Over the past few days I’ve been working on three different DJ sets for an upcoming live painting performance. On the surface it might look like I was simply choosing tracks. But building a DJ set has never felt that simple to me.

People often think DJing is about playing songs you like. Sometimes it is. But the part I love most has very little to do with individual tracks. It’s about what happens between them.

I’ve realised that I don’t really have a favourite genre. I can listen to ambient, techno, classical music, drum and bass, jazz, experimental electronic music… almost anything. The only genre I’ve never really connected with is reggae. Everything else has its place. Every style can be exactly the right one, depending on the moment, the space and the emotion you’re trying to create.

That’s how I think about DJ sets too.

You’re not just selecting music. You’re shaping a journey. Every transition changes the direction of that journey. Every new track shifts the emotional landscape a little. Sometimes you’re asking people to slow down and breathe. Sometimes you’re building tension. Sometimes you’re giving them space to dream. Sometimes you’re asking them to let go.

The beautiful thing is that none of this happens with words.

You never stand in front of the audience explaining what they’re supposed to feel. You simply create the conditions for something to happen and trust that every person will experience it differently.

Maybe that’s why I love DJing so much. To me, it has never been about playing music. It’s about taking people somewhere they didn’t expect to go.