![Three CDJs and two SL-1210 at Bob Beaman Nightclub Munich](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Three_CDJs_and_two_SL-1210_at_Bob_Beaman_Nightclub_Munich.jpg)
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include
radio DJs (who host programs on
music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
or music festival),
mobile DJs
Mobile disc jockeys (also known as mobile DJs or mobile discos) are disc jockeys that tour with portable sound, lighting, and video systems. They play music for a targeted audience from a collection of pre-recorded music using vinyl records, cas ...
(who are hired to work at public and private events such as weddings, parties, or festivals), and
turntablists (who use record players, usually
turntables, to manipulate sounds on
phonograph record
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
s). Originally, the "disc" in "disc jockey" referred to shellac and later vinyl records, but nowadays DJ is used as an all-encompassing term to also describe persons who
mix
Mix, mixes or mixing may refer to:
Persons & places
* Mix (surname)
** Tom Mix (1880-1940), American film star
* nickname of Mix Diskerud (born Mikkel, 1990), Norwegian-American soccer player
* Mix camp, an informal settlement in Namibia
* Mix ...
music from other recording media such as
cassettes
Cassette may refer to:
Technology
* Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback
** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in the ...
, CDs or
digital audio files on a
CDJ
A CDJ is a specialized digital music player for DJing. Originally designed to play music from compact discs, many CDJs can play digital music files stored on USB flash drives or SD cards. In typical use, at least two CDJs are plugged into a DJ ...
, controller, or even a laptop. DJs may adopt the title "DJ" in front of their real names, adopted pseudonyms, or stage names.
DJs commonly use audio equipment that can play at least two sources of recorded music simultaneously. This enables them to
blend tracks together to create transitions between recordings and develop unique
mixes of songs. This can involve
aligning the beats of the music sources so their rhythms and tempos do not clash when played together and enable a smooth transition from one song to another. DJs often use specialized
DJ mixers, small
audio mixers with
crossfader
In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theatre lighting in much the same way (see fade (filmmaking) and fade (lighting)).
A recor ...
and
cue functions to blend or transition from one song to another. Mixers are also used to pre-listen to sources of recorded music in
headphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeaker drivers worn on or around the head over a user's ears. They are electroacoustic transducers, which convert an electrical signal to a corresponding sound. Headphones let a single user listen to an au ...
and adjust upcoming tracks to mix with currently playing music. DJ software can be used with a
DJ controller device to mix audio files on a computer instead of a console mixer. DJs may also use a
microphone
A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public ...
to speak to the audience;
effects unit
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in el ...
s such as
reverb
Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abso ...
to create sound effects and
electronic musical instrument
An electronic musical instrument or electrophone is a musical instrument that produces sound using electronic circuitry. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical, electronic or digital audio signal that ultimately is plugged into ...
s such as
drum machines and synthesizers.
Etymology
The term "disc jockey" was ostensibly coined by radio gossip commentator
Walter Winchell
Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...
in 1935, and the phrase first appeared in print in a 1941 ''
Variety'' magazine. Originally, the word "disc" in "disc jockey" referred to
phonograph or gramophone records and was used to describe radio personalities who introduced them on the air.
Role
"DJ" is used as an all-encompassing term to describe someone who mixes recorded music from any source, including
vinyl records
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog signal, analog sound Recording medium, storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove ...
,
cassettes
Cassette may refer to:
Technology
* Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback
** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in the ...
, CDs, or
digital audio files stored on
USB stick
A USB flash drive (also called a thumb drive) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface. It is typically removable, rewritable and much smaller than an optical disc. Most weigh less than . Since first ...
or laptop. DJs typically perform for a live audience in a
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
or dance club or a TV, radio broadcast audience, or an
online radio
Online radio (also web radio, net radio, streaming radio, e-radio, IP radio, Internet radio) is a digital audio service transmitted via the Internet. Broadcasting on the Internet is usually referred to as webcasting since it is not transmitted ...
audience. DJs also create mixes, remixes and tracks that are recorded for later sale and distribution. In
hip hop music, DJs may create beats, using percussion
break
Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to:
Time off from duties
* Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties
* Break (work), time off during a shift/recess
** Coffee break, a short mid-morning rest ...
s,
bassline
Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...
s and other musical content
sampled from pre-existing records. In hip hop, rappers and MCs use these beats to
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
over. Some DJs adopt the title "DJ" as part of their names (e.g.,
DJ Jazzy Jeff,
DJ Qbert,
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996.
Biography Early years (1989–1995)
DJ Sha ...
and
DJ Yoda
Duncan Beiny (born 1977 in London, England), better known as DJ Yoda, is a hip hop turntablist who uses samples to create an animated musical style. He is known for several awards and media industry achievements.
Early life and career
Aft ...
). Professional DJs often specialize in a specific genre of music, such as
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
,
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
or
hip hop music. DJs typically have extensive knowledge about the music they specialize in. Many DJs are avid music collectors of vintage, rare or obscure tracks and records.
Types
Club DJs
![Pete Rock @ The Brookyln Bowl in 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Pete_Rock_%40_The_Brookyln_Bowl_in_2016.jpg)
Club DJs, commonly referred to as DJs in general, play music at musical events, such as parties at
music venues
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. ...
or bars, clubs, music festivals, corporate and private events. Typically, club DJs mix music recordings from two or more sources using different mixing techniques to produce a non-stopping flow of music.
One key technique used for seamlessly transitioning from one song to another is
beatmatching
Beatmatching or pitch cue is a disc jockey technique of pitch shifting or timestretching an upcoming track to match its tempo to that of the currently playing track, and to adjust them such that the beats (and, usually, the bars) are synchroni ...
. A DJ who mostly plays and mixes one specific music genre is often given the title of that genre; for example, a DJ who plays
hip hop music is called a hip hop DJ, a DJ who plays
house music
House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
is a house DJ, a DJ who plays
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
is called a techno DJ, and so on.
The quality of a DJ performance (often called a DJ mix or DJ set) consists of two main features: technical skills, or how well the DJ can operate the equipment and produce smooth transitions between two or more recordings and a playlist; and the ability of a DJ to select the most suitable recordings, also known as "reading the crowd".
Hip hop DJs
DJ Kool Herc,
Grandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler (born January 1, 1958), popularly known by his stage name Grandmaster Flash, is an American DJ and rapper. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Hip Hop DJing, cutting, scratching and mixing. Grandmaster Flash and the Fur ...
