   |
|
In The Mix |
|
|
|
In The Mix |
 Want to be a super star DJ ....... well Adrian isn't but, he is widely
regarded as being able to mix more than a cake! He has kindly provided some samples
of his mixing skills which can be downloaded below.
See what you think. If you don't know ya 'hard house' from ya 'happy house' then you need to get a life or see below for an explanation of all things 'housey'!!
In The Mix
|
|
Electro Techno Mix |
Techno House Mix |
Dreamy House Mix |
|
|
|
|
Chill out/ambient Top Back |
| Use
of textures and layers in sound using electronics and repetitive, drawn out
passages and percussive loops. Usually described as mood or atmospheric music
which sets the stage using pitch, tone and sonic soundscapes. Commonly referred
to as "background" music, ambient is anything but, as it is meant to enhance or
heighten the aural experience, rather than fade into the surroundings.
Poular artists include: Brian Eno, Biosphere, Erik Satie, Steve Roach.. |
|
|
Chill out/illbient Top Back |
| Illbient derives its name from "ill" and "ambient," as illbient music serves as
the antidote to ambient. Where ambient music often focuses on natural themes,
illbient has a darker focus. The genre generally combines ambient, dub, hip hop,
drum & bass in a downbeat rhythm, with chaotic sampling, city noises and
filtering to create a generally non-melodic track. Popular artists include: DJ Spooky, Byzar, SubDub, We.. |
|
|
Dance & electronic/2 step/garage Top Back |
| Garage started in New York's club “Paradise Garage” located in Greenwich
Village. The term: "Garage" was used to describe the style of music that was
played there. It is the home of the infamous DJ Larry Levan. This style of music
is faithful to the old disco style and keeps it alive. Its characteristics are
heavy bass, vocals, keyboards and sometimes even violins. Garage is popular in
the UK and is slowly spreading across the European continent. Popular artists include: Armand Van Helden, Dreem Teem, Artful Dodger, True Steppers, So Solid Crew.. |
|
|
Dance & electronic/big beat Top Back |
| As
the name suggests, bigbeat is based around massive beats and breaks which
dominate the feel of the tracks. Tight, danceable grooves are an essential,
while melodies usually consist of layered samples, rock style song structures
and catchy hooks. Popular artists include: Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers, Propellerheads, Bentley Rhythm Ace.. |
|
|
Dance & electronic/breakbeat Top Back |
| This
style evolved from late 1980's rave by combining hip-hop rhythms and mixing
tricks, back-spins, etc., with techno-rave keyboards and sampling techniques.
This style was revamped in 1998 by groups like Music Instructor, Solid Force,
Sybtronic and others. Attributes: Funky rhythm tracks, lots of samples and
choppy, sped-up "chipmunk" vocal loops. 135 to 170 BPM. Popular artists include: Smart E's, Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era, Prodigy, Q-Bass, Pascal Device and RMB, Freestylers, Hybrid, Leftfield.. |
|
|
Drum & bass/jungle/jump up Top Back |
| Aimed at pleasing the dance floor, Jump-Up transformed Jungle's convoluted, polyrhythmic beats and straightened it out for a warmer and funkier brand of Jungle that took more influence from the organic sounds of hip-hop and Dancehall reggae. |
|
|
Drum & bass/jungle/tech step Top Back |
| The
make-up of a tech-step track would follow these rough guidelines: The beats
would be hard and artificial. Some would even say industrial, although in more
recent examples of the genre there has been more diversity, with artists using
more crisp and refined drums for their rhythms. This could possibly be a
back-lash against the hard/industrial edge, as artists explore the deeper side
of the sound such as is found in Tech-House. Popular artists include: Ed Rush, Nico, Trace, Decoder, Dredd Bass, Ice Minus.. |
|
|
Dub Top Back |
| Dub
is typically characterized by the Caribbean reggae sound with electronic
elements and is said to have originated in Jamaica in the late 60s. Typical
speeds are in the range of 70 – 100 bpm, drums and bass form a loose base with
random effects and sparse vocals added in. Popular artists include: King Tubby, The Mad Professor, Jah Shaka, Spectre, Lee Perry, Jacob Miller, Augustus Pablo, Scientist, Phase 1.. |
|
|
Hardcore/gabber Top Back |
| A
derivative of Hardcore Techno, Gabber is most easily recognized for its ultra
fast pace, normally in the range of 200 - 300 BPM, and the loud and repetitive
loops. A hard, noisy and fast techno. Popular artists include: Mokum, Shockwave, Agent Orange, Industrial Strength, 5th Gear.. |
|
|
Hardcore/happy hardcore Top Back |
| Happy hardcore is a transformation of early UK hardcore breakbeat/jungle and 4/4
percussion and synth. Typical characteristics include hyper piano melodies,
simple, catchy melodic hooks, sped-up vocals and sometimes cartoon samples, all
in the range of 160 bpm – 200 bpm. As the title suggests, this is "happy" music.
