Anyone been wanting to start over with your music?

[deep'n'dark]

My old style was something different but I think I want to leave these songs behind my back and start over.
I think some tunes are pretty good, but I want to move forward. An artist name change has been on my mind, but propably I don't want to cahnge it after all. (My artist name is Reflexion X).

The biggest challenge would be jumping to a different style and sound. I must say, the older I've got the more I demand from myself. (I'm 36).
Some people who claim there's no free will would laugh hard and say, "So your mind doesn't work for your own good?"

I'm really anxious about music making nowdays. Should I meet an Indian monk to get out of this trap?
Or does some of you know any useful verbal tricks to make this possible?
Anyone else feel like starting over?

[foosnark]

I changed my artist name twice. The first time was because I was making music for a different reason, the second because I decided I didn't quite like the name I'd stuck myself with.

As far as style goes, I've found that without consciously trying or analyzing it, there are some elements common to a lot of my music. Types of sounds I like, techniques I use a lot, and compositional choices I keep making, whether it's a dark ambient track, powernoise, something melodic, or skittery spidery rhythms. If I wanted to completely sound different I'd have to put away the synths and take up the banjo or something, and even then there would be some subtle connection.

But there are all kinds of things you can do to give yourself a creative kick:

-- Create an album in a different genre that you've been doing.
-- Pick an odd theme for it (whales, the collor yellow, the feeling of relief when you're done with something you were nervous about, an obscure sci-fi novel, etc.).
-- Switch the kind of instruments or the sequencer or workflow you use. For me at least, this can be huge and
-- Force yourself to use strict constraints. Like no snare drums, or no notes between D and F#, or use only Rhodes samples through various kinds of distortion and filtering. Or write a track (or at least a rhythm, bassline, etc.) entirely by copying and pasting samples into a WAV editor, with no sequencing or recording performances.

[Aloysius]

Redacted.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I can't imagine only producing one style of music being possible for me. I don't listen to one style of music, and don't express myself in that way. Of course, I have never really had any pretensions to making a career of my music, so never felt any pressure to conform to anything that would allow someone to be able to categorise me

Perhaps test the water by entering the monthly 'music cafe' challenge, here on KVR. This will give you the chance to break through eny genre-defined boundaries...and then some

[topaz]

this is my music making pattern

make album (study / promote for 2-3 months ) rinse and repeat -)

each time the style / genre shifts

[thecontrolcentre]

I've released stuff under many different artist names over the last 25 years. I usually get bored and change my style every six years or so ... currently I have two different artist names for the music I release, with very different musical styles. I got my first recording contract when I was 38, within 6 months of completely changing the style of music I was making.

[skipscada]

Indian monk all the way.

[xoxos]

specialisation is for in sects

ever considered totally finishing with music?

the deal is oh a cat is watching me type so i have to say nonsense bef ok done -

i mean, what kind of nonsense were you thinking when you started producing n style?? "people are going to listen to my music and the ideas can help them" except then it's 2016 and your music is about as culturally effective as keeping your farts in paper bags.

my story is i started producing sample-heavy cultural criticism, when i got synths i unpredictably wanted to produce melodic (new wave) music, when i got a rompler i wanted to produce *everything* and eventually, inevitably gravitated to an ambition to sort of do ellingtonia with synths. so i know the instinct to feel articulate, and as i've said in my extremely readable "everything fun about synthesis" pdf, after years and years and landing in the current era, the greatest benefit of it all is what it has done for my senses and my conception and debasing my cultural entrainment. and i suppose that this is the greater benefit for most computer musicians, given the way our culture actually endorses and empowers (or really, doesn't empower) people who want to make and share music. stuff a sock in it, we've had it with music. (this culture believes music is necessary accompaniment for every human activity, which of course is gonig to dilute appreciation, naturally!)


so that's why i say, at the end of the day, one gains a clearer head, an appreciation for that the birds and the wind and the universe are doing, and anything beyond that is simple muscle/nerve wear, "you've got all this down".

because of industrialism and going *into* the field with ideas like, oh, gary numan has been releasing synth music for eighty years, so *i* can realistically expect to spend my entire life making electronic music and that will be the best possible life because i'll be awesome, maybe that idea needs to be reconsidered/shelved... because all you get is a stiff back and dilated pupils and your family/society thinks you're a waster hedonist not someone who desperately cares about culture.

oh talking about synth music for eighty years, bird said to say, red haired musician will die, tell them that so they know you predict the future. course birds generally talk a lot of rot, except the sparrows round here are usually on point. so, red haired musician? no clue, can't think of one. simply red? doubtful. is/was that music, or sales? can't remember a note.

[wetdentist]

i started over just this year. after 17 years of being Wet Dentist, i am now releasing music as The Das Kaput. i just felt that Wet Dentist had run its course, thematically. my music is always evolving, but lyrically is where i feel that i've really made a shift; Wet Dentist was usually heavy with the words, whereas The Das Kaput is very light. of course, almost no one has even noticed that i have made this shift because i can count my fans worldwide on one hand. lol.

[OzoneJunkie]

Let go of your beliefs. Your beliefs about how life is, and the generalizations and filtering that your brain makes in the name of categorization and dissection of information, are a hindrance. Wipe your own slate clean of who you think you are. Your nature and nurture bred reality has created an internal image of yourself, for yourself. Even the prenatal personal resonances have persisted to form your life, path, and identity. Let go of all of it.

Sit down, and meditate. Stop the thinking by observing the thinking. Then observe the observer. This is your higher consciousness. Connect with it. Recognize that it a duality - it is both unique, and at the same time, part of the universal consciousness. But it is not simply a part of the whole, it is at the same time the whole.

Step into this being. Become it.

Then, realize that all statements of past identity and future intentions are ambiguous. All human thoughts are vectors that lead away from this identity.

Visualize your ideal self. Choose your vectors and watch the reality unfold. Stop. Return to the center. The experiences from chosen vectors are not you. The higher level consciousness is still you.

Now go. Do what you will.

[xoxos]

perhaps at this moment you'd enjoy todd rundgren's "death of rock n roll"

course it follows "born to synthesize" on the lp

[thecontrolcentre]

perhaps at this moment you'd enjoy todd rundgren's "death of rock n roll"

course it follows "born to synthesize" on the lp

I just redicovered Initiation. Great album. Need to give A Wizard A True Star a spin soon too.

[harryupbabble]

I am forever starting over with my music since I seem to be stuck in the learning mode. Trial and error seems to be the only way. And rolling the dice. Over and over. It seems similar to the definition of insanity. I may not be a good judge of my own progress and lack of. But maybe no one is, since music is subjective? Just make whatever, I guess, and keep starting and move on to the next creation and repeat. Finishing is optional? Aarrghh, cliches. Are cliches bad?

[Numanoid]

John Lennon even wrote a song about it: (Just like) starting over

[ghettosynth]

I think that you need to let go of the idea that creating something different or creating under a different persona is "starting over." Just create.