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Trying to get into Dubstep DJing! Need Help!
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:51 am
by drakewho
Hey Everyone,
I recently got into Dubstep and got super psyched on it. Gave me that electric feeling in my stomach that amazing music does that I haven't gotten in some time. So, I started to try to get involved in it as much as I could. Started digging for as much of it as I could and listening non stop. Joining this forum. Looking for live show, and that’s where I ran into a little problem Denver, CO doesn’t seem to have much of a Dubstep community yet, there’s one Dubstep promoting group called Sub.Mission and only two shows coming up in the next two months and they are producers/DJs from UK, Kutz(7/24) and N-type(8/7). So, thinking I don’t want to have to wait for people to come over from UK every time I want to see a show I decided to try to get Dubstep larger in Denver, CO. I felt the best way to do this is to try and become a Dubstep DJ. I know this is rather ambitious and not just anyone can be a good DJ, but I still want to try, Dubstep has got me very psyched to get involved. So, I'm starting this thread to try and get some help from you, the Dubstep community. And, to try and link up with other Dubsteppers in Colorado to get things going. So, please give me any tips that come to mind.
Such as:
DJing Musts.
Tracks that must be in my collection.
Equitment I should have. (Rite now I have a mixer and two turntables)
My responsibilities.
Things you’ve seen other Dubstep DJs do that you liked.
Also I plan to post any questions I have along the way.
One I have right now is, should I be trying to play tracks on there own, like just mixing one into another then taking the first one out, or playing tracks on top of eachother to make hybrid songs.
I know I have a long way to go and a lot of work to do but I’m hoping with your help I will be successful.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:05 am
by deamonds
ez bro!!,
Mixer & Two turntables is all you should need to get going..
Try & Get as much from these back catalogues as you can!!
DMZ
Tempa
in my eyes, they are the best label's to "get you going" so to speak & the artist's featured should broarden your specific tastes and from there you should be able to follow the style that most intrigues you (be it wobble, techy, deep etc...)
Main responsibilies: Play what you want to play, dont watch ANY1 else.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:12 am
by pearsall
lock yourself in a room and practice
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:13 am
by spire
dont forget Deep Medi...
and this is just my personal opinion, but PLEASE if you continue to dj, get the crowd hyped by learning to mix well, not with rewinds. get on my fucking nerves i swear, i dont need to hear 4 rewinds in an hour.
(sorry for the negativity, just had to say it)
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:29 am
by drakewho
Spire wrote:
get the crowd hyped by learning to mix well, not with rewinds. get on my fucking nerves i swear, i dont need to hear 4 rewinds in an hour.
Can you explain this a bit more? What are rewinds?
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:36 am
by spire
usually its when someones either already mixed a tune in and it just dropped (kicked in to the good bit), then they let it play for a sec, then they quickly rewind the record, then the crowd yells a lot, then they play it again from the beginning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA5gO3rA22Y
one (lame) example.
edit: after watching the rest of that video that looks like a horrible party, lol, couldve been early in the night though.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:41 am
by string
Yeah by any means necessary get yourself two turntables and a mixer,
this isnt gonna happen overnight (unless youve got a grand in your bank going spare) so research some dubstep tracks, chemical-records.co.uk and redeyerecords.co.uk will be good for this and get a nice healthy collection going on
then the hard bit.. learn how to beatmatch
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:43 am
by spire
String wrote:then the hard bit.. learn how to beatmatch
yeah, learning to listen to two songs at once was absolutely the biggest "leap" for me.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:19 pm
by godflesh fiend
All the best in your Dubstep mission my friend.
I'd recommend buying the whole spectrum of Dubstep sounds out there so you've got a wide variety of ammo.
Hot Flush
Planet Mu
Hessle Audio
2nd Drop
Hyperdub
Deep Medi
Tempa
Soul Jazz
That'll start you off.
Your next mission after that is to buy as much Dub Reggae as you can get your hands on!

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:37 pm
by pearsall
if you are going to be learning to beatmach, it would probably be a good idea to get two copies of the same record to practice with, just so you get the hang of keeping the beats in time
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:12 pm
by mercules
what artists have you listened to? which tracks in particular got you locked on it?
