Actor Andrew Garfield has stepped into one of dance music’s oldest debates, and the DJ community has plenty to say about it. Appearing on Kareem Rahma’s online series Subway Takes, the actor declared: “You can’t legitimately call yourself a DJ unless you use physical records.”
Garfield explained that his view came from a recent trip to Berlin, where a sound engineer on his film set, who he described as a “legit DJ” with 12,000 to 15,000 records, threw an impromptu rave for the crew. “He spent the whole weekend going through his 12,000 vinyls thinking about who might or might not be at the party,” Garfield said. “It’s a curated experience that requires time and energy and care and love. It’s like cooking.”
Rahma pushed back, pointing out that before algorithms and streaming, “every DJ was a DJ.” Garfield later clarified that he was not trying to put down DJs who play digitally. When Rahma warned that “the DJ community is going to come after you,” Garfield joked back with air quotes: “The ‘DJ’ community.”
He was right about one thing: the DJ community did respond. Toronto DJ Ciel wrote: “Love vinyl but don’t be a vinyl purist,” adding that “selecting music with thoughtfulness and intention and generosity transcends mediums and formats.” DESIREE called it an “elitist take,” while Marlon Hoffstadt replied: “Always wanted an actor to tell me what real DJing means, thanks so much.”
The vinyl versus digital argument has been around since CDJs began replacing turntables, and it clearly still strikes a nerve. Vinyl is enjoying a strong revival too, with artists like Armin van Buuren playing vinyl-only sets this year. Still, most would agree that what makes a great DJ is taste and care, not the format. Watch the clip below.
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