your ideas, inspirations

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phil@40
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your ideas, inspirations

Post by phil@40 » Wed Mar 02, 2016 11:26 pm

Hey guys hope everyone is well, I want to start a topic on your inspirations, ideas etc, where do you get your ideas for you music, what makes you tick, I remember reading an interview about jean Michel jarre and he said some of his ideas come from travelling to vast open areas, as well as sometimes simply sitting in a park in paris.

So same goes to you guys where do you get your ideas, what makes you tick

Thanks

Phil

D3VOUR
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Re: your ideas, inspirations

Post by D3VOUR » Thu Mar 03, 2016 3:48 am

This is going to sound so depressing, but I am probably the least creative person on earth. I don't really get ideas or hear music in my head. If I do it is likely a song by another artist.

I literally have to trick myself into producing everyday. I tell myself "Ok I will just make a kick and I will make it sound as good as I possibly can". From there it is a slippery slope. I end up working on a snare/clap and some hats.

Next thing I know I have Serum open and I am praying I can dial in a halfway decent sound.

This is how I produce pretty much everyday. I have to trick myself to do it. If I waited for inspiration I would never open Ableton.

Tarekith
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Re: your ideas, inspirations

Post by Tarekith » Thu Mar 03, 2016 6:48 am

Watching science documentaries is something that always gets me going, Cosmology, String Theory, space exploration, that sort of thing.

Music docs too I guess, especially for music totally unrelated to what I make. Seeing what people like Fats Domino or Muscle Shoals musicians did with their reativity is always inspiring.
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aisling
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Re: your ideas, inspirations

Post by aisling » Thu Mar 03, 2016 8:19 am

I see a fair share of people pass on/away in my line of work. I always get a surge of inspiration and creativity based on the metaphor of life being so short, unpredictable, and the need to find fulfillment, joy and inner peas....That is usually my stepping stone into music production and creativity. A slight disclaimer is that these days, I am on a little bit of a production "burnout," and all I want to do is play music with other human beings. I've kind of gone old school and have been jamming with my musician networks, not worrying about the production, but trying to feel, experience, improvisational groove.
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stringtapper
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Re: your ideas, inspirations

Post by stringtapper » Thu Mar 03, 2016 1:48 pm

aisling wrote:A slight disclaimer is that these days, I am on a little bit of a production "burnout," and all I want to do is play music with other human beings. I've kind of gone old school and have been jamming with my musician networks, not worrying about the production, but trying to feel, experience, improvisational groove.
This happened to me about five years ago. These days if I'm making music with a computer it's either experimental in nature or orchestral film score type stuff.

If beats are involved either I or someone else is playing actual drums.
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beats me
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Re: your ideas, inspirations

Post by beats me » Thu Mar 03, 2016 2:17 pm

D3VOUR wrote:This is going to sound so depressing, but I am probably the least creative person on earth. I don't really get ideas or hear music in my head. If I do it is likely a song by another artist.

I literally have to trick myself into producing everyday. I tell myself "Ok I will just make a kick and I will make it sound as good as I possibly can". From there it is a slippery slope. I end up working on a snare/clap and some hats.

Next thing I know I have Serum open and I am praying I can dial in a halfway decent sound.

This is how I produce pretty much everyday. I have to trick myself to do it. If I waited for inspiration I would never open Ableton.

My answer would probably lean closer to this than other responses. While I don’t believe you can force creativity, I believe the more you force yourself to just work on something the more good things can happen. It’s also important to move forward and not get stuck in a loop, literally and figuratively.

I’m toying with the idea of working on some cover songs, not as release worthy, but as a learning experience. If I repeatedly suck at doing something then maybe some time should be spent recreating somebody else’s song instead of trying to pull something out of the empty inspiration bubble. Theoretically there should be many “Ah ha! So that’s what I should be doing with my own tracks!” moments when recreating somebody else’s work.

Similarly I’ve also thought about doing Electronica versions of rock or metal songs because I really like the arrangements and instrumentation. That might be more rewarding than just trying to carbon copy a song that is already Electronica.

But on both those there is always this overriding feeling that if I’m not always trying to work on something original then I am wasting my time. :|

phil@40
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Re: your ideas, inspirations

Post by phil@40 » Thu Mar 03, 2016 6:45 pm

So how do u guys feel about travelling, what I mean is my my first post on here was about jean Michel jarre saying years ago he can get inspiration and ideas from travelling places, open vast areas, and simply sitting in the park, do you guys agree

aisling
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Re: your ideas, inspirations

Post by aisling » Thu Mar 03, 2016 7:02 pm

stringtapper wrote:
aisling wrote:A slight disclaimer is that these days, I am on a little bit of a production "burnout," and all I want to do is play music with other human beings. I've kind of gone old school and have been jamming with my musician networks, not worrying about the production, but trying to feel, experience, improvisational groove.
This happened to me about five years ago. These days if I'm making music with a computer it's either experimental in nature or orchestral film score type stuff.

If beats are involved either I or someone else is playing actual drums.
I have to agree. In my current state of mind, I find the subtle and not so subtle dynamic, rhythmic, and tonal nuances that real drummer brings, is just leagues away from drum loops, not to say that I haven't' programmed drums that offered the same movement, but still falls short in comparison.
20 years ago I made the same break from live drums into programmed/loops,etc, and now I seem to be full circle again.
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Tarekith
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Re: your ideas, inspirations

Post by Tarekith » Thu Mar 03, 2016 8:51 pm

phil@40 wrote:So how do u guys feel about travelling, what I mean is my my first post on here was about jean Michel jarre saying years ago he can get inspiration and ideas from travelling places, open vast areas, and simply sitting in the park, do you guys agree
The act of travelling itself doesn't inspire me at all, if anything I'm more creative once I know a place and find a way to understand it for awhile. Travelling in general I find to be a chaotic and stressful experience, good to do, but not for creating for me. Plus, I like to use travel as an excuse to take break from music and enjoy other aspects of life. I can draw from those experiences once back in my studio.

However I get LOTS of inspiration from being outdoors and making music outside, one reason I enjoy so many of the current iOS music making apps. But generally that works best once I know quiet places to go that I won't be bothered, which as above, comes more from feeling a connection to where I live.
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mmorgan
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Re: your ideas, inspirations

Post by mmorgan » Fri Mar 04, 2016 3:30 am

To me the most open and vast space in the universe is the human mind. If I can free that up from all the chatter I will, on occasion, be amazed by what can come through. Even after 5 decades it never fails to amaze me that I can not pinpoint a source for this inspiration; it just seems to suddenly come into existence...and as referenced, generally when the mind is unprepared for it or seeing in a different light.

Of course ymmv.

:)
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