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Being well aware of the sensitivity and the great divide on what a real DJ is, with many relying on AI to do their work, this is a topic I have been eager to discuss. However, I wanted to take my time to explain my thesis due to the sensitivity surrounding the ethics of false DJs who rely completely on AI to perform.
The debate over the ethics of AI integration into the Mainstream DJing industry has raged for years now, with no clear consensus emerging. Webster's Dictionary merely defines the title as “one who plays recorded music for dancing.” But there is much more to these talented individuals. Is the essence of a Mainstream DJ being lost in the midst of an over-saturated market?
In this discussion, we will explore the past, present, and future of the DJ genre: who are they, where did they originate from, what makes a real performing DJ, which industry leaders are making their mark, just how high (and how low) is the bar getting & how easy is it to fraud your way into an industry and mock an entire culture, but are the imposter DJs' days numbered?
I will present my theory that currently there are two distinct types of DJs, the third is coming, witch
will lead back with just two remaining: The Organic DJ, The Hybrid DJ and lastly, the ongoing development of The Robot DJ. Ultimately, these three categories will consolidate and only two forms of DJs will remain. There will be no grey area or overlap between the two remaining in the performing DJ form.
Lets take a brief glimpse into The Past, Present, & Future Of The Dance floors & airwaves. Join me in celebrating the great conductors of old and hailing the up-and-coming robots of today.
The DJ has been part of the music industry since the 1950s and has evolved into a popular form of musical entertainment found in nightclubs, bars, and festivals. DJs blend together different music genres to create unique sounds, making them true innovators of the music industry. To understand DJing, one must look back to its origins.
The term 'disc jockey' was coined by Walter Winchell in 1935 when he described Martin Block's radio show. With people glued to the radio during the Lindbergh Jr. kidnapping trial, Block decided to play records to fill the airtime, making it seem like a live show. This became a success for its entertainment and cost-effectiveness, revolutionizing radio.
In 1943, radio DJ Jimmy Savile threw the first dance party by playing jazz records in a function room of the Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherds in Otley, England. Four years later, he claims to have been the initiator of using two turntables for continuous play. However, his claim is not true as these turntables were advertised in Gramophone magazine back in 1931. In 1958,
He had been well known in the United Kingdom for his eccentric image and was generally respected for his charitable work, which associated him with the British monarchy and other individuals of personal power, however It emerged in late 2012 that Jimmy Savile, an English media personality , sexually abused hundreds of people throughout his life, most of them children but some as old as 75, and most of them female.
The year was 1947 when the Whiskey a Go-Go, the world’s first discotheque, opened in Paris. One of its DJs was Regine Zylberberg, who christened herself “Queen of the Night”.Soon after, discos began to appear throughout Europe and the US., Regine — who laid claim to inventing the modern discotheque
By the 1950s, American radio DJs began to appear at parties - they acted as human jukeboxes by playing popular singles while chatting in between tracks at events called Sock-Hops.
These Sock hops originated in 1944 to raise funds during WWII and became popular among teens in 1948. They were held in school gyms and cafeterias, where dancers had to remove their shoes to protect the floor . The music was usually vinyl records played by "The DJ", but sometimes there were live bands. 'At the Hop' became strongly associated with 1950s rock and roll.
In the 1950s, DJs loaded up trucks with a generator, turntables, and huge speakers to start street parties in Kingston. Tom the Great Sebastian, founded by Chinese-Jamaican businessman Tom Wong, was the first commercially successful sound system. Initially playing American rhythm and blues music, the sound eventually shifted to a local flavor.
The clash between rival sound systems was intense, eventually giving rise to two names that shone above the rest: Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, and Duke Reid. As well as the DJ, who rapped and sang over the music, there was a selector, who chose the music/rhythm tracks.
This would have been in rotation of the selector at the time who was toasting.
In the 60s, pirate radio stations emerged to meet the demand for rock music. Radio Caroline was a great flick to check out loosely based off the actual station and its founder, Ronan O'Rahilly. The British government had previously regulated to only the British Broadcasting Corporation. But by the 1960s, millions of teenagers wanted to hear rock 'n' roll records that the BBC didn't play, so pirate radio stations filled the void.
Then Enters Ronan O'Rahilly who discovered the U.K. government's jurisdiction ended 3 miles off the coast, allowing stations from other countries to exploit the loophole by setting up transmitters on offshore ships. Pirate radio is still popular today and Radio Caroline is now legal.
This was the first song to hit the pirate airwaves played by Tony Blackburn, broadcasting off “the Boat That Rocked” Radio Caroline
The '70s NYC Disco Scene was a permanent stamp on the timeline of music. Its sound represented freedom and a community that accepted those already rejected by the city's harsh environment. Apartments, parking facilities, and bars became clubs for devotees.
The 1970s were a glorious time in NYC. It was a golden era, known for its wild underground parties and all-night discos. Low rent prices allowed the artsy crowd to overtake downtown Manhattan and all its venues. Technicolor outfits were all the rage—bellbottom pants, feathered boas, scarves, fur coats, ruffled shirts, thongs, and velvet vests. The rules were off, and young people reveled in the newly discovered sense of freedom, but The DJ Was Paramount.
A pillar of hedonism and debauchery, Studio 54, was one of the most renown clubs of the disco scene. Opened in 1977 at the height of disco by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, the club quickly became the go to destination for A-list celebrities and hopeful punters alike.
