Sketched on MPC and arranged in ableton.

The sketch is from a folder called Streets of Rage. That game's soundtrack really shaped the way I think about music.

This also has some pretty audible Vitalic influence I think.

This week I finished a track that, if I was finishing music to release as a known artist, I would probably have let rest.

It's a different atmosphere from what I tend to want to conjure and I found it hard to give the care and attention I felt was required at the end.

What are your thoughts on selecting music for release or even just to work on?

I think of people like Zappa who just seemed to release everything he made.

Then people like Aphex who use multiple monikers to organise their releases into things that go well together, I presume for the sake of branding? Possibly advised by their label.

I ask because, like a lot of you, I have a fuck-ton of sketches. Each week I try to work out what to finish.

Right now I'm short on time so I tend to go for something that feels like it will need the least work till it sounds like a full track. That means though, genre wise, I jump around quite a lot and I suppose if I was to value my time more highly, I might only work on those sketches that I think align with some feeling I want to convey?

In some ways that could be quite boring though. I think aligning to your own "vibe" and sorting your work that way is very algorithm driven and may be the antithesis to art, creation, surprise and experimentation.

I think what feels particularly tough with tracks I'm not fully on board with is the very final stage of production. If the track is something I'm passionate about, great. Easy to finish. Worth it. Bordering on fun.

If it's not the kind of music I would listen to, it's a total slog to get it over the finish line. And I'm not getting paid for it, so what's the point?

With tracks like that I feel like I'm creating a chore for myself for very little reward.

I don't think of myself as an aspiring musician.

But I am interested in the outlook and approach you have to making music in a world where it's commercial value is tiny.

I am disillusioned with the music industry. I've toured with bands. I've been signed. I've written music for all sorts of commercial purposes. I don't say this to boast. None of it has been a huge source of income. I say it to clarify that, I have worked very hard in the past on music that I wasn't passionate about. Worked to the brief of others and supplied them with things they were happy with. The compliments satiate a need for a short time and then the satisfaction fades away.

My point with this is, I still want to make music. And I want to enjoy making music. And I don't want to commodify it.

Sharing here has been helpful.

It's got me considering all sorts of things about making music, head on! As you can see.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on,

Being an artist

Vs

Being a musician.

Choosing what tracks to finish.

Making music aimlessly (not as a negative)

Vs

Making music with a goal, deadline or brief in mind.

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