Post by @mistajam

Bring back dancing to Dance Music. The first time I posted one of these DJ videos, thousands of people had opinions. Apparently an entire DJ set can now be judged from an 18 or 30-second clip. I was told I’d stopped mixing. That I’d become a performer. That I was ruining DJ culture. That DJs shouldn’t dance. That House music isn’t about this. That Dance music has lost its way. Some people even managed to blame social media… while writing essays on social media. The funny thing is, nobody seemed to notice what was actually happening. The crowd were dancing. I was dancing. The music was doing exactly what House music and Dance music have always been designed to do. I’ve spent nearly 30 years DJing. My first professional gig was at The Haçienda in Manchester. I’ve played clubs, festivals, Ibiza, Formula 1, radio and just about every type of dancefloor you can imagine. One thing has never changed. The best nights aren’t the ones where everybody stands facing the DJ with a phone in the air. They’re the ones where people forget the DJ is even there because they’re too busy losing themselves in the music. That’s why I laugh every time someone tells me to “bring back mixing.” The headphones are usually in shot. The mixing happened before this clip. It happens after this clip too. This is the bit in the middle where I’m enjoying the music I’ve chosen to play. What a scandal. So let’s settle it. Should DJs stand there looking serious because that’s what looks “cool” on TikTok? Or should Dance music make everyone move… including the person playing it? Joy isn’t cringe. Convince me I’m wrong.#CapCut