I found this reading the most interesting so far because it closely relates to a topic I like reading about in general – the difference between DJs who rely on pre-recorded sets and those who genuinely mix tracks live.

I like Deadmau5 for his honesty about playing pre-recorded sets. He openly admits, “I have no shame in admitting that for my ‘unhooked’ sets I just roll up with a laptop and a midi controller, select tracks, and hit the spacebar.” This transparency contrasts sharply with many DJs today who pretend to mix live when they’re merely pressing play.

An example of this problem is Grimes’ performance at Coachella 2024, where technical issues revealed she likely didn’t prepare her own set and probably didn’t even set up her own flash drive which was used for the set. Issues like BPM mismatches could easily be fixed if a DJ understands basic CDJ functionality. Such incidents undermine DJ culture, raising questions about booking practices at major festivals.

I think if you’re mainly a producer and you’re performing your own music, pre-recorded sets can actually make sense – your main skillset is production, not necessarily live DJing. For Deadmau5 or artists like Fisher, that’s okay because it’s their music their showcasing. But if a DJ who’s just playing other people’s tracks does a pre-recorded set, it’s a huge turn-off for me.

Bailey’s views on improvisation highlight the opposite approach. For Bailey, improvisation involves real-time creativity and spontaneous interaction with the instrument. He argues that instruments offer endless sonic possibilities, with improvisation embracing unexpected sounds or “accidents.” This contrasts with the predetermined nature of pre-recorded sets.

It seems like the article is claiming that electronic music scene lacks spontaneity. However, I don’t think this claim is entirely accurate. Artists like the_last_dj on Instagram, who composes techno live, exemplify a practice similar to live coding, where performance and composition occur simultaneously. DJs like Carl Cox and Richie Hawtin sometimes use synthesizers or modular setups in their sets, which lets them create music live and respond to the crowd in real-time. Another example could be Meute, the German marching band that does techno and house covers with actual live instruments. That kind of stuff keeps performances fresh and genuinely spontaneous similar to live coding. Although it is not as common or even seen at major music festivals, it does exist.

CDJs and laptops themselves can serve as improvisational tools if DJs use them to actively read the crowd, selecting and mixing tracks spontaneously. Even if individual tracks aren’t improvised, the DJ’s ability to adapt and respond in real-time can create an authenticnd engaging experience.

I think performance authenticity and audience interaction matter most. Whether through live coding, spontaneous mixing, or live instrumentation, incorporating an element of spontaneity significantly enhances the performance.