Krell

For all you guys know the track might ROCK - Has anybody actually heard it yet ? I think it was about music and not politics for you guys hahaha - Guess I was wrong. Last time I heard Frank E DJ, it was more full on - hard edged, but not dark psy - even played some protoculture I think it was (or perhaps silicon sound). Of course, the true and real believers listen only to ......... shitty music which they choose just because its politicly correct and it goes well with their self image of being "special" and "better than everyone else" - More evolved - ya da ya da ya da. Koxbox releasing on Chemical Crew - How horrible. Now you cant listen to Koxbox anymore since it might fuck up your selfimage ;-) Oh dear :-) Thats what you get from putting people on piedestals ;-) Next up, Skazi "XTC - Hallucinogen RMX" Krell

I think it would be fair for you to mention that you were the one who came closest to guessing what was what. Not like me, who faired a lot worse - I couldnt even tell 192kbps MP3 and CD Audio apart. Im really curious of what a 24bit 192KHz MP3 might sound like when compared to CD Audio - Perhaps we should be careful not to measure everything by CDs anymore when talking quality. I for one have no clue, only time I ever listened to 24bit tracks was during artists livesets - and often that sounded very good. A "fun" way to explore how MP3s have "grown up" is listening to low bitrate samples from for instance the saikosounds site - Stuff they encoded long time ago sounds really bad, while the newer encoded stuff sounds 3 times better at the same bitrate (and, with low bitrate those improvements are really noticeable, explaining even more why we couldnt tell the difference when it came to the high bitrate ones). Best Wishes Krell

Jaïa "Fiction" - Digital Structures http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/dig/dig1cd016.html Vibrasphere "Lime Structure" - Digital Structures http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/dig/dig1cd010.html The Vibrasphere one is not available - So, instead I suggest. Kino Oko "Lost Entertainment" - Horns and Hoofs Entertainment. http://www.psyshop.com/shop/CDs/hah/hah1cd005.html I would never want to be stranded with only 2 albums anywhere, EVER. Best Wishes Krell

You are so right, and its also how I feel mainly about all my vinyls these days - I NEVER listen to them, and the turntable is just taking up space. CDs will follow soon, CD players are just taking up space. What we need in the future is a storage solution and a mixer - Thats it - Its already there, buy a mackie mixer with firewire and hook it up and your ready to go. Another thing I think is worth putting into focus here is audio quality - There is actually not that much of a barrier preventing your digital formats to be for instance 24bit 96Khz stereo instead of poor CD quality 16 bit 44Khz stereo. From what I hear, the difference is noticeable... Also, a lot of the sound chips etc used in sound cards are superior to those on regular or DJ cd players... In effect you might end up with better sound quality, cheaper and more conviniently. Best Wishes Krell

0,69 143 BPM (there is no 0,7% = 1 BPM) 0,75 133BPM 0,8 125 BPM Copy/Paste from Isratrance. 120 0.833333333 121 0.826446281 122 0.819672131 123 0.81300813 124 0.806451613 125 0.8 126 0.793650794 127 0.787401575 128 0.78125 129 0.775193798 130 0.769230769 131 0.763358779 132 0.757575758 133 0.751879699 134 0.746268657 135 0.740740741 136 0.735294118 137 0.729927007 138 0.724637681 139 0.71942446 140 0.714285714 141 0.709219858 142 0.704225352 143 0.699300699 144 0.694444444 145 0.689655172 146 0.684931507 147 0.680272109 148 0.675675676 149 0.67114094 150 0.666666667 :-) Krell

I thought you was :-) Im a bit architect INTP as well, there are some traits which I hold, and others I dont. Mostly INTJ though :-) Actually, our little debate here got me interested in this - What kind of influense ones personality has on ones DJing methods/approaches/convictions/philosophies. In regards to DJing INTP would perhaps not be interested in getting caught up in following the same system too much since he would get bored with it (when you DJ on the fly, you adapt yourself to a new system everytime, location and crowd). I think, the ETNJ will generally have the best personality for "on the fly" Djing though(on paper). While the INTJ wants to do whatever works best at a given time, so, try to stay open and choose the best solution for whatever situation. Efficiency is what matters there. Fits me very well :-) Theres a lot up to the interpretation of the code as well. Try checking this out. http://www.typelogic.com/intj.html me http://www.typelogic.com/intp.html you Both INTP and INTJ are like 1% of the population each, ENTJ is around 2% - I think many Djs will be NT something (rationals). Best Wishes Krell

