EOYC 2012 Community Contest Rules, Info & General Discussion

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Katadunkass said:
11 DJ Pavle - EOYC 2012 Contest
Very solid opening track! Be careful you don't mix the tracks to fast as some of the tracks melodies tends to overlap each other. Again, superb energy and power; A real treat for uplifting fans. Like I said before, a 100% uplifting set lacks some flow, and that's also the problem here. You can still make a very uplifting set with a flow by picking a slower first track and try to build it up from there. Nice set though, enjoyed it!

12 Distant Moon - EOYC 2012 Contest
Great track for a uplifting set, you actually manage to pick a relative slow track as an opener and then pick it up from there. The transition between track 2 and 3 could be a bit better, but overall I think you did a pretty good job at mixing your tracks. Also nice you picked a few vocal tracks. Again, a very uplifting set with difficult transitions, but all in all, pretty good!

13 DJ Alex The Lion - EOYC 2012 Contest
Great to hear an intro mix as it sets the mood for the rest of the set. Oh, and this set is also uplifting! A real treat for uplifting fans so far! Work a bit more on your transitions as some of them lose some energy and ruins the general flow. Try work a bit more on beat-matching as well. I think you did a nice job at picking a bit more unheard of uplifting tracks, for me at least, but it lacks a bit of flow. It constantly travels through the 138BPM journey, which some definitely will approve though.


14 Lucas Deyong - EOYC 2012 Contest
Couldn't download it, unfortunately

15 Isaias Cobos - EOYC 2012 Contest
Nice trackselection and fine mixing at most moments. I would probably reverse the tracklist a bit, but the last two tracks as number 1 and 2, but that's just me. It would create a better flow to the set and make it even more enjoyable. Some of the transitions are a bit messy, but I think you handle it pretty well in general.

16 MiMaMix - EOYC 2012 Contest
'Lots of energy in this one! You know how to pick some high energy and powerful tracks all the way through and keep it at a high BPM all the way through. Be careful with the transitions and mastering of the tracks. The transitions gets a bit to loud at some places and there's a noticeable difference in the overall volume of each track. Your track selection is great though and I know many will like your set!

17 Kimochi - EOYC 2012 Contest
Fine power and energy, again a very uplifting set. You have a great taste for the harder side of the uplifting trance and have a great trackselection. Be careful with the transitions though, they are very long and pretty much appears at the very last of each track. Try pushing the boundaries a bit and make the transitions come sooner; it'll create a better flow and perhaps even make space for one more track.

18 Last Sunlight - EOYC 2012 Contest
Very nice first track, nice energy, but still invites you to a much greater set with even more power. Pretty nice transitions and overall flow, try work a bit more on your mixing skills when the bass is very dominant and beat-matching. You did a fine job at picking the right tracks at the right moment.

19 DJ Yutaka Viper - EOYC 2012
Technically a very fine set with smooth transitions. Not as uplifting as many of the other sets, but still with a lot of energy. Especially the first 30 minutes is great, technically speaking. The transitions gets a bit edgy at the last 30 minutes, when the more banging tracks enters. Uplifting tracks are, as said before, very hard to mix! Keep on practicing!

20 tranzLift - EOYC 2012 Contest
Slow set at around 110 BPM... no really, this is tranzLift, what did you expect? Of course this is a very banging set from the very beginning. Nice to hear some of your own productions too. Some of the transitions are a bit messy because the mixing starts to early. It definitely keeps the energy high, but also ruins the overall flow a bit.

Verdict so far: (Set 1 - 20)
Overall I think everyone did a very nice job. I often complain about a lack of flow, but it can be VERY hard to create a nice flow, when you only have 60 minutes and especially if you stick with one genre all the way through. Mixing uplifting tracks can be very hard and I suggest you to start with 134-136 BPM tracks, just for practice and then work your way up. Many of the sets have been 80-100% uplifting, which I feared a bit from the beginning, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy each set.
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thanks for the good advise, I will try to hit a bit early for the transition in the future :)
 
MyStro023 said:
11. DJ Pavle - EOYC 2012 Contest
· The mood starts off excellent once you kick in your set – Energy out of the gate is really nice. The mix around 07:00 felt a little awkward – not sure if it was off key or just forced at the wrong time. The mixes felt a lot smoother as a whole afterwards, and the energy was a constant. I didn’t recognize a good number of the tracks which was a plus in my book as well, lending that you listen to diverse artists I don’t know myself.


