Posting too much. Boredom. Life. Other things.

[Eivind August]

I usually get inspired by people with a very specific, more or less unique style. Like everything from Kafka to Nick Cave. When I saw Merzbow live for the first time, I got really into power electronics all of a sudden, started to buy stuff and trying to make some noise. When I heard bands like Electric Wizard I started to opening up my music to heavier sounds. I think My Bloody Valentine, Nick Cave and Pink Floyd are some of the most important ones musically, as up to that point I had mainly listened to more straight rock and punk.

Someone smart (Horats?) once said that we suck every piece of art we enjoy into our own expression, constantly evolving it.

[KaosCill8r]

I found the weirdest source of inspiration ever.

Michael Angelo Batio

Yes. True.
1. The wig. It looks like crap and he just fucking loves it.
2. His whole approach to the guitar. It sounds like crap but he just loves it.
Both of those qualities are pretty rad, just being enthusiastic about what you're doing and who you are.
3. I was watching a clinic of his during a night of semi-random youtube clicking, and his one piece of advice was whatever you start make sure you finish it.

I thought that was actually pretty simple and decent advice. So instead of jamming on new riffs and having fun I went back and reworked a75% complete song and finished it. And I really like the result.

Thanks MAB.

I get the strong impression that he is also the president of the Michael Angelo Batio fan club

[weed_killer]

I usually get inspired by people with a very specific, more or less unique style. Like everything from Kafka to Nick Cave. When I saw Merzbow live for the first time, I got really into power electronics all of a sudden, started to buy stuff and trying to make some noise. When I heard bands like Electric Wizard I started to opening up my music to heavier sounds. I think My Bloody Valentine, Nick Cave and Pink Floyd are some of the most important ones musically, as up to that point I had mainly listened to more straight rock and punk.

Someone smart (Horats?) once said that we suck every piece of art we enjoy into our own expression, constantly evolving it.

Do you find that you're likely to run with a new influence and have it saturate your work for a while, or do you try to implement certain aspects into your pre-existing sound/identity? I have to watch myself
sometimes to not get too infatuated with an influence and try to do something that isn't really me.

[D.o.S.]

That's a tricky balance, though -- you don't want to reinvent the wheel.

[goroth]

I found the weirdest source of inspiration ever.

Michael Angelo Batio

Yes. True.
1. The wig. It looks like crap and he just fucking loves it.
2. His whole approach to the guitar. It sounds like crap but he just loves it.
Both of those qualities are pretty rad, just being enthusiastic about what you're doing and who you are.
3. I was watching a clinic of his during a night of semi-random youtube clicking, and his one piece of advice was whatever you start make sure you finish it.

I thought that was actually pretty simple and decent advice. So instead of jamming on new riffs and having fun I went back and reworked a75% complete song and finished it. And I really like the result.

Thanks MAB.

I get the strong impression that he is also the president of the Michael Angelo Batio fan club

Yep

[Eivind August]

I usually get inspired by people with a very specific, more or less unique style. Like everything from Kafka to Nick Cave. When I saw Merzbow live for the first time, I got really into power electronics all of a sudden, started to buy stuff and trying to make some noise. When I heard bands like Electric Wizard I started to opening up my music to heavier sounds. I think My Bloody Valentine, Nick Cave and Pink Floyd are some of the most important ones musically, as up to that point I had mainly listened to more straight rock and punk.

Someone smart (Horats?) once said that we suck every piece of art we enjoy into our own expression, constantly evolving it.

Do you find that you're likely to run with a new influence and have it saturate your work for a while, or do you try to implement certain aspects into your pre-existing sound/identity? I have to watch myself
sometimes to not get too infatuated with an influence and try to do something that isn't really me.

I usually just add to my pre-existing sound. It can be hard sometimes to not become too caught up in a certain vibe, at least for me, so I often switch what I listen to intentionally. Sometimes it's fun to just do a track in a "foreign" style though, to see what I can do in a different context. But at heart I'll always be a noisy shoegazer.

There's big seasonal changes in climate up here, so I find that I usually make heavier and darker stuff during winter and more airy, melodic stuff during summer. But it varies, as climate isn't the only factor to affect my mood. Anybody else feeling this?

[BitchPudding]

Totally. My music is much more affected by my mood though. Angry=angry, usually sad songs. Happy=happy sounding angry and sad songs. the only difference is if my mood gets too black, I can't write ANYTHING. As far as seasons, I'm in California so there isn't much of a difference between seasons. But I always try to write around Halloween, and that result in punk sounding stuff.

As far as new styles of music over saturating my sound, I've personally never had that problem. After 4 years of writing I have a definite sound, but I've noticed that sound mutate from straightforward punk into what it is now. A lot of it comes from taking the musical style of black metal, doom and shoegaze, and slamming them together with my green dayish punk side. After awhile, those elements have ended up becoming part of my sound in small ways.

[Eivind August]

Yeah, I feel you on not being able to produce in black moods. Actually read an article that touches upon it earlier today. Had some interesting ideas. Let's see....

Here: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/ ... l-illness/

[weed_killer]

Do you find that you're likely to run with a new influence and have it saturate your work for a while, or do you try to implement certain aspects into your pre-existing sound/identity? I have to watch myself
sometimes to not get too infatuated with an influence and try to do something that isn't really me.

