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Best technique for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks

Yesterday I had posted something about techniques for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks. I basically asked what is a good or "proper" way to mix these kinds of tracks, since some of them are beatless, and or are really slow and subtle. I'm used to mixing trance, with the 16/32/64 beats, where you bring in the next track. chill out/ambient/downtempo are quite different. Since there's no beat in some of these tracks, I just don't know where to bring in the next track. Is it by phrases? Some tracks are easier than others.

Another thing I've wondered about is mixing these kinds of tracks with trance or prog. I think prog might work a little better because it's at a lower bpm and some prog is more "ambient" then trance. I have used chill tracks in some trance sets, like to start it off, and then use a trance or prog track with a long "ambient" intro. I have also tried mixing in a chill out track at the end, by mixing it in at the breakdown of the trance track, and fading out of the breakdown in the actual track, or sometimes i've layed them ontop of each other, which works sometimes, depending on keys/harmonics of the tracks. I know Ferry mixed in some downtempo tracks in his "Infinite Euphoria" CD from two years ago (don't own it though), and Paul Oakenfold's famous "Perfect Presents Another World" had clips from the "Blade Runner" and some tunes from the group "Dead Can Dance", which both are not exactly dance music, they were pretty much beatless. I'm just wondering if it is okay and what is the best way, in someone's opinion, to mix trance/prog with chill stuff, and the best ways to mix just chill stuff together. Thanks.

Re: Best technique for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks

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Originally posted by Spirit5 Yesterday I had posted something about techniques for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks. I basically asked what is a good or "proper" way to mix these kinds of tracks, since some of them are beatless, and or are really slow and subtle. I'm used to mixing trance, with the 16/32/64 beats, where you bring in the next track. chill out/ambient/downtempo are quite different. Since there's no beat in some of these tracks, I just don't know where to bring in the next track. Is it by phrases? Some tracks are easier than others. Another thing I've wondered about is mixing these kinds of tracks with trance or prog. I think prog might work a little better because it's at a lower bpm and some prog is more "ambient" then trance. I have used chill tracks in some trance sets, like to start it off, and then use a trance or prog track with a long "ambient" intro. I have also tried mixing in a chill out track at the end, by mixing it in at the breakdown of the trance track, and fading out of the breakdown in the actual track, or sometimes i've layed them ontop of each other, which works sometimes, depending on keys/harmonics of the tracks. I know Ferry mixed in some downtempo tracks in his "Infinite Euphoria" CD from two years ago (don't own it though), and Paul Oakenfold's famous "Perfect Presents Another World" had clips from the "Blade Runner" and some tunes from the group "Dead Can Dance", which both are not exactly dance music, they were pretty much beatless. I'm just wondering if it is okay and what is the best way, in someone's opinion, to mix trance/prog with chill stuff, and the best ways to mix just chill stuff together. Thanks.

Mixing tracks with long outros/intros is probably your best bet, I doubt you could beatmatch an ~80bpm chillout track over a 130bpm trance track You can beatmatch chillout tracks with each other, it just takes alot of practice, and you have to find tracks that just mix well into each other, in the same realm as mixing hiphop, but with chillout you get alot more breathing room becuase most of those songs have intros and outros.

And don't worry about rules...break them. That's how you develop your own style

Re: Re: Best technique for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks

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Originally posted by placebo Mixing tracks with long outros/intros is probably your best bet, I doubt you could beatmatch an ~80bpm chillout track over a 130bpm trance track You can beatmatch chillout tracks with each other, it just takes alot of practice, and you have to find tracks that just mix well into each other, in the same realm as mixing hiphop, but with chillout you get alot more breathing room becuase most of those songs have intros and outros. And don't worry about rules...break them. That's how you develop your own style

Yeah I'll stick to trying to do that, because I had noticed that there is a huge BPM difference between genres. But it would be cool to find a way to bridge the gap between them, downtempo trance, if there is stuff like that out there. Chicane used to do that, there's still some "chilled trance" stuff, I know Ljungvist just released two tracks called "Chicago" and "Perhaps Another Time" which fit this sub genre (even though it hasn't officially been established). I think Ulrich Schnauss comes close, his stuff isn't quite as slow as some downtempo or ambient music, but it's not quite up there with even prog stuff. I think his stuff is around 110 and 120 BPM, so about the same as some house music. So if I can find tracks like that, it would be cool to start to mix those together early on in a set, or later on somehow, to bring the energy down later in a set, after playing at say 130 on up.

