Jump to content

The DJ's of today


Frontier Psychiatrist

Recommended Posts

the idea behind a pre made set is to make a set wich cannot be played on the fly ....

450870[/snapback]

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 74
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

When I'm asked to play I usually ask for traveling fees (cheapest possible) and a sixpack of beer or drink tickets if in a club. I can sleep on someones floor if needed. My djing is on a hold right now because I don't own decks or mixer at the moment. Should get them in the spring and get back into action. God I miss the "morning" sessions with 2 cups of black coffee, good smokes, clean bong and a pile of new records. The best sets I've recorded have been those that I recorded straight out from bed, no pre checked playlists. My flow is so much better after waking up, I should drop myself before gig and wake up 5min before. No distractions in the mind from the days action I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My flow is so much better after waking up, I should drop myself before gig and wake up 5min before. No distractions in the mind from the days action I think.

451335[/snapback]

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i think playing prepared sets goes against the whole idea of DJing as a conduit for energy to the dancefloor. plus it's extremely boring, imo.

 

maybe a good way for beginner DJs who don't have confidence in themselves yet, and for DJs who like to jump around on stage and act all cool. but honestly I would rather hear a truly LIVE dj performance with some imperfections than a stale pre-made set that's perfect.

 

of course you have to know what you're doing, which only comes with practice and experience. the more you play, the better you get..

 

you can learn to do everything live that you can do at home, find your inspiration, go with the flow..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i think playing prepared sets goes against the whole idea of DJing as a conduit for energy to the dancefloor. plus it's extremely boring, imo.

 

maybe a good way for beginner DJs who don't have confidence in themselves yet, and for DJs who like to jump around on stage and act all cool. but honestly I would rather hear a truly LIVE dj performance with some imperfections than a stale pre-made set that's perfect.

 

of course you have to know what you're doing, which only comes with practice and experience. the more you play, the better you get..

 

you can learn to do everything live that you can do at home, find your inspiration, go with the flow..

451443[/snapback]

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

451309[/snapback]

I agree with most of your post but this bit is a gross generalisation and is untrue for at least one act I know of.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

*

QUOTE(Krell @ Feb 28 2006, 04:20 PM)

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.

*

 

I agree with most of your post but this bit is a gross generalisation and is untrue for at least one act I know of.

451494[/snapback]

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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).

 

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.

 

451479[/snapback]

mmmkay.. i don't care about the music, then, I don't spend 30-40 hours a week listening and previewing music. I've been a DJ for 9 years, and I've prepped sets many times in the past and they worked great, but I've always felt like I was somehow cheating, not really flowing in the immediacy of the moment.

 

I think that playing live is a LOT harder than playing prepped sets, especially if you don't settle for playing crap. You actually have to know all of your music really well - and how to respond, how to be in the moment. It's harder than knowing exactly the 20 tracks you're going to play, knowing exactly what BPM to set them, exactly when to start the next mix, when to switch the basslines and mids, when to cut over, etc etc. You can't really fuck up too much this way, not as much as you can when you're doing it on the fly - but you can't really get to the same energy level either, it's a risk that I think is worth taking.

 

 

maybe if you play only once in a while, at certain parties, where you know exact time slots, who else is playing and how, and when - maybe prepared sets can work well. I happen to play out a lot - almost every weekend, sometimes twice in a weekend - at all kinds of events from small to midsize to very big, indoor and house parties, clubs, outdoor parties, for very different audiences all the time, from dedicated dark psy heads to fluffy ravers to older psychedelic explorers - and I very rarely know what the party will be like until I am actually there. There is no way you can prep sets for this, and I am very glad - I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

451505[/snapback]

that's where we differ - I believe the live element is about the immediacy of the experience, the magic of absorbing and returning energy, something that has to be experienced in the moment and is lost when it isn't. I see the artist/DJ as much as a magician as an entertainer.. especially with the music as powerful and mental as psychedelic trance. Probably somewhat different with more dance-oriented styles like house.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i get really excited when i hear tiny errors in ableton live sets, it tells me that they are improvised.

i am actually a huge fan of improvisation, which is why i love 60s jazz so much

 

as for preparing dj sets, sometimes i do not prepare because of laziness, other times, i take some time and listen carefully to my music, this is what i call preparing. once i tried to plan in advance which tracks i would play, i think i played maybe 2 of them.

 

playing in front of an audience and playing a fully planned set, no matter how much better it could be, is extremely boring for me.

