On the Fly / Improvisational Techno

Zascar

I just read a great post from SteveDon over on the Dance Music Production forum and thought it would be a good topic for over here too:

SteveDon wrote: »

Is it possible? Have you tried it?

Sometimes when i sit down to make a track, I totally 'Get lost in the Flow' (NI's marketing techniques have obviously infiltrated my inner consumer) with my Maschine, Korg EMX and Kaoss Pad.

By getting lost in the flow i mean I start off with something simple i.e a 4/4 bassdrum beat and then spend hours constantly changing the track on the fly, changing the drum kit used every 5 minutes or so and changing the bassline aswell so that every 5-7 mins it sounds like something completely new.

Id love to take this into a live setting and do this in front of a crowd with nothing planned in advance, but there is immense difficulties in doing so. On the whole these jams on my machines sound pretty good, but when im trying to make a lead line on the fly sometimes things can go a bit pear shaped. Also having the confidence to do this is another stumbling block.

I tend to find myself doing this nearly everytime i sit down to make a track hence why i dont really get much done (as well as my college finals) And i never really save anything, its a very in the moment thing for me.

Does anyone else do this or am I alone in my ventures?

Im pretty sure i need a partner to pull this off properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-kY0DVuU4w

I've always thought about this type of thing too really. I don't know much about production myself but I totally understand what he mentioned above about just going with the flo and seeing what happens etc and I'd kinda love to see this in real life. It might however turn into a more chin-stroking session than a classic dance-club type environment.

Still, kinda reminds me of this too which I think is fairly deadly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XryzjprNqE

eeloe

On the iPhone at the mo, so couldn't watch the videos, but I've just been playing with ableton the last couple of days, and I'm pretty sure it could be easily done!

Sure it was done back in the day, people playing purely off 909's and synths, I'd say it'll take me another while to work out what's actually do able in ableton, but I'm confident it can be done!

hans aus dtschl

Have seen legowelt do completely live acid techno sets like this

Mind blowing. He's really good.

ianuss

I saw Layo & Bushwacka play a set like that in Space Ibiza around 2001 and it was frikkin awesome. I'm not even a fan of theirs tbh but that was probably the best clubbing experince of my life.

All the time they just kept tweaking and developing beats and sounds, constantly changing and evolving. And I wasn't just standing there admiring their knob-twiddling skills either - they had the place rocking!