Don't know how many DJs "bring down" the mix, instead of just building it up to a peak,which is fine, but I guess as an inspiring DJ (i still have a ways to go) I'de like to do this sometimes, be different. Perhaps some sets with just this kind of music if I'm playing in say a bar or a lounge, where there might not be a huge dancefloor and not everyone might want to dance, but just chill out. It would be cool to play "trance-like" stuff but "trance-like" stuff you can chill too, not just dance to, as some places aren't exactly huge dance clubs like Space.

Re: Re: Re: Best technique for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks

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Originally posted by Spirit5 Yeah I'll stick to trying to do that, because I had noticed that there is a huge BPM difference between genres. But it would be cool to find a way to bridge the gap between them, downtempo trance, if there is stuff like that out there. Chicane used to do that, there's still some "chilled trance" stuff, I know Ljungvist just released two tracks called "Chicago" and "Perhaps Another Time" which fit this sub genre (even though it hasn't officially been established). I think Ulrich Schnauss comes close, his stuff isn't quite as slow as some downtempo or ambient music, but it's not quite up there with even prog stuff. I think his stuff is around 110 and 120 BPM, so about the same as some house music. So if I can find tracks like that, it would be cool to start to mix those together early on in a set, or later on somehow, to bring the energy down later in a set, after playing at say 130 on up. Don't know how many DJs "bring down" the mix, instead of just building it up to a peak,which is fine, but I guess as an inspiring DJ (i still have a ways to go) I'de like to do this sometimes, be different. Perhaps some sets with just this kind of music if I'm playing in say a bar or a lounge, where there might not be a huge dancefloor and not everyone might want to dance, but just chill out. It would be cool to play "trance-like" stuff but "trance-like" stuff you can chill too, not just dance to, as some places aren't exactly huge dance clubs like Space.

Yeah, sometimes you can use tracks as bridges, lets say you have some prog track that has a good breakdown to where you could drop in a chillout track. That's what I usually do, just use some records as tools to mix into different stuff.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Best technique for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks

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Originally posted by placebo Yeah, sometimes you can use tracks as bridges, lets say you have some prog track that has a good breakdown to where you could drop in a chillout track. That's what I usually do, just use some records as tools to mix into different stuff.

Yeah i'll work on that. No records anymore, just WAV and MP3s, which is good because it's easier to find chill stuff digitally then on vinyl. I have a few ambient versions of trance tracks on vinyl though, but they are only a few minutes anyways (I sold my TTs for CDJs last summer). But I really like Ljungqvist & Lansberg's track "Perhaps Another Time", check it out on AudioJelly, it's definitely a good bridge track. I'm going to work on a mix next week and use it and see how it goes. Thanks for the input.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Best technique for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks

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Originally posted by Spirit5 Yeah i'll work on that. No records anymore, just WAV and MP3s, which is good because it's easier to find chill stuff digitally then on vinyl. I have a few ambient versions of trance tracks on vinyl though, but they are only a few minutes anyways (I sold my TTs for CDJs last summer). But I really like Ljungqvist & Lansberg's track "Perhaps Another Time", check it out on AudioJelly, it's definitely a good bridge track. I'm going to work on a mix next week and use it and see how it goes. Thanks for the input.

No prob dude, haha, I'm straight vinyl right now, I really need to invest in some CDJs ;D

could you match a 65bpm downtempo track with a 130bmp say prog breaks track, without touching the pitch and just aligning the beats to look like:

X - X - X - X (65bmp)
X X X X X X X (130bpm)

How would this sound? Anybody got samples of this?

quote:

Originally posted by PersianMafia could you match a 65bpm downtempo track with a 130bmp say prog breaks track, without touching the pitch and just aligning the beats to look like: X - X - X - X (65bmp) X X X X X X X (130bpm) How would this sound? Anybody got samples of this?

that's about what i was gonna say. the only thing is, 65bpm is pretty fuckin slow. check out danny howells ARC NYC 3-27-04 set. it's got a real slow bpm r&b track that he mixes in with a chillin house track in the above mentioned manner. it actually sounds really cool.. the house track's snare kinda mimics the offbeat of the r&b track much like an open hi-hat

alright i just uploaded a sample of that howells set..

right click, "save as"

the first bit going from a higher bpm breaks track to a low bpm r&b style one.. and the second going from a different slower bpm track into a chilled housey-track. good stuff. howells is the man.

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Originally posted by Omega_Blue that's about what i was gonna say. the only thing is, 65bpm is pretty fuckin slow. check out danny howells ARC NYC 3-27-04 set. it's got a real slow bpm r&b track that he mixes in with a chillin house track in the above mentioned manner. it actually sounds really cool.. the house track's snare kinda mimics the offbeat of the r&b track much like an open hi-hat

I believe that is the same way some djs mix hiphop tracks out of dnb -- 180 bpm dnb track into a 90 bpm hiphop one

wish i had the patience to try that. oh well i'll stick to trance

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Originally posted by Omega_Blue alright i just uploaded a sample of that howells set.. right click, "save as" the first bit going from a higher bpm breaks track to a low bpm r&b style one.. and the second going from a different slower bpm track into a chilled housey-track. good stuff. howells is the man.

