The art of authenticity in a fast-moving music industry

In an era of instant music creation and shrinking audience attention spans, DJ and producer DJ Kinetic says he is constantly negotiating the balance between staying relevant and remaining authentic to his craft.

Having recently released Hooked alongside DJ Fortee, featuring Oliver Tee and Nani Experience, Damari said the pressure to keep producing is immediate.

“I’ve dropped a single now, but I need to start thinking about what’s next, the next single, the next release, maybe even an EP.

Time is also a factor. There’s so much going on in life, and I’ve found that technology is there to assist with that,” he said.

According to Chartmetric’s 2024 Year in Music report, an average of 28,700 songs are released each day globally, underscoring the sheer scale of today’s music output.

With the rapid advancement of technology, commercial musicians face increasing pressure not only to create consistently but to remain trendsetters in an oversaturated market.

The rise of TikTok has further accelerated this pace. A joint study by Luminate and TikTok found that 84% of songs on the Billboard Global 200 chart first gained traction on the platform, highlighting its growing influence on music discovery and success.

Damari said this shift has drastically shortened the lifespan of songs, especially when compared to earlier eras of South African dance music.

“I come from an era where someone would release one compilation a year and be hot the entire year. Now you get guys releasing every week, if not every day. You listen to a few piano songs and people will say, ‘This is old already,’ because they’ve moved on to a new sound.”

Having started his career in 2009, Damari has witnessed the evolution of South Africa’s house music scene, a genre that has remained culturally significant while continuously reinventing itself through new variations and sounds.

He explains that his own sound is shaped by the range of music he has been exposed to over the years, and that this foundation guides his creative process.

Despite the pressure to keep up with trends, Damari insists that authenticity remains central to his work and longevity in the industry.

“I’m trying to remain relevant while also staying true to myself, because if you’re not authentic, it shows very quickly. You’re trying to be something you’re not. Being a poser only works for so long; eventually, you run out of tricks.”

For Damari, authenticity is not just an artistic choice, but a strategy for survival in an industry moving faster than ever before.