Mixing & Performance

Reload / Rewind

Restarting a track from the top live, usually in response to crowd demand.

A reload (also called a rewind or wheel-up) is a live performance move where the DJ spins back or restarts the playing track from its beginning, typically triggered by crowd energy or a request to hear an anthem again. On vinyl it is performed by physically spinning the platter back; on CDJs and controllers it is done with the track restart or loop function.

Why it matters

A well-timed reload is a crowd-interaction tool that signals the DJ is paying attention to the room. In genres like dancehall, jungle, and UK garage it is a formal performance convention; in house and techno it is used more sparingly for peak moments.

Track Transitions

Related terms

Needle Drop Hot Cue Peak Time Jog Wheel

More in Mixing & Performance

Beatgrid Waveform Quantize Hot Cue Memory Cue Loop Roll Slip Mode Pitch Fader

Frequently asked questions

It means the DJ physically or digitally spins the record back to the beginning and restarts it, usually because the crowd reaction is so strong that they want to hear the intro again. In soundsystem and bashment culture it is one of the highest compliments a DJ can receive.

They describe the same action but come from slightly different scenes. Rewind is the older vinyl term used in UK garage and dancehall, referring to the physical act of rewinding the platter. Reload is more common in drum and bass, but both mean restarting the track from the top in response to crowd demand.

Press the cue or track-start button to jump to the beginning instantly, or use the jog wheel to spin backward for a more theatrical vinyl-style effect. Many DJs also use a brake effect or cut the fader before rewinding to create a dramatic stop before the restart.

Hey, it's Ben Modigell 👋

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I DJ and produce as so I so — downtempo, minimal, dub house, tech house, and techno (releases on Spotify and SoundCloud, links above). Everything I write here comes from my own gigs, studio sessions, and library cleanups: the rules I follow, the failure modes I've actually hit, and the workflow I use when nobody's watching. If a technique didn't earn its place in my own sets, it doesn't make it into a tutorial.

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