We recently had a chance to catch up with Dieselboy, a prominent DJ in the Drum N Bass, Electro, and Dubstep world. Dieselboy has been producing and mixing music for the past 18 years and he knows at least one or two things about playing other people’s music. He allowed us this informative, exclusive interview into the changing world of DJing as a business, the concept of DJs as rockstars, and how the use of archaic technology can cause inflated, self-righteous egos in people whose musical production styles switch to follow trends instead of being true innovators in the world of music. As a member of the pretentious DJ elite who press play on other people’s music and are rewarded for it, we thought it would be worth sharing the opinions of this boy with our Tears of Time readers. Let’s see just how sarcastic and full of himself one boy can be.

Roostex: You recently posted a picture online featuring an opinionated response to the trend of people paying more to see modern DJs who, in your opinion, are less skilled than DJs in the past. Is there some reason why you feel like DJs who use modern equipment aren’t as skilled as DJs who use archaic technology?

Editor’s Note: Here is the picture in question:

Dieselboy: This about sums up my feelings.

Roostex: Get real, this is like saying you should only play music produced by real instruments. You’re such a douche.

Dieselboy: Wow, that was insightful. By the way, the comment for me isn’t about vinyl vs CD. It’s DJing versus sync button. Lack of headphones, etc.

Roostex: I just think it’s hypocritical to complain about DJing software advances when the music you play is almost exclusively made by some sort of software using similar “cheats”.

Dieselboy: So if my computer program mixes for me and all I have to do is stand there with my pre-programmed set list loaded…that’s a good thing? Just because technology allows you to do zero heavy lifting doesn’t mean it should be “OK”. Maybe that’s cool with you. I place value on skill and respect those that try and push themselves. The discussion here is on LIVE performing vs. DJing. You are talking about production in the studio. Apples and oranges. Maybe if you had years of DJing under your belt and a real respect for the craft you might feel differently.

Roostex: I guess my point is the songs you play are all made using software to make it easier than using real instruments, then you go backwards and put it on devices that make it harder to play in sync and call it skill because you’re using an inefficient tool. The track list being in your brain or written down or in the computer makes no difference, you still made the list. Beat matching is little more than remembering tempos at some point, so really the DJ’s skill is memory, and if the computer can remember indefinitely, then why not let it?

Dieselboy: Remembering tempos? Wow. I guess you don’t know what real DJs do. I don’t memorize anything. I ride the pitch control. It’s tactile.

Roostex: You’re wasting time on something that can be automated, which would free you up to be more creative with the mix. I’m not saying you should just set it up, press play, and be done. You being a DJ should understand how that’s not even possible. I don’t understand how you think using a computer to make the track is OK, but using a computer to play it back is somehow outrageous? Just because someone used it to press play and sit and wait? You could technically press a vinyl with a set recorded onto it and just sit there and let it play also. It has nothing to do with the equipment itself. By the way, I used to be a huge Dieselboy fan until you started wasting my time with fucking dubstep.

Dieselboy’s head was too far up his own ass to respond to this statement.