Author Topic: A New Idea?  (Read 7212 times)

TheAGNO3

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A New Idea?
« on: January 08, 2016, 08:48:09 pm »
Very often when making music we fall into patterns (no pun intended). We start off in zombie mode, laying down drums or a melody, and just work from the ground up, inspiration pouring out more and more as we click on through our project. But at what point have we really committed to an idea, or a concept? (and whether or not we need to is another discussion..). I feel that often in the writing process, it's easy to overlook a message or purpose, and truly a message or purpose is very important if you want your music to have longevity and value. The fact is, most dance music will be forgotten, because it's a very temporary thing, but that's also the beauty of it. Often it's the sound of the time, and the theme of the party. It's here for right now, not forever, just like our brain cells (ha ha ha). So to put my point into a single line, it'd be:
We often make music and label it with a purpose, but why not create a purpose and tailor sound to it?
This might not seem like a revolutionary idea and it probably isn't, but it's a thought I had driving home the other night that excited me. Imagine "scoring" a thought.. Coming up with a story or idea, and very specifically tailoring music to it so that the message is clear to the listener without a single word having to be spoken (unless that's part of your concept).. I see the idea as sort of an "opera" method.. Utilizing all the tools we have an are capable of, composition, sound design, effects, vocals, etc. to create the ultimate form of auditory art that envelopes the listener and creates not only a mood but a STORY.
This is something I really want to try, and I know if I did it the way I want it'd be really difficult.

Anyone else have any ideas like this, or know of any concepts like this? The closest kind of style I can think of is classical composition ie. Mozart, Beethoven, etc. where they wrote to a concept extremely vividly and intricately.

Joseph

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Re: A New Idea?
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2016, 10:04:15 pm »
It kind of seems like what Ninth Parallel is doing! It's what I aim to do with my productions, but I'm very far from being able to do something so complex.

edit: oh cool, we got the thumbs up, thumbs down buttons haha
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valhallan

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Re: A New Idea?
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2016, 10:15:24 pm »
I feel like The Wall is an excellent example for this concept. But from what I've seen is that people are less interested in creating conceptual albums with a lot of meaning in them and would rather release an ep or whatever with a bunch of songs that don't really have any relation to each other. Just to kind of put something out there that sells or is popular.

Joseph

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Re: A New Idea?
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2016, 10:19:46 pm »
Money drives people, and the simple songs are what sells. People have no reason to create more complex songs
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Wontolla

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Re: A New Idea?
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2016, 10:26:10 pm »
This might not seem like a revolutionary idea and it probably isn't, but it's a thought I had driving home the other night that excited me. Imagine "scoring" a thought.. Coming up with a story or idea, and very specifically tailoring music to it so that the message is clear to the listener without a single word having to be spoken (unless that's part of your concept).. I see the idea as sort of an "opera" method.. Utilizing all the tools we have an are capable of, composition, sound design, effects, vocals, etc. to create the ultimate form of auditory art that envelopes the listener and creates not only a mood but a STORY.

This is what I try to do on every single track, and I'm not the only one. Varien does this a lot too, and I think Seven Lions said there are stories behind all his tracks, even the instrumentals. Especially the instrumentals. And I think the results are usually better.

Let's look at Tyven. (which means "calm" in Finnish, by the way) The way it progresses isn't something you'd get from a formula. There's a slow evolution from a kind of neutral intro, to a dark, grimy breakbeat section, then at 2:53 it just stops and adds a completely new theme. Everything after that is more energetic and alive, because there are actual chord changes now, instead of just holding down a pedal note. More new elements, and then towards the end it brings back some elements from earlier for a finale. There's this sense of progression and evolution through the whole thing, that sounds like it's telling a story.

I'd do this for one of Varien's tracks, but he already did it.

It's easier to make a track when you have something in mind. Could be stories, but settings and characters are good to work with too. Like my track Voice of the Desert doesn't directly follow a story with its structure, but the sound design, arrangement and tonality have a theme, and that theme is "what would a sandstorm sound like as a dubstep track?"

Shew

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Re: A New Idea?
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2016, 10:26:13 pm »
Money drives people, and the simple songs are what sells. People have no reason to create more complex songs

People have plenty of reason to make more complex songs, they just choose not to. I think most if not all of the verified artists on this forum would cherish artistic integrity over an easy dollar
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nibOR

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Re: A New Idea?
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2016, 10:37:54 pm »
Rather than starting with a beat my productions start as a midi file of a finished composition created on the piano giving me melody, middle voice and bass tracks essentially which I flesh out in to a full production.
It is such a treat, and a lot of fun along the way, to see how this tiny nucleus develops in to a much bigger complex multi layered piece of music. A very rewarding way to create music.

Joseph

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Re: A New Idea?
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2016, 10:39:46 pm »
If they do then why is the majority of the music industry driven by pop structured songs? The proof is right there, and there's no reason to question it.
Also, I wouldn't doubt that for a second. Ninth Parallel is a part of why I'm still here making music.
"Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal."
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"The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel."
-Steve Furtick