SUBDUE is a French electronic duo based out of Belgium. They’ve been really tearing it up in the music world with their glitch hop / neuro sound, and I was lucky enough to chat with them about their sound, and what they think the label, ‘neuro,’ means to them…
I asked them about their origins, and they told me they were coming from the drum ‘n bass and IDM scenes..
“In the early 2000s we discovered Bad Company, Cause4Concern, Stakka & Skynet, Rascal & Klone, and fell in love with the basslines and deep, dark ambiance. We have also been influenced by artists like Noisia, Spor, Phace, Prolix and many more – but, also, artist from other styles, like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Venetian Snares, Flashbulb, and Amon Tobin. We are also big fans of cinematic orchestration, and we were trying to incorporate cinematic introduction into our music.”
I went on to ask them about what neuro is, and where it originated..
“Basically, neuro begans with DnB, but many artists like us started to use these sounds in other genres, as you can see in glitch hop and dubstep (with artists like Noisia, KOAN Sound, MakO, Culprate, just to name few). We think neuro is a sub-category that can be applied on every genre, as it’s based on how the reese / basslines are modulated with a funky movement applied on it.”
I’ve noticed a lot of the 100 – 110 bpm style tracks coming into vogue.. funkier glitch-hoppish stuff and also 100 or 110-dubsteppish stuff.. like KOAN Sound.. or, some of Glitch Mob’s older stuff.. I asked them if this was where the neuro style began.
“Those sounds started getting be more popular, and that’s very good, but we don’t really know when glitch hop stuff started. Glitch Mob, KOAN Sound or Opiuo undoubtedly pushed the genre where it is now, and many new artists arrive everyday, so we think it’s gonna be much more popular in the near future.”
The duo’s ‘Neurologic EP’ is astounding, and I was curious about what they were going for, musically.
“With the tune ‘Neurologic’ we wanted to make a kind of a tribute to the old neuro DnB, but with a dubstep-type of tune. It’s a 140 bpm half-beat, like many other dubstep tunes, but we tried, on this one, to put a rollin’ beat like you might hear in drum and bass. The rythm is something dubstep purists will probably not enjoy, and it’s sometimes funny to see people asking if it is DnB or not.
“For ‘Black Stamps’ we started with the same idea of a tribute to the ambiance you can find in old DnB (like bad Company…) but this time with a glitch hop/neuro-hop tune.
I then asked them if they would be so kind as to explain to the musicians that will be reading this interview what types of sounds they’re fond of in their mixing – that clawing bass in Black Stamps, it sounds so nice, and I wondered if they could give us any clues or hints as to what that was… and also, if there is any particular technique or mindset they have when going into a mix – specifically, mixing all of those funky/raw-sounding synths together.
“We like a lot of differents types of sounds but as you heard we have sort of a preference for neuro. We try to create the best sounds we can, and we work hard for that. We take the time it needs to make them more personal.
“For our basses, we often start with saw oscillators and we try to modulate them as much as we can/want with some filters, flangers, phasers, EQ, distortions …anything the sound needs. Then, we resample them and restart again and again to get the sound we want. Layering is also a way to get more complex sounds. There is no magic tips/tools to make good sounds, you just need to hear what you’re doing and think what the sound needs to be better. You just need to experiment a lot…
“However, making good sounds doesn’t mean your mixdown is automatically gonna sound good. It’s more complicated than that. It’s sometimes quite hard to make them work well together.
“We don’t really have favorites vsti/synthesizers, we are using many of them, and each one can makes some good sounds ( Abino 3, Massive, Sylenth, Yamaha DX7, Access VirusTi, Roland Sh-201…) but we also really like using analog hardware gear and synths, like compressors, filters, eqs, or a little moog phatty, and the Korg MS20.
So there you have it. Some insight into the neuro sound, and also, a great new EP by SUBDUE!
They added one last piece of advice near the end, concerning the use of sub-bass…
“To put your mind at ease, an important thing to have is tolerant neighbors… lol.”
You can get their new EP now on Beatport! And also, hit up their fan page on Facebook!
Rolling Stone Magazine recently had an issue about “all the newest club” music sweeping the nation, including Skrillex, Deadmau5, and Bassnectar.
Now, although I have nothing against a mainstream music magazine covering ANY of those musicians, I just gotta ask: why now? Why the fuck, now?
Oh, because Hollywood started putting dubstep and electro music in some of their action movie trailers – so, clearly, it’s relevant to talk about that music now? What about Glitch Mob? They should’ve had a cover story, and it should’ve been four years ago! What about iLL.Gates? Do you even know who that guy is, Rolling Stone? You should!
Now, credit where credit’s due: Rolling Stone has some very decent political articles (especially from your best writer, Matt Taibi!) but as far as your music articles go, you’re stuck on an outdated music narrative from decades ago, where, as far as you’re concerned, the best days in music glory are likely behind us – as you jerk off top ten lists of “best new albums of 2012,” and cite no hip hop or electronic music, but instead have SOME decent new rock, as well Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen – ah, Bruce Springsteen!
You can almost see the magazine having a prolonged wet dream about The Boss as they cite his every (“relevant?”) move in the world of pop culture and music.
