i really like this thread. really made me think.

ok so think about this too. as a dj you work for years on your style and sound. sure you make musical mistakes along the way - you're growing up for god sakes. but in the end you manage to never have to get a proper job. you work your arse off but thanks christ you're not part of the rat race - great! your music taste goes from one thing to another, back again and then some. the goal posts change. you taste matures too.

you soon realise you can't loose the floor or you can't pay the rent.

you've somehow got to drag them with you each and every step of the way without alienating yourself.

i think if many of you imagine yourself in this type of senario (many of you probably ARE in this type of senario). unless you're known from the very outset as playing experimental sets or being highly experimental, you would find it VERY hard to experiment without having consequences to deal with. you will, somewhere along the line have been roped into a specific genre and you will become labelled with that genre. you then try and step out of that label without loosing your following and risking everything. good luck to you!

and if you think of it like that, you can see why many dj's find it hard to experiement. and producers too actually, cause the same will apply. that's why it's easy for someone on the floor to turn around and say 'blah blah i would be much more varied if i was up there' - but then you put yourself in that position and it's a different ball game entirely.

i think the only real key here and something that should stick with all DJ's is to follow your heart but you must be sensible about it all - access the risks and put things in place that mean you can deal with those risks should your heart tell you otherwise.

all this genre crap and labelling really is a total hinderance in this industry. but no matter how much you wish it wasnt there, it will always be there and you will always be labelled and it will always limit what you can achieve musically in a club.

my thoughts anyway ;)