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-- DJs getting trapped by their fanbase

DJs getting trapped by their fanbase

In another thread, I wrote this:

quote:

Oh, I totally agree that a lot of trance DJs are bad when it comes to offering a diverse night of music. I put a lot of this down to the low demand that their fans place on them: just play what the fans expect, the latest from Above and Beyond, Armin, et. al., and they will be happy. I think the DJs themselves probably like a much wider variety of music than they actually play, and they might even want to play a bigger variety of stuff, but their success has come from catering to an extremely narrow niche, so that's what they keep doing.

When it comes to DJs who have been around for a while, have some level of fame, and still play nothing but one or two genres, I always wonder how much their playlists reflect their own tastes and how much they reflect what their fans (and perhaps their labels) have come to expect of them.

Personally, I can't imagine that, for example, a trance DJ who plays nothing but epic trance really likes nothing else in dance music. Do you think it's possible that some DJs have "pigeonholed themselves" by getting famous on the back of one genre and then finding that their fans expect them to play nothing but that? I can't imagine being a DJ and playing anything but as broad a range of my favorite music as I could while still trying to keep things coherent. But lots of DJs do otherwise, and I don't believe, at least in most cases, that this is a matter of their tastes really being that narrow...maybe for them it's a matter of "keep playing the same old stuff or lose my fans and paycheck."

yes

I dunno 'bout that. I think about a rock band like AC/DC that hasn't changed one iota for the last 30 years -playing the same basic hard party rock night after night- yet they seem to give it their all whenever they perform, totally losing themselves in the music and enjoying every minute of it. And their fans wouldn't have it any other way either.

This is why the avenues you go down as a young DJ are so important.

Perfect example is everyone's current favorite, Deadmau5.

You go against whats popular and force a style and make it epic with your dj skills.

The masses like to be lead

not nearly as extreme as you're bringing up, though I sense that something similar's happened with Zabiela over the past few years.

Case and point, Ferry Corsten and Armin van Buuren

Their older sets, you'd hear a lot of harder and techier trance which made them so much better. But nowadays, they use harder and techier trance as more of a break between uplifting stuff.
I looked kinda ridiculous when I'm going absolutely nuts and everyone else is like, this is shit.

Kinda sad really.

Good DJs will get the dancefloor moving. Great DJs will lead the crowd

Sometimes DJs do ignore their original fanbase though. Take Jonas Steur for example. Can't say I like his current direction in productions and DJing but he reckons it's gaining more fans so kudos to him.

quote:

Originally posted by Clovis This is why the avenues you go down as a young DJ are so important.

good point

Yep, I'm a big fan of diversity in dance music, the whole idea is to push boundaries. I think trance has really lost this in the last few years, to its detriment.

This is one reason why I appreciate Paul van Dyk, at least he plays a good variety of tunes.

I think the one's who don't wholesale pander to their audience and their expectations of them find some kind of compromise in between. That is, they'll just restrict their musical motions within a certain range of genres that still borders fairly close to whatever their fans expect them to play. I suppose it gives their fans what they want, and doesn't amount to just DJ'ing on autopilot.

Armin is quoted as saying in an interview that if he had it his way, the music would 'be all ambient and werid.' (link?)

Unless I am misunderstanding this, or am not taking into account its context, I can't imagine a more defined example of just living up to your reputation.

I also think it's not entirely accurate to describe this as a matter of playing only a certain number of genres and not liking anything else in Dance music. I'm perfectly willing to entertain the fact that although a number of DJ's like a variety of genres aside from what they play, they prefer to focus on playing out what they've developed a reputation for, independent of being pigeonholed by their fanbase.

I guess you just have to ask them.

quote:

Originally posted by Yohan Good DJs will get the dancefloor moving. Great DJs will lead the crowd

Well said...

I think its evident that particularly trance DJs play what their fans want.
Its what got them to where they are and they're not about to jeopardize that.

They MUST like other music...i mean, is it even possible to ONLY like hands-in-the-air trance for 10+ yrs??
No fuggin way imo

quote:

Originally posted by Sykonee I dunno 'bout that. I think about a rock band like AC/DC that hasn't changed one iota for the last 30 years -playing the same basic hard party rock night after night- yet they seem to give it their all whenever they perform, totally losing themselves in the music and enjoying every minute of it. And their fans wouldn't have it any other way either.

But in the case of a band what kind of music the members play depends on what they feel capable of writing, unless it's a cover band.

With a DJ, the skill set used to play well is very similar across genres, unless we're talking about turntablism.

to be a successful dj they have to create a niche and sound that is theirs (and have a production or 2 to get more bookings), and when they get a following it becomes hard for them to deviate from what got them there because their fan base might not accept it.

