If you aren’t aware (though, as a fan of music, you should be) skill and talent can come in many varieties. Yes, there are a lot of bedroom producers who just picked up a laptop and Ableton one day and started making beats – even deadmau5 can be counted among this group. However, there are also a fair number of DJs and producers who play real instruments, and every producer worth their salt is also at least somewhat competent in sound engineering, mixing, mastering, design and arrangement.
Still there are people who feel obligated to point out whenever a top tier DJ tours the world with only a laptop. Unfortunately, it’s a serious mistake to lob that accusation (or worse, insult) at Zedd.
Zedd got his start as a drummer in a metal band, plays the guitar and other instruments, grew up in a musical family, and has been playing music for 23 years. So when some nutter called him out for not being a “real musician,” Zedd already had the perfect comeback prepared.
It’s sad that EDM still gets the bad rap that it does, because so many producers in the scene really are incredible musicians, regardless of their instrument. Producers like Zedd, Skrillex, Crywolf and more are amazing examples of people who have found success in electronic music thanks to a background in “real” instruments.
Photo via Rukes.com