The DJ Time Machine (What would you do differently?)

[OxyKon]

So I've had this thought for a few days now. As a DJ you're always growing, learning new genre's, tricks, styles, equipment, etc.

Take me for example, I started out mixing on vinyl with Electro/House, then started expanding to Dubstep (which was big at the time), then Breaks and then moved to Drum & Bass. After that came Ambient/Chillout and now have been focusing a lot on Hip Hop.

As you are embarking on the journey as a DJ you also start expanding your equipment, I started on a set of plastic turntables and a shitty Stanton mixer, then bought CDJ's, followed by a 4ch mixer and then probably the best purchase I ever made, a set of Technics. then came a couple of a Midi controllers followed by Traktor.

Along the way you also start expanding to the club scene, taking what you can get, few shows here and there, maybe get in tight with a crew and doing regular gigs and possibly opening for major acts and doing festivals. I've done a few gigs around town, mainly unpaid helping friends out with fundraisers. Got into internet radio for a couple years which led to more gigs playing at silent disco's and street festivals, but now i prefer to just play for myself and play what I like to play and not please anybody but myself (if i'm not having fun playing music then it comes out in my mixing).

With all this said, my question is to the rest of you is. What would you do if you could do things differently, go back in time to when you started and make a change, maybe focus more on a different genre, or invest in different equipment, or hang with a different crew and do different gigs, etc.

For me it would be invest in different equipment, like i said before, lately i've been finding myself focusing on Hip Hop and have been fascinated with the art of scratching, the mixer i have (DJM800) isn't set up with the correct fader to scratch so makes it a little more difficult, plus most of the time i'm only ever using 2 channels so it seems like a waste for the other 2, and i don't really use many of the beat effects so i don't really use the mixer to its full potential. Another thing i would change would be to start mixing at a younger age and hook up with more crews, I started in my mid 20's which was the same time when I started preferring to stay at home and enjoy a beer rather than stay out all night and pay an arm and a leg for a drink, so I didn't ever get involved with any crews and play decent gigs.

What I wouldn't change would be all the genres i've come across. I love changing it up every now and then and confusing people with what i'm about to play, as I have always focused around playing Drum & Bass, it's funny to then throw down a house set and watch peoples heads turn because they're not use to me playing that genre.

So with all this said, what would YOU change, and what wouldn't you change about yourself if you could go back in time.

[LabRat]

i've been through a bit and amongst all the shit, i've experienced some awesome things which no one can ever take away from me. i've been a bit negative over the last few months because things haven't been going exactly the way i'd hoped but sometimes it's the way it goes and it's how you end up dealing with it. however, i'm not sure if i'd change anything. obviously i'd like it to be much easier and less full of drama but my road has built character and it's gotten me to where i am today. some of you guys know i was a vinyl junkie and played dubstep for a few years before hitting the clubs playing dutch house and electro. i too played online radio but have more experience in venues. i've played for a lot of people and for nearly no one. i could be one of these all-round dj's and have work every day of the week (agents words) but i choose not to because i don't enjoy playing a bunch of random shit. one thing i may change personally is to stop wearing my heart on my sleeve and to get so involved in everything. i've learnt that you gotta be in it for yourself, especially in WA. no one is here to truly help you, so in the wise words of captain jack sparrow and master gibbs, "take what you can, give nothing back".

[lok204]

I wish I'd spent more of my clubbing days networking and not turning opportunities down because I didn't think they were 'right'.

That been said, my dream from when I started at 16 years old was to operate a record label and I think I'm still on the way there. Some networking would have helped though haha

[ThatPartyGuy]

if it were possible, start when i was in highschool. so much missed time.

i also would of tried to conform less to the "this is how you are MEANT to dj" shit and just do my own thing

[AlexJ]

fuck i wish someone had been there earlier in high school and said 'm8 you got 100% on that digital music assignment on garageband, maybe try making some othershit. have you heard of xyz' might have been a very different future. that being said. im glad i got into things earlyish. i wish ide gone straight into hardware.saving to buy some stuff that would have built better foundation skills (i synced alot in the early days of traktor decks). that being said the thing i wouldnt change is buying my current club set up. it was the biggest risk i ever took-investing in myself. It has opened so many doors and given me some awesome experiences.

[Tomy]

i'd probably quit full time work sooner. i'm still working full time and dj-ing every weekend plus touring and writing tunes. serious burn out material. i bought a house though so its this kind of an attempt of trying to have the normal life a bit. but as i'm getting close to 30 i feel it's important to have some sort of plan for the rest of my life. Fingers crossed i can get to that point to quit the day job and live the dream

[Robsta]

I wish I didn't stop doing music in high school.

I grew up playing piano, guitar and trumpet and my high school was very music focused. I got a fucking god awful bitch of a teacher that hated my guts one year (although to be fair I was quite a little shit) and stopped doing music at high school although I was still playing guitar at home. I've currently been working hard on my theory because as I move more towards being a fully blown producer that's more important than say making techno (still of course helps to know).

It's all there and coming back from my brain it's just frustrating sitting down at the piano and having to relearn everything I used to breeze through.

As far as life decisions go I met some amazing people in the club although I made a fucking fool of myself on account of how absolutely munted I used to get all the time and even though I haven't touched the sauce in almost a year now it's hard to lose that reputation.

All the money I wasted on drugs and alcohol that I could've bought gear with also sucks.

That all being said though I had a blast and don't think I'd be where I am today if I changed any of that so there's no use living a life of regret.

I'm in it for the music if I end up making a living at some dropkick local nightclub playing gigs every week, scraping by, I'll still be happy.

[Mitch]

^wise

[AlexJ]

what im getting from all this. should 100% drop out of uni, roll back job to bare minimum hours i need to survive and spend every waking second producing, mixing and building the profile.

sounds good

[BeatLeSS]

Oooh i'm in if your in.

[Panikal]

If i could go back in time I would have started DJing a long time ago. My old man started vinyl DJing in the late 70s and early 80s before I was born and I didnt think much of it until later on in my life, oh and the guitar/bands were taking up to much of my time. Now iv got a little girl of my own and a whole bunch of vinyls I have now become a DJ... that old man cant believe how djing has evolved but loves checking out the new age gear.... wish i started this earlier.

[AlexJ]

Oooh i'm in if your in.

give it all up and come live with beatless. Produce full time. Sounds good to me

Could the fedora glitch crew take another member?

[RichoKidd]

For me, I'd probably buy a better set up from the get go. I spent $600 on my first set up. I wish I had saved a shelled out for some Techs.

I also wish I got into it earlier. Learned more before every man and his dog became DJ's.