If the track is good, it's good. It doesn't matter if it sounds "old" or not.

Funnily enough most of these good tracks seem to sound "old". Go figure.

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Latest releases:
Endless Cycles [Capital Heaven]
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Old how? As in the elements used in the track? The style? I personally really like tunes that have an old, rather, a timeless sound to them.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Judging by some of the things I've seen people say around here, it seems like the presence of "modern" mixing and mastering techniques in a track is almost as important to them as the track's musical composition and arrangement. It seems like if a track "sounds dated," a number of people will automatically have a strong negative bias against it. How do you feel about this issue? Personally, I don't care much at all whether a track "sounds old"...

In general the feeling I get from an old track often is different then it was when I listened at the time. I compare it with an old car. A Porsche Carrera from 1970 back then was a super sports car. Nowadays a mid-class family car can beat it at almost all levels (often not the sound ). Many feelings and opinions change in time, just a few don't. Personally I like classic tracks which don't sound too much dated. Maybe it's different if you're younger and couldn't listen to the classics back then. Even an old track then could sound new to you and not really dated.

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Longest (classic) Trance playlist on YouTube (5000 tracks released up to and including 1997), click here

old or amatuerish?

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Originally posted by Floorfiller old or amatuerish?

Really? I actually think it takes a more mature ear to make an older sounding track. I mean, unless it's simply because the producer is behind the times.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Judging by some of the things I've seen people say around here, it seems like the presence of "good" mixing and mastering techniques in a track is almost as important to them as the track's musical composition and arrangement.

fixed

quote:

It seems like if a track "sounds dated," a number of people will automatically have a strong negative bias against it.

it's not so much a case of people disliking 'dated' music as a principle, but more the fact that older tracks (as a rule) possess characteristics they don't like. so when they say "i don't like this tune because it sounds dated", they really mean "i don't like this tune; it sounds similar to older tunes i didn't like either"

i say 'they', i really mean 'we' since i am one of those people


in a nutshell, the majority of dance music i listen to doesn't feature a great deal of musical composition nor creative arrangement; i listen to it because the sonic waves emitted from the final product have a pleasing & therapeutic effect on my brain. the finer aspects of a mixdown can play a pretty big role in that, such as the frequency range, stereo space, balance of layers, fx, or even something as trivial as the shape of the kick drum. the majority of early-days trance, regardless of its arguably superior musical ideologies, just doesn't make for comfortable listening imo.. taking the above aspects into account

i believe it's totally possible to create decent 'old' or nostalgic sounding tracks whilst maintaining the tight production standards of recent years, though.. i'd positively encourage it in fact

I personally don't care about "old" sounding or "new" sounding or anything like that. If i like the music, i like it, simple as that. Plus some of my favorite music is non-EDM and comes from the 70s and 80s, and i have to add that sometimes i prefer the "fat" 80s-production style. More organic and raw.

I think it was System-J who said something along the lines of "comparing trance from the early era with nowadays trance is like comparing raw diamonds to polished turd".

I don't think it can be said better. I prefer raw diamonds.

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If I am the storm, if I am the wonder..
Will I have flashlights, nightmares and sudden explosions?

on the contrary, i have a bias towards new tracks. most of the older stuff I find I tend to like. can't say the same for the newer material

Some old tracks at the time blew off the roof when played at a club. When a DJ would play them nowadays they would throw him out or go to another club. Just a matter of taste IMO.

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Longest (classic) Trance playlist on YouTube (5000 tracks released up to and including 1997), click here

It can sometimes reduce my enjoyment for a couple of percents, but I'd never reject a dated track if it contains some interesting ideas. For example, there's some awesome, but badly mixed/mastered/pressed pre-90's Chicago house that would sound even more awesome if it was made with modern equipment/techniques