Editing Disco (section)

===DJ culture===
[[File:Vintage DJ Station 2019 by Glenn Francis.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|Classic DJ Station. A [[DJ mixer]] is placed between two [[Technics SL-1200|Technics SL-1200 MK 2]] turntables.]]
The rising popularity of disco came in tandem with developments in the role of the DJ. DJing developed from the use of multiple record turntables and [[DJ mixer]]s to create a continuous, seamless mix of songs, with one song transitioning to another with no break in the music to interrupt the dancing. The resulting [[DJ mix]] differed from previous forms of dance music in the 1960s, which were oriented towards live performances by musicians. It, in turn, affected the arrangement of dance music, since songs in the disco era typically contained beginnings and endings marked by a simple beat or riff that could be easily used to transition to a new song. The development of DJing was also influenced by new [[turntablism]] techniques, such as [[beatmatching]] and [[scratching]], a process facilitated by the introduction of new turntable technologies such as the [[Technics SL-1200|Technics SL-1200 MK 2]], first sold in 1978, which had a precise variable [[pitch control]] and a [[direct drive]] motor. DJs were often avid record collectors, who would hunt through used record stores for obscure [[soul music|soul]] records and vintage funk recordings. DJs helped to introduce rare records and new artists to club audiences.

[[File:Diskotanssiesitys Kontulan 30-vuotispäivillä 1994. - N262306 (hkm.HKMS000005-km0036in).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Disco dance performance at the 30th anniversary of [[Kontula, Helsinki|Kontula]] in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]], in 1994]]
In the 1970s, individual DJs became more prominent, and some DJs, such as Larry Levan, the resident at [[Paradise Garage]], [[Jim Burgess (producer)|Jim Burgess]], [[Tee Scott]], and [[Francis Grasso]] became famous in the disco scene. Levan, for example, developed a [[cult following]] among clubgoers, who referred to his DJ sets as "[[Mass (liturgy)|Saturday Mass]]". Some DJs would use [[reel-to-reel tape recorder]]s to make [[remix]]es and tape edits of songs. Some DJs who were making remixes made the transition from the DJ booth to becoming a record producer, notably Burgess. Scott developed several innovations. He was the first disco DJ to use three turntables as sound sources, the first to simultaneously play two beat-matched records, the first to use electronic [[effects unit]]s in his mixes, and he was an innovator in mixing dialogue in from well-known movies, typically over a percussion break. These mixing techniques were also applied to radio DJs, such as Ted Currier of [[WKTU]] and [[WBLS]]. Grasso is particularly notable for taking the DJ "profession out of servitude and [making] the DJ the musical head chef."{{sfn|Brewster|Broughton|2000|p=129}} Once he entered the scene, the DJ was no longer responsible for waiting on the crowd hand and foot, meeting their every song request. Instead, with increased agency and visibility, the DJ was now able to use their own technical and creative skills to whip up a nightly special of innovative mixes, refining their personal sound and aesthetic, and building their own reputation.{{sfn|Sanneh|2021|p=369}}