Set Programming Theories?

[tr0llaccount]

So here's my dilemma:

i buy a few hundred dollars of records a month. anytime i hear a new track that really hits me i buy it. i'm always working on a new set that has most of my new records, but as i go through my collection i always find old stuff that i like.

those of you that play gigs, what percentage of your tracks are "anthems" or just older dope tracks, and what percentage are newer?

i don't play out (we don't have any sort of scene here) but i'd be fascinated to get some feedback on this.

i'd also like to hear any other thoughts/ideas regarding programming, because in my opinion that aspect of djing is VASTLY underrated.

[brainCandy909]

option 1: play what the crowed likes, being more often current dancefloor trends. but not always that way.

option 2: just play what you like, from now, then, tomarrow, whatever.

note: somtimes option 2 will just turn into option 1 buy user taste.

[dubplaya]

Originally posted by brainCandy909
option 1: play what the crowed likes, being more often current dancefloor trends. but not always that way.

option 2: just play what you like, from now, then, tomarrow, whatever.

note: somtimes option 2 will just turn into option 1 buy user taste.

Can't argue with that theroy.

I have the same delima as well. I love some of the older tracks I have but enjoy playing the new ones as well. I'm very (self) consious about playing older tracks out when I spin. I can't always buy the latest and greatest so i feel like I can't compete sometimes. So sometimes I feel dated....if you will. I love it when I hear other dj's play tracks that were big from years back. Makes me feel like I felt when I first heard those tunes.

Play to the corwd...but ultimalty...if you are playing tracks you enjoy and the people see that, then they will as well.

Just my .02

Peace
mike

[Tronic]

It is important to play what you like. If the crowd you are playing to sees that you are into your set, they should get into it too.

I play a variety of genres, and try to blend different genres as well as different 'eras' into a set. Soemtimes you have to pull people out onto the floor with something they know before dropping the more obscure stuff that you know will rock the place.

I am a person that thinks a DJ is not defined by the 'newness' of his/her tracks. Too often people get caught up in a new record contest. That is not what DJ-ing is about. Especially when most of us can not afford to spend hundreds of dollars a month on records.

It's about having tracks that you think are top quality. Whether they were released 3 months ago or 3 years ago.

Bottom line: play what you enjoy and convey that to the audience. You are never going to please everyone...

- tronic

[James Capricorn]

Originally posted by Tronic


Bottom line: play what you enjoy and convey that to the audience.
- tronic

Tronic is one who knows......

[DJZacManiac]

damn, thanks Tronic. sometimes i feel just like that.thanks for that post

[Sophistik]

Tip: buy records that should be anthems but definatly arent. Just play what you like and would like to share.

[demon]

Programming has alot to do with flow. If you can mix older cuts with the newer stuff and make it flow smoothly there shouldn't be a problem. Unless of course you're trying to mix oldschool jump up with banging Tech Itch tracks. House, trance, breaks, techno, shouldn't be a problem. Half the time the crowd won't even know you're playing older tunes. Its the trainspotters that will either give you shit or props.

[dr_babbit]

to me programming is as equally important as track selection. it doesn't matter if they're old or new, like tronic said, as long as they're QUALITY. people can get the latest and greatest tracks, but if they don't know how to mix them together it doesn't even matter. djing isn't all about track selection, it's about making those tracks your own by mixing them together and creating a whole new sound. a whole new track. i've seen some dj's out there who have good track selection but can't mix worth beans, or even beatmatch for that matter. i agree with the starter of this tread, programming is vastly underrated. if i went an saw a bigname DJ, stateside or from europe, i would expect the best programming and the best track selection. i wouldn't care if the tracks were old though, as long as they mixed well in the set and are danceable, that's all that matters!

[Lizard King]

Originally posted by Sophistik
Tip: buy records that should be anthems but definatly arent.

word to that ...

[Kundabuffer]

There's no doubt that programming is a critical element to a good set. But what exactly does programming entail?

Obviously, there aren't hard and fast rules about what will and won't work. You learn this by watching the crowd.

My experience lately regarding newer vs older tracks is that, at least in Seattle, we're dealing with an audience that is less current and less knowledgeable than the one we had 4-5 years ago. Unfortunately, people also seem to be more interested in dancing to things they know or recognize. This makes older tracks KEY to enticing people onto the dance floor. A newer track, no matter how excellent, generally doesn't have the ability to pull people out who aren't already dancing as something familiar.

