How DJs lose their essence when they get big

Some of you will have experienced this by now - your favourite DJ becomes hugely successful and somehow they’re not as good as they used to be. It can be difficult to witness, and sometimes difficult
to understand. The mighty rise, only to then stumble and fall.

This is how DJs can lose their essence when they get big…

NUMBERS OVER CONNECTION
Once bookings are about numbers and not energy, the focus can shift from reading the room to pleasing the algorithm and selling tickets. This leads to compromising their sound for the sake of appealing to a mass audience. When they lose that connection to their core of real fans, it can be a slippery slope.

BRANDING NEGATES REALNESS
Superstar DJs inevitably become a brand. Through this more polished, business-like version of themselves, they can lose the essence of what makes them who they are. All the hard work, messy moments and “realness” get erased in favour of a more sterilised, sellable persona.

COMFORT CAN KILL CREATIVITY
When they reach the lofty heights of success, DJs end up surrounded by yes-people and hangers-on who massage their ego. Without being challenged, they can end up with 1) a huge ego and 2) a level of comfort that kills their creativity.

EXCESSIVE TOURING
Touring relentlessly has a big impact. It can eat away at their soul, leaving them disconnected, disoriented and unable to perform at their best. As they edge closer to burnout, DJs can lose the essential spark that made them so magical in the first place.

MUTUAL EXCHANGE VANISHES
When they’re up on a pedestal, some DJs can feel like they don’t even have to try. They can end up playing at the crowd, rather than flowing into a symbiotic exchange with the dance floor. The best DJ sets come from that spiritual connection between the ravers and the DJ.