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Trance DJs see the DJMag poll as important, even though they themselves know it's largely a farse because it becomes a big "marketing campaign" competition to get people to vote for them. Don't believe me? Get to know those DJs and ask them.
House DJs get into the marketing a little...if at all, but trance DJs go overboard, even ones down the list -- they put splash pages on their websites, send out lots of emails, message you on myspace and facebook, etc. It prob wasn't as bad this year as past years. but in some cases the marketing has been flat out annoying.
DJs or their peeps (as some DJs had no knowledge) have been caught cheating in the past (C Lawrence, DJ Dan, Flash Brothers, etc), and I have no doubts a lot still do it on a smaller scale not to get caught.
A lot of these DJs are in their slots because of some period they had of amazing Stuff. Tiesto 1999-2002 (est), Armin 2001-2006, PvD, late 90s early 2000s. Notice a trend? All these DJs had their best stuff before ever hitting #1 in the poll.
Now looking at each of those DJs and at the years they were on top......if those were the years they were starting out their attempt to "rise" as a DJ, do you think they would have gone anywhere near the top? Nope. They wouldn't be. These DJ's positions raise up the ranks due to the more hardcore EDM fans.
It's from that popularity, in 95% of cases, that gets them the recognition of the more mass market. At that point, pure quality isn't as important because of how society works. They are ranked up there, they must be popular, therefore they must be at their best right now....and then they get those fans which in turn vote for them and that's what pushes them even higher.
The issue is that it's often around this time in a DJs career where this popularity starts influencing them. Suddenly, more friendly vocal tracks. Suddenly, more tracks for the radio. Suddenly, hear shit like hip-hop collaborations. Suddenly, the EDGE in their productions and sets are often muddled with more commercial-friend shit.
And it's all like clockwork.
And now look at the top house DJ. David Guetta. What's a big thing about his tracks? A lot of tracks that can hit the radio.
Deadmau5 is an oddball here, but he has the under 21 crowd locked down. Whoever was in charge of his marketing and all that is a genius.
You are starting to see a lot of the newer trance DJs shoot upt he charts. But they aren't going to get much further...unless they commercialize...cause all those top DJs are or will surely be doing so if they don't want to fall down the ranks.....
It's a shame.
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