The Universal Right to Music
New technology has democratized the DJ industry, making it easier to spin music than ever before
By DJ Louie XIV
Everyone’s a DJ these days, right?
Well, at the very least, we all know a few. There’s the royalty: The Guettas and Aokis, Mau5s and Harris and Hiltons. There’s the celebrity spawn in search of a purpose, the “it” girls making a splash at Fashion Week. And then there’s greasy-haired Paul from Marketing who soundtracks your office holiday parties.
But whether you’re headlining Glastonbury or spinning at the local Hooters after hours party, movement is key to a DJ in 2015. Maybe you’re a working stiff DJ, moving from club to club to earn your keep. Or sometimes, if you’re lucky, across cities and continents. Maybe you’re making your extended family move at Cousin Elijah’s Bar Mitzvah. No matter the setting, DJs need to both create movement, and move themselves, fluidly at every turn.
The other thing about the contemporary DJ’s life is that it’s pretty darn eclectic. We’re spinning in more places than ever — from LIV to to a dive bar to a yoga class.
Gigs pop up out of nowhere, every booth is different, and we have to think on our toes, tailoring our sets and set-ups to meet the needs of our environment. Indeed, we’re as attuned to which Drake trap remix is suitable for a particular crowd as we are to the different booths from which we’re playing them.
Historically, technology has hindered our ability to adapt to these varied situations — lugging around turntables, a clunky mixer, and massive crates of vinyl records isn’t exactly conducive to flexibility. More importantly, it’s a total Swag Kill.
But all that has changed in the last few years. With the creation of software like Serato Scratch Live and Traktor, the popularization of the much more agile CDJs, and the proliferation of various portable controllers, technology has finally lightened the DJ’s load. To the chagrin of chiropractors worldwide, a DJ can now travel the world with nothing more than a light, ultra-chic Louis Vuitton backpack.
Even more recently, technology producers have taken the concept of the adaptable DJ set-up to the next level. The newest trend is using tablet/laptop hybrids like ASUS’ Transformer Book Chi. These 2 in 1s, with their light weight and diverse uses, give an important leg up in a crowded field, crucial when you’re competing with literally everyone and their mom for gigs.
Dennis Shaw, a DJ professionally known as DRakkas who has created remixes for M.I.A. and released music under Diplo’s Mad Decent label, has been using the Transformer Book at clubs and festivals worldwide. He initially worried that the smaller device wouldn’t process with the speed of a traditional laptop.
“I was surprised,” Shaw says, “During my sets, the 2 in 1 worked just as fast as my MacBook, if not faster.” With its Intel® processor, the Transformer Book is unusually efficient, even more so when compared to other tablet devices.
Furthermore, this 2 in 1 has a dual physicality — it can function as a tablet just as easily as it can morph into a laptop with a magnetically attachable keyboard. This opens a host of new possibilities to the time-constrained modern DJ. “I can be sitting in the airport in between gigs using it as a laptop, and I can use it to create and produce new mixes,” says Shaw, who will be touring Europe, Australia, and Canada later this year.
The icing on the cake when it comes to 2 in 1 laptops, or rather for DJs, the sparkler in the champagne bottle, is the increasing popularity of the next-gen DJ software, the Atomix Virtual DJ 8. (Interestingly, the software was configured specifically with 2 in 1 laptops in mind). Many new 2 in 1 devices have their software optimized to work with the program, quickly becoming the choice for most jockeys. According to Shaw, VDJ8 has reportedly been downloaded over 150 million times. That is 10 times more than its closest competitors — Traktor and Serato Scratch Live.
Ravi Jakhotia spins under the name DJ Ravi Drums and among numerous enviable gigs, does a set during each of Mariah Carey’s shows at her Caesar’s Palace residency in Las Vegas. He has also been an avid user and advocate of Virtual DJ for over 5 years.
“I’m an energy salesman,” he says.
According to him, some of the many perks of Virtual DJ are its easily accessible effects feature. “I use a lot of effects in my sets my favorite is the roll, which I use for almost all my mixes. And I’m a Drummer DJ, so I incorporate playing the drums into my sets,” he says, explaining that the Virtual DJ allows him to bring together all these elements — drumming, effects, and mixing — seamlessly.
“Look,” he continues, “I’m on stage with Mariah Carey. There is no room for anything to go wrong. I can’t be fumbling around, looking for effects in my software.” Let’s be clear: No DJ wants to mess up for Mariah.
Another great feature of using VDJ8 together with a 2 in 1 is its capacity to function with and without hardware attached. Whereas more traditional setups require interface between the software, a mixer and, often, turntables or a controller in order to manipulate a song’s pitch, Virtual DJ allows you to do so using only the software, which is really a mobile DJ’s ultimate dream.
But the benefits of a 2 in 1 and the Virtual DJ aren’t all convenience and good looks.
Here’s the point in the piece where I lay down some real talk for all my peers: As DJs become increasingly popular, the demand for us is popping up in disparate settings — from malls to airports, and from festival tents to clubs. But there are also more of us than the world knows what to do with (I think we’re all familiar with being told, “I think we’re just going to use my friend as the DJ. He agreed to do it for cheaper.”).
With this reality, technological versatility is the key to finding work. Being able to spin a set without burdening a venue or event planner with egregious tech requirements can be the difference between quitting your day job and making living as a DJ, or attaining the most feared position in the DJ hierarchy: the “Used To” DJ.
“That rider can really mess things up,” Shaw jokes about the often long list of equipment required by most DJs. Indeed, gigs can be easily lost when an employer sees a quote from an equipment rental company.
Towards the end of our chat, Shaw pointed out something that, while not necessarily the most obvious benefit of using a 2 in 1, was the most compelling selling point for me personally.
“The best part of it is,” he says, “is that I don’t have this giant screen glaring in my face, which makes it hard to see and read the crowd. With the tablet, there’s nothing between me and the people dancing.”
For anyone who prides themselves on being a good DJ, this is major. Because whether you’re JACK U, rocking Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve, me, spinning a set a New York City club, or you’re really just trying to ball out with your friends at a house party on Friday night, the ability to read the crowd will always, always be a DJ’s most important tool.
Portrait of DJ Dennis Shaw courtesy of the artist, additional photographs via Getty Images
Sponsored by Intel. A lot’s changed, don’t be left behind! For more information on Intel-powered 2 in 1 laptops, click here.