Popular artists include: Luna C, Force and Evolution, Citadel of Kaos, Anabolic Frolic.. |
|
|
House/acid house Top Back |
| Acid
House is similar to classic House but (mostly) lacks the vocals. The primary
factor is the 303 bass sound, originating with the Roland TB303. Acid House has
that psychedelic, trippy flavour.. simple and monotonous/repetitive 4/4 beats,
high pitched and fast melodies. Popular artists include: Phuture (Acid Trax), Adonis, D. Mob, Mr Monday.. |
|
|
House/deep house Top Back |
| Four
quarter beat House Music, uncomplicated repetative rhythms. Normally harder than
Classic House and more groove (bass) oriented. Deep House uses real vocals
rather than samples. Popular artists include: Fingers Inc. / Mr.Fingers, The Nightwriters (Let The Music Use You).. |
|
|
House/funk house Top Back |
| This
became popular in England around 1994. Funk House is quite distinct from other
House forms, in that it employs the broken beat of old school, rather than the
familiar 4/4 time signatures of house. Add a funky bass line and an electric
rhythm guitar and you have.. Funk House.. Popular artists include: Adonis, House Master Boyz, Ron Hardy, Farley Jackmaster Funk.. |
|
|
House/garage house Top Back |
| Named after the "Paradise Garage" club in New York, garage is the Big Apple’s
answer to Chicago house. Predominantly vocal-oriented house music, garage was
the blending of house records with a wide variety of other sources including..
techno tracks, soul records and even rock songs, resulting in a unique blend.
Garage is also known as the "Jersey Sound" where many of the artists and
producers came from. Popular artists include: Serious Intention (You Don't Know) |
|
|
House/hard house Top Bac] |
| Hard
house, also known as pumping house, is an ambiguous, umbrella label that can
include everything from progressive, trance and techno, to vocal-led “beaty”
house and even Nu-NRG. Originally used as a term to distinguish the
“underground” dance floor friendly, faster house tunes from the more commercial
sounding handbag that swamped British night clubs at the time. Hard house is
basically any kind of house music that emphasizes a heavy dance beat. Popular artists include: Lisa Lashes (Artist and DJ), Fergie (Artist and DJ) Anne Savage (DJ), John Kelly (DJ) Project Mayhem, Public Domain.. |
|
|
House/progressive house Top Back |
| This is music that is too progressive to fit the general house definition
yet not as dark or hard as trance or techno-house. Attributes: Trance styled
keyboard and synth-lines, house vocal loops and samples with driving, electronic
mid-tempo house rhythms. 120 to 130 BPM. Popular artists include: Underworld, Fluke, Rhythm Invention and most releases on the Limbo or Wrap labels.. |
|
|
House/vocal house Top Back |
| Vocal House embraces and celebrates House’s disco roots by making the use of
vocals, particularly diva-like female vocals, as a central feature. Known for
producing bigger-than-life anthems that sweep though the clubbing community and
help to tie it together. Uplifting, uptempo music that gets the crowd jumping. Popular artists include: Usher, Aly-Us, Jay J and Chris, Lum, Montilla.. |
|
|
IDM Top Back |
| Intelligent is a term that is used more to describe an approach to music rather
than a specific genre. There is intelligent techno, intelligent ambient,
intelligent trip hop, etc. A term used to describe music that is a little more
complex or ambitious that may require more listening, understanding and
attention. Popular artists include: Black Dog, Autechre, Aphex Twin, Lexaunculpt, Squarepusher, Bochum Welt, Funkstorung, Future Sound of London, Amon Tobin, Kid606.. |
|
|
Industrial/ambient Top Back |
| Ambient industrial is, of course, a hybrid genre of "Ambient" and "Industrial".
