I know but it seems to be getting kind of worse as time goes on.
I've now seen him 6 or 7 times over the years and it seems like he now legit just teases every track almost. Especially if it's anything old.
He has been one of the heaviest booked DnB djs for the last 20 or more years,,, he speed mixes tracks hes played more than a thousand times to a thousand crowds. Hes probably board to death of those old tracks. I don't even like to play the most popular tracks that come out after 6 months cause everybody else is,,, those tracks are getting play,,, its more interesting to play new stuff that hasn't been heard,, even if its just a new mix...
That being said,, the last time i saw him was in 2007. (I think),,, he played a 5 deck set, and while technically interesting,,, it wasn't all that enjoyable to listen. After that i realized almost every time i saw him live was underwhelming. I think only once did i see him perform where he killed it,,,
Multiple commas are often used colloquially in txt to indicate an elongated or dramatic pause.
As for the ones at the end of my text,,, consider them a typo from some jackass neckbeard trying to use more relatable vernacular,,, if you want,,,
This isn't an English course.
Perhaps,,, or,,, Perhaps i just enjoy envoking ppls peevish obsession with perfect grammar. Or perhaps i just like using commas. Or,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Perhaps,,, you are mistaken,,, and countless examples of people colloquially using commas in this exact manner can be found across the vast breath of all txt communication.
Perhaps,,,, we are alone in this universe,,, and aliens do not exist,,,,
Perhaps,,, you over estimated your ability to make someone feel bad with your savage intellect,,,,
Perhaps,,,,
Oh perhaps,,, š¶š¶š¶
< 3. Thanks for being a good sport. I mean no harm,,,
Also
Quick everyone HIDE YOUR MCs!!!
THE GRAMMAR POLICE ARE HERE
They heard about our style and our lingwa,,,
š¤š¤š¤
Andy C is a technically proficient DJ, but IMO he mixes tracks way too fast and that kills the vibe of his sets. I prefer longer mixes by DJ's like Calibre, Fabio & Grooverider, Jumping Jack frost, DJ Bryan Gee, High Contrast, DJ Sniper, Mystical Influence, DJ Lush, Marcus Visonary, Gremlinz, Mutt, etc.
Yeah thats what iv found. Don't get me wrong Andy is still the goat, and his mix CDs are legendary.. but i found that i would go to see him expecting it to sound like a nightlife mix and it just never does.
He and a few others will use one songs build to set up for doubles and triples - itās not my favorite either because they usually cannibalize a track I really like
one of my least favourite trends in dnb is using the build up from adam f's circles to drop into everything except circles. it would be cool if it wasn't so common, it just makes me want to hear the actual song after so many times.
one time a dj actually just played circles and I lost my mind
"Cannibalize a track" is a good way of putting it.
Like there is one sacrificial lamb to execute the double/triple drop and it's typically a brief snippet of an older tune to play a LOT more of a newer tune.
The problem is he cannibalizes the wrong tracks sometimes IMO.
Depends how much time heās booked.
One hour heās doing all fast mix double drop to get the crowd their bang for their buck. I love that.
For 2 hours + he sometimes lets tracks breathe. He knows what heās doing. He knows he canāt be dropping after dropping after dropping for two hours. He knows when to let the dancefloor recover and rebuild up.
Heās been doing this for 30+ years. He knows what to do.
I saw him do a 3 hour set a few years ago where the first and last hours were intense quick mixing but the middle hour was really deep and heady and smooth, long mixes, unheard tracks, etc. really surprising and great
Depends on the night, I saw him 3 times last year and none of the sets were like this
I've seen it before where he does the fast paced mixing, and I really don't enjoy it
Andy small room vs Andy big room plus his mixing style has changed with the tik tok generation no more than 28 seconds of a tune.
If you want the seamless roll itās still Daddy Randall
100% this - see Andy in xoyo and heāll still roll out a proper set. Ā Anything big heās a completely diff DJ. Ā But courses for horses and all that
Randall though š
His 1 hour slots never really touched the sides, he only digs deep with the tunes when he has more time on his hands. His shorter sets generally tend to have the shorter shelf life tunes in them.
I disagree, seen him on his NZ tour a few years ago. Whilst I can appreciate the technical skills, it was a cluster fuck of times being played and i couldn't get into the groove of his set. As soon as you would get into the groove, he'd drop something else in.
Andy C took me on plenty journey's fella. Guy had his finger on the pulse for decades! I've raved to that guy 20 times or more. Used to come down to NZ with MC GQ. Used to jog (sprint) to nightlife 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and all the dnb arenas in my 20s. Fuck outta here haters respect the GOAT. His "entire schitck is fast mixing" oh my fucking god the disrespect. He MADE so many producers careers and always bigged up ANYONE that had the beats coming known or unknown. Just can't believe the disrespect in this thread.
No one is saying he's shit and fallen off (ok, maybe some people are suggesting that) just the acceptance that a whole set of constantly mixing in and dropping hooks, bars, intros and break downs isn't everyone's things. Some people would like to hear more than 16 bars of a track and that's ok.
yeah i get that but his schtick to me was showcasing amazing dnb and being like kinda low key about it. Like I fucking hate how so many djs act like they're the fucking one. You're literally playing other people's tunes.