, and
Afrika Bambaataa
Lance Taylor (born on April 17, 1957), also known as Afrika Bambaataa (), is an American DJ, rapper, and producer from the South Bronx, New York. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenc ...
were members of a block party at South Bronx. Kool Herc played records such as James Brown's "
Give It Up or Turnit a Loose", Jimmy Castor's "
It's Just Begun
''It's Just Begun'' is the second album by the Jimmy Castor Bunch, released in 1972 on RCA Records.''It's Just Begun at Allmusic/ref> "It's Just Begun" and "Troglodyte (Cave Man)" have each become staples in hip-hop sampling. Songs from the album ...
", Booker T. & the M.G.'s' "
Melting Pot
The melting pot is a monocultural metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" with a common culture; an alternative being a homogeneous society becoming more heterogeneous throug ...
", Incredible Bongo Band's "
Bongo Rock" and "
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
", and UK rock band Babe Ruth's "
The Mexican
''The Mexican'' is a 2001 American dark comedy adventure crime film directed by Gore Verbinski and stars Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt in lead roles. Its plot is a mixture of different genres.
Plot
In Los Angeles, a traffic light changes to red a ...
". With Bronx clubs struggling with street gangs, uptown DJs catering to an older disco crowd with different aspirations, and commercial radio also catering to a demographic distinct from teenagers in the Bronx, Herc's parties had a ready-made audience.
DJ Kool Herc developed the style that was the blueprint for
hip hop music. Herc used the record to focus on a short, heavily percussive part in it: the "
break
Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to:
Time off from duties
* Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties
* Break (work), time off during a shift/recess
** Coffee break, a short mid-morning rest ...
". Since this part of the record was the one the dancers liked best, Herc isolated the break and prolonged it by changing between two record players. As one record reached the end of the break, he cued a second record back to the beginning of the break, which allowed him to extend a relatively short section of music into a "five-minute loop of fury". This innovation had its roots in what Herc called "The Merry-Go-Round", a technique by which the DJ switched from break to break at the height of the party. This technique is specifically called "The Merry-Go-Round" because according to Herc, it takes one "back and forth with no slack."
Radio DJs
Radio DJs or radio personalities introduce and play music broadcasts on
AM,
FM,
digital
Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits.
Technology and computing Hardware
*Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals
**Digital camera, which captures and stores digital i ...
or
Internet radio stations.
Dancehall/reggae deejays
In
Jamaican music
The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles.
Reggae is especially popular through the international fame of Bob Marle ...
, a deejay (DJ) is a
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
or
dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
musician who sings and "
toasts" (raps) to an instrumental
riddim. Deejays are not to be confused with DJs from other music genres like hip hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select
riddims to play are called selectors. Deejays whose style is nearer to singing are sometimes called
singjay
Singjaying is a Jamaican style of reggae vocals combining toasting and singing in an elastic format that encourages rhythmically compelling and texturally impressive vocal embellishments. The performer is called a singjay, a combination of singer ...
s.
The term deejay originated in the 1960s and 1970s when performers such as
U-Roy or
King Stitt toasted over the instrumental (
dub music
Dub is an electronic musical style that grew out of reggae in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is commonly considered a subgenre of reggae, though it has developed to extend beyond that style.Dub: soundscapes and shattered songs in Jamaican re ...
) versions of popular records. These versions were often released on the flip side to the song's
45 record
In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...
. This gave the deejays the chance to create on-the-fly lyrics to the music.
Big Youth
Manley Augustus Buchanan (born 19 April 1949, Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica),Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, better known as Big Youth (sometimes called Jah Youth), is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his ...
, and
I-Roy
Roy Samuel Reid (28 June 1942 – 27 November 1999), better known as I-Roy, was a Jamaican deejay who had a very prolific career during the 1970s.
Biography
Born in 1944 in Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica, Reid graduated from Dinthill Technical C ...
were famous deejays in Jamaica.
Turntablists
Turntablists, also called battle DJs, use
turntables
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
and
DJ mixer to manipulate recorded sounds to produce new music. In essence, they use DJ equipment as a musical instrument. Perhaps the best-known turntablist technique is
scratching. Turntablists often participate in DJ contests like
DMC World DJ Championships and Red Bull 3Style.
Residents
A resident DJ performs at a venue on a regular basis or permanently.
They would perform regularly (typically under an agreement) in a particular discotheque, a particular club, a particular event, or a particular broadcasting station. Residents have a decisive influence on the club or a series of events. Per agreement with the management or company, the DJ would have to perform under agreed times and dates.
Typically, DJs perform as residents for two or three times in a week, for example, on Friday and Saturday. DJs who make a steady income from a venue are also considered resident DJs.
Examples for resident DJs are:
*
Alfredo Fiorito
Alfredo Fiorito is an Argentinian DJ. He has been credited as the "Father of the Balearic beat".
After emigrating to Spain and arriving on the Balearic island of Ibiza in September 1976, Alfredo became a DJ at Amnesia, where his eclectic DJ style ...
,
Richie Hawtin,
Sven Väth —
Amnesia
Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...
,
Ibiza
Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
, Spain
*
Martin Garrix
Martijn Gerard Garritsen (; born 14 May 1996), known professionally as Martin Garrix and also as Ytram and GRX, is a Dutch disc jockey and music producer who was ranked number one on ''DJ Mag''s Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years—201 ...
—
Hï Ibiza
Space (, , ) was a superclub on the island of Ibiza, Spain from 1986 to 2016, owned by STANCA. It was awarded "Best Global Club" at the International Dance Music Awards in 2005, 2006, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Space was located in Platja d'en Bossa ...
, Ibiza, Spain
*
Larry Levan
Larry Levan (; born Lawrence Philpot, July 20, 1954 – November 8, 1992) was an American DJ best known for his decade-long residency at the New York City night club Paradise Garage, which has been described as the prototype of the modern da ...
—
Paradise Garage, New York City, USA
*
David Mancuso
David Paul Mancuso (October 20, 1944 – November 14, 2016) was an American disc jockey who created the popular "by invitation only" parties in New York City, which later became known as "The Loft". The first party, called "Love Saves The Day", was ...
—
The Loft, New York City
*
Tiësto,
Deadmau5,
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
—
Hakkasan
Hakkasan is a Chinese restaurant first opened in Fitzrovia in London, England but has since expanded to many cities worldwide. The restaurant was founded in 2001 by Alan Yau, who was also behind the Wagamama Japanese restaurants and later the ...
,
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, USA
*
Kaskade — Encore Beach Club, Las Vegas, USA
*
Ben Klock
Ben Klock (born 1972) is a German techno artist, DJ, and record label owner. He is resident at Berghain, a techno club in Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area an ...
,
Marcel Dettmann
Marcel Dettmann (born 26 October 1977) is a German DJ, producer, and record label owner whom commentators have called "one of the most influential proponents of contemporary techno." Dettmann is a resident at the well-known Berlin nightclub Bergh ...
