As an open format DJ from the '80s that never mixed in key that recently came back, mixing in key makes mixes sound so much smoother and I'm a huge fan.
I'm just starting with Dj'ing and watch tons of tutorials and tips about (MiK, Genres, Energy and etc.) but this 20 minutes video gave me answer that I try to find all that time!!! Thank You so Much. Mr. Laidback Luke.
This is probably the most helpful tutorial you've made-explaining the WHY behind what song is played next. I feel like the final point about storytelling is what you should keep in mind as you're thinking about what genre, elements, and energy should come next in your mix. If there's no story happening within those elements, it's hard to know what direction to take the mix next. Thanks Luke! _||_
quick tip for serato users.....label each track with a certain colour depending on its energy/vibe: PURPLE - heavy bangers, loooot of bass and energy (ex. Henry Wallis - Tumble) RED - BANGERS, LOT OF BASS (ex. DJ Snake, Tchami, Malaa & Mercer - Made In France) YELLOW - LOT OF ENERGY, USED TO PLAY IN PRIME TIME (ex. FootriX & VAGAN - Impossible) BLUE - WARMUP and uplifting TRACKS (ex. Meduza feat. Dermot Kennedy - Paradise) GREEN - EASY GOING TRACKS FOR LETS SAY EARLY WARM UP, BARS etc. (ex. Meduza feat. GoodboysPiece Of Your Heart) Cheers :)
Very informative video with great examples. Extremely clear and sets the foundation for solid Dj'ing. Would love to get a more in depth video on how to read a crowd, and ways to navigate the energy, types of crowds, and challenges that happen while playing. Thank you!
Hey Luke, in the same vein as “Elements” you could link the concept of Rhythmic Patterns. I mix a lot of breakbeats and if the kick patterns mesh well, it helps make for a smooth mix. You can hone in on similar high hat patterns, or bass rhythms that help the transition from one song to another be as graceful as possible.
Luke!!! You are such an inspiration. I remember the vibes yiu brought to the pool deck on Holy Ship! Back in 2012, and your DJ class on board as well. I can't believe its been 10 years already! Any ways....that's besides the point. In your classes, would you ever consider teaching production?
Tbh i found that the key mixing is often turning out to be a big temptation. I feel it takes away some of the creativity or hard work i used to put into finding a great next song, because the easy option is always right there. Especially when you are running out of time to find a next one, too often i find myself not bothering and picking the easy option, because it's a certainty not to fuck up.
I mentioned about the story telling method on Digital DJ Tips only last month, the topic was about How To Pick The Next Track, not one person out of all the comments mentioned it. I got a lot of 'Likes' for me comment at least tho 😁
Great vid. Seen the piano book in the background and wondered if your still doing lessons? I remember you saying a while back you had been doing lessons for a few years
:P not a lot of superstar dj's and producers wanna open their secrets to public and help others learn! LUKE ur the man! always helpfull :) i started spinning not long ago and actually been using this technique on my own. couple of tracks of same genre and then hop into some other genre thats how it solid flow and not a weird trainwrack lol
This Steam function was already had by Traktor a few years ago, but I think last year Virtual Dj also dj jay pro released a version to separate live steams both options are good
I wouldn't say I prioritize key over everything else when mixing but it is the first thing I see after genre when choosing what to mix next. In a live set there isn't enough time to find a track with similar elements or energy so I use key as a limiting factor to save time. Do you think that is a good idea and if not, can you suggest something better for live mixing?
love the mixer ! so many new mixers, have 4-5 light bars to view level, this is the way it should be on all mixers. whats your opinion on the prime 2 ? thanks for a great vid !
What you're comfortable with is what matters. Creative DJing with fun transitions is purely about knowing your tracks really well, if you know them well you can use key words, phrases or similar patterns in a song to transition , these kind of transitions work best if you wanna switch up the genre during a set.
I’ve heard that you should switch it up because there may be people who like other genres and that will help to satisfy the audience across the board. This is why I asked.
Laidback luke your my inspiration.You inspired me to become a dj/producer, i just wish that one day i can live that dream.And I'm always happy to see my dream dj set it's so cool 😍👍..
I love twisted house. Will it be twisted techno ? lol Have a bass 23hz bassline with other layers of bass. Maybe the twisted part is the basslines for Twisted techno ? My idea dtk lol Thought to share.
I noticed that you drop your next track with the fader already open. Do you have sync enabled, or do you just hit the cue really just right and adjust if needed?
Reloop Tape. Its not really a tape. Its an all on one box that records any analogue signal into 320kb MP3 on a micro SD card. Luke has been using it for nearly 10yrs.
Not a bad video. But if you're going to try to play two genres that sound alike then just makes them to don't put in that fax or play with the buttons you kind of lose the audience about what you're really saying just my opinion. Keep up the good work🎚🎙🎼🎧🎛
In one of the best DJ set I've seen, the DJ wasn't using key mixing, in fact at some point it was even obviously out of tune, but it was one of the most emotional moment in his set, and it came a lot from the dissonance. It's a kind of blend that wouldn't exist in a set where everything is perfectly in key. Playing all in key is the same as locking your midi keyboard on one scale, it sound good, but it's boring and block you from a wider emotional palette for your music/dj set. But sure, when kids are only into playing bangers after bangers, only filled with "edm" kind of tracks, emotion is not something that will exist with dissonance. It join your last point with storytelling. Lot of DJs now play like "producer" and not like DJs anymore, in a sence that they are stuck in one subgenre (like some producer who play only their tracks and produce only in one subgenre). I think it's because now people discover club music and DJ set on youtube first, before going out in a club, and you only watch the peak time on a video, not the full 8 hours night, and same with festival who book producers that are DJ only because they can't play live and/or it's cheaper than building a real live show, they play one hour set with their hit and stuff in the same subgenre, and it make it look like it's only that all day, and young DJ reproduce that in a club situation, where you don't have other stage to turn down the vibe. DJ is more and more a lost art, people focus only on their transition instead of their story, and it doesn't seem to evolve for the better where "DJ" become famous for their production and not their DJ skills now (where it was 2 different thing in the past)
21:22 I am not a DJ but as a raver it really frustrates me when the DJ switches from one genre to another and doesn't have a smooth flow building gradually the energy of the crowd
