What Does a DJ Do?
A DJ is not just someone who connects tracks.
There are two ways to look at a DJ: "what they do as work" and "what role they play."
The DJ seen as work
Seen as a task, what a club DJ does is simple.
They choose the next track, decide where to bring it in, and mix from the track that's playing into the next one while adjusting volume and sound quality.
The basis is playing with two decks.
While a track plays on deck A, you prepare the next track on deck B. Then you mix from A to B. Next, you prepare the following track on A and mix from B to A.
The image is of passing the music from left to right, and from right to left.
Some DJs use three or four decks at once, but using two decks is the basic starting point.
Opinion (the author's view)
The essence is creating the space of that day with music
However, I don't think the essence of DJing is "connecting one track to another."
Even with the same tracks, the right selection and flow change when the people, the time, and the place change.
A DJ reads the atmosphere of the place and keeps choosing:
What to play.
In what order to play it.
When to move on to the next track.
Those are the choices they keep making.
The accumulation of those decisions creates the atmosphere of the floor that day.
Some people may think a DJ's role is "to keep the music from stopping" or "to mix tracks smoothly."
But I think those are means to creating a space.
The essence of DJing is not operating equipment, but creating the space of that day with music.
That is what I believe.
Summary
- A DJ chooses tracks, prepares them, and mixes into the next one while adjusting the sound
- The basic setup uses two decks, but some DJs use three or more
- The author believes the essence of DJing is "creating the space of that day with music"