Question about mixing ambient/dub/chill-out

[Tatsu]

I'm really getting into downtempo/ambient stuff more and more and I feel like I might mix my favourite tracks together. I can't beatmix but since this is not really possible with lots of tracks anyway I think it might still work out for me. But how do you mix chill-out stuff together anyway?

 

I think you just try to mix the tracks together, trying to keep the flow and stuff, is that right or is there more behind it? I think if you pick the right tracks you can make rather long passages with two records playing together.

 

Any tips maybe?

[qa2pir]

If it's chillout with any sort of tempo, beatmatch it.

 

If it's drone-ish ambient then it doesn't matter.

 

IMO

[Tatsu]

Thanks ga2pir!

 

Is there any "rule" like not mixing different styles of ambient together (stupid question maybe but I'm realyl curious about it) like dub and not beatless or not downtempo or something like that?

[Jikkenteki]

The only rule... if it sounds good, it is good....

[supergroover]

<-- what jikkenteki says..

 

beatmatching chill can be fun but sometimes more difficult than mixing trance because of the short parts with a beat and the big differences in tempo.

Otherwise you could mix em in key. And just try to find tracks that make up a story, that have the same feeling, vibe or rhythmstyle.

Record your mixes to hear later what you did

Good luck

[Tatsu]

<-- what jikkenteki says..

 

beatmatching chill can be fun but sometimes more difficult than mixing trance because of the short parts with a beat and the big differences in tempo.

Otherwise you could mix em in key. And just try to find tracks that make up a story, that have the same feeling, vibe or rhythmstyle.

Record your mixes to hear later what you did

Good luck

Thanks, the story part is more my thing than the beatmixing. I will first have to get some cds before I can start mixing but the stuff is on its way.

[Guest The Journey Man Project]

have been dj;ing chill out for about 6 years now at parties and have run a number of chillout events in my hometown... I'd say the best thing is you can play your fav songs and nobody cares... beatmatching can be good, as is playing in keys (like the Twelve compilation on TIP World)... usually it's more judging a mood... if people seem to be moving around play some up lifting styles like Entheogenic, Shulman, Shpongle etc. or some Dakini records tribal (check out 6 Degrees Records as well), if people are a bit more chilled you could try some styles like Ajana records or Ultimae, i and if everybody looks uber sleepy then stuff like Ishq and Databloem records. I usually build my set up with beatles, then into tribal and then some tripp psybient and then out the same way... usually as I"m the only chill dj at gigs here I get my own tent and do 24 hours sets

[alleycat]

When I mix chill, I try to just keep a good flow going, playing songs that fit together, not necessarily beatmatched or anything. THe problem with chill, is the tempo varies so widely, it may not even be possible to match the beats. For example, Digital Talk's track Party People runs at 72bpm. There's no way, with only cdj-100s, that you can match that to something over 100bpm. Also, some chill is in a different time signature, that wouldn't be matchable with normal 4/4 time.

 

Basically, I find a nice cue spot in the track Im bringing in, preferrably before the beats start if there are any, then wait for a good spot in the song that's playing, then just drop it in. Volume all the way down on the song going out, all the way up on the one coming in. Its sorta clunky that way, but what else can ya do, if the speed of the tracks is so widely varied?

 

WHen you play chill you can pretty much play anything slow enough, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Ravi Shankar, even Reznik's downtempo-ambient-industrial stuff works. Lots more room to be creative than if you're mixing trance.

[dharma lab]

Having spun downtempo regularly, I agree with the main points mentioned that:

1) Pay attention to keys of songs

2) Beat-mixing can be done with some stuff, and not with others, so don't feel that it's necessary.

3) Pay attention to the journey thru each step of the way.

 

I would also add that:

1) You don't have to play out full songs. With song structures varying much more in downtempo/ambient, let it be an asset by playing around with it. I've brought songs out very early, only to bring them back in again after a song (or part of a song, doing much more of a live edit...this can be a lot of fun). Likewise, you don't have to start every song at the beginning. You can mesh elements.

2) With downtempo having less structure, it lends itself to quick changes (in my opinion), so a quick change isn't something to be feared, jsut don't do it with every song. My chill sets very frequently have many chapters to them, running 15-40 minutes each (rough statistic, nothing set in stone).

3) With less structure, I also find that I can add a lot more of my own stuff into a set: weather it's playing a synth, dropping loops & samples over the top, or playing with sound on my laptop. It also can work well if you invite a friend or two to 'jam'.

 

In any genre, I think really knowing your tracks gives you the confidence to manipulate them more, so run with it!

[Bahamut]

Try to use tracks that fit together and maintain the flow of the mix. I like mixes that slowly but surely increase in intensity... or the other way around, you could start energetic and gradually let it become more chilled..... or whatever you want

 

A lot of tracks in the chill/ambient genre may have short or longer (beatless) intro's and/or outro's, that are suitable for mixing with the next track with a simple crossfade.

Like this: when track A has 'noises' (without tones/melody) at the end (or the point where you make it end), you can often easily mix that with track B, that also has 'noises' OR tones/melody at the start (or the point where you make it start).

 

When both tracks have rhythms and melodies all the way, it's gonna be (very) hard to mix chillout music and still make the transition sound smooth and harmonic.

 

IMO the coolest thing that can be achieved with mixing this type of music is when both track A and B have tonal/melodic qualities at the end/start and form a sort of harmony together during the transition.

 

I hope that made any sense lol