How do you select musics for your DJ set?

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Kanhestro
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How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Kanhestro »

First things first. I don't like the stats that the forum mods gave me. So I'm trying to change this!

Recently i started mixing(in my bedroom mostly) and started picking methods for making thematic methods, for example: creating specific folders with similar feelings i wanted to express in the set, different genres, analyzing the music colors(on beatunes) and going from "green" to "red. I don't know if these methods are good, but i find really important to work with this techniques to keep me motivated. That being said.I have to ask:what's the community set selecting methods?

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by 1nfinitezer0 »

I come from an evolutionary biology background, where we are all insane about methods and systems for classifying minute differences. As a result, I've always been very specific about genres and their relationships, but since music interbreeds so much it was more suitable to use a web 2.0 technique to classify music. I use iTunes (still) because a reasonably convenient alternative hasn't shown up for me (and I'm used to it).

To plan a set I always think of the time, location and mood at which it will be played. Then I create a playlist of 3-4x the actual timeslot's worth of musical material. This is chosen based around a theme that develops from picking a few keystone songs, and their neighbours, or good bridges between those themes/styles. It also generally reflects new stuff that I've been buying. I never plan beyond the first 3 tracks (which I do only because I need to adjust to the monitors, room sound, previous DJs unplugging from the mixer, etc)

The key to my method is how I organize everything so that it can be searched and recalled quickly. Explained here:
http://infinitezero.ca/?p=2571
When I have my whole traktor library with me, it's easy to play for hours without planning ahead because I can rapidly find the exact song I'm thinking of (but cannot remember the name) or a quick subset of songs that are likely to fit with what's presently going. Combined with the Preparation crate for pulling out records to work towards over the course of a few songs, and it's a great workflow.

Mind you, the last set I played I decided to scrap within the first tune on the dancefloor. It was prepared as chill dub techno for a morning set, but I had a decent-sized floor that I filled and gave them another round of dancing and filled it back up. I just ad-libbed from the various folders of stuff I had on the USB keys I'd brought with me. DJing is about a relationship with people and that moment in time, and often spontaneous can be the perfect thing to do.

Have fun, play around. There's no wrong way to do it. The mark of a good DJ is good taste and the willingness to forge their own style. There's plenty of same-y DJs out there, the world doesn't really want more.

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Plyphon »

Very simply just know your records inside and out. Really know your record selection. Then picking records is easy and you can focus on having fun.

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by chava »

Reduce your collection drastically. If that is not getting rid of them, then moving out of your sight and reach. Jeff Mills got a long way by knowing his 300 records inside out that way.

I don't know about digital, though.

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by [wesellboxes] »

Depends on what you are trying to achieve. Or at least what eventuality you are mimicking.

A podcast is different from a warm up set, peak time set or the 5am "video for Thriller" set. Nina Kraviz can play whatever she wants to the 000's at Exit or Dekmantel and they won't go anywhere, whereas play the wrong tune at a house party and you'll clear the floor of the 20 or 30 people dancing.

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by tsaro »

It's been a good while since I've done any kind of live set, (2004-ish :o , though I think the general method still stands, know your collection inside out, when you're feeling it the crowd will usually pick up on it and join you.
how far do you want to go

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Mattias »

It's simple.
Toggle through music you like and want to play for others, put em in a pile. Then go through which tracks work withe each-other, in tonality or energy, if they have some sort
of resembles to each-other or not. Play them in "your head" together, some prefer to mix them together for real. I don't really, each person is different. Try to build tension and energy, choosing one or two tracks that have some sort resemblances or are good together for other reasons, it doesn't have to be the same type of track. They can have different rhythmic patterns and drum sounds but maybe share similar stabs or hi-hats or energy in general. It's equally effective to mess up the dance-floor a little by spicing up the set with a "non fitting" track after 1-2 that have some resembles. What matters is the energy and that it can be on going in the right direction without breaking up a set by an award "tension breaker" (though this can also work, depending on the people). "Slow" sounding tracks doesn't usually work great as tension breakers if you play an energetic set already. Though music that have energetic or straight beats does work great with say sweeping pads or slow strings.
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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Planar »

Kanhestro wrote:I don't know if these methods are good, but i find really important to work with this techniques to keep me motivated.
If you need that to keep you motivated then you're doing it for all the wrong reasons.

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Leskey »

Planar wrote:
Kanhestro wrote:I don't know if these methods are good, but i find really important to work with this techniques to keep me motivated.
If you need that to keep you motivated then you're doing it for all the wrong reasons.
Hey come on now mate...

Although I might be inclined to have the same view on why I do music stuff... All to their own, right?