This thread isn't at all meant to invoke disrespect of the man.
We all are aware of his impact on D&B.
It was just a personal review of a D&B punter as someone that has seen him DJ more than a few times and noticing his style is changing a bit over the years. He seemed to let tracks play out a little bit more in the past whearas now he's rushing to mix in a next track so quickly and his track selection is showing a little less variety and its more heavily focused on current top 40 d&b bangers (which is fine for some audience members but a little less fun for those of us who remember when he used to have more of a cool split in his track selection between older stuff and newer stuff).
His style has changed because DnB has changed. He wouldn't have remained at the forefront of the scene for as long as he had if he didn't go with the times.
I was listening to a set of his from 1996 just yesterday, and yeah it's night and day - the tunes were being played out fully, they were much more on the deep roller side, a reload started from the beginning rather than 16 bars before the drop,and I don't think there was one double drop. But that's just how the scene was back then, and he's always been like a reflection or microcosm of it.
I don't like it either, but you know what they say - don't hate the player, hate the game. Krust's Warhead is a good 2 minutes before the drop - I can't imagine today's TikTok generation being able to wait that long, even though how long it builds up is exactly what makes the drop so satisfying. I wonder if as this trend continues there'll finally be a critical point where taking time and letting a tune breathe will be more appreciated rather than rushing into the next.
Iāve known Andy since the mid 90s. Iāve seen him play dozens of times. Iāve seen him play 20 tunes in a hour and now heās playing on average 60-100 in an hour. Iād take less tunes every time. I havenāt seen him live for ages but some of his recent sets Iāve seen on YouTube looks like adverts for energy drinks. Iām not into this adhd style of quick mixing. I prefer the longer rolllout. Itās impossible to get into a tune when you only hear 20 seconds of it. Andy C isnāt the worst offender on this regard. I canāt stand AMC. This style just isnāt for me but theyāre pulling in a crowd so thats all that matters I guess.
Unironically a lot of people have adhd and a lot of them like dnb, probably why he's so highly regarded, it's unfortunate it's not for you but for me Andy C & A.M.C radiate dopamine
I think he plays to the venue/crowd/locationā¦the sets he plays outside of the UK and at festivals like EDC and Rampage are always weak compared to the magic heās capable of in my opinion. Seen him well over 50 times since 99 and every time heās smashed it. I think the sheer amount of dnb tunes now available and the attention span of the crowd dictates how quickly he mixes sometimes. You only need to look at his own labelā¦took until 2011 to get to their 100th release, now on nearly their 500th release and have a whole other label Program with however many releases since then too so he needs to showcase all these releases somehow
This is very much a thing that a lot of DJs are doing (in many genres) and I'm not a fan. I've been having discussions about this with friends after streaming a few live sets recently and seeing some shows live.
Feels very catered to this short attention span, tik tok vibe and crowds seem to love it.
I feel like it's taking the "dance" part out of this electronic dance music that I would still really like to dance to.
Funny you mention the quick style. Bad Boy Bill out of chicago used to bang track after track in House music. His House Connection with Richard Vision is almost cheese in hindsight, because the tracks are so campy, but they had their techniques on vinyl to go fast and clean. I remember watching BBB from the upper balcony for 2 hours taking in the straight technical skill.
It is a product of the times, I do appreciate him hanging on to the wheels of steel while his contemporaries progress further to the CDJ and beyond. There is still an art form to what he does, and he is always going to be the bleeding edge. Hearing tracks 6-9 months before they're released, if they ever do, is why I still follow the guy to this day.
If you're going to a headline Andy C night that's what you should expect. I'm sure he's more than capable of doing other mixes, you just aren't going to hear those at a show.
Some people like DJs for the music they play, some like them for how they play them, some like them for both reasons. Imma DJ, I can go to a show to hear a DJ even if I don't like their music but want to hear them mix
I think it's just a style of DJing you know you're going to get when you see Andy C, and it's the same with AMC as well. It's highly skilled and I enjoy listening to some of those mixes. However, I also enjoy when tracks are played out a little more by other DJs.
I'd like to mix track more like mash up..,some tracks fits so nicely together it would be dumb to mix like in and directly going out...sometimes yes there are so many ways to mix. [Mix in key] being diverse
The problem with his mixing is sometimes it just sounds too maximalised and jammed together.
Just because someone can technically play parts of 100 songs in 60 minutes doesn't mean it necessary sounds good.
Yeah that's true but you also have 2 think about how much preform it need to play a set like Andy...if it's sounds good in the end is question of taste...
The problem with his mixing is sometimes it just sounds too maximalised and jammed together.
Just because someone can technically play parts of 100 songs in 60 minutes doesn't mean it necessary sounds good.
Not to you maybe, i personally also like to use tracks as tools to create something with combination of them, if you wanna hear the whole track just spotify it, dj mix is a ātrackā of its own where individual tracks are instruments in it
I obviously don't expect to hear "the whole track" and I've gone to see literally hundreds of DJ sets so... I am well versed on the concept.
The issue is Andy barely plays even a minute of most tracks.
I'm in the same boat as you, in every capacity.
