not being able to produce after listnenin to burial

barryhercules · Post by **barryhercules** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 8:34 pm

two oh one wrote:It's got back to gear. It always gets back to gear. This is the problem...

I think the remedy is to not start a track unless you have a clear goal. A layout. A design. Before you twist a single knob.

What IS this track?
What is its point?
What makes this different from all the other tracks with badman samples in it?
What is the point to it even existing?
Is it identical to anything else?
What it THE POINT, damn it?
What am I trying to say with this music?
What am I feeling?
How is this track speaking of how I'm feeling?
What is THE POINT?
Am I an artist or a techy noodler with too many toys?
What is THE POINT?

That should solve a few probs and discourage any pointless exercises in badman cock waving production wars. Of course, things can come from endless, aimless noodling, but you're just getting lucky.

Forget the gear. Whatever Burial uses (Or pretends to use for mystique value) is irrelevant. Use what you have (less is often more), but just have some good ideas in your head before you start.

dont really agree with you mate.. i never really think about that shit.. i dont design music before i start it, i'm certainly not trying to say anything when i make it. my music probably reflects what i'm feeling without having to think about it, but not necessarily. and what if i wanna start a track just by having a jam and seeing where the mood takes me? its alright having a good idea in your head but if you aint got a clue how to do it cos you havent spent some time just fucking around its not really much use. your music sounds pretty good mate but the way you go about making it doesnt sound too exciting to me. i think its really interesting how other producers make tracks and using an audio editor never occured to me. it definitly has an effect on someones sound- some of the drums loops on burials stuff are slightly out of time for example. all adds to the sound. it might be bollocks and he's just saying it but so what? not been personal or anything so no offence intended but theres no rules to any of this.

slim · Post by **slim** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 8:43 pm

Listening to burial makes me want to produce even more. My computer and midi controller not working at the mo mean i can't.

As for designing music as i'm only a beginner and haven't really finished anything my opinion probs isn't too great, but i find that experimenting while considering those things generally leads to the best sketches of tunes, would be nice to actually make something properly to find out whether or not that is true.

two oh one · Post by **two oh one** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:01 pm

I find 'designing' a track helps me stop endlessly noodling and coming up with something that I'll never finish. I've got too many of those already.

Whatever works. There are no rules, but that is mine.

djake · Post by **djake** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 11:54 pm

burial makes me wanna go out n records samples, wiv a portable sampler!

shame i dnt av one!

tempest · Post by **tempest** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 12:53 am

djake wrote:burial makes me wanna go out n records samples, wiv a portable sampler!

shame i dnt av one!

yer i do this with my fone voice recorder, esp around my work in massive factory rooms with big machines in the background..... havent transferred em to my daw to have a good listen yet, should be interesting

ikeaboy · Post by **ikeaboy** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:52 am

two oh one wrote:It's got back to gear. It always gets back to gear. This is the problem...

I think the remedy is to not start a track unless you have a clear goal. A layout. A design. Before you twist a single knob.

What IS this track?
What is its point?
What makes this different from all the other tracks with badman samples in it?
What is the point to it even existing?
Is it identical to anything else?
What it THE POINT, damn it?
What am I trying to say with this music?
What am I feeling?
How is this track speaking of how I'm feeling?
What is THE POINT?
Am I an artist or a techy noodler with too many toys?
What is THE POINT?

That should solve a few probs and discourage any pointless exercises in badman cock waving production wars. Of course, things can come from endless, aimless noodling, but you're just getting lucky.

Forget the gear. Whatever Burial uses (Or pretends to use for mystique value) is irrelevant. Use what you have (less is often more), but just have some good ideas in your head before you start.

I reckon this post is on point but so is the one that contradicts it, they just apply to different types of people. A lot of electronic music has been made thats just about being clever and impressive without being likeable, i've a ton of CD's/vinyl that made me go WOW on first listen, then they went to the shelf to gather dust. Then I have music thats I return to again and again and some of it doesn't have super production values (like early Detroit Techno) but its likeable, they contain heart and soul. By restricting himself to soundforge Burial escaped distraction and can focus on what makes good music rather than what makes a good production.

Production techniques and music technology are very interesting to most of us and they can unfortunately (perhaps) become an end in itself, Two Oh One's suggestions are a good way to sidestep producing more pointless sounds that are about nothing bar the process that made them.

neytoda · Post by **neytoda** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 7:07 pm

New here - hi all

I would say that know your software well, whatever it is, thats irrelvent. Know it until you dont have to think about it anymore - know it so that it becomes invisible, then what you feel is connected to the sound you make and its not some maths formula your trying to work out. If Burial uses Soundforge then thats what he has done cause soundforge is easy to learn.

two oh one · Post by **two oh one** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 7:59 pm

neytoda wrote:New here - hi all

I would say that know your software well, whatever it is, thats irrelvent. Know it until you dont have to think about it anymore - know it so that it becomes invisible, then what you feel is connected to the sound you make and its not some maths formula your trying to work out. If Burial uses Soundforge then thats what he has done cause soundforge is easy to learn.

