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Posted by sebjr on Jan-23-2003 04:46:

Big TUNES and sets!

Okay, in my record collection so far, I practically love to bits every single one. I would call every one of them a 'tune'. They give me shivers! Now when I go to put them together into a set, I get hte feeling I will get accused of spinning the 'top 40' or, being a 'big tune DJ' which is kind of insulting. If I like all the records, whats wrong with that? It would be stupid to put in records that don't give that great buzz, just to stop this label wouldn't it? Maybe its just my taste is focused on the feel good music? :/

Not all my records are really happy feel good ones (like cosmos take me with you, and two months off underworld) alot of them are dark and driving, some more then others.

Basically what I'm saying is, when you are creating a set, how do you avoid creating a list which people will label 'good but, not much depth, just top 25 dude'

Posted by DjJade on Jan-23-2003 05:54:

do what makes you happy...mixing makes you happy and the music makes you happy. you should never forget why you started. if someone has a problem then tell them to stop listening, you know? anyway, big tunes, or popular songs are popular for a reason...they are good songs as many would agree or else they wont be over played. i have plenty or records that i got becuase i heard from popularity or that became popular. thats just my taste. well i donno, i say do what makes you happy. and again...never forget why you started all of this. its for you, not them : ) thats just my $0.02, take it how you like.

Posted by dJohn on Jan-23-2003 05:58:

Fucking awesome question...a question that deserves to be looked into by many of us euro trance addicts who spin.
Top 40 tunes are Top 40 tunes for a reason...whether you play them, or if AvB plays them, doesn't matter...the tune is awesome enough and gets enough publicity to get noticed, and reaches it's anthem status. So incorporating these tunes into your set is no biggie...these tunes obviously set climax points in your set and provide notoriety so that your set gets noticed. When you look at the tracklisting for a CD, big tunes and famous tracks stick out, and provide some credibility and assurance that your set is somewhat decent, assuming your mixing and set progression is good...
But, smashingn anthem after anthem can get a bit tiring...and this is where the fabled track selection comes into play. Your taste of your music will determine what records you buy to make your sets 'complete' according to your flavor, and compensate for the big tunes. Unfortunatly, in today's euro trance genre, it's nearly impossible to appeal to people without stuffing an anthem or two. And that's ok...just don't over do it.

Basically, it's upto you to decide what tracks will compensate and "help" the big tunes.
Good luck.

Posted by DjJade on Jan-23-2003 06:06:

yeah its not necessarily what you play but how you play it. everyone has access to the music that you have unless you made it yourself. the only thing you have is your skill... how you mix, how you put your set together, how you read the crowd if you play out, how you are able to play on the emotions and thoughts and feelings of your listeners. but all of that begins with how you feel...and your ability to communicate that through the music. remember...its all about you. you are the dj.

Posted by DJ Kibon on Jan-23-2003 06:48:

Hmmmm,

My take on what makes a good DJ is probably about 50-60% track selection. I've heard some really talented DJs that spun utter crap, which is unfortunate.

I think the ability to pick out "great" songs from a stack of so-so ones is very important. Some of those happen to be songs by "big names", and others are from unknowns.

Also, after seeing DJ Tiesto live, a huge part of his performance had to do with the crowd absolutely lapping up the anthems.

Posted by sebjr on Jan-23-2003 07:20:

thanks for the comments, that clears my mind a little. I guess it really does depend ond the time and place you put the tunes, not just that you are putting them in. Only real way to learn is to dj with a live crowd I guess

I have tunes which I don't consider anthems or massively popular but are still very good in a set so I will concentrate on building up those.

Posted by basd on Jan-23-2003 07:37:

Maybe this is too obvious to be worth mentioning, but I'll do it anyway

If you still think you're only playing anthems, try other tracks on the same label, or other tracks by the artists or remixers. Most probably you'll like them as well, or even better, and those are the perfect tracks to throw in between some well-known anthems.

It works for me, maybe it'll work for you too..

Posted by bassaholix on Jan-23-2003 07:50:

Is it my wrong here to say that if you play too many anthems?? the set gets a little repetitive... isn't it better to have a variety of MAD tracks and then not so good.. otherwise its anthem after anthem??

Posted by sebjr on Jan-23-2003 10:45:

basd: good idea, didnt think of that

bassaholix: Thats the prob, i dont wanna buy not so good tracks. I will however buy less anthemy and well known tracks which i really like and fit well into a set (this might be kind of what you mean).

Posted by bachatu on Jan-23-2003 13:54:

HEre is the thing... Everyone has a different opininion on what is good music, or the way to spin, style, cheesy, etc.
Think about it... if those tunes were that bad, why are they on record labels? Someone out there likes them, so dont be afraid to try stuff out... regardless if its cheesy or commercial or whatever, cause everyone has a different opinion on what is cheesy, what is good and bad.
If you feel comfortable with the way you arrange your sets and with the track selection, go for it. There isnt really a way to do it by the book.
About the anthems thing... Personally, i dont like to throw in to many big build up tunes, cause i believe it numbs the listener, and sometimes you need something has a more constant beat that doesnt break off and build up, because then you can use those songs as part of a build up or lay off from a build up. However, some djs have different aproaches,,, as ive gone to a couple of local clubs and heard a dj just put out anthems after anthems, and the crowd didnt mind (a bit more commercial crowd).
Also, you will notice that most successful djs (even uplifting and hard trance) dont have songs that are exactly the same, one after another... Even though they may play songs that are of one exact genre, like pure uplifting or hard trance, they still manage to make a build up, plato, slow of pace and change up to faster pace.

Posted by Tony Morello on Jan-23-2003 17:37:

i think unless your name is armin, paul, or tijs... you don't want a set full of anthems
sure having a few anthems is great, but one after another becomes tiring

*dance dance dance, stop and put your arms in the air for the buildup then dance dance dance and repeat*

your filler is just as crucial as your climax tracks

let's say i'm playing for an hour
i like to start off a set with a couple big tracks (1-3 records) then tone it down for a little bit (1-3 records), then start building the set up to a climax (2-5 records) then tone it down for 1-2 tracks then hammer it to the crowd for the rest of my set (usually winds up being the last 15-30mins for an hour set)
then again it all depends on what time slot, and who plays before and after
i'll obviously vary it depending on the situation