Losing the love...

Zascar

Did not want the other thread to go off topic, but I was intending to throw up a post about this anyways...

In the last while I really feel like I'm losing the love for my music - I'm not sure why really, but I'm spending less and less time on it. I used to come home from work every day and have a mix for at least and hour before/while making my dinner, and used to look forward to a Saturday afternoon when I did not have any other plans and I could have a smoke and play tunes all day. I rarely do this now. I reformatted my pc a few weeks back and I have not even installed Traktor since. I used to record loads of mixes but I've done almost none bar the ones from my gigs etc. I used to listen to every track in the youtube threads etc, not so much any more.

Is anyone else in the same boat as me?

I think one of the main reasons is that there is just not a huge amount of music that I get excited about these days. Now without getting into the whole debate of "Most of the music that comes onto beatport etc these days is shyte - switch to vinyl and shop at hardwax etc etc" - which I'm sure is a factor, but it's not the only reason.

I had a few lads over to my place after a gig a while back and I broke out a directory of tunes from many many years ago - and it actually reminded me about just how much I LOVED some of these tracks and to me anyway, they have really stood the test of time. What has kinda happened is that more recently I'm circulating through more music and getting bored of it very quickly.

I'm not willing to give up. We all have luls from time to time, I want to get back, but not because I'm forcing it. Last year I had a lot of free time in my job and could spent lots of time hunting for music - now I'm flat out and barely have time to check my emails.

I want the love back!

Jev/N

I'm in a similar situation for the last while, due to both laziness and lack of time due to a dissertation and upcoming exams.
I need to spend an hour a day trawling through new tracks and then more to discard the shíte that I'm not interested in. As a corollary of my lack of free time I haven't been going out as much and haven't noticed tracks I wanted to look for.

Having said that, my decks and mixer are set up again so I'm messing around a bit more again, especially with the rake of 2nd hand vinyls I bought last year and never got round to playing.

I keep telling myself that come next month, once I've finished with exams and everything, I'll catch up on everything - I hope so anyway. I put my attempt a production on the long finger about 6-8 months ago, so I wanna pick up on that as well.

jtsuited

switch to vinyl and shop at hardwax.

Zascar

You are definitely sponsored by them, don't deny it

seannash

Zascar wrote: »

You are definitely sponsored by them, don't deny it

:pac::pac:

SuprSi

I have gone through periods like this, most of the time when I haven't been able to get listen to music much, or when I've been unable to find some decent new music (which happens a lot consdering how much sh1te there is out there) but most of the time it passes when I stumble across a wad of tunes I haven't heard before.

I haven't been to a club or session in years (I live in hope!), and I love the Asylym thread here as it brings back some fantastic memories, and most of the tunes I put into the 'Track of the Day' thread are older, but I'm fortunate enough to be able to listen to 60 - 70 minutes of music three mornings a week in the gym and have the chance to listen to tunes at night too (if I'm in the mood), so I'm never too far away from some really good stuff.

It's just a lull. The music is out there and you'll undoubtedly come across some great tunes soon and forget that it ever happened.

brianc27

the exact opposite for me, im into music more then i ever was now, discovering loads of new stuff thats deadly, ive gone back playing vinyl and have bought an absolute rake load of older stuff i never had on vinyl before or couldnt get digitally, im still buying and playing digital as well as vinyl, i hardly ever play out anymore and dont go to as many gigs as i used to but i'm enjoying djing and lsitening to music more the i ever did before.

Scubadevils

Defo not the case for me, my love for music grows all the time. I think though you may be referring specifically to DJing and the parameters that surround it... that's possibly where your problem is, the love for music and the enjoyment it brings from listening to it should be first and foremost, where it then sits in terms of DJing is secondary. The personal gratification of listening to music and how it slots together in terms of DJing should be separate but connected, if this first element doesn't exist, the second has very little chance.

I'm a bit drunk right now though and replying to this on a phone so excuse me if it makes fck all sense!

