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is Chillout the hardest music to mix? (and easiest!)
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bluespectralmonkey
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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1336
Posted : Oct 18, 2005 20:49
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maer
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
29
Posts :
101
Posted : Oct 19, 2005 05:45
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it order to beatmix chillout tracks, generally, you just have to grasp on how to mix break beats. most chillout tracks are done in slow break beats, especially ethno tracks. only the ultra trancey chillout tracks will be 4/4 kicks.
the deal is that you mix on the snares (ie: the 2 and the 4), and basically ignore the bass drum hits. occasionally you have to mix on the hi hats (or tablas, whatever the high pitch percussion is).
some tracks absolutely refuse to be mixed well, even if they're the same BPM, because of clashing upper register percussion. like where the hi hats clash with the tablas on the new track.
anyways, mix on the snares and you'll be fine.
  dub beautiful collective
bringing elitism to the masses.
http://www.dub-beautiful.org
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OEM Radio - original electronic music radio.
http://www.oemradio.org |
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maer
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
29
Posts :
101
Posted : Oct 19, 2005 05:48
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not to toot ones own horn, but the 3 most recent mixes of mine at http://www.sucker.dj are all beat mixed in 1/2 set segments.
especially "small worlds" which is all ethno, and it's almost completely beatmixed on the snares.
dub beautiful collective
bringing elitism to the masses.
http://www.dub-beautiful.org
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OEM Radio - original electronic music radio.
http://www.oemradio.org |
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Saturnia
IsraTrance Junior Member
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174
Posted : Oct 20, 2005 16:22
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It was years before I had collected enough quality tracks to create hour-long mixes at a single BPM.
I'm very sensitive to key matching / key compatibility. If I'm using CDJ-100s I will often key-match using the zip. But one cannot always rely on having 100s these days.
I specialize in long mixes and maintaining a groove, not so much for dancing but for continuity and keeping the audience tuned-in. This mix has a few good examples
http://www.noctilucent.net/illuminotion.mp3
I also enjoy mixing psydub into pstrance, ie. mixing a 77 BPM track into a 144 BPM track. I get booked for a lot of opening transition sets. This weekend I'll be playing the reverse, taking the dancefloor from psytrance to downtempo, which I think will be much more challenging! Saturnia
http://www.facebook.com/saturnia.corybant |
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Quasga
Inactive User
Started Topics :
12
Posts :
498
Posted : Oct 20, 2005 18:25
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Have fun, Anne.  Spellbind them.
Peace.
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Dainty Doll
June Rashava
Started Topics :
49
Posts :
426
Posted : Oct 20, 2005 21:27
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cloud-girl
Started Topics :
0
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8
Posted : Oct 20, 2005 22:06
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If you love it and feel it, you just know instinctively whether something works or not. Also, there are so many different forms of "chill-out" music. That can mean anything really. Considering the main area is usually around 145bpm (continuously!!) that could mean that anything below around 125bpm (theoretically!!) can appear to be chilled in comparison. And that........ ...... can be pretty much anything you want it to be. I'm sure many people will beg to differ.. But I say chuck it all in there if it works!
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Saturnia
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
30
Posts :
174
Posted : Oct 21, 2005 02:32
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On 2005-10-20 22:06, cloud-girl wrote:
Considering the main area is usually around 145bpm (continuously!!) that could mean that anything below around 125bpm (theoretically!!) can appear to be chilled in comparison.
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Exactly!
And tempo does not define entirely how a track feels. Sometimes a 125 bpm track can feel more chilled and relaxed than many 100 bpm tracks because of note duration and density (or lack thereof).
Once I was booked to play "downtempo" for a mixed genre club event. I wandered downstairs during my set for a restroom break. As I passed the main room I realized I was about 10 bpm over what was being played!
Saturnia
http://www.facebook.com/saturnia.corybant |
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cloud-girl
Started Topics :
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8
Posted : Oct 21, 2005 13:02
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[quote]
On 2005-10-21 02:32, Saturnia wrote:
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Exactly!
And tempo does not define entirely how a track feels. Sometimes a 125 bpm track can feel more chilled and relaxed than many 100 bpm tracks because of note duration and density (or lack thereof).
