DJ Matías
Collector, connoisseur and DJ of Argentine tango music
Style & concept
The music selection and sets of DJ Matías are strictly traditional as in an authentical milonga in Buenos Aires like Club Sunderland, El Beso, Cachirulo, Porteño y Bailarín, La Baldosa and Niño Bien.
The presentation of the music is typically structured in tandas and cortinas.
A tanda is a set of music which usually consists of three to four recordings of the
- same orchestra (with typically the same singer);
- from the same time period;
- with the same melodic character and rhythmic style.
Moreover, the recordings should feature roughly the
- same pace and speed as well as a
- similar sound quality and volume level.
Usually, the traditional T-T-M-T-T-V tanda scheme is employed (T = tango, M = milonga, V = vals).
A lot of care, passion and expertise are devoted to the balanced selection, composition and overall flow of the tandas. The organization of the tandas can be described as follows:
- Micro structure: The recordings within a tanda are arranged as: clue → tension → spice → climax. The first track (which may be called “clue”) is selected to be typical for the mood of the whole tanda. So the dancers know what to expect next which may help them to choose the appropriate dancing partner. The second piece (“tension”) is usually similar to the first one and helps to sustain the energetic level. The third recording (“spice”) can be used to modify the emotional intensity and the dynamics of the tanda. It may also be (but must not be) a rather rare and special gem or a sophisticated recording for experienced dancers. The last track (“climax”) delivers the emotional highlight and invites the dancers for the next tanda;
- Macro structure: The sequential arrangement of tandas with a different character may be used as a tool to create energetic and emotional “waves”. For example, a rather big “wave” is generated by continuously changing the character of the tandas from soft rhythmic → hard rhythmic → playful → melodic → lyric → romantic → dramatic. Of course, the “waves” can be split up in smaller units in order to provide a more lively set of musical variety;
- Meta structure: The succession of different dynamic “waves” controls the overall flow and energy of the event. Depending on the duration of the DJ set, one or two dramatic climaxes can be created. The “finale” may be cheerful, romantic or dramatic, depending on the type and the character of the event.
The tandas are separated by cortinas, i.e. short and cheerful pieces of music with a style not adequate for tango dancing. A cortina serves as a
- transition element (“bridge”) between the tandas as well as a
- signal (“traffic light”) to guide the dancers through the event.
The energy of the cortina is used to match and inspire the mood and atmosphere on the dance floor.
As a creative trademark of DJ Matías, the cortinas may consist of sequential segments carved out of one song during its progression. So a series of cortinas of the same musical origin is created which provides an evolving atmosphere when moving forward in time:
segment #1 → segment #2 → segment #3 → … → segment #n.
Familiarity of style, but without repetition. As a key programming tool, the cortinas are carefully chosen and prepared to enhance the flow and energy of the event.