breakphase
Offline
Earth
TEOMAWKI wrote:
Ninten Kwon Do wrote:

e.s.c. has a point. I don't even publish my non dance chip because it isn't what people are into...but maybe that's a mistake?

This is pretty much me, and possibly why I kinda burned out on making new music.

Finding an audience is hard for anyone. You can either

A) Not care about finding an audience, in which case just make music that makes YOU happy.

B) Release music that sounds like everyone else, and almost surely get ignored.

C) Try to distinguish yourself with unique music.

Either way, do what makes you happy, because no one wants to hear your joyless dance music.

(Not that your dance music is joyless, just speaking  in generalities)

Last edited by breakphase (Aug 30, 2016 5:56 pm)

chunter
Offline
Brunswick, GA USA

I just wanted to clarify something in case it's my fault the discussion went on a tangent. wink

I make a mixed-up pop music but came from the borderline prog/jazz/demo sound, but i decided to use less chords per song than I used to, among other things, because of a combination of breakphase's choices A and C: I found that the other style wasn't pleasing me anymore and, after making some four chord songs, got bit by a consequence: now I get asked why I don't have hot masters, overblown bass, and other pop habits that I don't want to put in my music. It's not a right or wrong matter, it's just frustrating.

Last edited by chunter (Aug 30, 2016 8:22 pm)

pselodux
Offline
Melbourne
chunter wrote:

If it changes in the gradual, Terry Riley way, the best way to know you did it right is to put it in front of and audience that understands it... I'm not sure where that kind of audience is right now.

Explaining what's happening is the key to working around people who don't understand, but that's the frustrating part. A listener might have played an instrument in school then quit, messed with Mixcraft and quit, or may have absolutely no knowledge about how music works at all.

Yeah, you got it. It's very much inspired by Autechre's recent output (ie. the long tracks on elseq), but more towards the side of Pan Sonic in terms of just being "planes" of sound that evolve slowly.

And yeah, the explanation is the frustrating part. Your comment is giving me an idea to take it in a somewhat more academic direction though, perhaps writing at length about the process, much like with "traditional" minimalist composition (and, carrying on, conceptually, from my game boy phase arrangement). At the end of the day, I'm still essentially making minimal techno, but perhaps the degree to which I've stripped things back isn't really appropriate for most people, unless they're into raster noton stuff or something big_smile

e.s.c. wrote:

additional thought: probably doesn't help that most people who like the less typical artists tend to be less vocal about it than those who just want the standard dance fare... in the past when i'd get asked why i wasn't playing in whatever city, i'd tell people they'd have to express their interest to the people who book the shows

For sure. I've been asked that as well, and my response was "well, I didn't get asked". I would love to play international shows without having to weasel my way onto a lineup, but I'm continually puzzled as to how I'd get enough "pull" to do that.. even for my somewhat more accessible prog demoscene style music. But that's for another thread..

Jellica wrote:

id totally listen to this and enjoyed the other stuff so much i posted about it http://www.kittenrock.co.uk/?p=981

ah yeah, thanks for that!

akira^8GB
Offline
New York City
pselodux wrote:

I'm sitting on a 3-track, 1.5 hour 0F.digital album because people said my 10-minute tracks were too repetitive

Fuck'em. Send them to me (and Jellica big_smile)

What is this shit about needing for people to understand, or having to "explain" music? Just make what you want. What is there to understand? people like it or not.  If it's stopping you from releasing or making what you want, there's a big problem right there, and you should stop caring and just do what you want to do. Release, make, play, never stop creating because of external factors.

I find it very annoying that usually, with cheaptoon, people just over-explain their process. I don't care what anyone has used to make the music I like, except in the case I want to learn for my own music making (in which case I'll try to dissect stuff myself or ask the maker directly, if I have a friendship with them). As a LISTENER, I give no fucks.

Case in point: gimme 3 more hours of 0F.digital, but please, do not ever explain to me "how it is made" or something.

