Night Slugs Club Constructions - manifesto

[wub]

http://ccc.nightslugs.net/

Tracks are as raw and stripped back as possible, built around one simple idea

Production is gritty and driven. Saturation is encouraged

No melody (3 notes or less)

Tracks are stripped of emotive artefacts, they are not for escapism. They are grounded in the club

Reverb, FX and sound design reflect their environment: small, dark basements or warehouses. Short reverbs are encouraged.

Vocals or vocal samples to be used only if INTEGRAL

[wub]

Examples;

[+] Spoiler

Jam City - Worst Illusion

[+] Spoiler

Helix - Whoosh Ice Dispenser

[exfox]

interested in the community approach, could lead to interesting things

[JensMadsen]

One of the cooler ideas I've heard in a while. It will be interesting to see what things will come out of this - I know I'll try and do some things at least

[bennyfroobs]

this is kinda ancient isnt it? remember reading alex talking about it quite a while ago

edit:

ohhh i didnt see the link!

This is not a contest or a PR stunt. This is a genuine reaction to the way the CC series has developed, the music around us and the demos we receive. This is an attempt to share some of the label's culture.
CCC is currently an open-ended project and we don't know yet whether it will lead to new signings, EP or compilation releases, or simply to new friends and shared ideas. Please submit your Club Constructions and lets find out together!
- Night Slugs, April 2014

sounds like a great idea! bigup night slugs!!!

[bennyfroobs]

pray for NS sake that they dont just recieve 100000 jam city clones though

[nowaysj]

Think that manifesto is internally inconsistent and offensive.

[Samuel_L_Damnson]

I like the ideas behind this tho. just make a straight banger with no fancy bits. thats the dream right?

[fragments]

I dont get the bit about tracks not being escapism and being grounded in the club...isnt clubbing escapism? I can dig some minimal 4x4 stuff...but I would honestly be curious to hear that part be expanded on...will check this out regardless...also the specifics about short reverbs is weird to me...

[wub]

Think that manifesto is internally inconsistent and offensive.

How so?

[nowaysj]

Tracks are stripped of emotive artefacts, they are not for escapism. They are grounded in the club

==

Honestly dude, I don't know if I can be bothered. So uninteresting to even talk about.

Okay...

Suggests that clubs are the most real place, club life is reality. And experiencing emotions is not true, emotions are an escape from reality, the reality of the club, I guess.

I've got bigger fish to fry, but this is just more satanic soul destroying propaganda.

And I can get down with the aesthetic, in a big way. I don't nec wanna hear notey progressions, or drenched reverb, or especially vocals, can't stand em generally. I'm down with the aesthetic, but not the intention behind it, or the arrogance that accompanies it.

[fragments]

^I dunno if I agree with satanic soul destroying propaganda, but it does seem odd or at the very least a poorly thought-out concept.

About to check it out right now, but I kind of LOL'd at that contradiction(?).

Huh, I was kind of expecting a bit of a discussion forum or something for people to interact. Really not trying to be a dick about this or anything. But I am a bit lost now...so people just make tracks, submit them to Night Slugs and then....the tracks just...sit there until they decided to pull some yet unknown trigger on a seemingly half thought out idea?

Not trying to get on that negative vibe, as at base I like the idea of this stripped down club music as a concept I guess I just have questions. I don't know who I expect to answer them.

I guess I get it as in its an opportunity for people to submit music to a bigger label.

[wolf89]

It could at first be seen to ignore the fact that music doesn't have to mean anything to be deeply emotional. Therefore being grounded in the club and stripped of emotive artifacts sounds at first sounds impossible and like it's ignoring what music really is.

However this isn't really true or necessarily the intention.

When you really think about it that's not what it's saying. Instead it's taking pleasure from that fact and It's saying that you shouldn't have to always be using sound to communicate or represent something. The point is surely to be free of the idea that the sounds have to be anything outside of sounds for someone to enjoy them and in this case they are sounds sounds that have been created for the physical response of dancing.

I mean if that's the intention I'm all for it. Narrative-less music that is just to be enjoyed based on how it sounds and how you respond to it.

Maybe I'm looking into this too deeply but it's not unreasonable to suggest that removing all cues towards projecting a personal image or lifestyle and just going with whatever makes you dance is quite a nice and honest approach? None of the "I've got to make music that sounds deep/dark/heavy/euphoric/ghetto/futuristic/old school" thought and more just "I fucked about with the sounds my drum machine made and I had this response to it"

[fragments]

Maybe I'm looking into this too deeply but it's not unreasonable to suggest that removing all cues towards projecting a personal image or lifestyle and just going with whatever makes you dance is quite a nice and honest approach? None of the "I've got to make music that sounds deep/dark/heavy/euphoric/ghetto/futuristic/old school" thought and more just "I fucked about with the sounds my drum machine made and I had this response to it"

I can totally get down with that. Sounds somewhat like the Detroit Techno ethos. Ok, so perhaps poorly worded. I don't think you are looking too deep. I am often surprised, for whatever reason, how intelligent many DJs and Producers are on this kinda academic level.

[wolf89]

I've edited what I said in that post a bit. Realized a couple bits came out completely wrong for a second.

[nowaysj]

Wolf, they should consult you before they write any further manifestos.

[fragments]

TBH I have always secretly called bullshit on the idea that DJ mixes should tell a story. I'm like....da fuck for? I just want to smoke a spliff, have some pints and get sweaty...you know...I dunno what the fuck happened to dance music culture...when all the sudden did dance music have to "mean" something.

[bennyfroobs]

also the specifics about short reverbs is weird to me...

i guess the only reason is that big reverbs fart all over mixes and make them less punchy on club systems ?

[Sharmaji]

this is good.

"manifesto" is a bit of a tortured word.

goals and guidelines make for better music, 100% of the time. Every single college freshman with a 2-4am slot on college radio (including myself) wanted to do a show that was GENRE-FREE and CUTTING EDGE and etc, etc, etc.

and every single one of them, including mine, was godawful until they had a clearer sense of what they were trying to do.

also, night slugs puts out killer records.

[fragments]

also the specifics about short reverbs is weird to me...

i guess the only reason is that big reverbs fart all over mixes and make them less punchy on club systems ?

Yea. That wasn't my exact guess, but I figured it was something more technical like that. The thing is though...I have reverb letting big 100% wet farts all over my music most of the time.