I think the selector job is the most important of the many DJ skills that matter. Mixing is second. But there are other skills that matter nowadays, even though I think they’re a sign of sickness in music culture: the ability to amass instagram followers, for example. And the ability to look cute dancing behind the decks for reels/shorts/tiktok clips, as another example of modern DJ skills that have usurped the classic skills of selection and mixing.
I don't think any of the primary skills are more important than each other. It's all about the balance between them. We're pretty far away from the era where dancers couldn't even see the DJ. The social media side of it is definitely a part of it but I think there was always the personality side that separated the more successful DJs from the underground ones. More extroverted personalities got more opportunities. Only difference now is that it's happening online.
I started off trying to learn how to be a technical DJ; first on my friend set up, and then on my own. Early 90s, focused on rap and beats, trip hop, whatever. Beat matching, a bit of scratching, janky beat juggling—except I have hand disability, so it was always wonky sounding. Plus I had a tendency to want to throw old Stereolab or something in and realized music was too vast a world, so slowly, I went from trying to be a DJ to being a deejay. Leaned into the unintended abstract.
I had to sell my set up in the early 2000s—before then, I was finding a good middle ground between selecting and still having interesting tricks up my sleeve, now I mostly just play out songs fully. Have always played at bars, restaurants-opened some shows, once for some Thrill Jockey bands—the set that gave me the confidence to get a little stranger and more abstract with it, actually. Once I'm done being a nomad, I will get another setup and get back tot getting weird. Until then, I love playing music for people at small intimate spots where they have no idea half of what's playing, and they might even like it. I always loved how DJ D.Dee of Pacific Rhythm would advertise nights as "Interesting Music".
Interesting Music, that’s great. I have done a lot of that side of DJing. When I lived in Montreal, I played at several restaurants and bars, I’d be doing these gigs like 20 times a month. I learned a lot about music that way actually.
I love this Rollie! I think most of my favourite DJs might hesitate to call themselves ‘DJs’.
Yeah, you might be right. Who are some good examples of that?
I think the selector job is the most important of the many DJ skills that matter. Mixing is second. But there are other skills that matter nowadays, even though I think they’re a sign of sickness in music culture: the ability to amass instagram followers, for example. And the ability to look cute dancing behind the decks for reels/shorts/tiktok clips, as another example of modern DJ skills that have usurped the classic skills of selection and mixing.
I don't think any of the primary skills are more important than each other. It's all about the balance between them. We're pretty far away from the era where dancers couldn't even see the DJ. The social media side of it is definitely a part of it but I think there was always the personality side that separated the more successful DJs from the underground ones. More extroverted personalities got more opportunities. Only difference now is that it's happening online.
I started off trying to learn how to be a technical DJ; first on my friend set up, and then on my own. Early 90s, focused on rap and beats, trip hop, whatever. Beat matching, a bit of scratching, janky beat juggling—except I have hand disability, so it was always wonky sounding. Plus I had a tendency to want to throw old Stereolab or something in and realized music was too vast a world, so slowly, I went from trying to be a DJ to being a deejay. Leaned into the unintended abstract.
I had to sell my set up in the early 2000s—before then, I was finding a good middle ground between selecting and still having interesting tricks up my sleeve, now I mostly just play out songs fully. Have always played at bars, restaurants-opened some shows, once for some Thrill Jockey bands—the set that gave me the confidence to get a little stranger and more abstract with it, actually. Once I'm done being a nomad, I will get another setup and get back tot getting weird. Until then, I love playing music for people at small intimate spots where they have no idea half of what's playing, and they might even like it. I always loved how DJ D.Dee of Pacific Rhythm would advertise nights as "Interesting Music".
Really good to read this.
Interesting Music, that’s great. I have done a lot of that side of DJing. When I lived in Montreal, I played at several restaurants and bars, I’d be doing these gigs like 20 times a month. I learned a lot about music that way actually.
Thanks for sharing your journey!