Renowned DJ A-Trak has offered his two cents on the EDM “button pusher” debate.

After penning thoughtful takes on Myspace and the Beastie Boys, A-Trak returns to The Huffington Post for a balanced look at the evolving concept of DJ performance.

Electrohouse provocateur Deadmau5 launched the first salvo in the debate last month, claiming that all DJs simply “hit play” and that “live” performance is unrealistic and unnecessary. Many electronic music heavyweights – notably A Guy Called Gerald – responded in kind.

A-Trak, who won DJ World Championships as a teenager, has a unique perspective in the debate. He’s a well-trained turntablist who values the traditional DJ experience, yet he’s also made a bunch of money as an EDM performer.

In the piece, A-Trak holds that comparing a bells-and-whistles EDM performance to a live DJ set is a case of apples-to-oranges. Surely losing points with DJ “purists,” he finds value in both. However, he does challenge both sides of the aisle to challenge their audiences, and for fans to go to shows with an open mind: “Let yourself be surprised.”

With no end in sight to the EDM explosion, this certainly won’t be the last statement on the significance of DJing. Still, it’s refreshing to read such a reasoned take on an issue that finds blowhards all along the spectrum of opinion.