If you are good enough at it, you can. Depends on what kind of person you are really. This is my personality profile.... http://keirsey.com/personality/ntij.html Read it, and perhaps you will understand that for some people - Planning ahead is the way to go, because they are alot better at it than say, other people. You say that you note the tracks that you like right ? So, that is part of your preplanning, and its a method I use AS A CONTINGENCY PLAN to plan No 1, which is a pre set track list I follow (unless I know, by using my more than 10 years of djing exerience, that there is a more effective path to choose in the musical flow). This however wont work out for everyone, depends on who you are, how you do things most efficiently. Definition is Limitation - And limiting yourself to DJing one way or the other will just not enable you to reach your fullest potential. My main source of stimuli, as a DJ, is my experience and my mind + knowledge of creating dj sets. Pure and simple - I dont need to be at the party to know what music will work best, unless I dont know what kind of party Im being booked for (in which case I wont accept the booking anyways). Best Wishes Krell

I think its more about early Psy DJs being shitty mixers and once new psy DJs with better mixing skills appear they try to market themselves by their mixing skills - the natural step for the old timers is to respond "Mixing Is not Important, flow is" - While insinuating the new good mixers can mix but cant create flow - basicly under mining their sales point. Dont think DJs are generally above that kind of behavior - We are all just human beings :-) People look up to the old timers and to many what they say is LAW and it is therefore something they carry on with them out in the world. In essence saying that good mixing doesnt matter, or even that it is somehow counter productive. (In essence saying that DJs who mix well are not worthy DJs and should be avoided since they are not the real thing lol). The only argument I respect is "I want to hear all of the track" because it makes sense, some intros and outros are simply a shame to waste, which is why I dont always beatmatch tracks. The trance insitute however states, that in order to achieve a deep trance you need to be inside the same tempo for at least 20 minuttes - So, switching BPMs all the time will in theory deny the listeners deep trance states (which is a fact if we believe what we read there). One last thing - Goa Gil does not fade mix, and neither do many of the old time DJs - They just train wreck everything - Actually Goa Gil isnt THAT bad, he makes less shitty transititions than many other DAT DJs I heard, dunno exactly how he does it, but it wasnt simple fade mixing I heard a few years back - perhaps it was 2 tracks running at almost the same BPM and once they cross each other and align briefly he EQs the next track in (sounded like that to me, very quick mixes). Best Wishes Krell

Yes, like I said, interesting mixing technique. During the beginning of my "career" or whatever you want to call it, I was far closer to techno & house DJs than I was to any psy DJs - So, I do know what its about for them (more or less). It was an example. I relate to things alot through planning, Im a very introspective person (meaning I plan and prepare, best on my own) - So, while some people like conversation and solving issues as they come up, I like to prepare and anticipate them in a proactive manner. This is my personality, where my strength is, and this is why it dominates my Djing style (why it works best for me). I wouldnt go as far as saying that I force music on people, not more than you do really - Now you just make me sound like a tyrant lol :-) *polishes his demonic attributes* Good that was not a problem for you, I could do the same. Like you wrote earlier, you play at a lot of places where you dont know what you will encounter, so preplanning a set using the same methods as I do just doesnt make sense, and if you were to do it and follow the plan your end product would be inferior as compared to if you just went with the feel you had for the people and the event. Your right - We are moving in circles now - But, Id like you to know that I fully understand your point of view, and I do not in any way disagree with your approach being the superior one in your case - What I wanted you to realize is that for other Djs, other ways are better --- that ---- is ----- all :-) I hope I can book you sometime - Then we can have this whole conversation again - And I will of course put myself right next to you on the lineup just for the sake of the competition ;-) Thanks for the debate Mr Dmtree :-) Krell

