LPs vs. DJs – Is it Time for Us to Finally Distinguish Between Them?

Waaaaaaaay back, Phil posted an article where he interviewed a laptop-only guy, and he used a great term to describe the new movement:

Digital Jockey

That’s what I think should be used. In the end, it’s all DJs because it’s about the same ideology. I just wish people would stop thinking plastic discs (CDs or vinyl) are the defining element of what makes a DJ a DJ.

I am a Digital Jockey. I used to be a Disc Jockey. I’m still proud of who I am and what I believe in. 🙂

To be honest, we can call them live performers all we want, its not going to change their name. If you had no knowledge that they were actually performing it live, you would pretty much label them a DJ. Its because from the floor you don’t see any of the “instruments” if there are any. You just see a person bobbing and touching stuff. However, whenever you watch a band, you see the instruments in their hands and see the lead singer’s mouth move. It all has to do with percieption and as long as 50% of the population connects EDM with DJ, it won’t be changed.

But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t learn the difference. There is QUITE a difference between LPs and DJs and part of the reason that a LP can’t show the audience what they are doing is because everything is extremely complex. They can’t exactly show Abelton to the crowd and say, “See that? I just reconstructed that bassline to help me make a transition to my next song …etc.etc….” Its much to complicated, compared to the drums, which one can hear and see and subsequently make a connection and understand.

DJ Shoni, post: 31694, member: 4435 wrote: I understand perfectly what you mean Lukynumba7 – what would say about the ones that use keyboards or midi guitars to play their music rather than MPCs/Maschine/etc. to trigger/play/perform their music? I guess what I’m trying to say here is that if they want to be seen as different as DJs, should more emphasis be placed on their visual impression as an LP vs a DJ (even if the D means Digital rather than Disc, I feel that live performers may still not want to be associated so closely with the acronym)

As long as the audience can see it, they won’t call them DJ’s. Take The Crystal Method, they have the product of a momma CDJ and daddy double necked guitar that they walk around using, its pretty sick. Also, they have alot of syths and stuff they play onstage, live. They definitely put the emphasis on being a live performer and you can see why.