In 1976 Siano became one of Studio 54's first two resident DJs, along with Richie Kaczor. However, Siano was fired after 6 months when his drug habit impeded his performance on the turntables. Siano continued as the Gallery's owner and headlining DJ until 1977, when again, his drug problems overtook him, and Joe, his brother and business partner, closed the Gallery for good/Siano is considered to have pioneered the use of the "crossover" and was also the first DJ to use 2 and 3 turntables to create a nonstop flow of music throughout the night.
Additionally, he was becoming famous for his ability to "break" records; that is, get a record to sell and skyrocket on the mainstream charts, based not on radio airplay, but on heavy rotation and popularity in the underground clubs. Siano's knowledge of sound and lighting systems helped the Gallery to become a model for how to design a club.
Studio 54 resident DJ and The Gallery founder,
Nicky Siano -played the first record below.
The Paradise Garage, also known as "the Garage" or the "Gay-rage" was an iconic New York City discotheque which had a major impact on the history of pop music, dance and LGBT culture. Starting out in 1977 as the 84 King Street Garage, it underwent renovations before its official opening as the Paradise Garage on the 28th of January 1978.
It was unique in that it focused primarily on dancing rather than conversation, and was one of the first clubs to place the DJ at the center of attention. Casual visitors were enticed by its booming sound system, said to be the best in the city at the time, and were also kept around by its extended opening hours.
Paradise Garage,held DJ Larry Levan as its resident
Larry Levan was the originator of the celebrity DJ. He was the first to show people around the world that DJing was more than just playing a track after another. From 1977 to 1987 he had a ten-year residency at the iconic Paradise Garage in New York, and his unique and masterful DJ sets of underground disco, funk-rock, dub, and synth-pop set him apart, while also hinting at the house music revolution. As if his mixing and adjusting of music records wasn't enough, his devoted followers would often find themselves in a state of pure joy.
I don’t think anybody ever can explain [the atmosphere of the Paradise Garage] exactly, it’s something you had to experience. It was just a freedom … an acceptance. There’s never been anything like it before or since. The vibe was so extraordinary. I have a song called Paradise Express, and the song says: “To catch this train you don’t need no cars / Cos the depot’s the Paradise Garage / Have nothing to worry, have nothing to fear / Cos your No 1 DJ’s your engineer.” Larry was the engineer, and everybody loved the way he engineered. When you have a real good engineer on a train it’s a smooth ride, and that was Larry Levan.
Taana Gardner: singer of several Paradise Garage hits mixed by Levan
The term "Garage Music" is said to have originated here (though it should not be confused with UK Garage). Its influence is still evident today, with the club cited as a major inspiration for the founding of London's Ministry of Sound.
One Of Many DJ Larry Levens Produced Tracks below
It was the year 1970 when David Mancuso found himself short on money to pay rent, so he decided to throw a party in his Manhattan loft apartment charging $2.50 on entry (with coat check, food and beverages as a given) and the rest was history.
David Mancuso hosted musical soirees on the second floor of his apartment, appropriately named the Loft. He provided an alternative to the typical commercial nightclubs of the city, creating an inclusive and progressive environment. His sound system was state-of-the-art, and his musical selection was eclectic. Guests of all backgrounds and sexual orientations were encouraged to come and dance, and the Loft served as a prototype for later LGBT and straight clubs.
The Loft became one of the most influential dance parties of the 1970’s and even outlined the ideology for Paradise Garage, with it’s exclusivity in invitations but inclusivity of sexuality and culture, audiophile quality sound system
"The crowd was a rich mix of classes, colors, and sexual tastes with two key things in common: they were hard-core dancers and they were utterly devoted to the Loft. Their high spirits preserved the Loft’s house party atmosphere and helped establish its reputation." Vince Aletti, Village Voice, 1975
Manusco rejected the DJ norm of beat matching and mixing, instead he would let records play from start to finish – “[At The Loft], even house records are played with intro and outro beats, and are sometimes eight, nine, 10, 11 minutes long,”
One of the tracks apparently in rotation at some of Mancuso parties
Above And beyond “Edgar Winter”
The origins of rap music can be traced to many centuries ago, when the griots of West Africa were singing tales of the past to their people in a rhythmic style. Caribbean folk artists also told stories in rhyme, which gave rise to today's hip hop culture.
DJs like Clive Campbell (better known as DJ Kool Herc) were vital to a party's success. At one particular party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, nothing was working until Herc created his own technique of cutting up the middle section of records and blending them together. It was an instant hit, and it remains popular today.
DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Grand Wizard Theodore are the three most important names in the history of deejaying. Herc discovered the breaks and Flash perfected them with the “quick mix theory”, a method of merging two records for a seamless transition. Theodore is also credited for his turntable wizardry.
Grand Wizard Theodore’s brother, Mene Gene, taught him how to DJ, and he was a student of Grandmaster Flash’s. He's often credited with inventing scratching; the story is that Theodore’s mother asked him to turn down the record’s volume, so he attempted to stop the track immediately by putting pressure on it with his hand. It made a scratching noise. Grandmaster Flash doesn’t agree with this account, though. He said, "I guess maybe me and Theodore have to sit down some day and figure this out." It's clear he had an influence on modern DJing, inspiring others to keep producing.
Grand Master Flash “Whit Lines”