Old School jungle/D&B DJ Mixing

Mixing is mixing. If you can beat match you’re able to mix any style in theory. I learnt by having a tape playing on a small ghetto blaster and a hifi turntable to mix a short bar or two.

Mixing is mixing. If you can beat match you’re able to mix any style in theory. I learnt by having a tape playing on a small ghetto blaster and a hifi turntable to mix a short bar or two.

The basic principle behind mixing is essentially the same, regardless of genre. (Beatmatching, that is - whilst there are other ways you can transition between tracks in a set, most dance music is designed to be beat matched, and thus use the term "mixing" to refer to beatmatching)

What that means is - understanding the structure of the track you are playing, and the track you are mixing in, so you can identify the bars. And adjusting the tempo of the incoming track so it matches the track playing. And then cueing up the incoming track at the best time, at the start of a bar. (Mixing with a controller will make the last 2 things easier, as you do that manually with vinyl).

Really it's one of those things that's actually so simple that even just describing it makes it sound more complicated than it is.

People love to talk up how hard it is, especially vinyl DJs - partly because dance music is unusual compared to other genres in that it's generally not played live, so the DJs have always had a bigger cultural prominence than the people who actually make the music. Hence why they have to pretend it's incredibly complex and difficult.

So it maybe seems daunting at first, because people sell it like it's an incredibly complex arcane skill, but honestly the basics are pretty straight forward, it's more one of those things that just suddenly "clicks". Does take practice to get it smooth, don't get me wrong.

Now the only thing that's really different with jungle is the first part I mentioned above - understanding structure. Most d&b has a fairly rigid structure, with a snare every 2 beats, that's very easy to match up. Jungle tracks generally have looser and less uniform drums, so it's not as immediately obvious. But they are still fundamentally in 4/4 time, with 4 beats to each bar - so you just need to practice listening to your jungle tracks, finding the beat and counting out the bars. It should still be fairly easy for all but the most abstract drumfunk style tunes :)

That's the basic idea. Once you have that down, then you can try experimenting to see how it sounds best - because jungle is so choppy and busy, many DJs will get tracks synced up and then chop between the two, rather than just slowly fade from one to the other. But you do need to get the basic idea down for it to work.

I think the main thing is to worry less about tutorials and just give it a go. As I say, it's a simple skill that people love to over complicate, so your best bet is to just get stuck in.

I think it was harder to get going before digitalization because first you needed to learn how to beat-match, but hit that "sync" button and you're off and running. The real learned musical skill over time part is you need to figure out how to cut those two records together so it sounds compelling to your audience, and isn't just duplicating a mix they already know because they're hipsters too. I'd recommend listening to lots and lots of DJ mixes (especially high quality studio mixes as party tapes from back in the day are often filled with rewinds and shouty MCs ruining your ability to hear the mix) and then listen over and over to the tracks unmixed (you gotta know your tunes!). Get it in your head how the good ones did it, and then over time with practice you develop your skills and hone your tune selection. No tutorials, just hard work over time.

I was rubbish at it for a decade but never let it get me down, and now I've had two decades of being OK to moderately good at it. I still take inspiration from other's mixes and techniques and listen to as many as I can when I'm on my commute... and I just played an old fave from Lixx today: https://soundcloud.com/lixx68/get-your-mind-right-1993-mix

Hours and hours of practice. You will get to the point where you don’t have to think about it, it just happens. Like driving.

Give it time. I originally taught myself on vinyl over months and months. I was very determined. I fucked up and clanged more than you can ever imagine. It will come easier to some people than others but nobody who is great at something didn’t fuck up a million times more than the next person.

Observe other people mixing.

Keep watching the tutorials and read about it - there is a good book ‘How to DJ Properly’, that will explain the fundamental principles - but basically it is a case of knowing exactly when to start record two, make it the same speed as record one, and transition to record two smoothly and harmoniously. The book is old, but the principle does not change and it is most likely updated for digital by now.

With digital the key thing is making sure beat grids are aligned, your cue point is set and the bpm is accurate. Google/YouTube that stuff.

the0rie
Observe other people mixing.

Hells yes. Over the years I had a couple flat-mates who were DJs and they were a massive inspiration and education in putting the bits together. I still hear some of Clarence's long mixes 27 years later when I listen to certain LGR tunes because he had such a lyrical jazz-band sense of D&B and he would make two records sing to one another.

One thing I would add: there are some fundamentals that are universal, like beatmatching, or clashing melodies in a mix (which often sounds worse than an out of time mix IMO!)

But beyond that, many other aspects of mixing are as much a matter of taste as your tune selection. There are some techniques which suit some styles better than others - but it does ultimately come down to what sounds the best.

For example: many DJs will turn down the bass on the incoming tune, to avoid too much clashing of bass frequencies, and to allow a smoother transition. But personally, I almost never did this - because I was usually playing hardcore, and I liked that sound of new tunes coming in very abruptly, it fits the style. But I know other DJs who would mix hardcore like that very effectively. You even had some DJs like Sy or Producer who would sometimes drop a new tune in from the start, or Marc Smith (a Scottish DJ) who had a handful of intros and ambient interludes that he'd drop in the middle of a set to break it up, or switch up styles...

Point is - there isn't just one singular correct way to do it. Which is not to dismiss the fundamentals, of course - but don't dismiss just having a go and experimenting yourself.

For that reason I'd also agree - listen to other DJs, but especially the ones you particularly like. Imitation is often the perfect way to learn. And maybe even compare against other DJs who play similar stuff to see what the DJs you prefer do differently (if at all).

..........