Note this article is most relevant to electronic / house / techno music DJs.
Aspiring DJs often find themselves standing at the edge in preparing for their first DJ set and gig. Eager to showcase their skills and make an impression, they can get lost amidst the excitement – falling into the trap of prioritizing high-energy tracks without considering the nuances of building a cohesive set.
The hallmark of an amateur DJ is the inability to maintain stamina and energy over the length of their set. You can see this in the warm up DJ – Mr/Ms eager-to-stardom who starts banging out peak time tunes around 9PM to the empty room. For the beginner DJ to captivate an audience, and leave a lasting impression, thoughtful consideration and set planning can go a long way – even if you don’t end up following the exact plan.
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Why A “Bangers Only” DJ Set is a Recipe for a Weak Mix
A common pitfall for novice DJs is the tendency to default to a “bangers-only” type of DJ set – particularly during their debut performance. Whilst high-energy tracks do energize a crowd, they are not appropriate for every moment of an event – especially if you’re slated in the warm-up DJ set slot. The DJ police (… Stop The Music and Go Home!) will be apt to inform you that it is seriously off-putting when a DJ fails to gauge the atmosphere and mood of the venue, bombarding attendees with relentless intensity from the get-go.
As a patron to a cocktail bar or night out, if you’re getting started for the for an evening out yet current DJ is creating a mix at a peak-time slot energy, you might be likely to leave and find another place to hang out. In the next few sections we will explore ways to avoid this hazard as DJs.
Factor 1. Set Time – When Do You Play?
Context is key when crafting a DJ set. Before hitting the decks, take a moment to consider when your set list is scheduled to take place within the event lineup. In other words, what is your roster, assigned slot or set time?
Are you the opening act, setting the stage for the headliner? Or are you responsible for maintaining the energy as the night progresses? Understanding your role will influence the trajectory of the DJ mix you create and the type of music you choose to include.
For a three roster DJ set in North America* we could break up the evening like so:
- Early Evening (~22:00 | 10PM) – People are arriving, putting their coat up, stretching out the hamstrings, grabbing a drink maybe exchange googly eyes with their evening lover
- Peak Time (~00:00 | 12AM) – The fullest the dance floor is likely to be for the evening, often coincides with a headliner time slot
- Come Down (~02:00 | 2AM)– The grandmothers and grandfathers (ahem..) start getting a little tired and head off to nighty-nighty and the floor starts folding up
Early evening – a set time that typically coincides with lighter, melodic and groovy selections. They are hotbeds for exploration in electronica, downtempo and other library oddities ranging around the Key and BPM scale. When asked about the “art of warm up sets”, reminiscing on his extended DJ sets early in his career in his 2018 DJ Mag interview, Hot Since 82 had this to say about the topic of warm ups:
HS82: I learned how to warm up properly, I’ve always prided myself on those types of sets. I miss those types of sets…
DJM: Do you feel that art is being lost these days?
HS82: “It’s very rare that I’ll go into a club … and the person before me is holding it down nicely. Most of the time you get there, it’s just some young guy smashing the shit out of it. Fair play to them, some of these guys don’t get to play as often as we do so I respect that in a way. But the art of warming the room or the festival up, [when it’s done right] it makes me excel too.
When you’re headlining all the time it’s great, it’s an amazing opportunity to close out festivals and clubs, but there’s records you can only play in a warm-up set that you don’t get to play otherwise. I’m constantly buying new music from all different genres and bpms but most of the time I’m just playing those peak-time records, so all the other music I have on my computer usually doesn’t see the light of day.
Hot Since 82 on creativity, tragedy and Labyrinth’s return to Pacha by DECLAN MCGLYNN (DJ Mag. September, 2018)
Peak time – Not necessarily needing lengthy introduction, is the euphoric period of the evening where you, and the attendees, get the opportunity to exorcise those back scratching demons in communal rhythmic ecstasy. A recreation of ancient tribal ritual, the DJ as selector du jour and lord of the dance (Amazon Affiliate Link) – of course you’ll be pumping through a catalogue of heavy artillery in full creative freedom – the evening pilot DJ set for lift off playing down those big tunes.
