Low Entropy's Producer JournalPart 1: My production technique and why hearing imaginary bells can help your creativityAs you know, I produced (and released) a lot of tracks. Somewhere around 3.000 (three thousand) to be exact.
Because of this I've often been asked: How did you do this? How do you produce tracks? How do you get inspiration?
So I want to talk a bit about my production technique.
It usually goes like this:
I'm doing something. This could be taking a walk, talking to someone, watching a movie, chilling, taking a shit, and so on.
Then, suddenly, I get the idea for a track! And within split seconds, the track unfolds in my mind: the general idea, it's message, sentiment, purpose, the main elements, the type of sound, the notes for the melodies, the production values, and every other major detail; then seconds later I get ideas for the minor elements, like the percussion sequences, or additional FX, samples and such.
In these moments I half tune off "reality" for a moment, so it can be hard to follow a conversation I'm having, for example. But I quickly return to my surroundings after the moment is over.
I then do my best to memorize what I've "learned" by this sudden burst of creativity. When I feel the time is right, I sit down and try to put all this info into my DAW.
This can still be a lot of work, of course. Especially when fine-tuning things and elements and trying to "cut off edges".
At times, while actually producing a track, I get a "second idea", which unfolds the same way as told above. I often end up scrapping the original plan, and following this new idea.
But most often, I just produce the track like I first envisioned it.
As hinted at, in these "creative moments" the complete track is already included most of the time. But sometimes I think of additional elements at a later point, like secondary melodies, or bonus elements one could add, and end up including these too.
This form of producing is never a "steady flow", though; the creativity comes in burst, and additional elements come this way, too.
Also, sometimes my rationality chimes in and I think: "No, I can't do this or that sequence; I better think up of something better". But this rarely works, the result is often worse then.
Now, when I have such "creative moments", I usually imagine hearing the sound of a bell (I do that automatically - not a conscious decision on my part!). The bell often is an indication of how "good" the idea is.
For example, a plain, good idea comes with the sound of a regular bell. A great idea could introduce itself by a church bell, or a East Asian gong sound, etc. It goes up from there. If the idea becomes really, really well, it's a whole set of bells, like all the churches in town ringing their bells simultaneously, and ethereal choirs start to chime in.
You might ask: "How do you know if the idea you have is 'great' beforehand? Or how can you even be sure if one of your own ideas is good or not."
Well, I don't, and I won't make any claim to it.
*But* so far the feedback I got to my music confirms this concept; with the "all the bells are ringing" projects that I've completed often becoming very celebrated, and reaching tens of thousands of people - or much more.
Okay, some might say: "Uh, Low, this does sound bat shit crazy. Maybe you don't have 'creative ideas', but instead are beginning to lose touch with reality".
Yeah, I understand this motion. I wondered about that, too. After all, it would be deeply irrational to not pose these question.
But let me assure you. I am completely aware this is all just some "mind trick". I make no pretense that any 'funny business' is going on; it's just some thought play that I am used to do.
For example, regarding the bell sounds: It's of course not "real bells" I am hearing. It's just something I like to imagine. (I never had any real audio hallucinations in my life, but I guess when I had fevers or were ill I sometimes heard sounds that were close to audio hallucinations; and these were vastly different.)
It's all just a way to do the creative process by working on your imagination a bit and indulging in fantasy.
The next thing is:
If you read the bios of famous, infamous, and maybe unknown artists, you will realize that all of them had quirks or eccentric creative behaviors like that when it came to the so-called "creative process".
Some might have only been able to be creative when keeping their teddy bear with them. Some could only write books on the same, already partly dysfunctional typewriter they used all of their lives.
Some could only be creative on certain weekdays. Some could only paint when they were in the nude. And so on.
It's like that. If you are an artist, you will end up exhibiting a lot of behavior that will be considered totally insane by society - and likely even by yourself.
And the next thing is: I can write tracks this way. I can write a lot of tracks this way. And I can write them easily.
Why should I question it, then? And make things harder for my creativity then they would need to be.
A German proverb says: "You must not check the mouth of a horse that was given to you as a present".
Thus, if you gain something *good* for free, don't ask too many questions about it!
And, as said before, all the feedback I got from many people so far points to the conclusion that this 'mode of creativity' really works.
So, this was an introduction to my production technique, I hope you enjoyed this story. Maybe it can help you with you own creativity as well.