Trackhunter's Essential Christmas 2024 Gifts for DJs and Music Lovers

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

by Tat

Seriously, is it that time of the year again? The summer months now seem like a distant memory and the brief Indian Summer in the middle of October was well appreciated, but now we are in the midst of another winter. For most that means getting up a ladder to attach fairy lights to their gutters in a homage to National Lampoon and a competition with the neighbours. It also means eating way too much and falling asleep in front of the TV as reruns of The Two Ronnies play out. That’s not for everyone and others chose to gather around the glow of a different light as DJs and music selectors drop tracks generating enough heat to suppress the winter chill. Ahead of the big day we thought we would once again deliver our annual tradition by suggesting a few cool DJ and dance music themed gifts you can give to friends, family and of course, yourself. Go on, treat yourself - you're worth it.

Underground Resistance 12” Vinyl Record Bag - Juno - £115.99 

As real techno aficionados know, having the letters UR imprinted on any item of apparel is going to get people’s attention. For those vinyl heads walking into the club, this official record bag is going to turn heads. As record bags go it is on the costly side, but there won’t be too many of these out in the world, you are buying exclusivity. If you are a Underground Resistance collector and struggling to fund this, you could always part with your copy of their 1992 classic, The Final Frontier as there is no shortage of people wanting it.  

https://www.juno.co.uk/products/underground-resistance-12-vinyl-record-bag-50-black/757265-01/

Old Skool Rave Tapestack - Etsy - £10.00

The rave scene was arguably the greatest UK youth movement and exploring various Facebook groups, there are still tens of thousands of people still incredibly passionate about it. As a result, a whole marketplace has opened up with posters that capture the very essence of that glorious time. One poster which captures an important facet of those halcyon days through the humble mixtape which you can pick up for a tenner. It’s a classy piece of artwork which includes some of the DJs and nights synonymous with that golden era. Stick it in an A3 frame and have a visual reminder of what a great time it was to be alive. 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/804984970/old-skool-rave-tribe-tapes-tapestack-a3

Techno Is Boring - Daniel Avery and Keffer (Velocity Press) - £26.00

Rising High records coined the infamous motto of ‘Faceless Techno Bollocks’ and of course, just as we can expect from this book, that the myriad of electronic music scenes are far from boring. To the outsider the dance music scene is boring, a collection of anonymous characters using aliases and repetitive beats. Avery alongside photographer Keffer have worked to compile a decade’s worth of images, essays and notes which unveils life behind the decks and celebrates the incredible community of millions who love electronic music. With contributions from John Loveless and others, the book contains 70 photos across 144 pages and comes with a download code to access an exclusive track from Avery.   

https://technoisboring.com/

The Hacienda print - Etsy - £15.00

Queuing outside certain clubs was always an important part of the buzz that was the ritual of clubbing, it was raving foreplay. We are not talking about Berghain and the prospect of not getting into the venue but those places where you had a good chance of partying in. That said, there were times getting into The Hacienda were not guaranteed and I recall one Christmas Eve in Manchester where myself and a few friends were stopped by the security and told we could not enter as we were wearing trainers. After some discussion, we agreed to donate money to their Xmas charity bucket, knowing all too well that the money was not going to a good cause. Whilst that was wasted money, the £15 for this print is not. If The Hacienda is not your thing, then the artist SketchingBeats currently has homages to Paradise Garage and Studio54 for sale. 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SketchingBeats

EIGHT Build Your Own Retro Kit - The DJ Shop - £20.99

Pre-internet, most DJs got into music and DJing by listening to the radio. Listening to John Peel, Mike Allen’s National Fresh, Pete Tong, and Radio Luxembourg were the foundations for me getting into DJing. The radio still plays an important part in my life and that of thousands of music lovers. Making your own transistor radio has a long tradition going back over decades when young kids would sit in their bedrooms with a soldering iron in hand. EIGHT have created an affordable activity which you can spend a few hours dabbling with after Christmas lunch to make your own working FM radio. 

https://www.thedjshop.co.uk/d-i-y-retro-fm-radio-construction-kit.html

Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4 DJ controller -  DJ Kit - £279.00

It might seem like everyone is a DJ these days and as a result there has been an ongoing debate as to what that actually means. Whilst the bar to get into DJing in terms of cost has dropped, it can still be very costly if you want to replicate the kit professionals use. A positive aspect is that having your own DJ set up and playing for yourself or a few friends means that you are engaging with the music on a deeper level than just having it on in the background. Bringing the sound to the front and centre treats the music with the respect it doesn't always get. Many jump straight in and buy the premier Pioneer set up for a couple of thousand pounds, which is fine if you have that kind of money. Many do so on a whim and realise their passion for DJing is a fad, as you can have all the gear but still no idea. Instead of taking that gamble, there are much more affordable options available which are produced by credible technology companies. Pioneer, Hercules, Reloop and Numark have set up for less than £400. Not everyone wants to be a famous DJ, most are DJ hobbyists and so before you invest heavily in a set up that might be overkill, explore the cheaper options available. If you soon decide it is time to go bigger, you can sell your existing console and put the money towards something more substantial. It is worth the gamble.  

https://www.djkit.com/pioneer-dj/ddj-flx4.html