Drum and Bass Vol. 3 - September 2012

This mix is currently available on Soundcloud.
A new drum and bass set, which took way too long to get out. Apologies to all my subs...this one was due at least two weeks ago. I'm stepping things up a bit, working with transitions that are getting more complicated which meant this mix saw numerous fits and starts before I got a clean one. And the version posted is never the one that I land right the first time anyway. I typically listen to a mix for a day or two before I commit to video...and I almost always remix to work in improvements.
This one's got a little faster pace...and little harder edge, and some absolute classics. Great set for the car and a nice drive where you can push the speedometer. And I'm up on Twitter now...so check in and follow to get updates on what I'm working on, what I'm listening to, and other absolutely random thoughts.
Hope you enjoy...cheers!
1. Turntable 1 - Intro - Brockie & Ed Solo (Bengal & Ed Solo rmx)
2. Turnbable 1 - Brockie & Ed Solo (DJ Zinc rmx)
3. Verano - Sub Focus & Showtek (feat. Brooks Bros.)
4. Tell Me - J Majik
5. Take This - Concept and Shnek
6. Juno Six - Logistics
7. Mind Feeders - Dom & Roland
8. No Return - Bungle
9. Push - Rawthang (feat. Kari Rueslatten)
10. Shame - Trei
11. Immersed - Marcus Intalex
12. Leaving Me Out - Emphonic
13. Ringtone - Calibre
14. Fallin - Raiden
15. Drowned by Angels - Red Army
16. We Control the Vertical - Klute
17. Operation Index - Vicious Circle & Nocturnal
18. Atlanta - Silent Witness
19. Satellite Type 2 - Commix
20. No Destiny - Break

[@Taken804]

Thanks Oliver....that's what I like to hear! You know it's funny, the overall number of views spiked on New Years Eve, which absolutely made me smile. So cool to think people in parts of the world so far from my home would be listening to and sharing these mixes when they were celebrating and hanging with friends...unbelievable really. Thanks for the note and the support...cheers!

[@dameneko]

This is the best pre-dawn music! Actually, I could listen to this stuff all day, but "Mind Feeders" brings back many a 4am memory for sure...

[@hammerhead4079]

Hey Taken Good job on this mix i really mean it to its like one of the best mixes i heard in my life

[@Taken804]

But I'm working towards bigger and better sets...hoping that I can hold every subs (and other music fans) interest from set to set. I truly appreciate each and every listen...or view. I have no idea what the future holds, but for the here and now, I'm having an absolute blast doing this, and hearing from you guys. Thanks again for the interest....you rock!

[@TheBaBaLand]

you are a BOSS for writing each tracks name on the video! sick mix

[@oliphillips]

Great mixes - had them on a lot recently - at a party the other day. Cheers man! I absolutely love Raiden - Fallin, so much, defo my all time fave dnb track x

[@Taken804]

Thanks...that's a huge compliment. My favorite section runs from Push through Leaving Me Out because the transitions worked out well. I have to admit, I'm partial to vol2 but There are a lot of really great tracks in this one. I really appreciate the listen and the props...and hope you'll sub so you don't miss any upcoming mixes.

[@dwaynepol1415]

Nice mixe horn good shit . The mixes that u are hiting youtube with r just the right amount ov spice HI 5

[@snowfoxd81]

I find that if you are going to put something like this on the internet then to some degree you realize that its an extension of who you are.If you take the time to produce something of quality then you are speaking to people that can hear that you essentially care about yourself.Keep up the great work and regardless of what anyone says do it because you love it :)

[@Taken804]

Thanks...the DnB mixes don't get the run that the Neuro or Breaks sets are getting but I honestly love doing them. This one has some of my favorites!

[@Taken804]

I agree...Shame and Push are two of my all time favs, oh, and Leaving Me Out!

[@Taken804]

As you can see E...I'm starting to get a bit cleaner and tighter with the mixes. And I love straight up DnB and I'll continue to do these sets even though it's Neuro and Breaks that seem to get all the love.

[@npgpf]

nice mixes bro keep doing the good work

[@DeceptionRec]

Nice work!

[@acsKing]

nice mix, thanks, good work

[@Taken804]

Yeah...but I was trying to build a set that included songs that I considered fast. The bpm isn't overclocked, much, but the tone of the tracks is a little more frenetic, as opposed to Vol.2. Thanks for the listen!

[@Taken804]

Thanks Scorpio, and yes, this mix is up on my soundcloud page....as are most of the others. Liquid Vol 1 isn't any longer, not enough space, but I can post ones that are missing with a request.

[@Taken804]

So do you love the set of songs or are you commenting on the animation/graphics? If you like this set, be sure to check out DnB vol2...not quite as hard but some awesome songs. Sub so you don't miss upcoming sets and I'm on twitter now if you're interested in following along. Thanks for the props!

[@Taken804]

Thanks Dwayne...and sorry for the delay in responding...sometimes i miss connecting on every one and then I find it weeks later. Appreciate the listen and the support. Up top!

[@Taken804]

Thanks Dimsh...even though I know this mix won't get the run that my neuro sets get, I'm still gonna mix DnB sets because that's what I love. A couple of the tracks in this one are all time favorites of mine, like Push, Mind Feeders, and Leaving Me Out. And I'm on twitter now too, so if you're interested in following along with me as work through new sets and talk about DnB and Breaks....just follow along.

[@alexandrus87]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAYeah!!! Nice mix! )

[@TheDimsh]

Love it ! Thanks !! :]

[@Taken804]

thaaanks!

