Looking for a partner :)

[thegoodsirjames]

Hey guys, no I am not looking for a date. Just wondering whether anyone would be interested in sharing projects via dropbox and then giving each other advice and encouragement - as well as working together on projects and giving each other deadlines! Preferably someone with similar tastes in music, similar level of expertise with Ableton and if you live near Barcelona, Spain, even better (although this last part is not necessary at all).
I generally make music with a trance/tech house/techno element although I'm not really into Paul Oakenfold type commercial 'trance' or the more commercial EDM . I'm early 40's if that is important to anyone but I am delighted to work with and learn with people of any age I'm probably high intermediate in terms of using Ableton
Anyway, if anyone is interested, let me know.
Cheers!

[thegoodsirjames]

That all sounds good to me. And yes, Sasha and Digweed were early references for me and I know exactly what you mean about 'good' progressive. I'm going to PM you with my contact details today anyone else got a similar interest by all means let us know.

[bytheriver]

Hi Chaps,

reading this got me thinking... maybe if you find a few people who are up for this as well as partnering up and collaborating directly you could make a small group of 4-6 people to share ideas, project files, words of encouragement and advice etc. Seems like it'd be good for motivation and inspiration, I'd certainty be up for it.

I'm more techno by the sounds of it than you two, most of what I'm doing at the moment is recording from a eurorack synth into Ableton and then editing it.

[TomViolenz]

If you lived in Berlin (or me in Barcelona), I'd be up for a jam here or there, but as it is, I'm not interested in another virtual music relation. They take more time and effort than they are worth (IMO)

I also don't quite understand why the genre within 4/4 dance music should matter so much for a collab like this (unless it's supposed to end up as a band sort of collaboration).

I'd think crossing some of these artificial bounderies would help much better in getting out of a rut.

And honestly, who doesn't want to hear a Gabba - Hand Bag House mash up?!

[thegoodsirjames]

Hi bytheriver, that sounds good actually, and I veer towards techno too from time to time - anyway, it would be cool to learn from people coming at it from different perspectives. I think you are right though we should limit it to a small group of people so it's as focused and personal as possible. I'll PM you too shortly.
Tom i see your point but for me it can really work virtually, so long as you are disciplined about it (and the key here is to do it with people who are at that point where they want to be serious and want to give each other deadlines and stick to them). I have done a Quantize course where you send your project and get video feedback (from Keith Mills) over 8 weeks, and if you don't have the time or opportunity to go and meet someone outside your house somewhere, it can actually be really helpful. Agree on the genre point, I'm happy to listen to others' projects in other genres, just need to make sure the other people are Would be cool if we could jam in Berlin or Barcelona of course
Anyway, LFO and river, looking forward to giving each other some help and impetus...really need that external factor right now so I think this will be great. Then hopefully this time next year we will be the headlining trio at Sonar

[TomViolenz]

I guess I just don't see it.

You need the time to prepare your stems (I guess that's how you'd do it, otherwise you would depend on everyone having the same instruments) in a way that is clear to the other. Which means rearranging my workflow, then I would probably have to write long texts explaining what's what so the other understands.
Then when you give your verdicts on the others work, you have to do the same again, so your opinion becomes understandable. Probably with lots of back and fore, since writing about music comprehensively is hard. And then, since you don't personally know the other and it's not for a common project, you would still not know if the other is honest or just polite or even, if he understands what he's talking about.

I'm in a sort of project right now with another fellow here in Berlin, and this stuff is difficult in person already. I could not imagine this being fruitful with just another screen name.

But by all means, if you ever head towards Berlin, drop me a line. I'm always up for a jam

[thegoodsirjames]

Yeah that's how it's done with Quantize really, you can let each other know what VSTs you have used and if the other person doesn't have them you can bounce those tracks down to audio. But for the rest, you just collect all and save, then zip the project file and send it via dropbox, easy really. But yeah you're right, it involves each person needing to have the right balance between being encouraging and a good critical friend. Eg 'I really like what you did at bar or minute number x, how did you do it? And at the same time, 'have you tried doing x, to make the bass drum sound tighter', or whatever. Or you can both pick a track you like (the same one) and try and emulate it. Give each other 2 weeks and see what you come up with, then it works like a book club or whatever, you both work on the same project then discuss and compare notes. In my experience it will work if the people involved want it to