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Having a Sound

I play and write music as a hobby. One of the big things I've wanted to do as a next big project is write an album with a cohesive sound.

The question becomes, what do I want that sound to be? I have a number of disparate influences - who would I most like to emulate? On one end of the spectrum is fairly heavy music - stuff like Hum or Fucked Up, loud music. On the other is ambient music, something peaceful. It seems like what I want an album to be changes based on what I've been most recently listening to.

I last put together an album in 2018, though it was really written over the course of the prior 7 or 8 years. It drew inspiration from a fairly narrow set of influences, I feel - almost entirely from various forms of indie rock and pop. In the intervening years, my tastes have expanded quite a bit - I got into listening to metal and hardcore via Deafheaven, I've listened to some jazz and funk through Snarky Puppy and Vulfpeck. I listened to and adored Talk Talk's laughing stock, a jazz-influenced post-rock record. My biggest influence over the last couple years has been experimental folk musician Grouper. I even listened to a little bit of classical piano, just because I enjoy the texture of it.

I remember in 2019, I was SURE I wanted my next album to sound like the Walkmen. I wanted a transistor organ sound, chimy guitars, and straining vocals. Now, I want something like Grouper with Drums. I wonder what my next inspiration point will be?

Some of my "sound" ideas are really more about limiting my options equipment-wise, so that I don't give myself option paralysis. One thing I've experimented with is replacing bass drum with a bass synth, for a pitched, percussive low-end to accompany guitar and vocals. I've done one song this way, and it turned out well.