,
Tama Sumo
Tama Sumo (real name Kerstin Egert) is a German DJ and producer who has been called "one of the world's finest house and techno DJs whose success and acclaim stem only from her skills as a selector". She is signed to the Ostgut Ton label and is ...
—
Berghain, Berlin, Germany
*
Fish Go Deep — Cork, Ireland
*
Djsky — Ghana, West Africa
Other types
*
Mobile DJ
Mobile disc jockeys (also known as mobile DJs or mobile discos) are disc jockeys that tour with portable sound, lighting, and video systems. They play music for a targeted audience from a collection of pre-recorded music using vinyl records, cas ...
s — DJs with their own portable
audio sound systems who specialize in performing at
gatherings such as block parties, street fairs, taverns, weddings, birthdays, school and corporate events. Mobile DJs may also offer lighting packages and video systems.
* DJanes — a term describing female DJs used in countries such as Germany that employ
grammatical gender
In linguistics, grammatical gender system is a specific form of noun class system, where nouns are assigned with gender categories that are often not related to their real-world qualities. In languages with grammatical gender, most or all nouns ...
in their languages.
* Celebrity DJs — widely known
celebrities performing as DJs.
Equipment
DJs use equipment that enables them to play multiple sources of recorded music and mix them to create seamless transitions and unique arrangements of songs. An important tool for DJs is the specialized
DJ mixer, a small
audio mixer
Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to:
Sound
*Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound
*Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum
*Digital audio, representation of sound ...
with a
crossfader
In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theatre lighting in much the same way (see fade (filmmaking) and fade (lighting)).
A recor ...
and
cue functions. The crossfader enables the DJ to blend or transition from one song to another. The cue knobs or switches allow the DJ to "listen" to a source of recorded music in
headphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeaker drivers worn on or around the head over a user's ears. They are electroacoustic transducers, which convert an electrical signal to a corresponding sound. Headphones let a single user listen to an au ...
before playing it for the live club or broadcast audience. Previewing the music in headphones helps the DJ pick the next track they want to play,
cue up the track to the desired starting location, and align the two tracks' beats in traditional situations where auto sync technology is not being used. This process ensures that the selected song will mix well with the currently playing music. DJs may
align the beats of the music sources so their rhythms do not clash when they are played together to help create a smooth transition from one song to another. Other equipment may include a
microphone
A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public ...
,
effects unit
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in el ...
s such as
reverb
Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abso ...
, and
electronic musical instrument
An electronic musical instrument or electrophone is a musical instrument that produces sound using electronic circuitry. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical, electronic or digital audio signal that ultimately is plugged into ...
s such as
drum machines and synthesizers.
As music technology has progressed, DJs have adopted different types of equipment to play and mix music, all of which are still commonly used. Traditionally, DJs used two
turntables plugged into a
DJ mixer to mix music on vinyl records. As compact discs became popular media for publishing music, specialized high-quality CD players known as
CDJ
A CDJ is a specialized digital music player for DJing. Originally designed to play music from compact discs, many CDJs can play digital music files stored on USB flash drives or SD cards. In typical use, at least two CDJs are plugged into a DJ ...
s were developed for DJs. CDJs can take the place of turntables or be used together with turntables. Many CDJs can now play digital music files from
USB flash drive
A USB flash drive (also called a thumb drive) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface. It is typically removable, rewritable and much smaller than an optical disc. Most weigh less than . Since firs ...
s or
SD cards in addition to CDs. With the spread of portable laptops,
tablets, and
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
computers, DJs began using software together with specialized
sound cards and
DJ controller hardware. DJ software can be used in conjunction with a hardware DJ mixer or be used instead of a hardware mixer.
Turntables
Turntables allow DJs to play vinyl records. By adjusting the playback speed of the turntable, either by adjusting the speed knob or by manipulating the platter (e.g., by slowing down the platter by putting a finger gently along the side), DJs can match the
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
s of different records so their rhythms can be played together at the same time without clashing or make a smooth, seamless transition from one song to another. This technique is known as
beatmatching
Beatmatching or pitch cue is a disc jockey technique of pitch shifting or timestretching an upcoming track to match its tempo to that of the currently playing track, and to adjust them such that the beats (and, usually, the bars) are synchroni ...
. DJs typically replace the rubber mat on turntables that keep the record moving in sync with the turntable with a
slipmat
A slipmat is a circular piece of slippery cloth or synthetic materials disk jockeys place on the turntable platter instead of the traditional rubber mat.
Unlike the rubber mat which is made to hold the record firmly in sync with the rotating pl ...
that facilitates manipulating the playback of the record by hand. With the slipmat, the DJ can stop or slow down the record while the turntable is still spinning.
Direct-drive turntables are the type preferred by DJs. Belt-drive turntables are less expensive, but they are not suitable for turntablism and DJing, because the belt-drive motor can be damaged by this type of manipulation. Some DJs, most commonly those who play
hip hop music, go beyond merely mixing records and use turntables as musical instruments for
scratching,
beat juggling, and other
turntablism techniques.
CDJs/media players
CDJ
A CDJ is a specialized digital music player for DJing. Originally designed to play music from compact discs, many CDJs can play digital music files stored on USB flash drives or SD cards. In typical use, at least two CDJs are plugged into a DJ ...
s /
media players are high-quality digital media players made for DJing. They often have large jog wheels and
pitch control
A variable speed pitch control (or vari-speed) is a control on an audio device such as a turntable, tape recorder, or CD player that allows the operator to deviate from a standard speed (such as 33, 45 or even 78 rpm on a turntable), resulting i ...
s to allow DJs to manipulate the playback of digital files for
beatmatching
Beatmatching or pitch cue is a disc jockey technique of pitch shifting or timestretching an upcoming track to match its tempo to that of the currently playing track, and to adjust them such that the beats (and, usually, the bars) are synchroni ...
similar to how DJs manipulate vinyl records on turntables. CDJs often have features such as loops and waveform displays similar to DJ software. Originally designed to play music from compact discs, they now can play digital music files stored on
USB flash drive
A USB flash drive (also called a thumb drive) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface. It is typically removable, rewritable and much smaller than an optical disc. Most weigh less than . Since firs ...
s and
SD cards. Some CDJs can also connect to a computer running DJ software to act as a
DJ controller. Modern media players have the ability to stream music from online music providers such as Beatport, Beatsource, Tidal and Soundcloud GO.
DJ mixers
![DJ Mixer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/DJ_Mixer.JPG)
DJ mixers are small audio
mixing consoles specialized for DJing. Most DJ mixers have far fewer channels than a mixer used by a record producer or
audio engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...
