TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Music Discussion
-- Track selection: why can so few DJs do this right?
Pages (2): [1] 2 »

Track selection: why can so few DJs do this right?

I listen to all these livesets.. and listen, and listen. And when i hear about 98% of the DJs, all i can think about is that these guys couldn't get a decent track selection together if their life depended on it! Seriously, why is it that seemingly, only the big names like Armin and Tiesto can do this right? It's not that difficult, really. Sometimes i feel like getting into mixing just because so few people can do it right!

as an amateur DJ, I'll speak up for us TAs...
How bout the fact that they've been around the scene and the art of spinning for longer than most of us has, not to mention they've got production credibility and skills that can only be obtained through years and years of experience.
If you think your all that at it, why dont you go for it, hot shot? You sound like your already at the top, why not? I mean,

quote:

only the big names like Armin and Tiesto can do this right? It's not that difficult, really. Sometimes i feel like getting into mixing just because so few people can do it right!

Big names huh? Wonder WHY they are big names.
Not that difficult? I'll let the rest of this board do the talking on that one.
Nice fucking topic.

imo not even the big DJs can do it right. doesnt take a rocket scientist to throw anthem after anthem down

quote:

Big names huh? Wonder WHY they are big names.

As if you have a clue

Topic is valid because it is a lost art these days. Deejays playing weak vocal tracks (used to better vocals but they head for weak vocals). Yes, all the top deejays are playing the same tunes and it seems like they have no originality. Look at Paul Van Dyk, he has been playing the same friggin tracks (in diff order) for months and compared to a time where he played amazing tracks and was unpredictable. Tiesto used to play better tracks and some of the tracks he played were unique to his sets but now that is no longer the case. All the A List deejays seem to do is play the same weak tracks in different order and the average fan is left dumbfounded to why they are playing the same old crap and nothing new and nothing decent. Big names are big names because they were good at some point and most just live off their big names to bring in the crowds (a la Paul Oakenfold). What made Oakenfold great was he played tunes that no one else played and he was unpredictable in 1999, hence why he was King.

Proper track selection is largely determined by individual tastes, so I find it funny that you think so few DJs do it properly...maybe you are not listening to the right kind of music!

I understand that track selection is very personal, but if you look at DJMag's top DJ list, the guys in the bottom of it AREN'T the ones with the best track selection, no matter WHAT your perspective is! Not to mention that there are THOUSANDS of other DJs that aren't even ON that list, and they're even worse! They're all sitting there, hoping someone will come along to discover them, doing NOTHING to ensure it themselves.

The problem is that you've got all these DJs with NO TASTE trying to spin 'personal' shit, and they're getting nowhere, because they don't have the creativity of the big boys, and can't find the sleeper hits, create them, or market them! Nor do they have the intelligence to understand their shortcomings and the very least try to mimic those same big boys, and at least ride on THEIR wave of success! So instead, they get NEITHER!

I agree with what torontotrance said, and it pisses me off sometimes. Not that i don't understand why they're doing what they are. Whether we/they like it or not, they're businessmen, and spinning is a growing business! Its just that i think i could do it better than them, or at least better than most.

You'll probably smirk at this, and rightfully so, because many talk, and few do, but topping Tiesto on the charts isn't impossible. On the contrary, its VERY possible and it WILL be done, by a guy just like YOU AND ME! A guy just like Tiesto, Oakey, etc were before they made the charts.

Hell, if i didn't have all this business shit going for me right now, i'd probably be working on all this day and night. All it takes is creativity and having control of your mind, and as simple as this may sound, 99% of the population get filtered out by these two criteria, one for success in an artform, and the other for success in any field of business.

I don't know... Whenever i hear an awesome liveset, all i can think about is how great it would be to be the one spinning that stuff. Some DJ once said that he feels like he's making love to the crowd while spinning, and i know what he meant.

Perhaps it IS my calling, but its damn hard to let go of what you have, especially when others depend on you. Dammit, i'm 20, why can't i be just like every other kid who's free to do whatever cuz he's got nothing to lose?