A typical work might consist of evolving dissonant harmonies of metallic drones
and resonances, extreme low frequency rumbles and machine noises, perhaps
supplemented by gongs, percussive rhythms, distorted voices and/or anything else
the artist might care to sample (often processed to the point where the original
sample is no longer recognizable). Popular artists include: Coil, CTI, Lustmord, Hafler Trio, Nocturnal Emissions.. |
|
|
Industrial/dance Top Back |
| Industrial Dance is basically another word for EBM, although is typically
harsher and more agressive, just as the name would imply. Heavy dance beats are
the order here, with distorted vocals and fast synth/sampling work. Popular artists include: Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Numb, Funker Vogt, KMFDM.. |
|
|
Industrial/darkwave Top Back |
| Darkwave is a relatively new branch of industrial music, combining the harsh
nature of older industrial music with elements of dance, goth, industrial, cold
wave, dark noise, etc. Typical attributes include distorted vocals, commanding
dance rhythms, and various electronic elements. Popular artists include: Das Ich, Endraum, NIN |
|
|
Mainstream/alternative dance Top Back |
| Hard
to categorize, alternative dance simply doesn't fit a house, high-energy,
dance-rock or techno definition. Attributes: Very accessible sounding, usually
using lots of synth-keyboards, and strong hooks and vocal arrangements to
successfully combine elements of house, rock and techno. 100 to 140 BPM. Popular artists include: Enigma, Depeche Mode, Camouflage.. |
|
|
Mainstream/dance pop Top Back |
| No
real explanation needed here, folks. Just think of these artists: Janet Jackson, Madonna, Gloria Estefan, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston.. Need I say more..? |
|
|
Mainstream/eurodance Top Back |
| The
most popular dance format in Europe. A typical Eurodance tune would include
happy synth tones, female vocals, a catchy hook and perhaps some short pieces of
rap. This sub-genre predominates every chart and dance floor in the European
Union. Loads of this music comes from Belgium, Germany and Sweden. Eurodance can
be also classified as Techno Dance or Trance Dance.. Popular artists include: 2Unlimited, Alexia, 2 Brothers on the 4th floor, E-Rotic |
|
|
Mainstream/freestyle Top Back |
| FreeStyle music is "felt" on beats 2 and 4 of a 4/4 time signature. These beats
are where the musical tension gets released and this is what makes this genre
most pleasurable. This is in contrast to "House" music where every beat, rather
than every "offbeat" is felt. The relationship between the kick and snare will
define the basic groove. Freestyle is typically characterized by heavy beats,
electric and emphasized percussion, and emotional tones. Popular artists include: TKA, Nayobe, Expose, Sweet Sensation.. |
|
|
Soundscapes Top Back |
| Soundscapes are pieces of music in which nature is usually incorporated, through
recorded samples of the outside world. A close cousin of Ambient, Soundscapes
use natural sounds and field recordings to capture a setting or, more often, the
mood of a setting. Popular artists include: Encomiast, Distant Waves, Opponent Process, Flux Pavillon, dal-lab.. |
|
|
Synth pop Top Back |
| Broadly speaking, synth-pop is any form of commercially accessible music that is
played entirely or at least predominantly using electronic instruments. The
definition here is saved for those bands who developed the sound during the
1980s, as well as those that stay more or less true to the spirit and sound of
those pioneering bands today. Popular artists include: Kraftwerk, Thomas Dolby, Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics.. |
|
|
Techno/detroit Top Back |
| The
genre Detroit is generally a mix of House music and Acid, but with a harsher
edge. Developed in the 1980's (credited to Derrick May, Juan Atkins and Kevin
Saunderson), the Detroit sound came to be associated with the use of the TR808
(drum machine) and the TB303, and for its deeply layered rhythms and basic
underlying and pounding beat. Sometimes described as "cold" and "dark." Popular artists include: Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Richie Hawtin, Kenny Larkin.. |
|
|
Techno/old skool Top Back |
| An early precursor to techno and hip hop, Old Skool or electro is a beat-focused style that usually uses a 4/4 signature with off-beat fills and patterns. The beat supports primitive synthesizer noodlings, sci-fi fills, and simple, deep analogue basslines. When the beats are funked up, the style is called funky electro. |
|
|
Techno/minimal Top Back |
| Used
to denote a stripped-down form of techno, originating in Detroit. Sometimes
called Detroit minimal, this form is basically just a simple persistent
percussion track with very little embellishment. Popular artists include: Phillip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley.. |
|
|
Techno/rave Top Back |
| The term Rave formed only by the meetings of the same name, on which usually
harder Techno was played. Rave is hard, but melodious (150-180 bpm). One the
most famous "Rave" volumes is probably "Scooter". Another absolute must for the Raver, would be a collection from the "Dance Opera" label.. |
|
|
Trance/hard trance Top Back |
| Hard
Trance, as the title suggests, blends traditional trance sounds and structures
with harder elements, more reminiscent of Acid and Techno. The tempo is
generally increased to between 145 and 150 and the kick drum and bass is usually
a focus for a clubbing audience. Popular artists include: Nick Sentience, Karim, Salmon Ravager, Phil Reynolds, Andy Farley.. |
|
|
Trance/progressive Top Back |
| Spiritual and overpowering at times, Progressive Trance is manifesting itself as
a very popular form of dance music, from the underground raves where it was
born, to giant mega clubs where it is played today. The term "Trance" has
evolved into an umbrella term to cover many types of beat-driven electronically
generated dance music. Popular artists include: ATB, Robert Miles, BT, Paul Van Dyk (DJ), Ferry Corsten (DJ), Art of Trance, System F.. |
|
|
Trance/goa Top Back |
| Goa
or psy trance takes its name from Goa, India. An incarnation of trance music
with a more complex texture of psychedelic sounds. Goa tracks tend to be
finished, complete pieces of music and are therefore less friendly towards beat
mixing. The beat is a steady 4/4 kick, but is often buried in layers of analog
sounds. Popular artists include: Man With No Name, Kox Box, Hallucinogen, Prana, Kuro, Psygone, Colorbox, Infected Mushroom.. |
