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“Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:26 pm
by singlepoint
i was reading this interview with Mala and the title of it “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala (DMZ) got me thinking about why people make music and how it makes them feel, for me its just something i want to do naturally without having to think about it
so how do you guys feel when writing music?
do you feel differnet things when you make differnet types of music?
dicuss

Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:29 pm
by jolly wailer
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:30 pm
by singlepoint
oops totally forgot to put the link on

Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:40 pm
by aleks zen
good thread. well it depends really, i usually write to particular concepts and imagery in my head. and of course there are FEELINGS. something quite inexplicable, but i also like to write to what i FEEL. and yeh of course try and come up with them futuristic chords where ppl might not "get them" now, but will get them in 10 years or so haha
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:09 pm
by Mr Mechanicz
singlepoint wrote:“Writing Music Is Like Meditating”
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:05 pm
by singlepoint
aleks zen wrote: but i also like to write to what i FEEL.
i get this, my mood at the time often depends on what i come out with
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:25 pm
by tundra
i think most of us make music because we feel like we HAVE to. music, audio, performing...all tend to become obsessions once you get into them. if im not actively recording, working on music, listening to music, or talking about music, i often feel unsettled.
that being said, i like working on music because its a challenge. its hard to come up with something that im happy with, and when i do, i definitely get a rush.
also, i love working with people in just about any format.
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:39 pm
by ♫♪♫
tundra wrote:if im not actively recording, working on music, listening to music, or talking about music, i often feel unsettled. .
I can completely empathize with this.
People often say to me things like "Damn, you a shitload of tunes. How do you do it?" My response is usually along the lines of "How can I not? After feeling the euphoria of creating a plethora of songs and spinning them in a club or on the air, how can I be content spending my evening just drinking a few beers and watching reality television or playing Xbox?"
I just want to spread a certain kind of energy out into the world, and I find music to be the best way to do that. I know how good I feel when I hear an amazing song that someone else created, and deep down inside I really just want to bestow that feeling onto others. Some people do this by making movies, others write books...I produce and spin tunes.
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:41 pm
by collige
I am compelled
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:08 pm
by singlepoint
is it sad that this post, something possibly quite interesting to discuss, gets out posted by a thread like "filthiest drop contest"

Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:34 pm
by artlab
tundra wrote:that being said, i like working on music because its a challenge. its hard to come up with something that im happy with, and when i do, i definitely get a rush.
This is me pretty much. If it comes to a day where I'm 100% happy with my music, it's not worth carrying on really. I mean, I'm really happy with my tracks when I finish them but after a few weeks I feel like I could really improve. So, I personally strive for improvements.
I have a bad habit of wanting to know other peoples reactions to tracks though, I should write with a more personal frame of mind. Like Mala mentions in his
Red Bull Lecture
singlepoint wrote:is it sad that this post, something possibly quite interesting to discuss, gets out posted by a thread like "filthiest drop contest"

I had to read that a few times to understand what you were on about lol
But ye, it is quite sad. It's not meant for us, so let them be.
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:55 pm
by OoGuN
great thread, the first I've felt interested in contributing to for a while...
I actually feel that music writes itself through me.
The music I love most that I've done usually happens by itself, when I'm focusing on doing something else like playing with beats or trying to make a new sound. It is like meditation I guess in that you (I) have to get myself out of the way for it to happen. It's impossible for me to write tunes when I consciously decide to do anything other than get in the lab and see where it takes me. Even if nothing I like comes out of a session, it's still a worthwhile way to spend time.
The hardest thing to avoid is thinking about what other people are going to make of a track, this can get quite ridiculous "OK the riddim's cool and the bass is done - I wonder if this is going to go down huge when I play it out"
Having said that, I sometimes wish "Distributing new labels is like meditating" or "Listening to lots of unknown, new producers looking for something fresh is like meditating" was a state of mind that was a bit more widespread

Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:07 pm
by singlepoint
OoGuN wrote:The music I love most that I've done usually happens by itselfl
i definatley get this, alot of my stuff ive done happens when i dont even think about trying to make a certain style of track it just comes out

Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:59 pm
by force1
It's mad man, making a tune or mcing over a tune for me is just like, I dunno really, it's just necerssary. It's funny really but if I'm at home and I put on a mix or something, If I'm cleaning, jammin, making some food or whatever, I'll walk around my yard hosting it lool
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:34 pm
by singlepoint
i think i agree with pretyt much every post on here! glad people are putting some great responses on here

Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:07 pm
by urbannerd62
writing tunes for me really just captures the exact mood and state of mind im in at that moment.
alotta my tunes come out really different, because one day i can be in one mood, and the next day in another. that's where style and synth-work comes in. cannabis takes a big role too! (love making tunes while high)
i do get a rush when im pleased with whatever im working on. that rush usually comes from the satisfaction of me capturing the mood i was trying to capture.
shit, i wanna go write some tunes right now just talking about it...
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:19 pm
by singlepoint
[quote="urbannerd62"]writing tunes for me really just captures the exact mood and state of mind im in at that moment.quote]
This
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:59 pm
by fractal
urbannerd62 wrote:writing tunes for me really just captures the exact mood and state of mind im in at that moment.
same here. i also love reworking a tune that i made when i was feeling sad when i'm happy again or vice versa... most tunes/beats i make have way too many versions, heh, just get carried away with how far or how many directions i can take an idea... gonna read the interview tonight after work and post back
good thread
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:14 pm
by singlepoint
fractal wrote:good thread
... and even better responses!
Make sure you read the interview fractal, Mala has such a good attitude towards the music he makes and listens to
Re: “Writing Music Is Like Meditating” - An Interview with Mala
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:13 pm
by 2nd chance
Word to all the answers so far. For me, it's therapeutic. When I feel good, it helps me stay there. When I'm not so good, it helps me feel better nice and quick. I may not be the best at it either, but nuts to that; I feel great doing it
