Author: Jim O Brien/CEO

Pioneer DJ, an AlphaTheta brand, the world’s leading brand for professional DJ equipment, launches its very own, limited-edition fanzine – named ‘deckades’ – to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first-ever CDJ. Released in 1994, the world’s first CDJ – the CDJ-500 – went onto influence DJ and club culture as we know it, and led to the creation of Pioneer DJ.

Available both digitally and in print, the ‘zine takes fans through iconic moments from the last 30 years of the CDJ. Showcasing the CDJ’s unique history and evolution, ‘deckades’ takes fans back to the beginning when the CDJ-500 was born and why it was created, while exploring how the world’s best DJs honed their craft transitioning from vinyl to CDJs – and how this impacted club culture. Now available, fans will be able to visit blog.pioneerdj.com to claim a free print copy and start enjoying Pioneer DJ’s musical legacy since 1994 or the digital version can be read here.

Split into three decades: 1994-2004, 2004-2014 and 2014-2024, the 42-page ‘zine’ explores the history and evolution of the CDJ recalling how it was born – all from the advancement in technology within in-car audio. It was the anti-skip technology which created the possibility to create a new device that allowed for new ways to rock a party and the ability to mix with CDs – which was radical in itself. This saw the club experience evolve whereby instead of mixing with vinyl in loud and vibrating clubs that made it difficult with a moving needle, now mixing and playing records became more accessible and easier. This new device allowed for scratching, making loops on the fly, executing drum rolls with the Cue button, speed tracks up or slow them down – this was a revelation for the modern DJ and influenced how DJing would evolve. It led to the birth of digital DJing.

‘deckades’ opens with a visual timeline of the CDJ, from the CDJ-500 through to the latest model – the CDJ-3000, spanning 23 models over 30 years. It features exclusive and never-released interviews with world-leading DJs such as Fatboy Slim, Fabio from Fabio & Grooverider, Anna Tur, Kikelomo and TSHA. Each recalls their introduction of the CDJ, how it was initially received, how it influenced their DJing style and what it meant for DJing, with anecdotal stories remembered. For example, Fatboy Slim recalls the first time he came across CDJs in a set: “The turning point was a night where I was playing on a lorry at Carnival in Salvador, Brazil for five hours back to back with David Guetta. He was whupping my ass because his CDJs were louder and didn’t jump every time we went over a pothole…He absolutely blew me off stage that night and it hurt!”

While jungle and Drum ‘n’ Bass innovator, Fabio (from Fabio & Grooverider) tells how the CDJ changed the game for him and a whole generation, “…they’ve advanced so much even in the past five, six years. It’s incredible what you can do now. Now you can be a showman. And you couldn’t do that before, because you really had to concentrate on vinyl. Now, you know what you’re doing, you got all your cue points, everything organised and ready to go—that’s a revelation, basically.”

As well as exclusive DJ interviews, ‘deckades’ takes a deep dive into how the technology evolved, making Pioneer’s CDJs the best in the business and as Fabio says the ‘standard procedure’ for DJs to use. Gearheads can also enjoy new interviews from the designers and engineers behind the CDJs. Within the ‘zine, ‘meet the maker’ sections are integrated throughout which includes a rare interview with the creator of the CDJ-500 – Kou Atsumi. Early concept designs and drawings are featured which provides a nostalgic look at the world’s first-ever CDJ. Other interviews include Naoto Takase and Yoshinori Kataoka – the creative force behind the CDJ-2000 and CDJ-3000.

As the ‘zine expands into the 2004-2014 decade, stories are remembered around how digital technology was fundamentally changing the way people DJ’d. The ability to DJ off a USB stick was introduced in 2007 with the CDJ-400 which brought about a progressive change. Fabio talks about a ‘sliding doors’ moment where he was stunned to see Pete Tong turn up to a club in Brazil he was DJing at with nothing but headphones and a USB stick, which didn’t seem real to him. ‘deckades’ then recounts in the last ten years how, evolving digital technology, and how DJing evolved from the clubs to the bedroom, creating new opportunities for more people to get into DJing and the sense of community it creates.

Mark Grotefeld, AlphaTheta EMEA General Manager, said: “It’s always been part of our mission to bring innovative music experiences through our products and this won’t change with our AlphaTheta and Pioneer DJ brands. The fanzine charts the evolution of such an important instrument which was a game changer for DJing and club culture. The CDJs have become a mainstay in clubs all over the world and the planet’s best DJs have been influenced by this technology. I expect DJ technology to continue evolving down an AI-software-driven path as well as VR and AR experiences becoming more widely available. But we’ll remain focused on ensuring it empowers DJs to deliver the human experiences we’ll always crave.”

The brand new fanzine is now available for free, with only 1,000 print copies up for grabs or alternatively, the digital version can be enjoyed here. To find out more on claiming a print copy, head to blog.pioneerdj.com or register here.

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