Electronic Cliches That Are Bad

Btw can someone upload an example for that 4-3-rhythm or so called "rave" figure?

  On 3/18/2012 at 8:15 AM, psn said:

OK, that's a more pronounced cross beat than the figure I was thinking about, since polymetric goes on into the next bar. The jungle figure usually aligns with the next downbeat.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4mgzMAwlNI

The problem is (as in the video above) that everything sounds so dated after a longer time. come on, technology is stepping forward and listening to your own tunes after some years will make you cry about all your mistakes, cliches and technical failure you maybe made at that early point-

what people forget is that they cannot re-invent the wheel- not in music. Everything has been there and the best what you can do is finding your own style in music.

I take it with humour when I listen to my older stuff. I found my own sound signature which is far more important then making music with a handbook how to compose proper tracks.

  On 3/18/2012 at 11:55 AM, mischjok said:

-Repeating the same goddamn idea for around 2 minutes.

Unless you do it right, like Actress.

  On 3/18/2012 at 11:55 AM, mischjok said:

-People still using the 808-clap.

I feel like this is so overused now that it's actually become cool again. Same thing with anything on an 808.

  On 3/18/2012 at 11:55 AM, mischjok said:

-Uploading just about everything they think sounds good. Mostly 1.20 minutes long

I actually like this. I like hearing people's ideas even if they're not fleshed out. It can also help influence my music.

edit:

  On 3/18/2012 at 11:58 AM, mischjok said:

Btw can someone upload an example for that 4-3-rhythm or so called "rave" figure?

Go to about 50 seconds in the Britney Spears video I posted last page.

after reading this thread i came to a conclusion that making electronic music is a cliche. time to rock some ukes gies

I just love claps.. making them sound nice is a challenge.

  On 3/18/2012 at 12:06 PM, gmanyo said:

 

Go to about 50 seconds in the Britney Spears video I posted last page.

I was actually asking for another example, since that video (and many other videos are banned in Germany).

This is another example for that stupid syncope that goes for like forever. Starts at 0:13:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFIOjeoEW68

  On 3/18/2012 at 12:38 PM, mischjok said:

  On 3/18/2012 at 12:06 PM, gmanyo said:

Go to about 50 seconds in the Britney Spears video I posted last page.

 

I was actually asking for another example, since that video (and many other videos are banned in Germany).

 

This is another example for that stupid syncope that goes for like forever. Starts at 0:13:

Ah, I see. Well, the video you posted is a perfect example.

  On 3/17/2012 at 5:41 PM, AAAAh said:

I dont agree with most oof this thred because we like what we know, noone has eva made a music that is 100% origianal and if they have it was probably shit.

  Quote

using 80s themes. this is really annoying. now we can be musicians if we just use the most god awful kitsch melodies we heard in commercials as kids? and all i have to do is use the arpeggiator on a juno 60? and we can make whole tracks that just sound like a honey combs commercial played by edgar froese? NOOOO WAAAY!!! (p.s. also cool to wear some cool funny olsen twins tshirt and funny 80s sunglasses when performing this music live with a fischer price turntable and a wacky looking boombox).

 

this however pisses me of no end.

OOh you remember the 80's/90;sand have a fucking gameboy and some brightly colouredclothes and bad hair.. Wow.

Whats this, your using a cassette tape? wow thats so retro.

*cries single tear*

Fuck that I love retro shit, even if it is easy to make. That song data posted is fucking great. Postmodern all the way bitches.

for me it boils down to great arrangement. If the arrangement is great and the melodies / harmonics touch me I don't care about cliches. Thats why aphex twin can do a great track by using any equipment while mostly all people with big studios fail to do so

  On 3/18/2012 at 2:53 AM, TechDiff said:

NI massive bass patches, the assumption that a huge bass sound must've been made with massive, and the apparent obliviousness (probably not a real word) that massive is actually a very capable all round synth, makes great pads for a start.

I don't like Massive bass at all, or only rarely. Massive is much better for bells and shiny things, I would say.

  On 3/18/2012 at 3:31 PM, gmanyo said:

Fuck that I love retro shit, even if it is easy to make. That song data posted is fucking great. Postmodern all the way bitches.

*seizes opportunity* check out the rest of my soundcloud (+ albums, eps) if you liked that one.

i still don't have one ounce of respect for people who take entire 80s tunes and just slows them down and re-release them as their own material though, fuck those guys.

  On 3/18/2012 at 3:50 PM, data said:

  On 3/18/2012 at 3:31 PM, gmanyo said:

Fuck that I love retro shit, even if it is easy to make. That song data posted is fucking great. Postmodern all the way bitches.

 

*seizes opportunity* check out the rest of my soundcloud (+ albums, eps) if you liked that one.