; whereas standard live sound mixers in small venues have 12 to 24 channels, and standard recording studio mixers have even more (as many as 72 on large boards), basic DJ mixers may have only two channels. While DJ mixers have many of the same features found on larger mixers (faders, equalization knobs, gain knobs,
effects unit
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in el ...
s, etc.), DJ mixers have a feature that is usually only found on DJ mixers: the
crossfader
In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theatre lighting in much the same way (see fade (filmmaking) and fade (lighting)).
A recor ...
. The crossfader is a type of fader that is mounted horizontally. DJs used the crossfader to mix two or more sound sources. The midpoint of the crossfader's travel is a 50/50 mix of the two channels (on a two-channel mixer). The far left side of the crossfader provides only the channel A sound source. The far right side provides only the channel B sound source (e.g., record player number 2). Positions in between the two extremes provide different mixes of the two channels. Some DJs use a computer with DJ software and a
DJ controller instead of an analog DJ mixer to mix music, although DJ software can be used in conjunction with a hardware DJ mixer.
Headphones
DJs generally use higher-quality headphones than those designed for music consumers. DJ headphones have other properties useful for DJs, such as designs that acoustically isolate the sounds of the headphones from the outside environment (hard shell headphones), flexible headbands and pivot joints to allow DJs to listen to one side of the headphones while turning the other headphone away (so they can monitor the mix in the club), and replaceable cables. Replaceable cables enable DJs to buy new cables if a cable becomes frayed, worn, or damaged, or if a cable is accidentally cut.
Closed-back headphones are highly recommended for DJs to block outside noise as the environment of DJ usually tends to be very noisy. Standard headphones have a 3.5mm jack but DJ equipment usually requires ¼ inch jack. Most specialized DJ Headphones have an adapter to switch between a 3.5mm jack and ¼ inch jack. Detachable coiled cables are perfect for DJ Headphones.
Software
![Mixxx-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Mixxx-1.11.0-Deere.png)
DJs have changed their equipment as new technologies are introduced. The earliest DJs in pop music, in 1970s discos, used
record turntable
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
s, vinyl records and
audio consoles. In the 1970s, DJs would have to lug heavy direct-drive turntables and crates of records to clubs and shows. In the 1980s, many DJs transitioned to
compact cassette
The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Ottens ...
s. In the 1990s and 2000s, many DJs switched to using
digital audio
Digital audio is a representation of sound recorded in, or converted into, digital form. In digital audio, the sound wave of the audio signal is typically encoded as numerical samples in a continuous sequence. For example, in CD audio, sa ...
such as CDs and
MP3 files. As technological advances made it practical to store large collections of digital music files on a laptop computer, DJ software was developed so DJs could use a laptop as a source of music instead of transporting CDs or vinyl records to gigs. Unlike most
music player software designed for
regular consumers, DJ software can play at least two audio files simultaneously, display the
waveform
In electronics, acoustics, and related fields, the waveform of a signal is the shape of its graph as a function of time, independent of its time and magnitude scales and of any displacement in time.David Crecraft, David Gorham, ''Electronic ...
s of the files on screen and enable the DJ to listen to either source.
The waveforms allow the DJ to see what is coming next in the music and how the playback of different files is aligned. The software analyzes music files to identify their tempo and where the beats are. The analyzed information can be used by the DJ to help manually
beatmatch
Beatmatching or pitch cue is a disc jockey technique of pitch shifting or timestretching an upcoming track to match its tempo to that of the currently playing track, and to adjust them such that the beats (and, usually, the bars) are synchroni ...
like with vinyl records or the software can automatically synchronize the beats.
Digital signal processing
Digital signal processing (DSP) is the use of digital processing, such as by computers or more specialized digital signal processors, to perform a wide variety of signal processing operations. The digital signals processed in this manner are ...
algorithms in software allow DJs to adjust the
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of recordings independently of their
pitch (and musical
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
, a feature known as "keylock". Some software analyzes the loudness of the music for automatic normalization with
ReplayGain
ReplayGain is a proposed technical standard published by David Robinson in 2001 to measure and normalize the perceived loudness of audio in computer audio formats such as MP3 and Ogg Vorbis. It allows media players to normalize loudness for indi ...
and detects the musical key. Additionally, DJ software can store cue points, set loops, and apply
effects
Effect may refer to:
* A result or change of something
** List of effects
** Cause and effect, an idiom describing causality
Pharmacy and pharmacology
* Drug effect, a change resulting from the administration of a drug
** Therapeutic effect, a ...
.
As
tablet computer
A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being comput ...
s and
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
s became widespread, DJ software was written to run on these devices in addition to laptops.
DJ software requires specialized hardware in addition to a computer to fully take advantage of its features. The consumer-grade, regular
sound card integrated into most computer motherboards can only output two channels (one stereo pair). However, DJs need to be able to output at least four channels (two stereo pairs, thus Left and Right for input 1 and Left and Right for input 2), either unmixed signals to send to a DJ mixer or the main output plus a headphone output. Additionally, DJ sound cards output higher-quality signals than the sound cards built into consumer-grade computer motherboards.
Timecode
Special vinyl records (or CDs/digital files played with
CDJ
A CDJ is a specialized digital music player for DJing. Originally designed to play music from compact discs, many CDJs can play digital music files stored on USB flash drives or SD cards. In typical use, at least two CDJs are plugged into a DJ ...
s) can be used with DJ software to play digital music files with DJ software as if they were pressed onto vinyl, allowing
turntablism techniques to be used with digital files. These vinyl records do not have music recordings pressed onto them. Instead, they are pressed with a special signal, referred to as "timecode", to control DJ software. The DJ software interprets changes in the playback speed, direction, and position of the timecode signal and manipulates the digital files it is playing in the same way that the turntable manipulates the timecode record.
This requires a specialized DJ
sound card with at least 4 channels (2 stereo pairs) of inputs and outputs. With this setup, the DJ software typically outputs unmixed signals from the music files to an external hardware
DJ mixer. Some DJ mixers have integrated
USB
Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply (interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers. A broad v ...
sound cards that allow DJ software to connect directly to the mixer without requiring a separate sound card.
DJ controllers
A DJ software can be used to mix audio files on the computer instead of a separate hardware mixer. When mixing on a computer, DJs often use a
DJ controller device that mimics the layout of two turntables plus a DJ mixer to control the software rather than the
computer keyboard
A computer keyboard is a peripheral input device modeled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches. Replacing early punched cards and paper tape technology ...
&
touchpad on a laptop, or the
touchscreen
A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is often ...
on a
tablet computer
A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being comput ...
or
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
. Many DJ controllers have an integrated
sound card with 4 output channels (2 stereo pairs) that allow the DJ to use headphones to preview music before playing it on the main output.
Other equipment
* A
microphone
A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and public ...
, so that the DJ can introduce songs and speak to the audience over the sound system.
