Have you ever wanted to test your DJ skills against other DJs and see who comes out on top? Maybe you’ve watched a few battles and want to get involved in the action? DJ competitions can be very healthy and fun ways to boost your creativity as a DJ. They enable you to think on your feet and be spontaneous when thinking of ways to defeat an opponent. Whether it’s scratching or beat juggling. Think of the DMC World Championships, which has been breaking in DJs and entertaining audiences since 1985. Or, Back2Back DJ Battle, the new phenomenon in the DJ battle space.
The brainchild of Faded Society, the battle makes its return on 6th September 2024 in London. Eight finalists will take part in a winner take all DJ competition. They will follow a number of musical themes in each round. Applications are now open. For anyone who can’t make the show, the event will also be live streamed on Mixcloud.
We reached out to Faded Society, who shared her top tips on how to succeed in a DJ competition. Read on as she gives us the lowdown.
Do your homework and follow the brief
Faded Society: “The rules are simple – push boundaries within the professional parameters that’s given to you. In the real world, if you are booked for an hour of ‘fun light and airy’ House then you switch it up halfway to introduce some Jungle then it’s likely that the booker will not contact you again. Not because you’re a bad DJ who didn’t do a seamless transition from one genre to the next. But that they had specifically asked you to play light and airy but you brought heavier bass. What you should be doing instead is introduce a variety of House music from all decades and subgenres to bring in variety whilst still sticking within the vibe.
That’s the same for how to win a Back2Back DJ battle. There are four specific ‘themes’ that we specify in order to get through the first round. Finalists are picked at random with the themes picked out from a hat. No one knows what will happen next! But I confirm that if you do your homework before the battle, then it shouldn’t be a surprise. Once you’re chosen in the final eight for each tournament, you’re provided ample tips on what the themes mean and its suggested genres. Study each theme and collect an array of tracks to file into each folder so you’re ready if called up. Think about your work professionally. If you’re assigned ‘Old School throwbacks’ but drop some obscure Techno song that no one has heard of, then you’re unlikely to get the support that you’d hope for!”
Get creative and learn to hot cue
“I can’t even count the number of times that DJs tell me they “don’t know what it is” or refuse to have it because they like to “freestyle”. I’m a believer of freestyling (read the next point) but you always have to come into any work with a direction and backup plans. If the track you chose to play is progressive with a very long riser then it’s always a good idea to hot cue the drop. You’ll never know when it’s not getting the same reaction it did the last time. Or that the new crowd you’re playing to is disengaged waiting to just get to the good bits.
Don’t be afraid to learn the skills of power mixing, which is generally what’s needed to win a DJ battle. In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, you only have five minutes each to show the crowd who you are and what you’ve got. So you want to be as creative and strategic as possible. You’re unlikely to win if you’ve played two tracks in five minutes versus a DJ who’s meshed multiple tracks in the same amount of time. Surprise the crowd with strong track selections and innovative overlays. Or even make your own edits that no one has even heard before!”
Read the room
“This is my most repeated and, I believe, most valuable advice. As a DJ, I’m constantly pushing my boundaries and curating creativity by playing what I want people to hear. But as a booker and promoter I know how important it is to have the skill to read what the crowd is saying with their bodies.
The trick is to be able to do both; give them a bit of your personality musically but also know when you need to freestyle and change the vibes. If you’re a Drum & Bass DJ playing for two hours, it’s unlikely that you will retain even your biggest fan for that duration because the music will naturally tire the audience out. Know when to introduce vocals and softer melodies, when to let their bodies slow down and when to hype it back up. Know when they look bored and introduce new beats and rhythms.
To win a DJ battle, you’ll need to know when to let go of your plans. If the first two tracks on your pre-planned set aren’t slapping like you thought it would then skip to another in that folder that’s going to give out the energy needed in the room. If they’re singing along to the track then don’t power mix or cut it short and let the euphoria flow.”
Give out love to receive love
“This is another free advice on repeat and yet I always get some rebuttals to this! You don’t need to do what you don’t feel comfortable doing, but you have to acknowledge that you’ve voluntarily signed up to the job. Which means you’re the focal point of the performance. People vibe with people, we’re still humans after all. Be interactive even if that means only looking up to smile at a stranger once in a while – it silently says, ‘thank you for being here and dancing with me.’
In the DJ battle, you’re surrounded by the crowd so you can literally feel the love, sweat and screams coming out of them. Take the love and give it right back!”
Be true to who you are
“As mentioned in the last point, you never need to do what you don’t feel comfortable with. Presenting yourself in your truest form is important, even if that means having an onstage persona versus your day-to-day introverted self. If you love high energy dancing with your audience for the whole set then do it. If you only like to boogie from the neck up with some head wobbles whilst mixing then don’t let any haters tell you otherwise.
At the end of the day, you have to love what you’re doing or else what’s the point? So understand who you are, how you want to present yourself on stage; own your music and own your skill sets. Let your personality shine through.”
To apply for the next Back2Back DJ Battle on 6th September, click here. Applications close on 19th August.