Rome wasn't built in a day...!

Q: What inspires you as a musician?

KS: Sorry, but this is the usual question that everybody asks me (and probably all other artists) during my whole life, and every time I have no answer.

Q: Sampling offers virtual unlimited freedom of creation in sculpturing sounds. However, once created they may be overused (by the same artist or others) and diminish their impact. What are other elements of conception that could make the electronically generated music not become obsolete? (classical music for instance uses harmony, counterpoint etc. as carriers of creation and originality, which are also taken further through virtuous interpretation).

KS: Your (again very complicated) question is, ...a bit more simply pronounced: What makes music a "good music"? And my answer is: Music that does not bore the listener.
To achieve this, is depending on the craft of the composer, or of the performer of the music. It's like in most professions: Be as good as possible. And your "customers" will be happy.

By the way: The statement that this or that new technology gives finally "unlimited freedom" (in this case: of creation in sculptural sounds) is a bit shortsighted. A good music (or just good sounds) comes not because of a new technique.

New technology is of course also (and much more) used to create the usual trash. The music in most radio programmes shows it every minute. "Freedom" can be very irritating and confusing. The craft of an artist is not to make everything which is possible in this "freedom". Instead, he chooses a certain form or frame, and he exhibits his art in this chosen form. Which is, more or less, the opposite of total freedom. Improvement comes from discipline, not from chaos.

Q: Which are, in your opinion, the main attributes of the 3rd millennium artist in the context of the pop culture acquiring new dimensions as digital-virtual culture?

KS: Sorry, but I cannot and will not answer to this. I am not a scientist, not a historian, not a philosopher, not a prophet, etc. I'm (just) a musician. I find it remarkable that journalists very often seem to think that an artist must answer all kinds of questions which have nothing to do with what the artist is actually doing, and that he should have answers and solutions for all problems, happenings and fashions of this world, even about the unknown future. I know that many "artists" give these answers. But I like the way Bob Dylan is dealing with this little problem.

Q: As the composer of this album, where would you situate Moonlake?

KS: It's not me who should tell the listeners what it is, in which category he should put it. A music that must be explained by the artist - this is absolutely not my cup of tea. Just look around what kind of music needs plenty of explanation. General rule: The more words, the more unpleasant or boring the music
In my case, and Moonlake: The music is there. As an offer. The listener can listen and decide. Not me.

Source / Klaus Schulze Interviews: www.klaus-schulze.com/interv/ina510.htm

 

Last edited: Apr 20, 2025

A vocoder for the voice would be an idea!

TAL Vocoder

 

Something that i always thought about when trying to make my own kicks, is how several producers stuck on using the same damn kick on every track(at least in the first couple of years after the first break). One is Guetta, the other is Ian Pooley, and that one kick for me is a kick from the tape but it has wild low end, so i tried figuring out the "clicky" kick...anyway, if you´re up for it i´m down for a collab, melodies too

 

Last edited: Apr 24, 2025

Im looking for Wormhole by Zynaptiq for my vocals, just sad they cracked alot of them recently but not wormhole, vocooders i have a few, mixing vocals and pitching / granular works fine. But its a good idea, cus i _cannot_ sing

 

I use a lot of different kicks but i have a few go to kicks, maybe 10 kicks that is superb, then i have about 70 more good ones. Kicks are the only samples i "sample". I have a lot of samples tho so when i make music it's time consuming finding the right ones, but i think its good to have a lot of samples rather than few good ones. There so many samples out there so i only save premium stuff.

Collab yeah can discuss that tomorrow, if you can make melodies i D minor / F Minor, like the first one i can use it. one melodies can be more "percussive" and another one more driving kind of like an arp.

You could also harmonize several pieces and then ill use what fits. I suck at melodies, i can do it but it's not flawless. I am currently working on improving melodic content in music.

Regards

 

Hey did some more tracks, any feedback?

New tracks:
1.


2.


3. A bit dark any toughts?

 

I have nothing to say about the mix and related issues, it's really great. Just one thing about your style. Your music is harsh and after a while it makes me feel bored and tired listening to it. Not that there's a problem with the production. No, the production is good, but the style is violent. One feels fear and helplessness. It doesn't give a moment to rest, and the person listening feels like his/her life is in danger. Maybe if you play this in a club, people will start dancing with fear and trembling.

 

Thats an interesting take. Yeah my style is hard, its just the way i produce atm. I do have lighter tracks, but fewer than harder tracks.
I guess i need to make more melodic music, there is a lot of hard synths going on, if you think track 1 is hard, listen to Different, that is... hard stuff

I like it, it can be improved but its what i produce and it comes naturally to me. If i was in a happier state, my music would probably be happier

Thnx for input!

 

If you cater to the desires of a few listeners, you're already lost. Stay true to yourself and do what you do best. As you get older, you'll calm down a bit anyway, and your music will change, reflecting the way you'll become someday. I always want to hear a real JohnnyBoy023, not just someone I wish for, an artist I like.

