EDM DJs: How did you acquire a style?

[recess]

Most young DJs have ADD - or the DJ equivalent of ADD. They are constantly fidgeting with every moving knob, button and dial in the DJ booth, switching tracks every minutes (or less) and basically making their set all about THEM and not about the vibe. As you grow, you start to develop awareness of when to apply effects, loops etc - and when to LET A SONG PLAY.

I use Traktor and am constantly adding elements to the mix using 8 sample decks, effects, loops etc. But only things that enhance and add something positive to the vibe. If you are playing good music, you shouldn't need to switching things up every 30 seconds.

Build a vibe, create a vibe, cultivate a vibe - and learn to let it grow and mature. Like a fruit, if you pick it too soon (it will be sour and unsatisfying.)

I think i just matured as a DJ by reading this. Just made me realize my mixes are too ADDish.

[DjAaron]

Most young DJs have ADD - or the DJ equivalent of ADD. They are constantly fidgeting with every moving knob, button and dial in the DJ booth, switching tracks every minutes (or less) and basically making their set all about THEM and not about the vibe. As you grow, you start to develop awareness of when to apply effects, loops etc - and when to LET A SONG PLAY.

I use Traktor and am constantly adding elements to the mix using 8 sample decks, effects, loops etc. But only things that enhance and add something positive to the vibe. If you are playing good music, you shouldn't need to switching things up every 30 seconds.

Build a vibe, create a vibe, cultivate a vibe - and learn to let it grow and mature. Like a fruit, if you pick it too soon (it will be sour and unsatisfying.)

Wow just like said above my post about what you said. It is very true. I see a lot of young Dj's mixing track after track after track every min or less. It does get annoying even at a club when you can't enjoy the song. Once you start really feeling it they switch it up. Most of my mixing I let the track play for a few min maybe longer depending on the crowd and then start switching it up to keep the vibe going. I do it sometimes but only when I can tell people aren't really into it.

I only mess with the eq's when I feel something is off or I am starting my mix. Other then that I leave them alone and just dance or whatever behind the table lol

[DougMore]

I guess I developed a "style" by not limiting myself to a style or genre. I like to think I have the skill to go from Nu-Disco to Hard trance in the span of an hour...than break it down to dubstep, back it up with hip-hop and get some indie dance at the end.


But I have genre ADD. I'm not focused on trance or tech-house...but I at least have 100 tracks of each.



For mixing, I like to let most songs play almost all the way through. That being said, I try to mix intro over outro or last chorus.

[disparate]

Buying music I like and practising in my own way, inspired by DJs I like.

My one weakness is that I haven't had many gigs given how long I've been into DJing, I reckon regularly playing to a crowd regularly must definitely shift your style.

[TCMuc]

Ideally, you should already have a set taste when you start DJing. Be it from having been going out for a while, collecting music for quite some time, etc.

When you start DJing you work with that and develop it. It's like with you clothing style: it's about what you pick and how you combine it. Of course you could just look what's cool at the moment and buy a complete outfit (read: playlist/chart when applying to DJing) you saw in any magazine or window, but you probably would look like you dressed as someone you are not.

You need to pick the pieces/tracks you like and make them your own by mixing them in a way that's unique to you. That's someting that naturally takes some time, as one set doesn't define a "style". It's what keeps returning over and over again in many sets over a long time, that will become your signature sounds, be it certain tracks or certain elements of tracks (percussions, melodies, ...).

It's only when you have people say: "I've never heard you play that track before, but it absolutely makes sense." that you can say you have found your "style". A certain sound, that is both diversified and recognisable, that is connected to you, not only by yourself but by other people.

[Nigelshaw]

Showboating lol. Its all about the Character of the DJ. for example:

i can cue very quickly and sometimes, off the cuff without pre cue. So i too have a lot of extra time between tracks. To fill, i change the eq, filter etc and it sounds great. I showed a DJ mate what i was doing with base etc so he started but, When he does it, its like the mixer is on FIRE! he can barely touch the knobs without immediately throwing his hands off. ( imagine it being so hot that you can hardly touch it but you 'need' to turn that knob ), like that.

So, even though technically my eq work sounds much better, my mate gets a better crowd result becuase he 'showboats'. That i guess is why DJ's look busier than what they actually are


N

[TheRabbitMonk]

practice gets you style, and also time.

[DJ ATX]

Basically, I'm asking:

What the hell are you guys doing when you're not cueing up a song or transitioning from one to the next? I just feel like I have too much free time to stand around while a song is playing.

1) Looking at the crowd. Gauging their reactions. Looking for the next track.
2) Cueing it to see how it blends with current track, changing my mind, cueing another track. I may only do this once or perhaps a few more times. I feed off the crowd and what I feel, so I may change my mind a few times about the next track. Or I may have someone come up with a request that I think fits and I would try to figure out how to mix it in. I may do it right then if it works, or try to think of a few tracks so I can transition into it.
3) Maybe throw in a secondary beat to the current track.
4) Taking sips of my drink.
5) Talking to the chick that just came up for a request, if shes hot.
6) Bouncing around and dancing like and idiot in the hopes the crowd will catch on

That is typically a typical night for me when I am spinning out.

[digitalizedeath]

I primarily mix EDM, possibly may be mixing more Top40 in the future. When I started mixing, I only played UK Hardcore on vinyl, and learned to do quick cuts and beat juggle, and keep beats over long vocal breakdowns. I play electro and house now, but since Philadelphia is over-saturated with electro DJs, I try and stay more to the Fidget sub-genre which less people around here play regularly.

[disparate]

Ideally, you should already have a set taste when you start DJing. Be it from having been going out for a while, collecting music for quite some time, etc.

I agree. I've not seen it as much lately but it never ceases to amaze me when I see beginners asking things like "which records should I buy" and "what genres to play", becuase my background of getting into DJing was from being very into certain styles of music, scenes, particular DJs, etc. Of course you'll evolve from there, especially once you devote a lot of time to finding and buying music for your sets, but it would seem strange not to have a starting point.