DJing vs. Button-Pushing vs. Skating vs. Being Dope

posted by on July 23, 2012

Yeah, the Deadmau5 post got me interested, but not until I read Atrak’s eloquently written piece in HuffPo did I want to chime in on this DJing vs. Button-Pushing thing.

First off, let me get this out of the way. I’m not concerned if you hit auto-sync or play all original vinyls. I’m just interested in where DJing is going from here…

One thing I’ve learned running Turntable Lab is not to get stuck on one thing, or you’ll just get passed when the “next thing” comes out. Yeah, it kinda stung when we started our house music section when we were preaching Beatminerz remixes, but I knew the DJ world was evolving. Yeah, it bugged me when I saw first my first laptop-only DJ (hell, it pissed me off to see my first CDJ DJ), but again, I knew that this was where it was going. DJs are some of the most intense and diverse hobbyists out there, so they’ll always find new ways to do things.

To keep the quickly changing DJing world in perspective, I’ve always referenced the skateboarding scene. In terms of a DIY, individual-based hobby / profession, skateboarding has seen it all, on every scale. Like DJing, skating has seen micro-movements, mainstream influence, stylistic trends, scene superstars, etc.

When turntablism got too techy, I knew they’re would be a drop-off in popularity. I just referenced the tiny-wheel, 1″ off the ground tech tricks that killed skating for bit in the late nineties. Using the same reference, I also knew DJing would come back strong. Want to know how DJ superstars will age? Map them against similar pro-skaters… same goes with DJ equipment manufacturers and deck companies.

But here is where this relationship diverges. One of the strongest similarities to skating and DJing was the element of practice and work. Want to be a dope skater? You’re going to have to try 1000s of ollies, 1000s of kickflips… Want to be a dope DJ? You’re gonna have to spend 100s of hours mixing, 100s of hours of scratching, 100s of hours studying music.

With the advent mp3s + auto-sync, you can really bypass this period of discovery and mastery. What’s that gonna do to the notion of DJ as we know it? A dope skater will undeniably always be a dope skater, but what if a dope DJ really isn’t dope?

Can you think of new reference to the current DJ scene, now that my old one is broken?

About ph

co-founder of the Lab. grew up in MD, splays in the EV... ends his thoughts in...
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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_C5GI4WTOSZNNNWMPOGBAXYYRLU Go Green Longboarding

    As a life long skateboarder, and a DJ sitting next to both a pile of vinyl and a traktor scratch setup, well said.

  • Winnebagosound

    if ur shits dope its dope. And if buttons make you mad, then maybe the dude pressing buttons had a better set than you :)

    • Brage23

      B!?(h, please.

      • Brage23

        Don’t get me wrong; I love buttons.

  • DjBrianKay

    Wonderful insight.Dope will always be dope. No matter what the work has to be put in!

    • Joarnilsen

      That´s what I read too :-)

  • sean

    Not late 90′s, early 90′s!!!! thats when the small wheel, raver pants shit happened

  • Butta

    The next phase will be DJ’s who can make their own music / remixes / have multitracks you cannot download anywhere. Its one thing to just download your entire collection of already made music by other people.. but the longer you depend on what is downloadable and available to absolutely everybody, the same flooded market you came in to enter will spit you out that much quicker.

    The element of DJing that has always put one in a niche market is exclusivity and imagination. Weather its making remixes (doing it very well and NOT sharing them with other DJs) or incorperating tricks or effects that you invent yourself and cannot be easily duplicated.. that is what is going to make certain DJ’s have longevity. Too many DJ’s give out their titles and tricks / tips so easily in a market that is based on biting the hand that feeds you. The easier you make it for the next man.. the harder they make it for you.

    DJ’s need to go back and be inventors of styles.. and not just take whats already invented and call it your own. Thats whats flooding the market.

  • Cabrahamson02

    I like it because all these cat by me are selling their old 12inch singles so I can pick them up cheap.

  • SeRcH

    Pushing a Button doesn’t make you a dj! Paris Hilton & others……. It is a craft and skill level that is acquired and Serato Tracktor and other Mp3 Players have killed it. It was a art to go digging through the crates. I respect any real dj who actually put their time into real djing however anyone who pushes a button and calls themselves a dj, YOU’RE NOT!!!! If you have a problem with that we can battle!!! I will check every day to see if some push button idiot has the guts to mix without a lab top or scratch.

  • JR

    I personally think there is different levels to DJing and there will always be. I was in the clubs in the late 70s and 80s and marvelled what I heard, loved the non stop music and the remixes. I play/DJ because I enjoy hearing the music I remember, once in awhile I download a totally remixed version of a song I like and usually hate it. So the crowds I play to , in some respects, you could say I am a push button Dj, I do match the beats when it comes to dancing and I think I have mastered when you dont know the current song has ended and the new one ihas started, I love that part and I do alot of entertaining along with playing the songs that most of my clients have not heard in years. You dont want to call me a DJ because of that? fine but I do get paid, I legally download the songs I play, I advertise what I will and will not play or do, pay for insurance and invest in top notch equiptment and I am busy with bookings. So maybe I am not or prefer not to be at the skill alot of you are, but I am having fun….

  • SAVAGESEVERE

    DJing is an Art – its all about expresion – sharing with a listening audience – moving something in them. There were visual artists on the classical side who would turn raw clay into a solo hands-on masterpiece and there have been visual artists more modern, with assistants, who produce all the work really, and the “artist” pulls the strings – or pushes the buttons – in creation and of the audience so in a sense they are Artists as well……..

