Disc jockey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A disc jockey (also called DJ) is an individual who selects and plays for an intended audience.

Sound recordings in preferred medium (eg. vinyl records, compact discs, computer media files)

A minimum of two devices for playback of sound recordings, for alternating back and forth to create continuous playback (e.g.

record players, compact disc players, computer media players)

A for amplification of the recordings (e.g. portable audio system, radio wave broadcaster)

The addition of a (used to mix the sound of the two or more playback devices), a (used to amplify the human voice), and (used to listen to one recording while the other is playing, without outputting the sound to the audience) is strongly recommended, but not required.

Other types of equipment including , , effects processors, and , add to the performance of the DJ.
Other equipment can be added to the basic set-up (above) providing unique sound manipulations. Such devices include but are not limited to:

A computerised performance system can be used with timecode encoded / content to manipulate digital files on the computer in real time.

Multi-stylus headshells gives a the ability to play different grooves of the same record at the same time.

Several techniques can be used by the disc jockey as a means to manipulate the prerecorded music. These primarily include the , and of two or more sound sources.

However, turntablist DJ's also utilize , , , , , , , , , and more to perform the transitions and overdubs of a number of sources in a more creative manner.
Throughout the 1950s, was an ongoing problem. Part of the fallout from that payola scandal was tighter control of the music by station management.

The format emerged, where popular songs are played repeatedly.
Today, very few radio DJs in the United States have any control over what is played on the air. Play lists are tightly regulated, and the DJ is often not allowed to make any changes or additions.

The songs to be played are usually determined by and techniques, such as , allowing single DJs to send announcements across many stations. A DJ might announce a song as a request even though it was already set to appear in the play list. It is not unusual for modern radio DJ's to get a request for a song, if they are allowed to play a request, which is rare, and download it from a free download site such as ;^{[ ]} then they enter it into the computer play list to make the listener happy.

With modern computers and high-speed internet access, it is possible to fulfill any reasonable request in a matter of minutes. This is a little-known legal use for "free" music downloads, as all radio stations must pay licensing fees to and (BMI).
Economically, this formula has been successful across the country.

However, music aficionados look upon such practices with disgust and either seek out stations that put the DJs back in control, or end up dumping terrestrial radio in favor of services or portable music players. stations and other outlets are the most common places for freeform play lists in the U.S.

By definition, the role of selecting and playing for an intended audience is the same for every disc jockey. The selected music, the audience, the setting, the preferred medium, and the level of sophistication of sound manipulation are factors that create a number of different types of deejays. The following is a list of the most common types of disc jockeys, along with notable examples of each, listed in chronological order by birth.

A radio disc jockey plays music that is broadcast across radio waves, and bands or worldwide on radio stations. Radio DJs are notable for their personalities. Often due to terrestrial radio using program directors/music directors to generate the playlist, present-day radio DJs do not typically pick the music to play at stations.

Emceeing is their primary duty.

(1882–1965), became the first disc jockey in the in 1927.

(1901-1967), the first radio disc jockey to become a star, inspired the term "disc jockey".

(born 1926), British DJ and television personality, in 1947 he was the first ever DJ to use twin turntables for continuous play after he paid a local metalworker to weld two domestic record decks together.

(born 1946) worked at many radio stations over the US, including 50,00 watters like WKYC, Cleveland; WMEX, Boston; , Toronto; , Buffalo, and , Los Angeles. He was once listed in the as the world's fastest talking human.

(born 1929), host of , television's longest-running music/variety program, as well as a number of nationally syndicated radio shows.

(born 1932), disc jockey and music historian, host of the long-running radio series . Also the voice of in the cartoon series.

(1938-1995), drew upon his love of horror movies and rock and roll to create his raspy-voiced, howling persona, one of radio’s most distinctive voices, and the subject of the song by " " which featured spoken parts by him.

(real name: William McKinley Randle, Jr) (1923-2004), former famous and distinguished Detroit, New York Cleveland DJ who was intricate and responsible for introducing Elvis Presley's career on radio and TV in the 1950's; first on the Jackie Gleason/Dorsey Brothers' Stage Show television program in 1955 1956; helped introduced big names of the 20th century like Pat Boone, Johnny Ray, The Four Lads, Tony Bennett, and literally scores of other famous pop-icons of the past; true genius in what he did in his life and for others in radio, music business, as attorney of law, higher education, for his country in general, and for the quality and integrity of man-kind. Probably up there with Alan Freed and Martin Block as one of the best DJ's that ever lived.

(1939-2004), one of the original DJs of 's in 1967, known for the extraordinary range of his taste in music, and for championing unknown musical artists.