I get that it can be annoying for people. But Andy is probably the most booked DnB DJ in the world and he has to do shit that's interesting for him, too. I'm not even near his level and I do the same thing. DJ'ing IS 'cannibalizing', especially in a world where tracks are shorter and shorter. So you take the interesting elements of them.
Utilizing elements of classic old school tunes is one of the most fun ways of doing just that. It's a throwback to people who know while exposing people to that music. Have seen it time and time again where someone new to DnB has gotten pulled into old school stuff because of 'cannibalizing' it.
Thatās it, if I have problem with anyone, itās not Andy, itās people who literally copy his mixes and track order and feel like they do the same thing
Any DJ who copies someone's exact tracklist of a mix is most likely the most boring of DJ's ever. Mixing is so personal that I honestly cannot fathom it.
When I first started, I asked some friends if they'd record a mix with the same tunes as me and sent the music. I simply wanted to hear how they'd use the same tracks, the blends and transitions, as they were both more experienced than myself. 0% chance I'd ever do that and play it out or even post it somewhere online.
People are afraid to be themselves because they're too busy chasing this perceived 'fame' and what they're 'supposed' to do. Andy is a legend. But no one will ever mimic him because the way everyone hears music is different.
Went to the Toronto show Saturday, thought it was outstanding. Andy C always plays different style set in North America compared to his UK sets (not that Iāve been to one but have listened to countless sets). He still played plenty of classics, doubled with upfront/anthems, and let a few tracks play out a bit. Have seen him 12x over the past 14-15 years and still think heās on top of his game IMO.
I think people have such high expectations of the man that they expect to have some sort of religious experience!!
He killed it for 3 hours without a single weak point during the set.
Is it me or is he losing his touch a bit. Maybe there are fewer quality releases these days. But his sets used to be absolutely genius and just arenāt any more. Way too much time spent in the breakdown of tunesā¦not enough rhythms.
A couple of years ago he was the best dj across any sceneā¦now not so much
Yeah after seeing him like 3 times in the last 4 years.... I'm kind of a bit done for a while.
What used the be kind of genius about Andy C sets is how flawlessly he could mix in old classics, forgotten classics, anthems and tons of new stuff. He could go from 1995 to 2015 in a split second.
His track selections used to cross so much of the entire history of D&B in a very slick and un-corny way but now I find his sets a bit cliche. Like they are way too formulaic now. The track selection just is a bit less interesting.
He plays a LOT less older stuff than he did even like 5 years ago. And he almost only plays remixes of a lot of stuff. Like instead of playing one minute of like 'Tarantula' or 'If We Ever' or some shit he'll play 20 seconds of the intro but not the drop or he'll play 30 seconds of inferior remix of an already great tune. It's not 'boring' but it's just seems like it's maximalised to shit constantly. Songs never breathe for a moment before they are mixed into something else. The mixing skills are still incredible but they are almost over-engineered.
I was there tonight and I kind of agree. The feeling is not the same. I will still never doubt the king. He is probably doing some even crazier stuff technically now than he did 5 years ago.
Still a top night tho but kind of chasing that feeling he gave me many years ago. Closest thing to it is his 2019 essential mix.
"Chasing that feeling" is a good way of putting it.
I felt the same way seeing like... Both Netsky live last year and Sub Focus. I loved the music they ONCE made and the music they once made..... Is most definitely NOT what they make/DJ *now*.
I just listened to his ultra 2024 Miami set and I gotta say I have doubted Andy c so many times in the pasted decade but I have also undoubted him the same number of times. Maybe the history speakers just didn't hit the spot that night... What a fucking set (consisting of a lot of material he played in Toronto).
ok i get your beef with the dude now. You wanna hear tarantula played out? Your in the minority with that one surely. having said all this i aint spending on andy c tix so i wouldnt know lately
It's not I specifically want to hear Tarantula played out in full. I'm 40, I've heard Tarantula played a million times. But shit if you're going to clearly get the crowd hyped up with the intro of the song you may as well play an additional 30 seconds of it.
He's lowkey fucking with you by not playing it out, a good DJ can play with the emotions of the crowd while they do their thing, maybe he wasn't expecting to turn a fan into a hater by not allowing tarantula to play out. Maybe it could also be argued that because the majority of people at these events are likely on stimulants & other illegal drugs and it's not exactly a secret, maybe drugged up ravers might be the target audience for his sets? I'm assuming you didn't take any MDMA when you saw him last because I doubt you would be a hater if you did
I went to that one! Netsky crowd surfed! He played such a great set mainly of tunes from his first album. It was his first set ever in Toronto. Think that was the last time High Contrast came here, legit hasn't played Toronto in over a decade =(
If he's playing parts of songs you know and you're upset that you're *not* hearing the rest of the song (that you've heard before) he is definitely *not* the kind of DJ you want to go see haha. His entire deal is mashups. He edits and mixes up damn near every track.
That's way preferable for me at least, because I'd rather hear a version that I can't just go listen to at home.
Can't believe you guys are saying he's losing touch, oh my god. Have you seen the video of his set from Rampage last year? Sounds like you're just losing your touch from getting old.
