+1.
Very interesting thread. I'm actually in the process of writing a "thesis" that focuses on the subtle, yet complex intricacies that go into DJing, specifically a DJ set.
Most of us wouldn't doubt that the Internet has allowed electronic music to explode in popularity, along with it comes explosion of exposure and accessibility. This is central in pushing DJs to push the music, making the DJ set somewhat of a "business card" rather than the good old demo: anybody can string together songs in a sequence, but doing it right, and with creativity takes something else, which I'm sure many of us agree on. Add to that the exponential increase in "competition"(because of the Internet), the importance of exposing new sounds and styles becomes more significant than ever.
Recognizing the elements that comprise a set as a whole allows us to further explore and give more significance to the mechanics that characterize the dynamics of a set: rhythm, tempo, textures, timing, melody, harmonics, contrasts, etc. This is what I'm writing about, and would love to quote and possibly gain some insight into this topic if people are willing to.
Anyways, back to the topic..check out:
Lusine - Make It Easy(John Tejada remix)
There's so much subtlety in this song: that bulging bass swinging against the atmopsheric and glitchy patterns on top...the leading melody seems to pull the rest of the song with it without dragging, but by being slick and gentle. Marvelous production.

Last edited by dJohn on Jun-20-2007 at 01:22

Interesting thread.

Difficult to name a song, but the Jason Porter 97 promo mix uploaded by another user here on TA has to me a similar effect. In 50 minutes without having any real complex track it builds a really atmopshereric mood, especially the first track of the set just slowly adds one element to the others and still keeps to be interesting without getting boring. Unfortunately no idea on the name of the few tracks that are part of that set.

Just bought this track:

Melon - Summer (Indian Summer Live Mix)

it's 17:30 in length and never once boring, and the whole thing is a huge showcase of exactly what i was talking about in this thread.

it's a deep rhythmic and melodic trip where the rhythm and melody are not really different, and the whole thing SOUNDS repetitive, but in fact changes very much as it goes. the layers slip and slide very subtlely and their ever changing combinations create constantly changing balances of rhythm and tone which are like many strands woven in different ways which appear to create images, complex compwhen perceived from afar.

distance and space in visual arts is equivalent to time in music.

i read somewhere once: music is the transformation of space into time.


this track also have relevance to a thread i started a while ago called 'music is obsolete' which had some ideas about the obsolescence of the 'anthem' and the 'song' - the recognizable and discrete chunk of melody or rhythm, and the more modern idea of these almost 'organic' systems of rhythm and tone which aren't recognizable or ever the same, but always different and the serendipitous result of their coexistence

an ecosystem of sounds



it's times like right now where i wishi was behind the keyboard and sequencer and not at work drawing mullions for office buildings

it's true.

the subject of this thread is not about music that is actually complex, but rather music that seems complex. of course classical music and jazz music are more complex

it's funny though because 80 years ago people were saying the same thing you were about jazz

also the subject of this thread is precisely the 'not much edm' demographic you have pointed out. it's meant to weed out the ones which ARE intelligent, not claim that all EDM is - that's garbage

the beautiful thing about electronic music was always its ability to be repetitive yet changing and simple yet seemingly complex

let me quote from herman hesse's steppenwolf

quote:

Then what does it depend on? On making music, Herr Haller, on making music as well and as much as possible, and with all the intensity of which one is capable. That is the point, Monsieur. Though I carried the complete works of Bach and Haydn in my head and could say the cleverest things about them, not a soul would be the better for it. But when I take hold of my mouthpiece and play a lively shimmy, whether the shimmy be good or bad, it will give people pleasure. It gets into their legs and into their blood. That's the point and that alone. Look at the faces in a dance hall at the moment when the music strikes up after a longish pause, how eyes sparkle, legs twitch and faces begin to laugh. That is why one makes music.

quote:

Originally posted by D:Morph I beleive I'm the only Electronic Artist to ever incorporate time signatures into pure Techno, I made a song in 9/8 with percussion done in 3/4, 16/8, and 5/8 Wanna hear it? hehe

Leftfield - 6/8 War

___________________
Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/

one of my friends does 11/8 in one track lol but it's not 'pure techno'

he's actually in germany right now trying to get his album released on kompakt or compost or a label like that

quote:

Polyrhythms are where one sounds is in a time sig, and another sound is in another time sig and they overlap; i.e. a kick in 4/4 and a perc in 5/8...

That's one form of polyrhythm

i don't think of it as so rigid, that is having different time signatures, i think of it more of as having different loop lengths or different scales of patterns

but it's all the same

time signatures are just easier for musicians and composes to wrap their minds around it

with computers you just focus on the individual patterns and then the computer synchronizes them for you, so you can make incredibly complex polyrhythms without needing to even understand them or know how they will come out, which is half of the fun of making electronic music


but you can have a 4/4 track that sounds like 6/8 just with the way the notes are looped...

why the fuck does everyone call what i say intellectual babble though?

there's no obfuscation here just my thoughts

quote:

Originally posted by D:Morph Yeah but Techno... leftfield is awesome though, but not "techno" i'm talkin' Umek / Adam Beyer / Jeff Mills / Carl Cox Techno

It's a techno track.

___________________
Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/

quote:

Originally posted by D:Morph Wow that's exciting Discogs Leftfield It really is Techno, I gotta get that! =D Thanks for postin' that track. w00t

You can get it on their Rhythm & Stealth album.

___________________
Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/