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So what really IS a DJ's job?
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| 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? |
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| Floorfiller |
| of course the dj's job is to play what they want. if they played what the crowd wanted we'd here a bunch of crap... |
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| Demoted |
| quote: | Originally posted by Floorfiller
of course the dj's job is to play what they want. if they played what the crowd wanted we'd here a bunch of crap... |
Eh, if someone were to hire a dj for a wedding expecting pop songs and the guy suddenly *felt* like playing hardstyle that day, then I would smell a party foul.
Or if you were to go to a techno show expecting techno and someone showed up who normally plays as such and *felt* like playing trance that night, same applies. |
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| Floorfiller |
| quote: | Originally posted by Demoted
Eh, if someone were to hire a dj for a wedding expecting pop songs and the guy suddenly *felt* like playing hardstyle that day, then I would smell a party foul.
Or if you were to go to a techno show expecting techno and someone showed up who normally plays as such and *felt* like playing trance that night, same applies. |
well i don't really consider wedding dj's in the discussion heehe :p
as for the second part...dj's play the tracks they like because they enjoy them. that's how they develop their personal style and styles can evolve... but the whole reason they are up there in the first place is because they are supposed to be better at putting it all together... and you're going to see certain dj's because you trust their taste in music... |
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| SuspicionVandit |
| I think the DJ should take every opportunity to find new music he enjoys and expose it to a crowd. If they aren't feeling it, take the feedback as criticism for THAT NIGHT and give them JOC-Exactly or just walk off (hell yeah, oakie so badass!). Next night, try another newfound track for a different crowd, see their reaction. |
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| Demoted |
| quote: | Originally posted by Floorfiller
as for the second part...dj's play the tracks they like because they enjoy them. that's how they develop their personal style and styles can evolve... but the whole reason they are up there in the first place is because they are supposed to be better at putting it all together... and you're going to see certain dj's because you trust their taste in music... |
That applies to those who are engrossed in the scene :p There's the clubgoers who just don't care, they're there to be seen, then there's the newer clubbers who sort of know about the music and want to hear what they like, thusly requesting a track every five minutes. The problem with this is, they all fund the scene equally, and can therefore alter the "job" of the dj. |
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| Floorfiller |
| quote: | Originally posted by Demoted
That applies to those who are engrossed in the scene :p There's the clubgoers who just don't care, they're there to be seen, then there's the newer clubbers who sort of know about the music and want to hear what they like, thusly requesting a track every five minutes. The problem with this is, they all fund the scene equally, and can therefore alter the "job" of the dj. |
well they can go to armin hahaha:stongue: :p
i dunno just my oppinion... |
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| Demoted |
| quote: | Originally posted by Floorfiller
well they can go to armin hahaha:stongue: :p
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We're talking about djs, not bands. |
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| nefardec |
You have to distinguish between different types of deejays - it's not fair to ask the question as if there's only one.
Radio DJ
Bedroom DJ
Wedding/Bar Mitzvah/Kiddie Party DJ
Bar DJ
Resident Club DJ
Mobile Club DJ
radio djs take requests from charts and random people on the phone
bedroom djs take requests from charts and tracklists of their idol djs
wedding djs take requests from my grandmother
bar djs take requests from bar owners and drunk sorority girls
resident club djs take requests from club owners and regulars
mobile club djs take requests from labels
technically deejaying is all of these, and whether or not you're doing your job is determined by whoever it is you are responsbile to.
I DJ often at small bars and nightclubs and the owners are usually very very picky about what they want played when, and I would have to play top 40, Cascada, Bob Sinclair and Ian van Dahl (in 2007???) if I was a 'resident' ie bar employee. instead what I do is approach the owner with my own idea for the night and then promote it myself, since I have a relatively solid base of appreciative, open minded people. This has many advantages - you can play what you want (though that still means you have to watch the crowd and work with it), if someone makes a request, it can be refreshingly good, like Andrea Oliva - Sombatiki, and instead of making lunch money and having to do last call and all of that , I charge separate cover and make money based on entry. Obviously it's easier to do this in a smaller city like Ithaca, NY, where there is a very diverse and international population of students.
I see the role of the DJ almost as a sort of priest, who opens up a meaningful connection between a scattered collection of unknown and known music and another human being. Depending on a gig, this could mean completely mind-ing people, rocking a party, making snobby people feel snobbier, making people buy alcohol, making people buy something else, or just making a musical or artistic statement. When I DJ I feel that my personal emotional state is completely readable through both my tracklist and the way I mix it and that it is transmitted to a crowd. I do feel some sort of responsibility to expose people to new music. This is sort of an education thing, since I am working with a crowd which is largely unfamiliar with dance music beyond what's available in Border's, but more than that, I have strong feelings about playing new music (not necessarily current, just music that people have never heard or imagined) because I feel like that's one of the best ways to get people to lose themselves and to remove the negative a popular 'song' or a known melody can have on bringing people deeper and deeper into a set. Given, sometimes you need to hook people with something they know, but you can't sustain a 3+ hour set playing favorites unless you have thousands of groupies. A DJ's job is to create a coherent collage/journey/symphony/suite of music which engages the crowd at all times and brings them through the whole range of human experience until every sense is numb
So many mobile DJs these days just focus on one brandable style which they pump out at every nightclub they play, caning the same tracks to different audiences, plastering the walls with their projected logo, satisfying their own label pressure and other business relationships, etc.
I personally feel that a DJ no matter what caliber or status needs to play a set that is relevant to the venue, crowd, previous acts, and following acts at all times. Even though I love playing deep house, if I am asked to play a rave I don't go there and bust out Kerri Chandler. Some DJs, because of their status as a brand, feel that this is the only way to go, because it strengthens their brand and makes them more marketable.. |
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| Demoted |
| fair play. Nice response. :) |
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| Sykonee |
They're there to rock the party. How they rock the party depends entirely on the type of crowd though.
Most crowds are willing to put their faith in the DJ, but they go to certain parties with certain expectations of what they'll hear. It's the DJs job to deliver on at least those expectations, lest they be out of a gig. |
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| ZeJayMan |
DJ For Hire
I love to DJ wherever and whenever. Give me a message if you'd like to have me scorch a house party near you. I've really had enough of patronising DJs in clubs, that continually play the same crap every week. I play what's inspired by my head and heart and not what's guiding my wallet. I'd rather let you experience something new, that means if you like it, you've learned something new about yourself and one night out doesn't fade into another.
I play whatever I feel would suit the audience, I play music from as far back as the 30's to stuff released last week. I'm not going to stick a tech house set down clubbers neck when all they're interested in is Rock/Pop remixes and i'm not going to play a rock/pop remix set to a bunch of clubbers that would dig a tech house set. I honestly believe that DJing should be a selfless job. You should be tuned into the needs of the clubbers or party-goers. You should have a balance of injecting your own personality into a set and also keeping the dancefloor going.
I remember being out one night and it was primarily a funky house set and then all of a sudden, the music stopped and the DJ played "Could you be loved?" by the late great Bob Marley and it completely cleansed the dancefloor, half the people went to the bar while all the people on the sidelines came up and starting jigging. It's tough to keep a rappor with every clubgoer but you should be remembered by the real hardcore fans and music lovers. |
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