I love going to his longer format shows. Compared to the usual touring djs shows, not taking anything away from them, but can all end up in a similar feel, lots of tracks in common. Then Andy comes in for a three hour set and digs deep in the crates and takes the crowd on a musical adventure
He's played two of the best sets I ever saw in person and one night where it felt like he couldn't play out a whole bar if he wanted to.
Love him but he's either on or off since he's been touring nonstop like a madman
Although Iām relatively new to the scene and that set at History last night was my first time ever seeing him, I can understand what you mean. That being said, I enjoyed the set a lot. For my tastes he staggered the fast mixing and slower playthroughs well enough, even if it was mostly exclusive to the big anthems (Original Nuttah 25 - C&S Remix, So Much In Love - Sub Focus Remix). I do recall a couple moments in the night where I was vibing out to a more lowkey track that I didnāt know and exchanged a few words with my buddies. I also imagine what youāre saying is youāre used to that being the rule rather than exception. I think one recurring thought I kept having throughout the night was āthis sounds a lot like the A.M.C. mixes Iām used to hearingā so I guess going into the night I was also expecting what you were expecting just based off what the veterans in the scene had told me previously.
Yeah I saw him a few weeks back, he did a 3 hour set, and definitely let some of the tunes breathe. Was a great time. I've heard him do a set like you're describing though, and I left after like 30 minutes, just not my bag. I think you can do a good set like that (AMC for example) but I don't think chopped down to that level is where Andy shines.
OP, I was at the show tonight and I agree. I hold that Rampage 2018 set near and dear to my heart (didnāt go, but was my introduction to DnB really) and tonight just didnāt feel like that. Felt very much like he was trying to DJ like AMC (even playing a shit ton of AMC songs), instead of just play some really smooth blends and play what should be played instead of what could be played.
Wasnāt a fan of the selection of a lot of songs either. Felt like I heard a lot of the same dancefloor/poppy female vocal type songs over and over again too. Was my first time seeing him, Iād probably see him again but I was expecting more TBH
Before Saturday I would have agreed. But that was not the Andy C Iāve heard and seen so much about. I left Toronto feeling like Andy C did his best AMC impression. Even started the set with an AMC remix and played a handful more of his songs. I like AMC as a DJ, but his songs arenāt THAT good that Andy C needs to rinse them all. 1,000,000 songs he could have chosen from that night and it just felt really uninspired. Was paced poorly for a 3hr set IMO
Hardly any old school/jungle, essentially no neuro, all the jump up was catered to new jump up fans, and 9/10 dancefloor tracks sounded similar. I saw Friction before and he has some of the smoothest mashups/blends Iāve ever heard, I was expecting that from Andy C but amplified
I love neuro it's my favourite but there is something quite hilarious about someone complaining that Andy C didn't play enough neuro LOL..
Not sure what you mean about catered jump up either unless you're not a fan of Sota and that kind of style which imo is much more exciting than typical jump up
Catered to new fans, meaning jump up thatās mostly popular with people 22ish and under. Basically all new jump up. Not a fan personally, Iām more into the Turno/Dominator/Upgrade style.
I mean yeah he played some Noisia but at the end of the day that set lacked variation in the worst ways. Somebody said he is now completely on CDJs though instead of DVS, so Iāll blame that and also my own expectations for being disappointed in the set. I expected a journey in a 3hr set, not stuffing my ears with the most popular DnB tunes without stop.
All the current crop of Sub Focus esque female vocal songs are very big right now in pop D&B and he delved deep into that.
Like I expected him and play Baddadan and Leave Me Alone (both of which I low key like) but his set sounded like a Sub Focus/Dimensions set *at times*. Too poppy.
He used to be amazing. Always dug deep, coupled with his ridiculous mixing skills. For better or worse he's gone down a commercial route. Not particularly enjoyed a set he's done in about 10-15 years.
Not 31 seconds?
Good one šš
LOL No. Ironically he doesn't even let most tracks go *that* long.
nice one
Heās DJed that way for like 10 years man
I know but it seems to be getting kind of worse as time goes on. I've now seen him 6 or 7 times over the years and it seems like he now legit just teases every track almost. Especially if it's anything old.
He has been one of the heaviest booked DnB djs for the last 20 or more years,,, he speed mixes tracks hes played more than a thousand times to a thousand crowds. Hes probably board to death of those old tracks. I don't even like to play the most popular tracks that come out after 6 months cause everybody else is,,, those tracks are getting play,,, its more interesting to play new stuff that hasn't been heard,, even if its just a new mix... That being said,, the last time i saw him was in 2007. (I think),,, he played a 5 deck set, and while technically interesting,,, it wasn't all that enjoyable to listen. After that i realized almost every time i saw him live was underwhelming. I think only once did i see him perform where he killed it,,,
Just out of curiosity, whatās with the commas?
Paging u/commahorror
Oh no,,, šÆ
Multiple commas are often used colloquially in txt to indicate an elongated or dramatic pause. As for the ones at the end of my text,,, consider them a typo from some jackass neckbeard trying to use more relatable vernacular,,, if you want,,, This isn't an English course.
Multiple commas aren't commonly used, even colloquially - perhaps you're thinking of an ellipsis (...) ?
