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Right, so I've got to a point where i've basically stopped making tunes. I've done about 2 in the last 2 months and they were for the 48 hour comp. Everything I make or try to make nowadays always ends up coming up as something incredibly generic , something which ive made before or some ridiculously self indulgent noise thing.

I've done a lot of the hard work, getting a couple of hundred soundcloud followers, decent production skillz and even a release on a decent label but i feel like im just missing that extra drive or something to get me to the next level(TM). So should I just pack it in for a bit and come back refreshed and where i'll actually enjoy it or just suck it up and start forcing out some tunes and sending them to all the labels ive collated in my send to list (though never actually contacted).

Anyone else in the same boat?

it means youre getting better when stuff sounds generic to you. Keep at it and you'll come up with something new!

OK, I'm adding this back in with an edit: I wouldn't being on a label and having SC followers/fans...but that's not exactly what motivates me...that doesn't feel like the end game for me....I was recently told by someone I respect that while my recent tunes are technically good they don't have the vibe and energy of stuff I was doing a couple years ago.

I'm really at a loss for how to remedy it myself. I also find I don't finish things, though I'm getting a ton of satisfaction noodling around and playing with all my hardware toys but I just can't be bothered to finish a damn thing. It's like I get a solid 64 bars going on Maschine...and I fuck around with Maschine, my mixer and guitar pedals jamming...doing mutes/doing manual FX automation etc...but I don't ever record anything or really care to. I think about recording, but then say fuck it, jam, walk away happy.

But another part of me feels like I'm not fulfilling my goals.

fragments wrote:I don't think I'm as interested in followers or labels as you (it's cool that you are, dig what I've heard of your tunes) but I was recently told by someone I respect that while my recent tunes are technically good they don't have the vibe and energy of stuff I was doing a couple years ago.

I'm really at a loss for how to remedy it myself. I also find I don't finish things, though I'm getting a ton of satisfaction noodling around and playing with all my hardware toys but I just can't be bothered to finish a damn thing. It's like I get a solid 64 bars going on Maschine...and I fuck around with Maschine, my mixer and guitar pedals jamming...doing mutes/doing manual FX automation etc...but I don't ever record anything or really care to. I think about recording, but then say fuck it, jam, walk away happy.

But another part of me feels like I'm not fulfilling my goals.

yeah no i get you, i think we are in the same boat just with different goals w/e. i enjoy just fucking about with reason making these bizarre noises and stuff, and when i focus on trying to make stuff thats like a proper song i just get frustrated and bored and go off on a tangent making something new. So that was basically the point, maybe i should just give up on making proper tunes for a bit because getting signed and making tunes which im happy enough to send out is just so much hassle that i may as well not bother. After all we produce because we enjoy it right, so might aswell just do the bits of it we enjoy?

hutyluty wrote:Right, so I've got to a point where i've basically stopped making tunes. I've done about 2 in the last 2 months and they were for the 48 hour comp. Everything I make or try to make nowadays always ends up coming up as something incredibly generic , something which ive made before or some ridiculously self indulgent noise thing.

I've done a lot of the hard work, getting a couple of hundred soundcloud followers, decent production skillz and even a release on a decent label but i feel like im just missing that extra drive or something to get me to the next level(TM). So should I just pack it in for a bit and come back refreshed and where i'll actually enjoy it or just suck it up and start forcing out some tunes and sending them to all the labels ive collated in my send to list (though never actually contacted).

Anyone else in the same boat?

I feel you, man. I recently came back from a 6 month hiatus, myself. Part of me thinks: "yeah, take a break, do what you do for fun besides music, watch a new tv series, play some video games, read, go out." and then part of me thinks "FUCK... I wish I just stuck through it... you never know what inspiration for a great tune comes while you're noodling around with some sounds." Sorry if this doesn't help, I'm still undecided as to whether or not taking long breaks help or hurt.

Sort of the same boat, been finding recently that imposing somewhat radical stylistic limitations seems to help a lot (working outside your BPM comfort zone, different keys, different instrumentation, different time signatures.) Try limiting your sample sources, how many pieces of gear/software you use, etc.

And deadlines are your friend: since they've been among the only things to get you moving recently at all, try and take on a few more - again, challenging your comfort zone.

Basically you've gotten this far, acquired the skillset that you were hyped to acquire, and have lost the hype. New challenges = growth.

For example, I banged this out last week in a couple hours after getting really, really bored with 4-based times...