Now this is NOT an article designed to bitch about Springsteen. In fact, I don’t really hate his music, I think he’s a talented guy. But if he’s REALLY at “the top of his career,” let me ask you, readers, what’s his latest single called? Give up? Me too, I don’t know, and I bet most people don’t know… (But I bet Rolling Stone does!)
Oh, and U2. Why, oh, why, does U2 continue be on the radar off all these big music magazines. If Bono is relevant for his work in Africa, alright, then talk about that – but I’d say that’s a little different than his work in a band most people haven’t cared about in ten or twenty years… and ACDC. Please, just stop talking about them. No one really gives a damn if they have new music. It sounds the same as all their old music, and why do they get press for it? There’s a million groups and artists who deserve recognition over those jackasses.
The point is, they’re appealing to the Triple-B’s: their Baby-Boomer-Base. They’re trying really hard to pretend like all the rock from the golden years is STILL what we should be paying attention to, as much as we should be paying attention to anything else that’s “new” in music… And, again, I’ll give them a LITTLE credit: they do have some articles about some of the new rock that’s come out (because Rolling Stone LOVES to rant about any new rock sub-genre in existence, as it helps validate their musical narrative, the narrative that proclaims that ‘every ten years, there will be a new rock revolution’) but you know what? There’s a lot more going on. Way more.
And no, I don’t expect them to do a cover story on all the new and incredible WONKY tunes…. (they should’ve done that two years ago) but just NOW coming to terms with “EDM” music, as if it JUST showed up, and blew away all your old Van Halen tunes that you’ve been overplaying for years? What are you, Rolling Stone, a frat house? Even most frat houses have been playing dubstep (or, what some folks might refer to as ‘brostep,’ – but I’m not even getting into THAT, as I’d completely you lose you, then!) for a decent amount of time. Not to mention all the fine glitch hop that’s been coming out… or, how about moombah? It’s somewhat popular now. Have you done anything more than a tiny little paragraph dedicated to “other” music for moombah? Have you even done that? …or did you just put it under some “DJ’s To Watch,” section, (or, you know, whatever BS “let’s get the ravers to read this, too”- themed subsections that mainstream music magazines love to throw in there on a whim, as an afterthought)
For god damn’s sake, dubstep is peaking, and many are talking about the “after-dubstep” time period now… In England, they’ve been at THAT point for awhile, now! Where were you, RS? Pretending you mattered? Isolated in your own little arrogant and stubborn world of rock glory that you ignored the world around you? Do you even have the internet? What’s next, a cover story on nyan cat? I wouldn’t be surprised. In fact, I kind of expect it… It would look something like this:
“Nyan Cat: How ‘Memes’ are Sweeping the Nation! But Have They Gone Too Far?”
(Subtitle: When Will There Be a Springsteen Meme? Because THENWe’ll Take it Seriously… We’re All Over 50.”)
And you might say, “gee whiz, if they want to talk about The Boss, why not just let them?”
Yes, it’s true, they can be as irrelevant about new music as they want, but if so, they need to stop acting like they give a damn about new culture and musical trends, and just say what they are, “a magazine about music that your parents might like,” instead of acting like they’re this counter-culture buzz-worthy hip-as-fuck magazine that ALWAYS knows what’s up.
They helped introduce the world to the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin, nearly fifty years ago… But expecting something like that today? Ha, forget it! They don’t care what you think. They know they’ll sell magazines doing an issue entirely about the Beatles, or talking up Madonna (whom Deadmau5 rightfully told off) or sticking Britney Speares on the cover, again, like they love doing. I want to type FTL, but I’m sure RS won’t get it.
Ah! No way, a new article about Ziggy? Yesss! So relevant! He’s goin’ places!
Rolling Stone and other giants of music journalism are one of the reasons it’s so hard for smaller sounds and musicians to get ahead. Why cover new music when you could rehash some story about any 60s legend? Well, I’m personally sick of hearing this notion – the notion that modern music lives in the shadow of the 60s or 70s (or occasionally 80s) music legends.
I’m sick of that over domineering attitude by the Big Music press to ignore a niche style of music until it starts to blow up – at which point, Big Music will see it, swallow it whole, and small music will have to start over. If they cared about new music, they would’ve done their homework, kept an ear to the ground, and talked up the new music trend when it actually started to become a new music trend in the first place! Their current approach is whorish. Straight up whorish.
Not that they’re reading this, in their little cocoon on another, more tubular-and-rockified planet… Mine is a small blog. But you know what? I wonder if they even know what a blog is!
Yes, that’s a bit of sarcasm, but I’m completely sincere when I say: Rolling Stone, you’re a fucking dinosaur, buck up or quit.
(and in case it’s at all unclear, the graphic above is of a tombstone of Rolling Stone, but it’s a joke, I don’t actually want them to die, I just want them to change, and change a LOT..)
Subtitle: Routines and Practices Intended for Strengthening One’s Mental Agility
“…greater right-hemisphere activity occurs even during a “resting” state in those with a tendency to solve problems by creative insight. This finding suggests that even the spontaneous thought of creative individuals, such as in their daydreams, contains more remote associations.”
(from ScienceDaily, referencing study by John Kounios, professor of Psychology at DrexelUniversity, and Mark Jung-Beeman, of NorthwesternUniversity.)
