Music Forums

I've spent two years doing Ambient music. Released my third ambient album a few days ago. [won't link here because this post isn't about that]. I've got to a mature stage of music production where I know what I am, in all sincerity, doing. But I don't know how any of this fits into any project. I don't sing. All my instrumentation is done in a DAW. I don't know if I have any stand out strength at anything; I just make ambient music. Thus is there any collab for me to join? Now that I have more time on my hands and want something a bit different from slogging away on my own.

p.s been away from this site for a few months doing the album which I am quite proud of.

".. is there any collab for me to join?" - I think this is a great question, and sincerely believe the answer will be "yes". The great thing about collaboration is just letting go of some control and seeing what happens, and the results can be surprising.

Finding a collab, or someone to collab with, is not always so easy; but keep an open mind and take a risk here and there. And be proactive too, which I think is key when it comes to making any kind of progress.

Good luck. And hope you find something you can get involved with!

Absolutely there is a collaboration you can join, check out this track I did with Raven, with MonkeyC's mixing skills and Japov overlaying a spoken word. This started out as an ambient piece of music that Dani and I did for another track we were working on and look where it ended up............ https://www.procollabs.com/store/742. Why not try loading a track and seeing if you can get some traction :)

"I don't know if I have any stand out strength at anything; I just make ambient music." - just being able to create Ambient music makes you stand out. That in itself is pretty impressive. :)

Also, having 'weird' music skills or creating music that is a bit 'out there', isn't a bad thing, it's actually very cool when music doesn't fit the standard cookie cutter mold. The key is to find other artists who are like-minded and/or find other musicians who are willing to try something out of their comfort zone. Therefore, ya just have to put your music out there, give it a shot - at the end of the day, you really have nothing to lose, but everything to gain should you find the right people to work with.

Trust me, I know all about being different and having a sound/style that isn't typical or appealing to a lot of people - but it doesn't stop me from putting my music out there and starting projects.

By the way, you should link your new album here. Even if just one or two people listen or give feedback, it's always a good feeling to get support from your fellow musicians.

As something a bit funny I am hated by music academics. Because while I follow standard diatonic theory most of the time, I also like to do funky things with suspended chords. I don't resolve them and sometimes I run chains of sus chords. Thus I have zero chance of ever winning any scoring comp; I get eye rolls from academics who usually want to live in the 1400's. I am the guy that the academics reject ;)

If it helps: https://neptunedexperiment.bandcamp.com/album/bell-peppers

That one took me two months to do. I used FL Studio. It is 100% composed by me. I use no samples of any sort. My production method is a mix of compositions in Finale and in FL Studio, to make wav files that I then resample back into a master track. Thus the final track is a collection of about 30 resampled wav files in each of the tunes. I like this method. The only drawback to it is administrative; if I move any of my wav files then I have to relink the path. I don't know if I will do another ambient album. I am always trying to do something different. Enjoy lol.

You want too weird, try writing lyrics & melody with no instrument.

Put it out there and see if it floats.What do you have to lose?You may be surprised,it might touch
a heart and begin to fly

I like it, my fave is probably Neo Circus. I would definitely classify your sound as 'Experimental'. It's different but really cool.

Interesting because I got better at doing it as I went along and the tracks not being in the order that I did them, Neo circus was one of the last ones that I did. I agree. That was probably my favourite as well. I don't know what I will do next in Music. I will probably go for a harder sound. I do a lot of experimental things differently that make my sound: I use what I call "Chroma progressions" of chromatic transpositions, often up or down a minor third. I also do some "anti-music" such as deliberately messing up instrument combinations; at one point I deliberately run the drums slightly out of time.

My bigger picture with it all, say next few years, is to combine my music with 3D software and add a visual element. So I am starting to learn Lightwave. If anyone wants to know how I make the cover art it's done in software called Ultra Fractal 5. I took some fractal patterns and made a pastiche of them to be 3D pepper abstracts. Then I called it Bell Peppers as in an album of bells with different spiced up colours [peppers].

I don't know what I will do next. The amount of work that goes into an album is pretty enormous. I compose absolutely everything myself because I like my own imagination; I don't like taking a sample from say freesound because that is someone else's vision. I use a very pared back production style as well. I use subtle reverb. But I don't use compression or EQ etc. I have all those tools in FL. When I started I went crazy with them all but I didn't like what they did to my music.

If I had to pick a favourite tool, that is a tough one. Probably the Elysium Harp. I used to use the harps in Kontakt. But Elysium just blew me away - the harp drones in harpianola dream are composed with the Elysium drone sets which are gorgeous.

I have no musical idols. I don't emulate or imitate anybody in terms of style and methods. It took me three albums to get to the style of ambient music that I created. There are SO many more things that I want to do. I have barely scratched the surface with Kontakt. I use it as a combination custom effect for about 10 seconds in one of the tracks where there is a weird buzz sound. I want to improve with using the strings; I felt that the strings in Moonstring were somewhat laser beam like. [no fault of the VST which is Hollywood strings which is magnificent.] I have numerous composition ideas. I have Renoise which I have not learnt. I could use that instead of FL.

I will have to think about what is next. If in all that I can find a collab that grabs me that would be great as well. Thanks sincerely for the support from anyone on Pro Collabs; it really does get lonely in my bedroom with a computer, often like a crypt! I often joke that I am a Nosferatu music producer! Support makes the difference between keeping my energy going and wondering if I should make more muisc! Now I will make some more after I take a few days off ;)