* Electronic
effects unit
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in el ...
s such as
delay
Delay (from Latin: dilatio) may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Delay 1968'', a 1981 album by German experimental rock band Can
* ''The Delay'', a 2012 Uruguayan film
People
* B. H. DeLay (1891–1923), American aviator and acto ...
,
reverb
Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abso ...
,
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
,
equalizer,
chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
, etc.
* Multi-stylus head shells, which allow a DJ to play different grooves of the same record at the same time.
*
Sampler
Sampler may refer to:
* Sampler (signal), a digital signal processing device that converts a continuous signal to a discrete signal
* Sampler (needlework), a handstitched piece of embroidery used to demonstrate skill in needlework
* Sampler (surna ...
s,
sequencers, electronic musical keyboards (synthesizers), effects pedals (effects unit) or
drum machines.
*
PA system or
sound reinforcement system
A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers in enclosures all controlled by a mixing console that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds ...
(
power amplifier
An audio power amplifier (or power amp) is an electronic amplifier that amplifies low-power electronic audio signals, such as the signal from a radio receiver or an electric guitar pickup, to a level that is high enough for driving loudspea ...
s and
speaker enclosures), typically including
subwoofer cabinets for deep bass (or, if a DJ is broadcasting and/or recording a set, broadcasting equipment or recording gear)
*
Monitor speakers, for listening to the "house mix" that is playing over the main speakers
Techniques
Several techniques are used by DJs as a means to better mix and blend recorded music. These techniques primarily include the
cueing
Cue or CUE may refer to:
Event markers
* Sensory cue, in perception (experimental psychology)
*Cue (theatrical), the trigger for an action to be carried out at a specific time, in theatre or film
*Cue (show control), the electronic rendering of th ...
,
equalization and
audio mixing of two or more sound sources. The complexity and frequency of special techniques depend largely on the setting in which a DJ is working. Radio DJs are less likely to focus on advanced music-mixing procedures than club DJs, who rely on a smooth transition between songs using a range of techniques. However, some radio DJs are experienced club DJs, so they use the same sophisticated mixing techniques.
Club DJ turntable techniques include
beatmatching
Beatmatching or pitch cue is a disc jockey technique of pitch shifting or timestretching an upcoming track to match its tempo to that of the currently playing track, and to adjust them such that the beats (and, usually, the bars) are synchroni ...
,
phrasing and
slip-cueing Slip-cueing is a turntable-based DJ technique which consists of holding a record still while the platter rotates underneath the slipmat and releasing it at the right moment. In this way the record attains the right speed almost immediately, with ...
to preserve energy on a dance floor.
Turntablism embodies the art of cutting,
beat juggling,
scratching,
needle drops,
phase shifting,
back spinning and more to perform the transitions and overdubs of
samples in a more creative manner (although turntablism is often considered a use of the turntable as a
musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...
rather than a tool for blending recorded music). Professional DJs may use
harmonic mixing
Harmonic mixing or key mixing (also referred to as mixing in key) is a DJ's continuous mix between two pre-recorded tracks that are most often either in the same key, or their keys are relative or in a subdominant or dominant relationship with ...
to choose songs that are in compatible musical keys. Other techniques include
chopping,
screwing and
looping.
Recent advances in technology in both DJ hardware and software can provide assisted or automatic completion of some traditional DJ techniques and skills. Examples include
phrasing and
beatmatching
Beatmatching or pitch cue is a disc jockey technique of pitch shifting or timestretching an upcoming track to match its tempo to that of the currently playing track, and to adjust them such that the beats (and, usually, the bars) are synchroni ...
, which can be partially or completely automated by using DJ software that performs automatic
synchronization
Synchronization is the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. For example, the conductor of an orchestra keeps the orchestra synchronized or ''in time''. Systems that operate with all parts in synchrony are said to be synchronou ...
of sound recordings, a feature commonly labelled "sync". Most
DJ mixers now include a beat counter which analyzes the tempo of an incoming sound source and displays its tempo in
beats per minute (BPM), which may assist with beatmatching analog sound sources.
In the past, being a DJ has largely been a self-taught craft but with the complexities of new technologies and the convergence with music production methods, there are a growing number of schools and organizations that offer instruction on the techniques.
Miming
In DJ culture,
miming
A mime artist, or simply mime (from Greek language, Greek , , "imitator, actor"), is a person who uses ''mime'' (also called ''pantomime'' outside of Britain), the acting out of a story through body motions without the use of speech, as a the ...
refers to the practice of DJ's pantomiming the actions of live-mixing a set on stage while a pre-recorded mix plays over the sound system.
[Wendy Fonarow. ]
Empire of Dirt: The Aesthetics and Rituals of British Indie Music
'. Wesleyan University Press; 10 July 2006. . p. 270–.[Charles Kriel. ]
How to DVJ: A Digital DJ Masterclass
'. CRC Press; 25 January 2013. . p. 106–. Miming mixing in a live performance is considered to be controversial within DJ culture.
Some within the DJ community say that miming is increasingly used as a technique by celebrity model DJs who may lack mixing skills, but can draw big crowds to a venue.
During a DJ tour for the release of the French group
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
's ''A Cross the Universe'' in November 2008, controversy arose when a photograph of Augé DJing with an unplugged
Akai MPD24 surfaced. The photograph sparked accusations that Justice's live sets were faked. Augé has since said that the equipment was unplugged very briefly before being reattached and the band put a three-photo set of the incident on their MySpace page. After a 2013
Disclosure concert, the duo was criticized for pretending to live mix to a playback of a pre-recorded track. Disclosure's Guy Lawrence said they did not deliberately intend to mislead their audience, and cited miming by other DJs such as
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...
.
History
Playing recorded music for dancing and parties rose with the mass marketing of home
phonograph
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
s in the late 19th century. British radio disc jockey
Jimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile (; 31 October 1926 – 29 October 2011) was an English DJ, television and radio personality who hosted BBC shows including ''Top of the Pops'' and ''Jim'll Fix It''. During his lifetime, he was well known ...
hosted his first live dance party in 1943 using a single turntable and a makeshift sound system. Four years later, Savile began using two turntables welded together to form a single DJ console.
In 1947, the Whisky à Gogo opened in Paris as the first
discotheque.
In 1959, one of the first discos in Germany, the
Scotch Club The Scotch Club in Aachen was one of the first discothèque in Germany, opening on 19 October 1959. It was closed in 1992.
Origin of the discothèque
On Monday 19 October 1959, the former restaurant The Scotch Club in Aachen, North Rhine Westphalia ...
, opened in
Aachen
Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...
and visiting journalist Klaus Quirini (later DJ Heinrich) made comments, conducted audience games, and announced songs while playing records. The first song he played was the hit ''Ein Schiff wird kommen'' by
Lale Andersen.