OK, valid topic, but wtf are you talking about with the 'big names?'
Tiesto is one of the worst for track selection, and especially the order he plays them. It's like he's got the same records in his box, and just draws from a hat for which one's next....no buildup, no flow whatsoever. hell, he used to have an idea...you seem to think he's some kind of god, that everyone else should mimic, there's plenty of djs in that list better than these 'big guys'. btw, d!abolic, you sound like you must be a fucking legend, where can i get your latest set?

quote:

They're all sitting there, hoping someone will come along to discover them, doing NOTHING to ensure it themselves.

Have a go then....oh that's right, you got some magical business shit going on huh?

quote:

why can't i be just like every other kid who's free to do whatever cuz he's got nothing to lose?

My heart bleeds for you man

Fucking DJ wannabe whore...

just remember that dj'ing, as is with most things in life, much easier said than done. when dj's get bigger, they tend to play for larger crowds, 95% of whom aren't the types that sit in front of the computer and download every liveset that's floating around. these people are probably come into the event hoping to hear that one song that this dj is known to play, something that's like a signature track which usually sets a crowd aflame. that's how these tracks end up as anthems, because when dj's tour, they find one song that seems to work for most crowds and they play it at every gig they're at.

to you, the person who does sit in front of the computer downloading livesets and looking up tracklistings, it may seem like dj so-and-so is playing the same shit for months on end. but to the average person attending whatever night in whatever city, it's their one chance to hear this song in a club environment. they'll be lucky if this dj comes out with a mixed cd and includes this song so they can hear it again.

if you don't believe me, maybe you should try going on a 30-city tour playing 4 nights a week, carrying two record bags at most. let's see what you come up with.

I've often wondered about how these top DJ's select their tracks. I know everyone seems to have their own style (and so inevitably play the tracks that fit that style) but it still seems to me that most DJ's throw the tracks down in any old order. Not all the time obviously, but most of the time.

I always thought that a set was generally supposed to build up to something, so you'd generally start with the mellower tracks and build up to more of the anthems towards the end. It depends on what style of music is being played as well, but that was the general idea I thought.

Still, these DJ's have been DJing for donkeys, so I guess they know what they're doing!!

quote:

Originally posted by d!abolic I understand that track selection is very personal, but if you look at DJMag's top DJ list, the guys in the bottom of it AREN'T the ones with the best track selection, no matter WHAT your perspective is! Not to mention that there are THOUSANDS of other DJs that aren't even ON that list, and they're even worse! They're all sitting there, hoping someone will come along to discover them, doing NOTHING to ensure it themselves.

The DJMag's top DJ list is a popularity contest as well. It's not because your not on the list that you ain't a proper DJ. There are THOUSANDS of other DJ's not on that list because they ain't popular.
If I would do a set infront of a 1000 ppl and everyone would have loved I still won't appear in that list, does that mean I suck? I just pleased a 1000 ppl. Or does that mean that I'm a young DJ starting to climb up the ranks of fame?


I agree with you that there are DJ that absolutely lamers when selecting their tracks. But the famous DJ's are not immune to that. On most big festivals you'll hear the same track being played in different sets over and over again. And that is boring, lame, blabla.
But when you are on such a festival you really don't mind (taking you don't hate the track ofcourse).
But when your at home and your downloading every set of Festival X and you're also downloading every set of DJ who also happened to play on Festival X and a few days later on Festival X� and so on because he or she is was tour. Chances are good that you'll hear the same tracks over and over again and yes that is irrritating as hell. But DJ's can only take along so many discs as their bags can hold and several different DJ will play the same tune because they happen to like it or because it's the official anthem of a festival.

A problem that a DJ also faces is the fact that they will never please everyone: you play to soft, you play to hard, you played old tunes, you played new tunes that none of my friends recognized, you didn't mix enough different tracks, you mixed to many tracks, etc...

If you don't like a set delete it if you dloaded it or go to another hall/room/square/level/etc or go for a drink if you happen to be at a festival or club.
If you don't want to hear the same kind of tunes, look for another DJ. If you don't like a set played on a livestream shut it off.