Perhaps for you, but not for everybody. Stimuli is subjective to the person being stimulated. Plenty of techno DJs also just beat match their tracks, but just play 2-3 minuttes of each track. The music is so monotomous (if its minimal techno) that the only way to get the music to be interesting is by interesting mixing techniques (thats how I see it anyways). So, if I tell you - I can feel the vibe of a party before Im even there, would you believe me ? I think not, since you dont know how I think. You can either react to the vibe or set the vibe yourself - I set the vibe, and let others react to it. My way :-) Its like war, when you hold the initiative you can dictate the rules of the battle - as a DJ, you hold the initiative. However, following a plan blindly can of course land you in defeat - so the able commander can adapt his battleplan as it unfolds. You might be wondering why you never land an argument which is 100% compelling against preparing sets (since there is always another perspective on it when I respond), and why I dont try to make an argument which is 100% against playing on the fly either - The reason to that is that both methods have their strengths and weaknesses, and the best DJ will exploit both methods to their fullest potential for optimum effect. *salutes* Best Wishes Krell

I think we agree yes. What I react to very much is when people generalize and essentially put others down - I dont like it, and I saw it happening in this topic and I know it is a topic which is flammable in regards to DJing also. (So I provoked slightly). Its different things when it comes to DJs - but - In essence what it comes down to is method vs music. Liveacts Vs DJs - I honestly think that most of all this "live" stuff is mostly important when organizers can write it on flyers because its a BIG sales point. You write GMS live and 800 people turn up at the party, you write DJ Bansi(Spun Records) and 150 show up... So, DJs create an 6-8 times worse experiences than production artists ? Doesnt make sense to me :-) (we must then of course remember to support and promote those artists who are REALLY amazing live, so they dont drown in the ocean of meaningless live stuff). At the very least, I dont think artists(djs and producers) should fight amongst themselves over these things and just realize that they shouldnt get caught up in this to a degree where they put each other down and put limitations on each other... Even when I myself have talked "badly" about lets say Goa Gil for not being a top notch mixer, I would still be talking good about his DJing philosophies and basicly playing a big role in creating a philosophy to Djing in which he went beyond the "organic jukebox" one. All in all - I think its a real challenge to keep an open mind - Its not enough to say you are open minded, you have to be it as well. In order to do so, I try to focus on the end result of a performance (whatever it is), and not the methods by which it was achieved. Judgement must come from "the right music at the right time" and "seamless & perfect mixing hopefully adding to the experience" - Those things can only be experienced then and there, and depend on skills to present music (skills which vary from DJ to DJ, good skills in one area can balance bad skills out - All round good skills is what any DJ or Production artist should aim for - this excludes narrowmindedness). Best Wishes Krell

You are so right. Everything in what you write goes for me as well. Except for one little detail. "in the end you're still playing music for the ppl in front of you, not for yourself..;" I play music for myself first, and the people next... and, its not me being egocentric - Let me explain. I see myself as part of the dancefloor - I will always select music using my emotions and intuition - No matter if its done @home or @location - the music being played is what I want to hear, what I feel like at the time. Preplanning a set you need to have imagination and fantasy enough to close your eyes and engage in creative daydreaming about the party situation (therefore you also needed to know when you will play, or else you should prepare for playing "on the fly" + the more info you get, the better you will be prepared regardless of how you prepare). This is perhaps also where artistry touches DJing - I mean, artistry according to the following definition of "Creative Art". One of the definitions of art you will find @wikipedia.org / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art "The creative arts are a collection of disciplines whose principal purpose is in the output of material that is compelled by a personal drive and echoes or reflects a message, mood, and symbolism for the viewer to interpret. As such, the term art may be taken to include forms as diverse as prose writing, poetry, dance, acting, music, sculpture and painting. In addition to serving as a method of pure creativity and self-expression, the purpose of works of art may be to communicate ideas, such as in politically-, religiously-, and philosophically-motivated art, to create a sense of beauty (see aesthetics and fine art) or pleasure, or to generate strong emotions; the purpose may also be seemingly nonexistent." Meaning - DJing can be a creative art where the purpose is to output a product which is the result of the artists(djs) personal drive which reflects the artists(dj) mood while perhaps even containing a message or symbolism from the artist(dj). In the case of DJing, its an artform which takes existing art and molds it together into an overall image / message / experience much like many visual artists also do. This set of mine http://www.mixupload.com/index.php?act=mli...ysong&s_id=3823 is a demo of my own artistry within Djing, it reflects my mood at the time, it contains messages in regards to the flow in relation to the title of the set + it also symbolizes events in human history (whether people can pick up on those things are of course dependant on that the listeners are recognizing it as art and trying to interpret it as well as my ability to make them see it - I think, in most cases, it is very hard to make things understandable - but, so it also is with visual abstract art) :-) My point is - For my part, track selection is done for myself first, not the crowd - Because I consider myself an artist in what I do. So, in effect, I have to be true to myself. (but, I consider myself to be one of the dancers on the floor in my preparations or while spinning, this is how I integrate myself into the crowd, and this is how I play FOR the crowd). I would not be interested in playing R&B, Rock or anything like that - Thats not who I am.... If people SCREAM for SCOOOOTER or PRODIIIIGYYY or SKAAAAZIII, Im not going to give it to them. I think, most DJs will agree on this. At least when handed to them like this - You always operate within your own boundaries, and not the boundaries of the people on the dancefloor - If you forget yourself, you are no longer an artists showing others your own mood + talent, your at best a very skilled organic jukebox who plays whatever people want to hear. THIS is a principle, and you betray it once you play something "you kinda like" instead of what "you really want to hear".... And of course, lets not forget that the artist(dj) is dependant on the artist(production), unless of course its one of those rare production artists spinning only own tracks (what many then call live acts, but some honestly call a dj set). Best Wishes Krell