In the 1960s,
Rudy Bozak
Rudolph Thomas Bozak (1910–1982) was an audio electronics and acoustics designer and engineer in the field of sound reproduction. His parents were Bohemian Czech immigrants; Rudy was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Bozak studied at Milwaukee ...
began making the first
DJ mixers, mixing consoles specialized for DJing.
In the late 1960s to early 1970s
Jamaican sound system
In Jamaican popular culture, a sound system is a group of disc jockeys, engineers and MCs playing ska, rocksteady or reggae music. The sound system is an important part of Jamaican culture and history.
History
The sound system concept first ...
culture, producer and sound system operator (DJ), (Jamaican)
King Tubby and producer
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development o ...
were pioneers of the genre known as
dub music
Dub is an electronic musical style that grew out of reggae in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is commonly considered a subgenre of reggae, though it has developed to extend beyond that style.Dub: soundscapes and shattered songs in Jamaican re ...
.
[Michael Veal (2013)]
''Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae'', pages 26–44, "Electronic Music in Jamaica"
Wesleyan University Press.[Nicholas Collins, Margaret Schedel, Scott Wilson (2013)]
''Electronic Music: Cambridge Introductions to Music'', page 20
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press
A university press is an academic publishing hou ...
. They experimented with
tape-based composition; emphasized repetitive rhythmic structures (often stripped of their harmonic elements); electronically manipulated spatiality; sonically manipulated pre-recorded musical materials from mass media;
and
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
ed music among other innovative techniques.
It is widely known that the Jamaican dancehall culture has had and continues to have a significant impact on the American hip hop culture.
![Digital Dj utrustning - 2019 (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Digital_Dj_utrustning_-_2019_%282%29.jpg)
DJ
turntablism has origins in the invention of
direct-drive turntables. Early
belt-drive turntables were unsuitable for turntablism and mixing, since they had a slow start-up time, and they were prone to wear-and-tear and breakage, as the belt would break from backspinning or scratching. The first direct-drive turntable was invented by engineer Shuichi Obata at
Matsushita (now
Panasonic), based in
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, Japan. It eliminated belts, and instead employed a motor to directly drive a platter on which a vinyl record rests.
[Trevor Pinch, Karin Bijsterveld]
''The Oxford Handbook of Sound Studies'', p. 515
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
. In 1969, Matsushita released it as the
SP-10,
the first direct-drive turntable on the market,
and the first in their influential
Technics series of turntables.
In 1972, Technics started making their
SL-1200 turntable, featuring high torque
direct drive design.
[Six Machines That Changed The Music World](_blank)
'' Wired'', May 2002. The SL-1200 had a rapid start and its durable direct drive enabled DJs to manipulate the platter, as with scratching techniques.
Hip hop DJs began using the Technics SL-1200s as musical instruments to manipulate records with
turntablism techniques such as
scratching and
beat juggling rather than merely mixing records. These techniques were developed in the 1970s by
DJ Kool Herc,
Grand Wizard Theodore
Theodore Livingston (born March 5, 1963), better known as Grand Wizzard Theodore, is an American hip hop DJ. He is widely credited as the inventor of the scratching technique. In addition to scratching, he gained credibility for his mastery of ...
, and
Afrika Bambaataa
Lance Taylor (born on April 17, 1957), also known as Afrika Bambaataa (), is an American DJ, rapper, and producer from the South Bronx, New York. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenc ...
, as they experimented with Technics direct-drive decks, finding that the motor would continue to spin at the correct
RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
even if the DJ wiggled the record back and forth on the platter.
In 1980, Japanese company
Roland
Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...
released the
TR-808, an analog
rhythm/drum machine, which has unique artificial sounds, such as its booming
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
and sharp
snare
SNARE proteins – " SNAP REceptor" – are a large protein family consisting of at least 24 members in yeasts, more than 60 members in mammalian cells,
and some numbers in plants. The primary role of SNARE proteins is to mediate vesicle fu ...
, and a
metronome-like
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...
.
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO for short) is a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). The group is conside ...
's use of the instrument in 1980 influenced hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa, after which the TR-808 would be widely adopted by hip hop DJs, with 808 sounds remaining central to hip-hop music ever since.
[Neil Kulkarni (2015)]
''The Periodic Table of HIP HOP'', p. 44
Random House
Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
.[ ''808'' (documentary film).] The
Roland TB-303, a
bass synthesizer released in 1981, had a similar impact on
electronic dance music genres such as
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
and
house music
House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
,
along with Roland's TR-808
and
TR-909
The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a drum machine introduced by Roland Corporation in 1983, succeeding the TR-808. It was the first Roland drum machine to use samples for some sounds, and the first with MIDI functionality, allowing it to syn ...
drum machines.
[Complex.com](_blank)
[Mixmag](_blank)
In 1982, the Compact Disc (CD) format was released, popularizing
digital audio
Digital audio is a representation of sound recorded in, or converted into, digital form. In digital audio, the sound wave of the audio signal is typically encoded as numerical samples in a continuous sequence. For example, in CD audio, sa ...
. In 1998, the first MP3 digital audio player, the Eiger Labs MPMan F10, was introduced. In January of that same year at the
BeOS
BeOS is an operating system for personal computers first developed by Be Inc. in 1990. It was first written to run on BeBox hardware.
BeOS was positioned as a multimedia platform that could be used by a substantial population of desktop users a ...
Developer Conference, N2IT demonstrated FinalScratch, the first digital DJ system to allow DJs control of MP3 files through special time-coded vinyl records or CDs. While it would take some time for this novel concept to catch on with the "die-hard Vinyl DJs," this would become the first step in the Digital DJ revolution. Manufacturers joined with computer DJing pioneers to offer professional endorsements, the first being Professor Jam (a.k.a. William P. Rader), who went on to develop the industry's first dedicated computer DJ convention and learning program, the "CPS (Computerized Performance System) DJ Summit", to help spread the word about the advantages of this emerging technology.
In 2001,
Pioneer DJ began producing the
CDJ-1000
A CDJ is a specialized digital music player for Disc jockey, DJing. Originally designed to play music from compact discs, many CDJs can play digital music files stored on USB flash drives or Secure Digital, SD cards. In typical use, at least two ...
CD player, making the use of digital music recordings with traditional DJ techniques practical for the first time. As the 2000s progressed, laptop computers became more powerful and affordable.
DJ software
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
, specialized DJ
sound cards, and
DJ controllers were developed for DJs to use laptops as a source of music rather than turntables or CDJs. In the 2010s, like laptops before them,
tablet computer
A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being comput ...
s and
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
s became more powerful & affordable. DJ software was written to run on these more portable devices instead of laptops, although laptops remain the more common type of computer for DJing.
