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Ez.

I have had a break from making tunes - and my enjoyment of the music has shot right up again.

I reckon that (in my case) producing really damages my ability to listen to and enjoy the music I love. I'm constantly deconstructing what I listen to and comparing it to what I have made (and generally coming to the conclusion that what I have made is shit).

It has been nice to have a break and just enjoy things again.

Do you guys know what I mean? Or am I just being a mental?

I totally know what you mean

while I was working retail sales for music gear...

I made no music at all

being a producer gives you a critical ear to the song, and you begin to dissect, and hyperanalyze the music, thus killing almost any listening pleasure


having said that...

being a DJ and getting lost in the mix brings a nice balance back and somehow the two worlds begin to work in your favor again, at least thats my take on the experience

I've just taken appart my gear and put it as out of site as I can. I neeeed a break from production too. Can't see the wood for the trees.

more that listening to music makes you produce better. take a step away from the process and language and go to a dance or put on a record outside of the genre you're working in...

and enjoy.

(then sample-rape said record)

TeReKeTe wrote:(then sample-rape said record)

that is how I roll!

It used to, but i don't know, think i had an epiphany and just relaxed a bit. Analysing everything you listen to becomes extremely tedious, for instance a mate of mine, who simply decomposits every tune i play to him. "1 modulation and a clap for a snare!!!! harhar, excuse me while i make a 4/4 beat!!!", whilst he would rather listen to some self indulgent idm breakcore crap.

Same kind of attitude that disses people for using dbglitch vst, because its easy to use.

weird, not that I produce nowadays, but it never affected me like that - more it fascinated me, "how do I go about doing THAT??".

however, studying classical music for bloody years did ruin my enjoyment somewhat, in that I over-analyze and also concentrate too much on single elements in tunes (esp in classical music).

ThinKing wrote:weird, not that I produce nowadays, but it never affected me like that - more it fascinated me, "how do I go about doing THAT??".

Yeah, I get that too...

I guess I'm just enjoying the experience of listening to the whole tune and letting the mood wash over me, rather than obsessing over how they got that sound, or how I would go about making that sound or whatever - breaking it up into elements like you say.

Sure I'll get over it.

Yep i lost the regular-joe-simpleton-critical ear when i first started learning guitar, and learning about how people make songs... I think since then, i've never listened to music the same way, i definately wish i could get that kind of no-idea-whats-going-on-i-just-like-the-sounds kind of listening back so i try and get feedback sometimes off non-musicians..

getting blazed and getting in a kind of meditation to real deep music is probably the closest i get...

having a break from making tunes and coming back fresh is always great tho, even if its just a cigarette or a game of fifa

Contakt wrote:

ThinKing wrote:weird, not that I produce nowadays, but it never affected me like that - more it fascinated me, "how do I go about doing THAT??".

Yeah, I get that too...

Yeah, me three. Most of the stuff I listen to, any genre, is quite technically impressive. So I listen to a lot of music the way I guess most people watch skateboarding, or Ronaldinho, or turntablism, just for the enjoyment of being impressed by someone who can do stuff better than you, rather than any kind of artistic appreciation.

U do notice certain things...but at the end of the day, its music and ppl make errors on production etc.
thats what its all aboooooouut

Auan wrote:

Contakt wrote:

ThinKing wrote:weird, not that I produce nowadays, but it never affected me like that - more it fascinated me, "how do I go about doing THAT??".

Yeah, I get that too...

Yeah, me three. Most of the stuff I listen to, any genre, is quite technically impressive. So I listen to a lot of music the way I guess most people watch skateboarding, or Ronaldinho, or turntablism, just for the enjoyment of being impressed by someone who can do stuff better than you, rather than any kind of artistic appreciation.

totally agree wiv dat!

TeReKeTe wrote:...or put on a record outside of the genre you're working in...

Definitely. Some variety does wonders for cleansing the palate...

Especially with Dubstep, I find that going back to some Roots Dub works really well for re-evaluating sounds and production - the Tubby/Jammy/Perry/Coxsone kinda stuff.

I usually can just listen and enjoy, I just got to be doing something else, not thinking about production. I will still like a sound and wonder how it is made, but why do I like it? - Because it sounds good!

if anything it gives me more of an incentive to make more music because I can listen to something and go "Yeah, I know how to make that sound" or "I know that break" etc....don't be discouraged if your stuff isn't as good, it'll get there if you practice.

yeah i know that feeling as well, but actually when i started djing 9 years ago, the feeling was even heavier! i could not enjoy music anymore for a while, thinking that i'd be better than the dj upstairs spinning - the same phenomenon i notice now by every youngstar dj standing down and watching carefully... about production abilities i'm more like that i listen to tunes and sometimes think how easy they are made, but sometimes those tunes have the most vibe inside, and then you start asking yourself, how to create this vibe yourself without making eveything again tooo complex well, but taking short breaks from producing or/and djing in a while, just affects you in a positive way, because you get back to really listen to the music without analysing it permanently... also listening to other genres (as already mentioned above) can be just positive ,)

i've always been one of those people that if i like something, i have to do it, not just watch/listen to it.

i go through phases where i'll write alot of stuff, then other times i don't even bother switching my computer on. the trick is to learn when not to switch your computer on - cause i used to get SO frustrated when you knew you were'nt gonna do anything productive, but felt you had to... and switched your machine on, only to cause myself a mild migrane through lack of insprition...

gaston_UK wrote:the trick is to learn when not to switch your computer on

Yep. It's not like I'm going to stop producing or anything, just that this is a period where it is best for me not to try. I'm enjoying not producing. I'll start again when I feel like it.

Contakt wrote:

gaston_UK wrote:the trick is to learn when not to switch your computer on

Yep. It's not like I'm going to stop producing or anything, just that this is a period where it is best for me not to try. I'm enjoying not producing. I'll start again when I feel like it.

I'm with you, I'm going to try leaving it until after Christmass before I do any producing. Instead I'm selling my Virus C to raise money for Serato and bunch of Dubstep vinyl, back to Djing after a 6 year absence Thanks to Dubstep I might add.

ikeaboy wrote:I'm selling my Virus C.

How much?