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A DJ's job is to entertain: DJ Junior J

DJ Junior J says serious DJ-ing is about creating harmony between the music and one's audience.

DJ Junior J is amongst the leading talent in the urban music scene. A producer, DJ and promoter, his work has not gone unnoticed and has led to approaches from Sony Records and Warner-Atlantic Records in the last year.
Junior J will be playing the Cavalli Club, Fairmont Dubai, on August 5 and 19.
We caught up with him to find out more.
What are your thoughts on the UAE music scene?
I find that my sets here in the UAE see me playing what most people refer to as "upfront" music. I specialise in urban music and with current chart music being host to many urban music tracks - I'm able to play my preferred genres, albeit partly restricted.
I feel the musical "restrictions" are due to a lack of musical diversity in the country, since the music scene is still developing here. The amount of singers, producers, and studios you find in Europe for example - far outweighs this region, a fact which one can equate with the slower development in the country's own independent music scene and therefore level of musical knowledge.
Compared to countries with a more developed independent music scene, I find that people here respond to a less diverse DJ set.
In the UK, for example, I am able to play everything from classic funk, soul, and disco to modern hip-hop, breaks and reggae. In the UAE that is rarely the case unless it is a unique event to cover such genres.
What is the UAE's reputation for clubbing like in the DJ community?
DJs who nurture their skills outside of the UAE do seem to become more frustrated than locally founded DJs regarding the scene here at times. Those feelings arise from the fact that the majority of clubbers have a greater love for portraying a VIP lifestyle over their love of music or having any real fun while clubbing. However, due to a love of music being an essential and inevitable part of a DJ's personality, the locally founded DJs seem to be evolving as they educate themselves about the sheer amount of variations in music available.
What is the secret behind creating a hit?
There is most definitely a formula to a "hit". The music industry used to refer to part of that formula as the chorus, but now it's labelled the "hook". I'd say the word is quite self explanatory, but if you're unsure - listen to a song with a "good hook", and it will do just that, have you hooked.
It is that exact part of the formula which sees you getting annoyed when you can't help but sing along to a song which you thought you hated.
It's actually quite amazing but also intimidating when you step back and consider what power music, and therefore the music industry has over you.
What advice do you have for any aspiring DJs?
To anybody wishing to pursue a career in DJ-ing, my advice would be totally different to someone wanting to only DJ as a hobby.
If you wish to take up DJ-ing as a career, I'd firstly advise to study every aspect of the craft. It isn't as simple as throwing an iPod playlist together.
Contrary to the beliefs of many these days, it's understanding that your job is to entertain, that the people earning and paying good money to hear you play deserve to get their money's worth. There are other variables to consider, but generally speaking - it's always about the harmony between the music and people, with the DJ being responsible to bring about that harmony.
For a hobby DJ it's as simple as just playing what you love, on equipment which you can afford, and learning about what you love more deeply - the beat, the melody, every sound and instrument, why it's there and the job it does within the record you love, inspiring you to mix into the next record you think matches it melodically.
What have you got planned for the rest of the year?
I will be working with my representatives, Level A Management, to further develop my DJ profile and continue to build on what recognition 2015 has already given me.
Also, I plan to produce remixes under an alias I'm yet to decide on, and look to tour internationally as a club DJ.
david@khaleejtimes.com