What do you consider is "Mixing"

Hi All,

So i have come across this farrrrr to much as of late and its a bit of a pet peeve i guess.

I see way too many DJs who consider themselves as "DJs" yet in my opinion really arnt. What i am taking about is DJs who dont really mix. I am only speaking from an EDM (125-175bpm). HipHop/Wedding DJs i can see how this would not relate as often you dont really beat match and just go from song to song as its hard to mix such a varity of tempos (Although Kudos for those of you who can).

Now When someone does lets say an hour long set...I hear a total of 15 songs...that works out to 4 minutes a song...which is pretty much the whole damn song. How is this mixing?? You are litterly mixing a basic drum beat to a basic drum beat and then moving onto your next track. Now i can see how people who have been DJing for a very short period of time to be playing like this as it takes a good ear and knowing your music in and out to do more complicated mixes...but Then i see DJs who have been "DJs" for upwards of 10 years doing the exact same thing.

Usually when i am doing an Hour set i have upwards of 25-30 songs that i go through...not always do i play the whole song...but usually i always have 2 songs going at the same time...using loops and cuts and cue points acapellas to keep it interesting. Now even when i was using CDJs i still blended tracks together and made my music 1 of a kind that still had the dominate track playing but i use other tracks to make it different thus making it MINE.

I hear so many ppl say we are not jukeboxes, but really yes thats all you are if you are doing the intro outro mixing without spicing it up...no you are not everyones juke box...but you are your own jukebox.

Am I totally wrong here?

There is always someone doing something worse/half assed/not real than you, and there is always someone who thinks the same about you from their perspective.

With that said I totally get what you are saying.

Now let's ask why do you care? You might care because you work your ass off to be a good dj, and worry that someone else might think that this other guy is on your level?

The most important thing is the energy and good times people have from the experience that you give them. So one way to solve this would be to explain how all the extra things you do that another dj doesn't do, adds to their experience and makes you a true professional.

More than anything i just want other peoples opinion on the matter as our crew and myself all mix different genres but we all work very hard when we DJ and we are landing tons of gigs and shows because we do create a ton of energy in our mixes. I am always doing something tweaking my EQs searching for the next track...making samples on the fly etc.

Mind you, I am an amateur, but what is wrong with letting a track play through? Nobody I've come across wants to hear just 32 bars of a track, or only the main vocals, and then hear another song. People want something to latch onto when they're dancing and listening and if you have music ADD as a DJ, it's hard for them to focus and get into the right trance-like state of mind. I like letting a track completely play out because it gives me easier, yet more creative mixing opportunities such as messing with a high-pass filter, or dropping an echo-freeze all while seamlessly transitioning. Again, not bashing, I just don't actually understand where you're coming from and would love if someone could help me understand because I'm new and obviously still learning. Cheers!

The reason why i think its basic to just let a song play out is...if i wanted to hear that song i can play that song at home or just have a playlist of songs and not even DJ. In my view, i think its about letting people hear what they want...but making it different, adding drums, synths effectively to create additional aptmosphere. Mind you this has to be done correctly or else it can sound like garbage...having it so your songs are in harmony, in phase etc.

I will often use a very popular song at the time and just give them little hints of it here and there like 32 beats of the hook vocals or whatever...then 2 or 3 songs down the line Drop it in...or ill do the opposite and play that banging tune...and bring the vocal hook back in 2 or 3 songs down the line.

Its just about doing something different and creating energy...With todays day and age...EVERYONE has the same music if they spin the same genre...and everyone can hear that song being played. Espicially with controllers these days a lot of the time consuming work has been done for you with phase meters(traktor) and beat ticks(serato).

I will post a mix tonight when i am home to show exactly what i am talking about.

As well I am talking about spinning in a Club...not doing Podcasts or Radio shows...I think with Radio Shows and Podcasts it is perfectly acceptable to do intro/outro mixing as you are usually playing new material that you want people to listen to and hear the whole song.

It is interesting that you say that. When mixing its all about keeping people happy. After all you don't DJ to hear what you want to hear. It's all about what they want to hear. I have been to clubs, bars, ect and heard a DJ mix a song with their own flare and sound completely different. To us it sounds great but when I looked out to the dance floor no one was dancing. That was because the song was so changed that they did not recognize it. then I have head a DJ just play through a song and people are on the floor loving it because they know what they are hearing. It kills me to say this but when I am Doing a set depending on the music I am playing I will mix accordingly. I have gone and played the song through with a "basic" mix but the crowd loves it. There is nothing I hate more then hearing a DJ just play an entire song after entire song. I do agree that it is a little boring, but it can be annoying to the crowd when they hear a song they love and the DJ cuts it short to the next song.

You bring up some really good points...and for the most part i totally agree with you.
The only point that i would have to disagree is the

"I have been to clubs, bars, ect and heard a DJ mix a song with their own flare and sound completely different. To us it sounds great but when I looked out to the dance floor no one was dancing. That was because the song was so changed that they did not recognize it. then I have head a DJ just play through a song and people are on the floor loving it because they know what they are hearing"

With todays day and age for any "Popular" song in any genre there are a ton of remixes chopping the original song up.

