Erick Morillo Sounds Off About Major Issue In EDM

Erick Morillo didn’t pull any punches in an interview he did with the New York Daily News over the weekend. Morillo is absolutely livid at some of the biggest DJs ripping off their audiences by mixing on computers, and feels that they should be sent packing. He also complained about the issue of ghost producing in the industry itself.

“A lot of these guys aren’t even making their own hit records. It is what it is. This industry has become what it has become, (especially) if you look across the board, not just at dance music.” ~Erick Morillo

He calls Djs like Avicii, David Guetta, and Calvin Harris “Pop Stars” likened to the ones in the 90’s who would lip sync their performances because they only play their own music and don’t really try very hard at mixing and they really should for their fans.

“You go and look at a Calvin show, where he plays all his own records. He is just standing up there kind of doing nothing,” said Morillo. “It would be great if he put a bit little more oomph into it.”

“Pushing play” is fairly common in parts of the EDM industry. There are a lot of DJs out there who have been caught playing prerecorded mix tapes and not mixing at all. Some say artists like these de-legitimatize an extremely difficult art form, which gives credence to critics saying “They’re just hitting a button” and yet people still go to see them perform. As an ironic side note, Erick Morillo is managed by Fake Artist Management.

“I couldn’t believe people were getting away with it — it was like murder.” ~Erick Morillo

Some people listen to pop music. Others listen to dance music. Sometimes there is a fine line between the two, especially in present times. This can be seen as a positive thing, as it shows the expansion of EDM in the general population. Others see this as a negative direction, changing the genre in ways that don’t reflect what the music is really about. Looking forward, we hope that the scene continues to evolve and bring talent that expands and enriches our experience. Who do you think should make Erick Morillo’s list as a “Pop Star” DJ’s?