Spencer Brown continues to lead the next generation of the dance music elite. His DJ sets put him in line with the greats before him and his original productions spotlight where electronic music is headed next. Prizing craft over spectacle, he is recognized by legends and peers alike for his floor-filling productions and hypnotic crowd command. Whether he’s whipping up a peak-time festival slot or a nine-hour marathon set, no two Spencer Brown parties are ever the same. 

As a producer, Spencer’s mastery of groove and melody allow him to blend sounds and thrive across genres. In addition to constant output on his own label, diviine, he’s released recent major singles on labels such as Anjunadeep, Bedrock, and Higher Ground. His tracks are  played regularly by the world’s top DJs, including Solomun, deadmau5, John Digweed, Hernan  Cattaneo, Keinemusik, Dubfire, Fisher, Carlita, Carl Cox, Mochakk, and Patrice Bäumel. 

As a DJ, Spencer has reached a point of total dance floor control. After nearly 20 years of  playing live, he can read any crowd and stir up madness on the fly. Recent conquests include career-defining headline shows in the UK, Albania, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, India,  Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil, and Argentina. His North American following is deeper  than ever, with sold-out sets from San Francisco to New York, Miami to Vancouver, Houston to  Calgary. Nearest to his heart is his multishow residency at Stereo Montreal, where he plays 9+  hour marathons in the steps of his inspirations.

Though he’s no stranger to headlining, the artist still has a deep affinity and understanding of the importance of an opening set. For this episode of our Main Mix series, Spencer Brown shares a live recording from his warm-up for none other than Deep Dish in Chicago. What’s more, he gifts us with his insights into crafting a nuanced, slow-burning set that leaves the crowd enthralled yet primed for what comes next.

“I’ve always been a big believer in musical flow. As a DJ, your job is to play the right tracks at the right time. To lock in with the crowd and move together on the same wavelength.

There’s a common misconception that an opening set has to be boring, slow, or overly deep. But going too deep can be just as damaging as going too hard. 

When Dubfire, Sharam, and team Auris in Chicago invited me to support, I was honoured, as I’ve been a longtime fan of Deep Dish. I was on from 11:30pm to 1am, right before their closing set. I built crates specifically for that slot – nothing too banging, nothing too mellow.

I aimed to hit a small “micro peak” around 12:30 or 12:40, then ease the energy back down to set the stage for them. I even left out a few of my recent releases, like ‘Offsides’ and ‘Relentless,’ because they just felt too peak-time for the vibe.

To me, it would’ve been awkward to drop something that aggressive right before Deep Dish, even if I made it and love playing it. Respecting the flow of the night is more important.

One of the best moments was turning around and seeing Dubfire and Sharam vibing to my set. They appreciated the energy I brought: steady, evolving, and ready for them to take over.

We live in a “look at me” era of DJing, where every set is built around big moments for social media. No shade…I get why it happens. But in the long game, what matters more is understanding your role in the bigger picture.

When someone sets me up flawlessly, I’ll often dig into their discography. I might even invite them to play with me again.

Take Paul Deep, for example. He opened for me in Buenos Aires last year with an absolutely beautiful set. I went home, listened to a bunch of his music, bought tracks, and we exchanged info. He’s since delivered a stunning remix for my label diviine, which drops soon.

So if you get the chance to support another artist, do a little homework. Learn what they play, and how they build their sets. People are way more likely to become long-term fans if you lock in their dance, not blow their heads off with 145 BPM drops 10 minutes after doors open.” – Spencer Brown

You can now listen to the recording of Spenver Brown’s mix in Chicago exclusively on When We Dip. Enjoy!

Spencer Brown: Instagram / SoundCloud