bagpuss
Hi guys,
Not an important issue but I've come across it so thought it would be worth mentioning as I'm gonna have a mix at the house with some people round this weekedend.
It's different from a club gig because less people and with different taste, I better elaborate!
Got some people and other DJ's over, seems from what I can tell they are divided in their musical taste, half like Urban (r'n'b/hip hop) and the over half are into House/Dance.., I know that in this case whatever I play half the people will moan and ask me to play something else..
In this case what do you feel the best approach is?, Like I said with more people you have a theme or dedicated hours/rooms for different genres.
another point is that the DJ's will get pissed off they can't mix if we keep switching style.
Not an important issue but I've come across it so thought it would be worth mentioning as I'm gonna have a mix at the house with some people round this weekedend.
It's different from a club gig because less people and with different taste, I better elaborate!
Got some people and other DJ's over, seems from what I can tell they are divided in their musical taste, half like Urban (r'n'b/hip hop) and the over half are into House/Dance.., I know that in this case whatever I play half the people will moan and ask me to play something else..
In this case what do you feel the best approach is?, Like I said with more people you have a theme or dedicated hours/rooms for different genres.
another point is that the DJ's will get pissed off they can't mix if we keep switching style.
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 4:18 pm
listen2
the only solution i can think of is only hangout with friends of the same music taste, if you playing one or the other too long the friends won't be your friends anymore. :) staying in a silimar BPM count helps, and a great compromise would be to play breakbeats.(dancable dope beats)
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 4:27 pm
stevomay
Gday, this is one of those situations where it will be awkward, but there is a solution around it, simply play it in sessions, you can choose the time for these sessions to be taking place but the key is to mix and match. Play what you wish for the say first 3 quarters of an hour, then simply transfer to the other for the second session, i find that what works good is maybe if you like house to be the main part of song to play that during the main part of the evening, the good part about hip hop also is that it is good background and mingle music, so it would be appropriate if you played this during say the beginning and the end of the night, so that way everyone gets what they are after and it shall be a good evening had by all.
-Cheers
-Cheers
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 5:02 pm
djcity
My advice is this....
YOU ARE THE DJ !!!!
It is your job to balance the music and control your crowd. I know this can be hard to do when you have a smaller crowd with split tastes in music.
I have had jobs where I played for thousands of people and the musical tastes of the crowd were still split. What did I do you might ask???
I Played MY SHOW !!!
No matter if you have 20 people, 200 people or 2000 or more, PLAY YOUR SHOW !
As a DJ, I have to be able to take the crowd where I want them to go and get them there when I want them to be there. I have read some of your other posts so I know you at least have an idea of what i'm talking about.
Start with good warm up music, not music to set the party off but music to socialize to, head bobbing and foot tapping music. Pay attention to the people at your event. Especially in the begining. You will know you are on the right path if you see people NOT paying attention to the music but tapping their feet anyway. From there, if people are drinking...LET THEM DRINK !!! Alcohol is always a good party starter.
By this time you should see more foot tapping and more head bobbing and maybe a little table dancing (People dancing at their table NOT on the dancefloor).
When you have this... The party is in YOUR CONTROL.
DO NOT GIVE UP YOUR CONTROL OF YOUR SHOW
For a split crowd of Urban and Techno/Trance, I would start with the Urban. Play the HITS, PLAY THE HITS, PLAY THE HITS. Don't be afraid to speed up the tempo a little on these songs as you will want the music to speed up as the night wears on.
Go from Urban to Maybe House music. That is a good bridge to get from where you are to where you want to go.
From House, take it to Techno and there ya go.........
You won't please the whole crowd all the time so don't try. all that will do is get you off YOUR game.
Remeber that YOU are the DJ and YOU control the show, the music, the pace of the party, and the crowd.
Just a look at the framework of a party you are describing.
