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I've been writing 'music' for as long as I remember. I'm not a great musician (not a musician at all in fact - as I haven't played either the guitar or piano properly in years) or songwriter, but I get a lot of pleasure just messing around in music production software and losing myself in creating compositions. Would love some kind of feedback.

I studied Music Technology at college over a decade ago and sadly I've forgotten a lot of what I learned (including a lot of music theory that I also covered), which does frustrate me these days, but I still keep writing what I can.

See The World Through the Eyes of an Endangered Species

Drive Alone

A Tribute to the Black Emperor

Nomad

Extremity

Degrade

Broken

The Tourist

praɡmətɪz(ə)mt apəθi nʌɪ(h)ɪlɪz(ə)m rɛvəˈluːʃ(ə)n(ə)r

My Strangled Human Ghost

Floods

I’ll be sure to give these a listen...I have been doing some of this kind of thing myself lately

dsheinem wrote:I’ll be sure to give these a listen...I have been doing some of this kind of thing myself lately

Thanks. Do you post any of your music online? I'd love to check out some of your compositions.

So I quite liked your "The Tourist" album which I listened through twice. I also listened to a smattering of the other tracks you posted and hope to dig through the rest soon. Since you said you like to do a lot of this in software, what software have you found the most useful? I tend to do most of my stuff on an iPad Pro using a mix of Garage Band and several Moog apps with further production in Audacity. One of my goals for this year is to get an analog synth though

Reprise wrote:

dsheinem wrote:I’ll be sure to give these a listen...I have been doing some of this kind of thing myself lately

Thanks. Do you post any of your music online? I'd love to check out some of your compositions.

I have posted a few things to Soundcloud. Earlier stuff is more melodic and loopy, newer stuff is more ambient and experimental/improv. Here's links:

Fraggin' Newbies: A (2001)

Fraggin' Newbies: Buzz + Drone (2016)

Related: Video for "Natchill"

Fraggin' Newbies: C-SESSION EP (2017)

Related: Video for "SEESPACE"

...and a couple of things from the past few weeks:

JEYS

LRALL

dsheinem wrote:So I quite liked your "The Tourist" album which I listened through twice. I also listened to a smattering of the other tracks you posted and hope to dig through the rest soon. Since you said you like to do a lot of this in software, what software have you found the most useful? I tend to do most of my stuff on an iPad Pro using a mix of Garage Band and several Moog apps with further production in Audacity. One of my goals for this year is to get an analog synth though

Thanks. I keep meaning to go back to that album and altering some of the mix in places, as I'm really not a fan of the very last part of the last track. It isn't quite as impactful and the crescendo wasn't as strong as intended, unlike when that particular music motif was used in the second track. I probably never will though, as I just tend to focus on moving forward instead of looking back at previous stuff I did.

In terms of software, I got into music production about 12 years ago in college doing Music Technology and learned primarily on Cubase SX 3 and Garage Band. I picked up a copy of Cubase SX 3 for home use during that period and mostly used that for a number of years, using a variety of VSTs. About 7 years ago though I picked up Reason 5 and have been using that since. It feels a bit restrictive to me (especially compared to Cubase), but the Thor synth and Combinator can be used to create some amazing sounds. Then I mix it down and do further production work in Audacity as well. I'd love to get some better software (or even a newer version of Reason, which has really developed over the years) and create my own little music studio as well, but to be honest I lack the money and even the knowledge these days to really properly get into it.

dsheinem wrote:I have posted a few things to Soundcloud. Earlier stuff is more melodic and loopy, newer stuff is more ambient and experimental/improv. Here's links:
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Thanks, I figured after your name popped up on my notifications on Soundcloud that was you. I really dig a lot of your stuff I've checked out and keep checking more out. I loved the Aphex Twin and Telefon Tel Aviv vibes I get on a few of the tracks .

What do you find inspires you to write and how do you go about it? I tend to find I really get stuck in ruts and I go through long periods where I have really bad writer's block. I get really frustrated too, as I feel I keep writing the same piece of music over and over again, with it all sounding really 'samey' no matter what I do. Even if I try to give myself new 'rules', like trying to write something in a different time signature, or focus on a particular sound, or trying to come up with a beat or a rhythm first or trying something new.

Reprise wrote:Thanks, I figured after your name popped up on my notifications on Soundcloud that was you. I really dig a lot of your stuff I've checked out and keep checking more out. I loved the Aphex Twin and Telefon Tel Aviv vibes I get on a few of the tracks .

What do you find inspires you to write and how do you go about it? I tend to find I really get stuck in ruts and I go through long periods where I have really bad writer's block. I get really frustrated too, as I feel I keep writing the same piece of music over and over again, with it all sounding really 'samey' no matter what I do. Even if I try to give myself new 'rules', like trying to write something in a different time signature, or focus on a particular sound, or trying to come up with a beat or a rhythm first or trying something new.

Thanks! I should check out TTA, but I do know and love Aphex Twin.

I have been certainly looking to other artists for some inspiration. Like you I am a big fan of Godspeed, AFX, etc.....I have been recently digging into more ambient stuff though (Eno, Basinski, etc.) and trying to work towards a bit more minimalism and building/decaying melodies in some of my stuff (very little of which I have posted yet). I’m also increasingly interested in more avant-garde experimental jazz artists (especially if they feature “heavier” sounds) - so stuff like Colin Stetson or Sun Ra or Kamasi Washington are on regular rotation. My music doesn’t sound like those artists at all...but I think their ideas about composition and improvisation (as I can pick up on it in their music) certainly colors my own process.

When I record, I don’t really give myself any rules, per se, as I don’t spend much time planning out what ends up coming together in the end. I toss a bunch of stuff out, too. When I record, I typically just dive in, noodle around, let things come organically, and then do some post-production editing, splicing, creating, layering, etc. I usually find that a drink or a smoke gets me in the proper mindset as well

Not to go too off topic, but have you checked out Bohren & Der Club Of Gore before? They're great for some more ambient, avant-garde, experimental jazz type stuff. Think Twin Peaks-esque sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zl5vpy__dQ

Yeah, that's similar to my approach. I just sometimes feel like I hit a brick wall and can't find the sound I need or just don't know how to go about creating something new. I'm working on something now that's a bit more minimalistic that I quite like.

So... are a you a fan of Akira Yamaoka?