As you may have noticed from the main BeatsBase blog on the home page, I recently added ‘turntablism’ to the BeatsBase genre list.  Forgetting for a moment that it should have been there already, it got me to thinking about the evolution of DJing.

I recently read an article which spoke of three main stages in the development of DJing begnining with its conception/invention, evolving through turntablism and now into visual turntablism.  I certainly can’t argue with the first two, but I must admit the relatively recent development of video turntablism doesn’t sit well with me.  Perhaps I need to embrace it a little more but I can’t help but feel it relies more upon technology than it does on skill.

Will it ultimately complement the art form, or simply cheapen it with ’smoke and mirrors’?  Perhaps it’s too early to say, but for now I’m happy to just listen to music.