This month’s cover stars Well Rounded are head over heels in love with vinyl, and that’s something that we can understand. There’s something about a physical object – something that’s not simply holding data – that gives it more of a place in your life. The cover art, the record shelves dominating your living room with a rainbow of spines, the history of music (some which will never be digitalised)… vinyl is just special.
But there’s also another side. Ever since dance music went digital the previously impervious world of DJs has suddenly become open to everyone. If you’ve got a laptop, a tablet or even a smartphone you can put together a decent set that can rock any party. If you can find a couple of hundred quid for a midi-controller then there’s not a single club in the world that would turn you away if you were good enough. And with sync buttons doing most of the legwork you can be good enough. So what do you need to be a good DJ then? Simply great music, music you can put together in a way that no one else would think to. And where do you find this great music? Well, record shops are a good start. They have these great things called vinyl records.
NB iPad and iPhone users should note that the excellent Traktor is free in the Apple App Store until Sunday 14th July. Now, go and put a set together.