DJing track selection in your mix sets

[Miroslav]

Just curious to get peoples' thoughts on all things related to track selection... Do you have any semblance of a method you use in your approach? How long do you spend working on your sets before you release them? What's the longest time you've spent on a demo? How does your approach to track selection translate from a planned out demo mix to a live on-the-fly mix?

Given that I have limited time these days and that I'm a perfectionist, I like to devote my time to well thought out demos.... 1.5 months in, and I've got about 5 tracks pieced together for my upcoming demo. My method is pretty painstaking, and I will sometimes shelve a series of tracks for a mix until I find the one or two more records that really make it come together. No formula beyond that, just have to hear it a bunch of times and see if it moves me or if I get bored with it...

[BureOne]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

Well Im also a perfectionist. Things must flow and that takes time to piece together tracks that compliment each other. And even with 2 or 3 months time you don't always get want you want.

If I devote myself to a set, it's usually a 2 month period (Sometimes it can be about 4) You can pick out tracks that might sound like if they go, but mixing them is different and I sometimes find out that they're horrible together.

It takes some rearranging, removing, adding and creative transitioning of tracks during a test recording. I find it really frustrating when wanting to make something good by doing all the above and I have to just stop and continue another day.

When I mix "on the fly" it usually turns out being dope; but those are the ones I don't record. I think its the fact you know your not recording, so there is no pressure of doing anything great, and those usually turn out very good.

[Shpira]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

I always record...that way i don't feel any pressure (well I feel less than I used to)

[unkownartist]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

Just curious to get peoples' thoughts on all things related to track selection... Do you have any semblance of a method you use in your approach? How long do you spend working on your sets before you release them? What's the longest time you've spent on a demo? How does your approach to track selection translate from a planned out demo mix to a live on-the-fly mix?

Given that I have limited time these days and that I'm a perfectionist, I like to devote my time to well thought out demos.... 1.5 months in, and I've got about 5 tracks pieced together for my upcoming demo. My method is pretty painstaking, and I will sometimes shelve a series of tracks for a mix until I find the one or two more records that really make it come together. No formula beyond that, just have to hear it a bunch of times and see if it moves me or if I get bored with it...

i think your approach is pointless ( not wanting to sound cheeky )

say someone likes ur demo and ur suddenly flung into having to perform live ? imo u have to be able to listen out for the things that make tracks go together so that u can spontaniously mix those tracks when and where ever u need to do so and also if ur out on the road all the time and u are getting new tracks all the time ( promo's ) you are not going to be able to find the time to listen to those tracks much so imo again u have to be able to listen out for the things that make tracks flow together

[kalin]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

Red1's got the point here.

whenever I want to mix a 'promo', I just practice playing records for a couple of days, then, when I feel it's 'that time', I pres 'REC' and let it flow, just like I would do in front of people

[2tan]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

I usually choose the mood i want for a specific demo,browse quickly through a couple hundred(maybe thousands.. )tracks,choose the ones i want and put them together....it's a fairly quick process....
The most time i spend is on audiostores choosing and rechoosing the tracks i want...

[jeffrey collins]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

it's just about creating a good feel. i usually put about three types/styles of house in my sets....electro...prog...and tribal.

[TheAudionaut]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

IMO a demo should be an accurate representation of how you spin live. If you spend weeks or months planning a single hour set, how are you going to be able to rock a club for 4 hours?

It was said above, i think the best way to do it is to record everything. I record myself everytime i hit the decks and then i listen back to it the next day in the car, or at the gym, or at the office. this gives me the ability to critique myself. sometimes a mix that sounded great when you did it won't be as good when you listen to it. and vice versa, ive listened to plenty of mixes that i thought i trainwrecked at the time, but weren't too bad on the second time around.

as far as planning a set, you've gotta be able to wing it. you;ve gotta be able to play from the gut. you've gotta be able to read your audience and play what they want to hear. and to do that you have to know your tracks. you have to know your break points and know what tracks work with what.

[Miroslav]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

Neat posts...

For me, there are two kinds of ways of DJing.

One is a very intricate process where you invest a lot of time in developing just the right flow of tracks in the right sequence...records, adjust, re-layer tracks, etc. Obviously not conducive to a club, great for personal enjoyment or in putting out a really polished mix just from a listening perspective.

The other is the more spontaneous kind that many of you are referring to. Getting a feel for your records and just going at it without a lot of planning. Obviously key if you're going to be a DJ who gets gigs and plays out, and if you're making a demo to hand out.

I really disagree that one is pointless relative to the other; I think that takes a rather biased and narrow view of the art - understandably so, since many people who DJ are very caught up in trying to play out, etc. I think it depends on what your objective is with the art. I've done both, and there are things to be learned from both that can be cross-applied as well.. Maybe someday soon I'll get back into playing out, and I'll gear up again on my more spontaneous playing. But with my time limited these days, I'm not playing out anymore like I used to...I find that I get a lot of artistic satisfaction out of really scripting out some mixes, exploring things out to their fullest, and capturing them on CD. It's therapeutic for me.

[High Jack]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

i just like to play. altho i should get back to recording everything cuz its the best practice to listen n learn from mistakes. u dont become the best at something by not doing something a lot.

[pr0ficient]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

I could never allow myself months to create a set. For me, new sets are usually inspired by new tracks and new combinations that I can create with those tracks. If I were to spend 2, 3, or even 4 months to develop a set I would have a hard time finishing it because I'd keep adding tracks and changing it around every time a new track was released that I like. In other words, I try and not create sets in which all of the music is 4+ months old.

I have an excel sheet with the tracks from all of my CDs and and records on it which I update every time I purchase new music. Whenever I do purchase new music I'm always playing it, learning it, and mixing it with other records I have. When I feel that two tracks really compliment each other I will make a note of it on my track list. After finding several possibilities for a number of new tracks I will just keep these combinations in mind when I am mixing on the fly. Once I have a few days of practice with mixing these tracks I will spend a few hours every day trying to perfectly mix the set I have briefly outlined in my head and on paper. This whole process probably takes a week or two before I am satisfied.

[Funky Dredd]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

I just play, what comes out is what you get. If I make an error I do it again until I get it right. I've been doing it that way for probably the last 16 years. That way there is no deviation between "Live" and "Planned". But I will say that I like to play tracks that I have never heard, it keeps me on my toes and helps me concentrate more, plus you get to know the tracks a lot better because of the concentration factor.
Old Skool is different though, I go with how my mood is at the time.

[Digger]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

if i want to rec a demo, i just put what im lisening right now...im mean style, is it dark?, is it housey?..is it proggy?.....

and for doing it live, i just get to the flow for the ppl...thinking how they are...maybe they are drunk maybe they are on E or something like that....the ppl demands!...i just put music the best way i can...

and for recording a demo, the longest time i have put in one, maybe 1 month, not more.....

[Homegrove]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

Depends on the mix, my Nocturnes mixes each took more then a month to compile but I also do a lot of mixes where I spend maybe 2 hours selecting the tracks and then do the mix with one take to have some sort of a live-mood to it.

[luke fuchs]

Re: track selection in your mix sets

there are different stuff taken into consideration when you do a mix and when you do a life performance.. the spectators are not the same... normaly on a live performance you got a much higher number or people that might not even know about electronic music but they go their to take their 'pils'. One does a good promo mix to be called by the promoters... that the only thing that they care about is that you get lots of people into the club and make them happy so they come back.
Its not easy to do a good promo ... but no way you can related to a live performance.. they are two completely different stuff... A good promo mix if you know your tracks shouldnt take much more than a week.... the mixing its easy .. you just need to get to know your tracks.