 

i still don't have one ounce of respect for people who take entire 80s tunes and just slows them down and re-release them as their own material though, fuck those guys.

I don't really respect them, but as long as they don't try to make money off of it I don't mind. I'll listen to it.

I'll check out your soundcloud bee tee dubs. I like that song.

  On 3/16/2012 at 11:44 PM, ruiagnelo said:

Also, Lone has been making 4x4 house tunes that are easily one of the best thing to have happened to electronic music in this millenium

Reported for trolling.

Twice.

Who gives a dick if the sounds or idea are cliche or not. as long as it sounds good.

  On 3/18/2012 at 4:30 PM, Bewarethefriendlyfoil said:

Who gives a dick if the sounds or idea are cliche or not. as long as it sounds good.

yeah. bad melodies stay bad melodies

Music is only good when it takes itself super seriously. If it has even an ounce of kitsch it's terrible. I only listen to musique concrete because it's free from anything that might make me personally feel uncool. My collection is exclusively made up of anonymous electroacoustic and field recording vinyls I purchased off of boomkat in limited runs for extortionate prices.

The use of synthesizers. Like come on guys, it's been done. Get over it.

  On 3/16/2012 at 8:12 PM, Cryptowen said:

-making your album cover: a picture of clouds

btw have you seen http://leifpodhajsky.com/ -- he's a pretty cool album artist imo

  On 3/18/2012 at 7:29 PM, The Face Culler said:

Music is only good when it takes itself super seriously. If it has even an ounce of kitsch it's terrible. I only listen to musique concrete because it's free from anything that might make me personally feel uncool. My collection is exclusively made up of anonymous electroacoustic and field recording vinyls I purchased off of boomkat in limited runs for extortionate prices.

thats the point even to most unique music pulls inspirations from something

  On 3/18/2012 at 12:00 PM, MarinaStewart said:

The problem is (as in the video above) that everything sounds so dated after a longer time. come on, technology is stepping forward and listening to your own tunes after some years will make you cry about all your mistakes, cliches and technical failure you maybe made at that early point-

what people forget is that they cannot re-invent the wheel- not in music. Everything has been there and the best what you can do is finding your own style in music.

 

I take it with humour when I listen to my older stuff. I found my own sound signature which is far more important then making music with a handbook how to compose proper tracks.

It's funny, I've been having a lot more fun lately abusing the cliches of dance music in my own way, instead of constantly trying to innovate. I've said it many times on here but ever since people started dancing at my live shows, my focus has kinda changed. I mean, I still have all of my elaborate melodic sensibilities but I'm not afraid of using a lot of the cliches mentioned in this thread (rave rhythms, trance synths, supersaw basslines, four on the floor beats, claps, etc) with the hope that I'll make some perfect combination of progressive rock and dance music.

There's nothing at all wrong with using pre-established tropes of electronic music. In fact I'm usually far more eyeroll to music that's all LOOK AT ME I'M DOING SOMETHING UNIQUE & DIFFERENT that's a bunch of random moo cow noises with no hooks & a beat you can't dance to.

Used well, this stuff is really no different than when composers back a few hundred years ago would intentionally quote well-known progressions in their work because they knew it would evoke a certain emotion in their audience, or because it served as an ideal jumping off point. If you've got a good reason for using them then they aren't cliches. It's when your primary goal (consciously or subconsciously) is to sound just like some pre-established genre or artist that you run into problems.

It's like, if a dude makes Acid because the sound of chewy 303s speaks to him & he thinks it's the best way to convey an emotion or idea, then that's cool. But if he's just thinking MAN I BET I CAN SOUND JUST LIKE A RAVE FROM 1989, then that's sorta ehhhhh

Music made by WATMMers is a cliché in itself. Every single one of you (except Data and me, obviously) makes the same music over and over.

  On 3/16/2012 at 8:12 PM, Cryptowen said:

-name-dropping synth gear in your track titles and/or artist name. You don't see rock musicians calling themselves, iunno, KID FENDER BASS

No but you can get yourself a Marshall Kerry King series JCM 800 amp. Then pick you up a Kerry King BC Rich V guitar. Then go to the Slayer webstore and get you some Slayer picks, condoms, instrument straps + whatever else.

It's not as obvious to casual listeners but certain guitar/amp setups have a distinct signature sound that, when you know what it sounds like, is immediately obvious. A p-bass through a cranked ampeg svt with the fridge cab is a blatantly common tone that everybody reconizes even if they don't know the gear.

Most albums will have gear logos printed in the sleeves too since the artists are often endorsed by said brands.

  On 3/19/2012 at 12:11 AM, Enter a new display name said:

Music made by WATMMers is a cliché in itself. Every single one of you (except Data and noise, obviously) makes the same music over and over.