This is something I have always wondered and knowing that this is the closest i could probably get to actually speaking to someone with so much background in the EDM Scene i figure i might as well ask, because i feel that now since producers/djs are the big think Skrillex, Afro, Deadmau5, Porter Robinson, Wolfgagner, knife party, figure, etc. all are huge producer/djs. If im not mistake djs way back when, just simply played vinyls and music for that matter and didnt produce.
Do you think you have to be a producer to make it as a big dj?
Do you think this makes it so much harder for the regular Dj (non producer) to get out there?
How does one try and make there break through in such a segregated scene such as what the EDM scene is becoming today?
**As you said in a previous article you wrote about All age rockstar of EDM That we are the future of the EDM world. If thats the case, how the hell do we continue something that we arent allowed to be a part of due to lack of “said expectation”?
Looking for professional Opinions, but personal opinions are of course welcome as always..
I would Email you Ean but i wouldnt know how to contact u via email (what email address).
(If you do answer this it would be ultimately appreciated!!!)
It has been this way for quite some time, just about as long as I can remember. While there are DJs that just DJ, the largest names with the international following have also been producers, even back in the days when they were just playing vinyl. The reason I liked attending these events, they have dubplate upon top dubplate of unreleased tunes and remixes from their collection and the upper echelon of the music scene. Today I hear it is different and they spray cake out of hoses or something while crowd surfing with a CD playing the album release.
Ok correct me if I am wrong here but wouldn’t a club DJ be considered the “Cover band” that gets hired to rock parties and fill out clubs, when the Live DJ/Producer would be considered the “Rockstar band” famous for creating hit tracks?
The way I see it is these DJ’s back in the day were famous for being DJ’s.. You only knew and liked them because you saw them mixing someone else’s tracks in a club. Today it is the exact the same thing. You can be a famous DJ, but you will only be known in the Club scene. People wouldn’t know you for your music, because your music is technically someone else’s music.
Now that EDM is so popular, there is a better chance for an EDM producer to make it big because people are looking for the next big EDM track to put on their Ipod. The DJ, however, isn’t really creating anything to show for outside of the club (besides remixes and whatnot)
Think of it this way (and I am using a completely random example for this) - Imagine if Johnny Cash never wrote his own music, but just covered other peoples songs. He may have had a different sound, but it’s not a new song, so most people wouldn’t be too interested. He would get booked for gig’s because he is such a good musician, but that is the furthest he would be able to go. Because he did write and “produce” his own music, he is famous for it and could tour all over the world because people wanted to hear HIM play HIS songs.
In short, and pardon my rant, I think it’s pretty clear that to make it to superstar status in the EDM scene (and any music/art scene) you need to create something that is truly yours, that people know is you when they hear it. I personally am OK with being a DJ and rocking parties and just being known locally as a good DJ. It wont get me on the cover of Rolling Stone, but I have fun. But now look at Avicii, hes huge, and not for DJ’ing, but literally for making one track that every other DJ in the scene played over and over.
Those guys you said don’t actually dj, they get hired to play their music, much like a band or hip-hop artist has a concert. A dj is hired to put together music, whether he made it or not. Just plain jane djs rarely get famous because of this, with the exception of several in the dj world but if you asked the average joe who they were, they wouldn’t know. It’s just the way it works.
The best way to get know by the crowd is by creating awesome remixes. With remixes you can give your “signature” to a certain song and the crowd knows who is standing behind the dj decks. A good method to do this is by using some producing programs like ableton and reason for example. When you know how to use this programs the step to make your own music isn’t far away anymore. Producing is just a big advantage in the EDM scene today
And no offense to you or Ean, but why are you asking him specifically? Do you consider Ean famous for DJ’ing? I personally don’t. Now here me out - I have never seen Ean live, but from what I have seen online he is an awesome DJ, It just isn’t what got him famous. It is how he started out, but what got him to where he is today is a combination of the DJTT forums, and the Midi Fighter. There are probably a lot of DJ’s on here that are just as skilled, and just as well known for actually DJ’ing. Ean would probably tell you that the way to get famous is to create something that hasn’t been created yet. No matter if it is a new song or a new controller.
As i said in my first post i specifically asked him to answer my question because he has so much background in the EDM music industry for reasons like u stated DJTT forums, Midifighter, Djing, Tutorials, Interviews with worldwide superstar Djs etc.
