After spending 10 years in love with electronic music, and working with so much passion for the scene, it’s time to leave La La Land and move on to a new place. I still don’t know exactly where this place is, but hey… that’s the fun part, right?

I’m done with djing, producing, engineering, managing labels, hosting radio shows and talking as a “third person” to my fans and potential fans…

I’m not revolted out of something in particular, or having financial issues because the music I make doesn’t sell. I’ve spent 3 years in London working my ass off for a couple of bucks (which were barely enough to pay the rent). I’ve djed for free at so many places, just for the hell of it. No, it’s not the money… it has never been about the money.

It’s not even about being depressed… which I was for the last year. So heavily that I had to start taking anti-depressives. In those days the only thing I had to keep me sane was music, and the bare thought of leaving it scared the shit out of me.

I’m no longer depressed; I’m taking this decision in a very optimistic mood. I’m so happy with how things are at the moment. I love my day job (which I probably should start calling as “job”). I see a future in what I’m doing. I’m learning something new every day. I have been more enthusiastic in these last 3 months that I have ever been in the last 3 years.

So why am I quitting music?

First of all, because I’ve seen what lies in the backstage and what I’d have to do to make a decent living out of it. The shit I would have to swallow, the pricks I would have to be nice to, the “exchange of favors”, the ass kissing, the politics… and the voting. OMG, the f**king voting!

All of that, and I’d still have to work with mediocre music…

Maybe I might be getting old and grumpy (like DJ Mag once said)… it could be, I’m not ruling that out. Rousseau wrote extensively about how people tend to miss the old times, as they get old. Hey, maybe James Holden was right: “any DJ over 30 should quit”. Coincidentally, I’ve decided to quit on my 30th birthday!

I think today’s electronic dance music is just boring… as a whole, and with rare exceptions. Everything sounds like it’s trying too hard to be a genre, instead of expressing something special and unique. It’s all about esthetics, smoke and mirrors… but where’s the beef? From the underground to the mainstream, it sounds like dance music has stopped in time and entered an eternal loop, recycling the same old sounds over and over and over… you’re either part of the trend, or will get trampled by it. And I’m just sick of going against the grain.

I’ve felt like this for a while, and I’ve been bitching for so long. I don’t want to start a one-man revolution, I rather move on and find happiness elsewhere.

For the last few months, putting together my radio-show (which was the last thing tying me to music) has been a nightmare. I was forcing myself to listen to new tunes, desperately trying to find a glimpse of light at the end of a tunnel of mediocrity. I’ve never been so lucky. I was picking the “less boring” tunes and mixing them together. That’s it.

So I see no reason to keep pushing towards something I don’t believe in anymore.

I’d like to apologize to my (few) good fans, but keeping this up would just be a lie. I’m burnt-out, spent and I just don’t have the passion for this anymore.

I’d also like to apologize to the people that have worked with me, and believed in me. This might sound disappointing and perhaps a waste of my talents, but if I carry on I will keep feeling disappointed and wasting my talents.

To all the usual haters: f**k you. You know who you are.

Finally, I hope you guys don’t take this as a gloomy rant of a pissed off quitter. I just thought you should know my reasons.

I have absolutely no regrets… it was such a journey! I’ve done what most DJs can only dream of: headlined a major club night in Ibiza, played at my favorite festival, played at some of the best clubs, travelled across the world, met fantastic people, met some of my idols, played to a crowd of 15.000+, my music has been played by the most famous DJs, I’ve had a radio-show on the biggest web-radio, I’ve climbed charts… and “I’ve did it my way”.

Maximum respect to the talented colleagues I’ve met along the way: DJ Jack, Danny Oliveira, Danilo Ercole, BK, Scott Attrill, Leigh Brooks, Mallorca Lee, JP and Mart (Dark Matter), Claudio Cavallera, Master Enjoy (and the Soundz staff), Alex Losy, Minos Muse, Sean Tyas, Robert Vadney, Judge Jules, Robin Hosking, Paul Morrell, Charlie G, Nick Larson, vanTronik, DTC, Geezk, GRG, Flavio Grifo, Everson K, Klauss Goulart, Ed Real, Mark Sherry, Paul Trainer, Thomas Ulstrup, Bryan Kearney, Agustin & Matias (Heatbeat), Christian Caseb, Roman Buheler, Tom Godwin, Anne Savage, Vicky Devine, Lisa Lashes, Claudia Cazacu, Dave 202, John Askew, Billy and Michael (23rd Precinct), Tim Binns (Maelstrom), Simon Eve, Yoji, Dr. Willis… sorry if I forgot anyone I’ve met in the business, but I haven’t had much sleep in these last 10 years!

Thank you all for the support. This is Fabio Stein switching off.

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Genuine points or couldn't make the big time so pissy ranted ?

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Last edited by smakmagik on Sep-20-2011 at 11:08