Another DJ has chimed in on the DJ Mag “popularity poll”. This time it is the very respectable, and generally quiet, slovenian DJ and producer, Umek. He simply points out the flawed system as a whole rather than acting rebellious. Here is what he has to say:
Everyone acts as a rebel, stating that they don’t care about their rankings, but in the end all of us eagerly anticipate the event on ADE, where they announce the results. The rank doesn’t really influence my number of gigs, nor the price I can charge for my performance, but it still feels nice to see my name among the great 100. It’s an ego trip and everyone likes that, whether you are honest about it or not. Artists who rank on the very top, keep their mouths shut, because they are happy with the results, while I noticed most of the ranting from DJs who end on the bottom or are not on it at all. My guys shared those thoughts on social media and forums to test the response from the fans. It was mainly negative, so I’m really wondering how the contest still gets so much attention every year.
It should also be noted Umek’s management admits that in the past, just as other major DJs do, he “had also invested into campaigns for building his profile on such polls.” However, “this year he decided for a more open approach and publicly shared his opinion about DJ Mag’s and similar popularity contests and their influence on a DJs career.”