And for the record the Johnny Cash reference was pretty spot on imo…
27wonka
Ps: i would also feel super cool if he’d answer my questions!!
it wasnt really, as he recorded and performed a lot of other peoples music - look at his COUNTLESS gospel songs and the american recordings series for example
This is yes and no. A lot of artists don’t write their own songs. They have the opportunity to record it or pass on it. If they pass it goes to someone else. The writers either sell it outright or get paid a fortune if it becomes a hit and they own the publishing. For instance, Rihanna doesn’t write her songs. Her 2nd hit was S.O.S. with that “Tainted Love” sample…Chrisitina Millian passed on it so it went to Rihanna. Even better is that Britney Spears passed on recording “Umbrella”, another huge hit for Rihanna. I don’t think that would happen in the DJ world where another producer would actually craft the song but a popular producer/DJ would take the song as their own and stand up their waving their hands.
It used to be that producers just produced and singers got the credit for the song. Like just as an example…“Titanium” is David Guetta featuring Sia. If this was 30 years ago, it would just but “Titanium” by Sia, we wouldn’t know who David Guetta is. Its like saying “I feel Love” is Giorgio Moroder featuring Donna Summer.
The EDM DJ isn’t really a DJ but an EDM artist.
Oh and if you don’t know who Giorgio Moroder is or you never heard “I feel Love” and you call yourself an EDM producer, look it up…know your history.
See a lot of youngsters aiming big, off course nothing wrong with that, but there is nothing bad in going the old school way first, learn how to read the crowd, get them moving, experience what it is to stand in front of a crowd and be responsible for the ambiance your trying to create. Learn from your first mistakes and laugh about it later.
It’s just such a small group of dj’s that climbing the big podium, a lot of us are doing bars, small clubs or mobile work.
And there is nothing wrong with that, and still lots of fun. Producing can be the next step, with all the changing technology. But try to get your first gigs or do little parties for your friends, and get that live experience.
That’s what i would first try to stick my energy in. Dj’ing is about having fun and getting that rush after a well done performance and that doesn’t matter if it’s for a small or big crowd.
I would say no especially if you are budding DJ in England all you need to do before is be a radio DJ, look at Pete Tong he’s never produced anything on his own and has always been a collaboration with someone else. They choose him because he knows the tracks and what are good parts and sounds to mix but he never physically puts them together.
Also look at Annie Mac another Radio Dj never produced anything and people que up to see them mix other peoples tracks mainly because they know what the crowds want to hear !
This is a really solid point. If you’re getting into DJing to try and be famous, think again. It’s a lot of hard work, not a ton of money (at least to begin with), a large investment of time and into equipment, and building a ton of networking contacts. You aren’t going to be the next “big thing” unless you are producing, and producing well, and someone big gets behind you.
It’s a tough game out there. And it really is the basis of the argument that was talked much about before, stemming from Deadmau5’s article “We all press play” or whatever.
There are DJ’s, there are producers, there are some that do both, and there are some that are really best suited to one or the other.
Personally, I love producers for what they do. And many are AWESOME DJ’s as well, but it doesn’t come hand in hand. As much as I like the songs I love played back at me, I always want something more… a STORY from the mix. And some people can nail it, and some people can’t.
What it comes down to is having fun. If you start doing remix’s and edits of well known tracks, and playing them out, it won’t necessarily label you as a producer but it will give you a complete edge as a DJ.
But then again, it’s a totally different set of skills.
Being a well-rounded musician isn’t easy. You just have to do what you enjoy, and do the best you can at it. Hope that your hard work pays off and you’re able to maintain having fun.
I see too many people getting into it for the wrong reasons, then a few months down the line selling their gear or letting it collect dust. You have to have a passion for this. Not only sharing music with people, but playing it. And you can’t let the drugs, scene, girls/boys cloud your love of the music, or you’re bound to fail.
It’s fairly clear that most big DJ’s are producers too. It’s how a lot of them start getting bigger gigs.
Obviously there are exceptions like Tong and Annie Mac as previously mentioned, who were made famous by being radio DJ’s and got their big gigs that way.
James Zabiela is a huge DJ who isn’t really noted for his producing to be honest. But what he does is different to a lot of others and he creates his own thing and he goes along anyway.
I just want to state this was from pure curiosity but kind of ironic i post this then get an opportunity to open for a buddy of mine who would be opening up for adventure club therefore i would be opening up for Adventure Club but neways im not getting into this because of money im getting into this because i love music any genre as long as it gives me chills im sold. Ive been involved with music sine i was in the 4th grade. I played the trumpet for 8 years and the piano for 3. Ive always loved music and was wondering if it was even a possibility to get recognized from Style, and talent for djing.
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