Reply to Money/Time/skill/investment

Right. Tackling an issue im sure most of you know/hate/love. However, i'd still like to hear it from some of you guys.




Purchasing DJ top 10's/Set lists/Top 100 from beatport. It lay's out some top tunes from the worlds recognised DJ's. We, as DJ's, can appreciate the subtle nuances and overall feel of the tunes selected. There's been the argument many, many times that most top 40 is for sheeple. People who listen to nothing other than the Top 40.

With Beaport/download sites etc (and i'm in no way knocking any of them. i find some good stuff there) isn't there a certain aspect that panders to a DJ's Top 40 within their respective genre?

At the end of the day, most clubbers who dont got to Top 40 style (IE us/serious clubbers) event's couldn't name a quarter of the songs played anyway. So what difference does it make to the crowd if you haven't personally selected some of the tunes you are playing (often as not some tunes selected by top DJ's with a few others/oddballs you have chucked in rather than not) unless you are a superstar DJ? what does it matter what you play within you're respective genre if you believe it (you believe anyway!) make a good mix?


I can pick out tunes that go together well, and most people i play to dont give a flying hoo-haa what it is despite it's Key/BPM/mixing compatibility and the hours spent re-arranging playlists and mixes. I believe whilst it transcends the top 40 in what you play (despite the fact they are shite tunes!) it's as forgettable in the underground genre's with the main point being that people wont remember what you played from one month to the next, as there as many tunes being pumped out as there are chart music and are just as readily available as Top 40 stuff, if you know where to look.

Im no DJ that exist's outside his bedroom, except with a keen hobby for music and clubbing, so on the working DJ's circuit i have no say. From the Dancefloor however, i can see that most people dont have a clue what they are listening too and certainly couldn't name the tunes they are listening too, until they go to beatport etc. find out the setlist and download it. Much the same as the Top 40 from the radio.


So, where is the stance on track selection and making a set in the here and now?