Female DJs
In Western
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
,
women musicians have achieved great success in singing and songwriting roles, however, there are relatively few women DJs or turntablists. Part of this may stem from a generally low percentage of women in audio technology-related jobs. A 2013 ''
Sound on Sound
''Sound on Sound'' is an independently owned monthly music technology magazine published by SOS Publications Group, based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The magazine includes product tests of electronic musical performance and recording devices, a ...
'' article stated that there are "... few women in
record production
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
and
sound engineering."
Ncube states that "
nety-five percent of music producers are male, and although there are female producers achieving great things in music, they are less well-known than their male counterparts."
The vast majority of students in music technology programs are male. In
hip hop music, the low percentage of women DJs and turntablists may stem from the overall male domination of the entire hip hop music industry. Most of the top rappers, MCs, DJs, record producers and music executives are men. There are a small number of high-profile women, but they are rare.
In 2007 Mark Katz's article "Men, Women, and Turntables: Gender and the DJ Battle", stated that "very few women
o turntablism
O, or o, is the fifteenth Letter (alphabet), letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in ...
battle
the matter has been a topic of conversation among hip-hop DJs for years."
In 2010 Rebekah Farrugia states "the male-centricity of EDM culture" contributes to "a marginalisation of women in these
DMspaces."
While turntablism and broader DJ practices should not be conflated, Katz suggests use or lack of use of the turntable broadly by women across genres and disciplines is impacted upon by what he defines as "male
technophilia
Technophilia (from Greek language, Greek τέχνη - ''technē'', "art, skill, craft" and φίλος - ''philos'', "beloved, dear, friend") refers generally to a strong enthusiasm for technology, especially new technologies such as personal com ...
".
Historian Ruth Oldenziel concurs in her writing on engineering with this idea of socialization as a central factor in the lack of engagement with technology. She says:
an exclusive focus on women's supposed failure to enter the field – is insufficient for understanding how our stereotypical notions have come into being; it tends to put the burden of proof entirely on women and to blame them for their supposedly inadequate socialization, their lack of aspiration, and their want of masculine values. An equally challenging question is why and how boys have come to love things technical, how boys have historically been socialized as technophiles.
![Miss Kittin on the decks](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Miss_Kittin_on_the_decks.jpg)
Lucy Green has focused on gender in relation to musical performers and creators, and specifically on educational frameworks as they relate to both. She suggests that women's alienation from "areas that have a strong technological tendency such as DJing, sound engineering and producing" are "not necessarily about her dislike of these instruments but relates to the interrupting effect of their dominantly masculine delineations." Despite this, women and girls do increasingly engage in turntable and DJ practices, individually and collectively, and "carve out spaces for themselves in EDM and DJ Culture".
A 2015 article cited a number of prominent female DJs:
Hannah Wants
Hannah Alicia Smith (born 19 June 1986) is a British house music DJ and producer better known by her stage name Hannah Wants, and a former professional footballer.
Early life and education
Hannah Alicia Smith was born in Birmingham, England. ...
,
Ellen Allien,
Miss Kittin,
Monika Kruse
Monika Kruse (born 23 July 1971) is a German techno DJ/producer and record label owner, with a career in electronic music spanning more than 25 years. She played an influential role in the early Munich rave scene during the early 1990s and was amo ...
,
Nicole Moudaber,
B.Traits
Brianna Price (born 18 June 1986), better known by her stage name B.Traits (Baby Traits), is a Canadian DJ, record producer, remixer and former radio presenter currently living in the United Kingdom. Her debut single "Fever" featuring vocals fr ...
, Magda,
Nina Kraviz
Nina Kraviz (russian: Нина Кравиц, Nina Kravits) is a Russian DJ, music producer and singer.
Early life and career
Kraviz was born and raised in Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia. She moved to Moscow to study dentistry where she later gained h ...
,
Nervo, and
Annie Mac
Annie Mac (born 18 July 1978), is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, including hosting her AMP (Annie Mac Presents) ...
.
Two years later, another article brings out a list with world-famous female DJs including Nastia, tINY,
Nora En Pure
Daniela Di Lillo (formerly Niederer, born 20 July 1990),
Star-Telegram ...
, Anja Schneider,
Peggy Gou
Peggy Gou is a South Korean DJ and record producer based in Germany. She has released seven EPs on record labels including Ninja Tune and Phonica. In 2019, she launched her own independent record label, Gudu Records, and released a DJ-Kicks ...
,
Maya Jane Coles
Maya Jane Coles is a music producer, audio engineer and DJ based in the United Kingdom, born in London of British and Japanese descent. Under her real name, she mostly composes and plays techno music, while her alias Nocturnal Sunshine create ...
, and
Eli & Fur.
Female DJ
The Black Madonna
Marea Stamper (born 1977), better known by her stage name the Blessed Madonna (formerly the Black Madonna), is an American DJ, producer and musician. ''Mixmag'' named her the DJ of the year in 2016. She founded her own record label called We St ...
has been called "one of the world’s most exciting turntablists." Her stage name The Black Madonna is a tribute to her mother's favorite
Catholic saint. In 2018, The Black Madonna played herself as an in-residence DJ for the video game ''
Grand Theft Auto Online'', as part of the ''After Hours''
DLC.
There are various projects dedicated to the promotion and support of these practices such as Female DJs London. Some artists and collectives go beyond these practices to be more gender inclusive. For example,
Discwoman
Discwoman is a New York based collective, booking agency, and event platform representing and showcasing women and non-binary artists in the electronic music community. It was founded in 2014 by Frankie Decaiza Hutchinson, Emma Burgess-Olson ( Umf ...
, a New York-based collective and booking agency, describe themselves as "representing and showcasing cis women, trans women and genderqueer talent."
In Japan, the newest
Bushiroad
is a Japanese entertainment company, producer of collectible card games and trading cards, publisher of mobile apps and games, promotional items and many other venues, which was founded in 2007 by Takaaki Kidani and is headquartered in Tokyo. ...
franchise: ''D4DJ'' focuses on an all-female DJ unit.
Health
The risk of DJs working in nightclubs with
loud music
Loud music is music that is played at a high volume, often to the point where it disturbs others and causes hearing damage. It may include music that is sung live, played with musical instruments, or with electronic media, such as Radio broadcast ...
includes
noise-induced hearing loss and
tinnitus. Nightclubs constantly exceed safe levels of noise exposure with average sound levels ranging from 93.2 to 109.7 dB. Constant music exposure creates temporary and permanent auditory dysfunction for professional DJs with average levels at 96dB being above the recommended level, at which
ear protection
Ear protection refers to devices used to protect the ear, either externally from elements such as cold, intrusion by water and other environmental conditions, debris. High levels of exposure to noise may result in noise-induced hearing loss
N ...
is mandatory for industry. Three-quarters of DJs have tinnitus and are at risk of
tenosynovitis in the wrists and other limbs. Tenosynovitis results from staying in the same position over multiple gigs for scratching motion and cueing, this would be related to a
repetitive strain injury
A repetitive strain injury (RSI) is an injury to part of the musculoskeletal or nervous system caused by repetitive use, vibrations, compression or long periods in a fixed position. Other common names include repetitive stress disorders, cumula ...
