DSF's 'Oblique Strategies'

legend4ry · Post by **legend4ry** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:29 am

Thought this'll be a fun idea for a thread... For those who don't know what the Oblique strategies are...

Each card contains a phrase or cryptic remark which can be used to break a deadlock or dilemma situation. Some are specific to music composition; others are more general. Examples include:

Use an old idea
State the problem in words as clearly as possible.
Only one element of each kind.
What would your closest friend do?
What to increase? What to reduce?
Are there sections? Consider transitions.
Try faking it!
Honour thy error as a hidden intention.
Ask your body
Work at a different speed

From the introduction to the 2001 edition:

These cards evolved from separate observations of the principles underlying what we were doing. Sometimes they were recognised in retrospect (intellect catching up with intuition), sometimes they were identified as they were happening, sometimes they were formulated. They can be used as a pack, or by drawing a single card from the shuffled pack when a dilemma occurs in a working situation. In this case the card is trusted even if its appropriateness is quite unclear...

I thought it'll be fun to make up some of our own based purely around production.. I'll start.

Take out your lead element, don't create another one.

joshisrad · Post by **joshisrad** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:32 am

get naked

hudson · Post by **hudson** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:36 am

Sleep on it.
If you're stuck on something for an absurd amount of time, just go do something else for a while, then revisit it when you're ears are fresh and clean.

Does that count?

drooka · Post by **drooka** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:03 am

atmosphere

Suangi · Post by **Suangi** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:19 am

work from the middle outward

great thread. iv actually been meaning to compile a set of these for my own use for a while now.

bl0rg · Post by **bl0rg** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:31 am

Scheduling

Try producing at a completely different time, location that you are used to. I usually produce in the evening/night, but a few times ive woken up at 6am and blasted through an entire track

Anne Droid · Post by **Anne Droid** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:08 pm

different speakers, different sounds

take ur tune out to the car, play it on your friends stereo, listen to it on some crappy earbuds. I do this and notice new things each time, usually itll stick out like a sore thumb

Basic A · Post by **Basic A** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:46 pm

Reverse some shit.

Timestretch that shit.

Buy trident layers.

wub · Post by **wub** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:48 pm

Delete your drums

They were probably shit anyway.

hudson · Post by **hudson** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:23 pm

wub wrote:Delete your drums

They were probably shit anyway.

This is actually not bad advice though. Fuck drums.

CaveLvl · Post by **CaveLvl** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:42 pm

Take lead line down one octave. Change start point of loop. Solo Drums, Adjust attack or pattern on hats , write new bass line or melody.

Bournio · Post by **Bournio** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:52 pm

Use outside noise.

Use the sound of your room.

bassinine · Post by **bassinine** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:49 pm

get high.

or if you already are - get sober.

3za · Post by **3za** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:29 pm

Here is 1 from my deck of 50...

Stop producing, and go outside .homophobe!!!

The other 49 just have a different insult.

wub · Post by **wub** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:08 am

hudson wrote:
wub wrote:Delete your drums

They were probably shit anyway.

This is actually not bad advice though. Fuck drums.

There's a lot to be said for beatless tracks. The glitchstep track I made last weekend I had the idea of last night to delete the drums/percussion and slow the whole thing down about 30bpm to use as an ambient track.

komanderkin · Post by **komanderkin** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 9:26 am

patience

komanderkin · Post by **komanderkin** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 9:30 am

double post again (sorry, pls delete this).

Electric_Head · Post by **Electric_Head** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 9:57 am

wub wrote:
hudson wrote:
wub wrote:Delete your drums

They were probably shit anyway.

This is actually not bad advice though. Fuck drums.
There's a lot to be said for beatless tracks. The glitchstep track I made last weekend I had the idea of last night to delete the drums/percussion and slow the whole thing down about 30bpm to use as an ambient track.

a nice bass throb will keep me interested.

babylonjunkies · Post by **babylonjunkies** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:08 pm

go for a piss, but leave the bathroom door open to hear your track from there.
go to the morrocon cafe, chat to the lady, get some falafel, make some tea and eat your baklava whilst listening to your song.
solo the 3 elements which you definately want to keep, think of deleting the others.
write a poem
go for a walk by the river
turn off the fucking internet.
meditate, or if you can't, try to.

babylonjunkies · Post by **babylonjunkies** » Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:08 pm

go for a piss, but leave the bathroom door open to hear your track from there.
go to the morrocon cafe, chat to the lady, get some falafel, make some tea and eat your baklava whilst listening to your song.
solo the 3 elements which you definately want to keep, think of deleting the others.
write a poem
go for a walk by the river
turn off the fucking internet.
meditate, or if you can't, try to.

DSF's 'Oblique Strategies'

DSF's 'Oblique Strategies'

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