This is one of my favorite articles, and I hope it will inspire you to get more creative in productive new ways.
Ok, so let’s break this down as simply as possible. Below are six tools / methods to developing a routine of creativity. It might seem daunting at first, but trust me, once you kill your intimidation by starting to practice some of these techniques, you will find yourself getting into a very creative flow, which will most likely be very rewarding to you… Alright, let’s get started…
1.) A+B=C
2.) Randomization Patterning.
3.) Culture Shock / Accepting Temporary Chaos
4.) Physical Exercise
5.) Building a Mental Base for Specific Thought Patterns
6.) Breaking it Down
What is meant by this equation? A could be anything. B could be anything else and C is the result. Simplistic, but here’s how it works… (grab your notebook. Rule # 0 to every lesson I’ll ever provide is to have somewhere to write things down… laptop will work, but it’s great, in my opinion, to have a physical notebook. There’s no Facebook in your notebook to distract you…)
Ok, in your notebook, make three columns. One for A, one for B, one for C.
In column A, on the first line, write down a noun. Anything. An animal, a color, a genre of music, a genre of literature, a kind of food, an electronic device, an emotion, anything. Got it? Ok. Now to column B, write down another noun, but of a different category.
Let’s say you chose, for Column A, the word, “Duck.” Now, for Column B, you wrote down the word, “Radio.” Random? Yes, that’s the point! Now, for C, write down the first possible way you could combine a duck with a radio…please bare with me! Imagine a radio that’s in the shape of a duck… or, the inverse; a duck that looks like a radio… Yes, it’s a ridiculous (and probably useless) image. Ok, now draw a picture of it in Column C. Doesn’t have to be a big and illustrious drawing, just something basic.
Ok, now repeat the process again for the second row of Column A, B, and C… What random images did you get? If it helps, you can stick to a formula from the first example (an animal + a machine) as long as it helps you work faster. Or try “random food + random place.” The trick is to keep writing, continuously. How about a, “frog,” plus a, “truck,” and creating some kind of wheeled amphibian? Trust me, it’s Ok if you’re skeptical. The point of this exercise is just to free your existing thought patterns and loosen up your mind, and eventually start to build more neuron connections in your brain, allowing you to be more creative. Yes, you’re rewiring your brain, physically. Do it twenty times. Again, it’s alright if your pictures for Column C aren’t very good.
Combining things that needn’t be combined is an excellent way to come up with new thought patterns that you likely wouldn’t have thought of, even if they’re throw away ideas. It’s also, potentially, a useful way to come up with interesting ideas for new inventions and tools (or musical genres, or artistic forms, etc) and eventually, once you feel more creative and are more lucid with idea-construction, you’ll be glad you took the necessary steps to get there… alright, on to the next step…
2.) Randomization Patterning.
This is a lot like the first step, but more freeform. You’re going to need to set an alarm on your phone for five minutes from now, and you’re going to fill an entire page with random images and ideas. One after another. One or two words per image/idea, that’s it… If it helps, here are some categories, to glance through, if you get stuck…
Ok, so you should be able to fill an entire page. It might seem odd, but I bet it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do. It will get far easier, though, if you practice. I can guarantee you that much. And, when it does get easier, just know that you’re starting to build a strong base in your brain for creative sponteanity. You’re building more neuron connections, and you WILL become more lucid in your thinking. Even though the whole thing might look stupid, remember, building more physical connections in your brain is really, technically, the opposite of stupid, by definition…
Get into a routine of performing these first two steps, everyday, and fill up a page for each of them. You are preparing yourself for a shockingly creative mentality.
3.) Culture Shock / Accepting Temporary Chaos
Ok, now I wanted to talk a little bit about this, because, I think it’s very important to understand something about culture shock. I think it’s one of the healthiest things a person can do for themselves.
Why? I remember when I was a kid, my parents took my on a trip to England. Now, England, compared to America, is not as insanely foreign as, say, Taiwan or Russia. But, for me, at the time, it was pretty damn different. There were so many things in the UK that were just slightly different, and yet the same… For example, they had CDs, but different artists than I’d heard of… They had stop signs and everything on the road, just like in America, but their stop signs were shaped differently, the fonts were different, things like that. They had a slightly different version of breakfast. They had a cereal called Wheatabix which was like a cereal chunk that you break into your bowl and pour milk over it!
Also, conditioning yourself to getting used to what you’re not used to forces you to improvise, and become more accepting of what might, at first, seem like chaos. And, having said that, it probably seems a bit funny to consider how mind-expanding all these seemingly-trivial things might be – after all, Wheatabix is just a fucking cereal, right? Well, I was just a kid at the time, and it blew my mind to think that they had a slightly different version of everything! Not just a differently-organized political system, or different cultural perspective, but minor things like cereal that were shaped just a little alternative to what I was used to! It made me appreciate how everything can be done a little bit differently. Everything.
