All hands on deck

From the early days setting up his decks in the spare bedroom, Berwick DJ Paul Scott has honed his craft down the years, playing gigs in Edinburgh as well as his home town.

The self-taught spinner has specialised in trance and house, and now does mainly multi-genre — still using vinyl and turntables where possible.

“A DJ performing as the star of the show was a new phenomenon in the 1990s and it really snowballed,” he says. “It was great for me as I was just a kid following some of the biggest DJs around the country. Dance music exploded in the ‘90s — it was a brilliant time.”

Paul says being spontaneous is key to getting audiences on the floor, especially these days when people are less fixated with a particular genre of dance music.

“Some DJs put together great sets with fixed visuals and sounds, but if people aren’t into it you’re stuck,” he said. “I rely 100 per cent on the audience and I change things that aren’t working.

“It’s very creative. You’re playing someone else’s music but playing it your way. And at the same time you have to read the room and build an atmosphere that people enjoy.

“I’m always chasing new music and it’s great to see people’s reactions to a new track you’ve found.”

Berwick venues he appears at include The Barrels and he was resident DJ at the Radio Rooms.

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• Facebook: Paul Scott (DJ SCOTTY)
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