Pre-Drinks Mix

[RickNash]

Hi guys. Put together a 'Best of 2011' compilation mix featuring some of the biggest chart, house and electro house hits of the year. Hope you enjoy!

Track Listing:
1. 'Hello' - Martin Solveig & Dragonette
2. 'Like A G6 (DJ Mercer Remix)' - Far East Movement ft Dev
3. 'Earthquake (Benny Benassi Mix)' - Labrinth ft Tinie Tempah
4. 'Beautiful Party People Anthem (Mash-Up)' - LMFAO/Chris Brown (Thanks to YouTube User: Raheemdaplaya04)
5. 'Pumped Up Kicks (Mike Gloria Big Room Mix)' - Foster The People
6. 'Calling Pressure (wheithouseDJ Mash-Up)' - Sebastian Ingrosso/Alesso/Nadia Ali
7. 'Where Them Levels At (DJs From Mars Mash-Up)/Levels ID' - Avicii/David Guetta
8. 'Changed The Way You Kissed Me' - Example
9. 'No Beef' - Afrojack ft Steve Aoki & Miss Palmer
10. 'Save The World (Style of Eye & Carli Remix)' - Swedish House Mafia
11. 'We Found Love' - Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris

Happy New Year!

[RickNash]

Pushed record on the mixer mid-set last week and decided to post the end result online! Some of the biggest chart, commercial house and electro-house for early 2012!

Track Listing:
1. 'Marry The Night (David Jost & Twin Radio Mix)' - Lady Gaga
2. 'They Don't Care About Us (Dance Remix)' - Michael Jackson
3. 'Gotta Be You (Steve Smart & Westfunk Remix)' - One Direction
4. 'Love You So (Joe Goddard Remix)' - Delilah
5. 'Forgiveness (Manhattan Clique Remix)' - Wretch 32
6. 'Hey Hey Hey' - Laurent Wery ft Swift Kid & Dev
7. 'The One That Got Away (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Peak Hour Club Mix)' - Katy Perry
8. 'What Did I Do' - Sander Van Doorn ft Kele & Lucy Taylor
9. 'Antidone' - Swedish House Mafia/Knife Party
10. 'Where Have You Been (MERCER Remix)' - Rihanna
11. 'Titanium (Alesso Remix)' - David Guetta

Enjoy!

[RickNash]

New Pre-Drinks mix! Featuring some of the biggest commercial dance, house and electro-house that'll be rocking the clubs in the next few weeks!

Track Listing:
1. 'Smells Like Rattle (Patrick vs Giga Mash-Up)' - Bingo Players vs. Nirvana
2. 'Don't Stop (Matt Nash & Dave Silcox Remix)' - Foster The People
3. 'Wild Ones (Justin Sane Remix)' - Flo-Rida ft Sia
4. 'Sometimes They Come Back For More (Extended Mix)' - Cosmic Gate & Arnej
5. 'We Are The People (Danny Dove vs. UnClubbed Remix)' - Unclubbed
6. 'Keep It Coming (Original Mix)' - Starkillers ft Nadia Ali
7. 'Take Care (Mike Irish Remix)' - Drake ft Rihanna
8. 'Ass Back Home (Ken Loi Extended Mix)' - Gym Class Heroes ft Neon Hitch
9. 'Troublemaker (Vato Gonzalez Remix)' - Taio Cruz
10. '**** School (ID; Original Mix)' - Avicii & Nicky Romero

Enjoy!

[rcs1113]

Hey just a general question but what defines top 40? Are we talking like non-edm music for the most part or does top 40 also include electro house, progressive house, trance, etc.

[RickNash]

I'd count it as anything that either charted or is written with the idea of charting. Like I'd count the likes of 'Sandstorm', say, as commercial dance. It wasn't specifically produced in that style but caught on to that stage (and you really have to warn people of anything remotely Top 40/commercial because some just don't like hearing music that others may also hear). But yeah, even if it's a Dutch House remix of a Britney Spears track (as I had in one mix) I'd still count it as Top 40 because ultimately it's Britney Spears on the vocal.

[rcs1113]

I'd count it as anything that either charted or is written with the idea of charting. Like I'd count the likes of 'Sandstorm', say, as commercial dance. It wasn't specifically produced in that style but caught on to that stage (and you really have to warn people of anything remotely Top 40/commercial because some just don't like hearing music that others may also hear). But yeah, even if it's a Dutch House remix of a Britney Spears track (as I had in one mix) I'd still count it as Top 40 because ultimately it's Britney Spears on the vocal.

Okay that helps a bit. So songs like 'save the world' and 'levels' are definitely top 40. But would you say songs/remixes produced by say dirty south, axwell, or avicii (that are not charting outside of the edm community) are considered top 40? Because songs by those artists are typically played quite a bit on progressive house sets but regular folks probably wouldn't like them.

