We’re back… sort of. You’ll never believe how much discussion we’ve had over the last few years about this topic, but we’re back. But this isn’t any old DJ technology blog. We want to be truly independent. We want to be cerebral. We want to hold a mirror to the industry, good or bad.
We created Rogue DJs to open discuss everything that goes on in DJing: trends, developments, changes, ideas, etc. roguedjs.com is where we will have these conversations.
Meet the team
Looking through our team list, every one of us is a familiar name (if not face), with a legacy of experience to back up our point of view. Every contributor has their own specialist subject, and we are working together to create the best content.
We are the Rocinante… we ride or die together against the odds.
What’s the plan, then?
We are proposing a new approach:
- No adverts.
- No sponsors.
- No NDAs.
- Just your support.
After the dust settles on our initial launch, we will be the first and only independent, self-sustaining, and hard-hitting DJ technology magazine. News, opinion, analysis, reviews, and group tests are all in the cards.
How?
All of you.
The concept of 1,000 True Fans is nothing new: gaining audience critical mass doesn’t require millions of hardcore fans. Instead, you only need 1,000 true fans. A thousand people willing to go the extra mile to support your project.
When it arrives, our supporter scheme will be designed to be flexible, community oriented, and valuable. The more support we get, the more we will be able to accomplish independently.
Our content will be written for you and us, not for the benefit or promotion of the manufacturers and developers. That’s not to say our opinions won’t be insightful and helpful, but our priority is sparking discussions with all of you. Our words (and hopefully more) and the discussions they spark will be where you want to be.
As we get ready, we only need you to read our content. There may be simple ads just to keep the lights on, but those will be phased out. And now, the team has some words.
Our promises
Our three simple promises to our readers aim to keep us on the path to our mission.
- Everything we write will be honest and from the heart.
- We will never use AI tools to write our content.
- We will remain financially independent from the industry.
Dan’s words
I’ve missed writing about DJ gear. I’ve missed interacting with you all, sharing opinions, disagreements, ideas. For the last few years I’ve focused more on technical writing working for a well known DJ app, which has been its own sort of awesome, but… writing about the industry is something else. You get to learn so much, meet so many new people, and occasionally play with some awesome (and entertainingly terrible) gear.
The industry has definitely been in a difficult place the last few years, with a seemingly plateaued technology curve, impacts of COVID on supply chains, and what I suspect is a bit of fatigue for DJing as a hobby. But there are still things going on. The emergence of machine learning in audio separation, being a good example. The explosion of streaming sets online is another. There’s still plenty to talk about.
Ray’s words
Oh hey – been a while, hasn’t it! I missed writing about this stuff so much, in the meantime I’ve resorted to playfully sabotaging certain brand forums and passionately broadside-bashing the industry on LinkedIn of all places. Wherever I post, I keep seeing the same familiar names in the comments, and it makes me very happy that some people evidently still give a shit. But it’s nothing like sharing a focused publishing platform with the people I’ve been in cahoots with for well over a decade – so here’s to a new one, or however long the Rogues keep this going!
I’m happy to say that my passion for DJing, production and VJing is alive and kicking. My excitement for new DJ products, however, has faded. I don’t get Acquisition Syndrome anymore – and dear industry, it’s not me. It’s also not you. There’s simply little left to revolutionize about DJing. Of course that doesn’t mean I don’t see potential anywhere, but it’s mostly about un-sucking the current functionality of the things we use. Greasing the wheel, rather than reinventing it. Plenty of good discussions ahead!
The things I get excited about are more along the lines of live A/V production. If you’ve seen what I’ve been doing on Twitch during the pandemic, you’ll have a good idea why. Part of my focus has also shifted towards what some people call “biohacking”, and I simply call “not sucking at living” which becomes a more important subject as you get older. So you might see me write about adding generative visuals to a DJ set, but also about how to best survive the event season, what adaptogens to put in your coffee, the benefits of functional mushrooms, choice nootropics or whatever.
Darren’s words
Dan asked me to write a few words, and then I thought back and realised I’ve barely written many words in the past. My area of expertise is limited, primarily to Ableton Live and a never ending quest to enhance my cabin based DJ sets.
I joined the rest of the world in streaming to ever decreasing numbers over the previous few years, an obsession that took more time building visuals in Resolume than actually playing. With the imminent launch of Live 12 and the new paradigm of the Push 3 Standalone I’m back to doing what I enjoy and building performance templates, I’ll be happy to share as time progresses.
Jared’s words
I’ve been DJing for 20 years. That’s insane to me. I’m 40 (seriously, this is crazy). I wrote my first article for skratchworx like a lifetime ago. And with all the reviews and interactions with the industry I’ve had, lately I’ve found DJing to become a routine instead of something that gets me excited. But after Dan reached out, and a few other opportunities have come up (like being one of the only DJ instructors through Guitar Center in the North East), I’ve found myself getting excited about this whole thing again.
The industry is very different from when I started out, as I’m sure it is for many of you. My first NAMM show had a whole variety of manufacturers, software developers, and aspirations presented for the future. My final NAMM had maybe 5 booths to go to, and I was able to cover it all by myself in around 2 days. I don’t see that changing, but I’m excited to talk about DJing again, and maybe move beyond manufacturer vs manufacturer, or app vs app, and instead discussing more important things like how to use these tools more effectively, and how to see through the PR bullshit.
So here’s to the future of DJ technology
May it be controversial, exciting, and filled with drama.
