Playing Trance

Smyth

I've been dj'ing in my bedroom for 2 months now and I love it. I've also been out trying to get a set somewhere (fear of staying a bedroom dj) and I've got a 2 hour set in 2 weeks. It's the only club in town that mixes music and the mostly get dj's who play trance and techno.

Now, I've never dj'd before anyone (apart from friends) and wanted to know when you're playing a trance set would you only take a snippet of the song or would you include both the rises and falls. Would you avoid the "quiet bits" or would you let them play through. I've been to clubs where they play them through and I don't mind - I think they're an important part of the song..I'm just second guessing myself thinking that everyone is going to stand about and get bored if there's a 30 second build up.

Would you play trance songs the whole way through or cut them short?

I'm just trying to get an idea of what other dj's do.

edit* when I say trance, my set is mostly Trance Tech - something with a good baseline and thumping sound. None of that pure euphoric stuff (bar the end of the night)

L1011

The 'quiet bits' are the breaks. Its absolutely essential you play them, trying to mix on them is the number one rookie mistake.

Smyth

Good to know. I've never played to other people who like trance and it's reassuring to know I'm not gonna get stoned for having a few breaks..

phew

L1011

Did you think they were in every track so the performer could run off to grab a drink when doing them live

Basic structure of a trance track is build/break/build anyway, even tech trance (which is about the only trance thats popular in Ireland amongst non-skangers these days) has that structure.

If you want to know what other DJs do, scout around for some live sets - its not hard to do - or grab the Discover "Live As" series, which is literally a recorded set by one of their DJs. Two of the five Live As releases so far are by Irish DJs (O'Callaghan and Downey) and the next one up is too (Kearney). They're described as "Mixed live on two decks and a mixer. No computers, no editing, no bull****"

Smyth

Cheers. I was looking at some of Eddie Halliwells sets and JOC. I have 5 different download sites open at once, and some of them don't even have the tracks I want. If only there was a site that could search all the dj download services.

I'm using beatport, Trackitdown, djdownload atm and I'm looking for tech trance..It's bloody hard. I spent ALL day yesterday browsing and only ended up with 16 tracks. Got some nice stuff though

Executive Steve

Smyth wrote: »

Cheers. I was looking at some of Eddie Halliwells sets and JOC. I have 5 different download sites open at once, and some of them don't even have the tracks I want. If only there was a site that could search all the dj download services.

I'm using beatport, Trackitdown, djdownload atm and I'm looking for tech trance..It's bloody hard. I spent ALL day yesterday browsing and only ended up with 16 tracks. Got some nice stuff though

i would suggest you might want to practice a little bit longer than two months before you do a two hour set in public.

seannash

[cm]tyranny wrote: »

i would suggest you might want to practice a little bit longer than two months before you do a two hour set in public.

id agree normally but he could be using software like ableton which would eliminate the whole trainwreck scenario.
now i know theres more to being a dj than just beatmatching but if he is using software at the very least hell just have to drop in tunes and crossfade em.
shouldnt be that hard really.
at the original poster.id honestly go with some house music,nothing worse than walking into a place and having trance blasting at you.but you know the venue better:D

Smyth

[cm]tyranny wrote: »

i would suggest you might want to practice a little bit longer than two months before you do a two hour set in public.

For a venue in my local town with a max of 200 people, I don't think so. I hear about so many bedroom dj's who never become anything but. There's another massive club in the town where they use winamp to dj...win-****ing-amp. That's the level I'm dealing with. Plus, I'm using Traktor. I know the basics..I have good music..**** it. I'm just gonna jump in. Better than playing about in my bedroom.

Smyth

seannash wrote: »

at the original poster.id honestly go with some house music,nothing worse than walking into a place and having trance blasting at you.but you know the venue better:D

I was speaking to the two resident DJ's..and they said tech/trance. Cheers

Executive Steve

Smyth wrote: »

I hear about so many bedroom dj's who never become anything but.

the vast majority of them will stay in the bedroom forever, you are correct.

gigging too early before you're ready could put someone off ever booking you again though!

still, you know your way around traktor fairly well, but coming on here and not knowing whether or not you should "play the quiet bits in the trance tunes" makes me wonder whether or not you shouldn't try and get to the stage where you're REALLY good before you go out there - there's more than beatmatching involved you know...

seannash

[cm]tyranny wrote: »

the vast majority of them will stay in the bedroom forever, you are correct.

gigging too early before you're ready could put someone off ever booking you again though!