 

Yes for sure i wont alter my style, but there is a lesson in feedbacks, i would never try to go "mainstream", i would never do music to please others, i compose from my state of being, and if you listen to my music it reflects my personality pretty well.

Somedays are happier then i produce happier music, rarely :D

Thnx for your support!

 

Human feelings and emotions are not limited to happiness and sadness. Every person faces different thoughts at every moment of their life, and each of these thoughts evokes the following emotions in a person:
Anger
Fear
Sadness
Surprise
Happiness
Excitement
Joy
Contempt
Guilt
Love
Shame
Annoyance
Irritation
Anxiety
Embarrassment
Interest
Affection
Empathy
Friendliness
Love
Envy
.
.
.
People's lives are filled with these different emotions. It may not be very accurate to relate a physical phenomenon like music to human emotions, but the artist has to do it. Try to increase the power of emotions in yourself as much as you can and pay attention to all emotions. Paying attention to emotions is not a sign of weakness, but giving importance to different emotions will make your music more fruitful and you will be able to be prepared to respond to all the emotions of yourself and those around you in different places in your life.

 

Yeah absolutely, i can relate to what your saying, and ofc i do music based on these emotions, sometimes i dont even know what i feel, i do my best music when im NOT relating to emotions or better yet thinking of it, just going with it, so in a way my emotions steer my music making, but im not thinking of it.

Paying more attention to what im feeling might be a good idea, but i like it best when im not thinking of any feelings and just create music care free. Its like a flow and mostly if i had to pick an emotion it would be some anger, frustration definitely and anxiety.

Thnx for your input in a unique way

 

You dislike aspects that I'd consider achievements.

Seriously, don't ever listen to releases from Nachtstrom Schallplatten or absolutely anything from the Dark Psy genre...

 

I've actually listened to several of your tracks, that's a rare thing for me, but I did it because I liked what I heard on a quick scan.

Personally, I'd say you don't need much advice, it sounds to me like you know what you're doing. You know your genre and are doing a good job at achieving it.

The absolutely most important thing is that you're putting complete arrangements together and not getting bogged down in loopland. Don't concern yourself too much whether every track is 100%, just file them away and move on to the next one. Don't EVER delete any, as unfinished or mediocre material can suddenly spring to life years after the initial conception. Completely forgetting about something can work wonders for your judgement.

Once you feel you've got enough reasonable tracks for a 90 minute set then get out to some small underground parties. I can't emphasise this enough. Do you party? If you don't then you need to, because that's the next evolution of what you're doing. Get out there, involve yourself, become part of the furniture, meet the promoters and other DJs/artists, become their friends - that's how you'll get the gigs. Nobody gets a slot at an underground party if they're not socially connected (unless they're already an established name of course). You need to do this because you need to play your music in a club environment to fine tune it and gauge audience reaction.

When played out in a club environment, so long as the production is reasonably acceptable, small imbalances won't matter so much. There's no better way to judge than observing the audience feedback. Every producer will generally play experimental tracks out before releasing them, sometimes they're quite raw, minimal and clearly unfinished but that doesn't necessarily stop them from working on the dancefloor. The tracks you've posted in this thread are already good enough to road test in my opinion so you should really be looking to that next stage. If you were playing these tunes in a set, I'd be dancing, job done.

Now, I'm an old man... Forty years in music; as musician, engineer, DJ, producer, promoter, etc, at one time or another over those years.

My experience in "dance" music goes all the way back to the acid house scene in Manchester UK in the late 80s, though to be honest I wasn't all that interested in acid house, some of it grabbed me but a lot of it I found a bit too mainstream for my taste and my main musical interests lay elsewhere. I truly got into dance music in the 90s when the underground techno scene developed. By the mid 90s I was DJing techno and Goa trance, some of which was my own music. I moved on to promoting and ran techno/psytrance parties, for the best part of ten years, until the mid 00s. Then I had kids, the partying stopped and also my involvement with the scene (almost ).

So, you can see, I've got some experience in this and I'd say I know a fair bit about it. Stick with it, you're doing all the right things with the music, don't get bogged down and get it played out in front of a dancefloor.

EDIT: Just an additional thought - get yourself over here for a download frenzy, it's all legit free. I'm sure you'll find a lot of this stuff very inspirational...
https://www.digital-diamonds.com/releases

 

Last edited: May 10, 2025 at 5:35 PM

Im doing a quick answer need to go to bed im almost a sleep, i didnt expect this good review/opinion i didnt think my music had what it takes, i mean i like what i make a lot so thats what matters to me AND im getting really good at mixing and mastering, more so than composing idk why, and my music = people seem to either like it or hate it, guess thats how it just is with music. I feel like i can step up in my productions, and i will. Ive been doing this for 5 years now. So another year or 2 i think i will seek a label.

I have done my partying, ALOT of it, 38 years old now, ive had struggles with addicition ( sober now ) so getting out there is a tough one, im gonna have to make fantastic music and sell it online somehow and then do the partying BUT i might return to the scene, you never know it just involves so much drugs, i love it too much haha. IDK man, i would never have been able to make this music if i wasn't sober. So for 5 years i stopped using and started making music instead, thats why my music is so hard i need to get the frustration out of me !!!

