Exploring your creative mind

[legend4ry]

So me and Lowpass was having a conversation about this and I felt like it deserved a thread.

Now, I don't class myself much as a producer or a beat maker or anything technical, I would personally call myself as an artists, soley the reason is that I have these connections to my music (an' last time I checked, music is art ). Maybe unlike some people on here, I am more interested in how people feel about their tracks or anyones tracks then commenting on technical aspects (Theres nothing wrong with how people see stuff, of course )
for instance if your mix down was dodgey but I got a lot of vibes and invisioned places/feelings/smells and whatever else i would comment on that more so than the dodgey mix.
I am just interesting on how people actually "feel" about themselfs as an artists, now I know this forum and pretty much dubstep is populated by men and men don't really talk about feelings haha but lets try.



So, how do you feel about your music? Other than music what inspires you? do you sometimes struggle to be creative because of technical aspects of producing electronic music? What have you always wanted to try, when making music but never have? and anything else what comes to mind while typing hehe .

I'll start

I feel my music is a reflection of who I am, how and when I was bought up and shows people things about me what I honestly couldn't put into words, its deep and has a lot of feeling, it isn't in your face but has its moments, it conforms when it has to but trys to break way now and again, its always evolving and changing but sometimes it trys to change and goes back to where it started, it sounds like London (to me) how I see the city, quite grim and bleak but patches of blissfulness and togetherness, also my music to me, sounds how the 90s felt for me (being born in 1990) I experienced the 90s within innocent eyes and grab inspiration of how I felt when I listened to all those classic jungle records at my cousins house. I am just creating for the sake of being creative these days and I like that. I eventually will get back to writing acoustic guitar music again and I will start using everything ive learned from dubstep to put it into that I feel Dubstep has helped a lot with encapsulating city life into music cause I personally feel (though some people might shun me for this) dubstep is and will always be city music and ive not met many country folk who understand it and "get it" as much as the city kids I know, maybe thats just the people ive met though. Don't get me wrong you don't have to "get it" to make it and make it well but I just feel its experienced differently but thats the beauty!


ohh and...Ive always wanted to get a sax player to improvise over one of my tunes and someone playing rhodes - its almost a dream for me!

[gnome]

So, how do you feel about your music? I have never felt it conveyed my emotions as much as I would have liked it to. I always find it hard to get "meanings" into music that does not have lyrics. However music is a big part of me and who i am now. Its led me to meet some cool people and even view things differently around me.



What inspires you? Other musicians mainly. Myself, cars, ducks, trees, anything and everything



(other than music) do you sometimes struggle to be creative because of technical aspects of producing electronic music?
I don't get this haha

What have you always wanted to try, when making music but never have?
Nothing if i want to try something music wise I do. Whether it works or not is a different story

and anything else what comes to mind while typing hehe

[legend4ry]

What inspires you? Other musicians mainly. Myself, cars, ducks, trees, anything and everything



(other than music) do you sometimes struggle to be creative because of technical aspects of producing electronic music?
I don't get this haha

heeh, I meant what inspires, other than music. I'll reword

[babylonjunkies]

good topic man

i started producing when i broke my leg. i've always been in bands and stuff but never sounded how i wanted it to (too many chefs etc). i always feel as if i need something to show for my time, whether its a song, poem, story or an idea. i cant mong out in front of a tv really.

i try and capture a mood when i make something, subconciously letting my mind take me where it wants. when i first started everything was dark (not aggro) and unhappy with far too many conceited time and key changes. im hoping now its a little happier, soulful and has a better flow. i want to make music, for the sake of music, for people who love music. im a medical student so its a big ass fuckin relief to zone out and make a song.

i figure my music is best for the after rave/night-out/sex headphone bus journey as opposed to skankfest. i want it to retain some contemplativeness.

i grew up listening to hiphop and reggae, moved into punk and ska and recently gettin more into my electro and contemporary classical shit so i hope that comes through. i really want to incorporate more of my ska and punk influences into it, i plan on getting some of my mates on vocals for some stuff, dubstep hasnt heard vocals like this yet... i've always wanted to incorporate more poetry into my stuff, i had one tune... one day i will sing a hook or rhyme a verse lol. also plan on incorporating more of my ambient/minimal projects into this sheeit.

but yeah i think the song below sums up where i am quite well, starts out quite dubsteppish but after about 3 minutes goes somewhere else more colourful but still on the dubstep tip.

