One Synth Challenge #87: Podolski by U-he (Jasinski Wins!)

[Mechanought]

Going through tracks and voting now. Some of the tracks are very impressive in terms of sound design and some are musically very nice. It's hard to know what to score tracks I like elements of all of them so far

Judging art is difficult.

[wagtunes]

Okay, I voted. Before I reveal my top 5, will got a couple things off my chest.

First of all, you can't go adding tracks AFTER somebody has voted. I finished my voting last night. It said all tracks scored, or whatever that message is. Thank God I went back to the site this morning to write down my top 5 or I wouldn't have seen a track was added and I would have been DQ'd for not finishing my voting, not that it would have mattered. But that'll be my 2nd thing off my chest. Anyway, totally not cool adding tracks after somebody has voted.

Okay, 2nd thing off my chest. Some amazing tracks this month. There are guys here with some serious programming and mixing skills. I gave out a ton of 4s, saving my 5s for the very best. Don't worry, the list is coming.

But seriously dudes, some of you, with all your skills, need to get off the f-ing merry-go-round composition wise. Freaking intros that go on FOREVER. After a while I am beyond bored. I'm annoyed. it's just the same damn thing over and over for 2 minutes. Enough already. I know this isn't a song writing contest but really, learn some music theory.

Finally, being totally objective, I should come in around 45th this month. But I won't. I'll come in close to last because everybody f-ing hates me, which is why I've been staying away from these competitions. They're pointless. Unfortunately, I love the sound of TAL so I'll be entering that one, and finishing close to last there too.

Anyway, here's my top 5. You guys really rock.

Meakaale
Doctorbob
7angram
rdhvdberg
JackKetch

Listen to that last track. THAT'S a song. Not this crap that goes boom boom boom with the kick and 2 minutes of some loop and whatever that's about as memorable as a night with Stacy Kruger. Sure, the sounds are cool. The mixing is awesome. And it leaves me stone cold bored to death. But I get it. That's what today's generation likes. Still, a little melody won't kill you. And you don't have to wait until half the song is over to get to it. A 4 bar intro is MORE than enough.

There's an old saying back when I was a kid when we didn't have cell phones or iPads.

"Don't bore us. Get to the chorus."

My piece starts the main melody at 32 seconds. And you know what? That's too f-ing long. But some of you guys make me look like a speed demon.

Listen to my top 5. None of them take forever to get to where they need to go.

That's how you're supposed to write music.

In fully expect to get all of this thrown back in my face so have it folks.

Been a while since we had some real drama at the OSC.

[ThePresent]

?? wagtunes?? This is the second most weird posting I ever read in an OSC thread. Enough said.

[wagtunes]

?? wagtunes?? This is the second most weird posting I ever read in an OSC thread. Enough said.

Only 2nd? Damn! I have to try harder.

[ThePresent]

No need to do that, why would you?

[Mechanought]

SNIP

Well, as someone who isn't all that active on the forums I don't really know you so this isn't written with any kind of preconception or sense of dislike.

I do fundamentally disagree with you though. I don't believe there is a right or a wrong way to write music. I've heard songs with extremely long intros that I really liked. I've heard songs with no discernible intros that I've liked as well. In classical music we have entire songs that are just intros. Also i disagree with the idea that one must learn music theory before making music. There are many successful musicians who taught themselves by feel, and what "sounded good to them". I personally tried to take music theory, but couldn't stand it. I felt it taking away the mystery and the artistry. I like being able to appreciate the creativity of a song, even if it doesn't fit in an imaginary and somewhat arbitrary set of rules.

I like music for the emotion. if something moves me, I like it. If something doesn't move me, no matter how expertly crafted, I won't like it. It's easy to tell when something is more formulaic, and less human. A lot of mainstream music is guilty of being almost purely formula, devoid of any kind of authentic emotional content. Perhaps the emotion is there and it just doesn't translate to my ears, but I doubt it in many cases. Why make music if not to stir some emotion, or feeling, or sensation, or story in the mind or body of another? Why make music if your only purpose is to make a "proper song" that follows all the "rules"; unless your only goal is to impress others?

