Hmmm.....
Skydive.... Aldo's third tune..... Judge Jules's wife sang the vocals on that.
I have the original on vinyl.
I sometimes put some mixing software on the pc and knock out a mix, but haven't for about 2 years now.
I used to club DJ, but haven't for a long time.
Here's some advice which you can read, or ignore.
You will never make a mix that everyone likes.
The trick is to have a style that you didn't even realise you came up with, it's just what you liked and whatever sounded good to you, and people ended up loving it too.
That's why there are so many different successful DJ's out there, because we all know how to mix beats and beatmatch and some can scratch, and we can all use various bits of software to help us get new sounds these days, but only
you can hear what you heard in that mix that made it so awesome to you, and only you can replicate that sound and sell it to others.
If you follow me.
For example, Fedde Le Grand: "Put your hands up someone's skirt."
There was a sound whereby the tune actually did nothing for a split second, and that was the hook.
The tiny broken silence in the riff, was the catchy bit, matched with a substantial, meaty kickdrum.
Everyone related to the freshness of the sound, and he was famous all over the place for a bit.
Where is he now then?
No doubt he's DJing and making money doing it, but he hasn't come up with 25 other trax that sound the same and have been successful, because his hook was the first tune, and we all get bored of a sound that isn't fresh when it comes to dance music.
It ages quick.
Sure some of it is timeless, For An Angel, for example, but the majority fades into the distance, and we have that lovely moment in 10 years time where we revisit it for 10 minutes, before remembering how we've passed that phase.
That silence, and that electro dirge, that Fedde had, evolved via Deadmau5, and I would say that he has enjoyed much greater success than Fedde has, but I'm guessing here.
What my point is, is that they both have a sound, a style of sound that is evident in all their mixes.
You can expect to go to a Skrillex gig and hear something completely different to when you go see Laidback Luke, sure, but they are both doing the same thing: using software and tunes to make music.
Well that's what you are trying to do, so be yourself, and you should develop a style all your own without even realising it.
I have mixed everything into everything, and got bored of it eventually.
When I started, I used two belt-drive turntables, a cheap nasty mixer in between them, and my mates HI-FI as it had an AUX input.
We got hold of some dodgy looking vinyl and taught ourselves.
On new years eve 1999, I had 600+ people below me all throwing shapes to Born Slippy/Gouryella as I sliced it up all over the place.
Nowadays I chuck out a CD to some friends when I feel like concentrating for 80 minutes.
Here's what I learned:
DJing will destroy music for some, as you begin to break down every track into it's components to see whether you like the build up, break and breakdown.
Tunes become tools, and music on the whole can lose it's magic, I have found.
Unless you produce, you will lose interest.
When I say produce, I mean get something physical and give it to other people.
Burn a CD or send your mix to mates however, but make people listen, and get feedback.
Not everybody will like your style, that's why there are so many DJ's.
Consider your set, from beginning to end.
Go through your tune selection, pick your favourites for the mix.
You want trax that you will still want to listen to in 18 months time.
I have a CD here that I made in January 2009 that I still carry everywhere and listen to nearly every month, as it's awesome, ahem.
Taking your favourite trax, mix them, then remix them in different orders.
You'll find some trax work so much better if you stick them at the end of that tune, rather than into the start of it.
It's just a case of developing an ear.
Some tunes will always be fillers.
You use them to travel to the next banger.
Don't be ashamed, but get them in there, and then immediately start the next track and get out of that filler tune.
Your set should have a journey to be memorable.
I've been to gigs where you loved every track, but when you got out of there, you couldn't remember any of them.
Then there were evenings when it all calmed down a bit in the middle somewhere, then came straight back at you and punched you in the face! You remember that!
People talk about that!
I've had a quick listen to both your mixes, and being an arrogant sod, I can see where you can both improve.
But who am I to judge?
I might be 🤬 at mixing, and I am sure as hell not going to bother uploading one of my mixes for you two to judge. I'm too old to care.
Aldo's strikes me of someone having a laugh with his equipment, and getting some good, swift tune changes in there, which will help keep interest and the vibe will stay fresh.
Rikki's smax of someone trying to get it right, with a more serious attitude.
I like both styles of music, Aldo's reminds me of Clarkee from back in the day, and Rikki's is more Armin Van Buuren/PVD/LTJ Bukem in it's floatiness.
Remember I am just giving you thoughts from my head, and you are free to ignore me.
Rikki, seeing as you are more keen to hear feedback from what I can gather, I will say this:
Drag your mixes out.
Use the build up of the next tune and the break-down of the current one to mix, rather than throwing it in there.
I am getting a lot of climax crashing when I listen, which is when one tune is nearing a climax or break, and the next one is throwing in it's melody over the top, and you get a clash of sounds.
Might just be me.
Try to go through your tunes, and pick a better order.
Tell a story with them.
Take your time over a set.
I would traditionally set aside 3 hours to mix an 80 minute set when I used vinyl, as it would take me a few attempts to get the order right.
Match your beats and be more subtle in places when gradually mixing from one track to the other.
Mix that up with some WHAM! in your face crossing and keep your audience happy/alive.
Ultimately, don't copy anyone, just do what you like doing, and people will like you if you have a style that is appealing.
If you want to get further in the business, you have to hand out mixes to people.
The human race will always prefer to be given an object to hold, rather than a link to somewhere they wont have time to go to.
Finally, I will say this.
When I wanted to DJ in a club in town, I went to the manager, while the club was open, and asked if I could fetch glasses back in, hang coats, get drinx for staff, help the DJ load/unload for free in turn for being allowed into the club.
I was offering free labour.
No manager will resist if he likes your attitude.
Once you are in, you can slowly work your way into the DJ booth on a Friday, followed by covering for the other DJ when he phones in sick, followed by being more awesome and having more people come to your nights when you play, follwed by being the main DJ of the club, and demanding you are paid for it.
That sort of thing actually worx, if you are prepared to spend the time doing it for free in the first place.
How deep is your passion?
Good luck and remember, be yourself on the dex, don't imitate.
I'll butt out now.
👍
Some styles I have found inspiration from:
USE HEADPHONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also enjoy mixing Hardwell & Romero stuff like that. 
:
