DJ Bone has lent his international perspective on the post-quarantine electronic music landscape. A mainstay of Detroit techno whose career took him across the pond, he recently organized one of Europe’s first social distancing-compliant events. His position gives him valuable foresight on how COVID-19 is changing the industry – and he thinks it doesn’t look good for “the social media DJ.”
In an interview with Attack Magazine, DJ Bone (real name Eric Dulan) reflected on Further, his socially distant June 6th event at Amsterdam club Radion. A strict capacity limit of 30 was enforced, and attendees were required to remain seated once inside. Barring a spike in confirmed cases, Dulan expects lawmakers to loosen regulations as time goes by. He nonetheless speculated that most clubs will not be able to survive the coming months without significantly adapting their business models.
He shared an even bleaker outlook for artists. “It depends on the type of DJ,” he said when asked how he thought they would fare. “For a lot of DJs, this is ultimately going to crush their careers. If things can’t get back to normal to the way they were with these huge mega parties it’s gonna kills some careers – and it’s already starting to press a lot of people.”
Dulan argued that the past decade marked a rise in social media DJs, with pandemic-related lapses in gigging translating to less content for them to share with their fans. “If they don’t have gigs and flights and expensive hotels to post about and pictures in front of thousands of adoring fans then what you do as a fan is you listen to them,” he said. “And this is the first time in a long time when the entire world and the house and techno community can only listen to DJs.”
Scene Reset
DJ Bone isn’t the only one who foresees a changing of the guard in electronic music. In April, Dave Clarke wrote that he was “hopeful for this reset,” positing that the COVID-19 crisis would bring forth a return to the community’s core values. DVS1 echoed similar sentiments, predicting that reduced demand for international DJs will create more opportunities for locals.
Attitudes among fans has arguably shifted as well. Carl Cox, Nicole Moudaber, Dubfire and others received harsh backlash in May for their mix series intended to raise money for their out-of-work tour managers. Many argued that wealthy DJs should be capable of continuing to pay their team members without help from the general public, and that launching fundraiser for anything other than a charitable cause during a pandemic made them look tone deaf.
DJ Bone will host the next edition of Further at Radion on June 20th. Find more information here.
