Ive been producing for years, and in that time made lots of tracks including a few I am pretty happy with, across lots of styles... I've always tried to avoid other dance music as much as possible, to prevent me being too influenced (and i don't DJ.) However, I just got a job working for a company like Beatport (I won't name it) and my job is to listen to and categorise most dance music releases!
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
On the one hand this has been inspiring, but on the other, it has left me worrying that I've hit my personal limit: when I listen to the best of those tracks, the sounds are so unique, atonal yet still somehow musical, and the little "tricks" are so neat, so well executed, that you just smile; not just a bassline, but a bass thing that screams identity. It all works and pulls together, a virtuosity of rhythm and timbre that's so earthy and physical, you can almost reach out and touch it.
Anyway, I believe my technical chops are pretty much on point, i think, in terms of engineering and arrangement and synthesis, but I'm just not creating anything interesting. I get a nice groove going then realise it's too musical, too generic, there's just no edge to it. I want to create really twisted sounds that grow and morph into each other, but I sit there for hours and nothing works; I will create crazy sounds, but they never fit into my groove... so I just retreat to things i KNOW work, making a stab sound and playing some chords, just to fill the spectrum. That's what comes naturally. But ive been at this for long enough - perhaps I'm simply not creative enough to do anything else.
Just sounding that out really - have you ever lost faith when you heard others' outstanding tracks, along your own journeys to where you are now? What did you do (other than just keep going??)
Cheers
Andy