IMO the one dj who has the best track selection is Jon O Bir.Nuff said.each tune is a step up from the other.building and building.

starts off proggy,then slightly trancier then onto full pumpin euphoria.

impresses me every time i hear him.

quote:

As if you have a clue

As if I do have one. I stopped listening to sets by Armin, Tiesto, PvD or whatever superstar DJ sets a long time ago. The last set I heard by any top DJ was Tiesto's Cream Amnesia set during the summer thats been floatin around(July something...). Everything you said I agree with, but they are big names because they've forged their reputation by building awesome tracklists ala Innercity 99, Energy 2000, Armin's 12 hour Hague set etc...now it's to a point where it doesn't matter anymore, because it's business now, like you said.
Tracklists these days for trance DJs are pretty stale, and I dunno if there will ever be a time where the top names will spin sets like they used to back in the days. Back in the days when they were BECOMING famous, not WERE famous...

which was my point....they spend more time getting to the top and more effort then trying to stay there.

You want good track selection? Try Sasha or Marco V.

Re: Track selection: why can so few DJs do this right?

quote:

Originally posted by d!abolic I listen to all these livesets.. and listen, and listen. And when i hear about 98% of the DJs, all i can think about is that these guys couldn't get a decent track selection together if their life depended on it! Seriously, why is it that seemingly, only the big names like Armin and Tiesto can do this right? It's not that difficult, really. Sometimes i feel like getting into mixing just because so few people can do it right!

i dont agree with what you're saying at all
i find that all the big dj's have a style of their own: at the moment PvD plays quite hard, Ferry Corsten plays a lot of electro -style trance, Armin is doing loads of uplifting stuff and alas, Tiesto seems to be as random as ever. And so what if a couple of tunes get played twice on the same night? it happened at the gatecrasher NEC (connective was played twice, as was sunday afternoon) but that didnt detract me from having an amazing night regardless. i see every DJ about 4 times a year so i dont mind it if they play some of the same tunes, if anything its great because chances are i'll love that tune (eg connective/sunday afternoon/search for freedom/NBY etc) and if it DOES get played i really enjoy it

So Tiesto does it right? I don't think his track selection has been good at all lately.

quote:

Originally posted by zapper So Tiesto does it right? I don't think his track selection has been good at all lately.

dont know if that was referring to my post, but as i stated earlier i find tiesto very random at the best of times

IMO the only trance dj that has been consistently really good in track selection is John 00 Fleming - miles better than the so-called top class ones. i've also liked a couple of sets i've heard from M.I.K.E., apart from a couple electro-trance/80's remixes tracks i don't like much, he played only great underrated trance. just his mixing skils suck :\

tiesto is kinda ok, he mixes different genres which is good but picks a bit of cheese of each one :\ and plays in almost absolutely random order

armin manages to be very good ocasionally in his radio sets, especially parts 2 of asot with some prog and obscure trance, but the 'live' sets it's just anthem after anthem, boring.

pvd i don't like. oakenfold, haven't heard much. ferry, never really been any close to the top.

but hey, it's always a matter of opinion.

Woah.

I think we have just accidently stumbled upon the deciding factor in any DJ's career. It is the one thing that sets the most popular DJs like Armin, Tiesto and Corsten apart from everyone else. In total, there are three of these factors, two of them widely known, but the third and biggest one, somehow managed to escape most.

3) Musical talent is important, but it's the least important of the three. Countless talented DJs have failed in the past, and more will fail in the years to come. As sad as this is, the other two factors play a bigger role in a DJ's success than this one. And this isn't limited to the electronic music scene. We can all name musicians who are less talented than most, and yet top the charts.

2) The ability to network, build relationships and business
connections, in order to get your music out there is the second most important factor in my opinion. No matter how good a DJ is, he will never get anywhere unless he masters this factor. Just as any other businessman, he must grab onto every single opportunity, no matter how futile, and milk it for all it's worth. And continue trying no matter how many times he fails.

