Playing by the Rules?

Genre Conventions in Contemporary DJ Performance

Abstract

Genre conventions play a central role in shaping contemporary DJ performance, influencing how techniques and technologies are applied across styles such as techno, house and drum ’n’ bass. While scholarship has examined questions of authenticity, automation and the shift from analogue to digital technologies, less attention has been given to how DJs adapt their practices in response to genre-specific expectations. Using a mixed-method approach that combined an anonymised online survey with four semi-structured interviews, this study explores how performers negotiate issues of skill, legitimacy and audience perception. Findings reveal that drum ’n’ bass DJs emphasise abrupt transitions and rewinds, techno performers favour multilayered mixing and live processing, while house DJs prioritise smooth transitions and curation. Across genres, debates about automation remain, yet most participants framed DJing as a balance of technical ability and artistic judgement. We conclude that genre conventions continue to structure performance practice, though increasingly navigated with flexibility.