Daroxtar

You're just getting too old for it. Have some horlicks and turn on Lyric FM

:D:D

electrogrimey

I've heard this happen to a lot of people. Giving it a week and you'll get back into it. Or, have a dab at producing. Will give you a completely different ear listening to dance.

gsparx

Pack in the busy job and have a smoke and play tunes all day, every day.

jonnny68

When you've been on the scene as long as i have been (20 years more than most on here i assume) it's not just something you can forget about or just switch off as the majority of older ravers will confirm,obviously peoples situations change as the years go on,mine has changed dramitically in recent years with birth of my young lad being the main thing so i simply don't have the time,energy or money,when i was at the height of my raving id be mixing it up,going clubbing 3/4 times a week and reading magazines and just about anything to do with dance music id be on it (although there is so much crap around thesedays it takes forever and a day to find a really good tune)

jonnny68

gsparx wrote: »

Pack in the busy job and have a smoke and play tunes all day, every day.

haha that's exacty what i used to do in the 90's

cranky bollix

jonnny68 wrote: »

When you've been on the scene as long as i have been (20 years more than most on here i assume) it's not just something you can forget about or just switch off as the majority of older ravers will confirm

jonnny68

cranky bollix wrote: »

haha you nutter:D

I notice once again "scenester" electrogrimey has liked this,the last 10 or so comments directed against me he has "liked"

I wonder why :rolleyes::pac:

Jev/N

jonnny68 wrote: »

I notice once again "scenester" electrogrimey has liked this,the last 10 or so comments directed against me he has "liked"

I wonder why :rolleyes::pac:

I think the paranoia has finally gotten to ya Jonnny! :pac:

electrogrimey

jonnny68 wrote: »

haha you nutter:D

I notice once again "scenester" electrogrimey has liked this,the last 10 or so comments directed against me he has "liked"

I wonder why :rolleyes::pac:

I liked it because it was funny mate. Nothing against you.

P.S, why do you think I'm a scenester? Have you ever met me?

jonnny68

Jev/N wrote: »

I think the paranoia has finally gotten to ya Jonnny! :pac:

negative, on the contrary since ive all but packed in the persian rugs in particular charlie, paranoia isn't something that affects me :pac:

jonnny68

electrogrimey wrote: »

I liked it because it was funny mate. Nothing against you.

P.S, why do you think I'm a scenester? Have you ever met me?

ok that may be so but i have noticed when anyone makes some kind of smart remark against me you "like" it for some reason (not that i do be on here half as much thesedays anyway)

I was only joking about you being a "scenester" (your not one i assume:eek:);)

Is mise le key

Zascar wrote: »

I had a few lads over to my place after a gig a while back and I broke out a directory of tunes from many many years ago - and it actually reminded me about just how much I LOVED some of these tracks and to me anyway, they have really stood the test of time. What has kinda happened is that more recently I'm circulating through more music and getting bored of it very quickly.

I think you got close to the reason in your original post even if you wernt aware of it really,

The batch of tunes you pulled out from years ago were tracks that really held a connection with a time of great experiences which you probably are comparing to where you are now & a lack of real feeling from music currently is leaving you feeling that it is not what it once was.

I personally think that there is a point musically in everyones life where a pinnacle is reached when the music, the people, the place & time are all pulling you in a direction where it all fits, this time i would guess for you was when those tracks you mentioned above where what was doing it for you & anything else just now doesnt cut it in comparison, you may find renewed interest in music almost certainly in the future but i doubt it will be like what them first tunes did for you when you discovered them way back when.

If your digging the tunes from your past go with the flow & enjoy them as they will give you the pleasure that your not getting from anything around now & perhaps you will rediscover an interest for something new down the road but for now its your oldskool thats floating your boat.

Executive Steve

Push it forward.

