Switching styles in your sets

[Philsen]

what happened to mixing good tracks with good tracks? as long as YOU can hear the connection between them someone else should be able to do so too. It's about energy and fluidity, not necessarily about playing a bunch of tracks that are as similar to eachother as possible.

Well, at least not in my book.

for me thats it ... for example, i play more deep/funky house/tech-house stuff and a friend is more on mnml techno and imo the combination of both styles (or even more) creates a special atmosphere and so you can lead the listeners through a unpredictable set with more emotions i think, ... if the tracks work toghether whats wrong on different styles ... but u should not overdraw the style-mix, much listeners even want THIS sound at THAT time, of course ...

but making music for me not means to play exact one kind of music ... more to bring various artists, styles together ... thats art ... and if you are really into music u will see that every kind of music is attached/influenced by another !

so keep on the good work

[maxeinsoul]

I don't think it's a matter of genre. What really matters in my opinion is the coherence between the tracks.

Jeff Mills plays detroit techno all the way, his dj sets are still dope, but as it's been said, a random dj playing deep house or minimal all night long is going to be a pain in the ass for the people. It's no use being hypnotic if you don't try to take people somewhere else.

A guy like Laurent Garnier / Petterson / Parrish, can play many different styles, but they don't shock people, at least in a bad way.

Let me explain : I remember seeing Garnier in Paris playing his all night long signature set at Rex club. He went from house to hip hop, dubstep, techno, soul, disco, afrostuff, rock, he could just go from 135 BPM to 105, but he never broke the general athmosphere of the instant: even when he was changing genres, he kept a bright and happy or dark and hypnotic sound. The changes in the general atmosphere were really progressive.

People couldn't guess what was comming, but no one went like : "what the fck, that ain't techno/house/electronic"


Same thing with a guy like Optimo, and several UK guys (Weatherall...)


Call it vibe, mana, soul, it doesn't really matter, but what makes a good DJ set in my opinion is just something special, you can't set any rules about that.

[tone-def]

i hate dj's who play records that all sound the same.

So if a DJ plays all records you like, but all sounded the same, you are gonna hate him anyway? Poor DJ, he won't have your love.

why would anyone want to hear a one trick pony? it's boring and it's very poor djing.

What can be better that listen to a DJ who plays all the music you like? Poor DJing? Basically all DJs start mixing the same (from "deeper" grooves to "harder" ones, constantly increasing BPM) but who can maintain the same BPM + the same style all night long without borring people? Not too many IMO. Just like a warm up DJ, if one can make a good warm up he would be able to cover a good main, but not all DJs who play at main hours can do a good warm up.

a DJ who plays all the music i like would be very eclectic.

but yeah, i see what you mean. you have to be really good to play the same style all night long and not bore me. it's been a while since i've enjoyed a one style set, which was longer than an hour.

[souat]

i never heard a 3-4-5 hours dj set with same style. its hard to maintain a good vibe.

[Luis Isaac]

I think as far you can go the better experience you live

[ad900]

I personally really enjoy the challenge in buying a funk record that sounds really good and try to mix it with some raw detached mnml. I think mixing genre's is essential, f.e.: mixing beat pharmacy stuff with foundsound stuff. It's got pretty much same bpm but sounds different not that different tho. I heard while ago a podcast of krause duo i think, they were mixing some dubstep with soul, keeping the bassline of a Ian Simmonds track, pretty neat stuff.

[sven laux]

No, I do not, but I do play others. I just don't like to mix "styles" in one night, same if I'm "public". If I want a night of non "pure" styles I could go see Hernan Cattaneo, or any other mainstream names.

So you can't develop your set from tech-house, over minimal to techno in a few hours?

Yes, but I don't like it. Well, yes I do mix different styles in one night, but is not the same, I think. For example: I could start with some glitchy IDM and then switch to some glitchy micro house, the styles will change, but the sounds will keep the same, in that case: Yes, I do mix different styles in my sets, but the question aims to another kind of answers, imo.

EDIT: same with minimal, I could play earlier some deep minimal and later switch to minimal techno or minimal tech, but never switch to deep house (as many does), not in one night at least.

I totally agree with this one.

[patrick bateman]

No, I do not, but I do play others. I just don't like to mix "styles" in one night, same if I'm "public". If I want a night of non "pure" styles I could go see Hernan Cattaneo, or any other mainstream names.

So you can't develop your set from tech-house, over minimal to techno in a few hours?

Yes, but I don't like it. Well, yes I do mix different styles in one night, but is not the same, I think. For example: I could start with some glitchy IDM and then switch to some glitchy micro house, the styles will change, but the sounds will keep the same, in that case: Yes, I do mix different styles in my sets, but the question aims to another kind of answers, imo.

EDIT: same with minimal, I could play earlier some deep minimal and later switch to minimal techno or minimal tech, but never switch to deep house (as many does), not in one night at least.

I totally agree with this one.

Sven 'one-style only' Laux.