[nitz]

Very nice thread of the man him slef. Where the fuck was i when you as Lowpass had this conv

So, how do you feel about your music?

Kinda of a hard question. Firstly i technically don't really even class my music as "dubstep" producer but for integrity's sake when someone does ask i just say dubstep, because thats the type of scene am normally related within, as meaning i have most of my connections where the dubstep music scene is, and of course this is a dubstep forum. I personally just say i just make "music" or as some people say "bass music" but like you said not in your face bass, a sub is purely fine for me, its works... Its kind of hard to explain my music without showing it, but like a dumb dumb, instead of what normally people i do, bring out song one by one when its done... I make a song finish it, and instead of putting it out i start a new one and get pulled into that... Man... very soon a got lots of stuff coming out, i keep saying that but honestly its all most there (its just getting around to uploading it haha)

In one sentence to sum up music i would say... i have a total disregard for current trends! If a certain sound it making the biggest hits, then i will do the complete opposite.

About the technical aspects point, i sometimes see this as a huge problem... "well say if the song is not bright enough as i imaged, some people may not get the same vibe as i do" Say if this mixdown is not good enough.... Say if the master is overdone or done badly. Hence why i take so long getting a song finished. Music side of things in a song, so the song writing it self i will get a full song done in a matter of about 2 days ish, but when it comes to all the tech stuff my days... it take forever to make sure its perfect as i want it.... (but i get there in the end

Other than music what inspires you? .

This is going to sound so cheesy but hey fuck it here goes Life it self, If am well and healthy thats all i really need to get everything done, which includes writing my music. Because i know my health sometimes it limited and i know the effect it has when its down, so i take pride of when i am in good shape and appreciate it.

[deadly_habit]

too much text while fucked up...
honestly i find being physically active, nice weather, and nature inspiring for music, painting, drawing, writing etc
always been right brained mainly though despite having strong left brain as well.
edit: and...

[legend4ry]

Very nice thread of the man him slef. Where the fuck was i when you as Lowpass had this conv

So, how do you feel about your music?

Kinda of a hard question. Firstly i technically don't really even class my music as "dubstep" producer but for integrity's sake when someone does ask i just say dubstep, because thats the type of scene am normally related within, as meaning i have most of my connections where the dubstep music scene is, and of course this is a dubstep forum. I personally just say i just make "music" or as some people say "bass music" but like you said not in your face bass, a sub is purely fine for me, its works... Its kind of hard to explain my music without showing it, but like a dumb dumb, instead of what normally people i do, bring out song one by one when its done... I make a song finish it, and instead of putting it out i start a new one and get pulled into that... Man... very soon a got lots of stuff coming out, i keep saying that but honestly its all most there (its just getting around to uploading it haha)

In one sentence to sum up music i would say... i have a total disregard for current trends! If a certain sound it making the biggest hits, then i will do the complete opposite.

About the technical aspects point, i sometimes see this as a huge problem... "well say if the song is not bright enough as i imaged, some people may not get the same vibe as i do" Say if this mixdown is not good enough.... Say if the master is overdone or done badly. Hence why i take so long getting a song finished. Music side of things in a song, so the song writing it self i will get a full song done in a matter of about 2 days ish, but when it comes to all the tech stuff my days... it take forever to make sure its perfect as i want it.... (but i get there in the end

You explained your music, not how you feel about it haha. This is what I meant by men find it hard to express themselfs .

My main point of this thread is to stay away from technical speak, I am sick to death of reading about it on this forum I wanna hear about peoples reasons for writing music, how that translates into how they perceive every day life and eventually how they feel about being inspired and creating, not their knowledge or pet peevs about their music. I feel without this, 90% of music about these days wouldn't exist, spesh 20+ years ago, before music started getting disposable!

This is a celebration of being secretly us all being arty farty.

[Basic A]

I have a Jeckyl n Hyde deal with what I write... both have different signifigance, both different mindsets when going into writing...

On one hand, I have my emotive side. I always come into these with concepts of a scene I want to paint through the music. I put alot of work thought and feeling into these, and alot of the time they come out as something I have a connection with personally but others dont quite get or appreciate. Also. I know that when I write this way, the majority of the time, they will be my less popular songs, and Ive come to accept that as of right now, none of the labels I know of or talk with are interested in the sort of stuff. This is a good thing though, as like legend4ry said about dogey mixes n stuff, I tend to be willing to let go of the this shouldnt be done or this needs to be there ect. aspects of a tune when Im writing this way and focus more on painting that greater picture of the scene in my head.