    My real beef is headz not understanding their history. stepping into a vacum and expecting things to be handed to them – like a title – “now I am a DJ” . Not knowing music or the artists, movement, scene, ANYTHING behind it. they know how to mimic DJing but not for the long haul.

    authenticity cant be paid off at the end of the night or met at the push of a button – its earned.

  • http://twitter.com/ThisIsVictorKim a.k.a. Snugg Digemz

    http://hotwaterinc.tumblr.com/post/25938207447/hitstart
    This is an interesting take on the whole “Pressing Play”, repeated playlist, Deadmau5 tumblr post as well. Comes from someone who works for Billboard’s dance music section and was a long time fan before she got into the industry. All the articles she references (some of which A-Trak references in his HuffPo article as well) are worth the read too.

    Interesting bit “In that Wall Street Journal article, Avicii literally said this: “I can’t play house for two hours.” Then what in God’s name would you do for 26? When Tenaglia finally closed Vinyl, which was then called Arc, in 2004, he played a 26-hour set.”

  • 711sanchez

    This article tries to compare two subjects and fails completely. I guess the only relationship is that both hobbies are done by people when they are young and still living in their parent’s basement. Also, just cause you practice a lot doesn’t mean that you will eventually become great at skating. There are plenty of people that never improve. DJing was just to a means to an end. In the modern world we have computers and they do a better job of blending tracks than the old mechanical phongraphical way. DJing with records will eventually be done by people that like being nostalgic, kinda like that creepy old guy that wears a train conductor’s hat and has an odd collection of model train sets. It’s the same thing with skateboarding. When you go to a skate park, everyone is like 10 years old. Do you really want to be that 3o something year old that everyone is wondering about at the skate park? There comes a time in one’s life when we should grow into more legit age appropriate hobbies like instead of skateboarding, you kayak or instead of DJing, learn a real instrument. I’m just writing this from my idea of what common sense is.If you would like to be that creepy old dude that never grew up then go ahead but stay away from the school parking lots and playgrounds.

    • 8bitbryan

      Sanchez, you should come down to chelsea piers skate park and watch forty-year olds launch 5 foot airs out of the pool. Lance Mountain was there the other day. I think its amazing seeing someone age with that much grace, devotion and ability. Also I am glad the Beastie Boys never went ‘age appropriate’ …MCA stayed young at heart all the way up to the end. BTW, I 38 and still fuck with music and what not. What should I be doing instead? Sitting on the couch? Being a congressman? Smoking cigars while wearing a fedora? This life shit is so hard to get right. You mind if I just keep enjoying shit I’ve always loved? Thanks bro.

      • Lionel Sanchez

        I would like to come check that out and you do bring up excellent points. Fedoras do suck as well. But the Beastie Boys eventually did learn how to play instruments. I guess all I am saying is why would people not want to evolve? If you are so good at skating then then that’s a beautiful thing. I mean when Tony Hawk jumped out of a helicopter that surely wasn’t something done by someone who should grow up. That was perfect. Everybody and their grandmother nowadays is a DJ, yet some are legends like Dieselboy. You see all these people that suck at skating so they took up longboarding to be trendy and then you have amazing skaters like Bucky Lasek. How can somebody say they should grow up? But if you are old and you suck then you are just an old poser and life is too short to be sucky your whole life.

        • 8bitbryan

          Okay I actually 100% agree with what you just said. Especially about the long board business. I hate to see old dudes who were never skaters long board down 3rd ave with messenger bag on (and I guess that’s me hating on someone else’s deal) But evolving over posing, I agree with that. Skateboarding, like DJing, has a lot to do with style so if you are not bringing something fresh to it, why spend what little time you have left sucking …and making others cringe. eye to eye, dude. Point taken.

          • DotDotDot

            Dj’ing today is nothing special anymore. Of course the Dj stuff and especially the people have to elevate themselves and their style but come on. Lets think about the attraction of real Dj’ing.
            It was about having your own scratching style, studying music, having a good knowledge, beeing creative and of course the most important thing…you had to be musically.
            With these controllers you lost all of the points i mentioned above. Its just about pressing a button. Nowadays every idiot around the corner is able to be a “Dj”.
            Think about that.
            Especially the skateboard thing you was talking about is crap…in my opinion. Think back in time. Nothing really changed in skateboarding in the last 20 years.
            What do you mean by growing up sanchez ?
            Theres nothing wrong with skateboarding or Dj’ing when youre older. I really dont understand why people thing like that. Why the hell should skating or Dj’ing only be done by young people ?
            Just in case you didnt know…the best Dj’s in the world are 30-40 years old and please dont try to tell me that these people are not grown up. Im not trying to be offensive but to me you sound like you first wanted to be a Dj but you didn’t follow your dreams.

          • Lionel Sanchez

            I am so cute!

          • Lionel Sanchez

            Boys have penises, girls have vaginas!

  • The Honest Thief

    All of you guys bring up valid points, but ultimately Disc Jockey’s means of mixing music is just that, a means. We should all respect the art form, and learn to mix with vinyl, beat match, scratch, etc. but that’s only a small part of it. We are artists, our turntables are the brushes, our music is the brush strokes, the dancefloor is our canvas, but never forget that it’s the PEOPLE that are the color. So many technically skilled DJ’s loose sight of that. If you get people on the floor dancing, having a great time, and you can keep them there, than ultimately you have succeeded as a DJ. That’s what’s most important. The other stuff is just icing on the cake.

    • The Honest Thief

      P.S all that age stuff I think is crap. No offense. Fallow your bliss. If something makes you happy, do it. Be good at it. Experiment. Just that simple.

      • chiefwiggum

        True words!!!