Now think about that in context to your music. What are you making, exactly? As an example, let’s say it’s some kind of drum ‘n bass. There are so many different, untried ways to drum ‘n bass, just like there are different ways to eat cereal! What if you thought up a new way to put bass into your DnB track? Or, what if you tried an alternative time signature? Or, what if you just used sounds that aren’t typically used in DnB? What if you gave the track a completely different emphasis? Or, what if you did something relatively minor, like try to slightly mix some Chicago footwork ideas into your DnB tune? …Or… what if you performed step 1, and combined DnB with something very non-DnB (or non-musical altogether) and got some wacky new ideas to try and create music out of. An example might be, what would a fish-themed DnB tune sound like? What would that image suggest? Try it. New approaches to anything can spring from both major or minor ideas.
Note: not sure why ‘fish’ is always one of the first animals I think of when I’m doing the A+B=C experiment, but it is. I’m not even a big fan of fish. Hmm….Also, for the sake of full disclosure, I should point out that I didn’t like Wheatabix… or anything on the English breakfast menu… Sorry… just being honest…)
So try the untried! Plus, here’s another interesting thought to consider – listen to musical genres that you wouldn’t normally listen to. Oh, there’s SO much music most people haven’t heard, simply because it’s not put right in front of them. Just going on a good ol’ Youtbe-surfing session could help you in that department! There are lists of genres all over the place. Listen to something you wouldn’t normally think of trying out. Why? I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it here – to expand your mind (and stay OUT of any creative ruts you might have) and to build new connections in your mind… so you’re listening to Giant Steps by Coltrane, and you enjoy the weird time signature that seems to be employed in the intro.
“…It’s nice, but how does that connect to anything in EDM?…” you might ask…. Then, a week later, when you’re trying some things out in your DAW, sequencing beats, layering sounds together, perhaps you will try some slightly-different technique in your production, and not know where it came from…
“Yea, this sounds different, how did I think of this? The notes move around differently than I would’ve expected… Oh, it was that Coltrane song I listened to! It influenced me…”
Exactly!
4.) Physical exercise
I’m not going to write too much about this because I know you can figure this one out on your own, and I’m not a gym teacher or a physical trainer – but what I do know is that keeping a routine going of aerobic fitness on a regular basis can give you energy and get the blood flowing the way it needs to. I would even recommend performing this step, and doing a bunch of sit ups or pushups or walking/running before attempting steps 1 and 2. They will probably be easier after some physical exercise.
5.) Building a Mental Base for Specific Thought Patterns
This tip is designed to reinforce the concept of positivity, as well as to get you into the routine of trying to continually build a constructive base in your mind for creative thought patterns. Building a base is all about cementing the pathways in your mind that you want. A good example is to think about all the steps in this article, and to re-read them whenever necessary (which is why I put this article on the home page) and to go over the exercises described, everyday. You’ll find, as I stated earlier, that they get easier with time. I remember working on the ‘Random’ exercises often enough that I came to a point where I could freely improve dozens of random images and thoughts at any given time. It paid off in other areas, as well.
I always enjoyed writing, when I was younger. I decided, one day, to write a full novel. I did it, and I was extremely pleased. It took awhile, but I was Ok with that. Then, about three months ago, I decided to do it again. This second novel took me about six weeks. Now, I’m not saying it’s as epic as War & Peace, but it’s a fun, quality read. Why such a small time frame? Because I was able to get through multiple chapters every sitting, on account of being able to creatively improvise. Or, take this website, for example – I’ve spent a lot of time on it, and put up around twenty articles/posts in the last couple weeks.
I’m NOT saying this to brag (it’s not as if I’m making a dime off this site or anything) I’m just saying that improving your ability to creatively improvise can worked, and I am walking proof of that. If you look around, there are others who are walking proof, too! We walk among you! Join us! There’s room for one more……
Also, as far as thought patterns go – ambition, imagination, impatience, and stubbornness are good things to go for… I intend to make a whole video on why impatience is an underrated virtue, but for right now I’ll basically say that, although you DO need patience to learn your craft and go about these techniques, it takes a certain level of impatience to motivate yourself out of a lazy stupor (that we all get into) and to decide, “No, I want to make beats, right now. Right now!” …and to be stubborn about it, too! If other people other people want you to hang out and go to a movie, but you’ve just gotten into a super productive music flow, tell them you can go out later. Explain the situation to them, but know that they MIGHT not understand, and they might think you’re being lame. Fuck that, you’re not being lame. Be stubborn about it. Chances are, they don’t have any cool hobbies like you do, that take up much time. If they did, they might understand.
Learn to appreciate the beauty in everything around you, and to see things in a more creative light, everyday. Even if you don’t knock Skrillex off the list of highest-payed DJ’s, at least you’ll have a fulfilling life, if you can really appreciate how wonderful and beautiful so many things in life really are. Remember, these ‘tricks’ really do work, and you’ll start to see it in your own life after a little practice.
6.) Breaking it Down (now they call it a, ‘drop’)
Now that you’ve looked through all of these topics, consider, for a moment – what kind of music do you want to make? Find the best track in that genre (be picky, but find one!) and listen to it 50 times. Yes, 50. Consider it research. Break the track down in every possible way. Take notes. Write down as many things as you can think of. What’s going on in the track? What separates this track from others? What makes it great?