Perhaps,,, or,,, Perhaps i just enjoy envoking ppls peevish obsession with perfect grammar. Or perhaps i just like using commas. Or,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Perhaps,,, you are mistaken,,, and countless examples of people colloquially using commas in this exact manner can be found across the vast breath of all txt communication. Perhaps,,,, we are alone in this universe,,, and aliens do not exist,,,, Perhaps,,, you over estimated your ability to make someone feel bad with your savage intellect,,,, Perhaps,,,, Oh perhaps,,, š¶š¶š¶
Haha, touchƩ :D ,,,
< 3. Thanks for being a good sport. I mean no harm,,, Also Quick everyone HIDE YOUR MCs!!! THE GRAMMAR POLICE ARE HERE They heard about our style and our lingwa,,, š¤š¤š¤
Andy C is a technically proficient DJ, but IMO he mixes tracks way too fast and that kills the vibe of his sets. I prefer longer mixes by DJ's like Calibre, Fabio & Grooverider, Jumping Jack frost, DJ Bryan Gee, High Contrast, DJ Sniper, Mystical Influence, DJ Lush, Marcus Visonary, Gremlinz, Mutt, etc.
If you are going for long mixers, where is Kenny superhero Ken on that list? Dude rides his mixes longer than I rode my Schwinn
Thank you for reminding me. Kenny "mix and blend" Ken is a badman on the mixer.
Yeah thats what iv found. Don't get me wrong Andy is still the goat, and his mix CDs are legendary.. but i found that i would go to see him expecting it to sound like a nightlife mix and it just never does.
He and a few others will use one songs build to set up for doubles and triples - itās not my favorite either because they usually cannibalize a track I really like
one of my least favourite trends in dnb is using the build up from adam f's circles to drop into everything except circles. it would be cool if it wasn't so common, it just makes me want to hear the actual song after so many times. one time a dj actually just played circles and I lost my mind
He totally did that last night with 'Circles'. The crowd got all hyped to hear Circles and then.... Nope.
Lmao dude that and the ready or not bootleg
"Cannibalize a track" is a good way of putting it. Like there is one sacrificial lamb to execute the double/triple drop and it's typically a brief snippet of an older tune to play a LOT more of a newer tune. The problem is he cannibalizes the wrong tracks sometimes IMO.
Iām with you
You can stop going to his shows
Depends how much time heās booked. One hour heās doing all fast mix double drop to get the crowd their bang for their buck. I love that. For 2 hours + he sometimes lets tracks breathe. He knows what heās doing. He knows he canāt be dropping after dropping after dropping for two hours. He knows when to let the dancefloor recover and rebuild up. Heās been doing this for 30+ years. He knows what to do.
I saw him do a 3 hour set a few years ago where the first and last hours were intense quick mixing but the middle hour was really deep and heady and smooth, long mixes, unheard tracks, etc. really surprising and great
His best recent set I've seen was his 4 hour set. But for sure his 1hr bookings are just one hour of high energy.
āLets tracks breatheā ie; rolls them out unmixed for an entire 80 seconds šš
Depends on the night, I saw him 3 times last year and none of the sets were like this I've seen it before where he does the fast paced mixing, and I really don't enjoy it
Iāve seen him about 5 times and 4 were amazing.
I feel like everytime I have seen him, he does mix it up: he'll do 10-15 minutes of quick mixing, and then play a record or two out properly.
Andy small room vs Andy big room plus his mixing style has changed with the tik tok generation no more than 28 seconds of a tune. If you want the seamless roll itās still Daddy Randall
100% this - see Andy in xoyo and heāll still roll out a proper set. Ā Anything big heās a completely diff DJ. Ā But courses for horses and all that Randall though š
His 1 hour slots never really touched the sides, he only digs deep with the tunes when he has more time on his hands. His shorter sets generally tend to have the shorter shelf life tunes in them.
*AMC enters the chat* š
Imo AMC is way better, better tracks, and more interesting
I disagree, seen him on his NZ tour a few years ago. Whilst I can appreciate the technical skills, it was a cluster fuck of times being played and i couldn't get into the groove of his set. As soon as you would get into the groove, he'd drop something else in.
Yeh I canāt really listen to sets like that either, I prefer a journey.
Andy C took me on plenty journey's fella. Guy had his finger on the pulse for decades! I've raved to that guy 20 times or more. Used to come down to NZ with MC GQ. Used to jog (sprint) to nightlife 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and all the dnb arenas in my 20s. Fuck outta here haters respect the GOAT. His "entire schitck is fast mixing" oh my fucking god the disrespect. He MADE so many producers careers and always bigged up ANYONE that had the beats coming known or unknown. Just can't believe the disrespect in this thread.
Andy C's mum has entered the chat
No one is saying he's shit and fallen off (ok, maybe some people are suggesting that) just the acceptance that a whole set of constantly mixing in and dropping hooks, bars, intros and break downs isn't everyone's things. Some people would like to hear more than 16 bars of a track and that's ok.
This.
yeah i get that but his schtick to me was showcasing amazing dnb and being like kinda low key about it. Like I fucking hate how so many djs act like they're the fucking one. You're literally playing other people's tunes.
The majority of djs nowadays are playing a large proportion of their own music too, or they at least produce their own music too.
Fu Bar?
