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Boring song structures

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:46 pm
by therapist
Anyone else getting so utterly bored with the layout of so many dubstep tunes right now. Put a pad or some strings or any random sample of a bloke talking for about 30 seconds, bring in a really corny half time bass/snare beat, have a little one bar drop where said sample speaks some inane phrase, then THE DROP. Baaaaaaaa, buka ba ba ba ba, BA BA BA BA, wub wub wub, wicky wicky wicky wicky. Rinse and repeat. Urgh, inspirational no?

How do you beat formulaeic, dj-friendly music without going mental, and being too unfriendly on the dj?

I'm not sensing I'll get positive responses to this.

Re: Boring song structures

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:55 pm
by decree
Therapist wrote: How do you beat formulaeic, dj-friendly music without going mental, and being too unfriendly on the dj?

I'm not sensing I'll get positive responses to this.
I agree with you and I have been trying wierd ideas out... such as a track that constantly changes tempo and wierd unmixable stuff like that...
(i have samples that say fuck the dj he is about to shit the bed)
but ya man always do what you think would sound original or just fun

BUT TO BE CREATIVE you will most likely at first appear as 'going mental'

Therapist wrote:Baaaaaaaa, buka ba ba ba ba, BA BA BA BA, wub wub wub, wicky wicky wicky wicky
Can you record yourself doing that... would be a banger
or in seriousness funny samples

PS good acurracy on that bassline

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:55 pm
by drokkr
stop listening to same tracks or producers... :roll:

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:56 pm
by decree
DROKKR wrote:stop listening to same tracks or producers... :roll:
i dont think that is what he is saying at all

he isnt bashing
just thinking outside the box

in fact therapist if you would like to try to collab a bunch of wierd ecletic tracks I WOULD LOVE TO

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:43 pm
by legend4ry
Ive made tracks without wobble and used 64 bar intros - even 8 bar intro, ive made tunes without breakdowns and just progress for 6 minutes..


If you're looking for dubstep what isn't 16 bar intros and wah wah whomp whomp - you will find it...Or better yet, make it.

and fuck the DJ - I make music for people in their bedrooms with headphones cause thats generally when people appreciate music.

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:54 pm
by therapist
Legendary wrote:Ive made tracks without wobble and used 64 bar intros - even 8 bar intro, ive made tunes without breakdowns and just progress for 6 minutes..


If you're looking for dubstep what isn't 16 bar intros and wah wah whomp whomp - you will find it...Or better yet, make it.

and fuck the DJ - I make music for people in their bedrooms with headphones cause thats generally when people appreciate music.
I'm not so much on about there not being good fresh stuff out there, I'm just amazed by how many people keep pumping out the same tune over and over. Particularly the thing with the lazy half time intro and (what they would want to call an "epic") bass drop but I think that's just me being fussy.

There must be a point where the guy stops and goes "oh wait, I've done this exact intro in my last 40 tunes."

And Decree I've no idea what the process would be, but any sort of collab work I'd be interested in. You have a souncloud or anything?

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:57 pm
by legend4ry
Its just the influx of new listeners/producers who haven't yet cottoned on to the softer, deeper, more meaningful side of dubstep yet I think, a lot of people I know who've been into the sound longer than 2 years are generally making a lot less wobbler/dancey stuff now and getting into the deep or 4x4 techy/musical side of things. Then again, its so easy to make a dirty grinding bassline its probably producer laziness.

Re: Boring song structures

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:05 pm
by abs
Therapist wrote:Anyone else getting so utterly bored with the layout of so many dubstep tunes right now. Put a pad or some strings or any random sample of a bloke talking for about 30 seconds, bring in a really corny half time bass/snare beat, have a little one bar drop where said sample speaks some inane phrase, then THE DROP. Baaaaaaaa, buka ba ba ba ba, BA BA BA BA, wub wub wub, wicky wicky wicky wicky. Rinse and repeat. Urgh, inspirational no?

How do you beat formulaeic, dj-friendly music without going mental, and being too unfriendly on the dj?

I'm not sensing I'll get positive responses to this.
i've been saying this for ages, but i supose most of it is made for the dumb as shit crowds when being played by the dj so it's all good.

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:07 pm
by Sharmaji
buy better records.

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:08 pm
by futures_untold
Legendary wrote:If you're looking for dubstep what isn't 16 bar intros, make it.

Fuck the DJ - Make music for people in their bedrooms with headphones cause thats generally when people appreciate music.
Edited for truth...

In my opinion, if a DJ can't be bothered to figure out how to mix thier sets, they aren't worthy of calling themselves a DJ. Make tunes that you appreciate personally. If a DJ likes it enough, they will find ways of incorporating it into their sets.