It might take awhile, but think of it this way – if the track is 4 minutes long, and you listen to it 50 times, 4*50 = 200 minutes, or, 3 hours and 20 minutes. You might want to do this in two sittings… But I guarantee it will help you. I remember breaking down a track by Edit (from Glitch Mob fame) and at first, the track was dauntingly complex. But after listening to it five times, I started internalizing all of the ideas of the track, and by ten times, I was no longer intimidated by it. That’s just ten times. I kept listening to it, and the more I did, the more I understood of the track!
Ok, so if you’re not ready for 50 plays, just go as long as you can… And, listen, I’m NOT saying that you need to spend three and a half hours on EVERY track, but, to understand a style of music comprehensively, it could REALLY help you out a lot. I really mean that. For extra credit (or, just for fun) try doing the Break-it-Down exercise on this (lol.. Yes, im half joking… it’s crazy.. unless you’re into breakcore and want to figure it out, in which case, go for it!)
<<< if you ARE trying to make breakcore, though, I JUST posted a tutorial here
But back to the lesson… after you’ve broken your desired track down, do research and see what the artist said they were up to when did the song. What techniques did they employ in the studio? What were they going for? What do the other tracks on the album sound like?
Try to contact them, tell them you’ve been listening to their track for LITERALLY fifty plays to try and understand it and ‘master’ it COMPLETELY, and that you’d like helping decoding something in their wonderful tune. Chances are they will be extremely flattered and will definitely want to help you out, at least a little… unless they’re far too busy (or if they’re just a big douche) but there’s a pretty great chance you will get somewhere doing all of this.
If someone told me they’d listened to one of my songs LITERALLY-FIFTY-TIMES, I would bend over backwards trying to help them, especially if I generally thought they sounded sincere and honest about it. I mean, how would you feel, if it happened to you? It’s a step or two beyond obsessive.
And here’s where it specifically fits into your creative mindset – beyond building a base for creative ideas and REALLY internalizing the song structure/style that you want to work with, after you listen to a song fifty times, and are trying to come up with notes, you will start to come up with new ways of interpreting the song; interesting perspectives on it, a unique and creative analysis that others might have missed. When you talk to the artist directly and bring some of your truly-inspired ideas to them about what you heard in that wonderful song, they will likely be pretty impressed and surprised that you took the time to think of all sorts of original ideas and methods to describe his or her song in a completely new light. (For example – I just heard your “_______” track fifty times, and after listening to it for the third hour in a row, I started picturing nine-headed unicorn having sex in space; because the spacey, pulsating, and animalistic screeching melodies you used seem to flow together in such a way as to seemingly have that galactic-unicorn-sex-energy sound after you hear it long enough!)
Ok, maybe you don’t need to say that to some artists (especially if you DON’T get a unicorn-space-sex vibe…) but I’m just saying you should try to be a wordsmith with it. Be poetic and come up with a wholly new way to transform what could be rampant (albeit clever) knob-twiddlin’ and sequenced grooves – into something epic and meaningful. Hopefully, you’ll find it in their track. If not, maybe you should’ve picked a better song? ;)
In conclusion, these are some very powerful ways to get your mind going in the right direction. Like I said earlier, if you practice these techniques, I promise you, they will get a lot easier. You have to put the time in, but if you’re willing to do what it takes, you will likely, down the line, be shocked and impressed with the results. Your music will be better, you’ll gain more mental agility, you’ll be able to go about creative projects faster, and you’ll get WAY more presents for Christmas.
Well, most of that last statement is true, anyway.
When he’s not traveling to exotic locations like Indonesia, or designing awesome album covers and graphics, he’s working with his partner, Kaery, to post these designs for SALE in their online shop!! You can actually wear some of this amazing art! It’s probably obvious at this point, but I have nothing but props for this whole project!
African Goddess Longsleeve Shirt- Army Green
It’s truly some psychedelic crunk material, a trend that I’m very excited to see. It’s just my personal opinion, but I think we’re all in for an exciting era for art and clothing.
Mugwort is helping the ongoing evolution of rave culture move into a unique and much more psychedelic space, and I, for one, am a HUGE fan of their work!
So, there you are, in your studio (or bedroom… or parent’s basement… or underground lair… or spaceship…) and you’ve decided to write a new bass-killing mega-jam to destroy the fucking rave and garner fame, respect, and critical acclaim from fans around the world…but first you need to check
Ah, look at all those lovely numbers on your little Facebook globe thing! Ten? Gotta click em all! See what each of them says! Anything good? Ah, just more invites to some club inSt. Louis… (Why, oh, why did you click ‘LIKE’ on that St. Louis Dubstep page? You live nowhere NEARSt. Louis! Ah
Oh, look, that cute girl fromIndonesiasaid something on your wall! Awesome! What’d she say? … “Thanks for the comment, Will! Glad you like my photo!” … Nice.
Ok, time to check Gmail. Hmm… nothing but some spam. Just need to delete that. Oh, fuck, out of cigarettes? Need to take care of that. Oh, there’s a new Tetris app? Well, you’re not sure how they could’ve possibly improved on the old Tetris, but surely, you’re game! Oh… it doesn’t have the original music? How did that Tetris song go? Damn, that’s like… the only Russian song you know… Maybe you should see if there’s any interesting Russian songs you could torrent off of Demonoid…
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Perhaps all of it, except maybe the girl you’re flirting with isn’t fromIndonesia… maybe she’s from down the road?
