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If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the pace of DJ technology this year, you’re not alone. Between AI-powered features, stems separation, and gear that seems to update faster than you can learn it, many DJs are asking themselves, “Am I falling behind?”
Our tutor Laidback Luke – who’s been DJing for three decades and has witnessed every major tech shift in our industry – has some perspective that might surprise you. In a recent conversation for our 15th anniversary podcast series, Luke shared insights that cut through the noise and get to the heart of what actually matters for DJs today.
The technology trap: Hardware can’t keep up
Luke has always been a technology pioneer. He was the first DJ in the Netherlands to move from vinyl to CDJs back in 2003 – a decision that caused “national outrage” at the time. He did the rollouts for the legendary CDJ-2000 Nexus and the RMX-1000. He was an early adopter of Denon DJ’s touchscreen technology and has spent the last few years exploring the creative possibilities of DJing with AI-powered stems.
But here’s his prediction for the future: “If there’s a CDJ-4000 coming next year and we are in this age of AI, do you think that the CDJ-4000s and their chips will be able to keep up with the advancement of AI? My answer would be no.”
His reasoning is simple: “We’re getting a phone or a laptop each and every year, and it gets upgraded, upgraded, upgraded…For a hardware company to implement software right now, this will be very hard to keep up.” And he’s right – hardware companies, no matter how sophisticated, have a built-in lag when it comes to cutting-edge technology.
The foundation that never changes
Here’s where Luke’s perspective becomes invaluable for DJs who feel caught between tech FOMO and wanting to focus on fundamentals. Despite being a technology enthusiast, Luke keeps coming back to one central truth:
“DJing is about playing the right track at the right time. And you can do that on anything.”
This insight becomes even more powerful when you consider his take on vinyl DJing – often held up as the “purest” form of DJing:
“What do you essentially do when you DJ on vinyl? You hit play and the track goes. There’s no loops, there’s no cues and essentially you’re just waiting around until the moment hits for you to mix. And it’s funny in that sense – disregarding the beatmatching on vinyl, DJing with vinyl is really easy and really straightforward.”
Simply put: the technology doesn’t make you a better DJ. Your decisions do.
Why most DJs are missing the point
Luke’s frustration with the current state of DJing isn’t about the technology…it’s about the attitude. He’s “fed up with being hacked” and “prefab mashups.” He’s tired of “people only being able to play an hour because this is the whole set they prepared.”
His perspective on this is revealing: “If you hire an architect or if you go and see sports, you expect a performance, right? If you go and see someone do sports at a high level, you expect an athlete, right? Just because DJing is able to be hacked doesn’t mean there’s anything good coming out of it.”
When Luke talks to producers who’ve “mastered the basics of DJing” in a year, he asks them, “How long have you been practising DJing?” When they say a year, he responds, “Well, if you spend one year learning how to produce, how do your tracks sound?” The answer is usually, “Oh yeah, well, I could barely programme a beat…”
His comeback? “This is how your DJing sounds.”
The real skill: Adaptation in the moment
What separates real DJs from people who just play music? Luke’s answer came during a recent DJ set at SoundCloud’s office:
“Me being me, I came in fully unprepared, which I love because, you know, I carry like 3,500 tracks, and I’ll just pop up in the moment, see what the crowd needs. And I stood there DJing, and my set was completely different than I had imagined because of me adapting to the crowd and giving them a really great time.”
This is the skill that transcends technology: “On the fly and in the moment, you give them what is needed. And to nail that, it’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
The power of programming
During our conversation, Luke shared a concrete lesson about music programming that every DJ should understand: “I sometimes sit down my own students where I’m like, ‘OK, I played these seven tracks in my classic section last night, X, Y and Z, and it rocked.’
“But if I would play them X, Y, and Z again tonight, that magic wouldn’t have happened, you know? I wouldn’t have gotten an amazing reaction because it would just, you know, be on the nose and then too cheesy and this and that. But if you figure out the right order on the night, something magical happens.”
Programming is what Luke calls “a very underestimated power of DJing.” Ultimately, it’s not about having the latest features or the most advanced gear – it’s about understanding how to build a journey through music that takes people somewhere they didn’t expect to go.
What this means for you
Feeling overwhelmed by how fast DJ tech seems to change? Luke has three golden rules that will help you cut through the noise and level up your skills:
1. Focus on the fundamentals that never change
Reading crowds and adapting in real-time Understanding the power of track selection and order Developing the confidence to deviate from your plan when the moment calls for it Building a deep knowledge of music that gives you options
2. Don’t chase every new feature
Master what you have before moving to something new Remember that the best gear is the gear you know inside and out Technology should serve your musical vision, not drive it
3. Embrace the unpredictability
Practise DJing without a predetermined setlist Learn to trust your instincts about what a crowd needs Focus on the connection between you, your music, and your audience
Get the skills!
Laidback Luke’s courses on Creative DJing and Bootlegs, Mashups & Re-Edits are available as part of our Access All Areas package, along with 20+ courses covering every aspect of DJing and music production.
The Bottom Line
Laidback Luke’s three decades of experience have taught him that while technology will continue to evolve at breakneck speed, the core of great DJing remains unchanged. Whether you’re using vinyl, CDJs, controllers, or your phone as the “brain” of your set-up, the fundamental challenge of DJing stays the same: play the right track at the right time, and do it in a way that creates something magical for the people listening.
Read this next: 7 Ways DJs Know What To Play Next
The good news? These skills can be learned at any age, with any equipment. The technology will keep changing, but the joy of connecting with people through music will remain right at the heart of it.
