Session #2 Notes!

[aymat]

@​samuraitracks

Hi Val, so good to chat with you again yesterday, really enjoyed our session!

Wanted to take a moment and jot down some notes just to recap what we discussed:

When working on the track just remember to approach it from a point of no expectations. Just go in to enjoy yourself. I find that shift alone takes a lot of the stress out of the process. And when you're not forcing it, you start welcoming what CAN happen... which usually brings happy accidents and unexpected results.

I know it might sound a bit yoda-ish, but trust yourself. You already know how to make music. All you're doing is opening the door to possibilities.

Also... even though we talked about the "134 techno emergency landing" track, if it's not flowing, don't push it. It might just not be the right moment. Open something else. The notes I gave you are just a guide, not a rule. Ultimately you're the one choosing what gets finished. If another project is speaking to you more, go with that one and see where it leads.

This process will feel different to what you're used to. That's intentional. The whole point is to break out of the autopilot habits that keep reinforcing what isn't working, and get back to that place of possibility... the headspace you're in at the start of a new project. The goal is to stay in that flow state for as long as you can.

It takes a little practice, but it's not hard. It's just trusting yourself enough to let go and letting feel guide you. As a certain wise man once said...

[aymat]

@​samuraitracks

Some inspiration to pull from:

Jam & Spoon "Tripomatic Fairytales" -  This is a very special album, its beautifully engineered and every track is a winner, but specifically listen to these two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRcfTyoUK_c

It may not be in the same same style/vibe you're going for, but listen to the way it builds in the arrangement, thats where I think you can get a sense of whats possible. This track is almost 10 minutes long and the breakdown doesn't even come in until 5:45.... its kind of a masterclass in how to arrange dance music with minimal elements but still build beautiful tension and keep things moving. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hYZT_pyzj8

"Earth Spirit" is great reference as well because it shares some similarities to your track and I think it has that tribal vibe you have in a lot of the ideas you shared with me. Listen to how the percussive elements come in and out, the panning choices... even the intro which is 1:30 long, nothing mind-blowing but its different. Those kind of choices are what makes a track really stand out, similar to the didgeridoo you used on "145 infectious hum primal surge didge". Those kind of bold decisions for sourcing sounds make for incredibly memorable tracks. Definitely lean into that.

[aymat]

@​samuraitracks

Heres another track to pull from for ideas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqygs8t1A3E

This was one of my favorites from the Platipus label. It's another interesting approach to arranging because essentially the main melodic elements aren't introduced until the breakdown. Its just kick, mid-range bass, arpeggio, and some percussive elements that build and play off each other until 3:12 where the breakdown comes in. Then it gets stripped back with just a percussion loop that follows up with the kick and that acid bass-line before that beautiful pad gets introduced... its almost like two breakdowns in one before the driving elements come back in with that great chant sample. Also notice how that same mid-range bass loop gets reintroduced which is longer than at the beginning of the track. This is what I was talking about.... its a way of repurposing elements in a mix by either extending them or changing them slightly to keep things moving and keep the listener from getting bored.