"The Lost Art Of Djing" from the liner notes of "Larry Levan Live at the Paradise Garage"

Few people know what great djing is really about. Those who don't think of wacky radio presenters and gabby wedding spinners; they have a real problem seeing how playing records can be a performance. But, ironically, most of today's young clubbers can be just as clueless when it comes to separating a good DJ from a bad one. UK club culture and its rootless brand-name jocks and their 2 hour guest sets, has bred dancers with a painfully short attention span. Our dancefloors might throw their hands in the air for a clever technical mix, a swift key change or a bombastic snare roll, but they're largely immune to anything that takes a bit longer to achieve - like pacing, building, teasing, exploring. Sadly, these days most of us just want to pay our money and get an immediate dance fix. We're happy to be thrashed around at a fever pitch all night. Its rare today to find a DJ brave enough to take a crowd down as well as up. Or to reflect complex emotions or play music outside the narrow focus of their niche. Or to throw a risky curveball or two and 'cleanse' the dancefloor for a fresh start. When you find a DJ willing to do more than stich together a bunch of surefire floorfillers, shake his hand. - Frank Broughton & Bill Brewster