Can you give me advice on how to pick good records? What do I do when I go to the store?
--StarLit
One of the most important steps to becoming a successful DJ is knowing how to "dig in the crates."
Here are my five rules for
finding dope records to play.
Rule #1: Listen to as many records as possible if the store has a customer listening station. When I go into a store, I grab tons of records and listen to every single track on every record, "skipping" through each one by lifting and dropping the needle, playing little pieces of each song to find the beats I like.
Rule #2: Don't rule out uneven records.Not every record is 100% great. Some songs have great beginnings but then start to suck, and others don't get going until halfway through. SO, you might want to buy some records only to use certain parts of them in your set.
Rule #3: Don't confine yourself to one genre bin. With all the different genres and subgenres of dance music these days, people have different ideas of what falls in each. Say you want to spin techno. What you consider techno, a record store might categorize as house or trance or whatever--so explore other sections, too. And always check the used bins. Not every great record is new.
Rule #4: Be creative. Some records sound a bit boring, but when they are mixed with another record they sound phenomenal. So try to imagine mixing records to create your overall vibe.
Rule #5: Budget. Remember, records usually cost $6 to $20 apiece--and that adds up quickly.
Happy record hunting!!
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