 

when i had to give speeches at school, i would also just know really well what i am talking about and wing it, it would work so much better than preparing a text in advance and reciting it by heart.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

mmmkay.. i don't care about the music, then, I don't spend 30-40 hours a week listening and previewing music. I've been a DJ for 9 years, and I've prepped sets many times in the past and they worked great, but I've always felt like I was somehow cheating, not really flowing in the immediacy of the moment.

451531[/snapback]

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 think that playing live is a LOT harder than playing prepped sets, especially if you don't settle for playing crap. You actually have to know all of your music really well - and how to respond, how to be in the moment. It's harder than knowing exactly the 20 tracks you're going to play, knowing exactly what BPM to set them, exactly when to start the next mix, when to switch the basslines and mids, when to cut over, etc etc. You can't really fuck up too much this way, not as much as you can when you're doing it on the fly - but you can't really get to the same energy level either, it's a risk that I think is worth taking.

451531[/snapback]

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.

 

maybe if you play only once in a while, at certain parties, where you know exact time slots, who else is playing and how, and when - maybe prepared sets can work well. I happen to play out a lot - almost every weekend, sometimes twice in a weekend - at all kinds of events from small to midsize to very big, indoor and house parties, clubs, outdoor parties, for very different audiences all the time, from dedicated dark psy heads to fluffy ravers to older psychedelic explorers - and I very rarely know what the party will be like until I am actually there. There is no way you can prep sets for this, and I am very glad - I wouldn't trade it for the world.

451531[/snapback]

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE(Krell @ Feb 28 2006, 01:00 PM)

 

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

*

 

that's where we differ - I believe the live element is about the immediacy of the experience, the magic of absorbing and returning energy, something that has to be experienced in the moment and is lost when it isn't. I see the artist/DJ as much as a magician as an entertainer.. especially with the music as powerful and mental as psychedelic trance. Probably somewhat different with more dance-oriented styles like house.

451537[/snapback]

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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).

451627[/snapback]

According to the party reports on Psy-Forum this week there is a one-word rebuttal to this point - Cosmosis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

really interesting talk... for sure both stances have their pro's and con's... you can aim for perfection and dutifully make it into a pre-arranged thing. that is what i do a lot these days cause i don't play live... well if you want to count the dog. or you can take your chances, trust your head and your ears and and go with what is happening at that time which lends a lot of dynamism.

 

If i compare it to world class renowned names in EDM though, i think the prevalence of being able to flow seamlessly 'on the fly' is the norm that is expected of a world class DJ. is damn hard for sure, but if psy trance is expected to take a center stage in electronic music anytime soon, like we all wish, we need world-class evangelist that can deliver the goods. That's not taking aything from pre-made stuff... i'm there too... but if i think of a DJ that is constatintly on the road, say good 4-5 days a week... there's no time to plan... i guess the fact he is constantly from one gig to the next is practice enough... ??

 

could well be that i'm talking out of my ass...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

 

You didn't really understand what I said - I prepare ALL THE TIME, listening to tracks and picking out ones that I like, remember what it sounds like and what kind of situation would call for it. I like to know the first 2-3 tracks I am playing to set the mood, but I don't "prep" sets, giving myself enough freedom to pick and play whatever I want, thus experiencing the moment.

 

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.

 

On the contrary, that's the most fun in DJing for me - the challenge of coming up with the perfect set for the moment. Believe me, going from playing dark-ass neuro-psy at a 20-person Hallloween party to opening for Yahel at the local mega-club the very next day isn't easy.. but a lot of fun. :P

 

I didn't mean to call you a n00b, I know you aren't. But if you actually do start playing all the time, you'll probably get the knack for coming up with perfect mixes on the fly, I bet you probably have it in your head already.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You didn't really understand what I said - I prepare ALL THE TIME, listening to tracks and picking out ones that I like, remember what it sounds like and what kind of situation would call for it. I like to know the first 2-3 tracks I am playing to set the mood, but I don't "prep" sets, giving myself enough freedom to pick and play whatever I want, thus experiencing the moment.

On the contrary, that's the most fun in DJing for me - the challenge of coming up with the perfect set for the moment. Believe me, going from playing dark-ass neuro-psy at a 20-person Hallloween party to opening for Yahel at the local mega-club the very next day isn't easy.. but a lot of fun. :P

 

I didn't mean to call you a n00b, I know you aren't. But if you actually do start playing all the time, you'll probably get the knack for coming up with perfect mixes on the fly, I bet you probably have it in your head already.

