Do You Regularly Listen To Your Own Material?

[Zwaken Profile]

Just a basic question...

Do you listen to your own creations on a regular basis?

I feel cocky for doing it, but I listen to my own creations regularly. I feel like since it's my music, I'm making music that I'd want to listen to it, and am attracted to it.

What about you guys?

[djtheblade Profile Website]

All the time, gotta keep reviewing it to see where you can make improvements for a start, always good to be self-critical, and there's nout wrong with taking a little bit of pride in your work from time to time either

[SweetPeaPod]

yeah.. i feel like when i'm listening, i'm 'working' too. mental notes of things that could be done different.. also, if you don't like listening to your own work, then what makes you think someone else would want to?

[djtheblade Profile Website]

and further to what was said in the original post, I make music that I want to listen to, stuff which I really want to hear. My music is primarily for me, but if other people get a kick out of it then that's a good bonus, nothing better than seeing people rocking out on a dancefloor to one of your tunes.

[producer_snafu Profile Website]

i used to allot when i was younger, now i have to be in the mood for music, and when i do i don't feel the need to always listen to myself. the worst is listening to it with your friends, you don't always get the reaction you anticipate

[divtech Profile Website]

Listening to your own tracks is like masturbating, fun and feels pretty good alone but really awkward around others.

im not sure how well this metaphor describes live sets...

I'll listen to my tracks but I can't really listen to them the same was as other tracks as there is always an element of self-criticism, almost the way i listen to my tracks when i'm writing them

[Infekkted Profile]

Interesting metaphor by divtech there, I also see this as masturbation, in a way. Just like when performing live is a kind of masturbating in front of others (I truly believe this).

I don't think anybody can listen to their tracks the way the others do, and definitely everyone perceives the music of others in a personal way. Listening to one's creation is a total exposure to oneself, because you always know what you wanted, how you felt and what you finally achieved and expressed.

As for me,I actually listen to my tracks only for some period after I have finished them, but, like, more than 5-6 times per day, and then it takes a month for me (in which I rarely play em) to get distanced and evaluate them better. I find it then better to throw my track inside a playlist of other artists, makes me feel more down-to earth and distanced from my track (depending on the situation, the track or the playlist you may feel like god or shit).

If anybody here does not like listening to their music, my advice to them is to quit making it. After spending so many hours working on a track, it is rather uncaring not to listen to it.

[Zwaken Profile]

For me, it's hard to make mental notes after the song is already made... It's one thing that I definitely need to work on. Most of my criticism happens while I'm making the song, but there is still some after the song is made.

I try to get as much criticism from others after I make my songs, because as some of you have said, my own perspective of my own material is much different than how others see it. Only bad thing is that I only have 2 or so friends that actually know enough about Breakcore (and music in general) to make criticism that will actually aid me in the creative process.

When I'm starting to write a song, I can usually tell within the first 10 or 15 minutes if I like where it's headed or not. If I don't like it, I scrap the idea, listen to some other music for inspiration, and start again. Most of the inspiration comes from simple piano pieces and ambient music, because they can be so rich with good, hearty, deep melodies, which is what I love in music. Music that makes you have goose bumps, and really grabs a hold of you. For me, it's hard to get inspiration from a song with little melodic value, even if I really like the breaks or kicks or feel, etc.

There's nothing better than making a song that I feel really proud of and having positive response from others as well.

[meatsweeper Profile]

I tend listen to my own tracks & mixes all the time as it only makes me improve and means I pick up on mistakes and get new ideas.
I often find though that I will get in a cycle of thinkin everythin sounds amazin then go back to it and think it sounds shit and so on......

To truly get a feel for a track though and to be most productive I will have a session through my main monitors leave a few days, then listen back through reference monitors and finally through headphones lying down in the dark and repeat until it's sounds how I want it too (this can take days/weeks/months/years)

I do agree with Divtech though, not great whilst listening with others as some people aren't great with "constructive criticism"

At the end of ther day we are all our won worst enemies...

[Mathlovsky Profile]

Alot actually, to listen for flaws or even new ideas. Primarily because i like what i'm doing and have to know my songs by heart when i play them live. If you don't like your own music there's not much emotion gonna come from you when you stand in front of the crowd. Gotta show them you love that shit

[ohmega sir Profile]

i spend about 40mins each way to and from work so whenever i make a new track ill put it on my i-pod along with whatever other stuff ive downloaded/bought that week/day and listen out for mistakes eq problems etc. i think its important to listen to other peoples music along side ur own to see what other people are doing and how tracks should sound etc. i also think listening to music on an i-pod mp3 player is important as i reckon this is the way the majority of people listen to breakcore so you should be able to hear it the same way as they do

[breakwhore Profile]

You have a choice to NOT listen to your own material? Well damn.