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:13 pm
by legend4ry
futures_untold wrote:
Legendary wrote:If you're looking for dubstep what isn't 16 bar intros, make it.

Fuck the DJ - Make music for people in their bedrooms with headphones cause thats generally when people appreciate music.
Edited for truth...

In my opinion, if a DJ can't be bothered to figure out how to mix thier sets, they aren't worthy of calling themselves a DJ. Make tunes that you appreciate personally. If a DJ likes it enough, they will find ways of incorporating it into their sets.
Exactly :)

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:19 pm
by decree
Therapist wrote: And Decree I've no idea what the process would be, but any sort of collab work I'd be interested in. You have a souncloud or anything?
soundcloud.com/dopecool
hit me up on aim if u like

Re: Boring song structures

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:33 pm
by mico viejo
Therapist wrote:Put a pad or some strings or any random sample of a bloke talking for about 30 seconds, bring in a really corny half time bass/snare beat, have a little one bar drop where said sample speaks some inane phrase, then THE DROP. Baaaaaaaa, buka ba ba ba ba, BA BA BA BA, wub wub wub, wicky wicky wicky wicky. Rinse and repeat. Urgh, inspirational no?
as ive said elesewhere, i aint really listened to dubstep for years, but the few tunes ive bothered 2check on myspace or wherever recently have been 100percent as you describe here. these tracks may (or in some cases may not) have had other things going for them, but fuck me was the arrangement formulaic.

most stuff i hear just seems 2b loops with a couple of variations here an there to keep it "interesting" (to who? the dead?).

i got nuthing against a bit of dumb-ass dancefloor fodder from time to time, but seriously this is just dull

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:00 pm
by wrexile
Wait until mushroom season kicks in, take 50 or so, smoke a spliff, go a bit mental and then make something :lol:

I know what you mean though. I find myself boring myself a lot. I guess just do what makes you feel good. Have fun and don't worry about anything else.
: )

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:36 pm
by adam_john
Wrexile wrote:Wait until mushroom season kicks in, take 50 or so, smoke a spliff, go a bit mental and then make something :lol:

I know what you mean though. I find myself boring myself a lot. I guess just do what makes you feel good. Have fun and don't worry about anything else.

lol - mmm, mushroom season.... ;)

dance music is pretty formulaic, it's just how it is. I definitely don't write the "WUB WUB WICKY WICKY WAAAAHHH WUB WUB's" often, but I do try and get creative and different with my dubstep. It's always a bit of a risk - people love it or hate it. Just do your thing, if you aren't feeling 16 bar intros, make one that is 32 or 64?

Make something good and quality and people will appreciate it and listen to it. Not every dubstep tune HAS to be made for the dancefloor - I find myself writing more tunes just to chill out to in the car or listen to at home. My sound has definitely changed a lot over the years, but I have no problem with that.

Explore your boundaries and challenge yourself to try new things with the music.

You can still keep DJ friendly intros and change them up - sometimes the simplest change can give you the results you need. It doesn't always have to be something complex

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:04 pm
by hurlingdervish
i stopped trying to make dancefloor songs recently after noticing all my positive feed back was on my deeper melodic songs

some people are just made to make a certain style of music, those producers sound better than the people trying to force a sound that isn't theirs. search for those people.

its usually pretty easy, they stand out like sore thumb

Re: Boring song structures

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:31 pm
by contakt321
Therapist wrote:Anyone else getting so utterly bored with the layout of so many dubstep tunes right now. Put a pad or some strings or any random sample of a bloke talking for about 30 seconds, bring in a really corny half time bass/snare beat, have a little one bar drop where said sample speaks some inane phrase, then THE DROP. Baaaaaaaa, buka ba ba ba ba, BA BA BA BA, wub wub wub, wicky wicky wicky wicky. Rinse and repeat. Urgh, inspirational no?

How do you beat formulaeic, dj-friendly music without going mental, and being too unfriendly on the dj?

I'm not sensing I'll get positive responses to this.
I don't listen to anything that sounds like that, and my dj sets don't have anything like that either.

Sounds like you need to check out some new artists - there is a ton of great music coming out right now that's not halfstep, wobble free, and doesn't have corny speaking samples.

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:33 pm
by machin3
Wrexile wrote: I know what you mean though. I find myself boring myself a lot. I guess just do what makes you feel good. Have fun and don't worry about anything else.
: )
+1 to that. Well said.

Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 7:41 pm
by FSTZ1
TeReKeTe wrote:buy better records.
!