On the other hand, I have a side which producers very to formula with (although some might try n tell me Im lieing to them) no emotion whatsoever, really more just menaingless osunds and 'omg bro that sounds crazy' aspect to it. This is where I focus on techincal shit and concern myself with what should and shouldnt be. For example, I might neglect a high end 16th time element on a track from the Jeckyl category, but the Hyde side of me could never see that as sensible. I need that there to make this dancefloor, to make every step count, bleh bleh bleh... With my Jeckyl side, I might do a 2 bar 2 beat rest, to throw you off in a good way, or I might bring verse one in at a slower tempo then verse two, bleh bleh bleh... and on the Hyde side, I think 'No you cant do that to some poor dj who might try and drop this in a club'...

It really boils down to my instruments and music theory to mi8ndless brostep, I like making both, but damn its some split personality shit when I do.

Honestly though, I wish the stuff I put thought, emotion, you know, piece of my soul on, I wish that stuff got me big ups vs. the mindless noise crazy shit...

Leaves me free for it to be 'mine' though, so, I guess I like that.

[nitz]

Very nice thread of the man him slef. Where the fuck was i when you as Lowpass had this conv

So, how do you feel about your music?

Kinda of a hard question. Firstly i technically don't really even class my music as "dubstep" producer but for integrity's sake when someone does ask i just say dubstep, because thats the type of scene am normally related within, as meaning i have most of my connections where the dubstep music scene is, and of course this is a dubstep forum. I personally just say i just make "music" or as some people say "bass music" but like you said not in your face bass, a sub is purely fine for me, its works... Its kind of hard to explain my music without showing it, but like a dumb dumb, instead of what normally people i do, bring out song one by one when its done... I make a song finish it, and instead of putting it out i start a new one and get pulled into that... Man... very soon a got lots of stuff coming out, i keep saying that but honestly its all most there (its just getting around to uploading it haha)

In one sentence to sum up music i would say... i have a total disregard for current trends! If a certain sound it making the biggest hits, then i will do the complete opposite.

About the technical aspects point, i sometimes see this as a huge problem... "well say if the song is not bright enough as i imaged, some people may not get the same vibe as i do" Say if this mixdown is not good enough.... Say if the master is overdone or done badly. Hence why i take so long getting a song finished. Music side of things in a song, so the song writing it self i will get a full song done in a matter of about 2 days ish, but when it comes to all the tech stuff my days... it take forever to make sure its perfect as i want it.... (but i get there in the end

You explained your music, not how you feel about it haha. This is what I meant by men find it hard to express themselfs .

My main point of this thread is to stay away from technical speak, I am sick to death of reading about it on this forum I wanna hear about peoples reasons for writing music, how that translates into how they perceive every day life and eventually how they feel about being inspired and creating, not their knowledge or pet peevs about their music. I feel without this, 90% of music about these days wouldn't exist, spesh 20+ years ago, before music started getting disposable!

This is a celebration of being secretly us all being arty farty.

Haha, men making all deep music with some meaning was hard enougth but then to express why and how you feel about making it is just something men cant do!!! (or find it very hardd... )

I'll make a round 2 post after attempt to say how i feel about it No promises tho

[deadly_habit]

i find bodies of water, swimming and the possibilities of what can be in our lakes, oceans, rivers since mostly unexplored to be a great inspiration as well
that and reading (not on a screen, but book format) to be a great inspiration as well. i love reading out there philosophy, religious, and quantum physics books. that and a good old fashioned fiction book helps too especially the mindfuck ones like house of leaves or finnegans wake. all about books that you can read multiple times and reinterpret. hell with using public transit atm i generally read some hp lovecraft or working thru darkly dreaming dexter series (yes the tv show was based of it). your brain is a muscle and you should work it out

[babylonjunkies]

to add to the 'feelings' side of things

i get ridiculous pangs of musical insecurity at times, like listening to my stuff and thinking "thats so shit", "why did i waste my time" and wanting to delete everything and start over. but that should help me get to somewhere im happy with. i dont think anything is ever fully finished or mixed either. i need to sort that out.

