Why i use software for my sets

Fakulta Israel July 2018

I start playing music as a rock DJ in 1985. Around 1993 i jumped to Goa Trance. Until 1996 i was fully on vinyls (totally 11 years). Then, i discovered (and loved) the DAT players and i used them until the end of 2003. After that, for various reasons, i had to use the thing that i never liked… the CD (because i found that they sound too “cold”, compare to vinyl or DAT). This lasts until 2008, where i start using software.

Until 2011 i was still using CD on parties, but only because i didn’t had a laptop yet (don’t be surprised, we are not all rich or having a steady job!). From 2011 i only use software (though i always carry few CD too, just in case). I will not mention here the superiority of a true high quality audio file (48KHz/24bit). This is obvious. For me, the whole thing of playing music was, (and still is) a matter of constant evolution and an effort to take creativity and perfection to another level!

Apsara Festival 2018

As i am a musician (and a bit of a philosopher too), since the DAT days i use all that info to DJing. I always make a list depending on Key notes and their harmonics. As i also took some studies on this, i know what is Harmony and what is Disharmony, for example when you play a track on D minor and your next track is on G# this could be a cacophony (though this depends on the “nature” of each track)! I combine the above, with the Chakra theory and some Pythagorean and Alchemical rules concerning key notes and their correspondences.

All those things need A LOT of work! At the end, my list will be ready for the most perfect possible result. But, from that time and further, it is the time for the feeling and inspiration (on the already “perfected” lists).

My advice: NEVER leave the good fun of the people to luck! Especially if you know that there is always a possibility that some of them are on a “trip”! This is top respect for my audience as i see it. In a more philosophical way, my goal is not to do what i want (which is not freedom but ego), but to do what is BEST! I try to do this in every aspect of my life.

Puzzle On DAT - Israel 2017

Now, lets go back to the lists. My lists, are just …HUGE! Always make them to have around 100 tracks. From those tracks (which are all compatible with the mood of the day), i will choose 17 to 22 for the final set (usually a 2 hours set). At this point (and never before!), comes the feeling, the inspiration and the most important thing; the situation of the people in the dance floor! At this point i will choose on-the-fly, the best possible track, as my feeling guides me!

From my experience I’ve learn that this combination above makes people happy and satisfy, even if they may not like some tracks! I even make my Mixcloud mixes under the same rules, that’s why i only post a few there. It could be very easy to have 300 or 400 mixes, but this is not what i do. Only the best of the best can go there! (…and anywhere else, as a matter of fact).

For me, anyone who claim to be a true dance-floor Alchemist should know and use some of the above! The reason that we have so many DJ and most of them are medium to bad (thus we listen the same and the same again), is that they do not have a proper musical education (at least!). Of course, also exists the natural talents and i bow in respect to them, but they are exceptions.

Software

A very important fact for me, is that instead wasting time to find what is the next track, or just watching the people (or even pretend to dance, as many do), i have my hands and mind free to make a full show! By using samples and combine them to tracks, by using FX on tracks (delays, filters, phasers, reverb), even to have the chance to plug a synth and play live with the track! (though this last thing i only made it at home, so far).

Also, i can jump to the people, dance with them, feel them, be together with them and never be a “distant star” 2 meters high and away from them (or even worst, “protected” from them, by some fat muscle non-smiling guys with sunglasses always on, as if i was a president! WTF?). That’s why i call this procedure a Live DJ mix!

I remember, back in the “DAT days”, things were much harder, because some of us who always seek perfection, we used a text book and mathematics to make the mix as best as possible! This was also made by lists (but those lists where in our heads instead of Traktor or Virtual DJ). It took days and days to calculate the BPM, to find out the Key note, to count at which second the beat starts, and even more…

PS-1: This is my point of view, based on 35 years of experience. Does not meant to underestimate the other methods of mixing, but to prove wrong the false contention that claims that “software is easy“! Well… it is how you use it! 🙂

PS-2: The purpose of this note, is also to share some knowledge and experience, so the world can have even better DJ. People who will go beyond the usual technical knowledge, thus we all can enjoy much better experience on Festivals and parties. I hope i covered you enough (though i just reveal some of my secrets here…).

Wish a good day to all! 😉

Sunborn

djsunborn.goatrance.xyz

Musician, DJ, Composer, Producer, Audio Engineer. Specialist in Goa & Psychedelic Trance DJ sets, playing exclusively rare and unreleased music, mainly (but not limited to) from the golden decade 1995 – 2005. A huge collector of all kinds of psychedelic music, from the 60's until today, has also extensive knowledge of Rock, Jazz and Ethnic music.Born in Athens, Greece and start working as a rock DJ on 1985 and played in many legendary places, including the “Obre” and “Crazy Horse” rock clubs in Athens.He played first time electronic music (Acid & Goa Trance) in the summer of 1990 from cassette tapes which were brought from Goa by Teo (now owner of Disco Valley Records) and few other friends. In 1993 arriving in Goa and influenced by the new psychedelic revolution. Returning to Greece, started to collect this new music and soon began to play in outdoor parties, at first using vinyls and later DAT tapes.Between 1995 and 2000 he played in a lot of parties, clubs and festivals mainly to Greece, India, Thailand, Switzerland and Germany. At the same time start to produce his own music as Liquid Sun. In 2002 played in the after party of Samothraki Dance Festival and the next years, continued but mainly focused on his own music.Between March 2012 and May 2015 he was co-manager of Space Alchemy Lab net label (founded by Oberon). The label provided 19 digital releases, focused mainly on Psy-Trance. He also involved on radio producing, making the “Tales Of Goa” series on Dice Radio, were he was mixing live every Thursday.Meanwhile, he became a major, ever-active contributor in the popularization of the new Goa Trance movement. In 2013 created both the Facebook group “Rare & Unreleased Electronic Psychedelia 1990 – 2005” and the website of the ambitious Unreleased Goa Project, where he published countless archive pages and referenced hundreds of Unreleased Goa and Psy-Trance tracks by famous and obscure artists from the 90’s to the early 00’s.Since 2014 he is an official label DJ and audio restoration engineer of DAT Records and has played at many Retro Goa & Psy-Trance parties and festivals in Greece, Israel, Belgium, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Hungary, Sweden and Spain.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *