how do you approach music when producing?

[plaster]

i never knew how to properly interpret the sounds in my head...i think thats too time consuming + you loose the feeling pretty quick,atleast i do!

[JayDreamin]

Since what I do is usually with another person present, my approach may be diffrent. But I guess everybodys is. To sum it up, my partner and I will get together a few times a week and bring what weve been working on to the table. Then, we smash it all together.

I may just work all week on perfecting an organ sound that caught my ear. No drums, no elements, just that sound.

Next, I meet up with my partner. And thats when the magic happens...

I might start with that nice organ sound I was working on, and my partner may start adding obscure micro samples on top of it. In turn my partner may have a solid bass line hes been working on and Ill slowly build new drum elements around that.

Its kind of like jamming with a band I would guess. We keep playing untill we find the groove or sound weve been lookin for. And if its a true representation of what were trying to get across....we let it go.

And I will add on to a comment earlier.....creating tracks at 5 a.m. does bring on a strange sleep deprived creativity that can not be reproduced by any drug.......

Delirium! Use it and abuse it



Jay

[harass]

At first I found it best to express a feeling or emotion though a story or something I’ve experienced in the past.. been ages since I’ve worked on anything though, guess I’ve been waiting for my self to mature.

[plaster]

i fell into this artists crisis again...everything sucks!

[minimal house]

I first start off with just a basic kick then bring in some sub bass a clap and maybe some filler drums, that is the foundation of the track, no hats at this point.

This is where the creativity begins. I make my hooky melody by improvising rifts on my synthesizer in realtime. Sometimes it may take 2 minutes to make a rift that works and sometimes i may never find that rift, in which case the track usually gets dumped. If I find a rift i like ill modify it with effects and what not.

From there I add hi hats and the preliminary is done. I go on to the next one.

I then listen to that track about 5 days later and make cuts and edits to it (or what I refer to as "tryouts"). Then I listen to it 5 days after that and make more edits for the "final cut"

[minimal house]

-when writing i try to recall the music i make in my head as i fall asleep at night. i don't know if anyone else knows how important it is to tap in to that lucid state right before your mind shuts down for a night. and usually i let the track wander from there.
not really sure if i think this is the most efficient way but it has worked for me and hoping to read even more ways from all you guys out there.

Very interesting approach there, Lee.

[John Clees]

my approach is utter chaos
i just make sounds and let the sounds guide to whatever comes out
nothing planned, no boundaries, I just let the sounds dictate me

I have a long lost brother....... haha..

as of late....this is the only way I can produce ...

I've come to personal terms with myself after 10 years of recording......that the capture of the ENERGY while recording is EVERYTHING... (to me)

so many times I've found myself with hardware/ software and found myself losing ideas, time, and precious energy.....becuase I was not able to find a tool that suited me best. I found myself spending more time trying to get the hardware or software to do something I wanted instead of complimenting my ideas or just flowing off my ideas........

I just think what ever the hardware / software you are using if it suits you best......and/or meaning ...........if you can FLOW with ideas and bang out track after track that your personally happy with....stick to a feeling is my perspective.... if your not there.....perhaps look into different avenues to explore...

I also feel that if the bassline is not banging..... it will not be played...I can't count how many records I choose not to buy due to a less than sufficient bassline...

also.....try to hear your track on as many different systems as possible... computer, car, jam box...ect..

[leecurtiss]

i definitely agree, as a software base producer i have started to appreciate the value of recording effects and synths leaving imperfections and not quantizing everything to 16ths. a natural feel in a stongly sequenced track can give alot more depth and believability to a track.

-see you soon Tom