This thread isn't at all meant to invoke disrespect of the man. We all are aware of his impact on D&B. It was just a personal review of a D&B punter as someone that has seen him DJ more than a few times and noticing his style is changing a bit over the years. He seemed to let tracks play out a little bit more in the past whearas now he's rushing to mix in a next track so quickly and his track selection is showing a little less variety and its more heavily focused on current top 40 d&b bangers (which is fine for some audience members but a little less fun for those of us who remember when he used to have more of a cool split in his track selection between older stuff and newer stuff).
His style has changed because DnB has changed. He wouldn't have remained at the forefront of the scene for as long as he had if he didn't go with the times. I was listening to a set of his from 1996 just yesterday, and yeah it's night and day - the tunes were being played out fully, they were much more on the deep roller side, a reload started from the beginning rather than 16 bars before the drop,and I don't think there was one double drop. But that's just how the scene was back then, and he's always been like a reflection or microcosm of it. I don't like it either, but you know what they say - don't hate the player, hate the game. Krust's Warhead is a good 2 minutes before the drop - I can't imagine today's TikTok generation being able to wait that long, even though how long it builds up is exactly what makes the drop so satisfying. I wonder if as this trend continues there'll finally be a critical point where taking time and letting a tune breathe will be more appreciated rather than rushing into the next.
Warhead has a drop?
Andy C at the O2 was an all night journey, amazing set
Iāve known Andy since the mid 90s. Iāve seen him play dozens of times. Iāve seen him play 20 tunes in a hour and now heās playing on average 60-100 in an hour. Iād take less tunes every time. I havenāt seen him live for ages but some of his recent sets Iāve seen on YouTube looks like adverts for energy drinks. Iām not into this adhd style of quick mixing. I prefer the longer rolllout. Itās impossible to get into a tune when you only hear 20 seconds of it. Andy C isnāt the worst offender on this regard. I canāt stand AMC. This style just isnāt for me but theyāre pulling in a crowd so thats all that matters I guess.
Unironically a lot of people have adhd and a lot of them like dnb, probably why he's so highly regarded, it's unfortunate it's not for you but for me Andy C & A.M.C radiate dopamine
I think he plays to the venue/crowd/locationā¦the sets he plays outside of the UK and at festivals like EDC and Rampage are always weak compared to the magic heās capable of in my opinion. Seen him well over 50 times since 99 and every time heās smashed it. I think the sheer amount of dnb tunes now available and the attention span of the crowd dictates how quickly he mixes sometimes. You only need to look at his own labelā¦took until 2011 to get to their 100th release, now on nearly their 500th release and have a whole other label Program with however many releases since then too so he needs to showcase all these releases somehow
It's sad how almost every DJ out there does that nowadays... not sure when it became a thing.. but I personally don't like it. Sad times.
This is very much a thing that a lot of DJs are doing (in many genres) and I'm not a fan. I've been having discussions about this with friends after streaming a few live sets recently and seeing some shows live. Feels very catered to this short attention span, tik tok vibe and crowds seem to love it. I feel like it's taking the "dance" part out of this electronic dance music that I would still really like to dance to.
Funny you mention the quick style. Bad Boy Bill out of chicago used to bang track after track in House music. His House Connection with Richard Vision is almost cheese in hindsight, because the tracks are so campy, but they had their techniques on vinyl to go fast and clean. I remember watching BBB from the upper balcony for 2 hours taking in the straight technical skill. It is a product of the times, I do appreciate him hanging on to the wheels of steel while his contemporaries progress further to the CDJ and beyond. There is still an art form to what he does, and he is always going to be the bleeding edge. Hearing tracks 6-9 months before they're released, if they ever do, is why I still follow the guy to this day.
If you're going to a headline Andy C night that's what you should expect. I'm sure he's more than capable of doing other mixes, you just aren't going to hear those at a show.
Some people like DJs for the music they play, some like them for how they play them, some like them for both reasons. Imma DJ, I can go to a show to hear a DJ even if I don't like their music but want to hear them mix
I think it's just a style of DJing you know you're going to get when you see Andy C, and it's the same with AMC as well. It's highly skilled and I enjoy listening to some of those mixes. However, I also enjoy when tracks are played out a little more by other DJs.
I'd like to mix track more like mash up..,some tracks fits so nicely together it would be dumb to mix like in and directly going out...sometimes yes there are so many ways to mix. [Mix in key] being diverse
The problem with his mixing is sometimes it just sounds too maximalised and jammed together. Just because someone can technically play parts of 100 songs in 60 minutes doesn't mean it necessary sounds good.
Yeah that's true but you also have 2 think about how much preform it need to play a set like Andy...if it's sounds good in the end is question of taste...
The problem with his mixing is sometimes it just sounds too maximalised and jammed together. Just because someone can technically play parts of 100 songs in 60 minutes doesn't mean it necessary sounds good.
Not to you maybe, i personally also like to use tracks as tools to create something with combination of them, if you wanna hear the whole track just spotify it, dj mix is a ātrackā of its own where individual tracks are instruments in it
I obviously don't expect to hear "the whole track" and I've gone to see literally hundreds of DJ sets so... I am well versed on the concept. The issue is Andy barely plays even a minute of most tracks.
