Compilation/Mix flow

[abasio]

I always thought a mix or a compilation should build or drop.

 

Either start of with the slower tracks & build into a ultra climactic craze by the end.

 

or

 

Start of nuts and drop & drop & drop until you reach a more relaxed, chilled pace.

 

or

 

Both. Slower -> Faster -> Slower again

 

But since listening to Kettel - My Dogan I've started really liking totally disjointed mixes where the pace & style goes up & down & up & down & up again.

 

So here's my question....

 

How do you like your comps/mixes?

 

Consistent?

Building?

Falling?

Erratic?

[alleycat]

I put it as erratic, mainly in reference to mixes. If you're playing a 3+ hour mix theres plenty of space in there for builds, drops, and consistency. Plus every dj is different, and like to do different things in a mix.

 

Personally I like to start out about mid-tempo/power, then get a bit faster and more energetic, then a bit more mellow, trancey and spaced out, bringing it all to a head about 3/4 of a way through. At least this is how it ends up, I rarely if ever plan a mix out in that kind of detail.

 

As for comps, I never really thought much about it, but Id say I prefer comps that have more than just one direction (up, down, all around;) ).

[seraph]

I like it when it slowly builds, from slower tempo up to higher. It gives special feel of flow and progression.

 

I also like when the mixes errate but that depends on the style. If you mix trance, then it sux, but if you mix techno & electro it is the most proper way of mixing.

 

I like progressive trance/house mixes to be consistent. I quite like when you mix ambient in falling flow, like to start psychedelic and downtempo and to fall down to beatless.

[pr0fane]

Depends on the time, set and setting really.

[RTT]

Both. Slower -> Faster -> Slower again

That's my choose. The first slower part gives you an opportunity to relax and to open your mind. The faster part makes your mind running at the speed of light. And when there is again slower BPM, your mind stops to run and jumps from a scale. It helps you to reach the Samadhi state!

[amphiton]

Well, that depends on time, music, people, atmosphere... if you are talking about a party.

 

A steady (consistent) mix may be boring sometimes, imo. It doesn't breath and I think it has to.

[Time_Trap]

I like it building, for psy/goa trance, consistent for techno, erratic when it's IDMish or mixes various styles, falling when it comes to ambient/chill.

[Jikkenteki]

I always do my mixes somewhat like a movie. That is to say they should be fast parts, slow parts, intense parts, relaxed parts, some surprising changes of direction, some expected stuff, some surprising stuff....etc.

 

While I like action movies, I wouldn't want to watch a 90 minute non-stop fight scene that goes from beginning to end, which is basically what I think a lot of DJ's tend to do with their DJ sets. I think a good set should have some ebb and flow to it, jump throw a few different styles, switch up bpms, etc. I'm big into the idea of "journeys" and just about everything I do in music from making tracks to doing DJ sets to choosing tracks and track order for a compilation revolves around trying to make some sort of journey.

[abasio]

I always do my mixes somewhat like a movie. That is to say they should be fast parts, slow parts, intense parts, relaxed parts, some surprising changes of direction, some expected stuff, some surprising stuff....etc.

 

While I like action movies, I wouldn't want to watch a 90 minute non-stop fight scene that goes from beginning to end, which is basically what I think a lot of DJ's tend to do with their DJ sets. I think a good set should have some ebb and flow to it, jump throw a few different styles, switch up bpms, etc. I'm big into the idea of "journeys" and just about everything I do in music from making tracks to doing DJ sets to choosing tracks and track order for a compilation revolves around trying to make some sort of journey.

Any journey set for download?

I like the journeys

[Otto Matta]

When I make my own compilations I treat them like songs. An example would be something like: Intro, build, peak, break, build, peak, release.

[AkumaSama]

In club I like consistent with a bit of rising. Home mix I like surprise so erratic can be good. Falling too, to rerax.

[abasio]

Well, that depends on time, music, people, atmosphere... if you are talking about a party.

 

A steady (consistent) mix may be boring sometimes, imo. It doesn't breath and I think it has to.

I have found this more & more over time. I like mixes more & more erratic as I become more random myself

[Anoebis]

for me I prefer a slower start, building to more madness and end with blisfull music... My dj sets are always like that, starting at 138 or so, peaking at 146 or so and then ending arund 144 with loads of melodies

 

Actually for a compilation it is the same... like Apsara, but for some reason I heard alot of negativism of placing Aes Dana as the first track... Altough I still think downtempo is a good chill in But maybe I am alone for that

[Malevol3nt]

Are you planning on making a new mix Abasio? Give us more naww! :posford:

[abasio]

Are you planning on making a new mix Abasio? Give us more naww! :posford:

I made a prog mix but it's pretty shitty.

