MacLean: Because in the beginning of DFA, that’s what everyone else was playing. [DFA co-founder] James Murphy spent a lot of time playing mainly old disco. I guess it was just easy to think that’s what I would be doing as well. I love disco, of course, but I’ve never been a disco DJ. The truth is I’m not a very good classic-disco DJ. I try to mix too much!
DJ Times: Any thoughts about the current EDM scene in the U.S.?
MacLean: It has nothing to do with me. It’s like asking me what I think of country music. It’s not my world. I like dance music, and none of that is dance music. It’s festival music for young people. I like dirty, dark, late-night clubs that have a continuous groove that doesn’t change for 10 hours.
DJ Times: What reward do you find in DJing?
MacLean: The reason I DJ is because it is my favorite thing to do in all of life. I love the music, and I love the process of DJing. I also love finding new records, making the rounds at Hard Wax [in Berlin] or Phonica [in London]. I’m not concerned with gaining more fans. I am terrible at social media—I just don’t have the motivation. I don’t really aspire to play bigger and bigger clubs because I love playing classic rooms with a history and a vibe. I’ve never been interested in prostituting myself or changing what I do to suit the times. I watch people come and go—they get big for a couple of years and then disappear. Chasing trends offers a short-term victory at best. I’ve always been interested in sticking around for the long haul because this is what I love. It’s the reason I stay alive.
DJ Times: What would you say to aspiring DJ/producers?
MacLean: Don’t get involved in this business unless you feel an overwhelming drive to do it based in your passion for music. You should only do it if you feel like there is nothing else in the world you want to do.
