DJ lesson 3: How to discover cool music - and buy it
Back in the 90s, when I first got into bedroom DJing, finding tunes was fun. You physically went to record shops, pulled vinyl from the racks, and listened to them on the store’s Technics 1210s.
The only downside? It swallowed up a ton of your time and money, especially if you liked unreleased Sasha mixes!
It could be pretty intimidating walking in there. Then you had to trust your ears and sort the killers from the fillers, which wasn’t easy.
I loved Hard to Find Records in Birmingham – the most amazing warehouse-sized emporium of vinyl and DJ equipment. The owners’ sports cars were parked outside with HTFR numberplates. Every piece of vinyl cost £5 minimum and anything that was ‘hard to find’ could be £20 and upwards.
Today, finding music is so much simpler for a DJ:
1. Online stores
Online stores like Beatport and Traxsource are amazing for discovering new music. You can check out new releases across all genres or filter the genre(s) you love.
With Beatport, specifically, you can dig deeper than genres like house or techno and explore niche categories like bass house, psy trance and organic house to find a sound that moves you.
Customers can buy individual tunes, playlists, or compilations put together by DJs and labels.
These sites are like your modern day record shop, without the passive smoking. There’s less chance of bankruptcy too, because songs are roughly £1 each.
2. DJ charts
On the above sites, music websites like Mixmag, and on DJ’s socials, you’ll find DJs providing their top ten tunes of the month. While you don’t want to become a clone of Carl Cox or John Summit, charts are a great place to find out about big new tunes, popping producers, and up-and-coming labels.
When I discover a new producer that I like, I head straight to Beatport to seek out their charts. If you love their productions, you’ll probably love what they play at gigs, too. Once you’ve found some floorfillers, head to your favourite online store and add them to your collection.
3. Follow labels and DJs you love
Certain DJs, producers and labels will have a ‘sound’ that connects with you and gives you all the feels. I trust Defected for house music, Toolroom and Dirty Bird for techier stuff house, Hot Creations for really slick and creative productions, Hospital for DnB… the list goes on. The DJs that consistently do it for me include Carl Cox, Solomun, Sasha and Digweed, Simon Dunmore, David Penn and Richie Ahmed. Among the producers consistently killing it are Gorgon City, Maya Jane Coles, Shiba San…
When you find someone you love, follow them on your preferred socials, engage with their posts, and get to know them and their music. Buy what you love, hone your tastes more and more, and start using music in your own way, to create a sound that’s unique and personal to you.
4. Listen to radio shows and podcasts
Specialist radio shows and podcasts are another great source for discovering the latest releases. I’m born and bred in the UK – although I now live in France – so BBC Radio 1 Dance on a Friday remains a staple for me and keep on inspiring me with new tunes and new trends that then feed into the records (digital downloads) that I buy and play out.
BBC Radio 1 is a feast for dance music fans and a real tastemaker of a station. Its Residency rotates between amazing underground DJs and don’t forget to ALWAYS record the Essential Mix.
Here are some other recommended radio shows and podcasts for discovering music:
- Rinse FM
- Horse Meat Disco
- Defected in the House podcast
- Glitterbox podcast
- Resident Advisor podcast
5. Go into the YouTube wormhole
Put your hand up if you’ve found yourself drinking beer alone, clicking through amazing festival sets on YouTube, and uncovering new musical gems in the process. If you haven’t, you really should.
I usually start with a DJ mix I love (like Gerd Janson’s Boiler Room from Sugar Mountain in 2018 or Dom Dolla in Melbourne for new year 2020). Then I’ll randomly check out the recommendations in the sidebar. It’s a lucky dip really. If you like what you hear, stay with it. If not, hit the back button and keep digging.
I’ve discovered so much amazing content on YouTube. From Bradford rappers the Bad Boy Chiller Crew, to incredible Boiler Room sets, Ibiza sunset mixes, and tunes that blow your socks off.
One more thing. Watching live (or recorded) DJ mixes is an awesome way to see how top DJs build their sets. You get to witness the audience reaction and see how Djs respond to that.
And finally, here are some more general tips for building a killer music collection:
Keep a ‘to-buy’ list
Open a list on your phone and whenever you hear a tune you love add it in there. This means you’ll buy more tried and trusted tunes, and waste less money buying tunes on a whim online.
Be patient
The best songs aren’t always the catchiest. I remember the first time I heard Along Came Polly by Rebuke on the radio and didn’t quite see the appeal. Slowly, I warmed to it and played it a party – and it went OFF. The lesson here is that some tunes take time to love. A lot of dance tunes only come into their own on a big sound system, so keep your mind open, be adventurous, and don’t always buy the obvious bangers.
Listen to your gut
Forget what your friends think. The music you play needs to grab you in the gut, soothe your soul, and make you happier. So when you listen to music, don’t think ‘oh this one’s a bit downtempo, the vocal’s too girly/blokey, the drop isn’t hard enough, etc’. If you like it – if you feel it in your soul – get it in your collection. One day, you’ll pull it out and play it at the perfect moment. And you’ll prove everyone wrong.
Be curious
It’s fine if you only love deep house, but avoid being too narrow minded. Great DJs constantly evolve, keep their ears open to new sounds, and keep expanding their horizons. Do the same.