Many of these djs like a broader style of music than what they play. If you only know one style of music, you don't know music.

look at howells or holden. those guys will play ambient, breaks, house, techno and even trance in the same set. and they are regarded as some of the best. so i think it's a balance, play a wide range to keep your fans guessing, but at the same time there is a level of comfort in knowing what you're going to hear when you see a dj.

He is not a prolific producer and has the benefit of many years of experience that gives him this luxury

Classic case of identity crisis...

Do you appease the fans that got you there in the first place listening to amazing sets across all kinds of trance (as already mentioned long gone are days when the set was structured with all types of trance music)...

Or do you just stick to what you know, and play your "brand" of trance music - - keeping it fresh, only by using label or close friends as a means to stock exclusive tracks for yourself.

To be honest, I hate what trance has become. That these guys believe they're heading in the 'right' direction by trying to keep as many people happy as possible... if only they would just play what they like, and not what they think the crowd would like.

This crisis of identity definitely covers Tiesto... and the other Dutchies... for want of a better term, its really like they've grown so big, that they no longer can alter their sound - - they would drop off their position and fame if they did.

Speaking again of Tiesto - and to some extent PvD and Armin, their recent artist productions become increasingly commercial-minded. Why? I've heard from the BH camp, that they could've chosen to make an album of only deeper club tracks - but where is the challenge in that? Getting worldwide recognition on a scale that EDM didn't see before, is what currently drives these guys... perhaps a case of believing in their own hype?

Label affiliations reach way further than in the trance world. This is a business and like it or not, if they want to be able maximize their earning potential they have to treat it as so.

quote:

Originally posted by Acton This is one reason why I appreciate Paul van Dyk, at least he plays a good variety of tunes.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by MichaelBoogerd! Classic case of identity crisis... Do you appease the fans that got you there in the first place listening to amazing sets across all kinds of trance (as already mentioned long gone are days when the set was structured with all types of trance music)... Or do you just stick to what you know, and play your "brand" of trance music - - keeping it fresh, only by using label or close friends as a means to stock exclusive tracks for yourself. To be honest, I hate what trance has become. That these guys believe they're heading in the 'right' direction by trying to keep as many people happy as possible... if only they would just play what they like, and not what they think the crowd would like. This crisis of identity definitely covers Tiesto... and the other Dutchies... for want of a better term, its really like they've grown so big, that they no longer can alter their sound - - they would drop off their position and fame if they did. Speaking again of Tiesto - and to some extent PvD and Armin, their recent artist productions become increasingly commercial-minded. Why? I've heard from the BH camp, that they could've chosen to make an album of only deeper club tracks - but where is the challenge in that? Getting worldwide recognition on a scale that EDM didn't see before, is what currently drives these guys... perhaps a case of believing in their own hype?

I don't know. Yesterday I saw an interview on tv with "Dutchie" Don Diablo. Didn't know him until I heard his early stuff (when he was 15 years old!!!). He just released or is about to release his new album which took him 4 years to make.
He stated that being a DJ in Holland is extremly difficult. The people are very down to earth (act normal than you're crazy enough..) and very critical. I was a bit surprised about that, but I think someone like Don can know this.
I don't like his work so much, I like trancier or hard clubhouse more, but how he makes his tracks is impressive.

For one track he recorded his own voice like 30 times to make it sound like a choir. Also because he doesn't have a band played every single instrument by himself.
So, sick of the other Dutchies? Check him out maybe you like it.
www.dondiablo.com Check the Multimedia Don @youtube section to get a impression of him.

I guess Ferry makes whatever he likes, when he make a weird track everybody accepts this, Armin just likes the stuff he is making now and Tiesto, I don't know about him.....you could be right, mixed feelings. I also don't like all these commercial tracks, when they are starting to sound like eachother. On the other hand, IMO the ASOT sessions lately sound a bit less commercial to me.

I have no sympathy for any DJ that does this, as they clearly have no artistic integrity and are more interested in making money. It's sheer laziness anyway, because a DJ can play many different styles and remain popular. Just look at the genre-switching Oakenfold did in the 90s (and I say 90s because he actually cared back then): house, progressive house, drum 'n bass, goa trance, epic trance... not to mention all the film score insertion business.

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J I have no sympathy for any DJ that does this, as they clearly have no artistic integrity and are more interested in making money. It's sheer laziness anyway, because a DJ can play many different styles and remain popular. Just look at the genre-switching Oakenfold did in the 90s (and I say 90s because he actually cared back then): house, progressive house, drum 'n bass, goa trance, epic trance... not to mention all the film score insertion business.

I don't understand why more DJs either don't or don't want to do this. I mean, Oakenfold did it and became practically a household name then, so it's not even that you necessarily have to sacrifice popularity while experimenting.

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