still, you know your way around traktor fairly well, but coming on here and not knowing whether or not you should "play the quiet bits in the trance tunes" makes me wonder whether or not you shouldn't try and get to the stage where you're REALLY good before you go out there - there's more than beatmatching involved you know...

yeah thats a good point.not saying dont do it but that sort of question is very worrying.but go for it.ideally you wanna make a good impression.
as for djing in bedrooms.you should really treat this as a hobby as for 99% of people thats all it will be.
if you wanna make a living from it id say get into productionas soon as you can.very few peple are making it as purely djs nowadays

L1011

tech slash trance, or tech trance? Ones a far wider range of stuff than the other

I'm going to echo some of what [cm]tyranny said there. You absolutely have to know what you're doing or else you'll make a haims of it, having played around and guessing what sounds right is quite different to what anyone else is going to think, really. Also, what you hear in your headphones doesn't equal whats heard on the floor - are you using monitors?

Smyth

I totally hear what you fellas are saying and perhaps I should cool it for a while and play a few house parties first. I'm just dying to get out and play some tunes. I'd classify most of what I play as tech/trance rather than trance/tech. It's mostly "bangin" stuff but with the lesser elements of trance.
And yeah, I get that it's more than beatmatching :P

If I weren't to play at a gig, do any of you think that it'd be weird if I asked the resident dj's if I could shadow them for a session. See what they do, how they do it etc..or would I be laughed out of it.

Cheers for the input fellas btw.

seannash

Smyth wrote: »

I totally hear what you fellas are saying and perhaps I should cool it for a while and play a few house parties first. I'm just dying to get out and play some tunes. I'd classify most of what I play as tech/trance rather than trance/tech. It's mostly "bangin" stuff but with the lesser elements of trance.
And yeah, I get that it's more than beatmatching :P

If I weren't to play at a gig, do any of you think that it'd be weird if I asked the resident dj's if I could shadow them for a session. See what they do, how they do it etc..or would I be laughed out of it.

Cheers for the input fellas btw.

no hopefully the resident isnt a dickhead and will help you out.definitely a good idea.

L1011

I was more trying to make a point that "tech trance" is generally accepted as a specific sub-genre name these days, but never mind...

And if the residents not a twat, realises you're interested, and thinks you won't be a pain in the hole, s/he should have no problems with it. Just don't ask *too* many questions and try to judge when they're actually concentrating on something.

SebastienX

MYOB wrote: »

Basic structure of a trance track is build/break/build anyway, even tech trance (which is about the only trance thats popular in Ireland amongst non-skangers these days) has that structure.

Bit harsh now saying all people who like normal trance are skangers. I mean i like trance and i doubt anyone thinks im a skanger although admiteddly i prefer tech trance.
I get your point that its a stereotype in ireland, but that is like saying only skangers drive Jap domestic market (JDM) imports in ireland becasue you see a good few in glanzas.

L1011

It was more a regretful comment than condemning people who listen to it (including myself!). Just find the trance scene here has got so scummy that I head North most of the time.

SebastienX

MYOB wrote: »

It was more a regretful comment than condemning people who listen to it (including myself!). Just find the trance scene here has got so scummy that I head North most of the time.

I understand your original point and it is unfortunate that trance has now gone like that. So many of these people seem to love tiesto. Although i find these days most people big into their trance / dance music will regard his sets as more of crowd pleasers compared to good sets. well abroad that is.
His sets in netherlands are pretty good and experimental, although i feel he just follows the trend of whatever is popular amongst the majority rather than playing what he likes.
Marcel woods is probably one of my favourites. He has a pretty unique sound

L1011

Can read Marcel's signature off my wall from here even

Admittedly I'm a signature whore, I try to get as many CDs as possible signed, ticket stubs, I've even got a DJMag receipt signed once...

francois

Tech trance???????????????
you having a ****ing laugh yeah?

L1011

francois wrote: »

Tech trance???????????????
you having a ****ing laugh yeah?

Thats in reply to what post?

francois

MYOB wrote: »

Thats in reply to what post?

This
Originally Posted by Smyth
"I'd classify most of what I play as tech/trance rather than trance/tech. It's mostly "bangin" stuff but with the lesser elements of trance."

Naked Lepper

[cm]tyranny wrote: »

i would suggest you might want to practice a little bit longer than two months before you do a two hour set in public.

my sentiments exactly

ashleyholmes

I've only just joined Boards.ie and have been reading your posts. And would just like to know how the djing is going. Where was that first gig of yours. and where are you playing now.

ashleyholmes@gmail.com