Alex Moschopoulos

How to differentiate between different genres of music??

Better tip…stop worrying about genre designations and just pick/play what you like.

Some people are so perfect that by mere listening few seconds they can determine the genre..

Experience combined with personal opinion. Things are too gray nowadays to get all specific.

I can only figure out the following genres: Rock, Metal, Classical, Pop, Dubstep, Hard-Trance.
But there are so many other Genres and Sub-Genres that I get really confused with them.

I would not worry. Many sub-genres came about from one or a few producers attempting to be famous by claiming they “created a genre”. Some are useful though in differentiation, but again it comes down to personal opinion.

I have problems in determining the following genres:
Hip-Hop, Rap, Trance, Electro-Trance, House, Electro-House, Retro, Techno, EDM…

Hip-Hop: Rap music that’s been deemed “keepin it real”. I’ll see this term used by many to cover all rap and R&B, but the ones who are “in the know” see Hip-Hop as the good stuff that isn’t “sellout music”. I tend to notice it holds close ties with the classic b-boy community of turntablists, grafitti artists, breakers, etc.

Rap: Blanket term for all music with rapping in it that has a tempo slower than house.

Electro-Trance: Probably trance with the sawtooth oscillator sound known to electro house.

House: Blanket term for most uptempo dance music that isn’t trance or broken beats.

Electro-House: The precursor and building block of the modern pop “EDM” sound. I personally see Benni Benassi’s “Satisfaction” as the start. They all have in common that sawtooth oscillator tweaky sound.

Retro: Anything “old school”. I’ve more known it to cover old 80s pop.

Techno: Abstract, minimal dance music that carries a house tempo and feel, but often doesn’t roll on melodies or harmonies.

EDM: Blanket term for all the pop dance music that’s come out in the last few years. It’s an acronym for “Electronic Dance Music”, despite that a lot of it isn’t really good music to begin with.

Could you please advise how can I differentiate the genres…

Like I said, use whatever definitions that make you feel good. It’s all subjective. There’s no real right or wrong.

They say mixed in key is more than key matching. It matches keys, energy levels of the tracks… It matches tracks those have phrases compatible to mix. What do you think? Is it only about key matching?

I’m not sure. I reviewed MiK a looooooooong time ago when it was only about key matching. If anything, I found more benefit in Platinum Notes.

Joey Santos did a look at MiK 7 last January. Have a look: http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2015/01/mixed-key-7-brings-auto-cue-points-serato-traktor/

Do you say that trial and error method is the best way and sometimes mixing tracks even with incompatible keys can also sound well?

I can’t say it’s for everyone, but bear in mind I started DJing in 1992, when all we had were analog vinyl turntables. Making a flowing set was more about knowing your music, which lends credence in not going nuts in amassing your collection. Having a 3-TB drive loaded with MP3s is meaningless if most of them you’ll never play.

NOW…some remix services “back in the day” would put key on each tune, as some DJs did harmonic mixing with it. Most of us though more just experimented and found what worked.

My experiences now are in making mixes to post online, and even then I’ll plan out the whole set just so I can determine what tunes go together. It’s not even about if the basslines or synths are in the same key, but more if the rhythms blend nicely and not sound like a mess, and especially if the arrangements meld. In trance especially, I like it when you’re blending, and it seems like one tune lets off at the same time the next tune kicks in. When the tunes are complimenting one another as opposed to clashing or fighting. That’s what comes from listening, planning, and experimenting.

Now when I played live, I didn’t plan sets out, but would use those mixset sessions as guidance to get ideas of what to put together. In all honesty a crowd in a club or rave will be more forgiving of an “ok” blend versus on a recording (where they can listen over and over). Plus in a crowd you need to be able to change it up in a moment if you see they’re not feeling your stuff.

I agree with you about the journey. Especially, In psytrance, i think it is the most important thing. I want to make all my transitions smooth and harmonic in order to have audience never come back from the journey he/she went in, till the end of the set.

Play around. Try harmonic with MiK and trial and error. You’ll eventually find your flow and sound great. Push to be better, but always take a moment to congratulate yourself on what you do now.

When I do trance (I more like uplifting and edgier harder stuff), I like to start off with a blast to grab the attention of the user, then go into a series of peaks and valleys throughout the whole set. I’ll break up the monotony of too many instrumental tunes by tossing in vocal trance, or even have a point in the set where 3-5 tunes are more psytrance and harder techno. I just don’t want to be boring or monotonous.

I probably listen to my trance sets the most, but that’s more because I make them mainly for my own enjoyment. 🙂

I always felt the longevity of the gear depends on the DJ. One big reason why I stayed away from Pioneer mixers was mainly because every one I’ve encountered in a club/bar setting was broken/falling apart. As technologically advanced as they are, they don’t handle wear and tear. My last mixer was a Vestax PCV-275. Loads of metal and very sturdy. Built to last…even if it didn’t have all the big bells and whistles.

With midi controls, I’ve seen the same issue. Some DJs (like me) treat their gear carefully, while others slam on sliders, knobs, and buttons. It’s no surprise when their gear breaks. I’m not sure where you fall into all this, but if you happen to be rough on your gear, then five years would probably speak highly of of the gear.

There are two realities though to all this:

1. Gear is much like the Project Triangle (Good, Fast, or Cheap…you can only pick two). Gear can be high tech, durable, or affordable. You only get two or one, but not all three. I’ve seen enough wishing for an S4 or S8 with a full metal build and high-end faders, but scoff at the thousands it would cost in retail. Thus you can only get two.

2. Tech companies now think in terms of “planned obsolesce”, which has drawn fire from many critics. Ever notice how much your smartphone seemingly “isn’t that good” after two years? Maybe your battery is going, or the speed, or the manufacturer cut off updates? The rationale is they want you to chuck it and buy a new one.

I’m sure NI, Rane, Vestax, and others more or less would rather you buy a new controller every few years than you maintaining and keeping the same piece of gear for years on end. Look why with many phones you can’t change the battery, or why you can’t change out sliders or knobs on your controller…or when your controller suddenly doesn’t work as well with the newest version of your software of choice.

I’d love yo demand more out of them, but it’s become pointless. I have a feeling most of these companies make their bank on the amateurs who buy gear and later sell it off. Again, turnover and sales mean more revenue over long-term purchases with requests for support.

Convert it. At least you’ll know the quality of the sound from the get-go.

192 is fine. Don’t worry too much.

I found the Speed Limit 140BPM+ series was a good testament to the mid-90s hardcore sound. Start there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Limit_140_BPM%2B