May
9
Written by:
masterblogger
5/9/2011 7:15 AM
BY CRAIG ANDERTON
1
Be open-minded.
Good DJs are musically
open-minded, ready
for anything, and
have an encyclopedic
knowledge of all kinds
of music.
2
The audience is all
that matters. DJs live
and die by the reaction
of the crowd, so they’re
constantly reading the
mood of the audience
and adjusting their
tracks accordingly.
3
The big picture is
crucial. When a DJ
has to keep a crowd
happy over two or
more hours, the
focus is less on
individual cuts and
more on overall flow.
Bands should pay as
much attention to their
set lists.
4
Hands-on control is
essential. Computerbased
recording fans,
pay heed. DJing is
about control and
feel, and, similarly,
hands-on mixing gives
you a mix that’s more
of a “performance”
than just setting
static levels.
5
Music gets people
high. In the club scene,
the music isn’t just a
listening experience
for individuals, but the
glue that holds the
tribe together. DJs
never lose sight of the
fact that they’re trying
to walk that fi ne line
between trance-like
repetition and the
“shock of the new.”
The music becomes
a shared, communal,
and almost religious
experience.