But its good to know from someone experienced that im doing something right I really appreciate it, thank you.

Anyway i really appreciate the feedback and tips, feels good.

gonna check out the link

 

Last edited: May 10, 2025 at 8:02 PM

Hello,
I listened to your last 3 tracks. I like them, especially Simple Things. As noted by other posters, the mix is very good and there's nothing to criticize in my opinion.
I think that Haze is right and that your music could and should be played in public. Your tracks are very effective.
Thanks for the music.

 

Hello @JohnnyBoy023, a few more thoughts from me:

Always back up your music on multiple storage devices, always expect the worst and hope for the best. Burst water pipes, fire, etc., your important data and music can quickly be destroyed forever.

Collect everything about yourself - collect tips and criticism on paper and offline.
Create a folder where you can collect them. Always remember that anything stored electronically is not really secure.

Don't fall back into old patterns; you don't have to perform in clubs where drugs like alcohol and other things are taken.
You've gotten away from it, and that's how you want to stay.

Remember, since the invention of the internet, you have worldwide access to all listeners in the world, but how do you reach them? You can also apply to radio stations or distribute a free demo CD with your address/SoundCloud/website address at festivals.

If you're too aggressive, find a sport, like cycling or jogging, to release your frustrations and aggression.

Remember that you're just at the beginning of your career, and if you stick with it, you'll gradually or in phases make better music. You'll automatically improve based on your listening and work experiences, but you have to have the desire and energy. Being under-challenged or over-challenged is counterproductive.

As soon as you notice you're frustrated, analyze it and do something about it. Get used to solving problems; the faster the better.

 

I totally get you staying away from the scene, and as you say, it's been a good thing because it's straightened you up and allowed you to focus on making music. I pretty much had to do the same thing. I was never "addicted" to anything but used to party VERY hard.

Excessive partying was enhanced by having to go out to promote back in the 90s/early 00s, social media didnt exist and internet promotion was virtually non-existent (we did have a website and forum however, which was fairly unique back then but was only really frequented by the tech-minded and those in the know). Aside from postering and depositing flyers in the usual locations, we'd go to other partys just so we would be there at the end to hand flyers out to the punters as they left at the end of the night (ie morning). The drugs were a huge part of oiling the wheels of events, particularly at ours as we were notorious for it. The clubs and security we used were compliant so we had no restraints and had "mates" that supplied the events, to the extent that giving drugs away for free wasn't unusual. We did all that every weekend for years, so you can imagine how that took its toll.

When we eventually stopped hosting events, I stopped taking drugs (almost) and going out. I completely dropped out of the scene. For a long time I couldn't bring myself to go out because there's no way I could go to a party and not take drugs. After many years I eventually ventured out again, as an old man, with a more sensible attitude. Of course if you had serious addiction issues, being restrained probably isn't good enough for you, it may have to be total abstinence. The difference is though that if you have a higher purpose to being there, ie your music, then that should make a difference to your mindset. Show up, have a couple of beers (unless alcohol was an issue), chat to some people and leave early - make it a business outing.

I don't think you have a choice about going out if you want to get people dancing to your music. Approaching labels and trying to sell tracks on the internet is a bit of a futile endeavour these days. You'll get no cash from the labels and sell virtually nothing online as most people expect recorded music for free these days, especially techno. Of course, if you can develop a reputation through DJing then some sales will be forthcoming but let me assure you, those sales will still not be enough to sustain you; it's the gigging that pays the wage.

As I said previously, your music doesn't have to be 100% in order to play it out. Most dance music is very transient and 90% of the punters have no idea what's being played and immediately forget it after it's been played; it's a thing that lives in the moment. If you don't feel confident enough that you have a good enough set of tracks of your own, then throw in a few tracks from other artists that you know will work and help support your own tunes - you are totally allowed to do that as a DJ!

Playing the stuff in a PA in a big room is ultimately the only way you're gonna know whether or not your balance is right and whether you need to tweak anything. No matter how good your home acoustics and speakers are, I think you'll find that through a club PA more will be revealed. For example; things like kick transients and sub-bass can be extremely difficult to judge in a studio. As soon as you hear them playing back in a big rig, the chances are that the kick won't be hitting hard enough, due to a lack of transient, and the sub turns the bottom end into an indefinable soup (top tip - play your own tunes via stems so your able to adjust kick and bass EQ in realtime). After a few gigs, you'll instinctively tune your tracks to play out better. This in turn will make them more appealing to labels and crucially, other DJs.

Anyhow, lastly, you say your music is hard. I don't find it in the slightest bit hard at all, nor even what I'd class as underground, to me it's pretty mainstream. You cite Boris Brejcha as your main influence and he's as mainstream and commercial as techno gets. On that basis I wouldn't concern yourself with "hardness", it isn't an issue. Just carry on as you are, it's all good...