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Giving art meaning

Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 10:58 pm
by 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 =]

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 11:05 pm
by 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.

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 11:40 pm
by 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 :)

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 11:56 pm
by dameonxz
wub wrote: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 :z:

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 6:24 pm
by 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!

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 7:55 pm
by benjam
^ nice post

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:36 pm
by hutyluty
think about something really sad

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:14 pm
by coogcoo
hutyluty wrote:think about something really sad

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 7:25 pm
by +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.

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:58 am
by kurtdaniel
true to life experiences are the best concepts for recording.. :) its what our dance teacher in our dance classes taught us..

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 4:37 pm
by mitchAUS
+3 wrote:smell the paper...

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:22 pm
by 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.

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 7:20 pm
by 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.

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 8:19 pm
by 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.

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 8:25 pm
by joegrizzly
nowaysj wrote: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

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 8:36 pm
by Turnipish_Thoughts
Meaning is created by the audience. That's the point of art imo.

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:23 pm
by bassinine
bassinine wrote: it's the listener who will attribute meaning to your track.
nowaysj wrote:You don't make the meaning in your artwork, your listener makes the meaning. Give them enough to work with and let them go.
joegrizzly wrote:
nowaysj wrote: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 :Q:

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:51 am
by joegrizzly
Edit: I need a joint

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:32 am
by 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

Re: Giving art meaning

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 6:35 am
by nowaysj
bassinine wrote:i found that funny :Q:
What was funny :dunce: ?