I didn’t know the difference between a DJ and a producer until I had been following electronic music for a year; in fact, it wasn’t until deadmau5 went on his infamous “Press Play” rant that I even gave the concept any thought whatsoever. For those like me, here’s the short version: a DJ plays other people’s songs in a live mix, and a producer makes his or her own unique songs and arranges them into a live mix. Producers will often include other people’s songs in the mix as well, either as their own remix or as an homage to another producer they like. Thus, most producers are DJs too, by default.
I’ve gotten into arguments with friends in the past about exactly how much talent goes into producing a completely original track. There’s a heavy stigma against electronic music due to its computer-based nature, and while I’ve tried to defend the genre as a legitimate art form, the conversations made me realize I was still pretty ignorant to the creative process a producer goes through while crafting their latest work. The extent of my knowledge of producing was looking at Ableton screenshots, shrugging, and saying, “Damn. That looks hard.” I realized then that I should probably get informed before I rabidly defend a craft I knew nothing about.
Lucky for me, my good friend is an aspiring producer. He goes by the name Peeklo and you can check his music out here. The first thing he explained to me was that DJing is an expensive hobby to break into; to get even a basic setup up and running, you’re going to need a computer that can handle the engineering software, otherwise known as a digital audio workstation (DAW). These programs can range from industry standard Ableton, to something more simple and novice-friendly like Fruity Loops. High-end programs like Ableton come with a hefty price tag, with packages starting at $550 and going as high as $1,200. In addition to the programs, you’re going to want to download additional sounds via sample packs that only make the investment that much more costly. Quality speakers or studio quality headphones are also a must as you tweak every technical nuance of your song and adjust the layering of your track accordingly. Finally, you’ll need a MIDI keyboard to connect to your computer for composing melodies like you would on a standard piano. These components are the bare essentials to making semi-pro quality tracks and don’t include mixers and other tools you’ll need as you become more adept at production and learn more advanced techniques.
Example of a digital audio workstation (DAW)
Anyone can go out and splurge on equipment just as they can instruments, though. For a novice producer, opening up a DAW like Ableton or Logic can be daunting, to say the least. These programs don’t hold your hand and the learning curve is quite steep. As such, learning the ins-and-outs of DAWs is much like learning a completely new instrument. It would seem, though, that anyone who dedicates enough time to mastering the programs can produce, regardless of musical talent. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. A sense of rhythm and beat are mandatory when layering tracks and while it isn’t essential to learning the craft, having a background in piano will give you a massive boost when it comes time to lay the melodies on your MIDI keyboard.
Knowing this, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that many high profile producers have an extensive background with conventional instruments as well. One of the biggest artists to push the envelope in this regard is scene legend Derek Vincent Smith, otherwise known as Pretty Lights. Smith’s music carries an unmistakable sound that infuses thick basslines with everything from soul to hip-hop and everything in between. Derek’s latest project, A Color Map of the Sun, is by far his most ambitious and most inventive yet. The double-length album was composed over a two-year period, the process of which is detailed in this phenomenal documentary. In addition to producing the electronic elements of the album, Derek also had a live band record their instruments for each track. This same band will be joining Derek on his fall tour, essentially bridging the gap between EDM and your typical live band set-up, giving a much needed dose of legitimacy to traditionalist skeptics who fail to see the effort that goes into not only producing a project of that size, but bringing it live to people and making it work.
Derek Vincent Smith, AKA Pretty Lights, orchestrating a band while recording his latest album ‘A Color Map of the Sun’
It doesn’t always work, either. Just like a guitarist might have to improvise because of a technical hiccup during a live show, producers have to think on their feet in the face of technical difficulties. In 2012, I attended Camp Bisco and saw Bassnectar’s performance get interrupted twice due to a computer mishap. Rather than call it off, though, he improvised a unique set, mixing everything on the fly and further solidifying his reputation as a master of his craft. Maintaining rhythm and ensuring smooth transitions from song to song in front of a festival crowd of thousands is no easy task, and Lorin handled it like a true professional.
Now I’ll play devil’s advocate. I don’t agree with the sentiment that anyone can produce, but one could make the argument that anyone can DJ. Just look at DJ Pauly D and recent Cash Money signee Paris Hilton. Neither of them make original music, nor do they mix on the fly during live performances. They essentially put together mixes of top 40 EDM and pretend the knob they’re turning during their live sets impact the music in any way. In instances like this, I would agree with the “anyone can do it” mentality. Every genre of music has their Pauly D’s. Regarding him as the face of EDM and the standard of the industry is like considering Trinidad James as the pinnacle of lyric-driven hip-hop. It’s dumb.
If you still aren’t convinced of EDM’s legitimacy, I have one question to ask: why haven’t you hopped on the gravy train yet? The fastest selling single this year was Avicii’s Wake Me Up. The dude makes a quarter million dollars a night. We all could use a gig like that, couldn’t we? And while some might write-off triple-A acts like him and David Guetta as linear pop music, their reach and massive popularity can’t be ignored. Thankfully, the genre’s evolution over time and recent surge in mainstream acceptance have helped it come a long way in the eyes of classically-trained purists. Jam band acts like The Disco Biscuits and STS9 seamlessly blend the two genres, and each band consists of incredibly talented musicians. The way they and other artists continue to defy genre conventions and take risks to create new sounds make the legitimacy of this genre nearly impossible to ignore, and bodes well for the future of the scene as a whole.
This has been a guest editorial by Steve Cahill. WRR thanks him for his time and dedication put into this piece. You can find him Facebook.
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