Soundcloud

I am coming off a year long hiatus due to working on a degree and I've had to focus %100 on that. It feels good to be working on some music again. I am trying to just compose quickly to get back into the feel of producing. I just picked up my bass for the first time in months as well, which is kind of inspiring.

Alphacat, that tune is really cool man! That's my kind of riddim.

hmm maybe starting a new instrument is the way forward. I've been thinking about learning bass for a bit cos basically in my tunes i always end up making bass sounds which sound like bass guitars (or just the sub tractor bass guitar preset lol). i played bassoon before so ive got bass clef down. hmmmm.

plus yeah alphacat you pretty much summed it up, need some new challenges- such as: learning bass- problem solved!

hutyluty wrote:

fragments wrote:I don't think I'm as interested in followers or labels as you (it's cool that you are, dig what I've heard of your tunes) but I was recently told by someone I respect that while my recent tunes are technically good they don't have the vibe and energy of stuff I was doing a couple years ago.

I'm really at a loss for how to remedy it myself. I also find I don't finish things, though I'm getting a ton of satisfaction noodling around and playing with all my hardware toys but I just can't be bothered to finish a damn thing. It's like I get a solid 64 bars going on Maschine...and I fuck around with Maschine, my mixer and guitar pedals jamming...doing mutes/doing manual FX automation etc...but I don't ever record anything or really care to. I think about recording, but then say fuck it, jam, walk away happy.

But another part of me feels like I'm not fulfilling my goals.

yeah no i get you, i think we are in the same boat just with different goals w/e. i enjoy just fucking about with reason making these bizarre noises and stuff, and when i focus on trying to make stuff thats like a proper song i just get frustrated and bored and go off on a tangent making something new. So that was basically the point, maybe i should just give up on making proper tunes for a bit because getting signed and making tunes which im happy enough to send out is just so much hassle that i may as well not bother. After all we produce because we enjoy it right, so might aswell just do the bits of it we enjoy?

I come to hate the terms producer and production. People who play instruments and just sit around and jam and get incredible satisfaction out of that and people still respect it as a legit creative pursuit. Somehow I fee like, in general, because my instrument is a sampler, a mixer, FX and cables if I don't end up with "product" at the end of the day it's been a waste of time.

Why is that?

fragments wrote:

hutyluty wrote:

fragments wrote:I don't think I'm as interested in followers or labels as you (it's cool that you are, dig what I've heard of your tunes) but I was recently told by someone I respect that while my recent tunes are technically good they don't have the vibe and energy of stuff I was doing a couple years ago.

I'm really at a loss for how to remedy it myself. I also find I don't finish things, though I'm getting a ton of satisfaction noodling around and playing with all my hardware toys but I just can't be bothered to finish a damn thing. It's like I get a solid 64 bars going on Maschine...and I fuck around with Maschine, my mixer and guitar pedals jamming...doing mutes/doing manual FX automation etc...but I don't ever record anything or really care to. I think about recording, but then say fuck it, jam, walk away happy.

But another part of me feels like I'm not fulfilling my goals.

yeah no i get you, i think we are in the same boat just with different goals w/e. i enjoy just fucking about with reason making these bizarre noises and stuff, and when i focus on trying to make stuff thats like a proper song i just get frustrated and bored and go off on a tangent making something new. So that was basically the point, maybe i should just give up on making proper tunes for a bit because getting signed and making tunes which im happy enough to send out is just so much hassle that i may as well not bother. After all we produce because we enjoy it right, so might aswell just do the bits of it we enjoy?

I come to hate the terms producer and production. People who play instruments and just sit around and jam and get incredible satisfaction out of that and people still respect it as a legit creative pursuit. Somehow I fee like, in general, because my instrument is a sampler, a mixer, FX and cables if I don't end up with "product" at the end of the day it's been a waste of time.

Why is that?

Well, none of us are immune to peer pressure. Do you feel you have to have something to show, even though to you it's more about the journey than the destination? Because playing isn't a waste of time. If you like playing with your mechnical noise toys and it makes you feel good, why bother turning them into tunes when that limits your playing?

In your posts you talk a good deal about the process and using those tools in that process. You might just be someone who loves the process, no? Thought about doing live improv sets?

(Hate to but in, but that was a good follow up question to your last post that I was responding to)

I'm the opposite. I hate the process and love the end result haha.