I personally don't make music for other people. I don't do it to impress, or show of my knowledge of music styles and genres, or to demonstrate my mastery of a synthesizer or DAW. I make music because I enjoy it. I enjoy telling stories with sound. Evoking emotion with a melody. Transporting myself and anyone who cares to listen to another realm for a few minutes. If I let myself become so obsessed with the theory and rules of making music, I would lose my own voice. I know because it happened to me for quite a while. Trying to fit myself into a box which didn't fit only resulted in a very long period of time where I hated everything I wrote. If music theory works for you, fine. But I don't think it's fair to judge music simply because it doesn't follow some kind of standardization. If you don't like the song, fine. But YOU should dislike the song. Not your theory of how a song should be written.

Again, judging art is difficult, but closing yourself off to entire compositions because they don't follow the rules of western music theory is just far too restricting. Also, I never completed my music theory, but where is it expressed that a song should have a short intro?

[wagtunes]

No need to do that, why would you?

Because I just love stirring the pot.

To the poster above this. Excellent reply. I don't even disagree. But I do find boom, boom, boom and a drone for 2 minutes to be devoid of everything you're talking about.

I can teach a monkey to do that.

[Examigan]

Listen to my top 5. None of them take forever to get to where they need to go.

That's how you're supposed to write music.

There is no certain way that you're supposed to write music.

[Mechanought]

No need to do that, why would you?

Because I just love stirring the pot.

To the poster above this. Excellent reply. I don't even disagree. But I do find boom, boom, boom and a drone for 2 minutes to be devoid of everything you're talking about.

I can teach a monkey to do that.

From the description, that sounds like a formulaic song. Along the lines of "Big Room" and "Trap". Most songs of that genre I don't like. They don't feel authentic to me. There are exceptions though.

Repetition in and of itself is not necessarily formulaic, and is not automatically devoid of emotional content. Songs that seek to impart a sense of timelessness, floating, or hypnotization often use repetitive drones or melodies, but can be quite moving. It's one of those things that is so difficult to define. Why does this song which repeats 4 notes for 5 minutes work, and why does one similar to it bore me out of my mind. This goes into the realm of psycho-acoustics, and even then the phenomena isn't really definable. We just like what we like, and dislike what we dislike. Humans are strange.

[H-man]

No need to do that, why would you?

Because I just love stirring the pot.

To the poster above this. Excellent reply. I don't even disagree. But I do find boom, boom, boom and a drone for 2 minutes to be devoid of everything you're talking about.

I can teach a monkey to do that.

Waggy you're a funny guy. I'm not entirely sure you mean to come across that way ...but you are a funny guy.

[wagtunes]

No need to do that, why would you?

Because I just love stirring the pot.

To the poster above this. Excellent reply. I don't even disagree. But I do find boom, boom, boom and a drone for 2 minutes to be devoid of everything you're talking about.

I can teach a monkey to do that.

Waggy you're a funny guy. I'm not entirely sure you mean to come across that way ...but you are a funny guy.

Oh yeah, I'm just a hoot laugh a second.

If you hang around long enough, I'll pull a rabbit out of my ass.

[H-man]

If you hang around long enough, I'll pull a rabbit out of my ass.

Oh-kay then. You know, whatever you do in the privacy of your own home buddy. Might advise against sharing here tho

[z.prime]

There is no certain way that you're supposed to write music.

According to the first Google result, it looks like we have to follow these steps: http://www.wikihow.com/Learn-to-Write-Songs

[Mechanought]

There is no certain way that you're supposed to write music.

According to the first Google result, it looks like we have to follow these steps: http://www.wikihow.com/Learn-to-Write-Songs

I've never gone to a Songwriting workshop and I've never done a collab...I'm a failure!

[wagtunes]

There is no certain way that you're supposed to write music.

According to the first Google result, it looks like we have to follow these steps: http://www.wikihow.com/Learn-to-Write-Songs

I've never gone to a Songwriting workshop and I've never done a collab...I'm a failure!

Hey don't feel bad. I have a music degree and I'm still a failure.