Most people think a DJ just throws on songs they like, when assembling a “set” for a show, but what I do for KGOD is more like assembling a spell or mixing a cake batter.
I start by rounding up about twenty somehow related tracks for the morning set. I’m not trying to “prove” anything with it. I’m trying to create an arc — a sequence that has a mood, a flow, and a kind of emotional logic.
First I listen for the tone of the day. Some mornings feel sharp and restless. Some mornings feel heavy. Some mornings feel like a fresh clean wind. That’s the first step: get the idea of what kind of inner weather we’re dealing with.
Then I begin choosing songs like ingredients. Each one has a flavor — not just tempo and instrumentation, but a hidden emotional signature. A song can feel like courage, nostalgia, mischief, tenderness, grit, release. Even two versions of the same lyrics can hit completely differently depending on the singer and the band.
Once I’ve got a small pile of good candidates, the real work begins: compatibility.
Compatibility doesn’t mean the songs are similar. It means they belong together. Sometimes they match in key, groove, or era. But sometimes they match because they answer each other — one song opens a door, the next song walks through it. The first track might stir the room up. The next track might soothe it. Or the first might be humorous and the second suddenly turns profound.
That’s when a set starts to have mood.
Mood is not just “happy” or “sad.” Mood is the overall emotional gravity of the sequence. A good set has a personality. It knows what it is. And if it’s done right, it starts carrying the listener — not forcing them, just guiding them along a path.
A trick I use is building little clusters: two-song or three-song combinations that work like a unit. If the Zoom room feels scattered, a good combo can gather everybody up again. If the room is too intense, a combo can soften it. If the room is sleepy, a combo can kick the lights on.
And then when the songs are ready, I stop thinking about it.
The whole point is to let the music take over.
That’s what a KGOD morning set really is: a chosen sequence of sound designed to shift the state of mind — gently, playfully, and with as little talking as possible.
I can store the “set sheet” and use it again in a few weeks, months or years.
This morning’s set took me 3 1/2 hours to put together. There’s no way to do it faster, and that has to be okay for you if you want to be a DJ.
Of course, the songs were already displayed on my hard drive, ready to play.
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Here’s the Bardo bus, waiting for us at the curb! Climb aboard and grab a seat!
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See You At The Top!!!
gorby