Dance music has come a long way. From warehouses in Detroit to the opulent isle of Ibiza, this genre of music literally spans the globe. At the root of it all, is the art of Djing. Today, we bring you a short film by Mark Knight & Toolroom entitled Odyssey that’s based on just that.
The seventeen-minute long short film is directed by Mikey Whyte, and features some of our favorite DJs and Record Producers. Throughout the film, we get some insight from legends such as Danny Tenaglia, Roger Sanchez, & Andy C, amongst others. They touch on how they feel about their profession and the state of DJing in current times. What an Odyssey.
A few of them state their distaste for short, “one-hour sets”, and we couldn’t agree more. I couldn’t imagine being accustomed to playing 4-hour sets, traveling to a gig 8,000 miles away, to only play for an hour. Roger Sanchez hits the nail right on the head when he stated:
“DJing is about creating a journey; it’s about telling a story. And to do that you need time.”
Marathon Sets
Speaking of time, a third of the way through the video, Danny Tenaglia takes the stage to speak on how he regularly played 8+ hour sets. These “marathon sets” are unheard in most places within the United States, other the underground.
You can usually find such spots in House & Techno Hotbeds like Miami, Chicago, & the like. I’m sure this has to do a lot with the popularity of “EDM”, and the public love for “the drop”. As well all know, this is not exactly what house & techno are known for.
The video features a few words from Travis Rogers who worked out of the now-defunct Heart Nightclub in Miami. He states that Heart held the record for holding a 40-hour-long party and that they regularly had DJs play 6-20 hour sets.
He continues on to talk about how Heart had one of the few 24-hour permits in the United States. It is unfortunate to hear that Heart shut its doors earlier last year, thankfully, 24-hour parties continue to live on in Miami.
The Art Of DJing
Overall, there is a lot to be said about the Art of Djing, and this short film does an exceptional job of hitting all the spots. With veterans like Mark Knight & Danny Tenaglia giving their two cents, this just might be one of the better films out there on this topic.
If you’re a fan of dance music, djing, or just curious about what these legends have to say, I highly recommend checking it out. It is quite the “Odyssey”. I’ll leave with some closing words from Mark Knight himself, enjoy.
“The project has been a labour of love and features some of the best DJs I know working today. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it.”
-Mark Knight