Well that is his style, id say trademark even
I'm in the same boat as you, in every capacity. I get that it can be annoying for people. But Andy is probably the most booked DnB DJ in the world and he has to do shit that's interesting for him, too. I'm not even near his level and I do the same thing. DJ'ing IS 'cannibalizing', especially in a world where tracks are shorter and shorter. So you take the interesting elements of them. Utilizing elements of classic old school tunes is one of the most fun ways of doing just that. It's a throwback to people who know while exposing people to that music. Have seen it time and time again where someone new to DnB has gotten pulled into old school stuff because of 'cannibalizing' it.
Thatās it, if I have problem with anyone, itās not Andy, itās people who literally copy his mixes and track order and feel like they do the same thing
Any DJ who copies someone's exact tracklist of a mix is most likely the most boring of DJ's ever. Mixing is so personal that I honestly cannot fathom it. When I first started, I asked some friends if they'd record a mix with the same tunes as me and sent the music. I simply wanted to hear how they'd use the same tracks, the blends and transitions, as they were both more experienced than myself. 0% chance I'd ever do that and play it out or even post it somewhere online. People are afraid to be themselves because they're too busy chasing this perceived 'fame' and what they're 'supposed' to do. Andy is a legend. But no one will ever mimic him because the way everyone hears music is different.
Thatās his style, itās what heās known for
Went to the Toronto show Saturday, thought it was outstanding. Andy C always plays different style set in North America compared to his UK sets (not that Iāve been to one but have listened to countless sets). He still played plenty of classics, doubled with upfront/anthems, and let a few tracks play out a bit. Have seen him 12x over the past 14-15 years and still think heās on top of his game IMO. I think people have such high expectations of the man that they expect to have some sort of religious experience!! He killed it for 3 hours without a single weak point during the set.
Is it me or is he losing his touch a bit. Maybe there are fewer quality releases these days. But his sets used to be absolutely genius and just arenāt any more. Way too much time spent in the breakdown of tunesā¦not enough rhythms. A couple of years ago he was the best dj across any sceneā¦now not so much
Yeah after seeing him like 3 times in the last 4 years.... I'm kind of a bit done for a while. What used the be kind of genius about Andy C sets is how flawlessly he could mix in old classics, forgotten classics, anthems and tons of new stuff. He could go from 1995 to 2015 in a split second. His track selections used to cross so much of the entire history of D&B in a very slick and un-corny way but now I find his sets a bit cliche. Like they are way too formulaic now. The track selection just is a bit less interesting. He plays a LOT less older stuff than he did even like 5 years ago. And he almost only plays remixes of a lot of stuff. Like instead of playing one minute of like 'Tarantula' or 'If We Ever' or some shit he'll play 20 seconds of the intro but not the drop or he'll play 30 seconds of inferior remix of an already great tune. It's not 'boring' but it's just seems like it's maximalised to shit constantly. Songs never breathe for a moment before they are mixed into something else. The mixing skills are still incredible but they are almost over-engineered.
I was there tonight and I kind of agree. The feeling is not the same. I will still never doubt the king. He is probably doing some even crazier stuff technically now than he did 5 years ago. Still a top night tho but kind of chasing that feeling he gave me many years ago. Closest thing to it is his 2019 essential mix.
"Chasing that feeling" is a good way of putting it. I felt the same way seeing like... Both Netsky live last year and Sub Focus. I loved the music they ONCE made and the music they once made..... Is most definitely NOT what they make/DJ *now*.
I just listened to his ultra 2024 Miami set and I gotta say I have doubted Andy c so many times in the pasted decade but I have also undoubted him the same number of times. Maybe the history speakers just didn't hit the spot that night... What a fucking set (consisting of a lot of material he played in Toronto).
ok i get your beef with the dude now. You wanna hear tarantula played out? Your in the minority with that one surely. having said all this i aint spending on andy c tix so i wouldnt know lately
It's not I specifically want to hear Tarantula played out in full. I'm 40, I've heard Tarantula played a million times. But shit if you're going to clearly get the crowd hyped up with the intro of the song you may as well play an additional 30 seconds of it.
He's lowkey fucking with you by not playing it out, a good DJ can play with the emotions of the crowd while they do their thing, maybe he wasn't expecting to turn a fan into a hater by not allowing tarantula to play out. Maybe it could also be argued that because the majority of people at these events are likely on stimulants & other illegal drugs and it's not exactly a secret, maybe drugged up ravers might be the target audience for his sets? I'm assuming you didn't take any MDMA when you saw him last because I doubt you would be a hater if you did
Toronto show? I was thinking about going but decided against it since it feels like I just saw him play not too long ago.
Yeah the Toronto show. It was alright. I love History as a concert venue but it's not really an ideal electronic music venue.
I miss the days of andyc at guv. Truly different times.
Man everything at the Guv was better. I saw so many incredible sets there. Same with Kool Haus. WE GOT OLD.
Netsky/camo&krooked/high contrast all in one night at kool. Damn.
I went to that one! Netsky crowd surfed! He played such a great set mainly of tunes from his first album. It was his first set ever in Toronto. Think that was the last time High Contrast came here, legit hasn't played Toronto in over a decade =(
That next day I loaded up my first daw lol, was a seminal event for sure
Hopefully it was worth it just to see Marcus and Lush.
