Deciding on a sound/the "genre conversation"

[shakearray]

Hey FP!​

my name is Joel Cassady - I'm a drummer/producer from Toronto Canada. I actually play drums in the Sony/Columbia Records band Walk Off The Earth as a full-time gig, but electronic music has sort of taken over my life in recent years and I've found myself getting more and more into the production side as a result.

My entryway into this world was through UK producers like Burial, SBTRKT and James Blake, but more recently I've been drawing inspiration from acts like Flume, Odesza and 20syl.

I recently started putting some music out through my Shake Array project:

https://soundcloud.com/shakearray

As you might be able to gather my output thus far is all over the map, and as I start to think about what might help me get more established (beyond making great music, of course) I can't help but consider the "What's your sound/genre?" conversation. Obviously you hear a lot of established acts these days saying "I don't care about genre, I'm just making the music that I want to make", but I feel like the reality is that you do need something to tie yourself to while you're coming up in order to stand out. There are definitely tons of great tracks out there that seem to get lost in the pile because they don't have something like "Future House" or "Chill Trap" attached to them in the marketing sense...am I wrong?

My two latest tracks are inspired by the Garage/House sound, and my most popular track thus far is a Trap-style remix of an original song that I did with a local Toronto folk singer. My next 2 tracks are more along the lines of the latter influences I listed, so yeah...all over the map indeed! Aha.

Any feedback on any of the tracks would be greatly appreciated, and any insight from producers who struggled with finding a sound when they were first getting rolling would be fantastic as well. Maybe I've got it all wrong and I just need to keep doing my thing, but I would certainly appreciate the opinions of the community here regardless.

Looking forward to becoming a regular here - seems like a great crowd. Word up!


- Joel

 

[Exclusivo]

First of all, I'd like to congratulate you on your bands success. I'd also like to add, I took a listen to your Soundcloud and the You Knew track is dope. I haven't checked out anything else, but I will once I've written this reply.

In terms of deciding on the genre/sub genre you want to focus on. I can't answer that, nor can anyone else really. It's your decision. Whatever you want to do. Like you said, maybe you just need to plug away at it and stumble on YOUR sound when you come across it.

However, the question you're really asking is what do you want your brand to become. Now there are some producers who have built a brand around actually experimenting with different genres, to the point the fans expect them to try different genres, styles, etc.

Furthermore, you have the option of creating "different" brands like you have with the Shake Array project and your band. Obviously, it would be a bit different as you're still on your own... But so many artists now have multiple alter egos, for example MF DOOM has the production alter ego Metal Fingers.

The important thing to consider when creating different brands is that you'd be, in effect, starting over again.

I have an artist on the label who's continually growing and changing his genres, to the point each album is just a dedication to a new sub genre of Hip Hop. He's constantly evolving, and I don't think you're an artist unless you are evolving. It's the very basics of how the world works (even if you're religious). It's annoying at times, because we are currently working on the marketing plans for the releases over the next year... As you might have guessed, because of his constant evolution, for each release, I have to come up with new ideas, a new target market, etc.

Also, the same guy is now talking about creating a new alias to put out House tracks that he's been working on. He's an absolute nightmare for me. Next week, he'll be working on a Rock album. Week after that, Jazz - probably.

Another point I want to make; it's important that you don't try to be the jack of all trades. Everyone knows that you don't become a master of one by trying to do everything! So that's another consideration...

It's a lot to think about, I've only touched on some points, you've touched on others... At the end of the day, you need to be happy making the music. Do what you want... If people like it, great!

Hope I've helped,
Jordan

P.S. Another thing - I've known some create full albums of completely varied styles, and genres... It's actually worked! Why? Because they've made every style, genre, track flow between each other. The album still plays as one unit - a journey.

 

[shakearray]

Thanks a lot for the kind words, Jordan. Great to get feedback from someone with experience on the management/marketing end of things, which realistically is how everyone trying to "make it" should be thinking anyway right? I feel like once I get a few more things out I'll have a better idea of how the music is being perceived in the public sense, and that should help dictate where I go from there. You also make a good point about the benefit of showcasing diversity right out of the gates, which is something that has undoubtedly been on my mind as I've started to release my original material.

I'm definitely happy making music, and I'm certainly making it a priority to continue challenging myself because I agree with you on evolution being crucial to the artistic process. That said, it's also a primary goal of mine to reach/inspire as many people as possible and I think this is an important point to make in contrast to an artist whose primary goal may instead be to explore all possible genres and make music for their own personal satisfactions.

I should mention that I had the opportunity to attend one of the best music schools in Canada for a few years before dropping out and joining WOTE - I know a LOT of people who will almost certainly never grow beyond the hobbyist level because they've yet to see the real "industry" in the music industry, and it was being around those people for as long as I was that actually motivated me to take the whole process more seriously. 3 years into doing the major label band thing I've found myself itching to get a sound out there that will allow me to work with a wide variety of artists and ultimately earn a publishing deal of my own, so these are my first steps toward that.

 

[Exclusivo]

Definitely. I think if more people understood the marketing side and basic business principles to the industry they are trying to get in to, then they'll stand a much better chance of achieving success - whatever they perceive that to be.

You'll find that a lot of it is just trial and error. You can plan for things and you can expect a certain reception of a sound, but you can't really forecast how successful/unsuccessful that sound will be. Especially when you're creating something completely new... There's no history of the market to say "Hey, it worked for them. It'll work for me".

It's much more difficult to create a new sound and still appeal to a mass audience, but it's possible... It's just a very difficult balancing act you'll have to manage.

Cheers,
Jordan