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-- enydo - Stumbling In The Dark [Techy, Housey, Proggy]
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Thanks man. Yeah, I was aiming for a bit of a dark atmosphere with this, so I'm glad the proggy section came off like that. The transition after A Break In The Clouds was definitely abrupt, flow and fitting tracks together is definitely something I need to work on.

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Originally posted by enydo Thanks man. Yeah, I was aiming for a bit of a dark atmosphere with this, so I'm glad the proggy section came off like that. The transition after A Break In The Clouds was definitely abrupt, flow and fitting tracks together is definitely something I need to work on.

just practice a lot and it will come naturally. The longer you jam, the more you will start noticing certain patterns and how they work well with each track. No beatmatching does not mean no practice

Alright then, finally feeling motivated to type this out - might get a bit wordy or "preachy", but I figure with this being your first mix I'd really like to see if I can toss you some pretty specific advice that I think might help you out.

As many have already pointed out, this is a pretty good effort for a first mix, and considering you're working with a mouse and a keyboard I'll give you even more points

That being said, the thing I guess I'd say to start focusing on is how your tunes are phrased. The best advice I have ever been given as a DJ is to work on the phrasing of mixes more than anything else, because when you can figure out how many beats/seconds/phrases you have until X happens, you can really avoid the longer drawn out mixes. This is something that to this day I feel like I have a lot of work to do on.

Programming is important as well, and that's obviously something a few people have pointed out already, so I'm just going to say that IMO, programming comes along with starting to know your tracks, and it just gets more and more natural as you practice and play more.

Now, as for advice - I basically have two things I'd say could really help, though some may disagree with at least one of them.

First, listen to your tracks, all the time. Make a playlist, throw it on, and do this as often as possible. It may seem very, very obvious advice, but honestly, the times when I fall off as a DJ are when I don't know what the fuck it is I'm playing. Like anything else, good study habits will breed sound DJ'ing, and also like anything else, if you stop doing this for an extended period of time you can get rusty.

Second, and I don't know if this will sound stupid or not, but maybe try to do an arrange view mix sometime, even if just for yourself. In doing this, you're going to learn very, very quickly how your tracks are phrased, you'll also be able to visualize what some of the more clever mixes you can come up with look like. Sometimes it's just seeing something from a wildly different perspective that makes our understanding of it more complete, and you might find that what you have to do on a mixer/MIDI controller in the future makes more sense when you have a visual aid attached to it.

Your taste is music is pretty darn good, and for a first mix that has some ups and downs with regard to flow, the tracks do all fit together nicely as a total package, so you're further along already than lots of folks.

Now just keep it up.

Damn, your first mix here gets more replies than my last one. Since you've given a lot of support to my stuff I reckon the least I can do is download this and give you some feedback. Besides, any set with Little Bullet in is a set I have time for.

what you got against long mixes rjt

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Damn, your first mix here gets more replies than my last one. Since you've given a lot of support to my stuff I reckon the least I can do is download this and give you some feedback. Besides, any set with Little Bullet in is a set I have time for.

he has always been supportive of TA dj's even though he was not one himself. It should serve as a lesson to those that do not get replies

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Originally posted by elFreak he has always been supportive of TA dj's even though he was not one himself. It should serve as a lesson to those that do not get replies

I know that's the reality of it, but it does add weight to the argument that this forum is a big circle-jerk: you download mine and I'll download yours. With that said, I've downloaded and given big bumps to sets by people who've never commented on my mixes.

It really just depends on your perspective, "Circle Jerk" and the "Golden Rule" seem to be largely interchangeable.



I prefer to interpret it as the latter.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J I know that's the reality of it, but it does add weight to the argument that this forum is a big circle-jerk: you download mine and I'll download yours. With that said, I've downloaded and given big bumps to sets by people who've never commented on my mixes.

as i think we all have.

of course it is easier for people to do things this way, and it pretty much is the way things are in the real world as well.

anyone who thinks different is just jealous in the basement of mothers but sounding good in the club as a tool.

Going to check this out since you're from Atlanta and I think I've met you for like 0.2 seconds at Steel.

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Originally posted by RJT It really just depends on your perspective, "Circle Jerk" and the "Golden Rule" seem to be largely interchangeable. I prefer to interpret it as the latter.

I just mention it because a lot of people (probably bitter from the lack of attention their fluff trance hit parade mix has received) have accused this place of being one large clique, and plenty of people at the time made remarks to the effect of "I download some people's mixes because they have good taste", as if mutual back-slapping and friendship aren't factors.

I'm not complaining, because I think I've been quite lucky in that I've had lots of feedback in the past even though I haven't downloaded as many TA mixes as I'd have liked- due to time time, hard drive space or connection issues- and I'm partaking in it a little here. The other side of the coin is that Endyo has shown his tastes are similar to mine by downloading and praising my mixes so I'm more likely to take a stab on something he's put together, and it helps that there are some great tracks on this mix.

