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Never satisfied anymore... perfectionism kills productivity (pg. 3)
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| Microlab |
| quote: | Originally posted by Nightshift
Wowww thats my EXACT problem. |
You've both found each other. Maybe a collaboration called Unforgivable Perfectionists? |
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| Slow Children |
I know what your talking about.I started with trance back in 02 and then about 4 years in i started getting that feeling like i was being to seriouse it was killing my mood.I then started doing breakbeat to get away from big melodies.After awhile i started trying for perfection there with trying to make complex drum patterns makeing me want to give up.I stopped producing for 3 years and now im starting again with more of a hard house feel think evil nines we have the energy.
I feel satisfied focusing how to get speakers thumping and raw lead ripping instead of complex leads and string patterns and i like the groove i get in the process.Definetly more dance floor friendly.
The best stuff is when your messing around throw perfection out the window.Its a hobby so its supposed to be fun leave the aggravation outside the studio. |
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| DJ Robby Rox |
I would say if you're not happy with what you're doing to first STOP DOING IT, whatever exactly it is.
Than try something new and drastically different. |
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| Slow Children |
I kinda disagree.You gotta understand i was hammering away at trance for 2 years.Theres alot of other genres out there.And you dont want to limit yourself to one trying different things makes you better at what you do.
You can only do so much and them what.When i was doing breaks i was at the point where i was glitchfesting like you would hear in something bt produced.And then i said jeez im starting to sound like BT.And sounding like someone else is never a good thing.In this game you gotta be original.
I was at the point where i was running all my drum loops through the fruity granulizer creating hundreds of samples it was pure insanity and it wasnt fun.
No im making simple but raw leads fat basses and deep kicks with simple crisp hats sequences.
No more endless string sequences and no more endless melodeys.Just plain and simple fun and getting good stuff from having fun too. |
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| Kismet7 |
You wont get stuck in the perfecting mode if you realise there aren't any rules or "perfect." You will create great things more efficiently, because your not second guessing yourself. Maybe start looking more towards the beauty of the abstract or the beauty of the imperfect.
My best work has come fast in 1 to 3 sessions. The main ideas were put down and maybe a few months later I'll decide to finish it with a fresher vision or have the choice to stick with the original vision. Sometimes I'll have really great framework/skeleton and I'll just stop working on it because I don't want to force anything into the track, i'll come back some other time to finish it. It lets me critique my music better, find its strengths and weaknesses. It also lessens the burn out or hating the track because i've worked on it too much, keeps things fresh and fun.
So, I hardly ever sit there trying to perfect a track to finished state, it happens from time to time but I rather start a new track and see how far something new will go. Usually I get another idea in the middle of workin on a track, so I have no choice but to go with the new idea and just come back to a previous track "skeleton." |
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| Eric J |
| quote: | Originally posted by Kismet7
You wont get stuck in the perfecting mode if you realise there aren't any rules or "perfect." You will create great things more efficiently, because your not second guessing yourself. Maybe start looking more towards the beauty of the abstract or the beauty of the imperfect.
The best stuff has come fast, or the main ideas were put down and maybe 6 months later I'll decide to finish it with a fresher vision. Sometimes I'll have really great framework/skeleton and I'll just stop working on it because I don't want to force anything into the track, i'll come back some other time to finish it. It lets me critique my music better, find its strengths and weaknesses. It also lessens the burn out or hating the track because i've worked on it too much, keeps things fresh and fun. Music making should be fun.
So, I hardly ever sit there trying to perfect a track to finished state, it happens from time to time but I rather start a new track and see how far something new will go. Usually I get another idea in the middle of workin on a track, so I have no choice but to go with the new idea and just come back to a previous track "skeleton."
My best work, 90% of the time the track was done in 1 to 3 sittings, and remaining 10% of "perfecting" done over the course of a week, a few months, or whatever amount of time it took me to come back to it and get it closer to a finished state. |
This is very true for me. It seems that the better I get, the more I end up using this method. It helps when you can work fast, which leads to the discussion of knowing your setup. The faster you can work, the quicker you can lay down a track. These usually end up being your best work. |
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| Kismet7 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Eric J
This is very true for me. It seems that the better I get, the more I end up using this method. It helps when you can work fast, which leads to the discussion of knowing your setup. The faster you can work, the quicker you can lay down a track. These usually end up being your best work. |
Yah, once it gets to a point where you can think up the idea and then implement it, then your definately in a good position. I don't think music creation should be about perfection, maybe the engineering side should be, because you are dealing with a lot of logical or technical parameters, but the actual ideas should flow without the idea that they are to be perfect. The perfection should happen on accident, epiphanies really. |
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| palm |
| quote: | Originally posted by Microlab
Maybe a collaboration |
a collab with two perfectionists wont ever work. the only collabs that work is the ones with one talent/skill and one dude with attitude. |
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| EddieZilker |
| quote: | Originally posted by palm
a collab with two perfectionists wont ever work. the only collabs that work is the ones with one talent/skill and one dude with attitude. |
Sometimes. Sometimes, the guy with the (bad) attitude just absolutely kills creative vibe. Personally, I think if creative conflict is utilized to its full potential, a lot of good can come of two borderline-perfectionists working together (even though I don't have any empirical evidence that would back that up).
With regard to the confounding writer's block (over-coming perfectionism?):
Personally, I'm not bogged down with nagging thoughts of my own inferiority enough to believe that anything I put out isn't "perfect" enough. For me it's more of whether or not a song I'm working on grabs my rocks/holds my interest.
If I can sustain listening to it a thousand-million times, and working out the kinks has a large part to play with whether or not I'll work on something. I don't have a lot of detritus accumulated as a result. I'll fumble around with some ideas until I get what I want going, going, and after that it's strictly development. Generally speaking, when I come to a point where I just can't stand a tune that's sufficiently developed, it's because I'm trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole.
If that's the case, I just ask, "Is that part really necessary?" Usually, the answer is, "no."
I also do a lot of critiquing of other people's work. This helps immensely. Being able to let go of my own mix to hear what other people are putting together/trying to put together, puts a perspective on my own work that helps me to test my own reality. |
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| Icone |
Perfectionism seems more important today than actual creative writing. Sometimes I find myself comparing tunes more on this aspect than their actual 'melodic' content.
I think this is the market's focus now unfortunately, as a lot of new releases I hear tend to sound similar, apart from the fact that one is pushing it even further than the other.
That said I guess it even affects my way of working every now and then and I feel that producing tracks or remixes takes longer than before... |
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| psymon.d |
| quote: | Originally posted by Microlab
You've both found each other. Maybe a collaboration called Unforgivable Perfectionists? |
I lol'd.
Icone: True words, true words
palm: have to agree with you. I've been in several collabs like that, and the ones that have worked have been of such a construction |
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| palm |
| quote: | Originally posted by psymon.d
I've been in several collabs like that, and the ones that have worked have been of such a construction |
where u the prick or the talented? :D |
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