Are you a DJ?
Some time ago I’d say no almost violently, but the concept of what is a DJ has changed a lot.
Technically, I’m a producer. I make music, but I don’t know how to beatmatch vinyl properly and rarely even spin CDs either. But! I’ve played several times with Traktor - which is really almost the same thing as DJ-ing with CDs - and I’ve been making some DJ-ing experiences with Ableton Live.
The interesting thing with Live is that it blurs the line bewteen a DJ and a producer. I can pick one of my songs with all loops and instruments separated and mix it with a finished track from my HD. Even better: I can take this full track, define lots of loop points and assorted cuts and create a completely different song. I can pick an acapella and lay it over a different song - or songs. Hell, I can even record an MC live and mess the fuck out of it with effects. There are no limits: it’s live remixing.
While I don’t have to worry about beatmatching (Live does most of this job on its own), I have to work double to do all the looping, cutting and messing-up in real time. Comparing both experiences, I get much more tense concentrated doing this than playing like a regular using Traktor.
Perhaps the right term for what I do (and lots of others do too, I’m far from being the only one) should be CJ - Computer Jockey - as opposed to Disc Jockey. Or even samplist instead of turntablist.