“In an online world of glossy YouTube videos and Instagram-ready stories, where life appears to be one giant VIP party, does the reality of being a professional DJ live up to the hype? It’s a career envied by millions, but it’s one where the job and the accompanying lifestyle are inseparable and often indistinguishable. How can DJs handle the pressure, knowing every night they’re expected to rock the crowd, no matter how they’re feeling? And how do they cope when the party, and possibly the success, ends?”
Last night at Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) there was the premiere of ‘Why We DJ – Slaves To The Rhythm’, the new DJsounds‘ documentary.
Following the success of last year’s ‘The Underground Sound of Paris’, the new documentary delves deep into the psyche of the DJ, exploring the motivations that drive people to pursue a career behind the decks and the effects stardom can have on their mental health.
‘Why We DJ – Slaves To The Rhythm’ surely provides an honest look at the lives of professional DJs from the point of view of the people subjected to a relentless schedule of travel, sleep deprivation and creative pressure, while constantly under the social media spotlight. For the first time, the film examines how DJs can suffer from conditions such as imposter syndrome, opening up the discussion about the sometimes-dark places artists can easily find themselves in when they’re off stage.
“It’s a crazy life… I think there’s an expiration date on your own sanity and trying to keep human with being a DJ.” – Seth Troxler.
