TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Music Discussion
-- What is it about a track that makes it last?
Pages (2): [1] 2 »

What is it about a track that makes it last?

I have a large collection of music but I tend to weed out music that doesn't have lasting power, I'm not sure if you all feel the same way, but there must be something in the piece that genuinely clicks with me for me to keep it in the playlist.

For me it is a unique sounding bassline that goes well with the beat, or a complex melody that sounds classically derived, or perhaps a set of chords that sound very unique when played after each other.

Maybe I am just picky with my tastes... but some tracks never get old, even if you listen to them hundreds of times....and some tracks get old after a week (even if they are good tracks)

So what is it that makes them have that lasting umf for you?

They have subliminal messages when you play them backwards...

many factors come in

it could be a good melody, or progression, with clever chord changes.
it could be just a good bassline, especially one that compliments the other elements of the track
the vocal could be particularly good or memorable
and in many cases, it could be some of the background elements just work, beit a good acid line, a secondary melody, some strings, anything really.

It also helps if it doesn't get overplayed and remade with shit vocals for commercial purposes

HD backups.

Villalobos

viagra

Depth and originality.

A track that brings an atmosphere about it.

Resonance.

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Resonance.

So when you walk into the arena your chest vibrates from the bass?

quote:

Originally posted by AgentS2 So when you walk into the arena your chest vibrates from the bass?

Figurative resonance. People often talk about art having "emotional resonance". If resonance is where the frequency of an oscillation matches the natural frequency of what it passes through, artistic resonance is where something rings true through something larger, and so becomes greater than its individual worth.

having a bigger record would make it play longer so to speak but you would struggle to find a dek up to the job, how ever it would last longer in theory?

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Figurative resonance. People often talk about art having "emotional resonance". If resonance is where the frequency of an oscillation matches the natural frequency of what it passes through, artistic resonance is where something rings true through something larger, and so becomes greater than its individual worth.

that sounded so cool and romantic i think i just cum

quote:

Originally posted by AlleN F Villalobos

qft simply because no one's tracks last longer. (ok maybe some ame and mathew johnson stuff)


serious answer i think is subtlety. Everyone goes through their hard as fuck drums, huge bass and what not phase(it will always pass). The real lasting tracks are beautifully produced and have bearing on the dancefloor as well in non party situations. The best music is not in your face simply because it is so good it does not have to be to get your attention and keep it.









































samim-heater

The new boys on TA make me lol.

on topic:

This is a very individual case imo. As for me, it is the combination of my current mood combined with the "emotion" I attribute to the track. There are usually just a bunch of tracks I associate with each "emotion". The feeling I have on a track mainly originates from its melody, the bassline isn't that important.
If a new track does not fit into this pattern I won't listen to it for more than a couple of times.

quote:

Originally posted by Salegon The new boys on TA make me lol. on topic: This is a very individual case imo. As for me, it is the combination of my current mood combined with the "emotion" I attribute to the track. There are usually just a bunch of tracks I associate with each "emotion". The feeling I have on a track mainly originates from its melody, the bassline isn't that important. If a new track does not fit into this pattern I won't listen to it for more than a couple of times.

i have to agree with you there nice way to put it...

but i do like a big bassline rolling with melodic sounds as im also into my drum & bass music, bassy electro with emotion about sums my sound up.

When everything just works together. Hard to describe.

A track might have a good bassline or a nice melody or whatever, and it can hold my interest for a while with those things alone, but in order for it to become a "classic" to me, the whole thing has to seem "right" in some special way, feel uniquely "whole" and unified, like each element of the song naturally follows from and complements every other one.

quote:

Originally posted by Salegon The new boys on TA make me lol.

noob

being sung by Darryl Hall and John Oates

It must be a big hit but it must end up being hated by everyone else who has heard it too many times.

My favourite song is Sandstorm-Darude.

Trance is unique to each and every one of us. I assimilate my own meanings from a song that i like. I attach memories to them. Particular music that conjures emotions or, makes me energetic. they're all good reasons .

Hhmm

Nice responses!

Along the same lines... do you think a tune needs to have excellent sound quality / attention to detail / good mastering -- to be enjoyable and have that same lasting power?

Or does that just add to its 'awesomeness' if it is mastered well and uses good/clean samples?

For me it has to have a solid, unique bass line. And a melody that isn't repetitive, yet is still solid and gives you a deep though of some sort while listening.

Subtlety and depth. Some tracks I hear and instantly I'm thinking "woah this is the best shit ever", and after two weeks I get bored of them. Other tracks don't particularly make a mark on me the first time because they're not so obvious, and then they slowly grow on me because every time I listen to them I'm hearing something new.

Re: Hhmm

quote:

Originally posted by AgentS2 Along the same lines... do you think a tune needs to have excellent sound quality / attention to detail / good mastering -- to be enjoyable and have that same lasting power? Or does that just add to its 'awesomeness' if it is mastered well and uses good/clean samples?

There's some tracks from the early '90 that have dated mastering by today standard but I still love them. I like how older stuff was mastered differently than today, it would be otherwise boring. And don't forget that louder != better.
Good mastering does not make a mediocre track good but it can make a great track awesome (or not if it's distracting or overdone).
And there's some tracks that would not be possible without today's techniques.

For me, usually my favorite tracks have some depth and timeless flavour.

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright © 2000-2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.