Tips for getting out of your element

ZerpS

New member
Hey everyone, I have a question as stated in the title; How do you get yourself out of your element?

My problem is I keep making the same moody tracks. I love heavy, in your face stuff, but I want to produce more than that. I love the new mainstream house sound and the kind of sound Jauz has developed but everything I create seems to have an ever darker tone to it that I just can't shake!

So, of course, just make that, right?! Sounds so easy but as soon as I start trying to using those sounds they sound wimpy and I am never satisfied with my instruments to even start a track. I quickly give up and go back to making broody music.

My most upbeat peppy "tracK" is from years ago when I was just getting in production and I made Ableton take all the samples in C from my Vengeance packs and randomly spit out junk. I rearranged a few pieces to create some consistency and rhythm, add a simply melody - voila. This was completely random though (I named it "Discussions with a Computer", to give the machine some credit)! The machine did the work for me. If I was to keep using that technique things would get boring really fast.

Anyways, I'm rambling lots... I need to get my 5 posts in before I can ask for feedback and provide links so I'm trying to make them count :P
 
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Well, nothing wrong staying within your element. Going after other genres and sounds just puts you back down to ground zero and you gotta build from there, gather new knowledge when all that time spent could've been useful to evolve in your element.

Think of it like this, your element is fire, so why jump in a lake only to be fizzled out. Feed your fire and stay lit.
 
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Just try to emulate what you hear, and then add your little twist to it.

From 2005-2008 I was making pretty much nothing but crunk, dark beats because Lil Jon was my favorite producer at the time.

From 2008-2011 I was making more pop beats. During that time my inspirations were Polow Da Don and Korean Pop music.

From 2011-current I started making a little bit of both crunk and pop, then tried adding more R&B type tracks (I still suck at those). Now, I can say I'm making crunk, trap, pop, hip-hop, rock (somewhat... I have horrible guitar vsts).

Honestly, just start listening to whatever genre you want to get into RELIGIOUSLY. Find elements that you like and figure out how you can incorporate them in your current tracks.
 
Recreate multiple beats that are in the vein of what you're looking to grow into. Attempt to copy the tracks as CLOSELY as possible. You'll slowly start noticing musical behaviors of the other producers which you can parlay into your sound.
 
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Try to use other sounds and combine them with your style. It's not a good thing using the same sound over and over again. You should experiment more.
 
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