12. Distant Moon - EOYC 2012 Contest
· Interesting Mashup to kick off but I love the second track so I’ll forgive the DT8 Project miscue. :p Too much a fan of the original myself. Leon’s the man so points there.

13. DJ Alex The Lion - EOYC 2012 Contest
· Your blurb about the genre being more commercial than 2005 was disheartening friend. Commercialization does not mean it went to “utter crap.” Frankly, in my own opinion, the attitude permeating so-called “true trance fans” about the stylistic changes across all sub-genres, and the growth of “crap trance” music, is saddening. Instead of simply loving the music you (generic here) love, we’ve resorted to bitter banter about the commercial success of artists whom may or may not have represented the genre in its “glory years.” The argument should be less about commercial success in my opinion, less to do with the genre as a whole, and more to do with the amount of crap out there. When labels got easy access and faster sales in the digital age, yes the quality of a release has dropped, less thought went into caring about a release and nurturing a career, and more important became the ability to turn profits quickly. If an artist really works hard and loves their music, who are we, as an audience, to say it is “crap.” It is their art, and art that gets put out there. Maybe you are upset that the top teir doesn’t love what you do, and that’s okay, it just means that your tastes don’t match those who are popular today.
· You asked what Trance is to me, well --- Trance is a feeling I get inside, a style of music I can lose myself in – be it techy, uplifting, euphoric, progressive, or anything else. Give me mood, melody and a good beat, and if I get lost in it, it may be trance. It may be Tech House or House too. BPM isn’t the be all and end all in my opinion. The style of a breakdown, the energy in a beat and bass line, those are elements of a trance song sure, but they aren’t TRANCE to me alone.
· The artists you list are all of a specific sound, one that personally tends to become very unemotional and static at times. They are, fortunately or unfortunately, a very niche part of the upper end of the BPM range of Trance these days. To be honest, I can only take so much of that in a set – which is why I’m not a huge fan of Aly & Fila or Christopher Lawrence these days. The sets blend into the same thing for two hours. I need a set with variety, sway, uniqueness, and ultimately identity. Many of the productions those artists you fight for in your statement put out very same sounding tune after tune, just like others who may be more “commercial.” Perhaps you like that; perhaps others don’t. It does not mean either are “utter crap,” it just means we have varying tastes.
· Your set has variety initially, and provides a sound that is emotional in its own way on the onset. The Trance community needs more songs like Korean Sunset in my opinion, but the sound is no longer club friendly, which is where the market has disappeared to these days. Halfway through your set, you suffer what I was mentioning above for me – the sound lacks emotion that was apparent earlier in the set. It’s got energy sure, but that’s all it has for me. Maybe I’m just too old school progressive house for this sound, but when all I hear is this sound, it leaves me empty.

14. Lucas Deyong - EOYC 2012 Contest
· Your set started off as a toe-tapper, but then I started losing interest in where it was headed. I suppose it felt like it blended into all the sounds I hear the “big guns” play in some regard. You picked it up with the Nhato track, which was cool to hear. The transition out of Tokyo was a little rough. Most of the set was alright otherwise, I caught nothing too major in it. I’d like to hear you develop your own sound more, and your skills seem plenty good, but watch for the mixes being forced at times.

15. Isaias Cobos - EOYC 2012 Contest
· OUCH on the start – that distortion sound on your opener is mighty painful to the ears. Otherwise the set didn’t do a whole lot for me to distinguish itself. The mixing was fine, but bland at the same time (i.e. all the mix points were expected to me). The track list didn’t contain things I haven’t heard numerous times this year from all sorts of DJs. In fact, I personally dislike the closing track, which really didn’t help your cause. It’s a personal thing, so don’t take it as a knock, I’m just stating an opinion. Overall, it was fine, but not all that unique to me.


16. MiMaMix - EOYC 2012 Contest
· Energetic & Melodic = I like it! The mixes felt a little static at times (the one out of Never Forget comes to mind) but overall there were no big hiccups. I really enjoyed the Ghoerghe Zamfir track – Trance needs more tracks like that in my opinion! Enjoyed the ride a lot on this set to be honest. It flowed, had variety, and brought out my light fingers (light design emulators haha!)


