Anonymous author The Secret DJ has trained his crosshairs on a hotly debated target: so-called “plague rave DJs.” Posing incisive commentary in an open letter with only a hint of the sardonic wit of his page-turner books, he has levied criticism at electronic musicians accepting gigs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letter, which was published in PRS for Music‘s M Magazine, addresses said DJs directly. “We see you, so does everyone else,” it starts out. “If you’re still playing gigs then it’s all starkly documented on Twitter accounts such as ‘Business Teshno’ and others.”
Secret DJ goes on to point out how “law and personal morality diverge frequently,” arguing that gatherings being permitted in places like Tulum doesn’t make them ethical. He also cites the Night Time Industry Association‘s assertion that musicians performing to crowds during COVID-19 “does not help this situation” despite the organization’s outspoken advocacy for the arts.
“If you stop now, you will help end it sooner,” he declares. “And the sooner it ends, the sooner we can ALL dance again together. Not divided. Come back to us. Please. Stop.”
Who is The Secret DJ?
Stopping just short of giving away his identity, The Secret DJ’s published works reveal that he worked as a disc jockey (among other music occupations) in the U.K. before stardom was a viable prospect for anyone who played records. His early involvement in electronic music situated him at the epicenter of the late ’80s acid house explosion, affording him modest success as a globetrotting act in the decades that followed.
Published by Faber & Faber in 2018, The Secret DJ paired laugh-out-loud anecdotes from the author’s oft-hedonistic tour life with the odd moment of profound industry insight. The Secret DJ: Book Two – out via Velocity Press last December – leans more heavily into the latter. The follow-up ambitiously connects acid house, EDM and present-day dilemmas facing dance music from the protagonist’s unique vantage point.
More information about The Secret DJ’s books is available on the Velocity Press website.
