loops don't funk (anymore)

sorgenkind · Post by **sorgenkind** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:29 pm

Hi Guys,
just thought a couple of external inputs could help me.

I'm getting my live act together, I have time until the end of the month, then I'll be on stage.
I^m really productive these days, every evening after work in the studio making loops, consolidating, combining them. As soon as I record them they sound fine, a bit of EQ for letting them well sit along other loops and everything is fine.
So far I have like the first 20 minutes, 40 are still missing.
My problem is that when I listen to the previous scenes they start to sound dull, I'm willing to change/add/remove parts even if the day before they seemed fine...
Not being confident about the beginning of the set I'm not on the right mood for constructively go on with the set, but I do not have time to begin from scratch again.. the old material I have doens't fit with the mood of this new set, so I'm recycling very few of my old stuff.
After years i had the temptation to grab a sample from a record again, which at the end I didn't, I would feel ashamed saying "hey that's my live set, liked it??" if things of other ppl are into it.
I am very nervous, I know I shouldn't... they guy who will play with me (we'll be doing a ping pong like jam session, a track of mine and the guys makes effects and stuff and vice-versa) says the stuff is OK, he knows what what he's saying he is making music since 20 years, has been professional jazz player and plays live minimal techno since 2 years now.

I'm quite sure some of you had the same feeling at some point, would like to hear how you overcome it.
Sorry for the rant, I am quite in stress which is bad because I love to make music I always dreamed I could play out live and now that is coming I feel like I'm gonna make it...

all the best and stay groovy

Torque · Post by **Torque** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 10:53 pm

Quit second guessing yourself.
Nothing ever comes out of that mindset is ever genuine. If you have an urge to pull a loop off of a record just do it and remix it live. Anybody that is going to give you sh!t for making a great set just because of how you did it is a douchebag. As long as you are feelin' it do it and tell everyone else to kiss your ass. If you are going to secong guess yourself when you make music there will never break any ground. Make the music you want to hear and if you have good taste then others will like it too. If you have bad taste then the crowd will let you know and you'll know to go back and refine what you do until it has maximum effect. The best artists are never truely happy with what they make and will always try to make it better but you also have to know when to say "fck it" and let it fly out there for a second or you will never know for sure. Bravery is the willingness to step into the unknown. Let 'em have it! The worst thing they could do is tell you that you suck and force you to become better.

sorgenkind · Post by **sorgenkind** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 1:07 am

Torque wrote:The worst thing they could do is tell you that you suck and force you to become better.

never thought that way... thanks for the hint, at the end of the day I'm not going to be killed if my stuff is not good enough...

And to start I took myself a break today, I didn't went to the studio, played cards with some friends, chatted and laughed... I just needed a break too.

all the best and stay groovy

steevio · Post by **steevio** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:46 am

hey man i must have heard this story so many times from musicians, i know exactly how you feel.
the best way to overcome the feeling that your old tunes sound tired, is not to listen to them at all. why not get on with the rest of your set, and come back to those older tunes after a break.
i go through this everytime i have a live gig, my brain has switched off to my older tunes, so i concentrate on the new material, and once thats looking sorted i go back to the old ones. it's amazing how fresh they sound after a break, and always remember that they are all fresh to the audience !
if i leave a tune long enough, i sometimes dont even recognise it, and think "thats cool, did i actually write that "

sorgenkind · Post by **sorgenkind** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:56 pm

yes taking a break was the best thing I could have done, now my paranoia is over and I'm doing lots of new loops to insert in the set, I'll leave some room for improvisation too- the show is coming sunday evening... now it's too late for paranoia.

I'll post the liveset in the next times.

thanks again to you all for the replies!