Genevieve wrote:

fragments wrote:

hutyluty wrote:

fragments wrote:I don't think I'm as interested in followers or labels as you (it's cool that you are, dig what I've heard of your tunes) but I was recently told by someone I respect that while my recent tunes are technically good they don't have the vibe and energy of stuff I was doing a couple years ago.

I'm really at a loss for how to remedy it myself. I also find I don't finish things, though I'm getting a ton of satisfaction noodling around and playing with all my hardware toys but I just can't be bothered to finish a damn thing. It's like I get a solid 64 bars going on Maschine...and I fuck around with Maschine, my mixer and guitar pedals jamming...doing mutes/doing manual FX automation etc...but I don't ever record anything or really care to. I think about recording, but then say fuck it, jam, walk away happy.

But another part of me feels like I'm not fulfilling my goals.

yeah no i get you, i think we are in the same boat just with different goals w/e. i enjoy just fucking about with reason making these bizarre noises and stuff, and when i focus on trying to make stuff thats like a proper song i just get frustrated and bored and go off on a tangent making something new. So that was basically the point, maybe i should just give up on making proper tunes for a bit because getting signed and making tunes which im happy enough to send out is just so much hassle that i may as well not bother. After all we produce because we enjoy it right, so might aswell just do the bits of it we enjoy?

I come to hate the terms producer and production. People who play instruments and just sit around and jam and get incredible satisfaction out of that and people still respect it as a legit creative pursuit. Somehow I fee like, in general, because my instrument is a sampler, a mixer, FX and cables if I don't end up with "product" at the end of the day it's been a waste of time.

Why is that?

Well, none of us are immune to peer pressure. Do you feel you have to have something to show, even though to you it's more about the journey than the destination? Because playing isn't a waste of time. If you like playing with your mechnical noise toys and it makes you feel good, why bother turning them into tunes when that limits your playing?

In your posts you talk a good deal about the process and using those tools in that process. You might just be someone who loves the process, no? Thought about doing live improv sets?

(Hate to but in, but that was a good follow up question to your last post that I was responding to)

I'm the opposite. I hate the process and love the end result haha.

You pretty much bullseyed me. I have got the setup to record what I'm doing, but I'm not even motivated to press "record" before I start sometimes, lol. I guess it's that people are always posting tunes and looking for advice and I rarely polish something and post it. For me, it's way more about exploration and the process. TBH, I think I'm also trying to justify the cost of my hobby by feeling like I should "finish" things. Also, I feel pressure to have polished productions, when I'm way more worried about vibe. Who cares if things are a bit raw you know?

fragments wrote:

Genevieve wrote:

fragments wrote:

hutyluty wrote:

fragments wrote:I don't think I'm as interested in followers or labels as you (it's cool that you are, dig what I've heard of your tunes) but I was recently told by someone I respect that while my recent tunes are technically good they don't have the vibe and energy of stuff I was doing a couple years ago.

I'm really at a loss for how to remedy it myself. I also find I don't finish things, though I'm getting a ton of satisfaction noodling around and playing with all my hardware toys but I just can't be bothered to finish a damn thing. It's like I get a solid 64 bars going on Maschine...and I fuck around with Maschine, my mixer and guitar pedals jamming...doing mutes/doing manual FX automation etc...but I don't ever record anything or really care to. I think about recording, but then say fuck it, jam, walk away happy.

But another part of me feels like I'm not fulfilling my goals.

yeah no i get you, i think we are in the same boat just with different goals w/e. i enjoy just fucking about with reason making these bizarre noises and stuff, and when i focus on trying to make stuff thats like a proper song i just get frustrated and bored and go off on a tangent making something new. So that was basically the point, maybe i should just give up on making proper tunes for a bit because getting signed and making tunes which im happy enough to send out is just so much hassle that i may as well not bother. After all we produce because we enjoy it right, so might aswell just do the bits of it we enjoy?

I come to hate the terms producer and production. People who play instruments and just sit around and jam and get incredible satisfaction out of that and people still respect it as a legit creative pursuit. Somehow I fee like, in general, because my instrument is a sampler, a mixer, FX and cables if I don't end up with "product" at the end of the day it's been a waste of time.

Why is that?

Well, none of us are immune to peer pressure. Do you feel you have to have something to show, even though to you it's more about the journey than the destination? Because playing isn't a waste of time. If you like playing with your mechnical noise toys and it makes you feel good, why bother turning them into tunes when that limits your playing?

In your posts you talk a good deal about the process and using those tools in that process. You might just be someone who loves the process, no? Thought about doing live improv sets?

