Boiler Room sets are sweeping the globe, seizing new dance music fans with a grip that entices them into the industry. Combining simply an old boiler room, 200 sweaty people, a single DJ and a camera into a streamed show attracting millions, the platform has carved a unique path in the music industry and is now helping upcoming DJs establish themselves.
But where did they come from, where are they going and what makes them so successful?
The beginning
Boiler Room sets are as intuitive as they sound: founder Blaise Belville stumbled across an old, 1930s-style boiler room and, immediately, the seeds of a vision began to sow themselves in his mind. Aiming to counter the commercialised, mainstream forms of media-driven music, Blaise wanted to produce something raw that captured the essence of dance music and the talent of the DJs involved.
He started by moving his decks into the boiler room and began streaming his sets online with a cheap camera held up by duct tape. The sign was moved to the backdrop of the camera and he performed weekly shows. DJs gradually began to perform their own sets and Boiler Room as we know it was born in 2010.
What’s the point?
Boiler Room has now made a name for itself in the dance music industry and is a widely followed platform. Viewers tune in knowing that they can access raw footage of some real, upcoming talent in the DJ market. Not only do musicians get a chance to practice their sets in a real-life setting, get feedback from a live crowd, and have a great time while doing it, but they also gain mass exposure to an online audience to boost their career opportunities and fanbase.
In what is now a globally famous, acclaimed and discussed set, Fred Again’s Boiler Room set in the summer of 2022 has racked up an astounding 13 million views – a record for the platform. The BR experience is like no other in that the minimalist venue and small crowd take nothing away from the pure talent on display, and that’s what 13 million people have tuned in to be in awe of. The reach of these videos is incredibly positive for dance music, the DJs, and the fanbase.
The future
Boiler Room has been an innovative ripple in the music scene since the beginning and it could just help to shape the future of music consumption. There are now many other platforms that provide streaming services for DJs around the world, enabling increased exposure and consumption. With more and more industries shifting towards digital and remote dominance, access to public recording studios to create digital music content is an immeasurably useful outlet for DJs to have.
New technologies, for example, the browser-based interface Capture Audio, make it easier than ever for DJs to record mixes of their ideas. The software is free and easily accessible from any compatible phone device, which means that artists don’t need to be in a fully decked-out studio space to be creative. This approach enables artists to work on the go and to rest assured that the mixed recordings are safely secured in a cloud space.nExpect more music in this kind of format in years to come.
Final thoughts
If Fred Again’s set is anything to go by, it is that Boiler Room has an eye for spotting talent and getting them on board with the stream. It’s fair to say that we should expect some more jaw-dropping performances from a range of talented DJs in the industry, and these streams are a great place to keep an eye out for talented DJs rising through the ranks.
