Because not everyone who goes to bars/clubs/parties has so many hours to devote to digging through catalogues and finding obscure music no one knows about, hence an expert is needed who's time is devoted to just that. He needs to have high standards and a good sense of what tracks work in which situations in order to always fit into the atmoshpere. The way I see it, a good DJ's workplace is in the record stores and (nowadays especially) in front of a computer monitor. Once a DJ steps on the decks, his work is already done, he's just showcasing it.

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When bread becomes toast, it can never go back to being bread again.

At the same time, I don't think it's nessessary to be at the mercy of the crowd. I'm sure there must be exceptions to this rule, but I think a DJ who specializes in one specific kind of music (house for example) will be far more proficient at playing house than a DJ who devotes his time to a more eclectic selection (rock, pop, hip hop, house, etc). It's up to the organisers of the event to be aware of this and book a DJ accordingly. Besides, there's no sense in spinning music you don't believe in.

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When bread becomes toast, it can never go back to being bread again.

so true

i spend hours before important gigs trying stuff out not to mention how much time is spent collecting

i always tell people they are paying me mostly for my music taste

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Originally posted by nefardec so true i spend hours before important gigs trying stuff out not to mention how much time is spent collecting i always tell people they are paying me mostly for my music taste

Indeed. In that respect I think a DJ could be compared to an historian.

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When bread becomes toast, it can never go back to being bread again.

Good replies in this thread so far. I'd just like to point out that its all a question of context. If you're playing somewhere where EDM is the norm and expected, I'd say, you have pretty much a clean slate to play whatever you feel is best at the time/venue/atmosphere etc. When I go see Danny Howells I doubt hes sitting there trying to figure out what the people on the floor want, hes taking them on his own ride and judging their reactions to make minor adjustments accordingly.
To contrast, I played at a small bar/lounge where, though house is usually expected, you can get hip-hop, top 40 etc request, and usually you're expected to fill them out. I could just play whatever in these situations and ignore requests but I wouldnt be doing the owner who is paying me a favor...but a few times it has worked very well where I'll get a group of people who want house to start dancing, and I'll play the more up-beat borderline cheesy stuff like Raul Rincon vocal mixes and Hoxton Whores, which they go nuts for. Its not the music I like, but it works in the situation, and once you get people going then you can ease in more interesting tracks and go some different places with it. I ended up playing Felix Da Housecat - Watching Cars Go By (Sasha Mix) in some little lounge, and everyone loved it, and later I even played 1983 (Prydz + Edit), which went over great aswell.

So, it really depends who you're playing for. Theres no sense in forcing your music on someone who doesnt want to hear it though, so you have to be careful.

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Originally posted by ******** Seplling don't demonstrate intelligence and educatoin - knowing does.

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Originally posted by SuspicionVandit or just walk off (hell yeah, oakie so badass!).

LOL where was this? OAKEY DA MAN.

If you're a DJ and you don't like the music policy at a particular venue/night then you have two choices...

1. you accept the gig because you're after some exposure and realise a job is a job ie. you play what you're hired to play, get paid for it, and expect requests for cheese; OR
2. you go find a gig elsewhere that's more aligned to your own musical tastes (or where the club is more encouraging of self expression, within limits of course)

Personally I'd go for #2 however if my reason for DJ'g is to get out and meet people and pay the bills, and I'm not too set on unleashing my fantastic musical taste to the world then 1 could work out well.

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This is trance...
Jose Amnesia - The Eternal (Pulser Remix) / Chicane - Saltwater / Photon Project - Illumination / Gouryella - Tenshi / Altitude - Altitude (SHOKK Remix) / Rank 1 - Airwave / The Thrillseekers - Synaesthesia (En Motion Mix)

IMO A nightclub dj's job is to infuse their own taste with what is still going to keep the dancefloor stimulated throughout the night. Danny Howells is the best dj in the world because he can play the right music at the right time and knows how to pace things ie. bringing the energy up and down to keep everyones attention. There is something for everyone in his sets...trancey, funky, techy, deep, harder, softer, breaks etc. etc. The key is to not pander a crowd by playing cheeseballs or playing bomb after bomb. Any idiot can learn how to beatmatch and play records. The mental game of programming a set over the course of a long night or short set is what separates the best of the best with everyone else. Sometimes djs can get too into their own world and lose a dancefloor. I've heard sasha even do this...getting too spacey or too hard. Everyone has their off nights. Noone is perfect but the key is balance and being well rounded imo.

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Patrick Barry Facebook DJ Page
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In the end every djs is there for the crowd.

However it all depend on which kind of dj it is, music style, venue, size, soundsystem, crowd and the night itself whether the dj is playing what the crowd wants or more his own tastes.

Espacially at smaller veneus the crowd allows the DJ to experiment more, compared to big festivals and playing all the hits.

I think the best (or the most versitile) djs are the ones which can do the 6hours crazy small venues set but also the 20.000 mainstage blasting out all the hits. However there aren't many that can pull that off.

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There is a hypothetical middle ground between what the crowd wants to hear and what you want to show them. It's where you play entirely from your record bag with the records you love, but you notice how the crowd reacts to certain styles and so forth, and you customise your unique DJing sound to please the crowd while simultaneously retaining your identity.

Of course, in reality that middle ground doesn't automatically result in the most fun for everyone concerned, because applying pretentious rules and aims to what is essentially playing records breaks down in the complex chaotic swirl of real life.

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Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/

It should be noted that if you're playing to a crowd of people on E or other party drugs, ALWAYS play what you want. They'll thank you later.

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quote:

Originally posted by ******** Seplling don't demonstrate intelligence and educatoin - knowing does.

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Originally posted by Demoted In many different threads there seems to be a conflicting answer. Some people view a dj as being at the mercy of the crowd. A dj's job in this case would be to simply play what the crowd wants to hear and mix it well. Their job begins and ends with pleasing a crowd. This would mean not necessarily playing tracks you like, but playing what they like, taking requests and things of that nature. Then there's people who think a dj should play only what they think is good, exposing the crowd to new songs they haven't heard before, and not really taking requests. I guess there can be a mixture of the two, but I'm willing to lean more to the second description. Though I'm privy to taking requests sometimes. What are your opinions?

I think it's not as simple as that - it's like saying what's a managers job, or what's a bosses job?

Depends who or what you manage, or who you boss. Likewise it depends who you DJ for.

Jarv

A DJ's job is to make the crowd eat out of the palm of his/her hand, by pleasing their aural palette with new and interesting sounds to go with familiar favorites, much like a chef is judged in part by how he/she assembles new and interesting dishes rather than simply by how they rehash standard favorites like pizza and burritos.

A DJ, like a chef or a painter, is an artist, and should push the envelope of what is popular/aesthetically pleasing.

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