A promoter in San Salvador said my sets had "no room to breathe" so I started leaving 32 bars empty
I was playing a 90 minute set at a bar in San Salvador and a promoter pulled me aside after and said the crowd looked tired because I never let a track ride. So for my next show I forced myself to let each track play for at least 32 bars before mixing out, and the room stayed packed the whole night. Has anyone else had someone point out that you are overworking the mix and actually been glad they did?
Forcing 32 bars every single track is just as lazy as never letting one ride, the crowd wants you to read the room not follow a stopwatch. I'd rather play to the energy than hit some magic bar count a promoter pulled out of thin air.