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:20 pm
by wooda916
Spire wrote:and this is just my personal opinion, but PLEASE if you continue to dj, get the crowd hyped by learning to mix well, not with rewinds. get on my fucking nerves i swear, i dont need to hear 4 rewinds in an hour.
(sorry for the negativity, just had to say it)
got to agree with this, don't know why people see rewinds as a standard thing now days. A reload is only appropriate if the crowd is going fucking mental and calling for it like no-ones buisness. Otherwise they loose there appeal. Too many reloads ruins the flow of a mix.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:22 pm
by morro_e
so this will be the advice. as long as you feel the need of doing it - do it and forget about everything or everyone else
and you are asking about djing right?
go in mixes section of this forum. learn what dj do from there (good mixes and bad mixes - both will do in their own ways)
http://dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=94446 this one is quite ok actually
in coupla words dj plays the records he likes. i bet if you heard dubstep before you have some fav tunes of yours (and your fav producers) so start buying records. dont by everything you offered or dont by fekin tune only because its so huuuge - you know what i mean (
http://dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=97463)
buy it and play it only if you really like it
as i know you allready have your setup - two decks and mixer is enough
what dj does he basically makes his set by playing records and trying to get people on the floor to dance. set lasts an hour or 90 minutes and a single tune plays for like 4 minutes max so you'll need at least 20 to 30 good tracks
you will play them 1 by 1 forget about playing 2 at the same time - only when you mix in between for a very short period of time they should play together
not every tune though should be a banger or something like that. everything goes really if its what you like and you think people will dance to it (or just like it)
so to let people continue to dance one tune should fade in another seamlessly to do that you need to know how to beatmatch (google "beatmatch" or "mixing" - also look for video lessons on youtube)
thats all i guess. you wont be able to do it all alone though - you will need some local peeps to help you with nights organisation, promotion or just djs that are also want to play
peace
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:34 pm
by wooda916
ov3r wrote:what dj does he basically makes his set by playing records and trying to get people on the floor to dance.
not necessarily
set lasts an hour or 90 minutes and a single tune plays for like 4 minutes max so you'll need at least 20 to 30 good tracks
again not necessarily
you will play them 1 by 1 forget about playing 2 at the same time - only when you mix in between for a very short period of time they should play together
This is complete bullshit, couldn't disagree more.
there are no specific rules to mixing, over time you will (or should) develop your own style.
My advice is PRACTICE, alot! and get to know your records like the back of your hand. Remember good mixes you do in your room and try and build sets, not just play one random tune after another, they have to be linked in some way to keep the flow going, be it key, vibe, pace, etc you can of course change between different vibes styles keys etc but this should be done subtly.
This is a nice quote from Youngsta...
"basically I play what I like and I don't just play tunes cos they're gonna smash it." - Youngsta
hope this helps...
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:37 pm
by saxenhammer
Ignore everyones advice on what labels to get into. Get a handful of records you like (if you can't find them on your own, then I'd give up right now) and mix like a bastard with them. Keep adding to your collection, but just get tunes that YOU like. Don't get tunes that everyone jizzes over because a large percentage of them are shit.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:41 pm
by wooda916
Saxenhammer wrote:Ignore everyones advice on what labels to get into. Get a handful of records you like (if you can't find them on your own, then I'd give up right now) and mix like a bastard with them. Keep adding to your collection, but just get tunes that YOU like. Don't get tunes that everyone jizzes over because a large percentage of them are shit.
on the flipside to that, don't NOT get a tune just because everyone else loves it. If you love it too, get it.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:01 pm
by jackmaster
Are some of these threads a wind up?
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:05 pm
by deamonds
Jackmaster wrote:Are some of these threads a wind up?
you'll be surprised
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:48 pm
by dubstee
deamonds wrote:Jackmaster wrote:Are some of these threads a wind up?
you'll be surprised
The lowest common denominator on here is very low inded.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:53 pm
by morro_e
edited