One can’t help but notice the numerous incoming freshmen to the EDM scene both at the DJ and promoter levels. Being an “Elder Statesman,” of the dance music community, as Houston promoter Eric Dean eloquently put it, it’s easy to remember what it was like to scratch and claw out every gig, every show. Anything to get further rooted in the scene was almost always a good idea. That, however, was a VERY different time, coming up in the “dark ages” of the dance music era. It was shortly after the big EDM bubble burst in the early 2000’s that there seemed to be a much more collaborative spirit, as in those days an extremely successful show was about a 50 – 100 person turnout in a small dirty warehouse. Everyone wanted to work together to try and rebuild things back to the days of crowds including up to 2,000 people every weekend. The Rave Act had made short work of most of those kinds of events, and clubs were more interested in hip-hop than giving dance music any kind of spotlight.
Fast forward to the present day; EDM finally crossed the line into mainstream corporate big money and with it, a glut of artists, events, and the opportunities to cut your teeth at almost every turn. Several relative new comers have played the “fake it till you make it” route, and the so-called “dumb kids” who “ain’t shit” are now some of the top dogs. It is important to embrace new technology and methodology, but in a respectfully cautious manner. This is also the approach to take with the incoming new blood in our beloved community. Folks often try a new spin on old tactics, and some offer altogether fresh ideas on how to get their names out there. People embrace new technology on all fronts in music creation and event promotion and coordination. They often claim to try and unite the scene, which, although admirable, implores one to raise the question; how can one unite something that they honestly know so little about? They are guilty of a noble ignorance.
To those who are on the outside looking in, it might appear that the ones sitting at the top do nothing but quibble and argue. In reality, they are much more united than you might think. Those who have made their way to the top of their respective areas haven’t done so alone. Instead most, if not all, have found their way to a mentor, under whom they learned not only their craft, but refined their goals and process, ultimately striking out on their own. They also have something that most people may not know; respect for each other. They may occasionally be competitors, but as in life, there are times when competition brings out the best in people, and the beneficiaries of that are everyone who enjoys dance music events in all forms.
So, to impart some advice:
To the new blood: Although it’s easy to let yourself chomp at the bit to get out there and make your mark, take a moment or ten to observe and learn. You’ll find that more often than not, what you want has already been attempted both successfully and unsuccessfully, and the best way to make sure you’re not among the latter of the two is the knowledge from someone who’s done the former.
To the Veterans: Don’t be so quick to dismiss the new kids- they may very well have a few new tricks up their sleeves that you could learn from and remember, at one point you were them.
Matthew is a well known and respected DJ and promoter based out of Houston, TX. Dunn has well over a decade behind the decks, played alongside some of the biggest names in dance music, and is a fixture in the EDM community both on local and international level.