Thanks! That sounds awsome. Sounds like a goood set too!

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Originally posted by PersianMafia Thanks! That sounds awsome. Sounds like a goood set too!

it is, it is.. if i find the link again, i'll be sure to post it back up. i only have the first 3 hours of it.. it's a 4-5 hour set i believe

Re: Best technique for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks

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Originally posted by Spirit5 Since there's no beat in some of these tracks, I just don't know where to bring in the next track. Is it by phrases? Some tracks are easier than others.

i try not to beat match becuase it can be a bitch for me. so i opt to match percussion with percussionless melodies or just match percussionless melodies.


Try this exercise below. I used these following two tracks in a mix of mine. I've posted the last 3 minutes of one track and the first 4 minutes of another. Try to mix the two and then compare it to my mix.

Better yet, upload some samples of your own so that i can give it them a shot.


Track One: Wet Moon (last 3 minutes; 64kbps; 1.37mb):LINK
Track Two: Mammon (first 4 minutes; 64kbps; 1.83nb): LINK

My Mix Version (5 minutes; 64kbps; 2.2mb):LINK

quote:

Originally posted by Omega_Blue alright i just uploaded a sample of that howells set.. right click, "save as" the first bit going from a higher bpm breaks track to a low bpm r&b style one.. and the second going from a different slower bpm track into a chilled housey-track. good stuff. howells is the man.

just found themixingbowl link to this.. 10 freaking hours!!

http://www.themixingbowl.org/topics...ic&topicid=4148

t/l for uploaded sample..
pt1
02. 02:30 Static - Cruising
03. 07:30 Telefon Tel Aviv - Sound In A Dark Room

pt2
04. 13:40 Telefon Tel Aviv - I Lied
05. 19:15 1 Giant Leap ft Michael Stipe & Asha Bhosle - The Way You Dream(Cinematic Orchestra Mix/DH Re-edit)

enjoy

Re: Re: Best technique for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks

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Originally posted by Spacey Orange i try not to beat match becuase it can be a bitch for me. so i opt to match percussion with percussionless melodies or just match percussionless melodies. Try this exercise below. I used these following two tracks in a mix of mine. I've posted the last 3 minutes of one track and the first 4 minutes of another. Try to mix the two and then compare it to my mix. Better yet, upload some samples of your own so that i can give it them a shot. Track One: Wet Moon (last 3 minutes; 64kbps; 1.37mb):LINK Track Two: Mammon (first 4 minutes; 64kbps; 1.83nb): LINK My Mix Version (5 minutes; 64kbps; 2.2mb):LINK

Thanks for the advice, i'll work at it. I will post a sample in the next few days. I will try to mix a prog tune with the tune in my sig by Ljungqvist & Lansberg, it's a nice downtempo tune with a nice piano melody.

I see what you were talking about with the mix, I listened to it. I tried something like that, when I was mixing this really creepy tune from a music project called "Cantoma" with some Ulrich Schnauss, it sounded "haunting". I'm going to keep working at it, so I can prepare for whenever I get a gig to start them off (or end them) in a chilled way. Thats what I really am aiming to do, I guess create a musical journey through sounds, and build it up or bring it down that way. Create "peaks" and "valleys", because most likely my first gigs will be in small bars and clubs and not a big club.

Re: Re: Re: Best technique for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks

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Originally posted by Spirit5 Thanks for the advice, i'll work at it. I will post a sample in the next few days. I will try to mix a prog tune with the tune in my sig by Ljungqvist & Lansberg, it's a nice downtempo tune with a nice piano melody. I see what you were talking about with the mix, I listened to it. I tried something like that, when I was mixing this really creepy tune from a music project called "Cantoma" with some Ulrich Schnauss, it sounded "haunting". I'm going to keep working at it, so I can prepare for whenever I get a gig to start them off (or end them) in a chilled way. Thats what I really am aiming to do, I guess create a musical journey through sounds, and build it up or bring it down that way. Create "peaks" and "valleys", because most likely my first gigs will be in small bars and clubs and not a big club.

i really look forward to that. and i'm not just writing that to be nice. if you get a chance post the end and the begining like i did.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Best technique for mixing chill out/ambient/downtempo tracks

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Originally posted by Spacey Orange i really look forward to that. and i'm not just writing that to be nice. if you get a chance post the end and the begining like i did.

Yeah i'll work on it tonight.

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