1) And finally, the big one. This is something that hit me after reading the posts in this thread. In my opinion, the most important deciding factor in a DJ's career is HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE AVERAGE CLUBBER'S PERCEPTION OF GOOD TRACK SELECTION. Someone above said it well: our perception of what this means is quite different from that of the average person in the club. Most people here, just like most lesser-known DJs, place more emphasis on the way the combination of tracks sounds together to give the set a unique feel, than on the impact of each individual track. And it is the LATTER that the clubber prefers! All the big names simply pump out one anthem after another and the people love them because no one in the club really gives a damn about one track building up for the next one and so forth. They just wanna hear someting that will blow their mind, period! I believe that the understanding of this concept, or the lack of it, is what makes some succeed and others fail.

quote:

Originally posted by teknofile to you, the person who does sit in front of the computer downloading livesets and looking up tracklistings, it may seem like dj so-and-so is playing the same shit for months on end. but to the average person attending whatever night in whatever city, it's their one chance to hear this song in a club environment. they'll be lucky if this dj comes out with a mixed cd and includes this song so they can hear it again. if you don't believe me, maybe you should try going on a 30-city tour playing 4 nights a week, carrying two record bags at most. let's see what you come up with.

yea i agree, how bout ppl stop complaining about the sets they constantly download and get to listen to FOR FREE

and obviously the feel is different when you're actually there live, do you think DJs are catering for the ppl who are sitting at home everyday listening to live sets that they downloaded?

quote:

Originally posted by teknofile when dj's get bigger, they tend to play for larger crowds, 95% of whom aren't the types that sit in front of the computer and download every liveset that's floating around. these people are probably come into the event hoping to hear that one song that this dj is known to play, something that's like a signature track which usually sets a crowd aflame. that's how these tracks end up as anthems, because when dj's tour, they find one song that seems to work for most crowds and they play it at every gig they're at. to you, the person who does sit in front of the computer downloading livesets and looking up tracklistings, it may seem like dj so-and-so is playing the same shit for months on end. but to the average person attending whatever night in whatever city, it's their one chance to hear this song in a club environment. they'll be lucky if this dj comes out with a mixed cd and includes this song so they can hear it again. if you don't believe me, maybe you should try going on a 30-city tour playing 4 nights a week, carrying two record bags at most. let's see what you come up with.

Word!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Angelus imo not even the big DJs can do it right. doesnt take a rocket scientist to throw anthem after anthem down

that would never work, becuse you bascially dance for 2 min... breakdown for 2 min... dance for 2min... breakdown for 2 min... tiesto & pvd are the only ones who do it right.

damn. i read a new one of these every week. all i gotta say is fucking stop complaining, there's a shitload of DJ's out there and i'm sure one of them will play what you like, and how you like it. stop crying. As far as I go, I never listen to livesets on the computer it's too damn boring, that's why if I go to a party I will never complain about the set.

quote:

Originally posted by torontotrance As if you have a clue Topic is valid because it is a lost art these days. Deejays playing weak vocal tracks (used to better vocals but they head for weak vocals). Yes, all the top deejays are playing the same tunes and it seems like they have no originality. Look at Paul Van Dyk, he has been playing the same friggin tracks (in diff order) for months and compared to a time where he played amazing tracks and was unpredictable. Tiesto used to play better tracks and some of the tracks he played were unique to his sets but now that is no longer the case. All the A List deejays seem to do is play the same weak tracks in different order and the average fan is left dumbfounded to why they are playing the same old crap and nothing new and nothing decent. Big names are big names because they were good at some point and most just live off their big names to bring in the crowds (a la Paul Oakenfold). What made Oakenfold great was he played tunes that no one else played and he was unpredictable in 1999, hence why he was King.

you're forgetting that it is much harder these days for dj's to play tracks no-one else plays or has heard of. with the mp3 scene, people get access to new tracks much faster, so that many tracks get old quite fast.
you're saying pvd has been playing the same tracks for months. i'm pretty sure he has always done the exact same thing, it's just that with the increasing availability of livesets and tracks on the internet people start to notice that more and more.
5 years ago, you would go see him say once a month and you'd never have given it any thought. nowadays, you still see him once a month, but in the meantime you download 2 sets of his every week. and then you realise "wow, he plays the same tracks over and over again".

................. i love picottos track selections.... he is the best!

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright © 2000-2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.