The reason I ask this is cause a lot of the small-time local performers here, who seem to have a niche audience of the same people every night, have this expectation that their set has to always be different. In other words people get tired of hearing the same old tunes if you're playing the same old venues for the same people. But maintaining a familiar and distinct sound is a real challenge if you have to keep digging for new tracks. So with these more 'memorable' tunes, the ones with a strong hook and recognizable melody, you get a reaction from the crowd along the lines of "Oh. This again." That's where I think these 'filler' tracks are really important, the ones that are good and easy to dance to, but you don't really remember them. The forgettable stuff, with a kind of minimal identity that you can just bang out really helps fill the time imo, moreso I think than the anthems that people remember and inevitably get tired of right away. You can't play that shit all the time, or for very long. But the filler tracks endure. So for the producers here that might be something to keep in mind. Everyone always wants to write a 'hit' but that's not the only important thing.

Totally man. I completely agree, well said. If it's groovy and dancable, that works. All of the songs we hear can't be those memorable ones, because if every song is memorable and uber special, if they all get played too much how will they be special anymore if that's all that's being played? a true DJ avoids this naturally with excellent track selection.

Not sure if i agree,

i would rather look at the energy in tracks, or call it track class/blocks: you start laid back, build more intensity when DJ'ing along, built up anticipation, some full on and build down again.

But for every "track class/block" you should want to use on the best of the best, why play mediocre tracks if there are better available in that class?

And i think that's what seperates the real DJ's from the crowd. They choose excellent track for each phase of their set, still riding that wave of anticipation, but driven by energy, not by track quality.

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A filler track could be very memorable.

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Originally posted by meriter Everyone always wants to write a 'hit' but that's not the only important thing.

My own taste is such that the big memorable tracks soon become quite invasive after a few listens, whereas as I can listen to a more subbtle kick n bass groove track many times without fatigue.

A guy on another thread here said something about such tracks being forgotton the next day but I'm not so sure.

People like Voris Joorn have been very prominent in Beatport lately with some very stripped back affairs.


I think dark and pure techno is making a comeback - anyone else sensing this?

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Originally posted by meriter You can't play that shit all the time, or for very long. But the filler tracks endure.

Oh really, now? Those filler standard conveyor belt tracks simply get replaced by others of the kind, while the good tracks stay in people's mind and that's what they associate you with, that's what they go to listen to, not some filler track.

Playing the track over and over again is a DJ's mistake, but even the most persistent ones will eventually stop spinning that record and go with the other things, then fast forward a couple of months/years, when he drops the tune again, people will recognize it and go ballistic.

If you calculate so much about success strategies, and let the outside factors influence your work so much, perhaps you should give producing a rest and "simply" start your own label and be a big boss.

quote:

Originally posted by meriter a lot of the small-time local performers here, who seem to have a niche audience of the same people every night

Kind of renders the thread irrelevant for 95% of the people.




Disclaimer: everything I said is IMO.

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Originally posted by stealthman Vernon Wanderer will rediscover his roots back unto wandering vast endless plains miserably....

If i need to listen to 5 crap tracks, in order for 1 good track to make a bigger impact, i'll just walk, life's too short......

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Originally posted by Raphie If i need to listen to 5 crap tracks, in order for 1 good track to make a bigger impact, i'll just walk, life's too short......

*slow clap*

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Originally posted by dj_alfi change your avatar for fucks sake.

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Originally posted by Raphie If i need to listen to 5 crap tracks, in order for 1 good track to make a bigger impact, i'll just walk, life's too short......

Thing is though, the dj cant please everyone with every single tune, just because your not into the first 5 for what ever reason dont mean other people feel the same and Im sure that playing 5 crap tracks before a good one is not the djs intention when trying to make this "impact". Surely if its a good tune, it will make an impact regardless of what was played before it.

In the UK Hardcore/Hardcore Happy sets I listen (and glowstick/string) to, there aren't too many "filler" tracks that I hear. You have your cheesy remixes of Tune Up!, Styles and Breeze, Ryu Ryu, everything. Now I know hardcore is way different then what most/all of you listen to but still.

I like these sets. I don't listen to them nonstop, but I enjoy them and a considerable portion of the older hardcore scene do too. Plus these are also what give the rest of the EDM scene a giant blanket to outsiders of our culture. You can thank Basshunter and me for that :P

In the more underground stuff, if you can call house/dubstep underground anymore, I can see this making sense, but to the wider audience that doesn't listen to EDM much it's horrible. If someone isn't interested in a set they hear on Youtube they are 1 click away from leaving.

In person, go ahead with the suspense tactic I'd say, not many people (except Raphie and his comrades, I salute you!) will just walk out of a club or venue if they dislike what's being played.

Just IMO

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Going out on a limb here, but different tracks are memorable to different people for different reasons.

I couldn't tell you the lyrics of any rap song to ever break a million in sales, but I know the lyrics/melody etc to dozens of tunes people have never heard of.

The better the track, the better the odds that more people will find it memorable. But again, personal preference will win out. Everyone likes different things for different reasons.

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Originally posted by meriter the filler tracks endure

I have to admit, I found this comment amusing. Yes, the filler tracks end up on all the compilations, and years later they reappear on the "trance classics" compilations.

Forget songs like "Flaming June", the filler tracks are the ones that endure...I must be listening to music totally wrong, I always seem to go back to the songs with memorable melodies...