Urban (Hip Hop/R&B) - 90bpm - 110bpm
House - 115bpm - 145bpm
Techno/trance - 140bpm - ??? (Don't know how fast Techno can get)
You can also play Dirty South music with house or techno because Dirty South music is generally slow 68 - 75bpm. This mixes with fast music 150bpm and above. if you have Dirty South accapellas and house techno instrumentals...........Have a blast and play them together.
Hope this helps..
Ya know, Maybe I shoulp post a version of this on the forum for other DJ's
Wadda you think?
Good luck with your party,
DJ CITY
YOU ARE THE DJ !!!!
It is your job to balance the music and control your crowd. I know this can be hard to do when you have a smaller crowd with split tastes in music.
I have had jobs where I played for thousands of people and the musical tastes of the crowd were still split. What did I do you might ask???
I Played MY SHOW !!!
No matter if you have 20 people, 200 people or 2000 or more, PLAY YOUR SHOW !
As a DJ, I have to be able to take the crowd where I want them to go and get them there when I want them to be there. I have read some of your other posts so I know you at least have an idea of what i'm talking about.
Start with good warm up music, not music to set the party off but music to socialize to, head bobbing and foot tapping music. Pay attention to the people at your event. Especially in the begining. You will know you are on the right path if you see people NOT paying attention to the music but tapping their feet anyway. From there, if people are drinking...LET THEM DRINK !!! Alcohol is always a good party starter.
By this time you should see more foot tapping and more head bobbing and maybe a little table dancing (People dancing at their table NOT on the dancefloor).
When you have this... The party is in YOUR CONTROL.
DO NOT GIVE UP YOUR CONTROL OF YOUR SHOW
For a split crowd of Urban and Techno/Trance, I would start with the Urban. Play the HITS, PLAY THE HITS, PLAY THE HITS. Don't be afraid to speed up the tempo a little on these songs as you will want the music to speed up as the night wears on.
Go from Urban to Maybe House music. That is a good bridge to get from where you are to where you want to go.
From House, take it to Techno and there ya go.........
You won't please the whole crowd all the time so don't try. all that will do is get you off YOUR game.
Remeber that YOU are the DJ and YOU control the show, the music, the pace of the party, and the crowd.
Just a look at the framework of a party you are describing.
Urban (Hip Hop/R&B) - 90bpm - 110bpm
House - 115bpm - 145bpm
Techno/trance - 140bpm - ??? (Don't know how fast Techno can get)
You can also play Dirty South music with house or techno because Dirty South music is generally slow 68 - 75bpm. This mixes with fast music 150bpm and above. if you have Dirty South accapellas and house techno instrumentals...........Have a blast and play them together.
Hope this helps..
Ya know, Maybe I shoulp post a version of this on the forum for other DJ's
Wadda you think?
Good luck with your party,
DJ CITY
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 5:02 pm
DJ_whiteDVL
DJ City has a good point.
What I normally do and what you've mentioned before is this....half like house and techno, other likes urban.
This is the same with most bars and clubs. play 30-45 mins of 1 genre then play some house/techno for another 30-45 mins.
This will not only rotate your dancefloor but will also rotate the bar so that the bar makes cash and your dancefloor never stops ;)
Also look in the "Mix lessons" forums there are some good tips like this in there.
Best Regards and Best of luck on your gig
DJ White Devil
What I normally do and what you've mentioned before is this....half like house and techno, other likes urban.
This is the same with most bars and clubs. play 30-45 mins of 1 genre then play some house/techno for another 30-45 mins.
This will not only rotate your dancefloor but will also rotate the bar so that the bar makes cash and your dancefloor never stops ;)
Also look in the "Mix lessons" forums there are some good tips like this in there.