[RickNash]

Hmm, depends really on what you think and why you want to know (i.e. whether or not to use certain songs in gigs: if that's the case and you're not sure of the audience, sizing up the crowd beforehand or trial and error on the night are your only real options).

I definitely wouldn't consider Axwell (on his own) and Dirty South Top 40 (they'd probably qualify under commercial house though), SHM definitely and Avicii is in the position now where he could go the way of Guetta or keep doing his thing as is.

Like I said, I class everything I do in my sets under the heading of commercial dance/house because they're the type of crowds that I play for. But that heading can contain a number of genres within itself...sure even a lot of dubstep could be considered Top 40 nowadays.

If you're putting together genre specific sets, I'd say don't focus too much about whether it's Top 40 or not and just on whether each individual track will go down well with the audience you're playing for.

[rcs1113]

Hmm, depends really on what you think and why you want to know (i.e. whether or not to use certain songs in gigs: if that's the case and you're not sure of the audience, sizing up the crowd beforehand or trial and error on the night are your only real options).

I definitely wouldn't consider Axwell (on his own) and Dirty South Top 40 (they'd probably qualify under commercial house though), SHM definitely and Avicii is in the position now where he could go the way of Guetta or keep doing his thing as is.

Like I said, I class everything I do in my sets under the heading of commercial dance/house because they're the type of crowds that I play for. But that heading can contain a number of genres within itself...sure even a lot of dubstep could be considered Top 40 nowadays.

If you're putting together genre specific sets, I'd say don't focus too much about whether it's Top 40 or not and just on whether each individual track will go down well with the audience you're playing for.

Ahh, thank you so much for the help. Though I probably won't do much playing for awhile as I need to practice, sometimes I just get the feeling that I need to incorporate as many amazing, unknown tracks as I can into a mix which can be hard since gold doesn't come by easy.

But like you said it depends on your audience and next year my audience is all frat bros and sorority sisters so I should be fine as far as "mainstream" edm goes.

I just really like the Alesso, Dirty South, Axwell, Tim Mason, Basto prog. house scene now. I thought from the start I'd be a pure electro house dj but boy has my taste changed.

[RickNash]

See, even if you look at the sets in the mixes there, that's my scene too...but there's enough Top 40/chart remixes by those artists and the like that you can keep it commercial but still blast tracks you like to hear.

You also have to remember your audience too: are they coming to a venue or listening to a radio show to hear the DJ play new stuff or to dance to stuff they already know? (In general, the former want stuff they already know, the latter want new, unknown stuff. Unless you're a name/established DJ that they trust to play good new material)

I'll chuck in unknown tracks into commercial sets every week, but you're talking a mini-set at best (more often than not it's 3-4 tracks a night max) and I've to pick my moments/mixes well. Last gig, for example, I got into a nice prog house set mixed into a bit of electro house filled with songs that, I guarantee, 90% of the dancefloor wouldn't have known. But they went with it. The week before in the same venue, though, probably wouldn't have gotten away with it. So it depends. Best preparing for all circumstances and just getting enough gigging experience behind you that you can go with the flow of the crowd.

(Sorry, I'm presuming you're relatively new to DJ-ing btw based on your "I need practise" comment. If you're not, I don't mean to be patronising and tell you stuff you already know!)

[rcs1113]

See, even if you look at the sets in the mixes there, that's my scene too...but there's enough Top 40/chart remixes by those artists and the like that you can keep it commercial but still blast tracks you like to hear.

You also have to remember your audience too: are they coming to a venue or listening to a radio show to hear the DJ play new stuff or to dance to stuff they already know? (In general, the former want stuff they already know, the latter want new, unknown stuff. Unless you're a name/established DJ that they trust to play good new material)

I'll chuck in unknown tracks into commercial sets every week, but you're talking a mini-set at best (more often than not it's 3-4 tracks a night max) and I've to pick my moments/mixes well. Last gig, for example, I got into a nice prog house set mixed into a bit of electro house filled with songs that, I guarantee, 90% of the dancefloor wouldn't have known. But they went with it. The week before in the same venue, though, probably wouldn't have gotten away with it. So it depends. Best preparing for all circumstances and just getting enough gigging experience behind you that you can go with the flow of the crowd.

(Sorry, I'm presuming you're relatively new to DJ-ing btw based on your "I need practise" comment. If you're not, I don't mean to be patronising and tell you stuff you already know!)

Oh no I am a new dj, no offense taken. I personally love hearing new music but I suppose I could see that more often than not, people like to hear stuff they know. Thanks for the clarification