(Hate to but in, but that was a good follow up question to your last post that I was responding to)

I'm the opposite. I hate the process and love the end result haha.

You pretty much bullseyed me. I have got the setup to record what I'm doing, but I'm not even motivated to press "record" before I start sometimes, lol. I guess it's that people are always posting tunes and looking for advice and I rarely polish something and post it. For me, it's way more about exploration and the process. TBH, I think I'm also trying to justify the cost of my hobby by feeling like I should "finish" things. Also, I feel pressure to have polished productions, when I'm way more worried about vibe. Who cares if things are a bit raw you know?

You don't see many posts admitting to caring what other people think or peer pressure. It's good! Cuz I do have that too.

I know my shit will never be 'perfect', but I make some sort of version of "crossbreed". The production value is just so high on that junk.. I can't have something sounding like 2001 techstep (though I like that). Worse thing is, my whole approach to drums is on some Venetian Snares shit. To get something that chaotic to sound fluid in a d&b format at 175 bpm is a ballache and requires just too much skill (I don't have.. except maybe in the act of drum programming) or time (that I do have). But too much happened since 2001. If I have something sounding like that it would get no respect, regardless of songwriting.

So uhh, I can relate on wanting stuff to sound a certain way even though you're more of a musician than an engineer.

Never tried to 'trivialize' what you're doing by calling it 'playing with toys' tbh. It was just my best analogy and it does seem to stimulate you, mentally, in a similar way.

First, don't worry about the toys analogy. I get that. And it's totally true, those are my toys

Well, I really, really have realized how "stuck" I've really felt recently and feel the need to make a change with what am I doing and figuring out some kind of goal. Even if it's being OK with putting on a show for one inside my headphones...so honesty seems the best way to figure that out. And nobody around here is fooling anybody. The people that are in it for the love and the people that are in it to cash in on the flavor of the month are both completely transparent IMO...so why not just be honest.

Absolutely fucking love some techstep. I actually like how some older DnB is mixed. Like some old Dillinja records. That shit is designed to just move air on a massive system. The low end is like 1/3 of the headroom on some of those tunes.

I'm really going to try and record a dub tomorrow and post it. Fuck it.

The bums will always win Lebowski, the bums will always win.

fragments wrote:I'm really going to try and record a dub tomorrow and post it. Fuck it.

Don't try to! Just do it!

@hutyluty - I'd say mix it up for sure. Do you mainly produce dubstep? Try making a house or a dnb tune. Or just a different style of dubstep.

Get a new VST and explore that. It might prompt you to design some new sounds that will naturally form the basis of a new track.

Also I think it's important to actively be listening to new music. When I'm going through a period of focusing a lot on production, I notice I tend to stop listening to tunes, and then I don't have as many ideas, because admittedly I do incorporate interesting elements of other tracks into my songs. For example, I listened to Mala's Blue Notez recently and got the idea to have like a slightly different snare each measure (I basically used a different EQ setting for each snare hit).

wow that's a really cool sound, each one of those snares is killer by itself but alternating them just takes that track to the next level

^Relatedly, I find going on a good crate digging session and buying random, cool looking vinyls then spending some time with them inside my headphones and digging for those golden snippets is really refreshing. I spent all of may really digging through my record collection.

Honestly, I kind of feel like people who aren't actively recording their own sounds or finding unique/unusual found sounds they are really depriving them selves of insight into and intimacy with sound/music.

People hear shit, but no one fucking listens anymore.

fragments wrote:People hear shit, but no one fucking listens anymore.

sigworthy as fuck m8

dubunked wrote:

fragments wrote:People hear shit, but no one fucking listens anymore.

sigworthy as fuck m8

Reminds me of this:

i enjoy just fucking about with reason making these bizarre noises and stuff, and when i focus on trying to make stuff thats like a proper song i just get frustrated and bored and go off on a tangent making something new.

sounds to me as if you confine ur creativity to some expectations which are rather contradictory. on the one hand you dont want to make mediocre tunes, but on the other hand you also dont want to be self-indulgent and therefore restrain yourself to make moderate tune.

as i understand it u have 3 options:
- youre a professional. if ur goal is to make a living with selling music, you should stop howling and push through. regard it as ur job.
- youre an artist. you do what the fuck you like and how you like it - money is secondary.
- youre both. make up another alter ego.

just if this shit makes any sense to you. if not, forget about it.