Every set comes with the notion that the DJ can easily mix tracks that are in the same genre and BPM range, however, it is always refreshing to see a DJ, like Madis, who can blend tracks with drastically different genres, and BPMs into an impressive mix. Madis brings more than just electronic sub-genres to his mix which features the Red Hot Chili Peppers along side many other gems. Watch the impressive mash-up video below, and check out our quick interview with Madis about how he managed to pull off his mix with different genres and techniques using Pioneer’s DDJ-SZ.
What was your starting point for creating your set?:
The starting point for creating every short performance set is having an idea about how mix should sound and look like. In this set I wanted to play a classic rock ballad with modern sounds. From the beginnig I want to start with the track Unforgiven and then I used this song as the base for entire set. There are many tracks that I want to use but only a few of them fit to each other. In this case, I started with Unforgiven so then I chose tracks and acapellas by key which fits to Unforgiven. Fortunately, Otherside by RHCP is in the same key so the acapella fits perfectly. All the songs are in the same key as Unforgiven which makes the whole set sound very well put together.
How did you perform each part of your set and what was the hardest part?:
It was just a decision on which point I should mix tracks to get the best effect. Samples, which I used during “Clowns,” were made in Logic Pro, exported and loaded into Serato SP-6, and then played in a “freestyle” fashion. Effects like pitch, reverb, delay, noise, etc. were only supplements for the set and demonstrated the DDJ-SZ’s capabilities. In every short performance like this one the hardest thing is timing. If you forget to push only one hot cue or play a track at the right time then whole set is cranky. In this kind of sets (4-6 minutes) you can’t permit to any delay because then everything falls apart. If you clearly remember how your set should sound, then easiest thing is to just mix it.
What does the DDJ-SZ bring to your sets that you didn’t have before?:
DDJ-SZ is the best DJ controller that I have ever used. The big RGB pads are very useful for quick sampling or hot cue shots. It couln’t be done on small buttons. Next thing is big jog platters like in CDJ-2000, it’s just very comfortable to use. Jogs are illuminated (blue for decks A/B, white for C/D) and this is very important thing when you playing 3 or 4 tracks at the same time. Also built-in hardware effects like pitch, echo, jet and filter are very useful in this kind of performances.
Is this something you usually do during a set?:
This video is a special, prepared performance. The tracks were mixed in very short time and perfectly fit together. My typical sets at clubs sounds different because I have more time but often I uses “shows” like this in my club sets.
Is there anything interesting you want to share about the set?:
Interesting thing about this set is that I did not prepare very well for recording video because there was no time. (I wanted my movie to be the first “professional” DDJ-SZ performance) After I created tracklist and overall arrangement I trained at home only 3-4 times. When me and my friend DJ Namteh set the cameras up and started recording we only had 8 or 9 attempts until the last cut. After 6 or 7 attempts the batteries in the cameras died and we had to wait before we could start again. It was very annoying for us but we finally we made it. I also have plans to record another video using not only DDJ-SZ so… see you soon!
Enjoy Madis’ performance? Check out other performances on his Facebook page.
Interested in the DDJ-SZ controller? Support DJTT and check it out in the store!
