The Guide DJs lists include guides to artists, bands, djs & tattoo artists.

DJs and DJing have come on a long way since the days of Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and those early innovators. What started with simple equipment and a simple aim - a DJ mixer, a pair of Technics 1200s and a desire to party - has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon, with superstar DJs like Tiesto, Carl Cox and Sasha being paid phenomenal sums for their appearances at clubs from Ministry of Sound to Fabric and at festivals from Glastonbury to T in the Park.

DJs have come to enjoy a status previously reserved for rock stars - and indeed the skills of the DJ have evolved enough that calling them "musicians" is no overstatement. Armed with an arsenal of oddly named crossfader techiques like crab, flare, chirp, twiddle, and orbit, their musical credentials are now undeniable.

Technology has played its part too: while from Afrika Bambaataa to Q-bert, turntablists have remained true to the 1210s, CD players have made their mark too, with Pioneer CDJs getting their foot in the door of the DJ booth alongside products from Denon and Numark. Software like Serato and Final Scratch bridges the gap from the retro world to the digital age, and marries the elitist brand of turntablism that insists on vinyl 12" records to the modern MP3. And Ableton Live has made laptop computers a prominent feature of many DJ sets, while mixers from Pioneer (DJM600), Allen and Heath (Xone series) and Rane offer built-in effects.

But it's the music itself that is ultimately the DJ's greatest tool, no matter what genre. Whether spinning hip hop, house, R&B, indie, rock, pop, cheese, trance, techno, or drum and bass... and in pubs, nightclubs, at a house party or even on the radio, it's the tunes that make or break a good DJ set. Understanding this helps famous international guest DJs get booked on their reputation for pleasing crowds, and it's the same for local club residents; for Glasgow clubbers, dj barry is synonymous with the alternative scene, and dj toast has carved out a respectable lump of the student market. Dec, aka Harvey Kartel, is praised for his flexibility and his mixing prowess, bringing expert beat-matching and scratching to his sets whether they're an urban crunk style, more laid back soul grooves and funk beats, or even when playing metal and industrial tunes.

Alec Nicholson, Dec 2007