two oh one wrote:Would you rather make an inspired track that's a bit ropey in the polish dept, or a perfectly polished, yet ultimately forgettable piece of disposable sound entertainment? What are you aiming at? Perfectly polished yawn, or a good tune?
On here, I'd rather make sound entertainment. I'm enormously shy about sharing my own stuff online, because I would hate it if I posted a tune and people went "Nice tune, but you need to compress the snare a bit..." or whatever. It's like getting dressed up for a hot date and leaving the house without realising you've got your jacket tucked into your underpants.
Back in real life, I get that it doesn't matter how a good tune
sounds. The Beatles spent months in Abbey Road, but their songs still sound great bashed out on an acoustic guitar at 5am when you're off your face. Just about every punk band went into a studio, bashing through a few tracks, ran it to tape straight from the mixer and made classic records. Electronic artists I love like MF Doom, early Hive, early Aphex Twin, they all sound like their stuff comes straight out of the sampler, it's so raw and perfect.
What is a good tune? How would you define that?
It's memorable. And that's pretty much it. Music covers such a wide range of everything, I wouldn't want to limit it by enforcing a tighter definition. A good tune sticks in your head, for whatever reason.
Why do we see endless threads about compression and levels and making specific sounds that you have heard elsewhere, yet no threads about the actual creation, inspiration and psychology of music? What it means, what it does? How it feels?
I don't know, but I wish it was that way. When I got into dubstep, and made my way here, that's what I was expecting. The dubstep I was listening to; Vex'd, Distance, Kode9, Burial, Joker, Cluekid, it all had that kind of rawness from the first post. And it had musical merit as well, it wasn't just chromatic synth chops and tight beats like the dnb I was listening to, it was fluid, it had shape, it moved, more than any other electronic genre I'd heard. It was experimental, yet it was dancable. It gave me faith that kids in their bedrooms could make interesting music. And if they were making interesting music, they would be making interesting forum posts.
But things have got kind of stale recently, and the same questions are getting asked, and the same piss is being taken, and you all know how it is. But it shouldn't be, like the first post said, everything that's being asked can be answered by either Google searching or by taking an hour or two, even a day, and figuring it out for yourself. I'm only too happy to help n00bs, we were all n00bs once. I even answer "how do I do this?" or "here, listen to this and tell me what you think" PMs from strangers on here. I've got a wealth of technical knowledge in my head (being modest) and I'm only too happy to share it.
But I'm not getting what I need in return. (continues...)
Are you into the ART, or simply just the CRAFT?
Musical knowledge is my greatest weakness. Not necessarily theory, because that's just formulas and learning, and I can do that, but actually expressing oneself through those formulas and patterns. I've been through girlfriend after girlfriend who says I'm not in touch with my emotions, and they're so right. Everything I make sounds either happy-clappy, like happy hardcore or jump-up, or really sad and depressing, but in a really bland way. And I cannot manage other emotions in my music, I cannot do menacing, or soulful, or how you feel while you're getting dressed to go out, or any other emotion I want my music to convey. And that's what I need help with from a forum like this, that's what got me here in the first place.
To answer the question, it is all about the craft for me, but I'm trying real hard to make it about the art.
What is music to you? Is it a bunch of loops where you create the impression of progression in a track by turning them on and off? Can good music be simple? Do things have to be so intricate?
Yes good music can be that simple. One of my very favourite tracks is Vletrmx21 by Autechre, which is just a simple synthesized string progression, repeated over a 7 minute track. Repetition is just as important as variation. I love tracks which build on repeating themes, but there is a fine line between repetition and monotony, which is something else I struggle with.
What is the main focus of your tracks? How is your stuff going to be remembered in 2 years time when there's a trillion more people out there jumping on the band wagon and using all the same techniques and sounds as you?
Yeah I can't really answer this yet. I'm not a stage in my musical ability or confidence where I could define My Sound.
What do you ultimately want with your music? To make a statement? To make a stand? To just be embraced by the scene and told that you're making music that they approve of? Are you making it for you or other people?
Definitely to make a stand. To be an outsider and to push boundaries. To challenge. Everyone wants acceptance to a certain point, but I'd be satisied with a tiny cult following, or with someone copying my sound 20 years after I fade out and becoming a superstar. I don't want fame on any level. It corrupts people, it makes them part of this ridiculous machine. I do want acceptance, and respect as opposed to ridicule, but for who I am, not for being devoted to any particular scene. I want to be Four Tet, not Andy C.
What makes a good track? What makes a classic track? Is good the same as classic?
Good is absolutely not the same as classic. Energy 52 made a decent chillout tune called 'Cafe Del Mar', named after a venue in Ibiza where you can see the sunset on the beach as your E's are kicking in. It obviously gets played out in Ibiza that summer, and everyone brings the record home, and now it reminds the old ravers of the good ol' days, and shows up on just about every summer dance compilation. It is the definition of a classic track, it captured the zeitgeist of that particular scene, at just the right moment. I, on the other hand, wasn't there, never have been, I don't know what a Cafe Del Mar sunset looks like. I don't even really like the fucking song. Good is not the same as classic.
Is a memorable track good? Is there such thing as a good track that you can't remember?
Yeah definitely. 'Memorable' is a long-term thing. When I visited my mum's ages ago and dug this box out of the attic, full of CDs I forgot I even owned, I got so fucking excited. You never forget good music, even though you're not whistling it day after day, it sticks with you for your whole life... (continues)
Is a track you can play in 5 years time without being embarrassed considered to be a classic?
As I get older, I realise that 5 years is a really short time. If I was still playing a track from 10 years ago, when I was in my mid-teens, without embarrassment, then I would call it a classic.
Lots of questions?
Lots of really good questions. I had a really good time answering this, even if it did turn out to be a bit of a War and Peace for the rest of you. I have something of a manifesto now, I can see clearly what I need to focus on, going forward. Big ups 2oh1.
