I see what you're saying but to me filler is a song that really shouldn't be played at all and speaks of lazyness on behalf of the DJ.

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quote:

Originally posted by Zild I see what you're saying but to me filler is a song that really shouldn't be played at all and speaks of lazyness on behalf of the DJ.

Ok, in that case scrap that word and use the description I've used above

I agree the word "filler" DOES tend to bring about negative connotations these days, but that's only because people have lost the idea of what a filler track is about! If it shouldn't be played, then it isn't filling anything... so it's just a crap record, not a filler, in my view at least.

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Stu Cox |

Filler is the crap they put in hot dogs and bologna that isn't meat. Or the shit they put in cigarettes that isn't tobacco. Etc...

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Kill the women. Eat the children.
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quote:

Originally posted by Zild Filler is the crap they put in hot dogs and bologna that isn't meat. Or the shit they put in cigarettes that isn't tobacco. Etc...

Haha fair point

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Stu Cox |

Excellent post.

quote:

slightly over-emotive

well, i am slightly over emotive. Part of me thinks there's not enough imagination/emotion/sensuality left in electronic music.


actually reading your post, Stu, I think I came to the conclusion that what the problem could be is that too many people have a "bigger is better" attitude with how they buy music and then play it. In other words, they seem to think the best tracks are the ones that are the craziest or that make the night most memorable.

These people think subdued tracks are 'boring'.

Make sets like you would make love.


I think if people would focus more on inherent musical quality regardless of the "bigness" of a track, that we wouldn't see so many boring sets that consist of predictably big tracks.

the key part of deejaying is to make someone something else out of something someone else makes.

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec Make sets like you would make love.

AMEN! Really, some chicks are into the whole "OMGORGASMALLTHETIMEGOGOGO!!!!1" thing, but most chicks aren't. A DJ that is playing nothing but anthem after anthem is doing the same thing as a guy going full speed on the chick that likes to take things slow. You're audience gets burned out and is at the bar for most of the set, or your gf is screwing some guy behind your back that knows how to hold off in bed.

There are way too many DJs out there that need work on building up and breaking down their sets. Its really not that hard: just remember to spread out the anthems and play a few lower-energy (the best synonym I could come up with for 'filler') tracks between them.

That way, the chick (the audience) knows to savor the experience (the vibe that you're presenting), because she (they) knows that the climax (anthem) is coming. Its makes that moment of pleasure ('hands-in-the-air') that much more memorable, and there's probably a better chance of her (the audience) remembering you and staying in touch after the morning (showing up for your next gig) because she (they) remember that one amazing moment that you pulled off.

I hope that made some sense

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Stu and nefardec have both made some excellent posts in this thread.

quote:

Originally posted by nefardec well, i am slightly over emotive. Part of me thinks there's not enough imagination/emotion/sensuality left in electronic music.

Tbh I do agree - I think the reasons why people enjoy a particular set or like a particular DJ go so much deeper than a lot of people realise. You get people saying "what's the point in harmonic mixing when 90% of the crowd won't know it's a harmonic mix?" etc... while they might not know why it is the mix sounds better, they will at least know that it sounds better and this is true all the way down to nailing a mix in exactly the right place and making one track drop into another in exactly the right way.

While there isn't just 'one way' of doing any given mix perfectly or one perfect track order, if you do put your set together in a particular way which really works well the crowd will go away thinking your set was amazing but won't be able to explain for the life of them why.

I just tend to find it a little bit funny when people start to try and describe these things in really deep terms, it can be easy to sound over the top, particularly when reading it on a forum.

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Stu Cox |

quote:

Originally posted by Stu Cox if you do put your set together in a particular way which really works well the crowd will go away thinking your set was amazing but won't be able to explain for the life of them why.

This is very true.

Three of the best sets I've ever heard were by Justin Robertson, Jeff Mills and Trentmoller - and in each of these sets I didn't hear more than one or two tunes that I recognised and there certainly wasn't any anthems played. But there was something about the way they crafted their sets together that just got me locked into the 'zone' that i did not come out of until their set had finished.

Jeff Mills sets in particular was very good as he just played 'fillers' and then mid way through through dropped Age of Love's 'Age of Love' Original Mix - which is something you don't expect him to play and it was amazing and then after that he kept it rolling for another hour or so building up to his last tune Laurent Garnier's 'Man with the Red Face' Live Jazz Mix which totally blew the place apart. Now we've all heard these two tunes many times before, but if they were played in a set alongside 20 other big room anthems, they just wouldn't of had no-where near the same amount of impact as they did.

To be honest, I think that the techno scene has always proved this point very well - you just don't get techno dj's playing anthems all the time.

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quote:

Originally posted by agentdansmith To be honest, I think that the techno scene has always proved this point very well - you just don't get techno dj's playing anthems all the time.

Hit the nail on the head there. One of my favourite sets is Remy at 2005 New Year's Eve, and there's not one "anthem" in sight. Just lots of funky, groovy techno that just makes you want to dance.

quote:

Originally posted by agentdansmith Jeff Mills sets in particular was very good as he just played 'fillers' and then mid way through through dropped Age of Love's 'Age of Love' Original Mix - which is something you don't expect him to play and it was amazing and then after that he kept it rolling for another hour or so building up to his last tune Laurent Garnier's 'Man with the Red Face' Live Jazz Mix which totally blew the place apart. Now we've all heard these two tunes many times before, but if they were played in a set alongside 20 other big room anthems, they just wouldn't of had no-where near the same amount of impact as they did.

This is a lost art when it comes to trance, and its such a shame. Now Im not sure that many crowds are actually willing to really get sucked into a trance set done properly. Everyones after the instant gratification a set of anthems gives, that they can dip in and out of without putting the time and effort into really listening and getting hooked on the music, which in the end will always give a more enjoyable experience.

In almost all other genres of music, save perhaps jump up dnb, this kind of anthemic instant gratification isnt expected, or even wanted. People are much more likely to allow a house or techno dj to go off on a bit of a self indulgent tangent, build up a groove, waiting for something amazing to happen. Not so with trance, peiople are expecting anthem after anthem, and djs are afraid to play anything else.

I dont know how it happened, whether people starting expecting all anthems first or djs starting playing that way, but somewhere along the line things got fucked up. The old saying "If you always shout, how will anyone kn ow when you have something important to say", kind of applies here doesnt it. Im sure this is the reason many dont take trance seriously or as "dirty word" as some people have put it.

That took quite a while to write (plus im wathcing batman returns, michelle pfiefer in a catsuit is quite diestracting ) and I may have lost the thread of what I was saying so I hope it makes sense!

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