I agree with you - You cant generalize like that either way - Its neither better or worse, its up to the DJ thats what it is. To put it more clearly - if a totally crappy DJ prepares a set and that set is compared to a "on the fly" set by a very skilled DJ Im very sure the skilled DJ would "win". However, the skilled DJ would "win" because he is SKILLED and not because he chose the tracks on the fly. Preparation and the use of ones preparation is one of the most important (and never talked about) skills for most DJs. Preparation is a part of a DJs experience, you basicly learn how best to prepare yourself with time. If the guy before me played psy-tekk and I was to move into Full On from there I would go for some Triac -> Wizzy Noise -> Black & White -> Whatever (making a transition which fitted the flow) - but I would only do it if I thought it would work better for the party. However, there is more to it that just lining up along the other DJs style & mood wise - as a DJ you also have a responsiblity for diversity and keeping the music "on topic" so to say in relation to the flyer. If a DJ goes completely berserk in Full On at what is announced as being a progressive event I think its up to you to get things back on track. All in all, I always like my sets to be able to stand on their own 2 feet regardless of what is played before at an event. Also - Flow is not only about selecting tracks which fit together (thats just the first level of flow) - Its also about the ability to create contrast in your set and the party as a whole - and contrast is achieved by mixing moods and styles up :-) I will usually start of my sets with a change in contrast - This way I am not that exposed to the previous DJs hot temper. Changing contrast is about moving QUICKLY from black to white, its like when floating 2 meters over the ground moving forward only looking down, and then suddenly you move out over a cliff and stare into the abyss - You get a WOW feeling and its really something special. It would be bad to be locked into sticking to a set like that if it does not work - but, noone is keeping you from switching to "on the fly" mode if the set would benefit from it. However, like I said, I also think you have to weigh your options if its just a DJ before you who went berserk, following his flow might not be the right thing to do since you might just end up handing the problem down in the lineup to other DJs or Liveacts who might be more genre locked. I once found myself in a situation where I was told the guy before me was playing 125BPM house for an hour, and actually he ended up playing for 2 hours, 1 hour house and 1 hour full on ending @ 146BPM !!! - Full On was NOT on the menu, and the DJ after me was DJ Holeg who plays Psy Electro/Techno with Trance influences. So - I decided to STICK with my set and make a 180 degree turn and get things back on track, while I could very well have played a full on set (I even had a prepared one with me, but I decided not to do it - Simply because I fellt "ok, the other guy is a lousy DJ, no reason I should follow in his footsteps). Best Wishes Krell

