Club DJs as we know them first appeared in discotheques back in the 1960s. It was here they had access to professional DJ equipment, when it was too expensive to be widely available. DJ skills tended to passed down from DJ to DJ, and it wasn't until they started to appear on the radio that the general public became aware of this type of musical performance.
Technics were already making turntables, and they had a major influence on the scene when they introduced the first direct drive turntables. Until then, DJs only had belt-driven turntables. Unfortunately, belts have a tendency to stretch with time and use, and sounds can become distorted. The direct drive turntables had no belts to stretch or break, meaning they could be used for mixing and scratching.
Around the same time, as DJ equipment evolved, so did the techniques. Hip hop was hugely influential, and DJs such as Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Grand wizard Theodore introduced scratching, looping the same records on two turntables and other ways of manipulating records to produce new sounds.
By the time the late eighties arrived, there was a new genre of music that was gaining in popularity: acid house. With acid house came rave culture and its first celebrity DJs. DJ equipment became more readily available, rather than only being accessible through the clubs.
As equipment became easier and cheaper, more bedroom DJs began to appear as enthusiasts began practising in at home and setting up parties in empty warehouses. It was easier to share information and source new music with the arrival of the internet, democratising musical creation and performance.
The production and perception of music has changed with the evolution of DJ equipment and techniques. Thanks to the possibilities offered by the kit, DJing has become more than playing a record back. It has become a creative process in itself.
Technics were already making turntables, and they had a major influence on the scene when they introduced the first direct drive turntables. Until then, DJs only had belt-driven turntables. Unfortunately, belts have a tendency to stretch with time and use, and sounds can become distorted. The direct drive turntables had no belts to stretch or break, meaning they could be used for mixing and scratching.
Around the same time, as DJ equipment evolved, so did the techniques. Hip hop was hugely influential, and DJs such as Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Grand wizard Theodore introduced scratching, looping the same records on two turntables and other ways of manipulating records to produce new sounds.
By the time the late eighties arrived, there was a new genre of music that was gaining in popularity: acid house. With acid house came rave culture and its first celebrity DJs. DJ equipment became more readily available, rather than only being accessible through the clubs.
As equipment became easier and cheaper, more bedroom DJs began to appear as enthusiasts began practising in at home and setting up parties in empty warehouses. It was easier to share information and source new music with the arrival of the internet, democratising musical creation and performance.
The production and perception of music has changed with the evolution of DJ equipment and techniques. Thanks to the possibilities offered by the kit, DJing has become more than playing a record back. It has become a creative process in itself.
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