[legend4ry]

to add to the 'feelings' side of things

i get ridiculous pangs of musical insecurity at times, like listening to my stuff and thinking "thats so shit", "why did i waste my time" and wanting to delete everything and start over. but that should help me get to somewhere im happy with. i dont think anything is ever fully finished or mixed either. i need to sort that out.

I think this is societies fault of the way it always tells us nothing will ever be finished or perfect and that we can always better ourselfs.

[babylonjunkies]

to add to the 'feelings' side of things



I think this is societies fault of the way it always tells us nothing will ever be finished or perfect and that we can always better ourselfs.

but can we not? i mean it would be nice to have something 'finished' and final. but as a human i'd like to think everyday enables me to be better at life, music, writing, relationships etc.

i think my problem is more me moving my goal posts, heightening my standards and expectations. as much as this is organic and through my own willing, inevitably society has played some role in me having this attitude.

[back2onett]

I don't try to implant any emotions into my music when I'm making dubstep, two reasons for this 1) I'm still pretty new to edm in general and I'm still getting my head around it (especially since I'm not used to songwriting on DAWs) and 2) I find dubstep to be very restrictive creatively, that's just me personally though, I can't tell you how much time and energy I've wasted trying to make my music sound like dubstep rather than just making it sound good, I just can't bring myself to think outside of the box when it comes to edm

Most of my songs revolve around a central lead and I usually end up trying to add things that don't need to be there or just don't work so that's something I want to get away from soon, and the other thing I want to try is more improvisation instead of just "4 bars of this then another 4 bars with a little variation" basically I want to be able to make music without worrying if it's techincally dubstep or not

[kaiori breathe]

I actually don't feel like I put any of myself in my music at all. I actively try not to. I actually enjoy the mechanics of music and understanding exactly how music works much more than I enjoy the music itself. You might see that as soulless but I've always just enjoyed watching and understanding how things work to create something rather than just looking at what is created in the end. The end result to me is often less exciting that its underlying mechanisms. I should probably say that while I put none of myself into music (or at least try to) there's a lot of other imagery I'll try to translate into music.

I get a fair amount of slack for enjoying how music works more than I enjoy the music. I don't really care though. The theory mechanics and principles of why a song work are just as much an art form as the auditory side of the song itself to me. In fact probably more so to me, as I derive a lot more pleasure from the former.

Also I don't consider myself a producer nor do I think I ever will to call myself one I feel would be arrogant. I'm primarily a writer and I'm pretty happy with the style I've developed over the years even if it's not to everybody's tastes.

[therapist]

I've got to ask, do you consider yourself 'legendary?'

[legend4ry]

I've got to ask, do you consider yourself 'legendary?'

Not at all, the name derived as a piss take for people who're arrogant about their music saying its epic and mind blowing, etc,etc,etc...By the time I was ready to change it I got releases so

[lowpass]

I've got to ask, do you consider yourself 'legendary?'

Not at all, the name derived as a piss take for people who're arrogant about their music saying its epic and mind blowing, etc,etc,etc...By the time I was ready to change it I got releases so

I've got to ask, do you consider that therapy?

[Wrigzilla]

How do I feel about my music? Hmmm, I feel my music is an extension of myself and my various mental/emotional states. I create it for release and sometimes to hold onto memories.

My insperation comes from various different places: people, places, events, my faith, our culture, depression/anxiety, philosophy, art and lack of sleep (I swear music made at 3am has some sort of magical quality to it).

I'm on a degree course with some guys who are phenominally skilled at the technical production side of things and for a while I was writing music more to improve my mixdowns/mastering but now that I'm mostly happy with that side of things I'm trying to be more creative with what I do rather than simply just write any old tune.

I've allways wanted to try making something truly original but I'm still ages away from that.

[therapist]

I've got to ask, do you consider yourself 'legendary?'

Not at all, the name derived as a piss take for people who're arrogant about their music saying its epic and mind blowing, etc,etc,etc...By the time I was ready to change it I got releases so

I've got to ask, do you consider that therapy?

Eh?

Anyway, good answer. I know it's off topic I just wondered because it seemed pretty obnoxious if it wasn't a piss-take. I hope that doesn't sound like a dig.

As for my music, it's pretty much all written when I'm in a bit of a sad state, which makes it pretty embarrassing to show anyone.