DJ vs EJ – time for a new phrase?
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Vesper.
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June 9, 2014 at 9:29 pm #2036564
Alex Moschopoulos
ParticipantI like “DJ” as “Data Jockey”
June 10, 2014 at 4:23 am #2036599Lamid45G
ParticipantEJ sounds more like that old bad music software that emerged around the 90’s i think it was pronounced “Ejay”
June 10, 2014 at 3:29 pm #2036694TJ
ParticipantIf “DJ” is only someone using real Vinyl (not DVS), how do we call someone who is using real vinyl, but also uses a state of the art digital mixer (say djm2000nexus), with rmx1000 effector, and more other samplers, effect processors etc.?
The sound may come from vinyl at the beginning, but is then sampled into mixers (or some other) sampler, and manipulated with effects on mixer or external… Than maybe looped, or used as a sample on a drum machine and so on… You get the idea…June 10, 2014 at 3:41 pm #2036697DJ School UK
BlockedThats a very good point tj6000,
It’s true there are a lot of DJs who are also EJs, and a lot of EJs who also DJ. For instance Carl cox adds a drum machine to his vinyl sets as a stand alone piece of kit. Most of us are somewhere on a spectrum between the two. The terms are not proposed to be perfect, I’ve posted them to see how people feel about them. The idea is that if we accept these terms then we can advertise to the public more clearly about what we are doing – Vinyl, turntablism, live digital remixes, controllerism etc. I guess those of us who have alternative means of producing our sets will still have to advertise that difference accordingly. All I’m suggesting is we recognise the difference between the two ends of the spectrum, the main aim being to stop all the arguing that goes on!I also like “data jockey” or “digital jockey” D-Jam but of course that still leaves us with the initials “DJ” and so no one would be any the wiser lol.
And crikey djrizki, i had completely forgotten about ejay, I could see confusion there.
Anyway it’s just an idea so I’ll just keep this here and see whatever comments come up.
June 10, 2014 at 5:14 pm #2036712DJ Vintage
ModeratorPersonally I think the discussion is not very relevant, if interesting 😀
Add to this that in the suggested DJ definition there will be only a very limited number of DJs left, all you will see is EJ’s.
And when all we use is EJ for all those not using vinyl (do we use CJ for those using CD’s on CDJs?), that still doesn’t tell me if I am going to see someone doing what the old DJs did, only with digital source and gear or if I am going to see a full-fledged producer doing his ableton live thing with samplers, a Roland Aira setup and such.
So, unless we want to start finding all kinds of definitions with matching names, I don’t see how the single DJ vs EJ separation would bring much extra clarity.
Again, interesting topic though.
Greetinx.
June 11, 2014 at 9:41 am #2036802Terry_42
KeymasterI think a terminology discussion is irrelevant if 99% of the people you interact with (even promoters) do not clearly know what a DJ does…
So DJ is actually more of a marketing term and sadly anyone can call themselves DJ. So simply for the sake of public perception I will always call myself DJ no matter what someone comes up with.
June 11, 2014 at 12:27 pm #2036817BlockedYes, so two definitions are not enough and the terms are mainly for marketing purposes. On a practical level I totally agree.
I am thinking along the lines of guitarists here but, there are flamenco guitarists, rock guitarists, blues guitarists and classical guitarists to name just a few. A flamenco fan might be quite annoyed if they end up hearing a rock guitarist shredding it. There is plenty of confusion about what music DJs play, especially because, for example, one “hiphop” EJ could be banging out classics all night using cds, another “hiphop” dj could be rinsing the juggles and scratches etc. A house DJ may equally be playing high sound quality vinyl with just smooth intro – outro mixes to an appreciative crowd who like to hear whole songs, while another house EJ may be remixing multiple sources, completely re-working original songs. So I was thinking this re-definition may help market what we do individually a little more clearly, without long dull biographies that won’t fit on flyers.
Obviously each act will market itself as it sees fit, and no term is necessary at anytime, especially where a picture can speak a thousand words. But I still feel “EJ” as an alternative to DJ may be useful, to customers if not acts themselves.