(1937-1991), a man of major importance to the industry who began his radio career in 1957 at Texas' KCRS where and used to drop off their records. He later rose to fame in the early to mid 1970s for changing the face of country music by playing the likes of , and along side the country standards.

(born , ). "King of All Media" The original " ", Though controversial, he is one of the highest-paid radio personalities in the United States and the most fined personality in radio broadcast history. On , , Stern announced on his show that he signed a five-year deal with .

the New York based radio host was a disk jockey on WPIX-FM in the 70's, hosted an afternoon drive show on WNEW-AM in the 80's and currently hosts a music show on WABC

Los Angeles-based DJ who is well known for his top-40 show played for the American military worldwide.

A person who owns DJing equipment (i.e.

turntables, mixer, CDJ, etc.) and has a passion for music, but does not play out to crowds at bars or clubs. Instead, they opt to play their music at home for their friends, record or broadcast over the internet via audio broadcasting software, such as .

A club disc jockey is one that selects and plays music in a club setting. The setting can range anywhere from a small club, a neighborhood party, a disco, a rave, or even a stadium.
Music is the name of the game for club DJs.

They focus more on the music and " " (or " ") the music to wow their crowds. Using a seamless mix by matching the tempos of two different songs, the club DJs control the energy level of the crowd.

(1944- ) Founder of 's first underground party, called .

(1948-2001) Popularized several new disc jockey techniques, including , and programming.

A well known DJ/mixer/producer. A famous DJ in the New York club scene who played in Danceteria, Studio 54, Underground, and other notable clubs.

(1963- ) British record producer, remixer, and one of the most popularized DJs worldwide.

(1969- ) One of world's leading trance music DJs, voted 'No. 1 DJ in the World' for the third consecutive year in 2004 by 's top 100 DJ list.

(1969- ) Famous techno musician, portrayed in the 2003 film .

(1971- ) A famous trance DJ who earned 's top 100 DJ list No. 1 DJ award in 2005 and again in 2006.

(1965- ) One of the U.Ks top House/Trance DJs, popularized largely by his radio show on .

(1976- ) Dutch Trance DJ/Producer, voted No.

3 DJ in the world by " 's top 100 DJ list" 3 years in a row 2003-2005; currently No. 2.

(1962- ) World famous and legendary techno DJ.

(1971- ) Well known Trance DJ in the ; in 1998 he was voted "Muzik" DJ of the Year.

(1973- ) A Dutch trance producer, DJ and remixer, considered one of the pioneers in the genre.

(1971- ) American DJ, music producer and record label owner.

The term Digital DJ is the incorrect terminology for the simple fact that any DJ using CDs, DVDs, DAT, Mini Discs, any number of computer music file formats or even digital signal processing equipment, is in fact a Digital DJ. Digital DJs became common when the CD player became much more readily available in the mid to late 1980s. And with new technology comes new terminology.

The correct terminology for playing, mixing or DJing with a computer, is a Computerized Performance System (CPS). A DJ who utilizes this technology is called a Computerized Performance System Disc Jockey (CPS DJ). There is an elective certification program related to the Computer DJ Summit for certifying a DJ as a CPSDJ or as a CPSME (Computerized Performance System Master Entertainer).

Sources that support this terminology may be found on the Computer DJ Summit web site, the Computer DJ Summit Learning Center, Disc Jockey University, the American Disc Jockey Association, several industry related manufacturers / software developers, the ComputerDJing.com Learning Center and based on the book by Snyder, Charles E. III (2005) So You Wanna Go Digital?

- Revised First Edition River Valley Publishing. .
A hip-hop disc jockey is one that selects, plays and creates music as a hip-hop artist and/or performer, often backing up one or more .

(born 1955), inventor of technique, "the father of hip hop culture".

(born 1958), one of the early pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and scratching. Created the Quick Mix Technique, which allowed a DJ to extend a break using two copies of the same record; essentially invented modern turntablism.

(born 1957 or 1960), instrumental in the development of hip-hop from its birth in the South Bronx to its international success. He also created the first hip-hop track to feature synthesizers; "The godfather of hip-hop"

(born c. 1962), pioneering DJ and co-founder, with Rick Rubin, of Def Jam Records

(1965-2002), founder and DJ of , one of the most innovative hip-hop groups of all time.

(born Ernesto Shaw on , in Queens, New York City) is a mix DJ known for his involvement in the mix tape circuit. He signed as an artist on Roc-A-Fella Records

(born 1965), one half of duo , popularized the -sampled funky hip-hop of the late 1980s.

(born 1969), founding member of the group the and three-time winner of the International DMC Award.

