Of course it's fairly pointless if it hasn't got a groove.
I look for original textures - which normally means non-standard sounds, particularly in the percussion. Unusual rhythms can really help.
I like to think (although I may be kidding myself) that the stuff I play has got some kind of common quality to it, across all of the genres I play (house/prog/breaks/techno/trance/whatever) - which I think of as sort of a solid darkness. So I guess really I look for stuff which has that quality. I still play lighter stuff, particularly if it's got a really good groove (party music really!) but even then hopefully that same quality is still there, albeit more subdued.
I'm very rarely impressed by just a 'good trance lead' anymore - it needs more. That said, occasionally I find myself loving things which don't seem to be that special on the surface but for some reason click with me. Tiddey - "Taylla" is a good example of that... not something I'd play these days, nothing particularly special but for some reason I loved the lead when I first heard it. Might remix it
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Stu Cox |
Last edited by Stu Cox on Mar-22-2010 at 07:43
Mar-22-2010 07:31
mehta
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Sep 2008
Location:
mostly I think about how they will work in my sets. there are tracks I discarded 2 years ago that I use now
a good example is Petter - Robotfood (Clara Moto Remix) - I never played this when it was "fresh" because it was too slow & sparse for my sets at that time, but now its bassline sounds very groovy to me & 120bpm doesn't seem too slow anymore
Mar-22-2010 18:25
ziptnf
Programming your future
Registered: Jun 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Generally I look for interesting tracks that I think other people could also find interesting. Most of my sets are pretty hard-hitting, and I like to keep the energy very high during sets, I guess that's a trait of mine. I try to keep filler tracks out of sets, while they may sound good, if they don't fit with the mood of the other ones, I toss it. Some of my music may be weird, but I have friends who like my sets, even if they don't fully understand it.
For trance I look for interesting tracks that just flow, without a (long) breakdown, to build a set with. There are too few of good tracks like this because everyone just wants to get played on ASOT.
In my opinion the best tunes have got real instruments, normally the best tunes have got a piano or guitar in...and as said earlier some funk and soul. thats what kicked dance music off in the first place before nord and roland invented there keyboards.. people danced to some funk.
also i like rolling tunes some guys put a 3 min break or bit with no drums in it. ok if u wanna listen to that its fine , but u gotta keep choons rolling man.
also the best tunes are less complicated, too much going on messes things up..
dirty vegas days go by was a reall successful choon, its so simple but its got groove rhythm funk soul all rolled into one, thats what u want,
on the other side of the spectrum some tunes are just great cos there different, new york city by pvd is a wikkid tune, its got a different style bassline that sounds awesome. trance enters the subconcious mind and fixates ur mindset on the music, its very powerful
