shutterstock_201726506

Laidback Luke is doubly blessed. He’s good at what he does, and he’s thoughtful enough to think through issues and to speak about them in a clear and concise way.

He expressed his thoughts on the challenges of DJing when Avicii announced that he would step away from the stage and focus on getting his life back together. Now, he’s done it again.

A Reddit user asked him recently about his thoughts on the quality of this year’s festivals. Luke was pretty clear in his answer. “I’m quite disappointed at the level of DJing nowadays,” he said. “Especially if you keep in mind the s*** ton of money we get paid as DJs. Shouldn’t you be an expert at what you do then?”

I guess the first thing is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? If a DJ is playing a festival, chances are good that he has a following. In other words, people like the music he plays. And if people like it, who’s Laidback Luke to judge?

Then there’s the other side of it. Laidback Luke has been in the industry for a long time. Anyone who’s spent that much time crafting his sound and perfecting his art knows a whole lot more about DJing than most of us. Although he can’t tell us who to like, we should really listen when he comments on the industry as a whole.

He’s seen the changes, and how industry executives might be more involved in directing the industry and individual DJs than they probably should. If he’s right in saying that standards are different, then we should really take note. DJs like him should lead the way in improving the craft for everyone.

Luke is professional in that he refuses to name anyone he thinks is pulling the industry down. He does, however, give kudos to Jeff Mills, Dave Clarke, Bad Boy Bill, Frankie Bones, A-Trak, TJR and MAKJ.

Over to you. Do you think he’s ranting about nothing?