With that said.
I feel like either you have it or you don't. I'm no expert though, but I've been around quite a few ppl for their first couple of times and I've seem to noticed that some people just visualize which songs that fit together for some reason while others just don't.

I like to just jam out my tracks and sometimes you just get a perfect match. Note it down (I've always been bad with pen and paper so for me it's in my head).

Sort of the same thing that's already been said. Know your collection. Thourougly.

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Kanhestro
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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Kanhestro »

Some great answers i got here! Hope that my doubt can help other members! Will take in advice everything said.

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by msl »

I usually go to a desert cave and fast for 3 days just before the full moon, then sacrifice a goat to the lord of mixes to guide me in my selections. I find this only works 50% of the time though.
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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by rktic »

msl wrote:I usually go to a desert cave and fast for 3 days just before the full moon, then sacrifice a goat to the lord of mixes to guide me in my selections. I find this only works 50% of the time though.
:lol:

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Planar »

Leskey wrote:
Planar wrote:
Kanhestro wrote:I don't know if these methods are good, but i find really important to work with this techniques to keep me motivated.
If you need that to keep you motivated then you're doing it for all the wrong reasons.
Hey come on now mate...

With the greatest of respect to Kanhestro, who wants to listen to DJ sets by someone who's motivated by how they organize tunes? The motivation should be a love for the music and a passion to want to share it. There are far too many robotic DJ mixes around as it is. The barriers are so low for entry now I suspect some people just do this to tick a box. A good DJ set (live or recorded) basically comes down to reflecting the passion you have about the music you've found and wanting to share that somehow. Putting a set together isn't very hard at all, the tips in this thread basically sum it up.

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by rktic »

Planar wrote:The motivation should be a love for the music and a passion to want to share it.
Sums up what it takes to be a good DJ, producer, whatever. It's what drives people to develop their own perspective. Again and again.

How I'm selecting music for my sets? I've got a collection of music I love. Music I wanna play. When starting a set I only think about the entry point and see where it goes from there. There's no kind of formula to that. I check out the venue/context and where the crowd is at the moment before I start.

At best I manage to surprise them, build up anticipation during the first few tracks. Then it's all about going with the flow(TM).

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Kanhestro »

Planar,
I think you have the wrong idea of what I meant to express. English is not my native language so... What I was trying tell is: using methods to learn how to pick tunes for a set was for training fundamental techniques and still pursue a "thematic". I try to set a "goal" and pursue this goal, that in my head is some sort of motivation.

I'm not offended by anything you said, wasn't even planning to reply to your message directly. But i sure as hell don't see the necessity for being so critic about my motivations mate.

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Planar »

As I said Kanhesteo, I mean no disrespect to you and maybe it's the language barrier. My point still stands, it's about a reflection of your passion for what you're doing. Your question implies you've don't know your music that well, or you have too much of it, solutions to which people have already replied with.

No amount of organising will compensate for really knowing the music you're going to play. It takes being a bit obsessive about and it becoming your world. When you do that, knowing the next track becomes obvious, there is no technique, you just know. It's probably easier to grasp that when you could only afford 2 or 3 vinyls a week and ended up knowing the tunes inside out- must be much harder in this day and age when you're starting out and £30 buys so much music.

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by rktic »

Kanhestro wrote:I try to set a "goal" and pursue this goal, that in my head is some sort of motivation.
Hm, since I picked up on Planars thought as well: what is your goal? What are you trying to achieve?

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Stace »

I close my eyes and randomly pick out the next track. Makes for some really interesting sets.

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Kanhestro
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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Kanhestro »

Planar wrote:As I said Kanhesteo, I mean no disrespect to you and maybe it's the language barrier. My point still stands, it's about a reflection of your passion for what you're doing. Your question implies you've don't know your music that well, or you have too much of it, solutions to which people have already replied with.

No amount of organising will compensate for really knowing the music you're going to play. It takes being a bit obsessive about and it becoming your world. When you do that, knowing the next track becomes obvious, there is no technique, you just know. It's probably easier to grasp that when you could only afford 2 or 3 vinyls a week and ended up knowing the tunes inside out- must be much harder in this day and age when you're starting out and £30 buys so much music.
I started mixing 6 months ago mate. I'm still making "my musics list", although i like to keep this list fresh.

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Re: How do you select musics for your DJ set?

Post by Kanhestro »

rktic wrote:
Kanhestro wrote:I try to set a "goal" and pursue this goal, that in my head is some sort of motivation.
Hm, since I picked up on Planars thought as well: what is your goal? What are you trying to achieve?
My goal is to be able to make mixes sound as good as my influences. Of course my style is not going to be the same as my favourite DJs, but i find it a good goal. In a more broad spectrum i wanted to live by mixing and producing, that's a goal too.


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