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DJ.
Disc jockey(Redirected from DJ)
DJ redirects here. Alternate meanings in DJ (disambiguation).
A disc jockey, (usually called by the initialism "DJ", or "deejay"), is an individual who selects and plays pre-recorded music for the enjoyment of others.
In the sense of the word as it is used in circles and cultures where reggae and related musical styles are prevalent, a DJ is an MC or rapper-- in Jamaica, Panama, and other parts of the Carribean and Latin America--whereas the DJ is called (music) selector in Jamaica. Therefore what is called dee jaying or chatting in Jamaica is called rapping in most other parts of the world.
DJs can be heard on the radio or at any number of social gatherings, among them weddings, nightclubs, art openings, warehouse parties, or high school dances. As a result there are many different types of DJ, each fitting into a particular niche defined by performance setting (broadcast booth or nightclub) and intended audience (jazz or hip hop fans). A DJ's performance style and the techniques they employ reflect these considerations. Wedding DJs play music but are often expected to act as a masters of ceremonies who introduce the bride and groom, lead dances, or invite guests to play games. A DJ at a rave would not be expected to do any of these things, but would be expected to introduce a greater technical element to their performance by manipulating the songs they play in order to maintain a given tempo and energy level. It can be said that DJing is not a single action but instead a series of actions whose makeup is predicated upon a number of situational factors and expectations. The examples of talk radio "shock jocks" like Howard Stern and Don Imus show that one need not play music to be considered a DJ by some audiences, though the title "on-air personality" might be more appropriate for them.
In reggae music, the term deejay refers to the person who comments the songs that are played by the selector. Recently it also stands for a reggae artist who sings in a style similar to rap.
Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide")
1 Technique
2 Equipment
3 The DJ as artist
4 DJ Control and Economics
5 Disc vs Disk
6 The People
7 The DJ as Teacher
Technique
mixing and blending, cueing, phrasing, cutting, beat juggling, scratching, body tricks, beatmatching
Equipment
Turntable, CD player, Mixer, Headphones, Slipmat, Sampler, Drum Machine, Effects Processor, Laptop computer
The DJ as artist
A recent phenomenon in the musical community (but primarily within the sphere of popular music) is the assertion that some DJs are not simply "playing records" but are in fact creating new music out of the playback and mixing of the pre-recorded media. Fuelled mainly by the innovative mixing techniques that have come out of the hip hop and EDM scenes, and regarded as a musical extension of the literary cut-up technique, this growing attitude posits that such a DJ is not content simply to beatmatch two or three records and layer them over each other but that the end product should emerge as a new musical composition. To achieve this goal, such a DJ may employ such techniques as phrasing, sampling, scratching, the application of effects (e.g., delay, flange, etc.), and any other technique the DJ feels inclined to use. Examples of such DJs as "artists" adding musical or dramatic value include DJ Shadow, Coldcut and DJ Spooky. In effect they are developing an aural montage that may be spontaneous/improvised or carefully crafted. There are parallels in surrealism and the visual arts.
DJ Control and Economics
Due to the control that DJs have over the music that is played on radio stations, some record companies have desired to use money to control disk jockeys. The bribing of disc jockeys to play selected artists is called payola.
Disc vs Disk
The name "Disc jockey" developed in the era when the only sound recordings available were analogue disc records. For the reason it's disc jockey rather than disk jockey, see disk or disc. Disc is more often spelled "Disk" in the USA.
The People
The DJ as Teacher
Another DJ who has been widely renowned is Christian Marclay who as Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky had taught at the European Graduate School
Hip hop
Breakdancing - DJing - Graffiti art - Hip hop music - Rapping (List of rappers)
Fashion - Feuds - Slang - Timeline
Genres
East Coast - West Coast - South - Gangsta rap - G-funk - Horrorcore - Jazz rap - Alternative - Old school - Hardcore
Trip hop - Freestyle - Hip house - Hip life - Go go - Miami bass - Nu soul - Ghettotech - Electro - Rap metal - Reggaeton - Merenrap
African - Belgian - Dutch - Filipino - French - German - Greek - Iceland - Italian - Japanese - Mexican - Polish - Spanish - Turkish - Swiss
The above article is adapted from from Wikipedia All Wikipedia article text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
Google Pocket Guide by DJ Adams
How to DJ Right: The Art and Science of Playing Records by Frank Broughton
Last Night a Dj Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey by Bill Brewster
The Mobile DJ Handbook: How to Start & Run a Profitable Mobile Disc Jockey Service, Second Edition by Stacy Zemon
The DJ Handbook by Charles Slaney
Turntable Technique : The Art of the DJ by Stephen Webber
Programming Jabber: Extending XML Messaging (O'Reilly XML) by DJ Adams
The Turntable Dj (Ultimate Beginner Series Dj Styles) by Ben James
Dj-Culture by Ulf Poshardt
The DJ Cookbook: Business Start-up Guide by Dan Titus
Bedroom DJ by Piper Terrett
Cultivating Exceptional Cannabis : An Expert Breeder Shares His Secrets by DJ Short
Digital DJ (DJ Styles) by Warner Bros
Looking for the Perfect Beat : The Art and Culture of the DJ by Kurt B. Reighley
An American Girl's Family Album by Pleasant Company
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