451656[/snapback]

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I' m totally with krell on this one,... seems we work in the same way, quallity above quantity,....

the idea is simple no matter how good you are you will always be better when you are prepared....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I' m totally with krell on this one,... seems we work in the same way, quallity above quantity,....

the idea is simple no matter how good you are you will always be better when you are prepared....

451902[/snapback]

héhé, we already had this discussion on the Belgian forum...

 

I do not agree that the best sets are persé the ones that were made at home... It IS true that those sets will be technically speaking better, but I think you can sometimes miss a spot for 2 reasons, which are more important then just the technical side (as 96% of people don't even notice that):

 

-you may not fit into the party as you wished (for instance, the guy before you played psy-tekk instead of full on as you expected), I think it's better then to start with a track that fits his style more, and like that you can build to your own style...

 

-if you see that your set is not really a good one for that party... (you know, it sometimes happens that a set is not really appreciated)... if you made a set at home you are stuck, and can't change it... While when you are doing it at the place itselve you can still change your direction a bit, like that you have better live storytelling and better interaction with the public I think

 

just my opinion of course :P but it are 2 different ways of thinking

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I' m totally with krell on this one,... seems we work in the same way, quallity above quantity,....

the idea is simple no matter how good you are you will always be better when you are prepared....

451902[/snapback]

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i used to think that home mixes are the best too. But i've had several times when i would be playing the tracks i planned at home, and noticed that the time, mood, or something else wasn't right for the music i was playing. i was so happy i had brought some backup cds, and my set turned out a lot better when i started playing the music ppl obviously wanted to hear :)

 

so of you have the magic ability to know what atmosphere there will be at a party, yes then homemade sets are the best. if you don't (i don't) i think it's best to bring some backup so you can adapt yourself to the crowd :) in the end you're still playing music for the ppl in front of you, not for yourself..;

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so of you have the magic ability to know what atmosphere there will be at a party, yes then homemade sets are the best.

451928[/snapback]

i think it's easy to know in advance what kind of music to play if you know the line up... let's be honest most psytrance parties are highly predictable, fuck we even have full on parties where they play 12 hrs non stop full on...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

héhé, we already had this discussion on the Belgian forum...

 

I do not agree that the best sets are persé the ones that were made at home... It IS true that those sets will be technically speaking better, but I think you can sometimes miss a spot for 2 reasons, which are more important then just the technical side (as 96% of people don't even notice that):

 

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.

 

-you may not fit into the party as you wished (for instance, the guy before you played psy-tekk instead of full on as you expected), I think it's better then to start with a track that fits his style more, and like that you can build to your own style...

 

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.

 

if you see that your set is not really a good one for that party... (you know, it sometimes happens that a set is not really appreciated)... if you made a set at home you are stuck, and can't change it... While when you are doing it at the place itselve you can still change your direction a bit, like that you have better live storytelling and better interaction with the public I think

 

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i think it's easy to know in advance what kind of music to play if you know the line up... let's be honest most psytrance parties are highly predictable, fuck we even have full on parties where they play 12 hrs non stop full on...

451951[/snapback]

 

ah well then you obviously think you have magic powers. so there is NO party you ever played where you thought 'damn, maybe this music doesn't really suit the moment'? well, maybe you didn't think so :) no offence eh!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

just for the record: whenever i play a set on my own, i ALWAYS prepare it. and most of the time my guess about the atmosphere at the party is right, and i play the set i had prepared. but i did hapeen when my guess was wrong, and i played tracks on the fly wish 'saved' my set (so to speak)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ah well then you obviously think you have magic powers. so there is NO party you ever played where you thought 'damn, maybe this music doesn't really suit the moment'?  well, maybe you didn't think so :) no offence eh!

451959[/snapback]

honestly, no .... I know that there were more than one parties where I played too hard for some people (full on people,...).... but I don't care you cannot please everybody... I like a lot of music but I only want to play 3 styles : suomi, banging psytrance (cosmo), forest (derango) organisers should know this when they book me and can always ask me to play a different style my responce will be no thanks you should find someone else (like the asked me to play oldschool on a cosmicfools party wich I refused)... I always ask for the lineup and tell them if I don't know them what they can expect and I don't mind saying no since it's not my goal to get as much gigs as possible....

I play music I like if the crowd doesn't like it organisers should stop booking me ....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...