quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles So I've made a resolution: from now until the end of 2009 I'm going to devote most of my production time and resources to making the kind of lush, synth-rich, melodic dance music that we prog and epic house lovers enjoy. Stuff in the spirit of '90s Bedrock and Quivver and Humate and Spooky and the other artists featured in the mixes I talked about above. I don't have enormous musical talent, but I think I do have some and I certainly have the passion that will drive me to put in lots of hard work. I hope that by the end of next year I'll have produced at least a track or two that can inspire the same kind of feelings as those old tracks we always talk about. Right now I can think of no kind of music that would give me more pleasure to create. Stay tuned I suppose.

Excellent. I've wanted to make some myself, but my progress at making music has been incredibly slow, since it's such a minor pastime I haven't put the time or money into it to yield results. I was always hoping to spark some sort of revival by making the threads I've done, and I'm really pleased to hear this. I'll definitely be staying tuned.

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Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/

I would be really interested to see someone go out today and just start dropping epic house out of no where. Whether the response would be good or bad, it'd definitely be interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Excellent. I've wanted to make some myself, but my progress at making music has been incredibly slow, since it's such a minor pastime I haven't put the time or money into it to yield results.

You should try putting some more in, if that option's available to you. Succeeding in the goal I've set myself would be really enjoyable even if nobody other than me were working toward it, but it would be even better if someone else joined in the struggle, especially if they succeeded along with me.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles You should try putting some more in, if that option's available to you. Succeeding in the goal I've set myself would be really enjoyable even if nobody other than me were working toward it, but it would be even better if someone else joined in the struggle, especially if they succeeded along with me.

Listening to so much epic house has destroyed my confidence though. I'll have in mind a sweeping fifteen minute composition full of lush synths and when my remedial FL efforts fail to deliver I burst into tears while listening to No Other Love on repeat.

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Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Listening to so much epic house has destroyed my confidence though. I'll have in mind a sweeping fifteen minute composition full of lush synths and when my remedial FL efforts fail to deliver I burst into tears while listening to No Other Love on repeat.

Heh, yeah I've been producing for around five years off and on, so I know more than a little bit about big ideas and the disappointment of not being able to bring them to completion. I'll flip through synths and effects, unable to make sounds that inspire me. I'll punch around on drum machines and sequencers, unable to create anything but crap rhythms and melodies. I have so many half-baked ideas floating around on my hard drive, left there in a vague hope that some day I'll be able to turn them into something better.

When I hit on something that sounds just right, though, and I can feel a track coming together, the feeling is one of the best sensations I've ever discovered. But that hasn't yet happened with my attempts at making the kind of music this thread and others talk about, and that's what I hope to rectify in the coming year. I think all the hard work would be worth it, and even if I fail, at least I'll have quieted this nagging feeling that I should really devote more time and energy to it.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Heh, yeah I've been producing for around five years off and on, so I know more than a little bit about big ideas and the disappointment of not being able to bring them to completion. I'll flip through synths and effects, unable to make sounds that inspire me. I'll punch around on drum machines and sequencers, unable to create anything but crap rhythms and melodies. I have so many half-baked ideas floating around on my hard drive, left there in a vague hope that some day I'll be able to turn them into something better. When I hit on something that sounds just right, though, and I can feel a track coming together, the feeling is one of the best sensations I've ever discovered. But that hasn't yet happened with my attempts at making the kind of music this thread and others talk about, and that's what I hope to rectify in the coming year. I think all the hard work would be worth it, and even if I fail, at least I'll have quieted this nagging feeling that I should really devote more time and energy to it.

I think I've become resigned to the fact I'm not a musician, and I've left it too late to become one. With writing, I've been doing it for so long and have so much education and experience in it I now feel I have the tools to put my ambitions and ideas into practise without struggling against my limitations of craft. I'm sure a lot of people consider things such as metaphor and modality much as I do chord progressions and counterpoint: I know what they are and that they work, but I can't use them myself. The frustration of not having that accumulated comfort with the craft is something I'm trying to force myself past, but I don't know if I'll ever get beyond it.

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Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J I think I've become resigned to the fact I'm not a musician, and I've left it too late to become one. With writing, I've been doing it for so long and have so much education and experience in it I now feel I have the tools to put my ambitions and ideas into practise without struggling against my limitations of craft. I'm sure a lot of people consider things such as metaphor and modality much as I do chord progressions and counterpoint: I know what they are and that they work, but I can't use them myself. The frustration of not having that accumulated comfort with the craft is something I'm trying to force myself past, but I don't know if I'll ever get beyond it.

I completely understand the feeling. I have no formal music training, and didn't have even a vague interest in making music until late high school when I developed a passion for EDM thanks to the kind of tracks we've been discussing. My frustration with working against my lack of early musical experience is the main thing that has caused my periods of producing stuff to alternate with times where I throw up my hands, decide it's too late for me, and think that while I can make some neat sounds and a decent track now and again, I haven't got what it takes to make anything that will really stand the test of time. But I always get back to hoping that there really is some light at the end of this tunnel.

Anyone have any info on the "Don't take me down" track right after calling your name? Sounds like a Quivver remix.

quote:

Originally posted by Nostalgic Anyone have any info on the "Don't take me down" track right after calling your name? Sounds like a Quivver remix.

Yeah, it's in my tracklist in the OP:

Spirits - Don't Bring Me Down (Fire Island Remix)

I'm not sure if it's actually the Fire Island Remix, but from all the possible remixes it could be, it most resembles the Fire Island sound and it's about the right length. It was listed in the official EM tracklist as "Spirits - Don't Bring Me Down [Remix]"

___________________
Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/

I have to admit that I had big gap in my knowledge and I have missed many of those great Essential Mixes mentioned in this thread. Luckily I found System-J's Epic House-Trilogy late in this summer and those mixes eventually lead me here.

I really enjoy Digweed's, Sasha's and Oakie's mixes.

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ID Contest 87

quote:

Originally posted by enydo Why not just work some of those older gems into more "modern" sounding sets? I know it can be done if you go about it properly, and if I had high quality versions of a lot of these tracks I know I'd throw them down with techno / tech-house / whatever. Of course, I know not everyone is of that opinion.

I have nightmares about going to Youtube and seeing "fart house" or 1/8th-note remixes of all of these great old trance tracks

Cinnamon may be a good spice, but putting it in every single meal DOES NOT WORK.

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