caustik’s blog

Relaxed style progressive breaks mix, using a new track selection technique

(here comes a music theory rant …)

Each track in this mix is carefully selected so that each track key+mode is exactly a perfect fourth interval from the previous track. The result is highly consonant transitions, causing the tracks to blend melodically, and causing a consistent feeling of progression.

More detail for anybody interested:

Let’s say track 1 is in the key “A minor phrygian” … meaning the root note is A and the scale intervals are H-W-W-W-H-W-W

The following track would then be selected as 5 semitones above (in other words, 7 semitones below) the note ‘A’, and would be selected to share the same mode “phrygian”. The result, since A+5 = D (A-7 = D), would be “D minor phrygian”, meaning the root is D and the scale intervals are still H-W-W-W-H-W-W.

This means the root notes are a perfect fourth interval apart from one another, as are each of the other 6 notes in the scale. So, not only do you have melodic interplay between root notes, but all notes on the scale.

=)

Recorded this mix live this morning, figured I’d upload it :]

This mix uses adaptive demasking, linear phase, multiband compression on the mix bus with upside compression in order to glue the track transitions together. The main thing this does to really help is ensure the final moment when the next track kicks in is consistent in levels across each frequency band.

For each track in the mix, the track is selected as enharmonic and/or same-root as the previous track. The track is run through har-bal’s match loudness feature in order to keep the volumes consistent throughout. I’m warping the tracks in Ableton in real-time (which is surprisingly easy now, by using the Live 8 transient markers!!). Since I’m keeping track of the key information as I go, the mix has a musical progression which eventually arrives at C Major in the last track.

The interesting thing that makes this mix somewhat special is that I’ve not listened to any of the tracks before mixing them in. The entire transitions are programmed without listening to them, on the fly. When the tracks start to blend, it’s as new to my ear as it is to the listener. I’m totally relying on the preparation of enharmonic/root and volume matching, as well as the ability to eyeball the warp markers and sync points of the tracks.

I strongly prefer not to key-lock, all tracks are analog-style “repitch” mode. I do not like the artifacts key-lock introduces (even “complex” mode). If your tracks are close enough in tempo, I believe the slight pitch bending is actually a nice effect, and you get the full quality of the track. It took me a long time to make that decision, but there’s no turning back now :]

Here’s the tracklist:

01. Nathan F – Sorry The Late (Alfie Remix)
02. Torres, Beatpit – F.! (Original Mix)
03. M.I.N.I.M. – Cool And Easy (Original Mix)
04. James Harcourt – Moob (Original Mix)
05. Roke Dj, David Del Olmo – Anxiety (Dubman F Remix)
06. Blackfeel Wite – First Night (Moonbeam Dub Remix)
07. Silent Breed – Sync In (Popof Remix)
08. Richard Durand – Red Alert (Original Mix)
09. Black Raw – Auntie Agony (Daddy’s Groove Magic Island Remix)
10. Popof – Head Cleaner (Original Mix)