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-- Putting older tracks in demos

Putting older tracks in demos

This isnt about whether or not you should only play the newest tracks you can get, cos good music is good music regardless. But if youre recording a demo and you put an older track in with a load of newer ones do you think it can sound out of place becuse of the difference in production values?

Case in point, in my latest demo Ive finished on C.M. - Dream Universe (Man With No Name Remix) which came out on Hooj back in '98, the track before it is the new Mark Sherry track Fractured. Ive given the mix toa few ppl and a couple have come back saying the last track sounds out of place and not as well produced and a bit dated. Although i thought it was a good track to end on I kind of see what they mean

Obviously if I was playing live I wouldnt think twice about it, but when your doing a demo you have to think that people are gonna listen to it 3 or 4 times hopefully more and may pick up on little things like that

I dunno, what are your opinions? I have to rerecord the mix anyway so can change the last track if need be, but i spose idrather not


EDIT: heres a link to a sample of what im talking about

I think for any mix, you should try and refrain from using any tracks that sound out of place. As long as it sounds in place I don't think it would be bad to play an older track mixed in with the new. It shows that you have the knowledge of what's out right now and what's been proven as a floor banger in the past.

i am always throwing in older tracks into my mixes, and it does work well, especially if its a recognisable track, then it gives the mix a bit more of an edge.

for instance this is the last cd i mixed

01 Mark Thornton - Now You See (Ross Assenheim Remix) [e-tcr] 2006
02 Johnny Arthur - Out Of It [Whoop!] 2005
03 Way Out West - UB Devoid [White Label] 2000
04 Alvin Dorsey & Nick Petrel - K [Black Hole] 2002
05 BT - Dreaming (Libra Mix) [Headspace]
06 Sunny Lax - P.U.M.A [Anjunabeats] 2006
07 Ian Betts & Oceanforce - Polarise (Factoria Mix) [Elevation] 2005
08 Sybren Danz - Dizzit [Well Wicked] 2002
09 Marc Marberg - Guarana [Euphonic] 2005
10 The Chemical Brothers - Electronic Battle Weapon 6 [White Label] 2003


i suppose 3 or so new tracks in there, the rest are older, but it still flows well, and so long as you programme them well, you cant really go wrong, and what harm is there in dropping a classic now and again

quote:

Originally posted by shades_of_gray i am always throwing in older tracks into my mixes, and it does work well, especially if its a recognisable track, then it gives the mix a bit more of an edge.

yyeah me too, I always find that when i do a mix of totally upfront stuff it always sounds a bit flat and lacking something.

Just in this case theres a big drop in the overall sort of fullness of the track and it sounds almost amatureish compared compared to the other tracks. Ah i dunno how to explain it, i may post a sample so you can see what i mean.

Anyone still play Dance 2 Trance or Jam & Spoon?

quote:

Originally posted by djdk yyeah me too, I always find that when i do a mix of totally upfront stuff it always sounds a bit flat and lacking something. Just in this case theres a big drop in the overall sort of fullness of the track and it sounds almost amatureish compared compared to the other tracks. Ah i dunno how to explain it, i may post a sample so you can see what i mean.

I know what you mean. I like dropping old tracks in between newer tracks but a lot of the time they do sound thinner and less "refined". This is particularily noticeable in tracks that are made before 1999.

I don't think there's any other reason I wouldn't put old tracks on a demo - just avoid the cliche'd tracks (like For An Angel or Suburban Train etc.).

Edited to add a sample

Just listened to the sample, and I don't think it's specifically the track, more the transition. It seemed very abrupt and noticeable when you switched the basslines of the tracks, and then there was a big drop in energy when you faded out the Mark Sherry track as it was done pretty quickly.

I was one of the people who told Dave I thought it sounded out of place - as Dave says, not just because it's an older track or not a good record or anything, but because it sounds a lot worse produced than the rest of the tracks (due to how production has moved on in the last 8 or so years).

