quote:

Originally posted by Mortyman Okay, so I've been DJing for about 1 and a half years now, and all I want to do is pursue a career as a DJ. Now, I think I'm a pretty good DJ... actually, no, I think I'm a damn good DJ, not trying to gloat, but there's a time and a place for it. Sorry, anyway, now I think that with my skills as a "TRANCE" DJ, that I have the ability to have what it takes to have the title "DJ". I also know that to become some "big-shot, superstar" DJ, you obviously need the right people skills, know who's who, where to throw parties, how to throw parties, etc, etc. But I've noticed one exceptional fact when I hear all these big-time DJ names that I look up to and wish I could be in their shoes. And this leads me to the point of this thread. Is it possible to become a famous, touring DJ without having your name attached as a producer? Because when I think about it, every single DJ that I've heard at every single party (minus the little parties and local DJ's ) they have been DJ's that have produced atleast 1 track. I know I'm not the only person out there that has these aspiring DJ dreams, but I am one to act upon them and try and to get myself setup. I don't mind taking baby steps, little by little working my way towards this goal... but am I going to have to go out and start producing before I have Trance Energy knocking on my door?

it takes about 6 months of regular practice to be a "good" dj, once you have it down, you have it down, it doesnt go beyond beatmatching in the DJ boot really, save for the extra equipment n shit, but that doesnt take a rocket scientist to master either,

Producing is the key to making it in the buisiness, it is a world of difference, when you are spinning your own music, then you are a musician more so than a DJ, and i agree with others that its crowd control in addition to mixing ability, and not so much just skill but also usage of it, like certain DJs overkill effects, they ruin their sets, others can beatmatch all day but cant do track selections to save there mother from a life of prostitution,

All in all, you cant aim to be a DJ by profession, you have to remain in what many call the "real world" go to college pursue a carreer and work your ass off on the side with your music interest, if you are decent, or hopefully good at it, and more importantly you get the breaks needed to make it, you could go places, once you have residency and begin producing then its more of a career not a hobby.

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Peace DigDug

quote:

Originally posted by caddyshack thanks Plato.. anyway, I don't know of any productions by judge jules, although there are a few mixes by him

he's done loads of stuff. just under random alias'

Eddie Halliwell on the other hand...

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EDM Blog
Hybrid - Break My Soul + Mixes
BT - These Hopeful Machines
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I'd just like to add that knowing how to mix well in a controlled private area with perfect monitoring is absolutely fucking simple. It gets more difficult when you play at a noisy club with imperfect monitoring and a crowd of 300+ in front of you. Until you have a lot of experience from gigs you have a lot to learn still.

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"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading."

quote:

Originally posted by Ste just do it as a hobby, why does everyone want to make it so big and be famous. just do it for the music.

I don't see whats wrong with dreaming of making a living doing the one thing you love more than anything? James Holden said it best, theres probably no other job in the world better than travelling across the globe, playing records you love to people who love them. Except maybe inventing new lego . I wouldn't even care to be rich doing it, just earning enough to live comfortably would be more than enough for me. I love the music and I love sharing it to other people (note I'm not a DJ yet, though I'll be buying decks within a few weeks and already have plans to throw some parties this summer).

quote:

it's very easy to sit back and logically come up with an answer like that... but the fact of the matter is, you really have no idea, nor do a lot of us.

I think I've got a point here. I mean, there are a lot of "good tracks" out there. When your sitting back listening to ASOT or GDJB or something, and you hear a nice track come on, you say "hmm whats this?," but you probably don't give it a whole lot of thought.

Then when you hear a really awesome track come on, you jump up and say "holy shit! what is THIS??"

My entire point is that you have to set yourself out from the rest of the crowd somehow if you really want to be really successful. Not that its impossible to make a good living from music either way, but Morty is talking about making it BIG, as in superstar. So my answer to him us, if you want to make it really big, you have to set yourself apart from the rest of the pack somehow. If you take the production route, you're gonna have to come up with something that really blows people away, and your going to have to keep doing it.

Random example: Mark Otten. Mushroom Therapy was a pretty popular track, people loved it. It stood out from most other random ASOT tracks. Since then, whenever someone plays a new track or remix of his, everyone perks up and says "hey! new mark otten!" Thats pretty much how it goes. You have to grab peoples attention.

