I really wish I could help you, but for my part it's just an instinct. And mixing disparate things can be a lot of fun if it feels right.

C'mon matildaben, how does the instinct work? What do you think about when you're thinking about what should come next?

I always picture a mix as kind of a journey... you go from quiet to loud, or moody to happy, or something like that. Also, sometimes two songs just sound good together- I keep my MP3 player on shuffle all the time, and make a mental note when I hear a really good segue between two songs.

As mats said, though, it's mostly instinct- you just know what "feels" right.

Thanks, BoringPostcards, but I'm trying to steal your mojo. How does the instinct work? That's why I mentioned the summeller business. People used to say that some wines go with certain food. Nowadays there are all kinds of ideas based on theories.

What makes for a good segue? What makes for "quiet", "loud", "happy", etc? Do you have categories beyond those three? Inquiring minds want to know.

I not to overthink it. The important thing is not to make transitions to jarring. So if I'm going from slow songs to faster ones, I try to find a mid-tempo number inbetween.

Sometimes if I get stumped, I try to pick something atmospheric and short to make the change.

Mostly, it's a matter of knowing your collection.

Wikipedia might help you. The main part is the quote from High Fidelity. But there are more rules than that.

Don't use more than one track from the same artist on one tape (unless it's a musically different side project). The first song has to hook them right away. Don't make things too obvious. Always include something old and something new.

Make the songs flow naturally. If you can skip one song and not change the mood or tempo or effect, that song shouldn't be there or is in the wrong place. Make the end return to the beginning. You don't have to listen to the whole mix to do this. Try listening to the last 30 seconds of a track and the first 15 of the next. Maybe there's a common tempo or instrument to unite them.

A pet peeve of mine: use all the space available on your medium of choice. (Silence at the end of a tape is deadly. Make CDs at least 78 minutes long. If you're doing a radio set, give it a set time to last or to end.)

If it's really personal--say you're trying to woo a boy/girl--make only one copy. Destroy your playlist. It will live on only with the object of your desire.

Remember that it needs a reason to exist. Give it some kind of theme, so you can narrow down what songs to put on it right from the start.

Like any good artist, learn to follow the rules before you break them.

Mostly, it's a matter of knowing your collection.
posted by black8 30 June | 11:02

This is exactly right. Also the part about not overthinking it... you have to feel it, or hear it in your head.

As for the categories... YOU know what your music sounds like, so only you can categorize its mood or sound. But like I said, think of a mix as a journey, or like a movie... definite beginning, middle, and end.

For example: an hour of high-speed techno music will quickly turn into wallpaper. Nothing differentiates one song from the next, and the pace becomes kind of numbing. A good DJ lets the music ebb and flow a little bit... brings the tempo down, throws in something surprising like an old soul or hip-hop tune, then BAM! Hits you with a crazy, upbeat finale. That lull lets people catch their breath, and keeps their interest; it also makes that last, high-energy song or batch of songs sound even more climactic by comparison. This idea works for all kinds of music, I'm just using techno as an example.

Try listening to the last 30 seconds of a track and the first 15 of the next.

I do this a lot. They don't have to sound like each other, but they have to sound good next to each other. That might be because an acoustic guitar on song #1 fades nicely into an acoustic guitar on song #2; it might be because the acoustic guitar on song #1 really needs the LOUD DRUMS on song #2 for contrast.

I also just listen to one song and think, "What do I want to hear now?" Sometimes a particular song will come to mind, sometimes just a tempo or mood. Then I try to find a song that fits that.

Without sounding too snobby, making a playlist/mixed tape is a lot different from DJing. For one thing, when you DJ, you're listening along with things, and constantly thinking about what comes next. If you have access to an audience, that's your best canvas. Making a rigid list is the kiss of death. You basically want to figure out what will work for them. That doesn't mean you can't challenge them or that you have to play their music, but a good DJ will look for feet and finger tapping, heads bobbing, smiles, etc.
So for here, DJing here seems to run simultaneously with IRC. So keep an eye on that and note when people comment on stuff and use that info.

And while there are tons of rules, there are none. If it works, it works. Often if you're feeling inspired, it's amazing how people pick up on that. If people are looking bored, an abrupt and jarring change can work. One of my fondest memories is playing "Any Way You Want It" in the middle of a dance set. Not everyone was happy but it got their attention and changed the atmosphere of the place immediately (in a good way).

Being selfish or snobby (screw these people, they need to hear this cuz I love it) will not end well. Being selfless and open will not only win them, but it will also open the audience up to hear something they may not normally listen to (once they're won). But also keep in mind they can turn on you faster than you can cue a record.

I agree with what others have said above. Listening to the transition points is something I do, as well as just having a feel for what sounds good together. For me, there's kind of an emotional mood to a song or piece of music, and I want the moods to flow into each other and speak to each other.

When I do the random radio sets, I select a pool of songs randomly, but then I move them around next to each other, grouping by tempo, mood, sometimes but not always by style of music ("genre"). It's very subjective and I've never articulated to myself what the "rules" are, if indeed there are any.

I did my first DJing when I was 15, on a community radio station. Even then I just had a "feeling" for it. My dad was a professional DJ (classical music station) for over 30 years so maybe I just inherited it.

I think it also helps that I enjoy a wide variety of styles and genres of music, so I can constantly keep it interesting, even if occasionally that means throwing in something that some listeners dislike.

For me, I like to change the style of the music at least a few times during a set, moving say from my usual electronica bent to alt-country or guitar-heavy stuff to something slow and melodic. Variety is everything! Mudpuppie once told me during a particularly blippy and top-heavy electronic set that it sounded like i'd played the same song for an hour!

Find songs that have similar pitch, or similar sounds to segue with. For instance, Harvey Danger and My Morning Jacket go well together because their singers both have gorgeous high tenor voices, and their music is guitar-driven. Also, there are sometimes bands which incorporate several different styles of music in their songs that work well as "bridge tunes" between alternating styles of music in your mix. Revolution Void does this really well, as they are jazzy/hip hoppy/electronic all in one.

My biggest fault as a DJ is I like to drone out and my sets are routinely faulted for being too "sleepy" or "slow". But that's me. I like sleepy, slow musique.

Experiment! And don't be afraid to play ANYTHING.

:)

Do a few DJ sets and hang on IRC and ask people what they think! You'll only have 0-10 listeners so it's not like a huge audience, and it's all people who you know (sort of) so you don't have to be afraid of their reactions.

You still will be, though. I was literally shaking when I did my first one back in January.

Mixtape-making advice: before you decide on a final mix, listen to the whole thing straight through a couple times.

I wish I had something additional, and useful, to add, but I really don't.

Wait, here's something useful--my Radio Mecha sets are probably not a good source of mixtape guidelines.

What's JFJ?