But having said that I'm inclined to agree with Mr Brown here... I've always said that a REALLY good DJ can make any track work in any set and, as Dave said to me on MSN earlier, you'd have a seriously hard time putting that track elsewhere in the mix. But on reflection I think it could work if mixed differently - about all I can think of suggesting is just a REALLY long (& late), smooth-as-you-possibly-can mix... which will make the transition from new (+ well produced) to old (+ weaker produced) much less noticable. You'd have to give it a shot, but I think it could well be possible to make it work.

having listened back to it youre right, it is a bit of a crap mix.

the cm track had only just finished d/l'ing when i started recording the mix so i didnt really have a chance to listen to it properly and just kinda threw it in. having fiddled for 5 minutes last nite i think ive found a way of getting into dream universe without it sounding pants.

I think the problem was that theres a sub-bass element to the Mark Sherry track that just simply isnt there in the CM track, meaning that when it drops out it sounds really abrupt and noticable

i love old tracks.... old school!!!any old tracks on labels like slinky, fragrant, platipus, are very hard to mix togther with tracks that are being produced these days. certain tracks just arn't meant to be put together, man with no name is one of those. you might wanna try using something more goa sounding to open up for a track by m.w.n.n. you'll find it, but definitely keep the man with no name track if possible

I am contemplating whether I should download some really old classics from 1999/2000 such as Kamaya Painter's "Far From Over", "Soft Light", and "Summerbreeze" with a few remixes of "Autumn Tactics" and "Saltwater" by Chicane (the biggest thing I am contemplating is MP3 vs. WAV..if i want to spend $10 more dollars for WAV files on BeatPort). I'de want to make a demo sometime and put some of these tracks in, considering they are some of my all time favorites. I think tracks from 98 on should be fine. There hasn't been as much trance lately that has the same magic as some of those tracks IMO.

As has been stated already but just to add my two euros worth...

It's definately a weaker production and can't contend with the production values of today. There are some timeless tracks you can get away with but on the whole you have to be careful doing this as it will come across as very flat.

Cheers
Nem

Dave had a bash at mixing it differently a couple of days ago and we both agree that it worked the way he did it - which just goes to show how important tailoring your mix to the tracks you're playing can be, and also that it's possible to fit practically anything into a mix if done right!

So look out for his new mix very soon...

I definitely like this thread because I have been wondering the same thing about putting older or classic tracks into an upfront demo...My personal opinion is that if the general flow of the mix is not tainted too much by the older track and it adds to the mood then why not through it in there....A recent mix i did featuring mostly houseier stuff i was still able to put in Travel - Bulgarian (Incisions Remix) towards the end and it fit perfectly

My tested and proven methodoligy is "play whatever the hell you want" Good music is good music. Being older only makes it that much better.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeremy Jive Good music is good music.

Amen to that

quote:

Originally posted by Jeremy Jive My tested and proven methodoligy is "play whatever the hell you want" Good music is good music. Being older only makes it that much better.

So if it sounds completely out of place in the mix it doesn't matter to you?

My opinion is that these tracks will never die... well maybe a couple of them, but fo the most part they still get played out a lot by me. I always love hearing tracks from before 2000, but I prefer thAT they're not mega huge hits like PVD For an Angel, Chicane_ sALT wATER ETC..
as you can see I am a collector of bangin tunes that just didn't get the attention they deserved back in thier respected day. My theory is, as long as you can keep the crowd guessin as to what bangin track it is, then age really shouldn't pertain to whether or not you should play it out.
So I've taken the time to list a few of my personal favs.
Lsg � The Hive Singles (2000)
Arrakis - Medusa (1998)
Parker & Clind � Generator/ Teleportation (1999)
Mars � Keep on Path/ Peaceful Warrior (2000)
Nostrum- The End (2002 mix)
K90 � Red Snapper (Jon Doe Remix)(2002)
Fast � Trasmission (2000)
Johan � Crash (Funk Function Groove Mix)????
Oliver Klein � Timeloop/ Schallfragmente????
Chaser � Too High Island/ Reach For It/ Masterplan (1997)
Atax � Pink (1997)
Cosmosis � Pigs in Space/ Inter Galactic Fluoro Funkster (1998)
Aircom � Red Cloud (1999)
Herwig Maurer � Cyklik (1998)
Utah Saints � Star (Union Jack Mix) (1996)
Red Devil � Proximity (2000)
Unagi � Relax (2000)

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