So I have this question that I’ve been wondering about for a while.
I’ve always wondered how (EDM) DJs transistion between sets. Do they mix into the last person’s set? Fade out the last person really quickly and start their own music? Somehow when I’m out I always intend to pay attention to what happens and sort of miss it - there’s two guys on stage and then at the next point at which I’m paying attention there’s one person on stage.
Anyway, I’m trying to get club gigs at the moment, so it’s definetely something I need to know. Any and all information you guys have on this topic would be useful!
If you don’t notice the transition they’re probably mixing into the previous set. It’s no different from transitioning between two of your own tracks - some techniques work for small BPM changes, some work for large changes.
Just got back from Ultra and they use a guy that sounds like he smokes 20 packs of cigarettes a day. They stop the music and then he comes out between each DJ and asks people amazing questions like “how they are feeling out there?” Commands them to “don’t go anywhere!” and sometimes reminds them that “there is more DJ’s coming up.”
At a very big popular festival they usually stop the music. At some smaller more focused festivals they may keep it going non stop. Also depending on the genre as well. Straight house, techno, or other genres may not want to kill the mood, vibe, and work put into the crowd and want to keep the momentum.
Some DJs want to reset the energy and start over, but I mostly prefer to mix out and change it gradually to what I want. I think cutting the music is just totally counterintuitive to being a DJ.
For most residents then mix into each other smoothly. Most should along the last song to play out a little before mixing out as a common courtesy, but some guys are douches. Also as the last person playing you should talk to the DJ before and ask what he wants to play, bpm, energy, and give him as much time as possible to set up, and mix out, a long song is good here.
Personally I prefer the “reset” if you will. Most of the time I’m still earlier in the night, and playing breaks… I don’t always have people of similar BPM’s or genre’s before (or after) me. I have a few really neat energy building tracks that set the tone as openers that have slow opening sequences, and I’ll usually let the last track from someone else fade out or get to a breakdown, and then cut over.
Mixing in is fine as well if you’re playing the same kind of stuff. Honestly though, it really depends on the time, place, location, and crowd. Read the crowd, consider what you are going to be playing, consider what the person before you is playing… and use logic.
Sometimes i do the classic Oakenfold technique which is simply crash your first tune over the previous DJs last one…sounds awful but makes an announcement…
Although if its a bigger event i tend to produce an intro specifically for it
My usual gesture is to get on the mic, introduce the crowd to the DJ who just finished, compliment them on something they did during their set, intro the crowd to what’s coming up next, and introduce them to the headliner. This is usually enough to get the crowd hyped up for a produced intro (Have a habit of producing themed tunes for every event depending on the event’s name and location). I always make my second tune something familiar to everyone whether it be a popular DNB tune or a remix of a top 40 tune to keep everyone interested.
When switching I always bring either rekkids or CD just in case any unplugging needs to be done. This allows time for setup changeover in the case where a 4 cahnnel mixer is not present, any equipment issues occurr, or if I arrive late for any reason and dont hae time to set up everything before going on.
Intro… It’s alll about an intro… Make one at home or some thing, like some swooshes and vocals, for like 20s or something.
Let the DJ before you’ track play out and slowly bring it down and bring your intro in…
I personally think it’s really important (to me) to have my own intro! Thus making it a nice smoother transition from the previous DJ to me..
I call bullshit, try doing that during peaktime at 4am and you’re bound to empty the dancefloor. As much as I like starting out easy and then build up, that’s not an option in every situation. During peaktime hours you usually have to come out guns blasting to keep the crowd with you - if you manage to do that, it’s no problem leading them into much deeper territories a couple tracks later.
Morons like that really deserve to be tought a lesson.
Personally, if what they are playing is even remotely compatible with what I’ll be playing, I’ll find a track that works well and use that (and maybe another track or two following) that will help ease the transition into more of my “sound”.
That only doesn’t work well if someone before me was playing DnB or dubstep or something vastly different from the more groovy 4/4 stuff I play… in which case I probably picked the wrong gig or got slotted at an inappropriate time.
@3heads - hey dude it’s not bullshit lol, that’s how I always go and it always works good, gives the crowd a quick minuet to breath and then start getting back to it…
I play house and techno, don’t know how it works with other crowds.. But that’s just my style!
I have an issue with this.. I was at Ultra as well.. but uhm did you walk in and plop down on the beauty bark for 3 days? Because that was the mainstage
There was 7 stages… You musta missed alot of shows if thats the only transition you saw my friend
