Giving art meaning

[dameonxz]

Okay so all my tracks and artwork having no apparent meaning or "concept"

Now usually I'm just tryin to make the track that makes you wanna dance and art that looks trippy as fuck but I'm trying to create a greater concept to my creative expression.

I was gonna start ganking samples off old albums I like for inspiration but any tips??

Sources of inspiration are welcome too =]

[wub]

You can produce without having a concept behind what you're doing - sometimes a tune is just a tune.


That being said, inspiration comes from whereever. My advice would be to watch/listen/read as many different things as you can - albums, films, books etc - and keep a notepad next to you at all times.

Anything that triggers something in your head, make a note of it. Bits of a story you like, film samples and when they occur in the film, obscure album tracks to sample.

[Sonika]

Honestly in my experience if I try too hard for inspiration, I just end up stressed as fuck with no tune to speak of

[dameonxz]

You can produce without having a concept behind what you're doing - sometimes a tune is just a tune.


That being said, inspiration comes from whereever. My advice would be to watch/listen/read as many different things as you can - albums, films, books etc - and keep a notepad next to you at all times.

Anything that triggers something in your head, make a note of it. Bits of a story you like, film samples and when they occur in the film, obscure album tracks to sample.

Thx for the reply. When I sit down to produce I don't have a concept but when I listen to pro tracks I feel like there's a definite thought or idea that is the driving force. I keep meaning to bring a notebook but I always forget. Just got a smartphone so ima keep track on that

[PeriKardium]

Yea, as wub said, inspiration can come from anywhere, and it doesn't have to be a specific story, it can be a thought, and that thought can develop while you are making a tune. Trying to hard to find inspiration and having a concept will leave you no where (that old joke of trying to look to deep into something "this trash can represents the fall of mankind and stuff!"). Even if you write a simple 8 bar melody, take a step back, listen to it, and ask yourself why did you write that? What does it remind you of?

These sort of things are extremely conceptual and are often hard to really give advice for since it's all up the person's own psychology to figure it out. Just don't stress over it, and you will be finding things that make you want to write!

[benjam]

^ nice post

[hutyluty]

think about something really sad

[coogcoo]

think about something really sad

[+3]

Go to a bookstore.

Look at the covers, the artwork, smell the paper... flip through graphic novels, print design mags, music & audio engineering mags... dont even read them. Just absorb the creativity of it all... The gloss on the pages. The smell of roasted coffee, the faint clicking of laptop keyboards in the background... The glowing street lamps outside... The rain on the windows...

Inspiration.

[kurtdaniel]

true to life experiences are the best concepts for recording.. its what our dance teacher in our dance classes taught us..

[mitchAUS]

smell the paper...

[bassinine]

art has meaning on its own.

lets say your angry and make a track. it will turn out differently than if you were sad, for example. let's say someone ELSE makes the track - it will end up different. this is obvious, but my point is that your track has meaning based on who made it, when it was made, and what was going on in the artists life at the time of production.

it's the listener who will attribute meaning to your track.

[nowaysj]

You don't make the meaning in your artwork, your listener makes the meaning. Give them enough to work with and let them go.

[didi]

turn off the lights.

^Probably the weirdest advice I've given, but I always produce with the main lights (not the desk lights) off. Not that it makes my tracks darker or anything. Just I write easier.

Most likely it's all just in my head, but find what works for you.

[joegrizzly]

You don't make the meaning in your artwork, your listener makes the meaning. Give them enough to work with and let them go.

Nicely said

[Turnipish_Thoughts]

Meaning is created by the audience. That's the point of art imo.

[bassinine]

it's the listener who will attribute meaning to your track.

You don't make the meaning in your artwork, your listener makes the meaning. Give them enough to work with and let them go.

You don't make the meaning in your artwork, your listener makes the meaning. Give them enough to work with and let them go.

Nicely said

i found that funny

[joegrizzly]

Edit: I need a joint

[dubesteppe]

since you enjoy making trippy art, why not design a piece of music to coincide with that art work. if you need some inspiration check these out Soundcloud Soundcloud Soundcloud

[nowaysj]

i found that funny

What was funny ?