--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never wanted to just press play on some…" description: "\"I never wanted to just press play on some DJ set and let the lights do all the work. I value old-fashioned performance a little more than that.\" — Wash..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/washed-out-6899_dj_i-never-wanted-to-just-press-play-on-som_69903.jpg" --- # I never wanted to just press play on some DJ set and let… ![“I never wanted to just press play on some DJ set and let the lights do all the work. I value old-fashioned performance a little more than that.” quote by Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/washed-out-6899_dj_i-never-wanted-to-just-press-play-on-som_69903.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/washed-out-6899_dj_i-never-wanted-to-just-press-play-on-som_69903.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7b/washed-out-6899_dj_i-never-wanted-to-just-press-play-on-som_69903.jpg) > “I never wanted to just press play on some DJ set and let the lights do all the work. I value old-fashioned performance a little more than that.” [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker prefers authentic, live performance over passive, pre‑recorded experiences, valuing human effort and spontaneity. **In simple terms:** Prefers live over recorded Key Takeaway Live performance matters Themes authenticity creativity human connection experience performance technology Mood nostalgic reflective determined Type statement opinion reflection When to use this quote - concerts - clubs - music festivals - personal listening sessions - creative collaborations Key Concepts live performance DJ culture audience engagement artistic effort Practical Applications - designing immersive live events - curating authentic music experiences Questions to Reflect On - How does technology enhance or diminish authenticity? - What role does effort play in artistic appreciation? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I didn't come up as a DJ, so I don't play by DJ rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deadmau5/i-didn-t-come-up-as-a-dj-so-i-don-t-play-by-dj-rules/) Deadmau5 > [“I play DJ, and you tell me what you like.” “Got it,” I said with a firm nod, fighting little jitters of excitement. “And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-hudson/i-play-dj-and-you-tell-me-what-you-like-got-it-i-said-with-a-firm-nod/) [Tara Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-hudson/) > [“Don't let your lights go down Don't let your fire burn out Somewhere somebody needs a reason to believe Why don't you rise up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britt-nicole/don-t-let-your-lights-go-down-don-t-let-your-fire-burn-out-somewhere/) [Britt Nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britt-nicole/) > [If the truth will come out only in the darkness, then let the lights go off!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-the-truth-will-come-out-only-in-the-darkness-then-let-the-lights/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Shout out to asian girls, let the lights dim some(dim sum).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/shout-out-to-asian-girls-let-the-lights-dim-some-dim-sum/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Here's what I think about music and journalism: The most important thing is to just press play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-ocean/here-s-what-i-think-about-music-and-journalism-the-most-important/) [Frank Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-ocean/) > [“want people to rock out in the car and not care that people are watching, I love that feeling when the sequences are all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lewis/want-people-to-rock-out-in-the-car-and-not-care-that-people-are/) [Blake Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lewis/) > [You can't stop the future You can't rewind the past The only way to learn the secret ...is to press play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/you-can-t-stop-the-future-you-can-t-rewind-the-past-the-only-way-to/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) > [Every record I make, I want people to feel what I used to feel when I used to crack open a CD and press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/statik-selektah/every-record-i-make-i-want-people-to-feel-what-i-used-to-feel-when-i/) [Statik Selektah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/statik-selektah/) > [You can't get someone to like something they aren't feeling. After you press play, there isn't anything you can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/you-can-t-get-someone-to-like-something-they-aren-t-feeling-after-you/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [No one has to tell you what to do, it's automatic. You don't even have to make a move, it's automatic Everybody wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnham/no-one-has-to-tell-you-what-to-do-it-s-automatic-you-don-t-even-have/) [Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnham/) > [The music is at this weird intersection of dance music and indie music. It's not quite dancey enough to do a full-blown DJ set,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/the-music-is-at-this-weird-intersection-of-dance-music-and-indie/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [My first big influences were more hip-hop based - people like DJ Shadow and Four Tet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/my-first-big-influences-were-more-hip-hop-based-people-like-dj-shadow/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [For the longest time, I was trying to be DJ Shadow, I think. But I slowly developed my own style. It was trial and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/for-the-longest-time-i-was-trying-to-be-dj-shadow-i-think-but-i/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [I try to get the hip-hop aesthetic, most times without an MC. I don't use a rapper or a DJ to give it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-glasper/i-try-to-get-the-hip-hop-aesthetic-most-times-without-an-mc-i-don-t/) [Robert Glasper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-glasper/) ## More by Washed Out > [I like an even-keeled, slow-paced job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/i-like-an-even-keeled-slow-paced-job/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [I took piano lessons when I was really young, like five years old, and I didn't really enjoy that very much. It was kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/i-took-piano-lessons-when-i-was-really-young-like-five-years-old-and/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [My music is a personal thing, and I feel like if I talk too much about the songs, or if there's too much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/my-music-is-a-personal-thing-and-i-feel-like-if-i-talk-too-much-about/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [I felt like I was building this world brick by brick with each layer of instrumentation I was doing. I could see it growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/i-felt-like-i-was-building-this-world-brick-by-brick-with-each-layer/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [When I'm not touring, I hardly ever leave my house. Part of it is I get to do what I'm most passionate about, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/when-i-m-not-touring-i-hardly-ever-leave-my-house-part-of-it-is-i-get/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [I personally love the record-making more than the actually performing and travelling. It's funny, the drastic shift in lifestyle that comes with it. