Bloomsbury DJ Culture in the Mix: Power, Technology, and Social Change in Electronic Dance Music

The DJ stands at a juncture of technology, performance and culture in the increasingly uncertain climate of the popular music industry, functioning both as pioneer of musical taste and gatekeeper of the music industry. Together with promoters, producers, video jockeys (VJs) and other professionals in dance music scenes, DJs have pushed forward music techniques and technological developments in last few decades, from mashups and remixes to digital systems for emulating vinyl performance modes. This book is the outcome of international collaboration among academics in the study of electronic dance music. Mixing established and upcoming researchers from the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Australia and Brazil, the collection offers critical insights into DJ activities in a range of global dance music contexts. In particular, chapters address digitization and performativity, as well as issues surrounding the gender dynamics and political economies of DJ cultures and practices. Review "A merit of the book consists of its insights into particular scenes, which is in itself a characterizing trait of DJ cultures. Valuable field research, historical research and interviews with scene operators and participants spot light on various contexts...Overall, this makes for a kaleidoscopic look at DJ culture." --Carlo Nardi, Rhodes University, Dancecult.net "What is enjoyable about the Attias, Gavanas, and Rietveld collection is that it not only draws on perspectives from academics associated with musicology but also includes specialists in social anthropology, cultural studies, communication studies, and media practice. Not only are the local scenes discussed diverse, but the academic perspectives and disciplines represented include multiple views ... for this reason, it should be on the radar of scholar's associated with popular music, and certainly those interested in EDM. Selections from this book would also be well-suited for introductory courses in popular music or music technology." -Eva J. Egolf, Women and Music "One of the strongest points of this collection is the attention it pays to issues of gender in relation to DJs, their careers, and their representations in EDM scenes. ... Gavanas and Reitsamer refuse to content themselves with merely observing that the DJ profession is male-dominated, instead striving to understand how this has come to be, how it persists, and what efforts are being made to change it. ... DJ Culture in the Mix is an original, valuable, and much-needed contribution to the scholarship of DJS and their activities in the EDM scene." -Luis-Manuel Garcia, The World of Music (New Series) About the Author Bernardo Alexander Attias is Professor and Chair of Communication Studies at California State University Northridge, US. Dr Anna Gavanas is Research Expert in International Policy at Remeso, Linköping University, Sweden. Dr Hillegonda Rietveld is Course Director in Music and Sonic Media at London South Bank University, UK, and Editor of the international journal for the International Association for the Study of Popular Music.