Always better when prepared - Right. But - To be said also - Dmtree IS prepared, just not in the same way i am. And, of course, when you can do a better job choosing tracks on the fly (getting a better flow) that is what you should do - but, if you can get a better flow choosing tracks before hand, that is what you should do. For me, flow is more important than mixing - and if I would as a DJ benefit from on the fly track selection I would still be doing it that way - but I personally dont benefit from it. So - That is my style of Djing.... For me, an ideal audience should not be listening to a DJ because of his style of Djing but because of the end product of his Djing (the music) - This actually goes hand in hand with the fact that the music is what matters, and not the method (again something which lies deeply in the core of electronic music). Here I go again... The 3 W´s - Whatever works works (sounds like a Dr Phill sentence) Best Wishes Krell

No no - I did understand you, you prepare yourself all the time, listening to stuff 30-40 hours every week + building up practical experience @events and perhaps also @home. I do all of those things as well in my preparations, however, I do it "on & off" because I believe in practice through re-direction (meaning if you want to improve, you have to take a break every ones in a while and let new knowledge "sink in"). What you are not doing is settling on the flow beforehand - Your sequencing your flow at the event, while I sequence it beforehand and adjust it during the event if needed (needed as in "if it can become more perfect"). However I must point out, there is absolutely no way I can come up with the mixes I do "on the fly" (and there is no way Im EVER going to be able to do that). They go on from everything from 1minutte to 5 minuttes). I need to know the EXACT beat & percussion structure of every tracks intro and outro to do so, and I dont need to think about it while mixing, I need to react - Meaning I need it all pre-programmed in "muscle memory" & "intuition". My preparation goes beyond noting cue points, lining up tracks in sequence etc. It is really down to counting each beat, noting all breaks and also knowing them by heart in order to react to them. Also, I wont play the same tracks over and over - So, this is a "one time thing" only. I would like to say, all of my sets are not prepared to that level - but, thats what I aim for. A "lazy" set has the tracks selected before hand and put in order at the party (which is basicly, on the fly djing from a preselected track pool - Normally 50-60 tracks pr 2 hours to choose from previously selected from the equivelant of 50-60 CDs). In regards to mixing - What I can do on the fly is listen for the beat structure of the tracks and start the next track so that its structure aligns with the track Im leaving - I can then put the tracks exactly on top of each other tempo wise and EQ the incoming track down, fade it in letting my muscles react to the vibe of the music thereby blending the tracks together using the EQ in a manner which is fitting for the nature of the tracks. However, small breaks in tracks 2-4 beats or similar are not "stored" by my brain from listening to a track a few times (and I dont believe they are in anyones either when you listen to 30-40hours of new music every week). There is NO WAY, I will be able to mix with 100% precision like that while taking FULL advantage of track structures without the preparation I use (and I dont think ANYONE can do it either, unless they can listen to a track and intuitively store the beat structure of outro and intro in their brain - and do it not just for one track but for THOUSANDS of tracks) - Also, knowing the layout is not enough, you still need to know how to exploit it (havent heard a DJ in any genre that could do that on fly, and Ive been listening for more than 10 years with sharp ears in a country which is renowned for its electronic music scene). You see, I do mix on the fly(also now), but only when perfection is lost because of malplaced pre sequenced flow or if Im lazy (under time pressure). Meaning, I adapt to whatever works best at the given moment, not limiting myself by definition - Keeping an open mind to anything which will in the end result in a better, more interesting and mindblowing musical experience for the listener. And in the end - the result for me as a DJ is a better set most of the time - Better than when choosing the tracks on the fly because in the end I will be choosing the same tracks as I would on the fly but Id just be mixing them together more tightly / interestingly. So - For me - its the way to go - For others, it isnt. The right/best music at the right time, THAT is the aim for the DJ and not the method itself - Simple as that. Best Wishes Krell

I am only talking about live acts there, not DJing. DJing for me is only live in regards to track selection & execution of mixing, and as earlier explained a prepared set might very well feature live track selection as well (depends on how you prepare your sets, which again depends on what kind of gig it is). In regards to liveacts - I dont see much happening live that really makes a difference - This is "in most cases" and also "in almost all cases" - Like Colin also wrote, some are actually able to lift the mood by being "live", and I also wrote about an experience in those regards I had myself. So, Im not denying some very talented world class live acts out there are actually able to do stuff live that will be meaningfull - However, at least 95% of the liveacts within the psychedelic scene might as well play a prerecorded set since their live performance (in itself) is weak. Also to remember here, even though the "live" part of the performance is weak, the music might very well still kick ass and the experience among the audience is still a very positive one (its just not due to the live elements - they are not as important to the music as they are to enabling organizers to write "LIVE" on a flyer). Best Wishes Krell

