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DJ's - Picking a Music Style/Genre
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| WithoutAngles |
So for all you DJ's who are residents/play out quite often, how did you pick the genre of music that you mainly focus on?
I mean I like deep house, groovy house, minimal, techno, tech-house, tribal, etcetc. and my library contains all of the above but I don't have one set genre that I listen to and like to spin, all of my sets that I record are different.
How did you guys make that decision to stick to one genre, or do you spin multiple genres as well? |
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| leph555 |
| whatever gets the place going? |
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| xtr3m |
| Nothing wrong with being different every time. Obviously it's best to pick fitting genre based on the venue. Can't go full on at a lounge, etc. Don't limit yourself by trying to stick to a single genre. Some genres are really blurred right now, anyway. You'll develop your style eventually, or, perhaps, your style will be 'no style.' |
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| Tony Morello |
| quote: | Originally posted by leph555
whatever gets the place going? |
+1
one residency i play electronic (house, trance and electro), the other it's top 40 and retro with a dash of commercial house
the key to playing out is being versatile and able to adapt to any situation and crowd
also you can change it up, play a few different genres in a night, you don't have to stay in one area, as long as you can mix it and it flows, there's no limits to what you can do |
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| mehta |
it really depends on the night but you should show your musical personality in each set - don't play stuff you don't like just because it seems to suit the event
your set time should influence what you choose to bring to the gig a little bit - in general, it's better to play a bit slower to begin & maybe avoid any super weird stuff that could drive people away. the dancefloor is a very fragile thing early in the night
trying to write a response I realize that it's quite particular to the night. it's really helpful to know where you are playing and what to expect from the crowd. beyond genre, there are many different moods and what works in one place can seem very wrong in another - also, some nights are more about continuous grooves rather & others work better with multi-genre sets
so it depends! do your research |
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| Ted Promo |
I usually read the bible. The most bible portion of the bible. With my dick out. And wait for balaeria to semenate out my come hither orifice. Whatever color it happens to mold into I then match to the spin of my color wheel and then match that to the synaesthesia I get from any particular genre.
After that, I am generally tired so I wipe the precum off, sleep on it, and plur my life away after I promptly forget all of this. |
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| ziptnf |
:stongue:
Listen to my new set, you girly bastard. |
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| Ted Promo |
| You made another one?! Oh, well your sig did change colors again, haha. Christ on a bike. Gimme a minute. |
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| PivotTechno |
I started DJing in the mid-1980s, so my current influences stretch waaay back, but around the mid-90s, I was dabbling with several different genres of dance music. Old mixtapes of mine had Techno, House, Acid Techno, Breaks, Psy-trance and whatever else I thought was cool at the time.
Then I went to a rave with Marco Carola (back when he played good music), Traxx and Neil Landstrumm (live ing PA) headlining. Was given some ridiculously clean gear by a friend, and got sat on my ass like an audio sponge for 5 hours while being pummeled by some of the most twisted beats I'd ever heard. Having absorbed all I could of the assault for the night, I walked out at 6 in the a.m. in a daze/floating on a cloud and haven't looked back since.
Now I just play whatever moves me, but it's gotta be deep and funky. On any given night I'll throw down anything from the late-70s on, including old Electro, Freestyle, Industrial, Italo-Disco, Acid House, and whatever else floats my boat.
Imho, first and foremost, the DJ's gotta be the first person dancing - if you don't move, how can you possibly expect anyone else to? |
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| Nemesis44 |
Just like PivotTechno, I have been doing this for a long time too. This year I celebrate 25 years of DJing.
In answer to the original question, I haven't chosen any genre in particular. Whilst I favour trance and I am fortunate enough to still work venues that play it, I will always throw in other elements that work well. Tech Trance, Breaks, Prog and Techno etc.
You don't have to play any one genre, and in fact I would say that you would actually benefit from not doing that.
I never really categorize my music by genre, rather but what I feel it does and how it feels.
Cheers
Nem |
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| djkopernikus |
| quote: | | Originally posted by WithoutAngles how did you pick the genre of music that you mainly focus on? |
Decisions, decision... dj'ing can be difficult if you dont make any decisions.
| quote: | | Originally posted by WithoutAngles I mean I like deep house, groovy house, minimal, techno, tech-house, tribal, etcetc. and my library contains all of the above but I don't have one set genre that I listen to and like to spin, all of my sets that I record are different. |
Thats the reason why i dj.
| quote: | | Originally posted by WithoutAngles How did you guys make that decision to stick to one genre, or do you spin multiple genres as well? |
Well.. Its easy to spin deep/tech now, coz trance is pointless (imo). I have made also trance mixes, but i got fed up really fast. Those other genres contain (imo) more interesting elements, but of course there is also lots of . Choose what sounds good FOR YOU. That way its easier to "stick in one genre". |
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| djkatmaus |
This is the problem I have. I'm a House music guy. Being a Chicago native, it's what I grew up on and what I prefer to mix. But whenever I go out, submit my demo's, promote myself, and all that good stuff. All I ever hear is that's not what we do here. You have to do it this way. So than I start asking myself, which direction should I go? Now I'm just doing it all. I dunno, I guess I'm meeting the wrong people, or now that I think about it, maybe I shouldn't of taken a thirteen year hiatus.
I feel what the problem is, and maybe some of you will agree, today's music scene is so oversaturated with crap, and most don't know what good music is. Way too many artists trying to crossover into different genres. |
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