Yeah, invisible software/gear.

Good. It all become invisible in the end. Hopefully.

And welcome to He.., erm, I mean the forum.

little boh peep · Post by **little boh peep** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 7:30 am

two oh one wrote:What IS this track?
What is its point?
What makes this different from all the other tracks with badman samples in it?
What is the point to it even existing?
Is it identical to anything else?
What it THE POINT, damn it?
What am I trying to say with this music?
What am I feeling?
How is this track speaking of how I'm feeling?
What is THE POINT?
Am I an artist or a techy noodler with too many toys?
What is THE POINT?

This is my process too. There's a pertainent quote by Gustav Mahler which goes, "if a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music."

feasible_weasel · Post by **feasible_weasel** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:30 am

perhaps ppl should concentrate on making music...if u dont have the skills to make it urself, then sample and play around with a sound.
the most fun ive had is using a basic (not fl or anything like that) music maker to be honest. i can do anything on there now.make a basic beat. using the vst's etc. its lovely for loading samples. once im good enough on reason its all going to be on there.
but until then im gonna have fun.

leftside · Post by **leftside** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 10:52 am

BOOM!

true

two oh one wrote:Yeah, it's true. Good artists (I consider Burial an artist because the music is ACTUALLY ABOUT SOMETHING, rather than just a bunch of near identical 'me too' wobbler tracks) inspire and intimidate at the same time. Leave you frozen for a while.

I think people are too hung up on production around here. Make music that's about something and find your voice. Find what it is you're trying to express. Not just your empty production style. Not just showing off your mad edit skills. Not just trying to be more impressive than your last track. Find what it is you're trying to say. If you're not trying to say anything, stop it at once.

Music about something lasts forever. Music about nothing withers and dies along with the scenes it adheres to.

r · Post by r » Sat Nov 17, 2007 1:46 pm

music is still an art form even there is a bissniss side on it

rekordah · Post by **rekordah** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 2:51 pm

u went thru all the trouble of signing up just so that u could post something that makes no sense.

shonky · Post by **shonky** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:58 pm

Little Boh Peep wrote: This is my process too. There's a pertainent quote by Gustav Mahler which goes, "if a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music."

Very good point (also one of the reasons I like vocals but hate most lyrics)

shonky · Post by **shonky** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:24 pm

two oh one wrote: I think people are too hung up on production around here. Make music that's about something and find your voice. Find what it is you're trying to express. Not just your empty production style. Not just showing off your mad edit skills. Not just trying to be more impressive than your last track. Find what it is you're trying to say. If you're not trying to say anything, stop it at once.

I must admit it's been one of the things that's been really bugging me about this malarkey lately. After having a few tunes played out and getting good feedback, I started listening to the songs on the radio shows and thought how quiet and muddy they sounded in comparison to a lot of other tunes.

But all told I actually like the ramshackle myself. It's what makes the music human and communicates with you directly rather than making it feel like the interface with zeros and ones that lesser music gives you. Edits do not compensate for soulless, functional music.

r · Post by r » Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:38 pm

Shonky wrote:
Little Boh Peep wrote: This is my process too. There's a pertainent quote by Gustav Mahler which goes, "if a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music."
Very good point (also one of the reasons I like vocals but hate most lyrics)

if you cant say it in words.. then why dont use music

you can see this from many perspectives.. nothing is fault or wrong

metalboxproducts · Post by **metalboxproducts** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:17 am

I had the same thing with Photek a long time ago. I realised i had to stop beating myself up about not sounding like him. I came to the conclusion that we are different people so why should are music sound the same. He has his voice and i have mine. Why would one want to sound like some one else?

Analyse the techneques but don't try to be like some one else.

parson · Post by **parson** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 1:52 am

i hear you mbp it sucks not being photek sometimes

(and burial)

feasible_weasel · Post by **feasible_weasel** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:28 am

metal box and parson

u silly goats
ive heard ur stuff and have the Substance CD
you are both very accomplished producers. perhaps along the way of being super clever technical people u forgot how good you are.
you's dont need to aspire to anybody else....
i love Burials stuff...but we also all know how he doing it....hes using a constructed beat pattern using different drum sounds and layering background sounds and adding warming basslines/sounds at the right times, plays around with stretching/pitching etc. its by all means not easy but you two could do this stuff standing on ur heads and juggling.
maybe think less production...
more looping sounds

voice samples and all that.

parson · Post by **parson** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:37 am

still would be nice to say i was responsible for ni ten ichi ryu and rings around saturn

not being able to produce after listnenin to burial

production style

Re: production style

Who is online