Step out of your comfort zone.

dubsbhoy

Give it a break for a few weeks, don't touch any DJ stuff and don't play any house music.................then go back and the buzz is back.....works for me

seannash

maybe focus on another area like production.
since i started i get more enjoyment out of making music than hunting for new music

Android 666

Not specifically related to dance music but this guy makes some points that I think are relevant to this thread:

http://3min49sec.blogspot.com/2010/08/stuck-or-obsession-cessastion.html

There are a myriad of different reasons why you might not be feeling the love anymore but I do think there's been some good advice given here about stepping outside your comfort zone or taking a short break to recharge your batteries. Don't worry either - I think it happens to everyone at some stage. I have a load of comedy albums on the Ipod - David Cross, Mitch Hedburg and a couple of others for when I just need to take a break from listening to music but still want some background noise that's not about the economy!

old gregg

to throw in 2c .... and bearing in mind that I don't dj and have never dj'd in my life, but I have been involved in producing music since 77 and electronic music since 86. I reckon my my old mate Scuba has come pretty close on this one and have to agree with a bunch of folks who are leaning in the direction of separating 'work' (dj) from 'play' (just listening) even if your dj activities are mostly banging out tunes as a kitchen hobby.

In my case, I'm mostly producing/performing ambient and downtempo stuff. Anyone who knows me will confirm that I'll have music playing from the moment I get up around 08:00 till I crash down in front of the tv around 22:00. While I'm working on material I pretty much will not listen to any electronic music. Hell, I'm even at a point where I'll sit in front of a computer playing around with field recordings and spacey synths all day and then go walking with death metal (Meshuggah ftw) blasting in the evening.

Yea, maybe take a break from all dance and electronic music for a few weeks and perhaps pick a new genre or two and explore it just for the fun. Visit your local library and pick out a fist of CDs where you've never heard any of the music but it's all highly rated within its genre and you'll be doing this for free and legal. Maybe also listen to music in different places to where you do now.

*sighs* sunny afternoon, headphones on, tin of cold coke and bar of dairy milk in hand, spliff in head, strolling along with a bit of old-old skool ambient house playing on phones, Heaven (for an old raver like me)

Best of luck though, we're counting on you

c_o_ck p_i_ss chillage

Zascar, try buying some albums (strictly no compilations)

cranky bollix

c_o_ck p_i_ss chillage wrote: »

Zascar, try buying some albums (strictly no compilations)

and then drop a few pills

BaZmO*

Don't think I'll ever lose my love for music but I certainly lost the love, or more so the passion or willingness to put in the practice, for DJing.

For me I think it was just a case of growing up and work taking up more of my time. I also stopped going out clubbing as much so the whole dance thing just wasn't as much as an influence on my life that it once was.
I suppose another element was that I always thought that by the time I was say 30, I'd be in some way deeply involved in music, be it DJing or production, that I could give up my day job. Sadly that never happened so I had to concentrate on work more.

Oddly enough, around the time I stopped putting in the effort with DJing I got a guitar, so I suppose I never lost my love for music, it just evolved.

Recently I have started getting back into DJing (messing about really) but certainly not to the extent that I used to.

I do agree with you, to an extent, about the selection of music available at present, in that it just seems like there's so much sh1te around and it can get depressing searching for new music on line. That's not to say that there's not a lot of great stuff around, it just gets lost in the absolute glut of releases available.

ThirdMan

I found myself in a similar position in recent years, but I'm finally feeling the love again. One of the main reasons is switching from Beatport to Boomkat. Obviously there's crap music everywhere, but Boomkat (at least to my taste) is of a better standard. The reviews are helpful, and often times refer to other labels/artists/releases, which all makes for a better listening/digging experience. The audio samples are a better quality, and the 'user's also bought' function throws up pretty decent results, much more so than that of Beatport's. But more than anything else, Boomkat, despite splitting it's music into genre's as well, has a genuine feel of 'randomness' to it. I find myself picking up tracks from genre's that I would not normally consider. Obviously everyone is different, but for me, the solution to my problem was as simple as shopping somewhere else.

jtsuited

Much as we got some lols from my earlier comment, I think there's some merit in it.