Best Regards and Best of luck on your gig
DJ White Devil
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 5:50 pm
erxon
One more suggestion (didn't read everything in the topic so I'm sorry if I repeat someone):
house and some hip-hop/r'n'b tracks have similar tempo, what I would do is start the evening with the slower r'n'b trakcs, than push up the tempo and sometimes add some house beats over (like those toms, bongos & other percussion from house tracks). Than push it up to the house beats and give them some hiphop acapella flawor if you have them, maybe just a housey beat with a hip-hop track etc... But you need to find a lot of good songs and matchable bpms to do that, and of course well know both stlyes (what I think you do).
Hope you'll be kickin' a$$ mate ;)
house and some hip-hop/r'n'b tracks have similar tempo, what I would do is start the evening with the slower r'n'b trakcs, than push up the tempo and sometimes add some house beats over (like those toms, bongos & other percussion from house tracks). Than push it up to the house beats and give them some hiphop acapella flawor if you have them, maybe just a housey beat with a hip-hop track etc... But you need to find a lot of good songs and matchable bpms to do that, and of course well know both stlyes (what I think you do).
Hope you'll be kickin' a$$ mate ;)
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 6:07 pm
DJ_whiteDVL
heh lesson # 2
ITS NOT ALL ABOUT BLENDING MUSIC!!!!!
well this is pretty obvious and I don't think it needs great details although just a simple cut from hip hop to house or techno is normally enough. sometimes fade out/fade in works great too. just drop your song and fade it in or cut the hip hop out and change the bpms quickly.
its like saying start your night @ 70bpms and finish at 150bpms. If you do this you will make the house/techno lovers wait until the end of the night to enjoy the music and make the hip hop lovers hate the end of the night. switch up both styles and keep alternating the 2 and I'm sure you'll be rocking the party ;)
Many DJs miss the point and always try to mix their sets from 1 end to the other and want to do it flawlessly. Its not always needed and most the the time the crowd doesn't care about this. They just want to hear their song and dance to it. That's it.
DJ White Devil
ITS NOT ALL ABOUT BLENDING MUSIC!!!!!
well this is pretty obvious and I don't think it needs great details although just a simple cut from hip hop to house or techno is normally enough. sometimes fade out/fade in works great too. just drop your song and fade it in or cut the hip hop out and change the bpms quickly.
its like saying start your night @ 70bpms and finish at 150bpms. If you do this you will make the house/techno lovers wait until the end of the night to enjoy the music and make the hip hop lovers hate the end of the night. switch up both styles and keep alternating the 2 and I'm sure you'll be rocking the party ;)
Many DJs miss the point and always try to mix their sets from 1 end to the other and want to do it flawlessly. Its not always needed and most the the time the crowd doesn't care about this. They just want to hear their song and dance to it. That's it.
DJ White Devil
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 6:13 pm
erxon
And I would of course agree with White Devil, when you get out of material to blend hits ;)
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 6:19 pm
djcity
Dj White Devil and Erxon both have great points.
It might be a good idea to take ALL the advice you have been given on this thread.
Do the Mixes...
Drpo different kinds of music when you can't mix them...
Rotate between the various styles of music...
Just be careful you do not rotate too much or too often as that will piss off everyone.
Good luck.
It might be a good idea to take ALL the advice you have been given on this thread.
Do the Mixes...
Drpo different kinds of music when you can't mix them...
Rotate between the various styles of music...
Just be careful you do not rotate too much or too often as that will piss off everyone.
Good luck.
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 6:35 pm
bagpuss
Wow!! - wasn't expecting this amount of posts/detail :).
Good stuff there, I was thinking about this myself quite some, and felt at the club it would have to be as simple as White said Rotate styles after every 30-60 minutes, and don't play extreme form of either style as that'll lead to a lot of people red in the face.
However with home parties, everyone knows your name and everyone is your mate! - "Go on Bren a bit play a bit of 50 cent" in one ear and in the other "speed it up a little and I'll be well away!" which kinda makes me think "You can't have your cake and eat it".., gotta be here now and there later, and that's what everyone will have to accept :).
My main concern was executing right (in practice) and not ending up disappointing everybody or one group.., other factors include that 2 other DJ's are coming who both play House/Trance/hard dance, and most people coming have moderate taste.., I think I'll tell them to keep it commercial to be best safe.