The other way to get big is to do your own thing as a DJ. That means not playing the same old tracks that everyone else is playing. Especially since your a trance DJ. Trance listeners love to latch on to the anthem of the week and beat it to death until you can't identify it anymore short of dental records and DNA. Not that a crowd won't be expecting you to play the megahit of the month, but you have to really mix it up and set yourself apart. There are a million other DJ's out there who are pretty much interchangeable with Tiesto and the rest. If you don't want to fight through them, go around them.

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NEW MIX [Feb/March 2008]

quote:

Originally posted by Mortyman Okay, so I've been DJing for about 1 and a half years now, and all I want to do is pursue a career as a DJ. Now, I think I'm a pretty good DJ... actually, no, I think I'm a damn good DJ, not trying to gloat, but there's a time and a place for it. Sorry, anyway, now I think that with my skills as a "TRANCE" DJ, that I have the ability to have what it takes to have the title "DJ". I also know that to become some "big-shot, superstar" DJ, you obviously need the right people skills, know who's who, where to throw parties, how to throw parties, etc, etc. But I've noticed one exceptional fact when I hear all these big-time DJ names that I look up to and wish I could be in their shoes. And this leads me to the point of this thread. Is it possible to become a famous, touring DJ without having your name attached as a producer? Because when I think about it, every single DJ that I've heard at every single party (minus the little parties and local DJ's ) they have been DJ's that have produced atleast 1 track. I know I'm not the only person out there that has these aspiring DJ dreams, but I am one to act upon them and try and to get myself setup. I don't mind taking baby steps, little by little working my way towards this goal... but am I going to have to go out and start producing before I have Trance Energy knocking on my door?

I've been DJ'ing for the same amount of time as you. I have my own clubnight and have played in cities all over the world. I've started working on my own productions recently, and that is the way to go. Once you are able to bang out quality productions, that is what will set you apart from everyone else. My situation is a bit diffrent than yours though, I didn't decide one day that I wanted to become a DJ. I was lucky enough that it just sort of happened, for me it has never been about wanting to be like someone or wanting the attention. Like someone said earlier in thread, do it for the love of muisc plain and simple. Good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by montie to "make it" in the sense that you can support yourself financially as a DJ requires lots and lots of hard work, persistence, putting up with crap you won't be able to stand and luck.

Very well said.

as someone earlier said... saying "I'm a good DJ" implies only that you can beatmatch.
and that you like the records you play.

woo frickin hoo.

the reason Djs are superstars (please forgive me, I hate superstars) or even big names is b/c as EVERYONE else has said above, they've set themselves apart.

Producing is perhaps the easiest way.
Another way is promotions. Promote yourself, whatever ... that might be connections but promoter a NIGHT, make it into the next Home @ Space or Bedrock, now you're turning heads.

No shortcuts. Face it, you're just playing records.. There's a million other people who can do what you do, so you'd better be doing it for the love.

Also what Sean said, playing in a club setting is much more difficult, or say, to a hostile crowd who wants to hear dnb or funky house?? How are you going to handle that, its not all gonna be TAs on the floor.

to correct a couple people, Judge Jules makes tracks under Hi-Gate and he has another pseudonym as well that I forgot, cuz I don't follow 'trance' anymore.

James Zabiela has done several class remixes in the past couple years, one of which appeared on Bedrock and another on End Recordings, to name two.

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what trainspotters are.

i dont think any dj has anytrhing unique apart from 2 things

Records they play and how soon they play them

Lets face it eddie halliwell and james zabeila are the only 2 djs not including turntabilists who do anything creative or unique.

a dj should be able to mix in key and seamlessly beatmatch as standard, so i wouldnt call any one talented for it.

So what if somone can beat match so can everyone else lol. And its hardly unique to play basiclly the exact same set u played the week before in another counttry ( as ive heard armin and pvd do, exact same transitions between tracks and basiclly the same tunes in a row)

thats not talent or taking the crowd on a journey, its just playing records.

Look ate ferry corsten, he never even dj'd until after out of the blue was first released because he said people were booking him to play left right and center. Same thing with BT too.

Like u have any REAL chance of making it big time anyway

be real

^
possibly the biggest hater post I've ever read.
what a loser

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what trainspotters are.

produce.