Once upon a time, DJing was… cave painting. Yes, the extinction of the DJ had already been scribbled on the cavern wall.
An ironic and well-reasoned reply to Il Manifesto’s viral article, which stirred the waters of musical and cultural discourse. Here we dismantle, with a bit of wit and much field experience, eight hasty, apocalyptic or simply uninformed claims about the supposed death of the DJ.
1. “The figure of the DJ is obsolete. No longer needed.”
Nonsense most dire: A cry fit for tired, blind oracles.
Why it’s debatable:
In many lands — peripheral, underground, or dancing — the DJ still stands as herald of sound, weaver of collective journeys, holder of rhythm and bodies.
To gaze only upon the shop windows of consumption temples is to mistake a shadow for the sunset of the sun.
2. “Anyone can be a DJ.”
Foolery: Words as light as feathers blown by the winds of ignorance.
Why it’s debatable:
Indeed, anyone may try — as anyone may hold a brush — but not all become Caravaggio.
DJing is art and craft: it demands deep listening, boldness, vision and memory.
To think that pressing “Sync” suffices is to confuse the tool with the player.
3. “Club culture has vanished into the void.”
Errant prophecy: Spoken by those who mistake dusk for doomsday.
Why it’s debatable:
Club culture shifts, mutates, migrates, reinvents.
Where clubs close, tents rise, factories are claimed, forests and rooftops become dance floors.
If a place changes shape, it does not mean the sap has dried.
4. “Trap has replaced dance as the only youth expression.”
Flat vision: A one-note tune from one who’s lost their ear.
Why it’s debatable:
Today’s youth revel in jungle, hyperpop, ambient, techno, hard trance, glitch, remixed Arabic sounds with UK Garage.
They are fluid, hybrid, unbound — beware those who seek “a single voice” for the now.
5. “All London clubs will close by 2029.”
Lazy foresight: A forecast by prophets of doom, blind to metamorphosis.
Why it’s debatable:
London folds and unfolds, closes and erupts.
Clubbing survives like water — slipping elsewhere, taking the shape of its container.
DIY scenes, raves, festivals and pop-ups are already building 2030.
6. “DJs play everywhere now, even in supermarkets.”
Unjust generalisation: Mistaking ambient noise for symphony.
Why it’s debatable:
A DJ in an unusual venue might be trivial… or poetic.
It’s the gesture, not the location.
Performance may bloom even in a discount aisle — or fall flat in a superclub if hollow and commercialised.
7. “Everyone plays the same music.”
Auditory absurdity: The weary echo of those who only hear the familiar.
Why it’s debatable:
There are those who dig, re-edit, dismantle and recombine.
Who use cassettes, vinyl, field recordings, handmade tools.
That many follow the Top 10 doesn’t mean life ends at Beatport.
8. “Dance is no longer relevant.”
Misjudged epoch: A statement from those who’ve forgotten their bodies.
Why it’s debatable:
Dance is alive, ritualistic, urgent.
In queer clubbing, free parties, migrant sound systems, post-pandemic open circles.
Those who claim otherwise perhaps haven’t set foot on a dancefloor in years.
Conclusion
The DJ lives on and struggles with us. They’re not always onstage. Sometimes at the side, sometimes in the middle — sometimes unseen. But if your body starts to move like it hasn’t in years… chances are, they’re there.
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Note on the use of artificial intelligence:
This article was conceived, written, and edited by the Dancity Mag editorial team.
For editorial optimisation (formatting, readability, metadata, translations), we also use AI tools, always under human supervision.
The contents, opinions and editorial direction are entirely crafted by the association.
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