Using contrast in DJ sets

The Dub monitor video

7 minutes 40 seconds in is where he talks about it

To summarise, he says a good dub techno mix

  • isn’t just dub techno
  • has contrast
    • some minimal, or similar & complementing genres
  • that allows you to appreciate the space that’s in the sound of dub techno
  • if it’s just dub through & through your ears begin to tune it out - so it’s good to mix out and back into dub techno

This principle applies beyond just Dub Techno

The same logic can be applied across many genres. Regardless of what you play, you have to manage energy in a mix.

Ronny explains it really well in the video below - bit of a long one, but a must watch for any DJ

Practical tip to take away

TLDR: making a focused & well curated playlist in preparation for a set makes it easier to manage energy

I spent time curating a playlist for a minimal dnb set, and it was made of old favourites, that I knew the sound & energy of, pretty well.

When playing the set, it felt a lot easier to manage the energy on the fly. I was confindently going in & out of tracks as I felt fit.

Whatever it takes to help you become more confident 🙂

Ronny

Some examples of such mixes