DJs and music producers are both committed to bringing creative ideas to life through the power of sound. DJs showcase these ideas in real time — they’re all about living in the moment and creating unforgettable musical experiences. Producers work behind the scenes to create the powerful melodies and textures that ultimately bring dance clubs and music festivals to life.
There’s a great deal of overlap, including shared creative and technical priorities. DJs look to producers to create earworms that will pump up the crowd, while producers depend on DJs to make these tracks feel electric in festive settings. DJs clearly admire producers for their inventive spirit. They draw a great deal of inspiration from today’s top producers and often dabble in music production themselves.
Don’t take our word for it! Check out these quotes from accomplished DJs to see how they value artistry in the studio and on stage.
1. Martin Garrix
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“I played Spanish guitar at first, like Flamenco. At one point, I started writing songs on the guitar. Every time I wanted to play one, I would have to run and grab my guitar to show my family and friends. Eventually, I found a computer program that allowed me to record and edit my guitar melodies. First, it was just guitar melodies, and then I fell in love with trance music.”
2. Peggy Gou
“When it comes to music I like, I listen to every genre; I select things, the sounds that I like, and I put it all together and it becomes my thing. I don’t want to put a label on it. I remember the first time I started DJing, I told myself, I’m going to be a house DJ. But most of the DJs that I love, they don’t only play house music; they play everything.”
3. Afrojack
“A lot of producers — when they first start out go to YouTube to find tutorials, but it’s only the basics of how to make music. It’s important to teach people how to successfully make music, how to successfully be a DJ, how to get gigs, how to get songs that perform, and how to create a fan base.”
4. Charlotte de Witte
“In my productions, I usually start with a low end. I don’t start with loops, but I instantly start layering out my track structure-wise. It’s a weird way of working compared to other people, but it’s a more effective one to me. I have used many vocals in the past, my own or samples, and I actually really like working with them. I’m not good at writing melodies.”
5. Deadmau5
“I don’t really enjoy dance music. I don’t partake. I don’t pump it in my car….I love the process of making it. I like the technical challenges. I like sonic development.”
6. David Guetta
“I think creating the main concept is the most exciting thing. For sure when learning you need to force yourself to finish records even if it can be a bit boring. This is how you learn that a simple melody could sound boring at first but with automations stacking sounds, fx, filters, you can give it life.”
7. Alok
“There is never an idea that’s lost, even though I have hundreds of projects I have not released. You’re experimenting and practicing – you’re never losing time when you’re producing music, it’s an ongoing creative process. You can’t think you will write a hit every time. It puts too much pressure on you. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. You can only deliver when you’ve found something that moves and excites you.”
8. Indira Paganotto
“I make 90 percent of my tracks in the studio with my machines and VSTs. Sometimes I go out for a walk with the animals in the fields and I take the Tascam to record sounds, or while I have lunch or do things at home, and then I use them as samples if any sound excites me.”
9. Marshmello
“I can go and sit all day on my guitar and make this super melodic song with all these different parts. But then once I put the hip-hop drums in, it becomes this whole new thing. If you were to hear it without the hip-hop drums, you would be like, ‘Oh man, this would be a great pop song.’ But when you add those hard 808s, it transforms. That’s the excitement, making a sample and flipping it to work with 808s. There’s just so much to do within the space, and that’s what excites me. I’m addicted to it.”
10. Zedd
“I’m not onstage to play what people want to hear, I’m onstage to play what I want them to hear that I made for them…If they don’t like that there are plenty other DJs out there.”
Chart Your Own Path in the Music Industry
Inspiration is all around us. As you chase your next idea, the Musicians Institute offers the support to make it real. We will help you level up your production skill set so you can transform your creative concepts into beats and mixes that get crowds excited.
Learn about our online Electronic Music Program and other exciting opportunities — or take the next step and enroll today!
Sources:
- https://www.cbc.ca/arts/q/i-don-t-really-enjoy-dance-music-deadmau5-on-becoming-an-accidental-edm-superstar-1.7230397
- https://www.complex.com/music/a/eric-skelton/marshmello-rap-collaborations-interview
- https://dujour.com/culture/martin-garrix-dj-producer-interview/
- https://iumag.co.uk/charlotte-de-witte-exclusive-interview/
- https://uproxx.com/life/afrojack-interview-pitbull-ne-yo-reunion-traveling-tips/
- https://musictech.com/features/interviews/alok-rewriting-the-rules-of-dance-music/
- https://musictech.com/features/show-off-your-studio-indira-paganotto/
- https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/peggy-gou-dj-album
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2017/10/02/how-to-stay-relevant-zedd-on-life-beyond-djing