A Bit of Backgound

It is amazing to think how many different ways there are to make music. When I first learned that I could make music by myself on a computer I was excited. With no thought whatsoever about how much learning would be involved and how broad and diverse electronic music could be, I set out to get my hands on a fast enough computer and some music-making software.

Previously I had learned to play drums and been involved in numerous bands, school performances and collaborations. I loved the idea that I could be in control of everything that went in to a piece of music and I could take as long as I liked to perfect any element.

I started out buying an old second-hand imac with a basic sequencer that came free with computer music magazine. I had so much fun that sitting at the computer in my room became my ultimate past-time. Any other activities or social life seemed so uninteresting compared to creating music and being fully engrossed in my latest epic masterpiece. I had finally found the ultimate outlet for creativity.

It soon became apparent that the more doors I opened in the world of electronic music, the more there were to open. There was something about the music I was making, that just didn't sound right when I played it back on other speakers. I would analyse the problem and learn how to make it right, dissecting each part of a song and spending hours, days, weeks, and months trying to get it right. Sometimes I would be successful and other times not. I'm sure this sounds familiar to loads of bedroom producers and musicians.

Eventually I realised that it didn't matter how much I learnt, I would never reach a place where I could be satisfied, as there is always more to learn. But at the same time I realised how much pleasure I was getting from learning new skills and techniques. I felt like it was time to consider a new work flow, and a different approach to learning about sound and production.