This Is Not a DJ Tutorial — Arnii on Flipping the Script and Educating the Scene
In a culture obsessed with metrics — plays, followers, sold-out nights — there’s a quiet resistance happening behind the decks. It’s not loud. It’s not branded. And it’s definitely not built for the algorithm.
Enter Arnii.wav, a DJ and sound designer who’s decided to rewire how we engage with music — not through hype, but through intention.
While most DJs are busy polishing their sets for the feed, Arnii’s breaking down how music is made, why it matters, and what gets lost in the chase for cool. His content doesn’t scream for your attention — it asks for it. Thoughtfully. Deliberately. And with a clarity that’s rare in a scene that thrives on mystique.
We sat down with Arnii to talk about what it means to educate in a space built on exclusivity — and why choosing depth over virality might be the most radical move a DJ can make right now.
Unmixed:
You're a DJ who’s chosen to teach — not in a classroom, but on IG. What pushed you to start breaking things down instead of just showing things off?
Arnii.wav:
Electronic Dance Music has always been my identity (no apologies). Ever since those first Trance, Jungle, and Drum & Bass beats blasted from the racing games I played as a kid — titles like Need for Speed: Underground, Wipeout, Gran Turismo 3, and Midnight Club — I knew this was my path. Like many of us, my DJ journey kicked off by obsessively watching YouTube tutorials and experimenting with the original Djay app on my iPhone back in 2011.
Moving to the Czech Republic after high school, I dove into Branding and Marketing, but my real education happened after hours, behind decks at local bars and discos. My early gigs playing progressive trance and EDM were met with lukewarm reception at best.
‘I almost quit’
until Prague’s underground house and minimal scenes reignited my passion.
Breaking into that world was tough. I had to strip away everything — the music, the clothes, even the way I spoke — and rebuild from scratch. Five grueling years of trial and error taught me how inaccessible the TECHNO & HOUSE scene was for newcomers.
Realizing the massive gap in resources for aspiring DJs pushed me to step up. I started hosting my own raves, mentoring local talent — and later, reaching beyond geography through social media. In 2024, I launched my mission of Club Industry Activism: breaking down barriers, empowering the next generation, and making sure no one has to struggle the way I did.
Unmixed:
The scene tends to reward image over insight. Has sharing the “how” ever felt like it cost you something — credibility, bookings, that curated mystery most DJs protect?
Arnii.wav:
The scene is a lot like showbiz. If you stop playing by the rules, you get criticized every step of the way — sometimes demonized.
When I started speaking publicly about issues in the scene, some people avoided working with me out of fear they'd get dragged under too. I lost gigs — a lot of them. It hurt my wallet, but it didn’t hurt my pride.
If you’re in this for the long game, you have to be okay taking a slap to the face (metaphorically) and keep swinging. What’s the point of a scene if it only rewards silence?
Unmixed:
Let’s be real — education isn’t the algorithm’s favorite format. Was there a moment where you thought, “Maybe I should just post a booth clip and call it a day”?
Arnii.wav:
Honestly, it took me forever to get comfortable on camera. My early content was packed with information but lacked personality. Education alone isn’t sexy — but education mixed with entertainment is.
Lately, I’ve been integrating booth clips layered with ideas I care about: industry issues, cultural commentary, storytelling. It’s not the easy route. But I never wanted easy. I wanted real.
Unmixed:
You’re dismantling gatekeeping by showing process. Was that intentional or just a byproduct of your practice?
Arnii.wav:
Both. I started sharing because I was frustrated — frustrated with secrecy, backroom deals, and whisper networks.
Over time, I realized that transparency itself is radical.
If people can see there’s no one right way to do this, they realize they don’t need permission to start.
I’m here to pass the torch, not guard it.
Unmixed:
Your visuals still slap — nothing about your work feels watered down. How do you balance making content that’s both educational and aesthetic?
Arnii.wav:
I refuse to post anything that looks like it came out of a Canva template from hell.
Visuals are communication. Before you read a caption, you feel the vibe. I design with texture — pulling from rave photography, streetwear campaigns, early 2000s MTV chaos — because if I can make someone feel something while they’re learning, they’re way more likely to act on it.
Unmixed:
Do you feel a shift coming — where DJs are valued not just for what they play, but for what they teach?
Arnii.wav:
It’s already here. DJs are becoming community builders, translators, historians, troublemakers.
When I teach, I'm not handing out my blueprint — I'm giving others the tools to build their own.
Unmixed:
If someone is stuck between being palatable and being purposeful, what would you tell them?
Arnii.wav:
Pick purpose. Every time.
Being palatable gets you invited, but being purposeful gets you respected — by the people who actually matter.
What you believe in is your currency. Don’t dilute it.
Unmixed:
What’s something you know now, after putting this kind of content out, that you wish you knew earlier?
Arnii.wav:
Vulnerability is a strength — if you own it.
Perfection doesn’t connect. Proof that you’ve survived does.
Unmixed:
Is there anything you’re unlearning right now about being a DJ, a creator, or an artist in public?
Arnii.wav:
I'm unlearning the "stone face" techno persona.
Being serious doesn’t make you more legit — it just makes you less alive. I’m here to move, to connect, to be present.
Unmixed:
What’s next for you? Not just content-wise, but creatively?
Arnii.wav:
Longer videos. Essays. Maybe even a short film.
I also want to get back to curating events — bringing people together IRL when the industry feels burnt out.
Honestly? As long as I have a roof, food, coffee, and cigarettes — I feel unstoppable. The sky’s not the limit. It’s just the starting line.
Follow @arnii.wav
for more than just inspiration — if you’re ready to question what the scene prioritizes, and maybe even rebuild it from the inside out.
This isn’t just content. This is context.
