Xenon, NYC

[Masdefi]

In 1981 I got a cassette from Xenon, NYC. In these days I'm going to listen at this tape again and again. I can't recognize a lot of tracks, but I would like to notice a sensible difference between that style of mixing and our (italian disco).

First of all, tracks are played until end, all the tracks is played and the mixing phase is very long, this means the entering track comes with a very low sound level, then is coupled for a while and then the exiting tracks is slowly disappering...



In our style, the entering song enters just at the beginning of the break, immediately at the first beat of the 16-BPM and then coupled for the whole 16-BPM. At the end of the 16th, disappear.



Hope to let you understand my description...oh, sorry, my bad english!



Is a standard way of mixing in US clubs??

[NickNack]

Hi Masdefi,



Sounds like you're describing what was at one time considered the standard way of mixing. The DJ would introduce the song he's bringing in at a lower level, slowly bring it up to match the one playing, hold it, then slowly take the other song out. This "fade in/fade out" technique is what I first heard at The Gallery and other clubs in the 70's. It's how I learned to mix and the style I like best.



In later years, DJ's pulled away from this and started "smacking" songs together on the beat. It's an abrupt style but when done properly (Richie Kaczor was excellent at this) it works. Bobby 'DJ' would tease me when we were playing The Anvil that I was still 'fading'. "Who has time for that?"



I would guess any good DJ in the US and elsewhere would try to incorporate different styles and techniques using whichever worked best within the playlist.



And yes, to your first question, songs were played "all the way through". We used to get pissed at DJ's who cut music short, especially when they did it at what we thought was the wrong time. Nothing worse than working up a sweat, anticipating the break and the DJ mixing out before you peaked.







_________________

Dancin' All Over It!

Nicky

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: NickNack on 2001-10-31 21:00 ]</font>

[Boodikka]

Fading is what I was taught back in the day, and that's the only style I ever believed to be "real" mixing.

[JussiK]

On 2001-10-31 20:57, NickNack wrote:

I would guess any good DJ in the US and elsewhere would try to incorporate different styles and techniques using whichever worked best within the playlist.

Dancin' All Over It!

Nicky



<

True. Some tracks kicked right off with intros essential to the whole so fading in would be out of the question on say "Stick Together" by Minnie Riperton - no way could one skip a second of those violins! But what I really need to know and badly too is if you recall any seques that really got the punters going. We have been discussing these things before but too briefly I thought. You too Boodikka let's hear it - I want to try the songs out!

[maarten]

I wholeheartedly agree with fading. Back in the days I bought quite a few of the Italian disco mix albums (Disco Cross etc.) but often the songs were cut off "at the wrong time" (quote from Nicky - love that quote, and each and everyone knows eactly what that wrong time is, but at the same time none of us will ever agree on each others wrong time...).

[Masdefi]

I agree with fading but it depends on which kind of track is entering. If entering track has a long intro, so it's OK, you can also have a mixing along 32 beats, but in every case you ought to let the exiting track really out at the end of a basic 8-beat part of the mixing. Mixing phase to me will always last a multiple of 8-beats. A long mixing is, for example, "Colors in space" by Ramsey Lewis, with "Johnson Jumpin'" by Johnson Products. Or, "Show time" by Undisputed truth, with "Love for the sake of love" by Claudja Barry.





In most of italian clubs, a mixing will end at the end of a 8-beat part, and that's what I normally do...



As for the length of a track, usually every track will be mixed at the break. Very rare is the case to let the track "all the way through". If a track clocks in at 8:00, for example, people may not agree for such a long time with the same song...

Thanks to all who posted a reply.

[djoem]

i also agree with fadeing but latley i have been practiceing with the volume on each side it sound real good it just u have to use both hands now rather then just the fader i mean leave the fader in the middle all the time and use the turntable volumes 1 up and 1 down its sound real good always trying new stuff



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: djoem on 2001-11-12 11:37 ]</font>