If you love music, why purchase it in a format that is essentially a massive compromise (mp3)?
I know I'm like a broken record going on about how great it is moving to vinyl, but I really can't emphasize it enough.

And it's not nostalgia with me. I was born in 1984, and by the time I was old enough to remember, vinyl records were something that collected dust in attics. Later it was just something sold in shops that also sold more important things to a teenager like bongs and bob marley skins.

I recently bought some Stevie Wonder records I had been obsessed with a few years ago. I've been listening to them every day since I got them and can't get over how much I missed when I used to listen to them on cd and ipods. It's like night and day. There's entire layers of musicality revealing itself I never appreciated before.

So eh yeah, to reiterate the original point......move to vinyl and shop at hardwax, or boomkat, or clone, or rush hour, or even drop into Sunil in All City or Craig in City Discs or go digging in Spindizzy, or marvel at the bargains you'll get in Comet on original pressings of Dionne Warwick shtuff.

1210's are selling for peanuts second-hand all over the place atm, even if you decide vinyl's not for you, you'll most likely only make a small loss on resale.

Maybe loving art shouldn't be convenient. Maybe it should require fairly significant time and fiscal commitment. Maybe.

TURRICAN

maybe your losing the love because the quality of music these days is just crap.everthing is so predictable and boring.i think the whole world is using abelton and its just to easy to put out a track.thas why its so hard to find some good music.
i had given up on it a few years ago but im back now .found some great music.a mate put me onto a few places to go. if im honest a female dj by the name of steffi has done it for me.you will find her on residant advisor.

Is mise le key

jtsuited wrote: »

or go digging in Spindizzy,

That is where i unearthed so many gems for a quid or two on a saturday morning & still have to this day, it is unarguable that the sound created by the needle in the grooves of the Vinyl is far superior digital music, even tapes that recorded gigs using vinyl are better sound. I do have an abundance of mp3's but that is simply for convenience if i want to bring them into work to listen to or share on the net........i will never get rid of my 300 or so Rave vinyl & 50 or so miscellaneous like, Sex pistols, Rolling Stone, Bob marley, SLF, Motorhead, The Kinks, U2.

Hypertic

A lot of the stuff people have said here makes sense. I think the easy thing for someone to say is ''all the music is terrible these days''. If you are a dj only and not a producer, then it's not really fair to complain about the standard of tracks you have to spin when you're not producing any music or contributinhg yourself.

I would recommend that you start producing tracks. It's a lot more satisfying making something yourself and its far more of an achievement to get recognition for something you made rather than spinning something someone else put together.

If you're uninspired, take some time away from what you find uninspiring and do something else. Don't listen to any dance music and put in the time to making some tracks.It will give you a new perspective and you might even make something good enough to play out or to inspire other people.

FLYNN-DOG

I 100% agree with you Zascar. I get tons of stuff sent to me, and the majority of it is absolute sh1te generic techno/tech house. It's part of the reason I think proper house is making a comeback - the public are sick of boring beat fueled efforts which just chug along in similar manners. A Dj I interviewed recently told me that dance music these days is too focused on beats rather than melody - and I'd be inclined to believe him. In fairness to the guy, his label is one were strict measures of quality control seem to be applied-and it's working for them. My advice to you would be to switch off the ipod/mp3 player/itunes etc for 2 weeks - essentially just avoid all music for at least a fortnight - but a good mix CD, turn it up to 11 and listen to it the whole way through. Worked for me

Friendly Kruger

Feeling the exact same about losing the love of DJing and the music

I dunno why though, could be that I'm annoyed at the clubbing scene in Ireland and I'm not bothered anymore

The lack of atmosphere is so unreal its sick


Think I might pack in the CDs and go back to the 1210s

Pace2008

Friendly Kruger wrote: »

I dunno why though, could be that I'm annoyed at the clubbing scene in Ireland and I'm not bothered anymore

The lack of atmosphere is so unreal its sick

Maybe this is just you, though?

I've had a really enjoyable clubbing year.