Howdy Hive,
Here's a new music mix I just finished - which is actually somewhat of an extension of an old mix that I recorded back in the year 2013. All of my mixes have many layers of 'meaning' (to me) when being composed. I didn't write any of this music - as a DJ its my role to take the puzzle pieces and melt them together, hoping to create the most danceable goop possible. This recipe began cooking almost a decade ago.
I've always considered myself primarily a 'Drum and Bass' DJ. Something about that 'Amen Break' at 178-183 bpm sincerely fuels a drive in my soul. If you don't know what I mean by 'Amen Break', we should take pause here for a moment to explain its relevance.
Here's the Wiki entry.
Here's the song itself. This is recorded off an original copy pressed in 1969, pulled from my personal vinyl collection. The significance this recording had on modern music is unbelievable. The basis for the drum beats in the genres of: Hip Hop, Break Beat, and Jungle/DnB music all started right here, with this record. (specifically the drop at 90 seconds)
Since I feel so inherently passionate about DnB music, its always seemed to be on 'auto-pilot' mode when trying to mix DnB tracks together. I've known many DJs who do not mix DnB music because they say 'its too hard to do so', whereas its always just seemed 'natural' to me. I'd say 80%+ of all my projects have been within a DnB genre/temp label.
Soooooo ... now that we've talked about all of THAT, lets talk about THIS other thing. The vast majority of all dance music that is not broken beat (amen break) is likely a 4x4 beat. This has to do with the time signature of the music, or the 'counting' of it. A funny way to verbalize the difference would be to speak the following 2 sentences out loud. This doesn't work with everyone, but sometimes it does.
- "Boom-BA, Boom Boom BA. Boom-BA, Boom Boom BA." (a broken beat time signature)
- "Boots and Cats and Boots and Cats and Boots and Cats and Boots and Cats." (a 4x4 time signature)
Did your Brain musically make a path to notate the difference?
If this ramble hasn't lost you yet, then we've come to a very important part of the story. I've explained how natural the 'DnB' music comes to me when playing with it. It should be noted that there is a markedly higher difficulty level for me, when playing on the '4x4' settings. The mixing requires a lot more focus despite the reduction in tempo. Its a lot less intimidating now after 20 years in the hobby, but that wasn't the case.
In 2013 I decided to attempt my first 4x4 mix. This was also the first mix I recorded using the hot new technology of the day, a set of Pioneer CDJ turntables. Every previous mix I had done had been recorded on vinyl decks, which was the original standard. These two seemingly small details were MASSIVE changes to my dogmatic musical programming at the time. I love all types of music, but mixing/recording/performing a style of music I wasn't experienced with, using a set of devices that I wasn't proficiently comfortable on, left me thinking there was only one appropriate name for the mix... "Changes".
Here is that original from 2013, if interested.
https://www.mixcloud.com/JasonDeal/dj-phi-changes-2013
In the back of mind, I've always thought I would rerecord this mix, someday. The projects I make sorta are created half by design, and half by inspiration. I have a list in mind of 2-5 things 'I want to do', ahead of whatever it is I'm already working on, but this new mix is a thought that has always just been floating there in the back drop of all the rest. Despite anything else I was doing DnB related, the 4x4 beats of that 2013 mix have always been noticeably patient, waiting in poise, ready to be visited again when needed.
I've recently experienced another massive shift in changes in my life, the past few months. These topics are personal and best left off of a blockchain, however more than appropriate to express and share via music. In the midst of my working down my DJ 'to do list', it was no surprise I found myself right back here where I left off - almost a decade ago.
This new mix feels like an old friend. It is not a remaster, its a revision. I wanted to pay homage to the original mix while also keeping it based within the modern parameters of where we are today. I made it a blend of 4x4 and breakbeat with a couple of tempo transitions along the way. To be blunt, this new mix honestly isn't the best mix I've ever recorded. But I'm going to release it anyways, because I know its not supposed to be, and I'm totally fine with that.
Right out of the gate it feels familiar, and just like the original mix, I know now that each flaw on the recording is just one small scar on an otherwise long running story, that only adds a little bit of 'personality' in the end. Who knows: maybe 10 years from now I'll have this 4x4 stuff figured out? Eh, we're getting there. The only constant in life is that life always changes.
Stream or Download if you feel the flow. Thanks for listening.
Cheers,
~GG