listening habits affecting your production/writing style

[d0us]

Hi all,

I've been thinking about how I have been structuring certain tracks for a bit and I have noticed that my listening habits over the last year has been affecting my choices.

More specifically, long sessions of listening to mixes has had an impact. I was doing this unconsciously but after getting used to listening to one track directly being mixed into another's drop I have started to write tracks that mimic this. So basically my tracks are basically a series of drops. I guess it's like a bad hardcore band making songs with nothing but breakdowns.

I guess this is useful for creaitng large livesets but if people ask me "oh what track did you play in the middle" all I cantell them is..."well it's just one big song dude".

anyone else find themselves doing this?

I can't get out of the habit! Maybe I should stop listening to mix tapes!

[archer]

Maybe I should stop listening to mix tapes!

this might help

[kaiori breathe]

Find an artist you really like, doesn't have to be dubstep, in fact if it's not dubstep that's probably even better, and just listen to them on loop for a week, should pull you out of the habit.

[hasezwei]

Maybe I should stop listening to mix tapes!

this might help

actually, no. simply listening to other mixtapes instead could do the deal.
if you're annoyed by the whole buildup/drop thing in your tunes, find some music that doesn't rely on it. that could be anything, techno influenced dubstep, acid house, stoner rock, dub, hiphop... now that you've reminded me i should really listen to tool again, they're all about the psychedelia of repetition and subtle progression. oh, and isis.

[d0us]

Cheers!

Thing is I really like it and kinda addicted to it!

It's not so much the build-up/drop thing that is the main problem...it's that I kinda got addicted to one track 'dropping' straight into the drop of a different track with a different style.

I'm not quite sure if it's a bad thing or not. Basically having a song with 2 different styles/timings in one for example

[symmetricalsounds]

... now that you've reminded me i should really listen to tool again,

listen to tool and faith no more, regardless of whether you like them or not that should sort your issues out.

[3za]

Find an artist you really like, doesn't have to be dubstep, in fact if it's not dubstep that's probably even better, and just listen to them on loop for a week, should pull you out of the habit.

when i listen to aphex twin, after i always want to make music

[arktrix45hz]

Oh, and isis.

Kings of ambient metal without a doubt. (cue some tart chiming in with "nah mate, wolves in the throne room" etc. ha)

Isis for brilliant riffs and progressions, Sunn 0))) for atmospheric space and crushing sub bass frequencies, Explosions In The Sky for melody and serious abuse of delay pedals.

[AJGR]

... now that you've reminded me i should really listen to tool again,

listen to tool and faith no more, regardless of whether you like them or not that should sort your issues out.

it's all about Mr Bungle

[-[2]DAY_-]

it's all about Mr Bungle

[symmetricalsounds]

... now that you've reminded me i should really listen to tool again,

listen to tool and faith no more, regardless of whether you like them or not that should sort your issues out.

it's all about Mr Bungle

mr bungle are awesome, but you just can't fuck with FNM.

[AJGR]

simply, Mike Patton = musical genius

[Kochari]

Find an artist you really like, doesn't have to be dubstep, in fact if it's not dubstep that's probably even better, and just listen to them on loop for a week, should pull you out of the habit.

when i listen to aphex twin, after i always want to make music

Thanks for posting this

[legend4ry]

Find an artist you really like, doesn't have to be dubstep, in fact if it's not dubstep that's probably even better, and just listen to them on loop for a week, should pull you out of the habit.

when i listen to aphex twin, after i always want to make music

Thats my favourite song, ever.


And music doesn't really influence music at all musically as consciously as making me repeat structures I just go with the tune, where ever that might be. I tend to stay in 16 bars but if I want a breakdown 8 bars after the drop for 16 bars I do it.

[3za]

Thats my favourite song, ever.

what you like that even more than this.

[legend4ry]

Thats my favourite song, ever.

what you like that even more than this.

Not any more! Those vocals. , absolutely breath taking.

[3za]

Not any more! Those vocals. , absolutely breath taking.

best vocal work ever at 1:46

[hasezwei]

Not any more! Those vocals. , absolutely breath taking.

best vocal work ever at 1:46

uh... what? well he's better than me probably, i only sing when i'm drunk as fuck so i don't know but still, ain't this a bit embarassing? won't the kids at high school laugh at him?

it wasn't even bad enough to be funny

[daft cunt]

anyone else find themselves doing this?

I can't get out of the habit! Maybe I should stop listening to mix tapes!

Yeah when I started producing I also was only listening to mixtapes and had absolutely no sense of structure. Believe me this kind of bad habit is persistent, get rid of it asap

Seriously, you don't have to stop listening to mixtapes but start listening to tunes that are not mixed.
Most dubstep is kinda formulaic structure wise tho : 16/32 bars intro -> 64 bars main part (possibly with a 16 bars bridge in the middle) -> 16 bars breakdown -> 64 bars main part variation -> 32 bars outro.
Obviously, you don't have to stick to that but that's a good starting point.