…and perhaps you didn’t click ‘LIKE’ on St. Louis Dubstep – but, the point is, it’s easy to get distracted. So fucking easy! So, I decided to write an article on two things that we’ve all dealt with – DISTRACTIONS, like the ones above, and also, LAZINESS (the ugly older brother of DISTRACTIONS).
Here are some things that pertain to both distractions and laziness to really consider when making your newest track. I’ve set it up in the form of 8 bullet points. Obviously, if you’ve found another method that works, use that instead. But force yourself to actually USE it, and be stubborn about it.
0. Get a Notebook
1. Second Job Mentality
2. Set Specific Deadlines for Specific Goals
3. Unplug
4. Prepare Before Working / Have some coffee
5. The Marijuana Distraction …Get High AFTER Production J
6. Stay Organized
7. Be Realistic
8. Consider the Outcome of Laziness
This is just one setup, and like I said, if there’s another one that seems more practical to you, go for it. Or, if you want to write in the comments about how this list need be drastically altered, again, go for it. But keep an open mind and really consider what I’m saying, and you find some of this stuff very useful.
0. Get a Notebook.
Ok, why is this Rule # 0 ? Why not Rule # 1? Is it important, and should almost go without saying that you should get a notebook?
Yes, exactly! Having a notebook will help you SO much. You won’t remember all your ideas. Especially if you’re very creative and have tons of ideas! Use a notebook! Carry it with you. Have access to it as often as possible. A small notebook is my favorite.
1. Second Job Mentality
This one is sure to lose more readers than anyone… But whatever, if you stick around, chances are you’re one of the more motivated ones reading this, so good for you! J
Now, obviously, I don’t need to tell you why it’s bad to be distracted when you need to get something done, but here’s something else to think about – if you’re too distracted to go to work, what’ll happen? You’ll get fired. So, it’s probably a priority, if you have a job, to go to work and make that money. But what about music? It might not be top priority in your life for obvious reasons, but maybe you should start treating it like a job – or at least… a second job – if you want to really get something out of it.
You might think, “Aw, a second job? What? This is supposed to be fun! I want to get high and have fun!” Ok, so… do you want to get high and feel like a rock star even though you’re not getting anything thing done? Or do you want to have something to show for all the time you’ve spent in your studio? You might just find that once you’re able to be productive and start getting things done, there’s a lot of fun that can come out of that, too. A much more rewarding type of fun, too. And it lasts a lot longer than just hanging out for awhile getting high for an hour or two… Plus, you’ll join the ranks of all the musicians who ACTUALLY MAKE music, instead of all the musicians who never accomplish anything… which is, to be fair, most musicians.
2. Set Specific Deadlines for Specific Goals
This might seem like two points, but I would make the argument that they’re really very connected… It’s all about specificity and timing.
What are you trying to do? Write an album? A 4 track EP? A single? A new track to put into your mix? Is it a live DJ set you’re practicing for? I don’t feel the need to add too much to this point beyond saying, “Set Deadlines, and know exactly what the hell you’re specifically trying to do.”
And also, keep in mind, it might seem daunting to write an entire album, but once you get it done the first time, it’ll be far easier the second time, because you know what you’re doing. Writing a whole album may seem like a large task (and, when you think about it, it is) but writing one track? Not nearly as hard! Now, just do that twelve times.
What’s the difference between one huge task of writing a twelve-track album with a central theme… and writing single tracks, twelve times, each track keeping a consistent theme going? Well, the second option seems a lot less intimidating, especially if you’re new to the game.
3. Unplug
Disconnect your internet. Do it. You won’t need to check it while making music. Your synthesizers and drumboxes aren’t online (or… wait, are they? They shouldn’t be… Hmm…. I think I just got an idea for a new internet company…) The point is, nothing more needs to be said beyond just saying that you NEED to separate yourself from everything you know will eat up your time, and get to work.
Now, before we get to the 4th point, I thought I’d give you another cat pick title-graphic.. (yes, it’s a distraction. The whole post is a lie, I’m secretly just trying to get you to look at cat picz…)
4. Prepare Before Working / Have some coffee
Coffee works for me, might not for you. I like the energy I get from it. If it’s not your thing, then, hey – you just saved some time not having to get coffee, and you’re further along than I am! Nice! Are you going to need to smoke some cigarettes? Have them ready BEFORE starting your mix. Plan ahead. You don’t want to get halfway through a project and realize you’re out of Redbull or whatever it is you need to help you keep going, if you need anything at all.
5. Marijuana as a Distraction
Now I’m not going to be all anti-weed on you; except during the start of your mix, and POSSIBLY during the entire process of working on your music. Now, maybe it’s fine, and it works for you, but be honest with yourself. Be REALLY honest about it: Does it work for you when you’re trying to get music done?
I know that if I’m really high, I’m less likely to finish something. Sure, I might have some interesting ideas in the studio, but I’m probably going to stop working way before I would’ve, had I not smoked. I do get really meticulous about a ten second portion of a song, but might not finish the song, so what good is it?
