Don’t be a music producer, be a wizard!

27. June 2011 · 6 comments

Making electronic music? Yawn.

From reading music production forums, one would think it’s a pretty mundane hobby. All I feel is being discussed is

  • how to copy deadmau5
  • how to make a track sound “pro” (way too loud)
  • how to apply sidechain compression on absolutely everything for no good reason

And so this is what tons of fine young men do, half-assed, barely enthusiastic, wasting their potential on shallow, boring fads. Such a shame they’re turning into music producers.

Be a music wizard!

You have access to all the sounds in the world, you can transform them completely freely, and build worlds without limits. It’s like a customizable unlimited supply of legos for audio enthusiasts. It’s like in Inception when Leonardo diCaprio creates whatever he wants! You are more or less a wizard; that’s right, a magician. Don’t copy deadmau5, copy Leo in Inception – create your world!

Consequences of a wizard’s way of thinking

The change from music producer to wizard is pretty radical. I will illustrate this through a few examples.

Below is how a music producer might think:

  • I’m making a cool beat with an umph.
  • I’m making a melody that’ll make everyone go “dumdumdum”

Compare that to how a music wizard thinks:

  • You’re not just making a beat, you’re visualizing movement, creating objects, animating the entire scenery you’re visualizing.
  • You’re not just making a catchy melody, you’re portraying a personality, mood, defining the surroundings, creating an architectural guidelines for the other sounds/objects.

It transform regular daily events as well:

  • You’re not just walking to the mailbox; you’re moving through a magical wonderland, towards the unpredictability of what lies ahead. Along your way are portals, rainbows, nyan cat and all past events ever, accumulated in this moment.
  • You’re not just drinking tea; you’re drinking the potion of the gods, granting you mighty wisdom and power, equal to that of an ancient mage. You become more receptive to the power of the four elements, and see beyond what mere music producers see.

With all the fun and increased insight, comes the craziness as well. If you’re ready, get that wizard hat on, and you’ll find that the “laws” of music are merely guidelines. Open your mind as well as your eyes, and you’ll soon go from derpstep to creating an entire world of your own. Remember to have fun along the way; that is the way of the music wizard.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Carlos-Gamarra/725345506 Carlos Gamarra

    great post

    • http://www.rognalf.com Kristian

      Thanks, good to hear. I hope you find it useful in your music making endeavours.

  • http://twitter.com/Inofaith Tobias H. ‘Inofaith’

    I didn’t really realise there’s probably loads of “beat makers” out there that don’t look at it from a musician and artist point of view but just want to do what “that guy” is doing. Eye opener.

    • http://www.rognalf.com Kristian

      Yeah, with this mindset in place, the “find your own voice” advice makes much more sense, and is much more applicable. When simply putting together sounds, you have far less directions to go than if you’re creating an entire world/scenery/construction with your piece.

      A music *producer* makes a 128 bpm house track with sidechained noise and dirty basslines. He finds the creation process to be cool.

      A music *wizard*, tells the tale of when Lil’ Jon hosted a space party in his interdimensional banana vessel and danced tango with a trained grizzly bear. His creation process is delightfully jolly!

  • Eli aka ManOfTheDown

    its like you in my brain, manofthedown.bandcamp.com. I am all about designing sound.(although I must say I love me some side chain compression.) I’ve been playing music since I was 7, and Im now 28. I love music, and I look at beat making like a musician, rather than some kid with an MPC. The create-digger culture is still alive and well, and now we’ve come to embrace the wizardry of the synth. But seriously, I even take on the wizard persona, my next release is to be named Wizard Shit, and I own a wizard costume, that I don often in my pics, videos, and shows.

    • http://www.rognalf.com Kristian

      The thought of acquiring a proper wizard costume has entered my mind many times. Delighted to make your acquaintance!

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