No, I said you put focus on the person behind & the craft and not the music coming out of the speakers - That was my impression from what you wrote, it seemed very much absolute to me. You should please also put it in the context that you said preparation was a beginner & newbie thing, essentially putting those not so nice labels on me. I can see how you would feel you were not flowing in the immediancy of the moment - that is very much the core of why you must be able to do both - Not only prepare, but also improvise if need be. I dont disagree with you at all in this. I dont play out a lot, and when I do I want it to be perfect, thats very important to me. Theres big differences in the way people think, my personal strength is planning and preparing - foreseeing things and considering every detail - it has had a profound effect on my approach to the art of DJing. All the things you talk about, remembering cue points, keys, how best to EQ tracks and what goes well with what and in what order by heart is not "easy", but if you specialize in that it might work just as well for you - It takes a lot of practical work behind the decks mixing and trying out stuff thats for sure. My own approach is a different one, using huge track databases, rated tracks and spending not days but weeks to select tracks for a particular set (just listening through tracks which have been previously selected). Getting to know the mood of the tracks, trying out ideas etc. A lot of the stuff you feel like doing "on the spot" I feel like doing in advance (thats my way, not because I have to do it like that, but because I enjoy and love doing it that way). There is other stuff which keeps me in the moment while DJing, much of which is at that point attributed to just the mixing/technique - getting it to sound a few notches better than what I would be able to pull off otherwise. I wont play at parties where I dont know the timeslots - and I hate it when organizers fuck up lineups because perfection is lost. So, this is always the setup I go for and I thrive in. In the future I will be focussing much more on arranging parties myself with friends, this way I have total control over the lineups - No fuckups. However, if I was to play ALL THE TIME, like you do - I would not be as prepared as I am now, I would probably only be playing on the fly sets just like you since preparing everything would simply become too much work and DJing would no longer be fun. For me, its quantity instead of quality then - but, I think improvements on ones "on the fly" skills will make up for much of it - this is of course where focus changes. I dont see prepared sets working out for you either - and I would be doing it the same way you do in your situation. Best Wishes Krell

You are right, I am very much generalizing which is of course not fair to those acts who actually break the norm. However, what I write is by no way meant as an attack on the quality of musicians or liveacts as such - My point is that, the music coming out of the speakers could just as well have been recorded as played live in a studio... The live element is about showmanship, and not so much catching the vibe of the party and putting it into the music in most cases (I will however admit that this is not always the case, and to show my understanding of that fact I will mention an experience I had). The BEST electronic music live I ever heard in my life must have been the danish act Trentemoeller working with DJ TOM - One doing turntablism and lining up the tracks, and Trentemøller manipulating things as they went along - But, seeing them there ended up being half of the experience and their reaction to their own music lifted the moods in the audience immensely. It was more intense with a maximum of crowd / artist interaction through the music and the performance / it really made a difference. But if focus was only on the music - then they could very well just have recorded their set and played it - However, their presence, drive and karisma really made a difference, even to me. (I just havent experienced it with a "psychedelic trance" live act yet) even though I have of course enjoyed the music very much (just didnt matter to me that it was live). Essentially I dont see most electronic music, especially trance, as an artform where the realtime performance & presentation of it by the artists is that important to the end result which is the dance & trance experience happening among the audience. There are of course artists who are in themselves a capacity within their field, and their musical talent in itself is enough to make it interesting / something to look forward to when they take control of a section of the parties music. Best Wishes Krell