Last edited by akira^8GB (Aug 31, 2016 1:32 pm)

theythem
Offline
Melbourne, Australia
pselodux wrote:

I'm sitting on a 3-track, 1.5 hour 0F.digital album because people said my 10-minute tracks were too repetitive; in a way I'd love to subject people to the new 30 minute tracks.. but ehhh

i want to hear this

pselodux
Offline
Melbourne

lol well here's an example

chunter
Offline
Brunswick, GA USA

Basic Channel found

Arc-Demon
Offline

Figuring out how to do this live.

"We're doing it live, damnit!"

pselodux
Offline
Melbourne
Arc-Demon wrote:

Figuring out how to do this live.

"We're doing it live, damnit!"

yeah, I got burned out on playing my guitar sets a couple of years ago, because I felt like I was cheating by playing along to backing tracks running in Reaper.. it got to a point where I was just blazing through my guitar parts and it was becoming too easy.. having said that it's still more of a spectacle onstage than just using a bunch of gear where everything is being generated live. Such a strange tradeoff between self-satisfaction and audience satisfaction. Maybe I just need to join a band..

freezedream
Offline
Adelaide, Australia

Yeah, I guess perhaps as chip sounds become more incorporated into mainstream and become part of the retro pop culture, then there's a growing stereotype of what chipmusic is and what it sounds like. I don't enjoy stereotypes. It seems a lot of people, even some in the scene don't know what 8-bit actually means and think it's the sound of a Gameboy. hmm The younger generation don't even have the nostalgia connection to the music, either, so it's completely an aesthetic. Perhaps it's a phase that will pass and all that will remain are those musicians truly dedicated to being creative, experimental and pushing the boundaries to create interesting things with chipmusic hardware and trackers. This thread makes me sad...

P.S. I like your 0F.digital track, pselodux. :]

Last edited by freezedream (Sep 1, 2016 5:06 am)

CS
Offline
UK

The limits of what sound it can produce and sharp tones can become tiring and restricting to use after some time.

Recently I've been talking to the group Trinity Lo-Fi who've been producing chip-dub music by sampling and adding effects onto chip sounds. They've also added layers of sub-basses and lyrics too which creates a greater depth and different approach to it:- https://soundcloud.com/trinitylofi

EDIT:- Wording

Last edited by CS (Sep 2, 2016 11:57 am)

yoyz2k
Offline
france

Really cool song this trinity lofi smile

PULSELOOPER
Offline
São Paulo, Brazil

Once in Brazil chipmusic events are almost non-existant (except for the ones Chippanze produces), I always end up performing at experimental/noise/ambient events and I get the best audience response on these venues. From times to times I also perform on games/anime/general geek events (always for the money) and the response is the worst because those people are all morons.

egr
Offline
Abandoned on Fire
PULSELOOPER wrote:

From times to times I also perform on games/anime/general geek events (always for the money) and the response is the worst because those people are all morons.

The inevitable "this doesn't even sound like mega man" attitude that you're referring to is the most infuriating aspect of using any old game hardware for music. Like someone else said earlier I'm strongly considering sampling all my stuff into ableton and not even acknowledging the chip aspect of it in a live setting.

4mat
Offline

The other thing with chipmusic gigs is they tend to be 4 or 5 acts on the same night, which doesn't really lend itself to developing a set beyond "the hits".   I'd rather see one act with a support like any normal gig but eh, is it viable?   Seems like being a bit more vague presenting shows would work better for artists than shoving the word CHIPTUNE or CHIPMUSIC everywhere, it's electronic music who gives a damn in 2016 what it's written on.

egr
Offline
Abandoned on Fire
4mat wrote:

The other thing with chipmusic gigs is they tend to be 4 or 5 acts on the same night, which doesn't really lend itself to developing a set beyond "the hits".   I'd rather see one act with a support like any normal gig but eh, is it viable?   Seems like being a bit more vague presenting shows would work better for artists than shoving the word CHIPTUNE or CHIPMUSIC everywhere, it's electronic music who gives a damn in 2016 what it's written on.

This.