HOW TO DJ RIGHT: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF PLAYING RECORDS
FRANK BROUGHTON and BILL BREWSTER
(GROVE PRESS)
Another
highlight of the postal delivery experience has been the copy of How To DJ
Right: The Art And Science Of Playing Records by dance culture literati
Frank Broughton and Bill Brewster. After
constructing of the most in-depth tomes regarding the history of DJ culture, Last
Night A DJ Saved My Life, the duo have written a well-designed manual that
covers every step of the ladder from beatmatching and teaching your brain to
hear two songs at once through more extensive turntable techniques to
self-promotion and getting noticed. This book clearly builds on the interest in the prior work
and provides a stunning insight into the events in the booth that makes each
party that special.
How
To DJ Right: The Art And Science Of Playing Records
is a well planned and easy to follow guide to help you develop your skills in an
increasing manner that will start out with a solid foundation and is set out to
work in continually increasing stages. The
book is divided into four main categories, including The Bedroom (the
basics of spinning), The Dancefloor (how to play out), The Masterclass
(how to improve your sets), and The Industry (how to get noticed and
hopefully get paid).
In
The Bedroom section of the book, you are supplied with several of the
basics of spinning, including how to train your brain to hear two songs playing
at once, what equipment to buy, and how to mix. Useful for the beginner or as a refresher for the more
seasoned DJ. The book then travels
into how to work The Dancefloor from how to read a crowd and select the
right track through following another DJ. In
the section titled The Masterclass, the book begins to give an insight
into how to improve your now expanding skills and add skills such as adding FX,
beat-juggling, and scratching to your mix.
Now
that you have been shown the skills to work a party without looking silly, the
book explains the next phase to get you out of the bedroom by explaining how to
get noticed by The Industry. Here
is the heart of the book for anyone who wants to pursue this as a living.
The book covers everything from how to get free records and develop a
chart, how to be a mobile or radio DJ, to remixing tracks, and the penultimate
releasing your own record.
For the beginner who wants to learn to be like their favorite deck technician, the mid-level DJ who wants to graduate from a weekly region residency to the next level, or even the touring DJ who may want to revisit the steps it took to get to their level, How To DJ Right: The Art And Science Of Playing Records is an insightful look at what it takes to understand and enjoy being a DJ.