DJs are everywhere bands used to be: school dances, wedding receptions,
birthday parties, bars, clubs, and lately in championships where turntablists battle each
other with their beat-juggling and mixing skills which often encompass
acrobatics, lol. In 2004, for the first time, a DJ even played the opening
ceremony of the Olympics held in Athens. As sales of DJ equipment (turntables, CDJs, mixers, midi controllers) have grown to rival
those of guitars and drum sets, books now talk about the emergence
of the DJ as full-fledged musicians have emerged, too.
Here are the Top 5 Books For DJs
1 - Last Night A DJ Saved My Life
Author: Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton
The title says it all; inspired by the name of a 1982 r&b song by Indeep, no
doubt millions of dance floor habitues have woken up after a magical night of
dancing and thought just that thought. "A truly great DJ, just for a moment, can
make a whole room fall in love," say the authors in this entertaining biography
of the DJ, with club charts from the mid-50s through the end of the '90s. Their
How to DJ Right: The Art and Science of Playing Records, is even more fun.
2 - DJ Skills: The Essential Guide to Mixing & Scratching
Author: Stephen Webber
DJ Skills: The Essential Guide to Mixing & Scratching is the most
comprehensive, up to date approach to DJing ever produced. With insights from
top club, mobile, and scratch DJs, the book includes many teaching strategies
developed in the Berklee College of Music prototype DJ lab. This book is perfect for
intermediate and advanced DJs looking to improve their skills in both the
analogue and digital domain.
PREVIEW↓
3 - Looking for the Perfect Beat: The Art and Culture of the DJ
Author: Kurt B. Reighley.
An enjoyable read with lots of quotes by popular DJ's. Says the author, "If [my
book] spares one neophyte DJ a little frustration, prompts a single pro to
examine his or her art from a new angle, or just makes the reader think
differently about how [musical] ideas can be presented and combined, then I
won't feel like such a jackass when I tell people I'm a DJ."
PREVIEW↓
4 - Love Saves the Day
Author: Kurt B. Reighley
A valuable historical record of the Disco phenomenon describing, from over 300
interviews with influential scene players including legendary DJ's, its
transformation from gay and urban subculture to mainstream popular culture,
including a fascinating selected discography of the music of the era.
PREVIEW↓
5 -The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash
The inspiration for countless DJ dreams, the legendary Bronx native (aka Joseph Saddler) sets the record straight in his new
autobiography, including how he originated techniques that revolutionized DJ'ing
from just playing records to reinventing the turntable as a musical instrument.
PREVIEW↓
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