Do you ever feel inferior when you hear outstanding tracks?

[coldfuture]

Probably not the best place for this, since many of you are prolific artists in your own right!

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!

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

Ironic. I feel a little inferior listening to a couple of YOUR tracks. And all one can do is keep going anyway. Like I am going to quit or something.

[Dusk]

You're very kind victorjohn, but frankly I think you are not talking sense. I noticed your Beatport tracks a while ago, and you have made a number of tracks I really look up to. You're making some seriously, deep, unique sounds, theres a sense of 3D space, and there's the sense the sounds belong to YOU. I tend to moderately twist and FX stock sounds and presets; not the same thing. However, I will keep progressing, like you say.

As for you - keep it up.

[soapz]

dance round the room for 10 minutes in excitement so it can't be that bad.

lol, just like for you, I also know I'm in the right direction when I dance to my music in my studio

SAME! I think the first part of making music is making it for yourself. Playing around with sounds until your dancing around your room. You turn it off, go for a fag, then come back in, turn it back on and your dancing again. The next stage for me is then to remember Im not making it for myself. It would be selfish to release a track for any kind of personal ego boost. I think the second stage its time to make the music as alive and as interesting as possible for others listening pleasure.. You know the track gets you dancing. There is no need to keep changing the arrangement of that loop for hours on end, that part is sorted. The next part is to be able to bring others into the same state of mind you are in at that moment when you are dancing feeling the track..

[::BLM::]

your tracks are really good dusk. You could defo get stuff signed.

[Dusk]

At the risk of prolonging this thread (I didnt want to talk about me) thank you BLM, the same applies to you as I stated for victor, you are only 23 (?) and yet already have a real reputation for quality.

I have some contact with labels, it isn't that I am hopeless about getting released - I simply do not want to be out there, unless I can put my tracks next to those I *love* and feel ok. I never wanted to be someone who forced his tracks on the world - what's the point? - we should try and be exceptional.

Thread over, thank you for all your input - this board is so free of talentless wannabes, I can scarcely believe it's on the internet.

[humeka]

Dusk, I've been caught by your track "Your Cosmology", can't stop listening to it, I love it!

you sincerely deserve to be released as your track are very mature and well produced.

[steevio]

i'd just like to echo what the others have said about your productions bro,
i know exactly what you're saying in the original post, it comes with producing for a long time, i get frustrated in exactly the same way.
just get those tunes out there man, its proper quality house music.

[tone-def]

dance round the room for 10 minutes in excitement so it can't be that bad.

lol, just like for you, I also know I'm in the right direction when I dance to my music in my studio

SAME! I think the first part of making music is making it for yourself. Playing around with sounds until your dancing around your room. You turn it off, go for a fag, then come back in, turn it back on and your dancing again. The next stage for me is then to remember Im not making it for myself. It would be selfish to release a track for any kind of personal ego boost. I think the second stage its time to make the music as alive and as interesting as possible for others listening pleasure.. You know the track gets you dancing. There is no need to keep changing the arrangement of that loop for hours on end, that part is sorted. The next part is to be able to bring others into the same state of mind you are in at that moment when you are dancing feeling the track..

i think we need more people been selfish. Those who make music for everyone normally make the most generic and mainstream music. I guess it's the same people who get the biggest ego boost as their trying to please more people.