Part 2
How does the decision making process work during a gig with regards to the inclusion of key records, the next transition and where you want the set to go? How far do you tend to plan ahead during a set?
The decision-making process during a gig largely depends on the specific occasion every time. Sometimes I find myself playing more groovy funky sets with a lot of cuts & fx, sometimes more raw and proper steady sets.
But most of all, I choose my sets to have a storyline. It is important to present a story behind what you are playing! Not a lot of people can understand this at that moment but it's happening. I love to jump from one style to another but with a way that people won't notice the transition. I like to have a smooth flow during the night but in different styles. That way I believe that the crowd won't get bored.
I like to change basslines, to use tracks that keeps the crowd up. And of course I am always focusing on the closing tracks! Usually I drop one of my own tracks as a closing one, because this is the most important part of a DJ set for me. People remember the last track! It's the most fascinating part of the process.
Sometimes I catch my self deciding first which track I will play as the last one, and then I am planning the rest of the set!
When you DJing, does it actually feel like you' re inventing something on the spot – or are you inventively re-arranging patterns from preparations, practise or previous performances?
I always prepae a standard set before my shows just to arrange the flow of the night, cause I always download new music and I am trying to play new tracks everytime but I don't remember all the tracks. So I put them in an order just for a reminder which track is matched with the others.
Of course, I would say for sure that I have some personal favorite tracks that I always drop in my sets because I know that they always work perfectly on the dancefloor!
But most of the times, I am setting the flow of the set at that moment. It's important to see the reaction of the people! Sometimes you are preparing a set at home but when you start playing live you realize that it does not work at all! So, all you have to do is to change it at that moment!
Do you engage with audiences/dancers - and how? Taking one of your online DJ mixes as an example, how does the experience and the way you deejay change when you subtract the audience?
Of course! I strongly believe that interaction with the audience is one of the most important things while djiing. I love to see people dancing! I am also dancing during my sets. I am feeling every element of the tracks I am playing and I think people can understand it.
It's important to express your feelings in a set and this is actually the way you are communicating with the people in front of you! You give energy to the crowd and you are taking it back from them!
Recording a DJ set at home, though, is another story. Of course it's not as much fun, but I am trying to look at the bright side of everything. It is somehow a preparation for what I will present to the audience in my live sets. So while recording I can imagine how this set would come across on the dance floor.
Collaboration is a key part of almost every aspect of music making, but it is stil rare in DJing. Do you have an idea why this is? Tell me about your own views on back-to-back DJing, interactions with live musicians or other forms of turning DJing into a more collective process.
The most important thing for me is that collaborating with other DJs allows you to learn from each other and share your knowledge and skills.
Collaborating with DJs from different backgrounds and experiences can also expose you to new techniques and styles that you might not have known before. It can also help you reach new audiences that you might not have been able to reach on your own and also help you build strong relationships within the community. This can lead to more collaborations in the future, as well as opportunities to learn from and support each other. Building strong relationships with other DJs can also lead to referrals and recommendations, which can help you grow your career.
So I believe that collaborations are really important, although I am a bit difficult when it comes to this topic. I would say that I am strict. I believe that you need to be careful whom you are collaborating with! It is important to choose people that have a similar mindset to your art and your goals. You need to keep a balance between everything.
For me b2bs are complicated! You need to have the perfect chemistry with your partner in order to present something good to the audience! Otherwise there is a possibility to create a messy DJ set which will be not succesful at all! Moreover you need to respect the other DJ! It's important to leave space to each other, to allow them to present their part in their own way.
Put simply, you need to have the peftect interaction with each other and respect each other's art!
How important is dancing for our wellbeing on a personal and even on a societal level?
I think dancing is really important in our lives and especially on a daily basis!
Dance can relieve stress, increase flexibility and reduce stiffness. Dance reduces depression and of course increase our energy level. It can also help you gain better control of your body and even lead to a better immune system.
I believe that it can only beneficial for ourselves if we dance a little bit every day!
Especially in the light of advances in AI, where do you see the role of humans in DJing versus that of technology? Can AI act as a collaborator or creative stimulus?
Ai is going to represent a huge change in human history and I think we need to clearly define and develop the meaning around it before the lines become completely blurred.
My biggest hope is that it is used as a tool to accelerate access to knowledge rather than ‘captivating ’ us. It should be about improving our skills but not to take them from us! It is a very thin line, before making it dangerous for human rights. I hope we, as humans, use the technology for our own good and not to eliminate our skills, our way of thnking and our mindsets.
But honestly, I strongly believe that this will not have a happy end! There is a possibility of diluting the authenticity of our industry and eliminating our capabilities. The impact not only for musicians, DJs, producers but on society in general is too risky and I believe we need to slow down the mass adoption rate with the correct education around it before it's too late. I believe that this is something really new to us, and people have not realised yet what the impact could be.
I hope that it will act as a collaborator and creative stimulus and not as an enemy!
Tinnitus and developing hyperacusis are very real risks for anyone working with sound. Do you take precautions in this regard and if you're suffering from these or similar issues – how do you cope with them?
Of course I am taking care of my ears! I am used to wearing earplugs inside the club for protection!
But honestly I can't handle wearing them during my set! So when I am playing I am not wearing earplugs, unless the sound system is too loud and bad. Then I prefer wearing them to losing my hearing!
But fortunately I haven't experienced tinnitus or Hyperacusis so far.
Do you feel as though DJing is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more "mundane" tasks?
Of course! For me it is like a ritual! It's like escaping from our reality and immersing my self in another situation. Its a magical journey that is totally different from any mundane task!
When I play music in front of crowd it gives me satisfaction like nothing else. It's a connection with your soul, a feeling that no cup of coffee can compare to!
Let's imagine you lost all your music for one night and all there is left at the venue is a crate of records containing a random selection of music. How would you approach this set?
Let's be honest. At the beginning I would have been thinking that it would be a disaster. I would definitely have had a short panic attack as I know myself very well. My face would change at least 5 colors.
But sometimes you need to trust your skills and yourself more than ever. So I think I would take a deep breath and expirement with all I have at that moment! It's all about fun :)