[@Taken804]

Thanks SF81....that track is classic DnB, no doubt. And wow, how long does it take me? Too long I'm embarrassed to say. There are some extremely talented DJ's out there that can do a better mix on the fly than I can do. But if you really want to know, its a 4 step process for me to get something onto KZbin. First, I spend anywhere from 5 to 8 hours laying out the track list and outlining the transitions. I'm trying to make things tighter so that part is getting more complicated.

[@Taken804]

Thanks Alexander!

[@Taken804]

Dude...I recorded this one at something like 175-180 bpm...I'm not over-clocking it much more than that. And I don't really add any alien elements to the mix. I may loop parts of a track getting in or out of a transition, but I'm not adding beats or synths. But I would like to remix and produce sometime in the near future, I just don't have the components to do that right now. I do appreciate the listen Jake...and the suggestions. Hope you'll stick around...gonna ramp things up for 2013.

[@Taken804]

To feel the same thing I feel when I compile the tracks, to sense the ebb and flow of the tracks of the mix. Like I said, I don't just string tracks together, I spend a lot of time picking the tracks within a set, looking for the right mix, the right tone, because I want to impress. Sounds trite but at this point, I'm making these mixes as much for you guys as me....the positive responses posted here are everything. I don't mind constructive criticism, I'm well aware of faults with each mix.

[@Taken804]

With that on file, I'll burn a CD of the mix and spend a couple of days listening to it. Sometimes that means pulling and replacing some tracks altogether, but I almost always find a few spots where the mix could be better so I take some notes, and sit down to re-record the mix. Again, this will take a couple of hours because I have to get through the whole things again, cleanly, in one session.

[@Taken804]

Finally, I have complete mp3, which is good if all I was doing was going to Soundcloud. But because I didn't want to just post a static photo or art file on top of my mixes, I spend 4 or 5 hours building the animation. There's a background that has to be configured, my logo gets a styling as does the wordmark and set title. Next, I type up all of the track titles and style them as well, then find the transitions in the mix so I can fade them in and out. Rendering all that can take 12-14 hrs.

[@Taken804]

Then, I spend a couple of hours recording. I'm using DJ software so the mixes are done in one long session, no edits. That means if I get 45 minutes in and fuck a transition up, its back to timecode 0:00 and re-record. It usually takes me a couple of tries to get a clean version.

[@Taken804]

Well...as a fan, I honestly get sick of DJ's building a set and sharing it with the world, and then not giving us the tracks. Or if they do, they just list them and you have to figure out which track is the one playing at 34:13 so you can go out and buy it. And I have a media production background so doing the video complement to my mixes is pretty easy. Stay tuned and sub!

[@Taken804]

Thanks Wasdat!

[@Taken804]

Thanks!

[@Taken804]

You are right...in the respect that I'm sharing a part of myself with every mix. I'm not dropping 20 random tracks I downloaded last week, every mix so far has been made up of tracks that I love. That might change down the road...after 20 or 30 mixes. But I'm always going to mix tracks that I like, and if you happen to like them too, well effin' awesome! So what do I get out it? In the beginning, with the first couple of mixes, its was about sharing tracks I love. Cont....

[@Taken804]

Thanks Danny...and I might have a connection for you. Found a track I really like on Soundcloud but I need to reach out to the producer to see if its being distributed. If not, I'll shoot you a link and connection so you can pursue if you like.

[@snowfoxd81]

Personally I think you do a fantastic job at putting together sets.You shouldnt be embarrassed at taking your time with your music.Yes, there are a lot of talented artists that do things quicker then others, but does it mean the quality of what they are doing is any better?! Just because they can do it quick on the fly doesnt mean that its better!! Food for thought :) So much work that you put into all of this and so this leaves me with one question to ask you! What do you get out of doing this?

[@Taken804]

Really? Now maybe you can't see the video or something but the track names are on the screen as they play. At 28:00m, the track is Push by Rawthang...and its one of my all time favorites.

[@hammerhead4079]

I actually like Leaving me out the best to and i also liked the Dom and Ronald one too this mixed is the best though. By the way is this break beat or is this just a drum beat

[@Taken804]

thanks...

[@Taken804]

I appreciate the support Naum..but all my mixes are here, you just can't download from KZbin. I like soundcloud though because people can comment at specific points in a mix....and I really appreciate the feedback.

[@Taken804]

Lol...I feel ya, gives the listener a blank slate, but sometimes the artist wants you hear and feel a specific emotional tone within a track and lyrics can provide that leverage...and sometimes they add lyrics because they think the track needs some more spice, like it's missing something, and it's nothing more than that...I like both styles, but lyrical tracks are harder to produce IMO.

[@snowfoxd81]

Very nice set friend!!! I love Fallin - Raiden On average how long does it take for you to put a set together,mix it then finalize it?

[@snowfoxd81]

Im confused a little!!! Im curious by what you mean in a little bit more detail ;)

[@dubplateriddim]

diverse mix

[@Taken804]

But I've been listening to DnB and Breaks for a long time, and I've heard a lot of "studio" mixes, and I thought I could produce something comparable. So as I've laid out more sets, and gotten responses from people like yourself, its become more about building a mix that is bigger than the sum of its parts. I want you guys to listen to my mixes, and think, "I'd rather listen to those tracks as Taken laid them out, than listen to them individually." I want you guys to listen and come away struck.

[@NieMaChuja]

sory to more smok weed i dont see this bcuz im dancing all time :D

[@NieMaChuja]

what number this song 28:00 ?

[@martintoth3094]

goood

[@snowfoxd81]

I am happy, but wait ummm why am I happy again?

[@jth0mp]

I disagree. Best tracks are the ones without vocals, because then you can actually truly feel how you want to feel without whoever is speaking to tell you how to feel. Ya feel me?

[@Taken804]

too funny...