To help Digital DJ Tips celebrate its 15th birthday, we have a special series of podcasts bringing in friends of the school to talk about DJing past and present.
For this episode, we asked show favourite Mojaxx to return and to talk about a subject that might surprise some listeners: DJing with 45s. It's something that a surprising number of DJs still like to do, especially those who remember the 7" single the first time around.
It's a subculture within a subculture that might be a bit geeky, but it's undeniably cool. As DJing on 7" vinyl is something we both enjoy, we thought this topic would make a good twist on the "then and now" angle that these 15th birthday podcasts have followed.
If you enjoy this podcast and you can, please do give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It really does make a difference.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:14 Episode overview
02:21 What's special about 7" records?
05:38 Creativity through restriction
07:06 Why digital DJs love the challenge of 45s
09:23 "You've taken it too far, Phil!"
12:11 The hip-hop origins of 45s culture
14:15 Do people actually care about the medium?
16:03 Mojaxx's "gateway drug": DJ Shadow & Kenny Dope
20:12 Building a collection: from £1 bargains to Discogs
23:15 "Music was just a tool for me"
29:24 Tips for finding and buying 7" records
35:26 45 adapters: the technical deep dive
41:05 Dr. Suzuki Donuts aka "the greatest invention ever"
44:19 Organising music: from obsessive to practical
49:16 Which genres work best on 45s?
53:42 Who's keeping the 45 culture alive?
58:59 Desert island 45s: Mojaxx's top five