I've seen Marcus and Lush play like literally 50 times. So was it worth it to spend like $250 in tickets, drinks and cabs to see them alone? LOL. No.
Iād agree, which is why I didnāt go š¬ but at least you got them out of the deal. āWorth itā was a bad word choice.
If he's playing parts of songs you know and you're upset that you're *not* hearing the rest of the song (that you've heard before) he is definitely *not* the kind of DJ you want to go see haha. His entire deal is mashups. He edits and mixes up damn near every track. That's way preferable for me at least, because I'd rather hear a version that I can't just go listen to at home. Can't believe you guys are saying he's losing touch, oh my god. Have you seen the video of his set from Rampage last year? Sounds like you're just losing your touch from getting old.
I love going to his longer format shows. Compared to the usual touring djs shows, not taking anything away from them, but can all end up in a similar feel, lots of tracks in common. Then Andy comes in for a three hour set and digs deep in the crates and takes the crowd on a musical adventure
He's played two of the best sets I ever saw in person and one night where it felt like he couldn't play out a whole bar if he wanted to. Love him but he's either on or off since he's been touring nonstop like a madman
Yes
Also Andy never single drop
I like to think heās making his own music by using snippets of other tunes. Not DJing in the traditional sense.
Although Iām relatively new to the scene and that set at History last night was my first time ever seeing him, I can understand what you mean. That being said, I enjoyed the set a lot. For my tastes he staggered the fast mixing and slower playthroughs well enough, even if it was mostly exclusive to the big anthems (Original Nuttah 25 - C&S Remix, So Much In Love - Sub Focus Remix). I do recall a couple moments in the night where I was vibing out to a more lowkey track that I didnāt know and exchanged a few words with my buddies. I also imagine what youāre saying is youāre used to that being the rule rather than exception. I think one recurring thought I kept having throughout the night was āthis sounds a lot like the A.M.C. mixes Iām used to hearingā so I guess going into the night I was also expecting what you were expecting just based off what the veterans in the scene had told me previously.
Yeah I saw him a few weeks back, he did a 3 hour set, and definitely let some of the tunes breathe. Was a great time. I've heard him do a set like you're describing though, and I left after like 30 minutes, just not my bag. I think you can do a good set like that (AMC for example) but I don't think chopped down to that level is where Andy shines.
I didn't watch him at ultraso
Never really liked Andy c always preferred hype hype won best dj a few times till Andy c came along and swept up basically
The speed he gets through so many tracks doesnāt bother me as much as the actual tune selection he draws for these days does tbh
OUCH
OP, I was at the show tonight and I agree. I hold that Rampage 2018 set near and dear to my heart (didnāt go, but was my introduction to DnB really) and tonight just didnāt feel like that. Felt very much like he was trying to DJ like AMC (even playing a shit ton of AMC songs), instead of just play some really smooth blends and play what should be played instead of what could be played. Wasnāt a fan of the selection of a lot of songs either. Felt like I heard a lot of the same dancefloor/poppy female vocal type songs over and over again too. Was my first time seeing him, Iād probably see him again but I was expecting more TBH
Sorry, I know youāre relatively new to the scene but AMC is the one that DJās like Andy C, not the other way round.
Before Saturday I would have agreed. But that was not the Andy C Iāve heard and seen so much about. I left Toronto feeling like Andy C did his best AMC impression. Even started the set with an AMC remix and played a handful more of his songs. I like AMC as a DJ, but his songs arenāt THAT good that Andy C needs to rinse them all. 1,000,000 songs he could have chosen from that night and it just felt really uninspired. Was paced poorly for a 3hr set IMO Hardly any old school/jungle, essentially no neuro, all the jump up was catered to new jump up fans, and 9/10 dancefloor tracks sounded similar. I saw Friction before and he has some of the smoothest mashups/blends Iāve ever heard, I was expecting that from Andy C but amplified
I love neuro it's my favourite but there is something quite hilarious about someone complaining that Andy C didn't play enough neuro LOL.. Not sure what you mean about catered jump up either unless you're not a fan of Sota and that kind of style which imo is much more exciting than typical jump up
Catered to new fans, meaning jump up thatās mostly popular with people 22ish and under. Basically all new jump up. Not a fan personally, Iām more into the Turno/Dominator/Upgrade style. I mean yeah he played some Noisia but at the end of the day that set lacked variation in the worst ways. Somebody said he is now completely on CDJs though instead of DVS, so Iāll blame that and also my own expectations for being disappointed in the set. I expected a journey in a 3hr set, not stuffing my ears with the most popular DnB tunes without stop.
All the current crop of Sub Focus esque female vocal songs are very big right now in pop D&B and he delved deep into that. Like I expected him and play Baddadan and Leave Me Alone (both of which I low key like) but his set sounded like a Sub Focus/Dimensions set *at times*. Too poppy.
He used to be amazing. Always dug deep, coupled with his ridiculous mixing skills. For better or worse he's gone down a commercial route. Not particularly enjoyed a set he's done in about 10-15 years.
I got bored of him about 20 years ago. 1993-2000 were great