BTW – I personally have no preference – it’s the music that matters to me, I’m just very bored of all the haters saying “he/she isn’t really djing coz their using sync on electronic equipment” or “she/he is really boring coz they aren’t doing any mixing on their vinyl only set up.”
June 11, 2014 at 9:54 pm #2036874Warsuit
ParticipantThere are already so many people who have differing opinions of what a DJ is I don’t think we need to confuse it by adding anther definition to the mix. It made sense when Babu introduced the notion of “turntablism”, ergo “controllerism” makes sense to me a well. But to differentiate between DJ and EJ seems to take away from the argument we all make that the gear we use doesn’t matter; the effect, and not the method, is what matters. Sure, the EJ you speak of is doing something different, but rather than a departure it seems like an evolution of the skill set and therefore the term…and I feel only a complete departure (like turntablism, and later controllerism) requires a complete redefining.
June 11, 2014 at 9:56 pm #2036875KeymasterThe only people I have seen using the phrases in your last sentence are:
– a rare minority of extremist DJs (really rare, most DJs are quite open minded)
– bedroom DJs who have never had a gig in their life and think they know everything from the internet
– drunk person who read something on the internetAll of those are extremely rare in an audience and very easy to ignore if 2000 other people are enjoying your set.
Also I have rarely been to a gig (I actually can only remember one in my 20+ years of DJing) where people did not know what to expect (e.g. genre, setting, etc.).
If in your example the hiphop DJ would just juggle and scratch and the audience would be freaked, he is doing it wrong. You are not DJing for yourself, but for the audience. If I see people not liking something I do, I stop it and go for Plan B to fill the dance floor.The most essential skill of a DJ (and hence I like being called DJ and not EJ) is the same no matter how you do it… it is:
To know what song comes next. Not what song you have prepared, or what you want to be next. No the song that has to be next.
It is the one thing no computer or sample or beat juggling routine can replace and oh so many do not get right.June 12, 2014 at 9:23 am #2036942Blockedyeah Warsuit, I see where you are coming from. I am wondering if, for example, using traktor remix decks to live remix up to 16 loops at a time is enough of a departure to warrant the new term?
and yeah Terry, I agree with the essential skill you describe. I have also made a living from this game for over 25 years in the North of England at raves, festivals, clubs, bars, functions, weddings, on tour with live bands etc. Apart from stadium gigs I’ve pretty much done it all. I now teach the skills and always start with the main aim being selection, above all technical skills.
But I have definitely heard many people slagging off sync DJs, and others slagging off people who only select and don’t mix. Mostly, admittedly, these haters are on the internet, but this is an internet generation. The arguments about who is best and what is “real” are alive on the web and they do seem to be mainly from the generation who don’t DJ and can’t get access to many clubs to experience it for real, but do see youtube vids and do hear many polished mixes online. So this term suggestion is not supposed to be for those of us who already know what is important. It is supposed to make it easier for those who get caught up in the arguments to pigeon-hole things to their satisfaction.That said, if it doesn’t work for you that’s cool. This all started during a debate in my DJ School and I just wanted to get a wider idea of what people of different backgrounds, experience and ages thought of it.
June 12, 2014 at 8:53 pm #2037026dannyboyex@gmail.com
ParticipantAnother definition for DJ=Data Jockey.
A point that I would like to point out is Radio DJs. The guys talking on the radio aren’t messing around with vinyl and they play songs end to end so there isn’t much “jockeying” to be had. When it comes down to it, a DJ isn’t what the initials stand for, it’s the guy that makes the music happen.
June 13, 2014 at 11:42 am #2037115ParticipantSo… Lets call us “Selecta”, and be over with:)
June 16, 2014 at 5:17 pm #2037651ParticipantDJ could also mean “Digital Jockey”
June 17, 2014 at 12:15 pm #2037781Blockedok ok i get it lol.
Thanks for all the words DJs, i have plenty to take back to the discussion at DJ School UK this evening.
If any of our young students has anymore to say I’ll post here.
June 18, 2014 at 5:10 am #2037898ParticipantIf any of your young students talks back to you,
Grab a paddle and smack away ! ^_^ -
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