(born 1970), skilled DJ of hip-hop group , three-time winner of the International DMC Turntablism Award.

, a turntablist band with several collaborations with groups and artists, including and .

(born 1966), one of the duo .

He also featured with many famous Hip-Hop artists like , , and many others.

The definition and responsibilities of a mobile disc jockey have changed since Bob Casey's first two-turntable system for continuous playback was utilized for sock-hops in 1955. Bands had long dominated the wedding entertainment industry, but with the advent of the less expensive mobile DJ, the demand for live performers dwindled.

Even so, in the early years, the mobile DJ industry was seen as a last-resort choice for entertainment, as the DJs were reputed to frequently be unreliable and unprofessional. Mobile DJ companies came and went. However, a few companies of this era did establish themselves as competent businesses and thrived; some even still exist today.

During the Disco era of the 1970s, demand for mobile DJs (called mobile disco in the UK) soared. Top mobile DJs in this era would have hundreds of vinyl records and/or cassette tapes to play from. The equipment used in this era was enormous and usually required roadies (similar to those who work for bands) to set up.

Because of the high demand for mobile DJs, many people from all facets of life jumped into the industry, hoping to make a few extra dollars on the weekends. These "Weekend Warriors", as they are called by many, helped enhance the negative stereotype of the mobile DJ; many of the same complaints from the earlier era continued.
Some tried to improve this image by forming professional associations.

The (CDJA) was one of the original associations formed in 1976 as a not-for-profit trade association for disc jockeys across . It was joined by a much broader online association called the (CODJA), founded by Canadian mobile DJs Glenn Miller (not the famous bandleader) and Dennis Hampson.
As the late 1980s turned into the 1990s, new technologies emerged.

collections were becoming the standard to play music from. Many equipment manufacturers realized the potential market that existed for mobile DJs and raced to make equipment that was smaller, easier to use, and of better quality. Dedicated mobile disc jockey trade publications such as magazine and magazine were founded in this era.

These publications helped to spread the word about the emerging technologies and published informational articles that were helpful to the mobile disc jockey. This is also the era when mobile disc jockeys became the top entertainment choice for most private parties, including wedding receptions.
In the mid-1990s, computers and the Internet had a profound impact on the mobile DJ industry.

Professor Jam (aka W. P. Rader), a disc jockey already known in the industry for having performed for many celebrities and television networks, became one of the first mobile DJs in the United States to regularly use computer technology to play music at his shows, and was the first professionally endorsed computer disc jockey internationally.

CODJA cofounder Glenn Miller became the first licensed MP3 DJ under new music licensing agreement that was introduced to Canada in 2000 by the AVLA, and had already pioneered online networking for mobile disc jockeys by starting the first for mobile DJs from all over North America (and eventually the world).
In the 21st century, the role of the mobile disc jockey has expanded. While there are still many conventional, "human jukebox" mobile DJs, many others have assumed more responsibilities to ensure the success of the events where they perform.

These responsibilities include emceeing, event coordination, lighting direction, and sound engineering.
The number of resources available for mobile DJs has also expanded. Aside from the many online community forums, there are now annual conventions, regional conferences, and many local seminars for mobile disc jockeys to attend.

1857 - invents the , the first device to record arbitrary sound, in .

1877 - invents the , the first device to playback recorded sound, in the .

1887 - - invents the , a device to record and playback sound.

1889 - Coin-slot phonograph machines, the public's first encounter with recorded sound, begin to be mass-produced. The earliest versions played only a single record, but multiple record devices, called , were soon developed.

1892 - Emile Berliner begins commercial production of his gramophone records, the first disc record to be offered to the public.

mid-1890s to early 1920s - Cylinder and disc recordings, and the machines to play them on, are widely mass marketed and sold. The disc system gradually becomes more popular due to its cheaper price and better marketing.

1910s - Regular radio broadcasting begins, using "live" as well as prerecorded sound.

In the early radio age, content typically includes comedy, drama, news, music, and sports reporting. The on-air announcers and programmers would later be known as disc jockeys.

1920s - "Juke-joints" become popular as a place for dancing and drinking to jukebox music.

1927 - becomes the first radio announcer and programmer in the , on the radio station.

1929 - Thomas Edison ceases phonograph cylinder manufacture, ending the disc and cylinder rivalry.

1934 - American commentator coins the term "disc jockey" (the combination of "disc", referring to the disc records, and "jockey", which is an operator of a machine) as a description of radio announcer , the first announcer to become a star in his own right.

While his audience was awaiting developments in the , Block played records and created the illusion that he was broadcasting from a ballroom, with the nation’s top dance bands performing live. The show, which he called Make Believe Ballroom, was an instant hit.

