Preparing a Techno Set
Hey.
I wonder how you guys prepare you sets and playlists for a techno set. I always find myself creating a long playlist and playing exactly this stuff because I tested and prepared these tracks before. How do I get more creative and be able to improvise and have more options than just playing my prepared list?
Just don’t plan.
I have things sorted by key and remember certain groups of songs that mashup well. That’s about it.
It’s the same as spinning anything else, know your music and trust yourself to make the right decisions. Playing from a set playlist is barely better than an iPod.
I like to organise things not just by the genre they might be labelled as (IE techno, Grime, House etc) but by what defines the sound of track. It allows you to make up a crate of tunes that are easily interchangeable with other crates. I have Techno that compliments certain grime/house etc tracks, that despite being different genres, go great together.
Genre A shares the same/similar 909/808 clap/bassline/synth etc with genre B so they go in that particular defining crate, regardless of Genre. Refine that crate with BPM and key and it allows you to jump across a lot of different stuff without sounding completely wack and out of place and gives you a lot of flexibility with a lot of different crowds.
It’s actually rather simple, learn your music, listen to it when your not actually djing, once you know it you’ll be able to improvise a lot better.
Chuck a bunch of tunes into a playlist you think might get you going, just to take the stress out of the start. Maybe have a intro track prepared. Something like this:
or this:
EDIT: the secret is to have a very well prepared library. Make sure all your metadata is up to date and correct, keep ALL your music playlisted in categories you’re comfortable with (eg genres that work for you) and keep your plan vague enough to be flexible, but organised enough in case you panic.
I notice you use the Zinken headphones? What do you think of them? I reviewed them for DJWORX and they’re now my daily drivers (still use the A&H for DJing).
I actually really like them, isolation is excellent, and they are loud enough in a club,. To be honest they beat the expectations I had for them, and so far have held up really well. I think for the price, they’re excellent.
And the headphone cable is pure genius.
That’s pretty much what my review said. 
Thanks guys! I need to structure my library very well I think.
I heard of finding pairs of three tracks that work well together. Does anyone work like this? Sounds pretty good to me.
Yeah, but that happens naturally when you play enough. It’s not the kind of thing you need to take notes on.
Practice, Practice, Practice, and know your tunes in and out. I think thats the best way to prepare a set you you’ll know what you got in your collection and can determine whats appropriate to play when…just my two cents
I fucking wing it.
Once I’ve purchased techno tracks they’re keyed, rated along a scale of 1 to 5, and dropped into my techno playlist, sorted by Date Added. Newest being at the top.
A rating of “1” being techno of a smooth, simple atmospheric quality and lower BPM value to start a set off the right way, right through to “5” being +/- 130bpm and absolute set-ending fire.
So when scrolling through my techno playlist, I’m just looking for rating only. That tells me all I need to know.
There’s a two hour set in my signature link below that’ll qualify this as an example.
Same. Literally.
I find knowing your tracks really well, and having things properly keyed, and gridded, will open up a huge amount of creative freedom. I never prepare set-specific playlists, I just feel the set out as I go from the mood I establish in the intro.
Sometimes i’ll plan out the first two or three tracks just to get things going, but generally after that I just cue a lot and wing it. Definitely make sure you know your tracks first though, what does and doesn’t work together. Nothing worse than inadvertently changing the mood of a mix by dropping a track that just doesn’t fit.
If you know your tunes, you will start to behave almost as a member of the crowd, and you will “feel” the next song that should come in.
That sounds remarkably familiar.
All the organization and commenting and playlists and searching…and, yeah…scroll through until “oh, I think i remember that song…let’s try that”.
yup, the folks listening are going to play a big role in where my set goes and it can go any number of ways. with techno a lot of it is similar and working in waves of intensity tends to keep things interesting.