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Density! yes.... that's the word! totally agree with you. Classifying certain genres with words, can be misleading. And the names change. They are (whoever "they" might be) are always coming up with new "words" to describe sounds and types of music. But at the end of the day, I think "chill-out" is misleading. If you look at the "chill-out" section of this forum for example, a lot of the music described is actually not music that can really chill-out to. Much of it is music you can dance to. Kind of inbetween sitting down and jumping around like crazy. I'm rambling now..... but someone once said that "talking about music, is like dancing about architecture" . mmm....... what am I doing here then?! |
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Pax
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
38
Posts :
178
Posted : Nov 14, 2005 10:54
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On 2005-10-18 03:14, sundrop wrote:
an ambient chillout set with no beats... quite tough! altho definitely possible.
the ambient music that is happy and uplifting is very rare. i find most ambient is either "epic" or "sad".
i would be interested to hear what you guys consider to be chill ambient tunes!
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Well there's alot of beautiful tracks out there that would work well..and you could I'm guessing do the fade in/fade out thing and have it work well.
In terms of ambient tracks..
Global Communication's "12:18" with it's rather angelic vocal samples comes to mind.
Also CBL, Ulf Lohmnann, Markus Guentner, etc.
I also see nothing wrong with whether the tracks are "sad" or whatever..I find the emotional qualities of those tunes to be what makes them so great. |
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dubfix
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
65
Posted : Nov 14, 2005 19:21
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yes it is hard and yes it can be easy but its like this to become a good dj (no matter wot cinde of music)is allot of work. you have to be a good selecter have a good ear and fun doing wat ya do.
its allways like this that people come and say chill is easy to mix cose of the intro outro story but chill music has a big spectrum and in the meanwile allot of dj beat mix realy good.put voice sampels,work with ableton and bring live efx....
Dubfix Chill-in-or stay out
www.chillinberlin.com |
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TakAttack
Started Topics :
0
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3
Posted : Nov 14, 2005 21:18
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yes! |
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sundrop
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
20
Posts :
250
Posted : Nov 16, 2005 05:28
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On 2005-11-14 10:54, Pax wrote:
Well there's alot of beautiful tracks out there that would work well..and you could I'm guessing do the fade in/fade out thing and have it work well.
In terms of ambient tracks..
Global Communication's "12:18" with it's rather angelic vocal samples comes to mind.
Also CBL, Ulf Lohmnann, Markus Guentner, etc.
I also see nothing wrong with whether the tracks are "sad" or whatever..I find the emotional qualities of those tunes to be what makes them so great.
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I also enjoy "sad" music too, but at the moment I'm specializing in happy chillout/ambient. Its quite hard because, when I first hear some tracks they sound quite uplifting but its only after a few months of listening that I realize how depressing they really are. Its also tough to find uplifting music that isnt cheesy.
When I hear the term "chillout" it strikes me as music that makes you feel very nice and content, to give people a positive vibe towards the future! 
that isnt the only way to look at it, and is only one kind of emotion, but its what I am personally trying to convey with much of my song selection and creation!
thanks for the recommendations!
http://www.sundrop.ca |
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brij
Started Topics :
9
Posts :
204
Posted : Jan 3, 2006 15:32
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Do you mean you use the zip-lock? I'm guessing without it is quite difficult to maintain the key. Then do you leave the zip on throughout the track or just during the mix?
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On 2005-10-20 16:22, Saturnia wrote:
It was years before I had collected enough quality tracks to create hour-long mixes at a single BPM.
I'm very sensitive to key matching / key compatibility. If I'm using CDJ-100s I will often key-match using the zip. But one cannot always rely on having 100s these days.
http://www.noctilucent.net/illuminotion.mp3
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Over christmas I got enough tunes to do a 90-100bpm mix and I am really enjoying beatmixing my chillout. Have been practising a bit and it seems that there is much more scope for playing around than with full-on. Perhaps it is the sheer amount of time between beats that makes it feel like mixing minimal progressive, with loads of space to play around and hopefully will have the new 100 bpm demo out soon.
Can anyone suggest any 100 bpm tracks?
Examples I'm using in my mix are:
Riddle Rhythm by Human Blue
Astrix - Crystal Skulls
Logic bomb - Normalised
www.BarakaRecords.com/brij.htm
www.myspace.com/djbrij |
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