Of course, once you have them dancing, it's time to turn up the fire. Even better than pulling a crowd from playing something you know will work, is breaking a new record you think everyone should/would love. But it's difficult if you're not playing frequently, particularly if its not a track that others have. If your audience doesn't get to hear a track repeatedly, its difficult for it to break.

Because of that, I always try to keep my second-newest tracks in the heaviest rotation, using brand new and older tracks to fill out the edges.

Flow of energy is also key; but there are several types of energy, and a skilled DJ knows which ones will invoke the right reactions depending on the time of the evening and the current state of the crowd.

A common 'mistake' I hear a lot in Seattle, is to spin what are perceived to be 'lighter', more emotional tracks early in the night, then move into things that sound harder or faster. That seems to be an intuitive flow, but I personally believe it's backwards.

Early in the night your audience still hasn't danced much, still hasn't finished their drinks or finished conversations with friends. This makes emotional/uplifting tracks a gamble, as it's very easy to perceive them as cheesy. Most audiences are likely to respond first to music that appeals to the body. Once you have them dancing and they've been having a good time, it opens them up emotionally to accept the big anthems you have lying in wait.

Because of this, I tend to play hard and/or groovy music more oriented to the ass at the beginning of the night and move onward from there--*if* the party seems like it will move to the dance floor early.

If it looks like people will mostly socialize early on however, I tailor my set to be more of a background sound until I see the first signs of the vibe shifting towards dancing. You certainly don't want to blow all of your floor-fillers at a time when everyone is still grabbing their first drink or saying hello to friends they haven't seen in a while.

Of course, there's a big catch-22. You can't really learn audience-driven programming while playing at home, but until you know how to handle a floor well, you may not get the opportunity to have a floor.

Sometimes, you just have to rely on intuition and flow the set in a way that you'd want to hear if you were dancing. Even if the audience doesn't understand the exact path you are taking, if the path sounds consistent, they'll give you credit for taking them on the path they are creating for themselves.

I agree with everyone that fundamentally you need to play what you like so that your energy gets added to the set. But remember to also pay attention to the reaction and the situation, because on the floor, you're not just playing for yourself.

Jess

[petey pablo]

I think this whole programming vs. track selection is an interesting subject. My opinions have changed vastly over the years. I care much more about track selection than I do about mixing now. I could care less if a dj is "technically perfect" if they are playing boring/bad music. If I'm there for the music then I want to hear good music. If on the other hand I'm there to party then I want to hear good mixing...aka I don't really care about the music as much. For example, I hate trance, but if I went to a party and was having fun and they were playing trance I would care less. Suppose I have kind of seperated the party from the music a bit. Of course the best party would be where the music was great and the programming was excellent, but I still don't care about mixing. Mixing is for DJs.

:rolleyes:

Matt:)

[tr0llaccount]

Originally posted by petey pablo
...I could care less if a dj is "technically perfect" if they are playing boring/bad music...

i feel absolutely the same way.

[djowns]

If the end result is people dancing, it doesn't matter how you got there.

$.02

[Kundabuffer]

Originally posted by TheLiquid1
If the end result is people dancing, it doesn't matter how you got there.

That sounds great as a signature quote, but it neglects to address the questions asked at the begining of this thread. Sometimes the stars will align and people will dance no matter what you do. Sometimes people *won't* dance, even if your set is at its best.

One of the aspects of the art/science of DJing however, is to learn how to manipulate the factors that you can control. Doing that requires some rhetorical framework of assumptions to focus the choices that derive from raw muscial intuiton. If your results are not repeatable, they aren't the end result of practice & skill, just luck.

[unknownp0et]

Originally posted by brainCandy909
option 1: play what the crowed likes, being more often current dancefloor trends. but not always that way.

option 2: just play what you like, from now, then, tomarrow, whatever.

note: somtimes option 2 will just turn into option 1 buy user taste.

What's funny is that the history of DJing is full of examples where someone like Kavorkian or Frankie Knuckles would put a track on the system at the Paradise Garage or the Warehouse and it would clear the floor. They would just play it over and over again until someone started shakin' their ass

[Tekmatic]

or just make a big name for yourself, and everyone will bump to your set, regardless of what or how you're playing.

[petey pablo]

What's funny is that the history of DJing is full of examples where someone like Kavorkian or Frankie Knuckles would put a track on the system at the Paradise Garage or the Warehouse and it would clear the floor. They would just play it over and over again until someone started shakin' their ass

>Hey, I read about this too and I thought that was really interesting. I guess it says something about people and their feelings on familiarity for things.

Matt

[the_planet]

If it makes me shake my butt or nod my head in the record store, I'll buy it.