17. Kimochi - EOYC 2012 Contest
· Started off with a great track but that mix about 8:00 in threw all tempo and energy in the set off. Be careful about your mixes – tempo, BPM, pitch, and key are all important to consider when deciding to execute a mix. That mix didn’t play well, especially so early in a set. Watch your levels too, it is very obvious that you are clipping during the second track (or your “mastering compression” is really distorting the sound). The D&B break in the track was neat though. It’s obvious that you also love the high energy end of trance including those that touch into the Psy-Trance end. You bring a decent variety to a sound I’m not overly familiar with too, which was nice. The mix around 21:00 was a little sloppy in that it didn’t feel timed quite right. Keep working on your mixing – It’ll get there! The heavy use of Flanger in almost every track does get a bit old. Mix up you effects a bit more and help give variety to your set / performance!
· Advice for everyone - An old radio adage comes to mind – RED IS DEAD! Stay out of the reds and you’ll be okay. Why so many DJs think they should be there I don’t know, but it is clear that they have no clue what actually happens in the red zone – even well-known DJs. Loudness doesn’t make music sound better!

18. Last Sunlight - EOYC 2012 Contest
· I expect I’ll hear a bunch of the tracks you chose during the EOYC here on AH.fm. Sadly, that leads me to vote for others with a wider spectrum of variety. I’d love to hear a great range of Trance and Progressive and Tech here during the EOYC to see more brought across the station as a whole. That being said, your sound was very clean and the mixes seemed alright on the whole. The mix never really grabbed me, but it wasn’t bad in any way. I think I’ve just heard so many of the tracks so much this year that it didn’t grab my ear in any specific way. That also means your mixes were clean so good job!

19. DJ Yutaka Viper - EOYC 2012
· Beautiful choice of an opening track – I first heard this track played by Sied van Riel at Beyond Wonderland for ASOT550 – it instantly left me impacted. The first two tracks really set up the set well, and it was well mixed. Unfortunately, by ¾ of the way through the set I started to drift and wanted to hear other thing sounds. I can’t place why exactly, but it just seemed to happen. Still, from an overall stand point I though the set worked well.

20. tranzLift - EOYC 2012 Contest
· The set really wasn’t my personal flavor of trance, so I never really got into it. That mix around 12:30 to 13:15 was really messy, which caught me well off guard. Can’t really comment much more than that, I just never got into it and never felt like it was emotional or anything. Lots of energy and speed in it, so plus there for the sound you like. =0)


21. Trancer - EOYC 2012 Contest
· Definitely energetic right out of the gate. Mana’s been a popular tune this year so I’m not surprised I heard it in a set here again. The tracks you selected were diverse (gotta love Fireisland and Paladin is a great tune too!) and the vibe the set gets from the start is great. Definitely had the vibe of old school trance nights to me – I could picture the night going crazy. Cool set!
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thanks for the great advise,I am just an amateur and it's good for you to point out the things I need to improve. I agree that the RED can be too loud, and I will be more care and mix down the level...I will working on the transition as well, when I get more practice :)

Thanks to taking your time to listen my set, and I wish you the wish result in this contest
 
Sorry guys. I really have to apologize for the mix i submitted for this years competition. I only heard about it an hour before 100 spaces were filled and didn't have time to submit a competition mix. I submitted a mix i did messing about with few new tunes i got that week. Because of this i don't expect to win a spot this year. I wish all the best to the guys who put effort and time into their mixes. There is a lot of talent out there and i wish i had the time to showcase mine :) Good luck to everyone who entered. :)
 
an_dr_ey said:
So far...
Alex The Lion: very nice set, great tracks, massive transition
DJ Yutaka Viper - first half is quite boring but second one... BANG, you used a massive track for starting uplifting part :)
Galin Rashkov - unbelieveable uplifting set, amazing tracks you used, really enjoyed it
Isaias Cobos - another massive great set!!
Kimochi - really enjoyed your set mate, you got very good style for trance :)
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I am glad you enjoy my set ^_^
 
I noticed bit of musical racism here in this thread LOL Uplifting is not only and not best trance sub genere to date LOL Many of non+uplifty submissions tops 140bpm sets with most votes in many ways LOL
 
More to post:

46. Cosmin Man - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • I really liked the quirky opening track. I really enjoyed this set curse. You played plenty of track I had no clue of, lost me in the mindset of the mix, and really did an excellent job of providing mood, energy, and flow overall. Sure, I knew some of the tracks, and a couple were huge, but you provided a mix that looked through a number of crates. Good job mate!

47. Project Offset - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • Good set, no glaring issues here either. The set was diverse in sound and had flow. I didn’t get pulled in that much, but the overall presentation worked well in my opinion. I enjoyed that you played a wide range of styles in the set while still sticking to what came from the heart. Good call!

