How did you find out what kind of music you wanted to make?

[kristoffer1989]

Well, I play in different bands, and play/listen to so many different types of music.
I am now trying to decide what kind of music I would like to make as only me.
I have made dubstep, ambient, rock, drone and so on, but would now try to sit down and write a few tracks that are kind of in the same style, to try to get sort of a "sound".

How did you all manage to do this?

[Khazul]

Mess with all sorts of different things and see what keeps calling you back

If you can actually play an instrument, then that tends to keep nudging you in a particular direction as well I find.

[hacktheplanet]

To assign yourself a genre can be limiting. Just write music in any style, and over time you'll develop your own sound!

[Machinesworking]

Simple, try to combine elements from different styles you like into your songs.
Let other people decide which of your influences is the strongest and pigeonhole your sound.
It'll happen whether you want it to or not so.

For instance I'm a big fan of late 60's Metal, Post Punk, Kraut Rock, early Industrial, Noise, IDM, Breakcore, 70's New Wave, Electronic music in general, various forms of Speed/Thrash/Black Metal, Shameless Pop, Hip Hop, 80's Rap, 80's Hardcore, NY Noise Bands (Swans/Sonic Youth/Live Skull etc.)

Just to name a few genres, and I do get influence from them all at times, but most people are easily satisfied with calling my music Industrial, which is true to a degree, and lazy to a degree, nothing I can do about it.

Basically start writing, see what comes out naturally.

[Saxer]

i like to change styles, so i also got lost in trying to find "my" music.
on the other hand: breaking down to one single style is a big limitation.

today i mainly work for commercial spot music, film scoring, making playbacks for singers, arrange and write for bands and orchestras and stuff like that. i like that, because of the big spectrum. and it is never boring.

to get the "my music" lable, i like to think in "projects". i have different folders for tracks i make (like slow jazz, latin, house, downbeat, chill...) and if there is a new track which doesn´t fit in one of the folders, i create a new one. if a folder is full enough, i can publish it.

[oddstep]

Yeah, just make the best music you can and leave it to others to sort out the genre. Unless someone says.... here is 300 cash make me 4 minutes of dubstep.

[oblique strategies]

Good question.

The posts so far have been pretty on point. I'll add: follow your muse.

One can have very strong influences that inspire & inform one's music, but this doesn't necessarily result in music that is the same as those influences. For example Jamaican Dub can influence you to make more Jamaican Dub, or to apply the techniques of Dub to other styles of music.

And, as others have said: cross-pollination can be a very good thing.

I envy anyone who works in (primarily) one style. I work in a number of styles, & while this gives me the variety my creativity needs, it also limits how much I attention I can devote to each style. It's like the difference between a light bulb putting out white light & a laser putting out a coherent focused beam.


Here are a few quotes from established artists:
"Play the music that is true to your heart & they'll come to you. It may take 10 years, but they'll come."

"Do listen to the place where your music comes from. DON'T listen to anyone else!"

And, to wrap things up, a Brian Eno quote:
"If you really want to make original results, work fast and cheap, because there's more of a chance that you'll get somewhere that nobody else did."

[aizo]

The music I've always wanted to listen doesn't exist or exist in parts in many bands. Like u want the synths to be like this but the drums to be like this, or I like this type of melody but not this type of vocals. So I'm trying to make the music I've always wanted to listen to. Unfortunately I'm not very good at reproducing it.........yet! Getting' there!!!

[Cezband]

If you're sitting down and deciding a genre before you even start writing a song, then you are ten times more organised than any other musician I've ever met

For instance I'm a big fan of late 60's Metal, Post Punk, Kraut Rock, early Industrial, Noise, IDM, Breakcore, 70's New Wave, Electronic music in general, various forms of Speed/Thrash/Black Metal, Shameless Pop, Hip Hop, 80's Rap, 80's Hardcore, NY Noise Bands (Swans/Sonic Youth/Live Skull etc.)

Don't suppose you could send me a link to your soundcloud page or something?

[ze2be]

To assign yourself a genre can be limiting. Just write music in any style, and over time you'll develop your own sound!

+1

But if you actually want to pic one distinct genre and produce a full album, you shold consider how much time you want to put in to it, and how much time you have at hand. Some genres are heeps more work then others. Would you want to work on something that might get boring after the first exiting months has passed, etc. Is it worth fighting for when you feel stuck in the middle of the ocean, and you cant see any light in the tunell. Youd have to work on intuition. What ever time you think you will spend, time it by x4 atleast! Add another year, if your new to the chosen genre. Or even two.. Depends on your skils, talent and ability to learn.

Pick something youd like to listen to again in 10 or 20 years!

[nathannn]

I heard uncle toms cabin by warrant when i was 10 and knew i wanted to play guitar.
Then i heard smells like teen spirit by nirvana and knew i wanted to make comedy music.....i really thought that song was suppose to be funny.

[distaudio]

I've never limited myself to a genre. Fuck genres.

Anytime someone asks me what style of music I write I have difficulty answering them.

Just do what comes to you naturally, create your own style.
Then it is pure, it is honest, heartfelt and people will appreciate it.

Sure I sometimes say "Hey I would like to write a song like that".
For example I went to a Saul Williams concert and was really inspired to write a Industrial Hip Hop song. The end result was so far removed from the original idea I layed down. But, it is honest and different.

There is too much music around now days that fits into boxes.

Fuck that.
Push the boundries, mash the sounds, cross the genres.

[Simbosan]

I picked up a ukulele and bingo... chamber folk. Total surprise to me, f*cked if I know where that came from. Just happened. Enjoying it though.

If you decide your genre before you start then you are what I call a "Genre Tribute Artist", cool if it makes you happy but I don't want to be in a tribute band.

S

[distaudio]

I picked up a ukulele and bingo... chamber folk. Total surprise to me, f*cked if I know where that came from. Just happened. Enjoying it though.

If you decide your genre before you start then you are what I call a "Genre Tribute Artist", cool if it makes you happy but I don't want to be in a tribute band.

S

Uke is where it's at. I rocked the uke on my last album

[UnCL0NED]

... Just stick all genres on a dartboard and throw a dart!