Trying to find myself.

Ive been making little bits and peices of music recently, nothing major and certainly nothing spectacular. Just messing with loops and trying to build up a catalogue of stuff. I kept on hitting blocks, inspiration just kept running out.

That was until i started to look into my old CD collection, i came across the likes of "Portis head", "Techno animal" and of course "Aphex twin"... man these guys really know how to make good music, eerie an twisted- which is kinda where i want to head (of course with techno in mind).

So now im back to being inspired. And of course i have to say a massive thanks to all the producers who have sent me stuff and given me advice etc.

So little question really, what kind of stuff gives you that little boost of inspiration when your at a block? or have you any rituals to get the juices flowing?

I just sit there and jam with machines, use programs/tools that are fun and help get instant results. Sooner or later something just pops up and you seize it. Then sometimes it becomes a part of a completely different track to the one you envisaged, or maybe another supporting part you made to go with your original idea becomes the main idea and you ditch your original one.

I love making stuff like this. Never know what I'm going to make, never finish in the same place I start.

I rarely listen to techno which helps. A few mixes and podcasts here and there, but albums are a squillion times more inspiring.

If you want to make original techno draw your inspiration from somewhere else I reckon.

sing something in your head... then try to fabricate it...

when u have that done... add something else in your head...then go do it!!

People like you.

I get my mind of sex for ten mins

Portishead...

love beth gibbons voice... nice looking too!

its 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.

To get inspired i play with my synth and program a few patches.

Try making some chord progressions!

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Originally Posted by DannyBlack

So little question really, what kind of stuff gives you that little boost of inspiration when your at a block? or have you any rituals to get the juices flowing?

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There's two things that work for me really.

Listening to a really good track gets me all hyped up and enthusiastic.
Listening to a standard or rubbish track, especially if it is from a well known producer, just makes me think that I could do so much better, and I immediately head off upstairs and turn on the PC.

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Originally Posted by DannyBlack

So little question really, what kind of stuff gives you that little boost of inspiration when your at a block? or have you any rituals to get the juices flowing?

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magic mushrooms and some boards of canada.
reading a book
watching a thought provocking film

you see this is it, this is what boostes me! i talk to a lot of ye thru MSN or myspace, who'd show me bits and peices right from house to hard techno and the tips and just general music chat is really uplifting.

i have learnt a lot over the past couple of months- production wise and music buisness in general.

to anyone that has taken the time out to give me all this knowledge a big massive thanx.

For me the best inspiration comes from the energy I get from going to gigs and watching my friends play out.... or watching a fave D.J. of the moment...

I must admit that that is after I've gotten over having knocked the stuffing out of myself, which I tend to do...:;

I think that sometimes you can become studio bound sometimes and it's good to get out n blow some cobwebs clean off!!

A healthy balance between the two is what I'm trying to find, n I aint found that yet...:exclaim:

I have always liked listening to some old jazz and such and picking out a phrase, just two beats worth or so, and then trying to reproduce that on the machine I am working on, whether soft-synth or outboard.

It can take you into some odd places.