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The Polish Ambassador Slams An Unfortunate Trend

June 6, 2013 By Wade Davis

The Polish Ambassador recently released a published letter via LostInSong to all potential opening DJ’s, expressing a valid concern in regards to opening DJs “methods of curation”. Here it is below:

Dear Opening DJ,

If you hold the opening slot of the night, 8pm – 9pm, 9pm – 10pm, whatever it may be, it is your job to welcome the audience. Often times, an audience starts out small. There may be 50 – 100 people in the room and they may not be ready to dance. Like a connoisseur of fine wine that knows the perfect selection for any occasion, it is your duty to browse your multi-genre archives of digital music and curate an ambiance suitable to the energy level of the attendees, the time of night, the environment, and the acts you are supporting.

If you’re dropping the latest trap anthems and the newest electro bangers you found at the top of the Hype Machine to the first 50 early birds, you’re doing a disservice to the attendees, the acts that follow you, as well as yourself. There are literally millions of songs for you to choose from! A true DJ is a researcher, a “crate digger,” a purveyor of many styles of music, not just electronic. They can navigate and read a crowd. They can effortlessly and gracefully transition from genre to genre or tempo to tempo. They are aware that music is an amazingly powerful tool that can set the tone for the entire night. They research the music of the supporting and main acts to get a good idea of how to start the night off.

A hack DJ disregards all of the above and abrasively molests the ears of the die hards that come out early. I can guarantee you that 99% of TPA show goers don’t want to hear your fist pumping mixes that sound like a cyborg jackhammer murdering an electronic toy horse.

I want to be clear. I’m not pointing the finger at any particular DJ’s, but rather a growing trend that is just downright silly. I have witnessed this trend at my own shows, as well as shows I patron myself, and it continues to leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Alas, there is hope! You can put out a new mix, let’s say tomorrow, that shows your diversity and knowledge of the vast chronicles of music from around the world! You can impress artists and promoters who have the power to book you again and again.

Whenever I hear a DJ that pays attention to detail and curates a beautiful, welcoming mix, I always go up to them, introduce myself, give them a hug, and say “thank you for being awesome.” At the end of the night I mark them in my little black book for the next time I come through, and I sing their praises to the promoter or talent buyer at a venue, in hopes that they get booked again and again.

Thanks for listening. I hope this helps,

Love, Polish

Polish brings up an excellent point that should generate a critical response of some nature with anyone. A real, live-performing DJ shouldn’t take an opportunity to puppeteer a crowd for granted .

Too often, DJs lose focus on the art and fall victim to fitting in. More and more, transitions are ignored for drops, and when this isn’t done intelligently, creatively, and in line with what’s desired, the concert-goer suffers. TPA simply wants the openers to give a proper contribution for the entire night’s vibe; Live experiences rely on the atmosphere from beginning to end, as opposed to each set acting as it’s own separate novelty. Everyone wins when transitions between sets agree.

About TPA: Airy, sometimes tribal vocals often round out the pieces, leaving the listener floating from one track to the next. All music from The Polish Ambassador is available for free for download but grab a track and give it a listen, or just download everything from the get-go.

Engage: Do you think David makes a valid point or is this asking too much? Do you prefer live shows to maintain a consistent groove or do you dance regardless? Comment below and let’s start some healthy conversation.