The Hidden Side of DJ Life: Suicide, Burnout and Depression

Depression spares no one… not even DJs and producers in electronic music…

After the legendary Avicii died in April 2018, the harsh truths that not everyone knows about the DJ world, and the music industry in general, quickly became a heated topic in electronic music circles.

ICON Collective magazine shared its view on the issue. According to the source, many successful DJs and producers can hardly escape the pressure behind the spotlight. Making money is very hard to achieve, and once you do, there is very little time left for yourself, your family and the people around you.

Figures reported by Zing.vn show that 69% of people working in music have experienced or are experiencing depression, and 71% suffer from high levels of panic and anxiety disorders. In EDM the rates are even higher, as artists often sleep very little and tour all year round, with hardly a day off.

There are many causes: organisers' endless demand for touring, on top of pressure from managers, agencies and especially big-name record labels chasing profit. Not to mention drugs and alcohol, which become the familiar "escape route" for getting through the hard times. All this takes a huge toll on health (not eating or sleeping enough) and leaves no energy for a life of one's own.

Because of these problems, Hardwell, twice the world's #1 DJ (2013–2014), decided to stop touring indefinitely to spend more time on himself and his family. He still stays in touch with his fans and keeps releasing music regularly, not to mention hosting his radio show Hardwell On Air every weekend.

Most recently, Getter announced he was quitting touring for good because of the extremely negative reactions from audiences on his "Visceral Tour". The news left his fans heartbroken.

Although the decision saddened many fans, everyone understands that "health comes first" for every human being (and artists are human too). Meanwhile, the issue continues to be discussed at major music conferences around the world, as the industry joins forces to tackle the "dark side" of electronic music as a whole.

Source: ICON Collective, Zing.vn