I first started preparing sets in great detail after 6-8 years of DJing - So, to me it has in no way got any connection with being "newbie" or "beginner" - I would rather say it has something to do with being evolved and pushing the boundaries of Djing (trying to reach perfection). For me, not being prepared, is just being lazy. (Which is also the impression I get from the rest of my friends who are into this hobby). A prepared set is just as live as a non prepared one - You can step out of your plan whenever you want if need be - Also, when you prepare it and work it over, you experience the music live. Its then up to your experience as a DJ to know what will work on the dancefloor. If you are not good at it, you will have to deviate from the plan, switching to "on the fly mode". For me, the preparation is an upgrade to any DJ set - but, you must know when & if to deviate from the plan. Also, the DJs you talk about also prepare themselves, at least at some level. They have an idea of what tracks work well after each other and most of them just end up playing the same tracks in that sequence again and again - Preparing sets is a good way to avoid that as well. But, it takes a LONG time to do it, 6-8 hours perhaps if you have the tracks you want to use ready. I dont jump around the stage either - Im actually standing almost dead stille when I DJ (Very focused on every mix I make, moving my body/torso too much might fuck up pitch bending or EQ work making it less perfect). I will just dance when theres nothing to do, but I have more to do with a prepared set because the mixes require a lot more work since they have been perfected. "you can learn to do everything live that you can do at home, find your inspiration, go with the flow.." No, you actually cant. What you can do is try and mix the best you can on the fly, which is not really that hard (you just end up getting less perfect mixes) - You just go with the flow and mix it as you go along - Like I said, thats the way I did it in the past. Its the same as you do when you prepare a set - > mix, select track, mix select track - always keeping the flow in mind. However, the end product (the set as such) will simply sound better when prepared due to the fact that every transistion is not only more smooth but often designed to add energy to the incoming track. I realize though, there is no persuading you to see why this way of doing things works (and works very well) - You are caught up with the DJs person and craft as such, putting focus on that instead of the music like I do. In the end, I could be playing a set for you, and you wouldnt know whether it was prepared or not.... Thats a fact (either way, you could be loving it or hating it, depending on the music selected & mixed). Best Wishes Krell

Well - When you just wake up your mind if far more creative and you are able to associate things much more than later in the day - AFAIK is an after effect of dreamstates. Being able to associate sounds, themes and energies from track to track and from section to section in a set are some of the most important abilities when putting together an interesting / well balanced flow in a set. Im also best at arranging stuff in the morning - When I prepare the flow in a set I sit there listening to the music selecting tracks as I go along (and sometimes trying out different paths to see where they will go). Best Wishes Krell

Pre-Made = Prepared = Well Prepared DJ. Preparation is the key to success :-) The EASIEST thing to do is to just show up and choose the tracks on the fly - but, preparing stuff I find a lot more challenging, time consuming, effective and on stage more difficult to perform. Also - Who says a set HAS to follow the plan? If it doesnt work WONDERS for the crowd noone is stopping anyone from switching to "on the fly mode". Jumping to different areas of the set even. I agree very much - The reasons for preparing is to ensure the maximum amount of perfection you can achieve using the skills you have (within all areas which make up a good dj). Hard work, and it pays off. Best Wishes Krell

No - Its just music and the music, when its electronic, doesnt change by it being performed live or not live. As a matter of fact, once the music leaves the production stage its PERFECT and live performances can at best only fuck up this perfection by mediocre human timing by adding live stuff which is affected by human errors. What is live stuff any way ? It is in any case rehearsed @ home beforehand and just reproduced at the event. Or, if it is really improvised, Im sure it could have been both improvised and perfected beforehand - Meaning, at the time it reaches the party, it would also be perfect. Live is about showmanship and idol worshipping / For me, the only reason it sells is that I might get to hear new tracks by an artist I like and in the sequence which the creator finds most effective. This I can experience from a "dead" playback source just as well as from the artists being there in person himself. I care about the music, and only the music - and the music is JUST what is coming out of the speakers not what happens in a dj or live booth. Best Wishes Krell

