> Unfortunately, this mix didn't turn out like I'd hoped. > It's kinda sloppy in a couple of parts. Hopefully you > don't think any of my mess is too disastrous. I've never > actually tried to mix an entire set of broken beat stuff before.
ha... no worries! Such is the life of someone who chooses to mix this mad style! it's a cross to bear i hear ya ;) i feel like some of it does work well for a fast cut-n-paste fashion, while others (esp. the stringy ones) you can really ride and wring them out over some acapella beats. But to always take the safe transitions, intros and outtros is just too boring. I have yet to hear a super-locked-down-tight mix of something with this much differing percussion signatures and polyrhythmic breaks and disjointed action going on... and in the cases where I know the tracks being played, I can often hear even the most experienced DJs taking a mixture of risks and 'safely mixes' (ha) the ambient or beatless break areas as places to 'take' to the next new track, Orrin Walters included. And there is a time for both. I'd say such is the way of the style, I mean it's BROKE-N ! anyone who says they can lock a set super tight of this style isn't playing the craziest stuff in the genre... which to me is the most interesting. Not the noodley, faux-jazz wonky stuff, (which i am fading fast on) but the real experimental 'technosoul' side of it, like mustang, titonton, domu, aardvarck(!difficult!), rednose, genre, numbian mindz, seiji, nu era, son of scientist, moonstar, total science, etc. hats off for not pre-planning every mix out for the whole thing... that is so BORING. personally i can never do the same mix more than once or twice max, life (behind 1200's) is too short and there's too much fun in riding the randomness of it all, flipping it over and trying out that b-side you never really gave proper attention to, experimentation, etc. BTW - Brian Gillespie has pulled off some pretty heroic broken beat flavored DJ sets in detroit but he'll also tell ya the sh!t ain't easy and frankly i think it is (and should be) mixed with other genres to really stand out and create impact.. I love to hear it with similar 'feeling' 4/4 stuff too, UR especially comes to mind, Ibex, Recloose, As One, Urban Tribe, even Plaid.. (not exactly 4/4 but you know what i mean). DJ Aaron Shin is also great at mixing broken beat style, he lived in Chicago but has also relocated to New York, and he was into DJing this style (+ house) from day ONE.. he taught me a lot and turned me on to sounds I never heard before. He goes more vocal than I can personally, but if he is DJ'ing out and about in NYC do catch him. Very diverse and he always has the latest cuts, he's on the hunt for the new white lables like Ted Nugent on opening day of bowhunting season. :P peace, Matt MacQueen