Friday's Fall

 

& last week I posted a chill mix Thursday's Child Has far to Go which is quite erratic with it's pace

[Darkarbiter]

I voted consistent and building.

 

Theres some really nice atmoshperic mixes that are very consistent and are quite clear and very well flowing which are quite nice for when your in the mood.

A mix that's about dancing and having a good time should be building and slightly erratic sometimes.

 

Personally I usually have a clear buildup and sometimes a change of mood/pace with one song.

[Guest The Journey Man Project]

I lik eit to be mixed well... the flow doesn;t matte rmuch then... if it is mixed welll it will always take somewhere...

 

but for an unmixed compilation I like it to be erratic.... to many compilations are full of the same style and after 3 tracks I feel tired.

[yerg]

Building, definately

[abasio]

consistent is the only one I don't like. I get bored as it all sounds the same.

although I understand that fullon is easy to mix because it all sounds the same I'd rather hear a poorly mixed variety myself

[Snapinho]

Depends on the time, set and setting really.

agree

[faze]

When I make my own compilations I treat them like songs. An example would be something like: Intro, build, peak, break, build, peak, release.

 

Sweet sweet release.

[Basilisk]

Picture a graph in your mind; one axis is time, whereas the other is a measure of energy, mood, tempo, style, and so on. The most basic flow is straight from bottom left to top right--a steady growth, typically in terms of energy or tempo. The "peak, plateau, and trough" model is a more advanced way of plotting the flow--you build, hold it steady (whatever "it" is), drop a little, and then build again. This has the effect of providing both excitement on the dance floor as well as some relief, and functions as a sort of "sum is greater than the parts" method of energy work.

 

However, there are many more ways of conceptualizing flow. Beyond energy and tempo are specific attributes to consider--how organic, mechanical, tribal, synthetic, melodic, classical, hard, dark, or deep a piece of music is (and that is just the beginning). Plotting energy or tempo is easy--the real fun starts when you work with many intermingling attributes, working in several different dimensions of sound. This might sound confusing, so let me provide an example--an old set of mine called Nocturnal Wanderlust. FREq kicks it off in a very synthetic way, but this sort of punchy toughness decreases steadily as a more "dreamy" kind of atmosphere begins to rise, peaking with Avoid The Future. The next stage introduces a tribal-organic vibe that gradually replaces the dream sound in the same way. I've carefully orchestrated the rise and fall of three specific attributes with this mix. In this sense, it is a fairly simple example of what I think of as "advanced flow." When you start to work with many different attributes, you move beyond the X/Y plot into a realm of multi-dimensional graphs--imagine a spiralling DNA-like helix, with time represented as an arrow moving up the axis of the helix. Or something even more elaborate. I think the options are limitless. Of course, some of what I write applies far more to a mix than a compilation...

[AkumaSama]

erratic, i like surprises

[Sarrsari]

I always do my mixes somewhat like a movie. That is to say they should be fast parts, slow parts, intense parts, relaxed parts, some surprising changes of direction, some expected stuff, some surprising stuff....etc.

 

While I like action movies, I wouldn't want to watch a 90 minute non-stop fight scene that goes from beginning to end, which is basically what I think a lot of DJ's tend to do with their DJ sets. I think a good set should have some ebb and flow to it, jump throw a few different styles, switch up bpms, etc. I'm big into the idea of "journeys" and just about everything I do in music from making tracks to doing DJ sets to choosing tracks and track order for a compilation revolves around trying to make some sort of journey.

 

Pretty much what I would say if I made my own mixes. But it's still what I'd want to hear in a mix. However a gigantic climax at the end I prefer, rather than dropping. So I'd say Erratic with with a big finalé.

[lurk]

i tried to build the comp i put together like a big meta-track. the first 5 tracks built it up slowly, then it was supposed to hinge on track 6 (the kind of breakdown track), after which the next 4 tracks were like the final run. well, it worked like that in my head, not sure if anyone else agrees with me though

 

as for mixes, for me they've got to build, very slowly with a subtle progression from one track to the next.

 

check my sig for examples