Come down – An integral part to an evening especially for those on in search of musical liberation; the come down is the final kiss and embrace of the DJ to their audience, a fond warming memory of a journey and rest well deserved. Selections get moody, odd, and times deep and dark.
Factor 2. Event Identity – Who Are You Playing For?
Aside from set time considerations, align your track selection with the genre the promoter has requested or the aesthetic of the bar or club where you’re performing. Each venue (and event organizer) has its own vibe and preferences, take the time to get familiar with the identity and tailor your set as you are starting out. Whether it’s underground techno, soulful house, or vibrant disco, selecting tracks that resonate with event’s identity will enhance the experience for attendees.
How can you find out the vibe ahead of time? Try attending some of the promoters prior events, troll their social media (if present), or investigate your fellow roster DJs. Building a DJ set in this way can become an act of investigation and blending your personal hallmark and style into the roster of great acts you’ll be playing with. All of this can give you some idea of the crowd and vibe you’re expected to mesh with. You’ll want to be playing in the boundaries of event organizer expectations but also explore your horizons under these boundaries: constraints produces creativity.
Factor 3. Narrative Arc – Where’s the peak?
Think of your set as a journey, with each track building upon the last to create a flow of energy and emotion – understanding electronic music composition can go a long way here. A great way to structure your DJ set is to work backward from the climactic track, gradually building anticipation and excitement as you progress. This approach allows you to introduce different elements and styles, keeping the audience engaged from start to finish. When you are creating a set list, you are like a writer or novelist composing the story.
Picking a climax can help you create a theme or narrative to your set to build around. This could be a personal favorite or a recent discovery that you’re eager to showcase. But, by anchoring your set around a “prized” or “climactic” track, you create a roadmap that guides your song selection and transitions making it easier to know where you’re going.
Factor 4. Messaging – What’s the Meaning?
A good set leaves you emotionally, physically and soulfully satisfied. You don’t have to study Sartre or bring some sort of Camus level of existentialism into your set (though that can be fun), however, finding some kind of message to impart in creating a DJ mix can make it more memorable and deepen the artistry of your performance. I still listen to Speedy J’s 2015 Klubnacht set years later because of his creativity to sample a Timothy Leary meditation in the midst of a techno assault.
If a painter uses a canvas and a sculptor a podium, the DJ uses their set as an opportunity for artistic expression.
If you prefer not to add philosophical elements to your set, you’re free to do as you wish, but it can add some variety and memorability between the boots and cats of your DJ set.
- Is there a theme or message I want to impart in my mix?
- Do I want to play a down or up tempo set?
- Is there a climatic track I really want to play for a crowd?
- How do I want to start my set?
- How do I want to finish my set?
Final Thoughts
Now that I’ve given you a bunch of ideas of what to do to plan your set, I’m going to contradict myself by saying that playing an completely scripted DJ set is usually void of excitement and life. What I mean is, if you decide ahead of the evening that, come hell-or-high-water, you’re going to play your DJ set exactly as planned in your bedroom, you’re going to miss out on a lot of in-the-moment opportunities.
Sometimes, the way someone dances, or an outfit or a smile from an audience member triggers those creative neural matrices in your head to spark an idea you would have never thought of. Following these impulses can lead to incredible outcomes (and bad ones too). An experienced DJ knows how to work with the crowd and follow their intuition to craft and move their set in the desired direction. Don’t misunderstand me though, I think considering the above factors can be helpful, if only to have something to fall back on, just don’t get too rigid with your set planing either. Think of your set planning as an intention but not a dictum.
Ultimately, the key to building a memorable DJ set lies in balance, flow and intentionality. While it’s tempting to bombard listeners with non-stop energy and excitement, building successful set for beginners might require a bit more careful curation, planning, and an intuitive understanding of the venue and audience. Considering these factors in approaching DJing as both an art and a science, you’ll be well-equipped to craft unforgettable experiences that leave a lasting impression on your audience.
* To my North American readers: like your geography teacher kept trying to bang into your noggin’ – turns out culture matters! On the European night life circuit, on average, parties tend to start later – clubs, such as those around that shiny white isle you keep dreaming about, only open around 00:00 / 12AM and headlining sets coming up around 03:00 – 05:00 AM proceeding far into the late morning.
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