DJs Stripped of the Right to Choose

Perhaps every club person understands that it would be foolish to approach a DJ with a loud name in the middle of a set and request a specific track. Moreover, some DJs go to extremes – for example, M3 from San Francisco has even taken to wearing a shirt that says "No Fucking Requests Ever!", which means something like "Get lost with your requests!".
However, the situation is changing. A new generation of DJs is coming, armed with laptops and digital DJ gadgets, along with high-speed wireless Internet and music search software, allowing them to instantly find almost any track. Statements like "I didn’t bring that disc with me today" no longer fly.

A dilemma arises – yes, the DJ is supposed to entertain the audience, but at the same time, he is still an artist, creating a unique, one-time live mix that depends on his mood, preparation, and the audience's reactions.

To erase the boundaries between DJ and audience, the social music network Last.fm, in collaboration with the British label Ninja Tune, is organizing a special party on June 2 at The Big Chill House in London.
Its concept is as follows: Last.fm users who wish to attend the party will be able to influence the DJ Sparky’s (Ninja Tune) set, who will play on the upper dance floor. All you need to do is register on the Last.fm website your intention to attend this event, and on that very night Sparky will play tracks drawn from users' recent listening lists. The generated set will also be available in recording for those who could not come. In addition to Sparky, A-Tak, MC Kid Sister, and Ollie Teeba (Herbaliser) will spin music.

Just imagine: there is no need to tug at the DJ because everything you wanted to hear is already pre-selected. But on the other hand, in such a mode, there is no room for surprises and improvisation. It’s almost like turning on an iPod at a home party.

Whether this trend will gain wide popularity will be shown by time.