Now, again, maybe that’s not you. Or maybe it is? My personal suggestion is to wait until you’ve at LEAST gotten into the workflow before you start smokin’, if you start smoking at all. Do you know how many musicians wanted to finish a track but didn’t because they got high before finishing? …I don’t know, either; the exact figures are unknown, because it’s hard to track something that never came into existence…
By the way, I know some people get really paranoid when you tell them they shouldn’t be smoking. Some will point out that I JUST said to get your cigarettes (if you smoke) but now I’m “all against weed?” Well… let’s be clear – cigarettes, in the short term, probably aren’t going to stop someone from being productive the way a weed break will. I’m not encouraging cigarettes, btw ;) but I’m just saying… Do you want to get something done, or get high and feel like a rock star for a little while and then forget that you never got anything done on your album, and now you’re just like every other lazy person in the world who has a cool/creative idea but is too lazy or stoned to accomplish it? J
6. Stay Organized
This will mean different things to different folks, but the bottom line is, you need to know what works best for you personally, and stick to that. I always like working in a clean studio. I also like to have my folders on my computer very organized (or, as much as possible) when I’m starting a new album or project.
That means that each song gets it’s own folder, even if, at the start, it might be, ‘Track 01.’ You can always change the name after you finish your first track. Also, samples should be in a minimal number of folders, or as much as possible. Also, general ‘samples’ and ‘song’ folders are two different sets of folders! I personally like to keep samples as organized as possible, too. Here’s just one way you can do it:
Samples>
…………..>Beats
……………………….>Kicks
……………………….>Snares
……………………….>Cymbals
……………………….>Claps
……………………….>Hats
…………..>Non-Synth-Instruments
……………………….>Flute
……………………….>Guitar
……………………….>Misc. Instruments…
…………..>Synth-Instruments
……………………….> Booming Basses
……………………….>Wobbles
……………………….>Guitar-Synth
……………………….>Pads
……………………….>Misc. Instruments
…………..>FX
……………………….>Risers
……………………….>Dub echo sounds
……………………….>Lazer sounds
……………………….>Cow Sounds
…………..>Bass
……………………….>Real
……………………………………>Strat Guitar
……………………….>Synth
……………………………………>808 Basses
……………………………………>Hip Hop Basses
……………………………………>Moog Subbasses
……………………………………>Juno Basses
……………………………………>etc… misc…
Ok, so that’s just one theoretical setup, obviously yours will likely be a little different. You might not have a set of cow sounds… but… it’s just an example. I like to tend to keep my drums separate from instrument samples.
Try to stay organized with your samples throughout mixing! If you record a new bass, make sure to put it in the bass folder, wherever you’ve decided to put that (in your synth folder?) not just a temporary folder because it’s easier and you think you’ll remember where it is. It’s also great to have a MISC folder for things you’re not sure how to organize… like maybe you have some sample of Billy Maze talking about some carpet cleaner, and you just HAVE to use it at the end of the first track. Alright, have a folder that’s either set for ‘miscellaneous’ samples, or, if you think you might have a bunch of vocal samples, obviously set up a ‘vocal samples,’ or ‘various samples,’ folder. Whatever works for you… there are different ways to do it, but make sure to stick with it consistently, and understand where things are supposed to go. You’ll be SO happy you did. Your mixes will get done a lot quicker, I guarantee.
7. Be Realistic
Ok, so this might sound familiar to a lot of you… I know a guy who has every piece of musical equipment you could possibly name. He has so many old vintage synthesizers from the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, and some newer stuff from the last five or ten years. He’s super proud of his collection, and upon first glance, it’s pretty enviable. Plus he wants to make music. Should be a breeze!
But he can’t make music… Why? Well, beyond getting high all the time, he sucks at utilizing his equipment. Getting a sound out of each machine and sending it to his DAW and then being creative with it and then recording it… and then figuring out how that sound might go with the sound of some other piece of equipment… and then having to reroute this with that and that with this, plugging three things in together, then mixing that with some other sound from another machine… Damn, it takes so long… Sounds like a nightmare of technicalities. How’s he going to do that for every track?
He doesn’t. He messes around for a little while, gets high, messes around a little while longer, probably thinks about how cool electronic music was way back when (when this synth came out, or when that synth came out…) and then, eventually, he wanders off. No track completed. Big surprise?
You have to be realistic. Maybe you like messing around with old equipment for fun, and there’s nothing wrong with a bit of fun… but if you’re thinking about making a full-length album, you’re going to need to decide how you’re going to use the equipment, and then do it. Maybe fucking around with equipment (or, to put it nicely, ‘experimenting’) should be a separate task… with a goal of thinking up concepts for songs, and then, later, writing a track?
More equipment is not better if you don’t do anything with it, young padawan.
I don’t have one tenth the physical musical hardware that the guy I just mentioned does, but I guarantee I’ll be ten times as productive, and make the kind of sounds I want to, and have ten times as many people listen to my tracks, and feel ten times as accomplished. That’s not even bragging, that’s universal for anyone in this situation. And, in case this needs clarification, I’m NOT saying that you shouldn’t have ANY hardware. But, like I said before, you have to figure out exactly what you want, and then do it. Maybe you need to write it out in your notebook; draw a diagram, figure out how everything connects, just for reference, if you need. There’s no shame in that – especially if you have a lot of equipment to deal with! It’s smart to plan things out.
