How does the environment that you are playing in affect how you DJ?
One of the misconceptions about DJs is that they are there simply to make people dance. I think it’s about much more than that.
DJing is a conversation in which the environment that you are playing in can influence and inspire your approach to performance. It’s a form of communication where you are orchestrating and guiding the relationship between the venue and the patrons. Whether we are aware of it or not. This is happening.
Could the environment that you are playing in inspire and guide you to make better choices?
This article is about harnessing that awareness through observation and ultimately delving deeper into your practice as a DJ.
The Space is the Place (The Space & Setting)
No two venues are the same and I think it’s good practice to remain open minded about what music you are going to play, and how you are going to play it – reserving these decisions until you arrive. Prepare, yes! But avoid being rigid.
Tip: If you are feeling low on confidence then having the first few songs sorted in advance can take some of the pressure off early on while you get acquainted with everything. Don’t stress! The crowd loves authenticity. Over time you will learn to listen to your instincts at the beginning of sets while finding a way to chime into the environment.
Bars tend to be optimised for socialising, drinking and eating. So when I’m DJing in a bar I’m looking to see whether patrons can hear each other talking. I will walk around the space to listen to the volume level in each area – you’ll be surprised how some areas of a venue are much louder or quieter, snappier or bassier than others.
Take a moment to look at where the speakers are positioned. Are there tables that are closer to the speakers than others? Do all of the speakers work? Are any of the speakers distorting or sounding fuzzy?
In an interview, the legendary Larry Levan – DJ at the Paradise Garage says:
[what] the new DJ should do (which most of the old ones didn’t do) – is to learn about the sound equipment they’re using…
Most of them have no idea you know the whole process of how a record comes from the vinyl to the speaker, therefore they have no control over it, they don’t have command over it. That is the most important thing.
– Larry Levan
The second thing Larry says is most important is to…
Put your ego aside
This means that if you are in an environment that is not designed for dancing (e.g., a bar) and people are having difficulty hearing each other maybe you need to do something with the volume or EQ. Otherwise people are unlikely to stay for long.
Signs of this are when breaking eye contact to turn their ears toward the person speaking. Another is excessive leaning into the other person. Or they might just stare at the DJ and block their ears. Yes I’ve seen that happen. It wasn’t the sound of the music. It was the snappiness of an instrument in the track (the ride from a 909 drum machine). In that situation you can adjust the high frequencies on the EQ of the mixer.
Nightclubs are generally for dancing with the layouts optimised for flowing large volumes of people through spaces. Generally less seating and more standing tables and of course dedicated spaces for people to dance in. Most nightclubs will have firm policies about volume level that will generally involve working up to a peak level during peak times and may continue at that same level right up until closing.
Of course there are hybrid venue situations that begin with dining and evolve to dancing. In these spaces there might be a switch point where tables move to make room for standing. Take note of what materials the walls are made of. Hard surfaces reflect sound and increase reverberation. Soft surfaces and objects (including people) absorb reflections. You can’t always change the sound, but noticing these things will allow you to make better choices and ultimately sound better.
Considerations for the DJ
As a DJ, a good way to approach this is to understand how aspects of the space and setting matter, be conscious of those things and then allow yourself to make decisions that seem intuitive to you, given those considerations. I usually break DJing into selection and mixing.
As you’ll see, the same advice may be justifiable in various settings.
The Music: Selection
If I’m DJing to people eating dinner, especially in a bar with seating times (first sitting at 6-8pm and second at 8-10pm) one thing that I like to do is to show each set of diners a nice selection of my music. I’ll often start at one end (of tempo or genre) and end their sitting at the other end and then do a similar cycle for the next set of diners (playing different music of course).
Another way I play with this context is that I might play more approachable songs at the beginning of the sitting (familiarity is comforting and makes you feel like you belong there), and then work into longer, less well known tracks as patrons settle into the vibe (and their meals). I might then bring the tempo or genre back at the end of the night to something ‘sweet’ like the desert that they are eating.
Above all, I try to remain playful and felxible in my approach to DJing, to not take things too seriously. This leaves room to be inspired by the moment and connect with the people in the room. That means some level of attention should be paid to the setting and how your music relates to that setting.
There’s no formula for a particular environment. These suggestions are ways in which you can allow yourself to be inspired by what’s happening around you. Remember it’s not all about you.
The Music: Mixing
DJ sets in bars tend to be longer (3+ hours), so you will have an opportunity to broaden your music selection and tempo over longer periods. Faster tempo music generally increases the energy in a room, and slower tempo music generally chills things out.
This goes for clubs too, but in a bar the emphasis isn’t necessarily on dancing, therefore you can experiment with bringing the tempo up and down more if you wish, and this can have the effect of keeping the vibe interesting, dynamic or energetic. DJs such as Larry Levan, were famous for slowing down the tempo and even using silence as a tool.
Our brains are wired to notice patterns. So changing the tempo a lot can draw more attention to the DJing. Therefore, in a nightclub you can use this same skill to create an impact with a particular song or moment.
I suspect that perhaps people have more tolerance for tempo changes these days, as it’s likely something that they experience (perhaps unintended) when they program their own streaming playlists.
Keeping the tempo at a steady rate can be good for places where a lot of people are frequently coming and going, because it sets the rhythm of the atmosphere. Remember when you play music you are sending vibrations throughout a room. If those vibrations occur at a consistent rhythm you can create a safe and reliable environment and it can set a great foundation for patrons to enjoy a long session at the venue.
I said temperature before. This is where, for example, if it’s a really hot day and the air conditioning isn’t working. I might play a bit slower than normal because I want to try and chime in with the setting and how people might be feeling. When it’s hot I don’t want to necessarily increase my heart rate any more than I need to.
Final Thoughts
I’ll never tell you how to DJ a certain type of space. Any attempt to do this immediately limits the possibilities and frankly, in my experience, there are always exceptions to any rules.
Everything matters in the playing environment, from the colour of the walls, the fitout and decoration of the room, to the lighting, temperature and even the staff and how they treat people and even how they are dressed. These aspects of the space and setting have a direct relationship with the ‘ambiance’ or character and atmosphere of a venue.
So next time your DJing have a think about connecting to the space in a way that inspires you to select and mix a certain way.