Another thing I'm used to doing is plaing back 2 back with other DJ's, two songs/mixes each and off for the next one to progress from there, this is fun for the DJ's but maybe not at this event, might be better to play a bit longer each and have a bit of structure, not that this is a really big party but I want all to have a good night!.
Cheers guys - especaily City with the long and constructive reply ;).
Good stuff there, I was thinking about this myself quite some, and felt at the club it would have to be as simple as White said Rotate styles after every 30-60 minutes, and don't play extreme form of either style as that'll lead to a lot of people red in the face.
However with home parties, everyone knows your name and everyone is your mate! - "Go on Bren a bit play a bit of 50 cent" in one ear and in the other "speed it up a little and I'll be well away!" which kinda makes me think "You can't have your cake and eat it".., gotta be here now and there later, and that's what everyone will have to accept :).
My main concern was executing right (in practice) and not ending up disappointing everybody or one group.., other factors include that 2 other DJ's are coming who both play House/Trance/hard dance, and most people coming have moderate taste.., I think I'll tell them to keep it commercial to be best safe.
Another thing I'm used to doing is plaing back 2 back with other DJ's, two songs/mixes each and off for the next one to progress from there, this is fun for the DJ's but maybe not at this event, might be better to play a bit longer each and have a bit of structure, not that this is a really big party but I want all to have a good night!.
Cheers guys - especaily City with the long and constructive reply ;).
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 7:34 pm
djaditya
My opinion, theres nobody who will listen to hiphop 24/7.
Play rnb/hiphop for a session, then speed it up with House. People dont mind this. I've tried it at similar parties where people love hiphop, but it kinda dawns on them that they need a change in trend!
Keep chillin,
adi
Play rnb/hiphop for a session, then speed it up with House. People dont mind this. I've tried it at similar parties where people love hiphop, but it kinda dawns on them that they need a change in trend!
Keep chillin,
adi
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 8:12 pm
listen2
Yes good advice....it shows there is more then one way to skin a cat...but this is a house party so i think the easiest thing to do would be play what your friends want to hear, just have them request songs and play them, thats one thing in a house you can't do at most clubs where the dj is up in a booth somewhere, Oh and if you got many female friends favor them, happy ladies = happy guys. Honestly i'm not sure what type of party your having but most the one's i been to is just people drinking a lot and trying to hookup, music was always an extra benefit. Good luck ...... hit me with a time, place and a ticket and i'll show up :)
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 8:25 pm
A Man and His Music
There is some scary shit going on here. I have a headache, because DJ City must have performed some kind of Vulcan Mind Suction on me. Please go back and read his first post, because that is what I would have said. Did we graduate from the same DJ school or something? YOU ARE THE DJ, is what this comes down to. Plus, if I get it right, this is YOUR party. As far as the other DJ's, I would not worry about them for one second. Pro DJ's know how to keep their mouth's shut, when they are at a party, because they want the same respect. I tell my clients, when you hire a plumber, do you tell him how to fix a leak? Now where is my lead cap, because I have to watch out for DJ City.
geposted Thu 19 Jan 06 @ 8:25 pm
dj maddsound
This is all too complicated...Bagpuss if you want to satisfy both genres, then play Hip Hop and R&B acapellas over some House tracks! Boooooom both groups are happy and they will think that you are the dopest DJ around!!!
MS
MS
geposted Fri 20 Jan 06 @ 2:27 am
PowerPlant56
Ok here goes, it is a house party with friends right? As they come in the door have little note pad or something at the entrance. Let them write down their 2 requests of songs for the night. You can get a general consensus of what the mood is like by doing this. You can adjust your playlist to the polled requests. Come on dude you are a SPINNA!!!!! Work the requests into your flow, then blow them away with your skillz.
geposted Fri 20 Jan 06 @ 3:29 pm