Q&A: DJ Craze

War has been waged on EDM and it’s so damn entertaining that even SNL spoofed it. Since then, anyone with an opinion has fired back and while some have continued to ensue hilarity (see Shiftee and Enferno), others have been more fueled by frustration and come off strong.

A-Trak has been on a hell-bent mission to define real deejaying and a few months ago took his rant toInstagram accompanied by the now viral hashtag #realDJing. The subsequent fury that was unleashed was like Kim Kardashian’s naked booty but for ravers. It was also interesting because suddenly, EVERYBODY agreed. And not just sheep on the Internet, but also people like Steve Angello who spoke out in his own way this week, calling the festival scene “fucking retarded” and said he was heading back underground.

But then there is Craze, and oh how the world needs more DJs like Craze. But there are so many people who are still so off their rocker high on EDM that it’s going to take a lot more DJs like Craze to get them off the cheap shit. He talks a mean talk, but he walks an even meaner walk.

Craze decided to go a step further, and a step smarter, by putting out a video that instead shows people what is real deejaying. And goddamn it is good. Mixmag Asia got in a few words with Crazeroni on hisNew Slaves routine during his tour of Asia in November, and Craze cleared one very important thing up – he is in fact an EDM DJ, so calm down your horses on bashing the genre and instead bash the DJs who never learned anything past pressing play.

When it comes to the great debate on what defines a real DJ, you are obviously not alone as the Internet is on fire talking about #realDJing. Of course, deejaying is not easily defined because of different styles and different techniques but to you, and as a whole, what defines a real DJ?

A real DJ in my opinion is somebody that can control a room/club/festival with the music he selects. A real DJ is a great selector and a great entertainer.

You’ve chosen an intelligent approach to make your stance on the argument – you’ve proved it in a video instead of just saying it. Why did you choose to do it this way?

Thank you! I chose this approach because I caught myself talking shit on the Internet and felt like a moron cause I hate people that do that. It’s better to show people what you mean instead talking shit.

What was the tipping point that inspired the video?

I caught myself once not being able to rock a show 100% because the DJs before me were soooo over the top cheerleading that it made me question if people do even care about raw talent anymore so I decided to remind the world what I can bring to the DJ game. The response was great so I think people still do care about raw talent.

Hip-hop DJs can easily showcase their skills visually thanks to the art of turntablism but it can be less obvious in electronic music DJs whose music is more introverted and progressive. There are obviously some very talented dance music DJs out there and I think you’ve previously labeled Carl Cox as one so what would you say are the discerning qualities or skills that distinguish talented dance music DJs?

This is a very important question that I want to address because I saw some very uneducated comments on my vid. They labeled the vid as me taking shots at EDM DJs but I MYSELF AM AN EDM DJ! A good dance music DJ is the same as a good ANYTHING DJ. Your number one purpose is to entertain the crowd with your musical selection and skills. Some examples that perfectly nail it as EDM DJs are Laidback Luke, Andy C, A-Trak, Diplo, Marky, and Kill The Noise to name a few.

How crucial is the art of music production in the role of DJ? What about DJs who have never stepped into a studio?

Well, nowadays it’s not a DJ game anymore; it’s a producer game. Since Napster came out, music sales went down and producers needed a new way to make money. So they began hitting the road and here we are. So nowadays kids need to produce to have some music they can show promoters instead of skills as a DJ. DJs who have never made music or don’t own labels have a hard time nowadays.

Do you think there should be prerequisites for people who are looking to become DJs, like numbers of hours spent practicing or time spent in a studio?

I think people should follow what they love and not pay attention to what’s happening around them. If some new jack DJ would’ve made the New Slaves Routine he would see what I’m seeing now and that’s that people really do appreciate skills and want to see a change in the DJ game.

The world will eventually need new legacies to replace old ones. What should the industry do to correct itself in once again promoting raw talent in young DJs instead of being driven by lists and money?

Unfortunately the industry will always follow money. It can’t correct itself when that’s their main goal. We need more people to spark new ideas and that’s how the new generation will change the industry.

Looking into the future, what do you think is going to happen to the DJ scene in five years from now?

Hopefully these lists get thrown were they belong…in the trash. It’s become sooo elitist and mirrors what corporations are doing to the world. They’re destroying the culture and making money their God. Hopefully we can correct this and make it really “about the music” again.

If you could have the power to change any one thing about the DJ industry/scene/culture today, what would it be and how would you change it?

Like I said before, I would throw all these elitist lists in the trash and stop these number games that influence the people into looking at hype and what a DJ looks like instead of talent.

The scene has certainly seen a big shift from when it first really took off in the 90s to now. What do you think is the role of a DJ in society as a whole today? Why is it in an important industry?

DJs are not gonna save the world but we can influence the way people look at the world. We cannot only make them dance, we can make them think and feel new ways.

What has been the single most valuable lesson you have learned about deejaying and who taught it to you?

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned in my DJ career is that you can touch many lives in a positive way and you can inspire people to follow their dreams. My mom taught me this!

You’ve outlived the heyday of hip-hop, turntablism, and drum and bass yet your style still reflects it. How do you remain timeless when, in the grander scheme of things, your signature sound has not?

Hearing and exploring new music makes me the happiest. I think this is the reason why I’m still here and why I think I will always be here. It shows in my sets and the reason why I can’t be labeled as any style of DJ.

What kind of modern music are you listening to these days outside of deejaying? Is there anyone unconventional or suspiring that is blowing your mind?

Right now I really like the music coming from the Soulection camp. They’re so refreshing and remind me of why I got into hip-hop in the first place. Their energy is sooo positive and exciting. They’re all fresh but if I have to pick favorites it would be Mr. Carmack, Esta and Lakim.

What excites you the most about coming back to play in Asia?

What excites me the most is the challenge of trying to figure out what makes people move over here. The different vibes and reactions to music I play gives me a good buzz. Also the food.