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/i-personally-love-the-record-making-more-than-the-actually-performing/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [Obviously, you want to honour the sound of your music, but I'm definitely open to trying new things and making myself use a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/obviously-you-want-to-honour-the-sound-of-your-music-but-i-m/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [For me personally, I'm always writing from what's happening in my emotional life. Even without thinking about it a lot of the time, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/for-me-personally-i-m-always-writing-from-what-s-happening-in-my/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [The Washed Out thing happened really quickly, and I wasn't really actively promoting the songs. I didn't think of them as any more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/the-washed-out-thing-happened-really-quickly-and-i-wasn-t-really/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [A lot of the early Washed Out material was done on a couple of synthesizers that did most of the work, but that's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/a-lot-of-the-early-washed-out-material-was-done-on-a-couple-of/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [I'm entirely self-taught, which I think is both a blessing and a curse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/i-m-entirely-self-taught-which-i-think-is-both-a-blessing-and-a-curse/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [The thing that's good about music-making software like the DAW-kinda systems is that they're all generally the same; the kind of interface is normally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/the-thing-that-s-good-about-music-making-software-like-the-daw-kinda/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [When I first started writing songs, I never intended on singing. I didn't really consider myself a singer at all. I was just kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/when-i-first-started-writing-songs-i-never-intended-on-singing-i-didn/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [If a band or artist isn't tweeting or writing posts on Facebook every day, there can be this kind of mystique built about them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/if-a-band-or-artist-isn-t-tweeting-or-writing-posts-on-facebook-every/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) > [The entire making of 'Within and Without' was a series of experiments and trial by error. When I started writing, I didn't have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washed-out/the-entire-making-of-within-and-without-was-a-series-of-experiments/) [Washed Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) [Explore all 96 Washed Out quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washed-out/) ## More Dj quotes > [I try to get the hip-hop aesthetic, most times without an MC. I don't use a rapper or a DJ to give it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-glasper/i-try-to-get-the-hip-hop-aesthetic-most-times-without-an-mc-i-don-t/) [Robert Glasper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-glasper/) > [Raves when it was safe to be free & wave your hands in the air, like you didn't even care! Not scared to break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/progrezza/raves-when-it-was-safe-to-be-free-wave-your-hands-in-the-air-like-you/) [Progrezza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/progrezza/) > [I was DJing for this party promotion called 1st Flight Entertainment, having to DJ on the weekends and then also going to school in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tay-keith/i-was-djing-for-this-party-promotion-called-1st-flight-entertainment/) [Tay Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tay-keith/) > [I saw this DJ playing music and saying things to the kids. They would answer him back, and I say, 'That's a great idea.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-robinson/i-saw-this-dj-playing-music-and-saying-things-to-the-kids-they-would/) [Sylvia Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-robinson/) > [I'm in a car so much on tour that I often just ask my friends to DJ and ask them what they like. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hopkins/i-m-in-a-car-so-much-on-tour-that-i-often-just-ask-my-friends-to-dj/) [Ben Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hopkins/) > [It's tough when you're an artist because you get to go around the world and make a lot of friends, but guess what? One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flying-lotus/it-s-tough-when-you-re-an-artist-because-you-get-to-go-around-the/) [Flying Lotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flying-lotus/) > [I consider myself more of a producer and a musician than a DJ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kygo/i-consider-myself-more-of-a-producer-and-a-musician-than-a-dj/) [Kygo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kygo/) > [People like RZA and DJ Premier are really on the balcony to scope my musical theories. They also help me focus on making sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-younge/people-like-rza-and-dj-premier-are-really-on-the-balcony-to-scope-my/) [Adrian Younge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-younge/) > [I'm not a DJ - I don't know how to scratch or mix records, but I know how to party, and I know music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rose/i-m-not-a-dj-i-don-t-know-how-to-scratch-or-mix-records-but-i-know/) [Amber Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rose/) > [For me, it's a great thing to tell people anything is possible. When I was 15, people told me 'You're not going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afrojack/for-me-it-s-a-great-thing-to-tell-people-anything-is-possible-when-i/) [Afrojack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afrojack/) > [The most freedom I have is when I get to do DJ sets I get a little more freedom to play what I'm in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-koma/the-most-freedom-i-have-is-when-i-get-to-do-dj-sets-i-get-a-little/) [Matthew Koma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-koma/) > [I really enjoy DJing but I couldn't DJ exclusively. I couldn't produce exclusively either, that would involve spending a lot of time in isolation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonobo/i-really-enjoy-djing-but-i-couldn-t-dj-exclusively-i-couldn-t-produce/) [Bonobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonobo/) > [I saw a DJ from Germany called Sven Vath. I saw him in the club, he played for six hours and I was just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-saw-a-dj-from-germany-called-sven-vath-i-saw-him-in-the-club-he/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [I met Rick Rubin through Cat Collins, a DJ friend of mine that had worked for Rubin at American Recordings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cornette/i-met-rick-rubin-through-cat-collins-a-dj-friend-of-mine-that-had/) [Jim Cornette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cornette/) > [I love him so much I cant get him out of my mind and and I cant wait to see him... I hope he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth/i-love-him-so-much-i-cant-get-him-out-of-my-mind-and-and-i-cant-wait/) [Elizabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth/) Browse all 262 Dj quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I never wanted to just press play on some DJ set and let the lights do all the work. 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