Do you think........ ? (Ean Golden plz answer)

Emery is correct on this. I have been "djing" for 16 years and been very successful at it. The first 8 years were spent becoming the best dj I could be (with no focus on production) and while it afforded me a very good lifestyle and I was very successful in american markets - being a great dj never took me abroad or made me "famous".

Inventing controllers, making great videos and building a popular website did much more to increase my fame (which was never then intention, and came as a surprise) than dedicating years to my dj craft.

So to answer the core question (which is something we talked about a LOT on the CNTRL tour)

• You need to create some sort of calling card (music, a site, a performance) that will create recognition
• Then being a great djing will bring the people back time and time again..

so in my mind you need both and production happens to be the most well worn path to success. good question!

And no offense to you or Ean, but why are you asking him specifically? Do you consider Ean famous for DJ'ing? I personally don't. Now here me out - I have never seen Ean live, but from what I have seen online he is an awesome DJ, It just isn't what got him famous. It is how he started out, but what got him to where he is today is a combination of the DJTT community s, and the Midi Fighter. There are probably a lot of DJ's on here that are just as skilled, and just as well known for actually DJ'ing. Ean would probably tell you that the way to get famous is to create something that hasn't been created yet. No matter if it is a new song or a new controller.

.....

See a lot of youngsters aiming big, off course nothing wrong with that, but there is nothing bad in going the old school way first, learn how to read the crowd, get them moving, experience what it is to stand in front of a crowd and be responsible for the ambiance your trying to create. Learn from your first mistakes and laugh about it later.

It's just such a small group of dj's that climbing the big podium, a lot of us are doing bars, small clubs or mobile work.

And there is nothing wrong with that, and still lots of fun. Producing can be the next step, with all the changing technology. But try to get your first gigs or do little parties for your friends, and get that live experience.

That's what i would first try to stick my energy in. Dj'ing is about having fun and getting that rush after a well done performance and that doesn't matter if it's for a small or big crowd.

Ok correct me if I am wrong here but wouldn't a club DJ be considered the "Cover band" that gets hired to rock parties and fill out clubs, when the Live DJ/Producer would be considered the "Rockstar band" famous for creating hit tracks?

The way I see it is these DJ's back in the day were famous for being DJ's.. You only knew and liked them because you saw them mixing someone else's tracks in a club. Today it is the exact the same thing. You can be a famous DJ, but you will only be known in the Club scene. People wouldn't know you for your music, because your music is technically someone else's music.

Now that EDM is so popular, there is a better chance for an EDM producer to make it big because people are looking for the next big EDM track to put on their Ipod. The DJ, however, isn't really creating anything to show for outside of the club (besides remixes and whatnot)

Think of it this way (and I am using a completely random example for this) - Imagine if Johnny Cash never wrote his own music, but just covered other peoples songs. He may have had a different sound, but it's not a new song, so most people wouldn't be too interested. He would get booked for gig's because he is such a good musician, but that is the furthest he would be able to go. Because he did write and "produce" his own music, he is famous for it and could tour all over the world because people wanted to hear HIM play HIS songs.

In short, and pardon my rant, I believe it's pretty clear that to make it to superstar status in the EDM scene (and any music/art scene) you need to create something that is truly yours, that people know is you when they hear it. I personally am OK with being a DJ and rocking parties and just being known locally as a good DJ. It wont get me on the cover of Rolling Stone, but I have fun. But now look at Avicii, hes huge, and not for DJ'ing, but literally for making one track that every other DJ in the scene played over and over.

Ps: i would also feel super cool if he'd answer my questions!!

But wouldn't creating remixes (especially in Ableton/Reason) label you as a producer at that point?

The best way to get know by the crowd is by creating awesome remixes. With remixes you can give your "signature" to a certain song and the crowd knows who is standing behind the dj decks. A good method to do this is by using some producing programs like ableton and reason for example. When you know how to use this programs the step to make your own music isn't far away anymore. Producing is just a big advantage in the EDM scene today