1940s - composers utilize portions of sound recordings to create new compositions.

This is the first occurrence of .

1943 - launches the world's first DJ dance party by playing records in the upstairs function room of the Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherd's in , . In 1947, he paid a local metalworker to weld two domestic record decks together and became the first DJ to use twin turntables for continuous play.

1947 - The "Whiskey-A-Go-Go" nightclub opens in , considered to be the world's first , or disco (deriving its name from the French word, meaning a nightclub where the featured entertainment is recorded music rather than an on-stage band). Discos began appearing across Europe and the United States.

late 1940s to early 1950s - The introduction of television erodes the popularity of radio's early format, causing it to take on the general form it has today, with a strong focus on music, news and sports.

1950s - American radio DJs would appear live at "sock hops" and "platter parties" and assume the role of a human jukebox. They would usually play 45-rpm records featuring hit singles on one turntable, while talking between songs. In some cases, a live drummer was hired to play beats between songs to maintain the dance floor.

1955 - , a well-known sock hop DJ, introduces the first two-turntable system for the purpose of alternating back and forth between records, creating continuous playback.

late 1950s - , a new form of public entertainment, are developed in the of . Promoters, who called themselves DJs, would throw large parties in the streets that centered on the disc jockey, called the "selector".

These parties quickly became profitable for the promoters, who would sell admission, food and alcohol, leading to fierce competition between DJs for the biggest sound systems and newest records.

mid-1960s - Nightclubs and discotheques continue to grow in Europe and the United States. However, by 1968, the number of dance clubs started to decline.

1969 - American club DJ popularizes at 's Sanctuary nightclub. Beatmatching is the technique of creating seamless transitions between back-to-back records with matching beats, or tempos. Grasso also perfected , the technique of holding a record still while the turntable is revolving underneath, releasing it at the desired moment to create a sudden transition from the previous record.

late 1960s - Most American discos either closed or were transformed into clubs featuring live bands. Neighborhood block parties that are modeled after Jamaican sound systems gain popularity in Europe and in the of .

early 1970s - The , oil crisis, and economic recession has a negative impact on dance clubs and disc jockeys.

The total number of clubs and DJs dropped substantially, and most of the dance clubs were underground discos. It should also be noted that electronics company released a series of direct-drive DJ turntables during this period.

1973 - , widely regarded as the "godfather of hip hop culture", performs at block parties in his neighborhood and develops a technique of mixing back and forth between two identical records to extend the rhythmic instrumental segment, or .

, the art of using turntables not only to play music, but to manipulate sound and create original music, is considered to begin at this time.

1974 - releases the first turntable, which evolves into the SL-1200 MK2 in 1979, currently the industry standard for deejaying.

1974 - German band releases the 22-minute song "Autobahn", which takes up the entire first side of that LP.

Years later, Kraftwerk would become a significant influence on artists such as and pioneer .

mid 1970s - and culture begins to emerge, originating among urban and in New York City. The four main elements of are , DJing, , and .

1975 - music takes off in the mainstream pop charts in the and Europe, causing discotheques to experience a rebirth.

1975 - begin, enabling disc jockeys access to newer music from the industry in an efficient method.

1976 - American DJ, editor, and producer remixes "Ten Percent" by , one of the earliest commercially released 12" singles (aka "maxi-single").

1977 - Hip hop DJ invents the technique by accident.

1977 - New York's nightclub grosses $7 million in its first year of business (which is roughly $21 million in today's dollars after adjusting for inflation). In the same year, the motion picture popularizes discotheques and becomes one of the top-10 grossing films in history (at the time).

1979 - The release " ", the first hip hop record to become a hit. It was also the first real breakthrough for , as the bassline of 's " " laid the foundation for the song.

1979 - An anti-disco protest in 's Comiskey Park marks the major backlash against disco amongst fans.

This is considered by some to be the year that disco "died", although the music remained popular for several more years, particularly in underground clubs and in Europe, where the subgenres and emerged.

1981 - Cable television network is launched, originally devoted to music videos, especially popular rock music. The term " ", or VJ, was used to describe the fresh faced youth who introduced the music videos.

1982 - The demise of disco in the mainstream by the summer of 1982 forces many nightclubs to either close or to change entertainment styles, such as by providing MTV style video dancing or live bands.

1982 - The reached the public market in Asia and early the following year in other markets. This event is often seen as the "Big Bang" of the revolution.

1983 - emerges. The name was derived from the in , where the resident DJ, , mixed old disco classics and Eurosynth pop. House music is essentially disco music with electronic beats.