8. Consider the Outcome of Laziness
Or, to be all poetic about it, consider the outcome… later… The Daily Show just came on… I’ll Mix later, maybe… ;)
I don’t mean to sound too harsh, but you have to understand I’m speaking from experience. I’ve been lazy before, we all have, and I’ve seen people get lazy. I think it really stuck in my head how irritating it was when I tried to work on a project with a musician I know, and we both had separate tasks to complete, according to each of our skillsets… So, I began making sounds, beats, track layouts, and he didn’t do anything… A week later, I had even more sounds, even more beats and layouts, and he had the same thing he had the week before: nothing. A few weeks in, he decided he wanted the album to have an entirely different sound, suddenly. What?! But he hadn’t done a damn thing, and now he wanted to change it up dramatically? Fine, whatever… But after the seachange in genre ideas, I waited for him, and still, he did nothing.
I was so frustrated. His laziness had ensured that our incredible, mind-blowing album would never get made… Laziness is one thing, but laziness that you’re forcing someone else to sit through is even worse, and it’ll really make you realize how overwhelmingly frustrating it can be.
So, consider this. Consider how laziness can be a burden to someone else, but if you’re just working on your own personal track, think about how it affects you, personally. You could be making something dope as hell right now, and you know it; but by putting it off, you’re doing yourself a real disservice. You should try to impress yourself by seeing how much decent music you can make, and by doing it as efficiently as possible. You could have a top track (or maybe just something really fun to play in your studio, at very least) but really, if you don’t make a conscious effort to focus, you might not get very far.
So go on, be as productive as fucking possible, you know it’s in you. Once you get something done, like a track or an album, showcase it! Display it proudly, you deserve recognizing such an achievement! Make a poster for it and hang that shit in your room!
You’re an accomplished musician, now! And hey, since you finished that album, you’ve got some good music to listen to, so now’s the time to get stoned, if there ever was one!
The guy is releasing new music, but I’m still stuck listening to his older stuff, in addition to his new tracks. Remember when I was complaining (pontificating) that there’s no good soukous-edm mixes? Débruit schooled me years ago without my realizing it – or maybe I did know about it, and forgot, and it was in my subconscious, and that’s why I thought of it? – the point is, he released, ‘NigeriaWhat?’ on his Spatio-Temporel EP, and I took a listen to it a few days ago, and instantly fell in love with it! It’s got the happy, melodic sounds of African soukous music, and dives into insane glitch hop territory from there on out…and that’s not to say that ‘NigeriaWhat?’ is the only stand-out track on that album, either!
The track, ‘149 Dalston Airline’ is a funk goldmine. As in, he’s doing things with funk so clever and concentrated as to inspire wonders of this man possibly being some personified reincarnation of the funky syrup of Parliament Funkadelic! Yes, it’s that good. Take a listen, please! It’s got more funk smeared all over it then lipstick over a six-year-old beauty queen from the deep South! But unlike those morally-very-iffy beauty pageants (and the creepy-as-fuck parents that always show up at those things) ‘149 Daltson Airline’ will leave you wanting more; it’s fun as hell, and so catchy, too! I had to listen to it three or four times in a row before I felt it was time for the next track. And the next track was that soukous mix I mentioned, so all was definitely well with the universe, that night!
The album is as much funk as it is forward-thinking glitch-hoppish gold. Believe me, I don’t say that about every artist. It’s cutty, twisted, and eclectic; and yet it’s fluid, precise, and you can definitely hear the meticulousness of his musical ideas in every song. It’s cut-up mutant-pop from the future, the likes of which would give Fatboy Slim a headache out of pure jealousy, were Fatboy Slim still trying to dismantle pop music the way he used to… (he’s not, by the way, he’s definitely not…)
But all this is just the introduction to Débruit De! He’s definitely got newer music, as well! He just released his second pressing of ‘From the Horizon,’ and it’s on limited marbled blue double vinyl (sounds awesome) and you better hurry if you want to buy it, because the first edition (gold vinyl) sold out in it’s first three days of release! Obviously, people are starting to figure out the mastery of this incredible artist. And damn, blue marbled vinyl? To be honest, I’m not sure I know exactly what that is, but it sounds dope.
You can check out his soundcloud for more music, or just make a quick search on youtube. I promise, you will definitely not be disappointed. I’ve never been disappointed with his music, and I used to feature his songs regularly on my radio show, ‘The Wonky Underground,’ and, unfortunately, most of those radio recordings (which I was very pleased with on a personal level) were stolen from my car, as some punk asses broke my car window and snatched all my external hard drives, my espresso maker, and a bunch of other stuff… I was in the middle of moving, and I guess I shouldn’t have parked at such a shady Extended Stay motel. Lesson learned.
Hmm.. didn’t mean to end this article on such a depressing note… well, to take your mind off of all that nonsense, here’s a lovely photo of an old pin-up model holding onto a vinyl record…
sexy pin-up model holding onto a vinyl record. Bassadelic FTW! ;)
SUBDUE is a French electronic duo based out of Belgium. They’ve been really tearing it up in the music world with their glitch hop / neuro sound, and I was lucky enough to chat with them about their sound, and what they think the label, ‘neuro,’ means to them…
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