I have absolutely no experience with DJing, but I‘ve heard some whoever mention that there has to be some countable structure in the track to be predictable enough for mixing.
Don‘t know what kind of „techno“ was being referred to though.
I’d definitely steer clear of that 16-bar reddit structure myself.
Yeah, but if you’re a clubber there is comfort in knowing when the next tune is coming in, when the new bass line will hit or where a key change is likely. Makes the experience for seasoned clubbers more engaging, whether they know it or not.
Predictability is good, not 100% of the time, that would be boring. But if all the tunes had some random structure and you needed your thinking head on all night to keep up then a lot of people I know would be caning a lot more stimulants.
I guess that is a fairly valid point in some ways, and definitely reflects the change in skill/techniques/technology of DJs/Djing over the past 40 years.
However like you said not a 100% thing, and it can make for boring productions when things are too formulaic. A good DJ can keep the vibe going no matter what, IMHO.
def depends on what one is going for in ones music. its why i find a lot of melodic techno a bit too formulaic these days, because the format and the sound palette seem kind of restrictive to just give people what they want all of the time. its fun and i dance to it and make it sometimes, but i never want to veer into ‘obnoxious forced melodrama’ (as one 'naut put it) just because thats what the genre ‘requires’
a friend of mine put it well - set your track apart from the rest with a few really unique things (polymetry, scale, fills, blue notes, timbres, modulations, arrangement, whatever means unique to you), but dont pile ‘uniqueness’ onto every single element of the track or it becomes too hard to follow. your brain needs at least a few elements that are consistent and predictable, whether or not that’s the structure
so yeah, finding a balance between predictability and intrigue/offroad territory to keep both the body and brain hooked in, to make something that’s danceable (if you intend it for club use) but also memorable and unique past the summer.
Some DJs play (most of) whole tracks, some play just a minute or two, some will find the kicks, or hats, or drones and loop them to layer with another track. As a result, your track will appeal to different DJs for different reasons; their reasons will differ from non-DJ listeners. So, don’t worry about it. Make the music YOU want to make, and it will find its audience by itself (promotion and distribution notwithstanding).
The audience creates their own meaning for any art, alongside any meaning/purpose/reason the artist created the art. There’s no cause-effect relationship, only parallel experiences.
Think more loop and less Techno, find a groove, hit record, jam it, move onto the next.
Also, i think spending a bit of time initially creating sounds you like, and then jamming those multiple times gives you momentum and helps you learn the possibilities of those sounds.
I like mixing acid breakbeat stuff ( hardfloor )with the message ( grandmaster flash )
Works very well
And Duran Duran with rote ( quite minimal techno ) … works very well.
And public energy ( hard distorted techno ) with lorde ( pop ). Works very well
I think they’re on my soundcloud feed.
Break the rules.
And, my clubbing experiences are pushing 15 years ago when vinyl was on its way out. I guess it’s not necessary nowadays with loop points and the like to give the dj 32 bars for a long, smooth mix. #stuckintheearly2000s
With 16 bars you have more subtle changes, - you still want to mix in a different track smoothly. If the 4 bar repeats to often, it might not have the same effect.