has now taken credence instead.
Club DJs use records to bring an audience up to the highest heights, and then using certain records to take down the same audience reminds me of an enjoyable roller coaster ride. Most club DJs call this journey or performance a “DJ set”.
Some DJs have stated that they are using certain records within a “DJ set” to bring an audience to such a captive high, and then almost immediately taking them down again with other records within the “DJ set” that they are trying to achieve.
Club DJs often consider this as them resembling a great Rock/Blues guitarist, who is constructing a mammoth lead solo for a captive audience.
Some of the notes played within this Solo can bring the audience to ecstasy; some of the notes being selected can bring them back to reality.
Many Club DJs believe that this musical synopsis in which DJs use records when creating their “DJ sets” is similar to a musician using musical notes to create a piece of music.
A club DJ job is quite daunting really.
Their job is the play a series of records in the hope of creating a joyous, meaningful performance for the audience takes some doing.
For instance club, DJs will have to know the records that they have collected over the years. Inside and out in.
You will also need to know when, or in what order you are going to play these records; even have a sixth sense of what records will sound great on the dance floor and keep your audience there.
As a DJ, you will need to have a good understanding of the turntables, speakers, mixers, amplifiers, and any other equipment that you are in control of. That goes without saying.
Also to become a good DJ. You need to be obsessive about collecting records. Going to a 2nd hand charity store that you know has got 2nd hand vinyl might not be enough.
But you just have to go nevertheless, and search through the countless, movie-themed soundtrack albums and more that are stacked there; in the hope that you might just come across just one “Rare” and yet “Danceable” record.
"Another sign of a good DJ is always looking up and trying to read the audience which he is playing for.
A bad one is one, is one that is often found looking down at his DJ equipment, controls, and equipment most of the time to achieve the perfect beat or the perfect mix" - Norman Cook (AKA FAT BOY SLIM - from the book called - "Last Night a Dj saved my Life" - 2001)
Another factor to throw into the mix for the Dj is:
“Is the DJ up for it tonight? He doesn't seem to be moving the crowd at the moment".
“He dropped a particular record at least two records before. And no one moved a muscle. Can he play a similar style of record right now, as the crowd does seem more free, loose, more jovial now”.
These are just a certain amount of thoughts that DJs have to also consider when constructing DJ sets.
Another way of looking at Club Djs is with this thinking.
Modern-day Dj acts as filterers.
Yes, Filters ….
Put it this way there is so much music released each day in the world. The DJ takes this worry out of our hands.
Our modern-day favorite DJs listen to a huge number of track/s that would see us, quite honesty, binning these tracks within the first 30 seconds of listening.
This same thinking is applied to DJs. This is a plus for us. Club or Radio DJs will only play tracks that are popular, or good. So we do not have to filter out rubbish ourselves.
We as music lovers are buying fewer and fewer music singles and albums ourselves as against previous generations (Not unless you are a music fanatic or a DJ yourself.
We are more than ever, allowing our favorite DJs in general; and various streaming services to find quality pieces of music for us.
These same DJs and various music streaming services are now creating DJ mixtapes and albums themselves for us to buy because of it.
Music critics and music historians over the years have largely ignored the DJ. Almost any historical music change has involved his input.
The Dj has been allowed to reach this influential input due to the fact that he is not subservient to the music industry.
His freelance, free status has allowed for the general public to experience new musical sounds that the music industry would not allow to hear and happen as quickly.
The DJ's influence has not always resulted in him, or her having an easy life. Far from it. It has meant occasionally he, or she has come into conflict with music authorities; even governments.
With this in mind, the thinking of Music authorities, or even Governments has now tended to try to work with DJs; and the innovations that they bring to the industry overall. Instead of working against them. It does seem to work if they do.
This comes to mind more so within the UK radio scene/culture during the 1960s and beyond.
The BBC organization over the years has drawn much of its Dj talent from the hugely influential Pirate Radio scene makeup here.
With the rise of the super club, and super events that have risen around the world.
The music industry is now allowing these Superstar DJs to have the same benefits as Rock, HipHop, or RNB music stars. Don't take my word for it.
Have a listen to DJ Jazzy Jeff and his thoughts on the matter below.
From the DJ origins to the now. The DJ has always been the person who will always take risks, and will always be looking to take the music that we love even further.
So when you hear these types of comments again.
“Anybody can be a DJ? You’re playing other people’s music for god sake.
One record after the other. You’re not making the music yourself”.
Refer them back to this article so that they can look at the DJ from another perspective.
Well, that's all folks for me now anyway.
Please CONTACT US me here. If you want to discuss anything mentioned here in this article.
DJ Mistri and the Electric Soul Show © www.electricsoulshow.com