I agree with most you write - The only reason I can think of to have a DJ at an event is that he can adapt the music should he see it nescessary - in a prerecorded mix that cannot be done. Ive usually got my mixes prepared and laid out already, and its very rare that I feel the need or urge to deviate from them. Often if I have to, it is because of a changing schedule where someone didnt show up, or a fucked up organizer who cannot control a lineups timeslots. The same goes for live music - Music is by no means better live, its all down to showmanship and marketing and not higher musical quality. Try marketing an event with the lines "prerecorded sets by DJ This & DJ That + Hallucinogen" - I dont think anyone will be interested in that. Would make sense though, that way artists could license their sets to parties and play more than one place in the world at a time and spend more of their spare time creating and developing music instead of being on tour :-) When its all said and done - I do prefer the "live djing" to a recorded one - Its more exciting and it is really only down to the showmanship... But, for a small private event, I prefer it prerecorded so everybody can take part in the party from the listeners standpoint, discuss the music and flow... And no - All DJs dont have to read the floor on the fly and react to it then and there - there are some out there who can prepare stuff in detail which works just as well or even better in real life. (So, in essence, they might as well have recorded it - but it would require that all the sets at the party were prerecorded, so that you dont get the wrong music at the wrong time due to an artist not showing up). The deciding factor here is that it would be impossible to market and to get people to go - They would say "hey, this is a complete ripoff" - But, in fact - Its just music, and it would sound the same (probably better) than if someone was doing Live DJing or a LIVE PA. Kill the DJ right ? ;-) Best Wishes Krell

Hypnotic Trance 2 http://www.discogs.com/release/314474 - Mixes by Joti Sidhu & Tsuyoshi Suzuki Tracklisting: 1-01 Tsuyoshi Suzuki Prologue (0:34) 1-02 Prana Moretsu (Indigo & Baraka Mix) (7:36) 1-03 Transwave A Journey In The Outerspace (Original) (5:07) 1-04 Synchro Chinese Whispers (4:51) 1-05 Encens Venus Zen (6:34) 1-06 Athena Human Vox (6:11) 1-07 Bass Chakra 230,000 Miles (Original) (7:45) 1-08 Prana Message For Eastedge (Trance Express Mix) (6:28) 1-09 Bass Chakra 230,000 Miles (Remix) (5:43) 1-10 Transwave M.D.M.A. (7:26) 1-11 Witchcraft Magic Frequencies (7:22) 1-12 Prana & Athena Future Space Travellers (6:57) 2-01 Psychaos S.E.T.I. (6:36) 2-02 Guy Sebbag & Gal Carmy Sorceress Fete (5:48) Co-producer - Lior Malisdorf 2-03 Indoor Vertigo (6:26) 2-04 Etnica Tribute (7:02) 2-05 Psychaos Intellect (6:56) 2-06 Total Eclipse Hit & Run (5:39) 2-07 Semsis Semsis (5:58) 2-08 Guy Sebbag & Gal Carmy Over Seas (7:13) Co-producer - Serge Souque 2-09 Witchcraft Whale (7:34) 2-10 Hiscore True Freedom (6:18) 2-11 Etnica Astral Way (6:51) Psychedelic Goa Core 2 http://www.discogs.com/release/366030 Mixed by DJ Orphée Tracklisting: 1 Infinity Project, The Overwind 2 S.U.N. Project The Suburbs 3 ManMadeMan Elevator 4 Prana Alien Pets 5 Infernal Machine The Loin King 6 Shakta & Ping Pong (2) Between The Nothing 7 Unconscious Collective Fluorostani Transcendance 8 MFG Magnetic Activity (Remix) 9 Prana Taiyo (Chakra Remix) Remix - Chakra (2) 10 Psyko Disko Pho Rue Yang A voyage into Trance http://www.discogs.com/release/12454 Mixed by Paul Oakenfold Tracklisting: 1 Genetic Trancemission 2 Man With No Name Sly-Ed 3 Dynamix The Rezistor 4 Man With No Name Teleport 5 Infinity Project, The Superbooster Co-producer - Man With No Name 6 Mandra Gora Wicked Warp 7 Prana Voyager III (Voodoo Remix) Remix - Voodoo People 8 Ayahuasca New Moon 9 Infinity Project, The Feeling Weird Co-producer - Man With No Name 10 Slinky Wizard Slinky Wizard Co-producer - Simon Posford 11 Black Sun Fat Buddha With - Johann Bley , Stephen Holweck 12 Hallucinogen LSD Featuring - Ben Kempton Those are some of the mixes that inspired me when I just started DJing around 1995 and onwards. Also, I didnt include the Hypnotic Trance CD w/Sid Shanti. But, that was also a solid mix, well mixed technique wise at the time. Best Wishes Krell

Damnit your right... We will have to make it Odd Oprah on Disco or Old Oprah on Disco :-)