48. Pulse Origin - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • Psy-Trance playing out at its finest. I’ve never been heavy into Psy, so you’ll have to take my comments with that filter. Mixing seemed alright, I never heard any major issues. Energy was a constant but that is no surprise considering your style choice. I enjoyed the set, and could feel myself grooving during it, though I also never got lost into it. Still trying to decide, but the overall presentation was good, and I feel you have a shot at a vote from me. I really liked hearing some obscure vocal bits and samples in the tracks (The Matrix and the Drill things made me chuckle in a good way). It was also neat to hear a couple of big tunes retooled into the style you presented here (Dogzilla and AvB remixes)

49. S.K.Y. - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • Not bad SKY but I didn’t feel your set really offered all that much more than what I hear on AH regularly. It was a good mix of labels from two families really, which was nice as they put out good tunes. The technical side was clean but not engaging really for me. I can’t fault you for a decent set and a good sound; you even threw Leon in there to entice me, but I don’t think I’ll be voting just because I want to hear more variety of sounds here. Keep mixing, and work on finding your heart in the way you mix.

50. TranceMitor (Stalvart John) - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • Your set was alright mate, but kind of felt like above - tracks I hear on the shows around here or other stations a lot. That mix into Ja’i Envie De Toi was a little rough. Your track selection includes a lot of Top hits of the year, and I was glad to see Solarstone made your list for the mix. The mixing itself just needs to be cleaned up more in my opinion. Keep working on it!

51. Mardouk - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • Definitely a variety of sounds just looking at the labels you picked – good job! I wound up playing some Diablo 3 while listening and your sets varied atmosphere kept me focused and moving – both in game and in real life in my chair LOL. Overall, the mixes were fine, though a few felt a bit long and there were no noticeable clashes. Again, I liked the variety your set brought, so well done!

52. Alpha-Dog - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • This should come as no surprise to Alpha, but his and my tastes do differ. I’m glad to see you still doing what you love dude! Mixes were nice and clean, music was stuff I’ve no clue about LOL. Definitely on the energetic side, it was cool to finally sit down and listen critically to your stuff. Your sound is definitely more unique compared to the sets I’ve been hearing in the competition. The thing is, it doesn’t pull me in enough to make me want to go for it. Just our tastes being what they are I figure. Good staying true to your passion though dude!

53. John Senak - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • Fast and furious mixing on this one. Your set has a huge amount of energy because of it, but I’m not sure I get into it enough to enjoy. There were definitely some great tracks in this mix (Go FALCONS!). A lot of the time I’m not sure where to focus on your mix though, as I don’t see progression and just hear constant drops and energy riffs. While I can see a packed floor at the onset of the set, I see it emptying fairly quickly too because people never get the chance to breathe.

54. Vel - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • Your intro is really basic, and could have used a bit more, I don’t know, pizazz? The track itself is really pretty though. It has emotion and the waves of calm awesome I love in this music, while still keeping a good beat! The mixes later on in the set start to get a bit less clean, or perhaps a little quicker and less focused. Keep your ears in there when mixing and keep up the work of selecting a plethora of sounds you love.

55. Matii G - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • Good tracks, and clean mixes, but for whatever reason I don’t know why the first half sounds like so many other sets. It’s plagued me this whole contest that so many sets feature the same exact tracks. You’ve got tracks that are fresh and others that were big throughout the year, but they don’t seem to branch out much until the end of your set. I’d rather hear more of your closing sounds than the front half personally.

56. DanceMission - EOYC 2012

  • Cool mood right out of the gate – I loved the progression from track one to track two. Overall the progression of your set is really spot-on in my opinion. I love the inclusion of Fortuna as that track was one I hear a lot for good reasons! The one downside however to the set as a whole is that it is very Armada centric in my opinion. You chose good tracks out of the catalog, but you never really feel like you venture too far from their norm sound. I would love to see a bit more variety in your track choices in the future.

57. Trancepharaoh - EOYC 2012 Contest

  • Oh my gosh, I actually forgot I was listening while doing work to your set and forgot to comment! LOL. Sorry about that. The set itself actually flows pretty well, and I expected it to be a lot heavier considering your location and username. The front suffers the “Armada focus” to me, and could do with some more variety. I looked for more progression as the set went on and it got there, but I never was grabbed by it. I was hearing it without listening if that makes sense. Can’t say if it was simply a factor of work or something else.

58. dj_waxi - EOYC 2012

  • Some great tunes in this one right here. Not sure I’m sold on the mashups yet. I liked hearing some songs from a few years back. Be careful about key clashing by the way – that can totally throw the mood of your set off and push prospective listeners away.
 
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