I usually just add to my pre-existing sound. It can be hard sometimes to not become too caught up in a certain vibe, at least for me, so I often switch what I listen to intentionally. Sometimes it's fun to just do a track in a "foreign" style though, to see what I can do in a different context. But at heart I'll always be a noisy shoegazer.

There's big seasonal changes in climate up here, so I find that I usually make heavier and darker stuff during winter and more airy, melodic stuff during summer. But it varies, as climate isn't the only factor to affect my mood. Anybody else feeling this?

That's pretty much how I work as well. I guess my heart is a...lo-fi folk noise...something?

I'm totally affected by seasons, but not quite like how you or BitchPudding describe it. Seasons work for me as colours moreso than moods. I'm obsessed with Autumn, so around then I'm always trying to make my stuff sound
'warm', like orange, red and yellow shades. Usually comes out sounding slow, hazed and a little wistful (like this: http://lero.bandcamp.com/track/deedland)

[BitchPudding]

Yeah, I feel you on not being able to produce in black moods. Actually read an article that touches upon it earlier today. Had some interesting ideas. Let's see....

Here: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/ ... l-illness/

That was a VERY interesting threads. Oddly enough, I found a lot of the information about being easily distracted or the need to shut away from people to create applies to me quite a bit. I always work better when I'm alone.

[KaosCill8r]

I found the weirdest source of inspiration ever.

Michael Angelo Batio

Yes. True.
1. The wig. It looks like crap and he just fucking loves it.
2. His whole approach to the guitar. It sounds like crap but he just loves it.
Both of those qualities are pretty rad, just being enthusiastic about what you're doing and who you are.
3. I was watching a clinic of his during a night of semi-random youtube clicking, and his one piece of advice was whatever you start make sure you finish it.

I thought that was actually pretty simple and decent advice. So instead of jamming on new riffs and having fun I went back and reworked a75% complete song and finished it. And I really like the result.

Thanks MAB.

I get the strong impression that he is also the president of the Michael Angelo Batio fan club

Yep

I was talking about Michael Angelo Batio being president of his own fan club. He just gives off that loves himself vibe. I would also bet he screams his own name out during sex also.

[Eivind August]

Yeah, I feel you on not being able to produce in black moods. Actually read an article that touches upon it earlier today. Had some interesting ideas. Let's see....

Here: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/ ... l-illness/

That was a VERY interesting threads. Oddly enough, I found a lot of the information about being easily distracted or the need to shut away from people to create applies to me quite a bit. I always work better when I'm alone.

Word, man. Used to live in an apartment with some of my best dudes. Ended up locking myself in my room whenever I wanted to write or record. I love my mates, but I have a hard time creating anything with people around me - only time it has worked great, is when my buddy who paints and I are "alone together", working on separate shit.

This spring I went to Japan for a month to get some alone time to finish the script for a novel. Worked quite well, I find that experiencing new environments give me creative boosts. There was a lot to do there though, so ended up writing mornings and late nights. Musically I had a creative boost after returning home, processing the new impressions.

[BitchPudding]

Ah that sounds lovely.

I went to Mexico recently to visit my girlfriends family, it was a really weird experience. I was shell shocked being in a small village with no internet where I was one of two people that spoke any English. A stranger in a strange land. It was really nice though, and left an interesting impression being back in the homeland. Wrote a lot once I was home.

It's also worth mentioning that I listened to Boris while crammed in a small bus on the way back to the airport. There's nothing more metal than listening to "Smile" at 2am while inhaling exhaust fumes in the middle of nowhere.

[Eivind August]

That sounds pretty damn sweet. Always good to move out of your comfort zone in my experience. Living without internet and stuff for a week or more should be obligatory for anyone from this generation. I don't think people have ever been as bored as some of us are now, and there's actually been less entertainment and stuff to do up to this point.

I like thinking about the composers from centuries ago, spending their time making brilliant, complex pieces of music without answering a text or checking facebook. Maybe we're getting overstimulated. Of course it's voluntary to "log on", though.

Also,

That's pretty much how I work as well. I guess my heart is a...lo-fi folk noise...something?

I'm totally affected by seasons, but not quite like how you or BitchPudding describe it. Seasons work for me as colours moreso than moods. I'm obsessed with Autumn, so around then I'm always trying to make my stuff sound
'warm', like orange, red and yellow shades. Usually comes out sounding slow, hazed and a little wistful (like this: http://lero.bandcamp.com/track/deedland)

Like the sound of that song! I can hear what you mean by a autumny feel and colours and shit. Interesting with those kinda abstract feelings and thoughts as inspiration.

Also also,

It's also worth mentioning that I listened to Boris while crammed in a small bus on the way back to the airport. There's nothing more metal than listening to "Smile" at 2am while inhaling exhaust fumes in the middle of nowhere.

Metal as fuck! Saw them in this crammed, smokefilled basement in Tokyo, together with Merzbow. 'Twas great.

[zRobertez]

Unrelated - I've been listening to all the music in my itunes alphabetically. I have way too much that I have never even listened to (I'm sure a lot of the world can relate) so I'm listening to every single song. I've been doing that since some time in June. I'm somewhere in Nofx right now and I've been doing this for about two months