Looking for the Perfect Beat: The Art and Culture of the DJ

by Kurt B. Reighley

"It's your soul playing with the rhythm,flying around in the beats."
-- DJ Q-Bert
They are music's vanguard. The reshape today's sounds -- house, techno, hip-hop, rock -- direct our feet on the floor, and influence the way music is represented in our culture.
"Don't look at the turntable as just this mechanism that you play records on. Apply yourself to it as if it were an instrument, and you can express yourself through the turntable."
-- Rob Swift, The X-ecutioners
From the rapid-fire editing of MTV videos, to underground parties and world-famous clubs, DJs have altered the course of music and video, moved into new media, and turned our generation on its ear -- literally.
Meet these creative artists -- many of them celebrities in their own right -- who line up the most infectious beats, mix and program them, and make us dance talk and think about music -- and the world -- in entirely different ways.
"We like to mix it all up and have a good time, a bit of a laugh."
-- Ben Dubuisson, Purple Penguin
Discover how they select their gear and choose tunes -- and pick up tips on how to mix.

Genres: Music

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

Reviews

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though DJing has made a big transformation since this book was written, the core advice is still sound.

Kurt Reighley is a personal friend of mine that has inspired me ever since I first came into contact with him some 13 years ago. I was honored to write the introduction to this no-nonsense and sensibly varied guide to DJing that was built on the advice of consummate professionals.

Kurt's musical knowledge is vast and I have always admired the broad range of styles that he covers, always drawing out the human interest.

[Kimberly]

Pretty good and a fast read. Gives the basic history of dance in America from the 70's disco and Northern South through 90's hip-hop, techno, house, etc.