Avicii responds to the GQ article

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​Avicii is again the center of attention this past weekend as an unflattering GQ article that profiled the young Swede was recently published. One of the key points of the article that has gotten such DJs as A-Trak talking is in reference to Avicii's preparation prior to his set and his thoughts on DJ'ing in general. Here's an excerpt from the GQ article that caused most of the reaction:

"Before Pournouri could make him the biggest DJ in all the land, however, he had to teach him how to DJ, which was something Tim had never actually done before. Thanks to computers, these days, DJing is mostly "before work," Tim explains. Most of the set list and transitions are worked out before he gets onstage. The notion of a DJ who determines what to play by reading the room "feels like something a lot of older DJs are saying to kind of desperately cling on staying relevant."

​Click here to read the full article.

​Earlier today Avicii responded to the GQ article to which I will paste the specific response to the paragraph above:

"She [the author of the GQ article] goes on to describe how I plan my sets only to contradict herself saying I go over my planned time cause I'm having so much fun with my crowd. Anyone reading this article should know it's very subjectively twisted by someone who has a) no experience of this scene or insight to a DJs profession at all and b) has no interest in really understanding it either. How on earth the fact that I complain when an opening DJ plays some of the peak time tracks I usually play somewhere in my set becomes the conclusion that I only touch volume faders is beyond me and even though I could beat mix in my sleep doesn't allude any kind of respect which I find deeply insulting. I would never lay down a pre-programmed set and performed to a pre-mixed CD, I would never cheat my fans like that. Period. For the record, the only planning I do is check transitions so that I don't have to pre-program anything and still make sure I bring it to my fans. A lot of work and thinking goes into my DJing. I want the entire night to progress seamlessly and when I have to adapt the energy on the fly for the crowd on any given night, I can do so with harmonic mixes that I've practiced over and over again. I am far from the only DJ that does this and it's something I take pride in being able to do. Truth is that at bigger festivals or solo shows I know what people want to hear and my set is a compromise between what I want to play for them and what people come and expect to hear me play for them. At a smaller club show I can wing it completely.​"
"Some people are known for certain things, some DJs like A-trak, Steve Angello and Laidback Luke are excellent technical DJs, something I will never be, and have a whole different approach to their performances." ​

To read the full statement from Avicii, click here. ​

A-Trak has recently chimed in on Avicii's response: ​