Yes, good point, But
Don't confuse being able to engineer well with being able to write awesome music.... The world is full of people who can make music sound technically fantastic in an audiophile sense, but their tunes still mightn't move you on the dancefloor like the groove in a crusty old 1992 Boogie Beat Records early breakbeat/jungle tune like Rizla Bass made on a 4 tracker in a Hackney flat bedroom... If a tune is running, its running no matter whether you can emulate the studio techniques of any number of top artists or not... People like Photek, Doc Scott, Dillinja, Digital, Tech itch, Optical etc were for want of a better term, lucky, in that they all started out near the birth of a scene when the playing field was a little more level, simple ideas like a switching amen/apache were fresh and useable and the scene changed significantly every year cos new ideas were always being tested. Combined with their innate talent for making a tune work melodically and they couldn't help but stay at the top with the reputations they had built up. Artists like them learnt better studio techniques from wanting to see what could be done that hadn't been tried before (and often not spending nearly 10yrs having to balance work with music!), earnt money off tunes to buy better sounding kit and had mastering houses at their disposal, but my point is that even if you sat them down with the kit they had when they started they would still bash out something good now... unfortunately for us kids kicking around at the moment they upped the ante pretty high some time ago... Its nuts when you realise that if you had been writing the tunes you are making now about 8yrs ago then you'd have no problems getting signed and making your way in the industry...damn, depressing thoughts are bad when I am sat at work, hehe... Anyway, I'll quit rambling ;) Laters Dan -----Original Message----- From: Scott Burke [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 18 June 2003 15:21 To: Drum & Bass Arena Discussion List Subject: [dnb-prod] RE: Imitation, emulation and creativity I don't remember where I heard this, or who said it, but I think it was on the A&E Biography of the Impressionists :) Anyway, the basic sentiment is this; To create truly original work, you must first be able to copy the masters.. once you are at that point, then you can begin to create something of your own.. The merits and subtleties of this are debatable, and I certainly wouldn't say you can't be creative without copying, but it raises some interesting thoughts.. I'm sure it would have more weight if I could remember who said it ;) Scott ----- Original Message ----- Dillinja has been responsible for prob 3/4 of the d+b styles we hear today and will go on making trends, but he's only the man because he doesn't try to sound like anyone else. Its hard to not want to sound like the people we respect (i'm guilty of this too and it helps you learn stuff), but you got to make your own mark. Dan --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.489 / Virus Database: 288 - Release Date: 10/06/2003 --- Drum&Bass Arena Producers Discussion List http://www.breakbeat.co.uk You are currently subscribed to dnb-prod as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.483 / Virus Database: 279 - Release Date: 19/05/03 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.483 / Virus Database: 279 - Release Date: 19/05/03 --- Drum&Bass Arena Producers Discussion List http://www.breakbeat.co.uk You are currently subscribed to dnb-prod as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