The common element of most house music is a 4/4 beat generated by a or other electronic means (such as a ), together with a solid (usually also electronically generated) .

1983 - Jesse Saunders releases the first house music track, "On On".

mid-1980s - emerges at DJ 's nightclub in New York.

The style was a result of the club DJs who would unsuccessfully try to duplicate the Chicago house sound, for example, leaving out the accentuated high-hats.

mid-1980s - music emerges from the club scene. Being geographically located between Chicago and New York, Detroit techno combined elements of Chicago house and New York garage along with European imports.

Techno distanced itself from disco's roots by becoming almost purely electronic with synthesized beats.

1985 - The Winter Music Conference starts in Florida and becomes the premier electronic music conference for dance music disc jockeys. Dance Music Guide is launched by in Beverly Hills, the first national DJ-published music magazine; created on the computer using extensive music market research and early desktop publishing tools.

1986 - " ", a rap-rock collaboration by and , becomes the first hip-hop song to reach the Top 10 on the . This song is the first exposure of hip hop music, as well as the concept of the disc jockey as band member and artist, to many mainstream audiences.

1988 - The scene emerges in the .

Originally called "acid parties" for a select few, the events grew in size and popularity, eventually spreading throughout England, Europe, the United States, and the rest of the world.

early 1990s - The scene grows out of the acid-house scene. Many elements of the rave scene, such as baggy pants and break dancing, appear to be inherited from the scene of the approximately 15 years earlier.

The notion of " ", for example, derives from Northern Soul's emphasis on researching and collecting rare obscure records; while preventing other DJs from stealing titles via "white labels". The rave scene forever changed dance music, the image of DJs, and the nature of promoting. The innovative marketing surrounding the rave scene created the first superstar DJs.

early 1990s - The surpasses the gramophone record in popularity, but gramophone records continue to be made (although in very limited quantities) into the 21st century, particularly for club DJs and for local acts recording on small regional labels.

mid-1990s - , having run rampant in the German underground for several years, emerges as a major force in dance music throughout Europe and the UK. It is to become arguably the world's most dominant form of dance music by the end of the 1990s, thanks to a trend away from its repetitive, hypnotic roots, and towards commercialistic song structure.

1991 - Mobile Beat first publishes becoming the first magazine specifically targetted at the professional mobile disc jockey.

1992 - which stands for the , releases The MPEG-1 standard, designed to produce reasonable sound at low bit rates. MPEG-1 Layer-3 popularly known as MP3 (a Lossy format) will revolutionize the digital music domain.

1992 - , a popular music service for disc jockeys is launched.

1993 - The first "radio station", Internet Talk Radio, was developed by Carl Malamud. Because the radio signal is relayed over the Internet, it is possible to access internet radio stations from anywhere in the world.

This makes it a popular service for both amateur and professional disc jockeys operating from a personal computer.

1995 - The first full-time, Internet-only radio station, Radio HK, begins broadcasting the music of bands.

late 1990s - bands such as , , and reach the height of popularity.

This new subgenre of bears some influence from hip-hop, because rhythmic innovation and syncopation are primary, often featuring DJs as band members.

late 1990s - Various DJ and VJ software programs are developed, allowing personal computer users to deejay or veejay using his or her personal music or video files.

1998 - The first MP3 digital audio player is released, the Eiger Labs MPMan F10.

1999 - releases , the first of the massively popular systems.

1999 - late 1999 - AVLA (Audio Video Licensing Agency) of Canada announces MP3 DJing license. Administered by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.

DJs can now apply for a license giving them the right to burn their own compilation CDs of "usable tracks", instead of having to cart their whole CD collections around to their gigs.

2001 - 's is introduced and quickly becomes the highest selling brand of portable digital mp3 audio player. The convenience and popularity of the iPod spawns a new type of DJ, the self-penned " ".

First appearing in certain clubs, and spreading to other music scenes, including New York City, this new DJ scene allows the average music fan to bring two iPods to an "iPod Night", plug in to the mixer, and program a play list without the skill and equipment demanded by a more traditional DJ setup.

2001 - late 2001 - Atlanta, Georgia, The fist Computerized Performance System Disc Jockey gathering was scheduled and organized during the small DJ3 convention. CPS mixing culture begins to emerge and organize.

2005 - Computerized Performance System Disc Jockey Summit is launched. Hosted by Professor Jam (W.P.

Rader) and originally developed as a social gathering in 2001, it was the first dedicated computer disc jockey industry event.

2006 - The DJ is 100 years old this year. DJs have been playing on radio and in clubs for a century.

2006 - Mobile Beat Magazine and ProDJ.Com merge creating the largest and strongest media for mobile disc jockeys.

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