Has what it means to be a DJ changed? Interesting sounding event debating this on Thursday. The reduced down press release blurb as follows...

TEDx hits Brick Lane to Redefine the Disc Jockey
This Thursday 29th March, the independently organised TEDx event, TEDxBrickLane, will take place at Vibe Bar on Brick Lane. The night will bring together the ideas of music professionals and academics from the UK and around the world to create a richer definition of the DJ, and cement its position in 21st Century music culture.

The event, TEDxBrickLane, is going to be made up of a series of eight talks, each no longer than 18 minutes and all looking at a different aspect of the art of DJing - including the history and reasons behind the DJ's rise in popularity over recent decades, but also the knock on effects this has had for the way we consume music in the 21st Century. The event will be streamed live at http://www.livestream.com/tedx and then sit permanently on the TED website and YouTube following the event.

We've got some great speakers including:
Tony Andrews, the founder and genius behind Funktion One sound systems
Jerome Sydenham, resident DJ at the infamous Berghain and Panorama Bar in Berlin
Dr. Karenza Moore, expert in illegal drug use in society
Joe Muggs - Music writer and reviewer

TEDxBrickLane will consist of a series of eight talks, each addressing a different aspect of the
art of mixing music. Exploring these ideas is a group of eight speakers selected for their unique
perspectives on the world of the DJ. They will not only look at the cause of the DJ’s rise to the
forefront of popular music, but also consider the wider effect it’s had on culture, society and the the development of technology.

The event will be streamed live at www.livestream.com/tedx to the masses and sit permanently on
the official TEDx YouTube channel for the ideas expressed to be shared and discussed far beyond the event itself.

Among those sharing an idea on 29th March will be the founder and boss of what has fast become
the industry standard sound system for clubs and festivals around the world - Funktion One. Tony
Andrews will be sharing his views on the MP3 format and discussing the relationship between the
emotional connection we experience from music and sound quality.

Also on the bill is A&R, record label owner and world renowned DJ, Jerome Sydenham, who will
be using his vast experience in the music industry to consider whether artistic and capitalistic
motivation can coexist in the pursuit of making emotive music.

Looking at one angle of the cultural effects of the disc jockey is Dr. Karenza Moore, an expert in
drug use specifically in clubbing contexts. Having conducted years of in depth research, she will be
assessing why drugs are synonymous within the spaces that DJs entertain, and providing her views
on whether prohibition policies are still relevant in the current day and age.

Founder and curator of TEDxBrickLane, Tunde Olaoye, said:

“The DJ was born with the invention of the phonograph in 1877. Skip forward 150 years and we live in a world where DJs are revered and but not respected as much as traditional musicians. TEDxBrickLane will take an in-depth look at what caused this rise to fruition, but even more importantly, what the knock on effects have been for the way we consume music and, to a greater extent, culture in the 21st Century.”

A full list of speakers and topics can be found at tedxbricklane.co.uk/speakers