DJ History E-Book

Christian Haase

• Herausgeber: DJ Training
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Seitenzahl: 58

Beschreibung

Just as children and young people used to want to become a police officers or firefighters, the dream job of a DJ is becoming more and more popular these days. This book is dedicated to the art of spinning records and the importance of the DJ in today's music industry. The importance of DJs in the origins of disco, Hip Hop and Techno, as well as the glamorous path to the general pop phenomenon, will be examined retrospectively. The great influence the DJ has on the musical taste of his audience is undeniable. But what makes a good DJ anyway? And what contribution does print media, radio, TV and social media play in the development of a superstar status? And even if the DJ does not present "handmade" music on stage, he has become an indispensable part of clubs and festivals. And the journey continues...

Leseprobe

DJ History

From an underground culture into a mass phenomenon

Christian Haase

DJ History

Christian Haase

© 2021 Christian Haase

All rights reserved.

Author: Christian Haase

[email protected]

ISBN: 978-3-98551-297-3

Front page photo: Deklofenak (Fotolia)

Front page design: Sarah Haase

Introduction

Dear Reader,

DJing is the art of playing music. What may sound so banal, simply playing music, is actually a highly complex subject. It is not just about the technical finesse of putting on music for an evening using various mixing techniques, or the prerequisite of having an appropriately large repertoire of music; it is something that most people who do not deal with it are not even aware of. Rather, the art of putting on music is to develop a sense of what the people on the dance floor actually need. Where is the evening going musically? How do I build it up using a good arc of tension? How do I deal with music requests? And how do I find the right title at the right moment? The ability to learn to read your audience and to recognize their wishes for the music before they do themselves— therein lies the true art of the DJ.

Whether in the club, in the disco, on the radio, at festivals, at weddings or birthdays, at summer parties and Christmas celebrations, at theme parties, at open days or at any other occasion you can think of, DJs come into play to create a good atmosphere that is appropriate for the occasion and the audience. DJs were once a means to an end, to be able to provide musical accompaniment at an event at all. In recent decades, they have risen to become true pop stars whose fees are sometimes in the six-figure range. For many, DJing is a hobby; for others it is a hard-hitting business that offers a whole army of extra invented positions and jobs like managers, travel agents, or bookers in addition to the artist himself. Thousands of jobs are created just by the mere existence of DJs, whose number also increases every year.

The technical achievements of the 21st century make it possible for anyone to be a DJ. Especially in the last 10 years, a lot has happened here. In the course of digitalization, not only the availability of music has increased almost to infinity, but also the prices for DJ equipment such as mixers, turntables, and CD players have become very flattering to beginners.

The profession of DJ has become more popular in recent years than almost any other. And it remains to be seen where all this will still develop...

1 The origins of DJing

The early beginnings of DJing go back to the beginning of the 20th century— when we all weren't born yet and also didn't know that it would develop into a beloved hobby for some and a serious profession for others. Nowadays, it's easy because of the technical possibilities, but the beginnings of DJing looked very different.

Music used to be played exclusively live, and if restaurant owners or event planners wanted to incorporate music into their events, they had to order a band or orchestra. The first step towards DJing was therefore the invention of the first sound carrier: the vinyl record. This was invented by Emil Berliner, an inventor from Hanover in 1887 and has lasted until today. Tapes, cassettes, and CDs were innovations on the market, but they never replaced the record. On the contrary, the vinyl record still exists today; cassettes fell victim to the CD, the CD is just about to die out due to MP3 and music streaming. Since the record was mostly made of the material polyvinyl chloride, the term "vinyl" has persisted to this day. The record player and its accompanying shiny black vinyl sound carrier made it possible for the first time to play music privately at home and also away from home in restaurants, completely without musicians.

At the same time, in the early 1920s, with the advancement of radio technology, the first radio stations developed to entertain people with music. However, it would not have been radio if there had not been an announcer to fill the time between songs with interesting anecdotes and exciting introductions. This is how the term "disc jockey" (the juggler of records, as it were) came into being, and with it came the first radio DJs. Broadcasts with hit parades drew countless music enthusiasts in front of the radio every week to listen to the latest music and learn exciting background information about artists and their music.

Even in the clubs and discos that became socially acceptable in the post-war period, it was initially common for the DJ to moderate and not simply play his music without comment. Organizers knew that they needed someone to create a good atmosphere and get the guests dancing. After all, "canned music" replaced the brass band, orchestra, or live singer that they usually offered their guests. The first discos with DJs were ultimately an experiment that succeeded because the audience accepted it well and the organizers saw that money could be made. To this day, there are various angles and stories that are supposed to prove the alleged first DJ, but so completely it cannot be recapitulated. However, during research, one will always stumble upon the story of Klaus Quirini, who in the 1950s, in a disco in Aachen, made a career as the first moderating DJ by chance. He took over the turntable because the evening seemed boring and he was asked to do better. His secret to success was a clever introduction (especially a snappy line at the beginning, which went down well with the guests) and a flair for danceable music. Later, he founded various DJ organizations and it is thanks to him that the activity of the DJ is also recognized as a profession and likewise by the Artists' Social Security Fund.