Ableton Forum

Just interested really:

Do you spend your time trying to emulate someone or adhering to a genre or do you really try to create original music (if there is such a thing anymore).

Also interested, if you do go for original compostion what do you think your differentiator is?

From my perspective I strive for the original but find that when you critically analyse your music its very easy to hear your influences. Perhaps there is no way to get away from that...

Can we truly free our minds to create original art or does that take a creative ability level that most of us can simply never acheive?

Me....ish.

I can hear all the different influences in my songs, so not truly original (but then what is to be fair?) but they don't sound quite like anyone elses. People sometimes say bits sound like other people who I've never even heard though.

I have trouble trying to write a certain way. They just come out how they come out. I listen to too many types of music for stuff not to cross genre boundaries without meaning to.

Anything that's COMPLETELY original is generally bad to listen to!

If I thought or worried about this too much - dont think I would ever get anything done
I wonder how many people would?

I guess everyones differeniator is in their past experiences and how that impacts their personal in what they do. This applies to whatever they are doing music wise - sampling beats, DJing, writing new stuff from scratch, remixes etc. Its they key ingredient that makes us like one thing and not another.

I can definately see my past experiences in terms of how they shape nearly everything I do today - not only by what goes into a track, but also what I tend to exclude as well. In particular I can see the shitty day at work syndrome creeping into so many as well when I listen to them now, compared to other done on good day, in the summer etc

What Ive often found interesting is when Ive tried to nail a certain style to understand it (that isnt naturally mine), people often dont like the result much, even when its a really current and popular style, but if I just do whatever flows, without any contrainsts of trying to fit a style or genre, normal people tend to like it.

'Normal' deserves an explanation - people like us (typical producer/DJ type people in this and other similar forums actually dont like it all, similar with average picky unheard-of DJs, but wierdly normal people who simply listen to music seem to like alot of my stuff and it seems a few really sucessful music people do too which shocked me at firstt (I mean sucessful as in very famous, household name types - a-list band members and DJs). This I have allways found really strange (I could understand if everyone hated it all - that would make sense, or the opposite, but that split is just odd)

Ive been searching for an original sound for over 5 years.
Ive given up and started over again maybe 20 times during these 5 years.
At this point everyone basically thinks Im mad. Not ONE song finnished in 5 years.

Quittig aint an option!

I WILL create something totally new, or grow old and die trying..
Gettin really close now.........!!
But its HARD! REALLY HARD!!!

i've never consciously tried to emulate anyone, but of course influences are bound to come through.

the only way to be utterly devoid of outside influences (musical) is to completely cut yourself off from music.
i know i'm not going to be doing that any time soon!

like you Khazul, i just write what i write. although unlike you i don't think many 'normal' people like my music
i'm not saying it's weird - maybe it's just shit or some of it's too dark or something

i used to really care what people thought when i started out but know i mostly couldn't give a fuck.
don't get me wrong, i love it when someone says they like my stuff and it would be great if everyone did
but i'm a stubborn bastard and i'm not changing for anyone

time to stop gibbering. i've said too much. and gone slightly ot.

My theory regarding music is that to be appreciated you have to be either the first or the best: either be the first to do things a certain way, or kick the ass of anyone else doing things the same way you do.

When I write, I try to keep those two things in mind. I am very well aware that I have a long way to go though.

Honestly, I dont really care. Sometimes I innovate, sometimes I emulate, whatever it takes to get a sound I like. Originality just happens, based on a number of life variables...or sometimes even by accident. You cant really force that.

Interesting stuff. I find the same with the 'normal' people thing I guess.

My wife is my biggest critic, not by anything she says but by how she reacts to other music.

For example, my stuff is ambient with a lot of live instrumentation but I also sample my guitar and manipulate it further. I hear a BOC influence in there although I've never been a huge fan or listener of theirs.

I play my latest track in the kitchen to listen to the mix and well, just enjoy the finished product I guess. My wife is in the other room and listening happily without comment but enjoying it nonetheless. then randomly, BOC comes on and instantly she says' Ooo, I like this!' and I have to say, 'It isn't one of mine'

I don't mind of course but I struggle to hear the difference, from a 'normal' listeners POV, what is so different between the two tracks. I know my music is good, and plenty of people say its not like anything they've heard before but then there are comparisons made with bands I've never heard of too!

Its always good to be compared to succesful artists of course but also the bain of the non-famous musician. 'You sound like so-and-so'.

Frustrating when you are striving for originality but, as we've already said, inevitable that your influences shine through i guess.

post up some tracks lads

A fair ask. Unfortunately I recently made a promise to myself to keep my forum persona, my artist name and my personal details all separate, hence no sig links etc. Bad on-line experiences I'm afraid.

I sell my stuff digitally via an aggregator and without huge promotion and while I don't make a living from my sales, it does OK.

Some random shit of mine from a while back - couple of remixes and previews (instrumentals pending vocals) that Ive stuck on soundclound - all some flavour of house except for an old trance track.

http://blackeyedpeas.dipdive.com/media/87288
http://www.beatportal.com/remix/detail/ ... ans-remix/
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/as-demo-4
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/arena-of-life
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/once-upon- ... in-detroit
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/sunset-2
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/keenan-and ... club-mix-7
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/escape-4
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/inner-city

macmurphy wrote:i've never consciously tried to emulate anyone

I could've sworn you were doing kind of a Human League channeling Jethro Tull thing... maybe just me.

Seriously, love your stuff Neil and to me there are original touches all over it.

Not my most original sounding work, and still a work-in-progress, but the only one uploaded at the moment...

http://soundcloud.com/elviswhistlehoof/black-box

All done with Suite instruments (incl. session drums), guitar and vocals.

Name those influences/sounds likes....

If you want something silly with a more original style of singing check out "Rhinoman" from a hammered jam:

http://soundcloud.com/elviswhistlehoof/rhinoman

Khazul wrote:Some random shit of mine from a while back - couple of remixes and previews (instrumentals pending vocals) that Ive stuck on soundclound - all some flavour of house except for an old trance track.

http://blackeyedpeas.dipdive.com/media/87288
http://www.beatportal.com/remix/detail/ ... ans-remix/
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/as-demo-4
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/arena-of-life
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/once-upon- ... in-detroit
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/sunset-2
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/keenan-and ... club-mix-7
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/escape-4
http://soundcloud.com/adam-g/inner-city

Nice choons.

There's almost something Lamb-ish (with maybe a touch of Scruffage) about the middle/last half of the Inner City one, although I can't say what!

It's always nice to hear others tunes on here. Got the Quietman tribute too a few weeks ago.

I am fine with sounding like a bad collision of various disparate elements.
I don't trouble myself with it, I just do whatever comes to mind and don't fret too much if it sounds like a discarded Ennio Morricone track as played by the Cramps with an Amon Tobin remix.

Those particular issues of legitimacy are the preserve of the artist/writer/producer. I think general listeners are more concerned with issues like "does it make my toes tap" , and does it "take me" anywhere. rather than where you got the idea from. That's for their dissertation, not the dancefloor.

You can watch any movie and it shouldn't matter if the film-maker is referencing Kurosawa all the time, you may get the references, you may not. But if the movie has a good evocative plot and character arcs, then the movie will draw you in and you will enjoy it.

Though if it brings nothing more than references it will be dull and lifeless.


tldr: Do bad interpretations, with gusto. People are OK with that. 95% of them won't get your references anyway, but they'll appreciate your intentions.