Anyway, enough of this derailment- I'll give it a listen tonight or tomorrow.

Looks interesting, downloading now.

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Originally posted by RJT Now just keep it up.

I certainly plan on it. I'm absolutely addicted to this stuff now, even through the ghetto way I've been doing it. Your advice definitely makes a lot of sense, and it's stuff I mostly plan on improving. Getting to know my music is something I really need to work on, just listening to it more often.

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Damn, your first mix here gets more replies than my last one.

I'm honestly really surprised. I'm very grateful for all the feedback I just didn't expect much with my first post.

Again, thanks so much for the responses guys, I'm planning on taking the advice to heart. I respect you guys as DJs and you all are mostly responsible for my peaked interest in the hobby, so the feedback is great.

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Originally posted by enydo I certainly plan on it. I'm absolutely addicted to this stuff now, even through the ghetto way I've been doing it.

This sentence made me ROFL, mostly because I've been doing it in the exact same ghetto way

free bump. checking it out at work tomorrow.

Thanks!

Sunshine was a great movie... moving on.

Opening track is fantastic, gorgeous steady build-up and one of my favorites of Invol2ver. Having vocals somewhere in the opening sequence really helps to pull your audience in (I believe, anyway). So I can also understand letting the track run, in order to fit those vocals in. You need to edit that bitch next time, it did drone on for a bit too long.
Right away, first mix, I notice that you have to maintain your bass levels. Can't let one and another run consequently, it overloaded for a good 30 minutes. Try dropping the one you're mixing into down and gently blending the two (bring one up, bring the other down - it'll take time to master. there are mixers that will do this for you, but you're not working with one) The mix was a bit short, you're running into the same problems that Oscar (woscar) is - program your mixes so it doesn't sound like bleeding one song into the next, add your own flavor (this comes with time too). The two do work well enough together, I liked the idea.
This next tune (Holing The Moth) didn't work well with Laget, they clashed during the mix. I dunno if it was the timing or just the simply fact that you mixed into a breakdown. The track by itself is pretty intense, love that bassline and the fx on the vocals.
There you go! Mix #3 worked well. Really liked the blend between the two tracks, I think you need to focus on what you did here. Vocals from Moth flowed for a bit into Deadman, which created some good continuity and a better connection between the two.
Too quick of a cut into Flashing, Deadman just dropped out and was heard a "little bit" in the background. You brought it back a bit by the end of the mix - that's adding your own flavor, see you're learning on the fly, great!
After a half an hour, the problem I'm running into, is that I've only heard 5 tracks. They're all good, but it just feels a bit drawn out. You need to learn your collection and figure out some "filler" tracks that you can throw in, that aren't as "long-winded" but convey a similar feeling, so that your listener doesn't get bored.
Speaking of bored, even though Flashing lasted for only a little while, I did not find it to be my cup of tea. The mix into Holden worked well, and debatebly one of my favorite tracks from the good old progressive house era.
Beautiful Strange was a... interesting choice following A Break In The Clouds. Nothing like a bit of acid techno feeling to flip the script. But that Underworld track actually continued the feeling, so that's good. Again you just dropped out into Metropolis during the mix. Gotta Say that Beatiful Strange through Metropolis was not a genre I listen to often, so an enthusiast of that style might enjoy it more than I did.
POB was a bit trancey, and then again dropped right out into Little Bullet... which was not. Stand alone they're both decent tracks, that could be worked in right. But you gotta find your time and place, it just feels like random tracks that you like being worked into one another. I think you flowed between the two, which was another good "flavor" moment. Until they both "died" on us and we got a steady 8 minute dose of Sometimes I Realize.

In the end, I think Rob touched on most of this. But I'll repeat. You gotta know your collection, what works with what. All these tracks can be used well when you place a proper flow before and after. The mixing worked in a couple of instances, but overall it was too much "cut and paste", which we've all done at the beginning. As you get more comfortable you'll find yourself being able to spot your points of mixing in and out better, and in turn should be able to avoid simply overplaying a track, carrying it on from beginning to end.

And if this is your first mix, it's certainly miles better than my first one was. You're well on your way. A lot of it is developing your own style. Everyone on the boards (including myself as you can see) can talk all the shit we want to, and pretend like we know what we're talking about. But you yourself, after a period of time, will be able to realize what you'd like to get out of your mixes. Listen to other artists to get ideas, and in turn will develop your own way. I think everyone that DJs has been influenced in one way or another by their favorites artists/DJs.

Cheers, and sorry for the looooooooooong post.

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Originally posted by denys envy Sunshine was a great movie... moving on. Cheers, and sorry for the looooooooooong post.

Glad someone caught that little clip, and don't sweat it man, it helps to have it all listed out like that. I listened to this again recently and pretty much cringed after hearing a lot of stuff. I've been practicing as much as I can manage and it really feels like I'm beginning to understand EQing and phrasing a bit better.

Thanks for the in-depth review, Denys. Helps a lot.

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