Do you listen to other people's music?

[evon]

I realize that since getting deep into my "Home Studio Productions" I tend to listen very little, if any at all, to other artiste's productions. I mean, you wouldn't find me buying another artistes music to take home and listen to. To me it seems such a waste of time. I always seem to have such limited time for doing my own stuff. Then there is the catching up on my reading, learning a new program, going deeper into the features of those programs I already know etc.

Don't get me wrong howevr, I love going to a nice gig, club, dance, stage production etc. and soaking the vibes, music, ambiance etc.. In fact I really do enjoy this.

I also use other people's music as reference when recording my productions. However, to buy an album and take home to listen to seems so unappealing. It probably is similar to drinking at home.

Anyway, that is just my sentiments and I was just sort of curious if others share this sentiment, or I have just simply lost it.

[idioteque]

No I think you may have lost it!!

[q.musgrove]

I love putting on a good record. I don't drop the same money anymore, but picking up a exciting listen is always a treat. Same with books and what not. You can do ton with a little bit of time I'm finding just by being better managed with it. Like what I can do now in three hrs compared to 4 or 5 years ago.

But if you don't like others'... what can you do?

[stringtapper]

Probably depends on what you're writing to some extent.

If you're doing dance music then there's not as many elements that you would really need to listen to in order to have a clear idea of what's been done before and how you can go forward with something "unique."

If you're writing larger, more complex works then I'd say it's going to be harder to grasp what has been done before without some intense listening.

[SimonPHC]

You seriously lost it, equating listening to an album to drinking alone?

[idioteque]

Sometimes making music just gets too seriously intense on the brain. I find it a relief to switch off and listen to other peoples creativity. That's where the inspiration comes from too.

I agree about finding time to read and further knowledge about making music being very difficult.... the live manual is hardly bedtime reading!

[ChiDJ]

I am constantly listening, searching. Not just because I'm a DJ and always want to find the hottest shit I can find, but also because all of you inspire me and teach me new tricks, expose me to hot melodic, arrangement and lyrical ideas.

Alone in my head is a very dangerous place for me.

[Rave]

I havent read the other posts yet but in response to the thread question, yes.

Believe it or not you are inspired by your environment, that includes the music you have experienced (both good and bad)

You may be on a roll right now but don't withdraw from outside sources otherwise you MAY negatively effect your own in the long term.

BTW music should be fun. Enjoy it

[Emissary]

I have stopped buying other artists music, but i still listen on Soma FM and other internet radio stations and no i dont illegal download. I love to listen to other peoples music, but these days its for ideas and inspiration rather than to put me in any particular mood. I have my own music for that. I think each to his own really, i used to buy loads of cd's when i was a bit younger, but i got to a point where i realised I liked so much different stuff that i was in fact in love with music rather than any particular artist. I find it quite exhilarating wacking on a decent internet stream and not knowing what i'm going to hear, or if i'm ever going to hear what i just heard ever again, i think i appreciate it even more.

[Tarekith]

Depends. When I'm really into working on one of my own projects, I don't listen to any other music. Inbetween projects though, I listen to a lot of different things.

[leedsquietman]

I kind of get where the original poster is coming from - everything is cyclic for me. I go through periods of months and years of being productive personally where I am so focused on my own music that I don't have a lot of time for anything else, and periods where I don't pick up a guitar or touch a synth/controller for weeks and months (such as writer's block or just too much stuff going on in life and having to sacrifice some time etc).

In the latter period, I tend to find more time to listen and enjoy other's music. I have to say in terms of buying music, I have bought a lot less in the past few years, because subjectively, IMO, the quantity of music is so vast that finding quality takes a lot more effort and there are times when I just don't have the will to do it. I'm not saying that there hasn't been good, or new, or inspirational music in the last few years, but it's just harder to find and among the huge saturation in the market, it seems like a lot less (when in fact, it's really just harder to find).

[evernaut]

Of course I do!

I listen to music in all its' many forms and draw on anything and everything for inspiration, from weapons-grade sonic art like Rjoji Ikeda to Mozart, Bartok, Bach ( St. Mathew's Passion is a fave) to cool pop stuff like Empire of the Sun, to indie/alt. bands like Spoon and Wilco to classic Motown to acoustic folk, bluegrass, country etc. to I dunno...electroacoustic/musique concrete stuff ( Henke's new thing reminds me of the great pioneers like Schaeffer, Stockhausen) to Krautrock stuff like Can, Harmonia, Cluster, Neu! to reggae..esp Tubby/Perry...not to mention Jazz...Peterson, Parker, Davis...

Jeez - where to stop!

Anything that comes from that other place with heart and soul.

[kirlian]

i listen all day, every day. except when working on my own music of course. but then too sometimes.

imagine trying to learn and develop a language without hearing masters speak it. !

sure their is something to be said for revolutionary material being developed in isolation, but not listening to music?

[Tone Deft]

evon you need to make some adjustments in your life. no time for music, that's fucked up.

[stringtapper]

"If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write."

- Stephen King, On Writing, p. 147