/blog

I can't remember if it was something I read or that someone said in a video (most likely on YouTube) but someone, somewhere said that the best dance music is built on one idea. Tracks built on one idea allow the DJ to control the flow, combining those ideas in a more dynamic way. ¹

This struck a chord with me. I often try to overcomplicate things, especially music.

Listening back to some of my tracks recently — both released and not — I've come to realise that the best ones are generally based on one core idea. When I try to get too clever, or stray into areas where I am not so confident, things get messy and the initial spark behind the track can get lost.

There is a sweet spot on the scale between boringly simple and overwrought. Finding it is a question of knowing when to stop.

I've been feeling the itch to get back to music for a couple of weeks. Last night, I got bored playing World of Warcraft and was feeling a bit tired and down so, for the first time in about four months, went upstairs and turned on all my gear.

I wasn't sure if anything was going to come of it but an idea took shape and I quickly threw something together. Just a single, live take that would need a lot of work to become a proper track but it's a start and I'm happy with it.