Home 2023 Forums The DJ Booth What are some fun, simple ways to make my mixes more entertaing?

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  • #1007585
    TheReturn
    Member

    To give better assistance it would be good if you could provide an example of why your mixes aren’t interesting? what do you feel they are lacking?

    Since I don’t know what you’re mixing skills are like, I won’t comment on that, but I will give some advice on selection.

    Pick a theme, a mood, a time of day, a story or any kind of narrative and build the mix around that. Your ideas can come from experiences in your life or from TV , fiction, history or movies or they can just emerge from messing around on the decks and stumbling across songs that work well together. Check these examples and the mix blurbs below.

    A lot of mine are about creating a soundtrack to a real or potential experiences.

    http://soundcloud.com/thereturn/dj-return-rotten-coconuts
    You’re on a deserted island, all there is to eat is coconuts. You eat a bad coconut and it makes you trip out and run around the island a la Leonardo De Caprio in the Beach. This is the soundtrack to that experience

    Where as others are about exploring themes within the music

    http://soundcloud.com/thereturn/message-from-the-80s
    This mix tries to capture a certain mood in the early 80s. All of these tracks tell a story of hard times, of struggle against racism, unemployment, poverty, drug addiction, urban life, Reaganism and violence. But most importantly they also say “there has got to be a better way” Many of these songs look to the future. Some are afraid that there is worse to come, while others view computers and technology as a positive way forward. However, the overarching message is that change is possible, especially if you take the initiative.

    hope this helps

    #1007670
    Tommy Hear Me
    Participant

    A theme could be about Trains “All aboard the Night train” chugging along “From Paris to Berlin”
    or the most predictable theme “Love” therefore every song has the word love in it in some context or another.

    #1007784
    Paul Tibbetts
    Participant

    TheReturn, post: 23619, member: 2640 wrote:

    Pick a theme, a mood, a time of day, a story or any kind of narrative and build the mix around that. Your ideas can come from experiences in your life or from TV , fiction, history or movies or they can just emerge from messing around on the decks and stumbling across songs that work well together. Check these examples and the mix blurbs below.

    A lot of mine are about creating a soundtrack to a real or potential experiences.

    +1 for this idea.

    Whilst my only online mix to date was just to get my housemate dancing (using sudden changes and big bangers) the rest of what I try to do is mix with a theme, could be a mood or location (ie I have a playlist of “beach” music ready to start mixing)

    TheReturn, post: 23619, member: 2640 wrote:
    http://soundcloud.com/thereturn/dj-return-rotten-coconuts
    You’re on a deserted island, all there is to eat is coconuts. You eat a bad coconut and it makes you trip out and run around the island a la Leonardo De Caprio in the Beach. This is the soundtrack to that experience

    Based on that description I cannot wait to listen to this!

    #1007803
    Steelo
    Participant

    I would say:
    1. Get better at mixing. Gotta crawl before you walk.
    2. Get better music.
    3. Experiment with different mixing techniques including use of effects and possibly scratching. Don’t even think about this step until steps 1 and 2 are done.

    The above suggestions that the others made are good but it sounds like you’re still a beginner or novice so slow down and get the basics done right first.

    #1007874
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    I totally agree with Steelo on this one.
    Also when you start mixing, less is often more and also more exciting.
    Getting people in a bar shaking their booties on the chairs with deep house simple blended together is where you can show greatness…

    #1008086
    indamix
    Member

    agree to all above

    #1008829
    Tommy Hear Me
    Participant

    Something with words and video mix

    [media=vimeo]35055590[/media]

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