When listening to a mix, do you ---

[DJ ATX]

I skim through it to first see if the music selection is to my liking. If it is then I listen to it start to finish and see if the progression is good. Then I like to pick apart the mix and see if I could do better or if I can learn something from it.

[AdrianR]

Yeah see I skip to the transitions usually because the track list isn't so important to me.

When I'm booking DJs I ask for specific genres. They send their demos. I have to hear a bit of whats playing during the transitions anyway so I can gage the direction it's going in. I skip to the transitions because I want to see if they're doing anything interesting. I want to hear, melodies ontop of melodies. Samples, great eqing, some tricks! (cutting etc) even some effects. Things like that. Even if it's not beat mixed. Infact, if a Dj demonstrates to me the ability to keep a great flow and NOT beat mix a song, (not train wreck it though, maybe just, fade of an outgoing echo or something.) its bonus points because for a people who manipulate sound, manipulating silence demonstrates the a true talent in the Dj field. (Having said that, I've heard people attempt it and fuck it up.)

I rarely hear ANY of this anymore. All I hear is beat mixing end to end and, well it's boring. Espeically when the mix has some dribble written next to it about "A Journey Through House" or something like that. That's why I listen to the transitions. The songs are one thing, but I can play catch up with those. If the transitions are bad, if they're train wrecked, everything is ruined. The whole flow is gone and all you are doing is listening to someone play their records.

[lakegz]

I don't really hear any many interesting transitions unless I'm listening to some of the heavyweights mixing or download some older classic mixes when djs were more daring. You're right, nowadays I just hear end of song mixing I guess cause people thing that is part of pro dj protocol.
As for the original question. If I have lots of time and nothing to do, i'll let the mix just play out. Sometimes i just go to the transitions, just depends.

[AdrianR]

I was listening to yours all out a few minutes ago mate

[Finnish_Fox]

Skim through it and quickly try to see where the transitions are so you can analyse the skill of the transitions and that's it, OR

do you actually listen start to finish, no skipping bits?

Depends on whose mix it is.

[JackStalk]

I usually skim through to the transitions, or just examine the tracklist and see if there's anything I'd like to hear. For the DJF trance tournament, I listen to all the mixes beginning to end without skipping.

[DJ Nada]

I'll listen to the first transition. If I'm not hooked by then, I skip the rest of the way through it. If it's really good, I'll continue to enjoy it.

[ben mills]

I play house.

I'm a mixer.

I don't have time to listen to a ton of mixes. I'll select a mix here and there to listen to when I need a mix and I usually enjoy it...because I select mixes that are recommended to me or are from DJs (local heroes, internet heroes) that I know produce quality mixes consistently with a high level of mixing that is innovative, creative, and tight.

I'll listen to these mixes from the start - until I hear a mix that is bad. I won't get into what bad is for me...but I have a high standard. There is just way too much music out there being put out by quality DJs, and my time so limited, that I can't waste my time listening to a mix with subpar mixing.

As a house mixer, it's about the mix. It's about the transitions - about being in the mix more than you are out of it, without clashing main riffs, vocals, or both tracks being too busy. It's about subtlety in the mixing throughout, but making the statement with double drops, tricks, and slick EQing where appropriate.

[AdrianR]

Yeah see man, You get it! I'd slap you high 5 and shit but you know... Internet

[LeFresh]

If its someone I don't know, I'll check the tracklist or skim through to see if I wanna stream/download. If its someone I like, I listen to the whole thing from the beginning.