Hell You could probably even play a 2 hour set of just LEVELS remixes...not that anyone would...or even should lol but its out there.

The Crowd is a very fickle thing...you can play the exact same set with the exact same crowd on 2 different nights and have 2 TOTALLY different reactions to it.

Its kinda sad to say...but when i first got into the EDM scene and culture it was all about the "Mix" and these days it seems its all about the "song"

DJs back in the 90s and early 2000s imo are a lot different than they are today...Back then they were not only playing music but they were educating the crowd and making them dance...today...we really are nothing more than glorifed jukeboxes i guess.

As bad as that sounds, most DJ's do make us look like glorified jukeboxes

Exactly this.

In my opinion, it’s all about recognising what you can get away with on any given night. Some nights you can stir things up a little more and the crowd will eat it up, other nights they aren’t as energetic and you end up having to play it safer.

I agree that I hate letting entire songs play out – I get very jittery about half way through, and pull-my-skin-off nuts by two-thirds of the way, but sometimes I get a lame crowd who aren’t even cool with remixes, and then it’s just best to ride out the tracks and wait for the end to come.

Depends on the song and the crowd reaction. If i'm killing a dancefloor with Use Somebody (Armin van Buuren Rework) or some other song with a highly intense mid-late track like hell i'm going to kill it while that's pumping even if it takes it almost to the end.

I definitely agree about giving a taster of a track some 6-7 minutes before you actually drop it though, that's a great trick.

Can you link to some mixes that you've done? Curious to see the style differences. Heard a DJ in Vegas slam pop songs/remixes all night. No greater than 1.5 to 2 minutes of any track and the dancefloor never did build and he actually got booed a few times.

Sorry guys said i would post some mixes last night but never had the time i will hopefully do it tonight

It's not all about beatmatching
I'm a Dj that does alot of diffrent events and venues from wedding and birthdays (18th is the youngest i have done, a 80th next week to do will be the oldest) to stripclubs to bars and late spot's.
When I can i beat mix if i can't due to bpm's i cut i fade i slam it in, all about the timing of how you do it. it as important to read the crowd. no point taking away a song they are danceing to just to change it becasue you are bored with it, no way in hell would i cut out a song half way thru because i'm bored if the crowd is loving it
However if i see the dancefloor thinning then i might to a quick mix or a cut and bring in the next one to keep up the tempo or the energy
I think it all depends on the night your doing and the crowd you have if they like the quick changes of song then they will lap it up but if they don't then they won't come back.... or you won't be asked back

and I find it far more challanging as a DJ to be asked to go from motown to rock to 90's house to pop/top40 to rock&roll and back in 30mins then just sticking to one genre

I think the misconception alot of people have about Djaying is that it has to done in a special type of way. Also, some believe that you have to be that techno, techy beat masher, super remixer with ubiquitos effects to be called a proper DJ

Djaying is an art ( after you have learnt the scientific side to it), you can play or flow anyhow you want as long as you do not alleniate yourself from your audience.
In the genre i DJ in, intro/outro mixing is not uncommon but even at that, i can tell you that there are blends and there are blends. and no two DJs will sound the same or effect the crowd the same way.

One thing i always tell Djays ( especially aspiring ones) is to never forget how it was when you were on the other side. When you were part of the audience, how did you like your music being played? What pissed you off about the music that was played in the clubs. Which kind of mixes did you enjoy the most? Please note that this does not mean you cannot find your own unique way of doing ya stuff.

Slightly off topic, but I used to work in an unusual club where this was the format. We weren’t allowed to stay in the same genre for more than 2 tracks at a time. It was difficult to put a night together and have it all sound smooth and coherent, but it also kept me on my toes and forced me to think outside the box. In a way, I kind of miss that sometimes with everything I play now having such obvious intros, outros and breaks...

Yeah I can see where you guys are coming from.

But the whole switching genres thing i can see how what i am saying does not apply. I am speaking from strickly an EDM perspective, where tempo changes and genre changes are minimal...and even if you are switching genres you are still relatively in the same tempo.

Now one thing i wanted to point out is that when im talking, is not chopping the song right out every 128 bars (1.5-2 minutes)

Im talking about adding things in..weather it be a simple drum beat of the next song...or adding harmonic synths and melodies...im always adding and taking something away rather than just letting the song play out as is.

I actually had a jam session with a buddy of mine last night that does a lot of prog house...and he is freakin awesome...being able to blend 3 tracks seemlessly and on beat, in phrase and with effective EQing to keep the flow going but also keep the music interesting.

I guess the biggest gripe i have is what i said in my previous post...where today it seems it more about the each individual song, than back in the 90s when it was all about the mix.

This would definitely depend on the mood of the crowd. I tend to mix (transition) fast during the peak of excitement.

haha,, i definately dn't want to ever get booed!

that means he doesnt know how to read the crowd hehehehe. I'm doing it most of the time (fast transitions during the peak of excitement, one stanza and one chorus) never got booed. It added to the excitment and cheers as the crowd wasnt expecting another song to be mixed. It all depends on how you set the mood of the crowd and how effective you are on reading them.