. Gigs can last 4-5 hours in
nightlife and the
hospitality industry
The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, theme parks, travel and tourism. It includes hotels, tourism agencies, restaurants and bars.
Sector ...
, as a result, there are potential
complications of prolonged standing The complications of prolonged standing are conditions that may arise after standing, walking, or running for prolonged periods. Many of the complications come from prolonged standing (more than 60% of a work day) that is repeated several times a we ...
which include slouching, varicose veins, cardiovascular disorders, joint compression, and muscle fatigue.
This is common for other staff to experience as well including bartenders and security staff for example.
In film
* ''
Berlin Calling'' – a German film about fictional DJ and producer Ickarus (
Paul Kalkbrenner), who is struggling with drug abuse
* ''
Speaking in Code'' – an American documentary film about
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
artists
Modeselektor
Modeselektor is a German electronic music duo consisting of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary.
History
The group members met in 1992 in Berlin with group member Szary performing live acid house music at illegal underground parties, under t ...
,
Wighnomy Brothers
Wighnomy Brothers were an electronic music duo from Jena, Germany, composed of Gabor Schablitzki (aka Robag Wruhme) and Sören Bodner (aka Monkey Maffia). Wighnomy Brothers' live mixes include an eclectic blend of deep house, minimal techno, jaz ...
,
Philip Sherburne,
Monolake and David Day
* ''
Kvadrat Kvadrat may refer to:
* Kvadrat (company), a Danish textile design company
* Kvadrat (shopping centre) in Norway
* Kvadrat (film), ''Kvadrat'' (film), a documentary feature film about the realities of techno DJing
* 2K12 Kub, a missile launcher
{{ ...
'' – a French and Russian documentary film about the realities of
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
DJing, using the example of DJ Andrey Pushkarev
* ''
It's All Gone Pete Tong
''It's All Gone Pete Tong'' is a 2004 British-Canadian mockumentary-drama film about a DJ (Paul Kaye) who goes completely deaf. The title uses a rhyming slang phrase used in Britain from the 1980s (Pete Tong = "wrong"), referring to the BBC Ra ...
'' – a fictional
mockumentary British movie about Frankie Wilde, a DJ who gradually becomes deaf due to drug abuse and an unhealthy lifestyle
* ''
We Are Your Friends'' – an American fiction film about a college DJ trying to make it in the DJing scene with "one hit song", starring
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' trilo ...
* ''
Scratch'' – a documentary about the hip-hop DJ and the 2000-era turntablist movement
* ''
Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou
is a Japanese dish that consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It involves coating slices of pork with panko (bread crumbs), and then frying them in oil. The two main types are fillet and loin. Tonkatsu is also the basis of other dis ...
'' – a Japanese anime, originally a manga, about a fictional character named Agetarou who aspires to be a DJ master with the help of his friends and mentor, Big Master Fry.
*''
24 Hour Party People
''24 Hour Party People'' is a 2002 British biographical comedy-drama film about Manchester's popular music community from 1976 to 1992, and specifically about Factory Records. It was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and directed by Michael Win ...
'' – about the UK music scene from the late 1970s to the "
Madchester" scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
*''
Human Traffic
''Human Traffic'' is a 1999 British-Irish-Welsh independent coming of age comedy drama film written and directed by Justin Kerrigan. It is a cult film of the Cool Cymru era of arts in Wales.
The film explores themes of coming of age, drug and ...
–'' about early UK rave counter-culture featuring music and performances by celebrated DJs Fatboy Slim, CJ Bolland, Carl Cox, and Mad Doctor X.
*''
Turn Up Charlie
''Turn Up Charlie'' is a British comedy streaming television series created by Idris Elba and Gary Reich. The series stars Elba as a disc jockey who reluctantly becomes the nanny for his famous friend's daughter; Piper Perabo, JJ Feild and Frank ...
'' – a 2019 series about a struggling DJ, played by
Idris Elba, who is also a bachelor trying to make it again after a one-hit back in the 1990s
* ''
Avicii: True Stories'' – a documentary film about Avicii
See also
*
Digital DJ licensing
*
List of club DJs
*
List of music software#DJ software
*
Live PA
*
DJ mix
A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. DJ mixes are usually performed using a DJ mixer and multiple sounds sources, such as turntables, CD players, digital audio players ...
*
Record collecting
*
Spelling of disc
''Disc'' and ''disk'' are both variants of the English word for objects of a generally thin and cylindrical geometry. The differences in spelling correspond both with regional differences and with different senses of the word. For example, in th ...
*
Stage lighting
Stage lighting is the craft of lighting as it applies to the production of theater, dance, opera, and other performance arts.
*
VJ (media personality)
A video jockey (abbreviated VJ or sometimes veejay) is an announcer or host who introduces music videos and live performances on commercial music television channels such as MTV, VH1, MuchMusic and Channel V.
Origins
The term "video jockey" come ...
References
Notes
* Assef, Claudia (2000). ''Todo DJ Já Sambou: A História do Disc-Jóquei no Brasil''. São Paulo: Conrad Editora do Brasil. .
* Brewster, Bill, and Frank Broughton (2000). ''Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey''. New York: Grove Press. (North American edition). London: Headline. (UK edition).
* Broughton, Frank, and Bill Brewster. ''How to DJ Right: The Art and Science of Playing Records''. New York: Grove Press, 2003.
* Graudins, Charles A. ''How to Be a DJ''. Boston: Course Technology PTR, 2004.
* Lawrence, Tim (2004). ''Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970–1979 ''. Duke University Press. .
* Miller, Paul D. a.k.a. DJ Spooky, ''Sound Unbound: Writings on DJ Culture and Electronic Music'', MIT Press 2008. .
* Poschardt, Ulf (1998). ''DJ Culture''. London: Quartet Books. .
* Zemon, Stacy. ''The Mobile DJ Handbook: How to Start & Run a Profitable Mobile Disc Jockey Service'', Second Edition. St. Louis: Focal Press, 2002.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Disc Jockey
Audio mixing
Broadcasting occupations
Disco
Mass media occupations
Occupations in music
Hip hop production
Turntablism
Underground culture
Electronic dance music
1930s neologisms
Articles containing video clips