DJ Armani vs Baller95 vs CountElectrifique - Top 40/House Battle

[M!TCH]

Ahh yeah. Thanks for the reminder on clearing the cache. Downloaded. Going to run errands so I'll listen when I can actually give feedback.

[DJArmani]

Anyone else?

[mr_ragz]

My vote went to mix 2 because had the best fluidity, track selection and overall mixes.

[aaron altar]

I can't believe mix 3 doesn't have any votes. It's not like it was a bad mix. It was actually pretty good.

[mr_ragz]

I can't believe mix 3 doesn't have any votes. It's not like it was a bad mix. It was actually pretty good.

I agree it wasn't a bad mix. There were at least two vocal clashes and one other mix that was pulled out noticeably late. If it wasn't for those three (maybe more) there is a strong chance it would have actually got my vote.

Got pick a winner some how

[Mrspyaman]

I went with mix 2 it felt like it would hold a floor a little better.

[KLH]

I really like this battle. The entries were kind of different that what I expected to hear... which kept me on my toes. Stating the obvious, these guys obviously know how to mix as these mixes were easy to listen to. I actually had to relisten to each because I forgot to "actively" listen and just enjoyed listening. On second pass through, I had to get technical because these guys have skills. So here it goes.

Mix 1
This one had a slower BPM/tempo - which is where Top 40 really lives. EDM likes jacking up the BPM to get that energy hyped up, but Top 40 doesn't really go there that often, thus the need for EDM remixes of Top 40 tracks. Anyways, as this was a Top 40 mix with some EDM sprinkled in for good measure (get it?), I got sucked in. I was expecting EDM with Top 40 slipped in, but this is cool too.

I found that the mix had a steady rising energy to it. The mix is great for those with ADD/ADHD because elements were constantly being brought in or changing via mashups or remixes. This mix falls into the "quick mix" territory that really tests DJing skills. As such, there were a lot of tracks and each track doesn't get the time to unfold and present itself. I thought that this was a bold choice of mixing... as you can either do it well, or go down in flames trying.

I think that the DJ pulled it off, so great job!

Things I really liked:
* "Quick mixing" style
* Use of mashups to keep the perception of quick mixing going even though the track was recorded that way
* High point (IMHO): 18:20 (Tik Tok remix -> The DJ's got us falling in love again). Perfectly executed.
* LOVED the ending ("Thank you DJ, haha!")

Things I didn't like:
* Remixes had an MC guy that constantly broke the flow of the underlying song
* Two transitions had overlapping vocals that wound up sounding awkward (ex. 14:00)

Mix 2
After listening to Mix 1, I was ready to hear more Top40, but this mix had mostly EDM with some Top 40 sprinkled in. As such, the BPM was much faster and... it was ON! I found that this mix had a steady EDMmy (I'm trademarking that) energy to it.

Things I liked:
* SCRATCHING (11:30). While this was unexpected in an EDM mix, I loved it!
* High Point: Blending into and out from Scream and Shout was GREAT!

Things I didn't like:
* The first four transitions where all breakdowns-into-next-track and were kind of awkwardly done.
* The ending (Mid-EQ cutting of a looped beat and fade out) was a bit disappointing given the great energy of the mix.

Mix 3
I didn't know what to expect after listening to the first two mixes... but this one was fun to listen to too. This mix was a straight up EDMmy with two Top40 tracks: great energy and fast BPM!

Things I liked:
* Creative transitions. These weren't just simple blends.
* High Point: SHM barging in on the mix (16:05). Fearless!
* Great ending: reverse spinback with brake. Cool. Class. Done.

Thing I didn't like:
* There were some vocal overlaps during transitions that seemed awkward (11:05)

***

So where does the vote go? Well, after listening to each, I must say that this could've gone with any of the entries. I have to nitpick to justify my vote... the skills shown were that close. Alright. Enough delaying.

I voted for Mix #1 because of the quick mix style and ballsy choice of mashups. I really expected a cataclysmic disaster of biblical proportions the way the mix shifted elements... but it didn't happen. That kind of risk needs to be rewarded in my book, so I'm doing it.

Mix #1: Winnar.

Great job everyone.

-KLH

[DJArmani]

KLH: thanks for the in depth review! Liked how you talked about high points and transitions. Deff tells me what to work on +rep

Also gave rep to everyone who voted, couldn't rep baller or mitch because I need to spread the rep

[CountElectrfique]

Wow, KLH, thanks for such a detailed review! I really appreciate it!

And thanks all of you for giving our mixes a listen!

[Baller95]

KLH killin the mix feedbacks as always!