The Art of the Mix: A blog about DJ’ing.
The Art of the Mix is a blog about DJ’ing from the standpoint of how to do it, who does it and why they do it. The site focuses on all aspects of the art of DJ’ing including, but not limited to, technical skills and tips, culture, current events and interviews with DJs from around the world.
It is my hope that you will be inspired, enlightened and entertained by the content on this web site. Since its inception in 2008, I have been constantly updating and adding new info as I research and write articles. Please feel free to browse around the site and share your comments with other readers. Thank you for visiting!
It’s been a while since I revisited this site, but I still check in from time to time. The Art of the Mix is a blog about DJ’ing and has a lot of useful info for DJs, new and old.
One feature on the site that I find particularly useful is the “Mixes” section. It’s a directory of hundreds (and hundreds) of mixes that you can stream or download right on the site. You can search by genre or by artist and each mix has tracklisting information, which is really handy if you hear something you like but don’t know what it is.
Another thing I really like about this site is the fact that it has a very active community of commenters who often make suggestions and recommendations in response to questions posed by other readers. In addition to having your question answered specifically, you also get ideas for things to check out via other people’s comments.
The Art of the Mix offers an RSS feed so you can be sure not to miss any new content from them as well as an email newsletter.
There are a lot of aspects of DJ’ing that go unspoken or misunderstood. I mean, no one really taught me how to beat match, or really any aspect of DJ’ing. I figured it out by watching other DJs and a lot of trial and error.
I want to present some DJ tips here on The Art of the Mix, mostly centered around digital DJ’ing but there will be information on turntablism as well.
In this day and age of electronic DJs and fake ass “live” shows, the art of the mix is dying. The idea that a DJ could actually put on a show by mixing music together is now reserved for the top tier of the profession. The rest? Well, you’ve seen them already. A guy (or gal) with a laptop, a MIDI controller and a few CDs behind them. Oh yeah, and an iPod or two as well.
I guess I shouldn’t be so hard on these people. After all, they are using technology to make their music rather than live instruments like past generations did. That in itself is a form of art. However, it’s not quite the same thing as being able to truly mix songs together without any technology at all. It’s not nearly as difficult or as impressive but it still takes some talent to do it right. And in my opinion, it’s still much better than what most DJs are doing these days: standing around looking bored while their computer does all the work for them!
The Art of the Mix was a popular online music community. The site enabled people to post their mixes and tracks for others to enjoy and critique. Participants could vote on each others’ tracks, and leave comments about them.
The site was created by Jeff Howe, co-founder and managing editor of the magazine Wired. The site was founded in October 2000, three years before MySpace Music, with the goal of promoting lesser-known artists in addition to new forms of electronic dance music (EDM).
A DJ’s job is to make a good mix. This can mean that the good is in making the sounds and music flow together, but also in making it more interesting for the audience. A DJ makes a mix with his turntables, computer or other electronic equipment. Basically, a DJ uses this equipment to arrange and mix songs from different sources, like records, CD’s or even MP3 files.
Mixing records and CD’s is about using two turntables to play two records at the same time and make it sound like one continuous track. To be able to do this, the speed of both records has to be exactly the same. When done correctly, you can mix a song out while another song comes in. To create a smooth transition between two songs, you can use effects like fading, adding echo or changing the equalizer settings of your mixer.
The goal of doing all this is to create one ‘mix’ or ‘set’ of music which will sound good when played through one speaker system. In most cases DJs play their mixes live during club events or parties.
It’s been a while since I made a mix, so I figured I would take the time to make one before I go on vacation in two weeks. This is possibly my best mix yet, at least according to the few people that have listened to it. It’s certainly one of my favorites.
I wanted the mix to be dark, but still danceable. It is heavy on bass and deep house, but has elements of techno and even some hip hop. The title comes from a lyric from one of the songs (by Kemit Source featuring Colonel Red). You can stream or download the mix below.