Words: Max Graham

Max Graham

I’m blessed, the luckiest guy ever, nothing to complain about (okay, a couple of things, but we’ll save that for a future issue). I have the best job in the world and am thankful every day. The way I explain it is: remember when you were a kid and you went to house parties, you would slip in your favourite mix tape, but as soon as you left the room someone would change it and put theirs on? Well, now people allow me to choose the music all night—they even pay me to do it. Amazing.

So the question I get asked all the time is, “How did you get to this point, and what do I need to do to play around the world?” This is usually followed by, “Here’s my mix CD for the next time you have some downtime or you’re sitting on the plane”. The reality is, if I have time off, the last thing I’m doing is listening to a mix CD. I hardly even have time to listen to mixes by my favourite DJs. The point I’m getting at is, even if this is the best mix CD ever, there’s almost nothing I can do with it. Promoters are not interested in good DJs or fresh and original mixes. They want hype, sales and names, regardless of talent. I mean how many times have we seen expensive headliners come to town and make you shake your head with a though about “how did THIS guy get onto the touring circuit?” I’ll tell you what it wasn’t—it wasn’t a mix CD that he handed out. At least not in the last five years (we all know Digweed’s story). What it was is production. My favourite line to use to for DJs who are not feeling like their career has a chance is “every DJ is one hit away from touring the world”. You can hand out mix CDs ’til the cows come home and DJ in your hometown forever—there are simply too many of you out there. Get in the studio and make a record. We all have computers and lots have the time, (imagine if you had a nickel for every pointless argument you got into on a message board?...yes, you know who you are), the software is readily available so there’s no excuse. Take Luke Fair: he gets it, produces with a very simple setup and makes it work, and the next thing you know I’m bumping into him outside LAX, he’s just flown in from touring Asia, just that simple.

There’s even a case to be made for simple ’80s bootlegs. Eric Prydz became huge overnight from Call On Me, then went right back to making amazing underground records right after, only with a massive profile, and likely, a much better financed studio. So for those of you banging your head against the wall because your DJ sets are bang on and your mixing/programming skills should have you touring the world, just keep in mind there is someone in every city like you. What separates the DJs that get to fly to amazing cities, on someone else’s expense, are the ones who produce, so if this is your goal, write this on your wall: “Every DJ is one hit away from touring the world.”