Over the last ten years, Elastic Artists has been one of the United Kingdom’s popular booking agencies based in London, best known for representing dance and urban artists in the live sphere. In addition, they helped many A-list DJs promote their craft, allowing global audiences to enjoy unique music.
Simply put, crafts are activities involving skills in making things by hand. However, just like in crafts like jewelry-making, you can apply the value of crafting to any effort, including making music through DJing.
Craft is the merging of discipline and imagination, dedication and inspiration. So, like in knitting, quilting, jewelry-making, and other crafts, you can realize your craft for DJing when those spiral around each other and give serious attention to that alchemy.
Many people believe that DJing is all about throwing amazing parties by creating the best music. But, it is much more than that. DJing is also about taking your audience on a journey through your crafted mixes. And like others, DJing as a craft does not need perfection, but the pursuit of perfection.
The booking agency had an international roster of over three hundred live bands, DJs, producers, composers, and visual artists. Additionally, the organization was at the forefront of discovering, developing, and fostering new and emerging talent. After nearly a decade of growth, the public recognized them as one of Europe’s leading independent talent agencies.
The agency’s roster read like a who’s who of creative and original talents from all genres. Their various books included Animal Collective, The Black Lips, Coldcut, Deerhunter, Dum Dum Girls, The Fresh And Onlys, and No Age. So, many people believed they could not be more dissimilar in what their newest members attempted to achieve musically.
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Elastic Artists Agency’s History
Elastic Artists grew from a two-person team to a staff composed of thirteen agents, seven assistants, and a five-person management team. The company had offices in Manchester, Liverpool, and Paris, in addition to its London headquarters.
Since its inception, Elastic Artists dedicated to providing its artists with a new standard in service quality. They developed a unique Agency Management System that seamlessly automated many agency functions and provided artists with round-the-clock access to critical show information.
Booking agency, Elastic Artists believed in music that is meaningful, innovative, and life-affirming. Additionally, the company was also committed to assisting its clients in realizing their artistic and economic potential.
Elastic Artists designed, shaped, and executed strategies that built long-term and sustainable careers in the live music realm. They also developed other commercial domains in which their clients operate, in collaboration with each Artist.
But what most people knew the best about Elastic Artists is their exceptional collaborations with a diverse network of festivals, mainstream and specialist promoters across the globe. They also dedicated their efforts to supporting the work of the many promoters, venues, record labels, and other industry professionals with whom they collaborate.
Clients firmly regarded Elastic Artists Agency for the quality of its service, attitude, and resourceful creativity. Unfortunately, however, the company experienced financial difficulties and went bankrupt in late 2015.
The Art of DJing
People have been DJing for a long time, revolutionizing how others hear music from the early days of hip-hop. But, in today’s music environment, many changed in terms of technology and equipment which DJs use. The Technics 1200s may no longer be the industry standard, but the foundations of becoming a great DJ did not change that much.
By 2010, software programs like Serato and Traktor generated a generation of laptop DJs. But, as faster and more reliable USB technology became available, many DJs began carrying their entire record collections on a keyring.
Crucially, this technological advancement reduced the cost of DJing, making it more accessible to both hobbyists and newcomers. As a result, critics lamented that anyone could now be a DJ — and they did not need to own any records.
Specific abilities, most notably beatmatching, also became more accessible to learn due to the transition to digital DJing. But, because of modern inventions like wide pitch and the contentious sync button, the art of DJing blew wide open, opening up new avenues for experimentation and inspiring young producers to create genuinely new sounds and genres.
DJing as a Craft
People consider DJing a craft because there are many layers besides scratching records and mixing sounds. So, there is no excuse to do mixes haphazardly when creating a fantastic DJ mix without first considering a few crucial elements like the audience, arrangement, and layering music.
Additionally, an excellent DJ guides the energy of a room by playing the correct songs at the right time from the booth, surrounded by a sea of people. However, no matter how closely connected your job is with our main passions, there are times when you will tackle challenges.
Mastery of the Craft
It is best to rekindle your desire to master your art instead of relying on a flash of inspiration or a perfect idea like in other crafts. As you try to master your skill, you will find solutions to help you overcome struggles and hurdles along the way.
Respected DJs, producers, and artists’ lives can be insecure, and one missed paycheck can put unnecessary hardship on artists whose kudos, in an ideal world, would shield them from financial difficulties. But, unfortunately, even in somewhat clandestine sectors like dance and urban music, a network of intermediaries existed between the performance and the money.
And if something goes wrong in this chain link, the payment of artist fees may go buried deep within the in-tray of such organizations. The latest catastrophe at Elastic Artists, a once-respected artist agency, is a tragic example.
Although it is vital to acquire extensive information or skill to master your craft, you should remember that it does not need perfection. Still, it does necessitate the pursuit of perfection. This distinction is significant because it helps you enjoy the outcomes you achieve while maintaining a mindset that encourages you to put your heart and soul into your work.