Say no to 60 minutes: Extended DJ sets should be the industry standard - - Mixmag

Say no to 60 minutes: Extended DJ sets should be the industry standard

We need more seven-hour sets; scrap the hour slots

  • Funster
  • 9 February 2017
« Read this article from the beginning

This is where clubs like Berghain and Panorama Bar get it so right. Every set is a minimum of four hours and every DJ, if watched for that amount of time, is given a chance to showcase their sound, selections and personality. Some of the best DJ sets I've ever seen have been in Panorama Bar and aside from the setting and soundsystem, this is down to the length of the set. Seeing Ryan Elliott, a resident of both, roll out slamming house and ambient slow jams in P Bar will go down as one of the best experiences I've had in a club.

It's not just Berlin though, De School in Amsterdam regularly let's its DJs flex their muscles with an extended session – just look at resident Job Jobse. In the newly opened Het Muzieklokaal room he played for 13 hours straight (in support of Syrian refugees) and reports from the night declared the performance as incredible. Back in London, Phonox prides itself on booking DJs to take control of the club all night long, every week. That's the stuff I like to see, artists like Helena Hauff, ItaloJohnson, Hunee and Gerd Janson, all revered selectors, taking full control of a space and making it their own.

Unfortunately not all clubs in the UK operate like Phonox do, on the whole these sort of extended set lengths just aren't the norm. In fact, they're pretty rare. Some of the biggest club brands in the UK, with arguably the biggest line-ups in the country, restrict their bookings to 90 minute sets as a maximum. They are of course contributing to a booming night culture by bringing the best artists in the world over to play but in packing a line-up full to the brim with talent, they are responsible for restraining how far the DJ can really go. 60 minutes just isn't enough time for a DJ to appropriately read the room, find their groove and show a crowd of people what they're really about. 15 incredible names on a line-up is enough for anyone to gasp with delight before rushing to grab a ticket but what's the point of so many amazing DJs almost fighting to show themselves off against each other?

 
 
Next Page »
Loading...
Loading...
Newsletter 2

Mixmag will use the information you provide to send you the Mixmag newsletter using Mailchimp as our marketing platform. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us. By clicking sign me up you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.