DJs with a "Loose" Approach

#1

I’ve been listening to the Chemical Brothers (Exit Planet Dust especially) and thinking about a certain sound that pops up here and there. A kind of loose DJ style characterized by a sense of spaciousness, a certain chaos, a messiness that somehow holds itself together, with drums popping in and out. An alternative to DJs swapping out kicks and snares, transitioning between breakdowns (which can be executed to great effect as well).

This is a studio cut obviously but it’s a decent representation of the sound. Not talking about big beat tempo / instrumentation but rather the general approach. -

Some folks I’ve seen approach sets with this style are Erol Alkan, Madlib, Daphni, Ben UFO, the Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk on Alive 1997. From videos it seems like Moodymann sets are similar. Ricardo Villalobos’ productions have a shade of this approach, but I haven’t seen him live. Jamie XX hit a similar sound on “In Colour” but I haven’t seen him DJ really.

Do you have any favorite DJs that approach sets in this way? Any producers that approach production in this way? It’s hard to find in my experience.

#2

does this come close to what you’re looking for?

Hunee also came to mind

Jamie XX has done a boiler room btw, if you want to see him DJ

#3

Yeah FlyLo is a good example. That Hunee mix is so mellow and intentionally “old” sounding but definitely in that world. Jamie’s boiler room mix from iceland is a good example too.

This video posted on Identification of Music on Facebook is a subtler example -

#4

I’ve been digging Willow after seeing her live, and I think her style might fit into this category. Loose, housey, deep, all vinyl, often not as worried about crisp precise transitions but instead focused on vibes n grooves. Moodymann would be a great example to me, in that sometimes he isn’t actually layering, beatmatching or mixing. He just plays out. Also Move D. The below set of his is one of my all time favorites.

#5

Big fan of Willow too.

#6

slightly different to all of the above genre wise - but Kode9 has always, to me, been a ‘loose’ DJ in the best sense of the word. bashing genres together recklessly, never too focused on clean transitions but always building mood.

this Rinse set with FlyLo is an all time fave - was this really 10 years ago, my god I’m old

#7

I second Kode9, a real badman.

The last time I caught Rashad he wasn’t even using headphones.

#8

saw laurel halo play on saturday, she played techno, uk techno, uk funky, grime, experimental, hard drum and then ended her set with trap music to warm up for giant swan

#9

I like the aesthetic that is falling together between all of the above named… I would add Axel Boman - actually a technically really gifted and complex mixer, yet he manages to make it SOUND loose and soulful… And even Gilles Peterson, who I think is super underrated as a club DJ. On a good day the way he can take it from fusion/jazz/disco into bass/house/techno and back and have it all sound right is something else.

#10

i used to do this when i played out but all my fucking mates would slate me for not pulling off double drops and letting songs wonder

#11

Thanks for this. Hadn’t heard it before but brings back a lot of memories of the kind of sound I was definitely getting into ten years ago.

#12

I’ve got a bunch more DJs that will actually get me out of the house to see them now! Axel Boman, Willow, Move D and Kode9 are like exactly what I had in mind. Axel Boman seems especially good at it.

If you ever get the chance to see Madlib DJ don’t miss it. Never heard someone use CDJs and a mixer like this before or since -

#13

That Chemical Bros track takes me back, im gonna go out on a limb and say we’re gonna see some Big Beat sounds coming back into style, what with breaks and electro being all big now.

If you listen to the first Willow mix around 19:00 she drags the needle on the record as she’s taking it off the table. Loose, but it dosent matter a bit to me cus the mix she just finished was so damn good. Sure, she could have went back and done it over, overdubbed it, or something…after all it was an RA mix. But she leaves it. Supreme confidence, even in “mistakes”. Love it.

I’d nominate Mr. Scruff into this category too, this mix is a great example of letting tracks play out fully and having amazing restraint to be able to create an amazing build over the course of 5+ hours…

#14

This vintage mix:
www.infinitevibez.net

#15

Oh of course… HERBERT! Wish his set from this Boiler Room session was still live… Here’s one from 2000 - so ahead of its time!

#16

second that. loving this.

#17

There is loose, and then there is Aardvarck. The guy uses Winamp to mix. In 2018. Legend.

#18

I’d put Call Super in this category as well, as his mixing is tight af, but his fader tricks and tendency to mix quickly (often with three decks) make it feel quite organic and loose, like certain individual tracks try to pull the set in a certain direction, and he only barely manages to keep it a coherent whole (in a good way!). See for yourself:

I’d compare it to making the dough for a cake and vigorously stirring the bowl, chances are some dough will spill, but the cake’ll still be amazing :slight_smile:

#19

great sets, really looking forward to seeing Willow this weekend

#20

So based on prior posts and the op I would say that in my opinion Call Super and this mix wouldn’t fit into this “Loose” approach.

Don’t get me wrong I love Call Super and really respect his ability and mixing style, but I’d say he is Precise with a capital P. There isn’t much thats loose IMHO in this mix. It’s fucking dialed, transitions happen cleanly, nothing is riding out over each other and getting off beat. I’ve seen the man on 2 turntables and 3 CDJs juggling tools records and wavs with surgeon like focus, and don’t get me wrong that’s what I love about him but that, to me, dosen’t fit into this aesthetic.

Madlib’s got this type of layering going on but leaves room for mistakes, shit that plays off beat or intros that don’t drop on time, EQs that should be up but aren’t, things like that but manages to make it amazing cus its uniquely HIS style. Same with all of the above mixes…they get away with being loose cus theyre so damn good. I don’t feel Call Super is ever loose.

What do other folks think? Relishing the opportunities for exchange :wink: