Technology is always on the rise. It seems almost weekly some new piece of hardware touting control of four decks and the ability to make you a cup of coffee is released, or a new digital DJ system is being implemented and is better than anything that has come before it. Arguments between passionate muso’s over which system is best and whether a digital system is indeed better than the old school method of beat matching on either 1200s or CDJs take place almost daily. I have been involved in these debates myself, though my arguments tend to be very tongue in cheek and more often than not are used to get a rise out of someone, the wind up can be infinitely enjoyable.

However, it has made me think. At times during these debates certain individuals are 100% sure that their ideas and system are the only way to go and that others quite simply, are wrong. I tend to run with the ideal that whatever works for that person is fine. A comment was made yesterday by an Auckland DJ that as long as the party is being rocked, who cares how the music is being played?

Gone are the days of two pieces of vinyl being mixed together and touted the be all and end all, we are now in an age where DJs are cutting up tracks, dropping samples through, using effects to filter various sounds.. It seems more and more people want to be the next Richie Hawtin or James Zabiela.

And thus we come to the crux of this article, has technology enabled too much? Are there those among us who are too focused on delving into what technology can do with the music that they have forgotten the number one reason to be playing? 

A DJ is a performer, plain and simple. In order to be successful at what you do, you must wow your crowd. In order to do that you must know what it is you are good at, where you excel. Are you a tweaker or are you a playback DJ?

More and more frequently I come across young artists who are determined to be the next Zabiela. They tout turntables as being archaic and outdated, the playback DJ is boring and passé. The future is all about live creation of sound. While I am a huge fan of a good live show, what many of these young acts forget is that it takes years to hone the skills to do what Zabiela does. Picking up a midi controller and running Serato’s Bridge or Traktor is simply not going to cut it. There are very few who actually have the raw talent to be able to cut and invent live, to anticipate what their crowd actually wants and needs, to get the floor humming. Most, it seems, are inside their own head tweaking knobs and dials, creating noise with no direction or excitement.

In order to understand the sound you are creating, you must first play it. I firmly believe that in order become a tweaker, you must have first passed the test of being a play-back DJ. If you can’t mix tracks together and hold your audience, how do you expect to create sound live and keep them interested? An innate understanding of what keeps the party vibing is required for any performance. It takes an extremely rare individual to be able to walk in without having done the hard yards and let loose a set created on the spot. Most have started with spinning tunes.

I am a playback DJ. I am not interested in chopping up sound and developing it on the spot, I know that I excel in the mix and that I rock the party by playing on CDJs or 1200s. I love nothing more than having two tracks in the mix and holding that mix for as long as I can. I aspire to be like Lee Burridge, the ultimate playback DJ and, in my opinion, the worlds best. No one rocks a party like Burridge. I have seen him play for over 7 hours and not once did it become boring. He creates a constant hum that ensures the dance floor is not leaving for anything. How does he do this? With 1200s and CDJs.

By the same token, I have seen live acts be built on the spot and totally destroy a dance floor, ala Sydney’s Pocket.

Both styles take practice. They take time to hone not only your skill sets, but also your taste. 

I wonder how many DJs really know what they are? Know what they excel at? I suspect a great many are caught up in what technology has to offer and have lost sight of what is most important, that you rock the party.