Abstract

The modern electronic dance music DJ has become somewhat of a ubiquitous figure in popular culture, though few efforts have been made to better understand the curatorial dimension of their craft. This thesis responds to the question of how exactly digital music platforms have come to define curatorial practice, and in what ways have they shaped the role of the contemporary dance music DJ. I began by conducting platform analyses of Bandcamp and SoundCloud, in which I examined how their user interfaces, social affordances, and approaches to music categorization relate to certain ideas of musical habitus, curating with care, and networked curation. I then conducted interviews with two DJs from the local Montreal electronic music scene. These interviews consisted of a recording session where DJs were asked to perform one hour long mix, and then a discussion period in which they were asked to reflect on their curatorial voice, preparation methods, and mixing techniques. The recorded mixes act as an auditory accompaniment to my thesis and can be accessed digitally alongside this text. Ultimately, I found that though these platforms may steer curators one way or another by nature of their user interface or integrated algorithms, they are not necessarily shaping the innate qualities of curation. DJs still rely on community connections, active knowledge sharing, and affective responses to music to guide their curation. Instead, platforms like Bandcamp and SoundCloud are most valuable when understood as tools that enhance our ability to curate with care and expand on our pre-existing musical habitus.