Eros

Sometimes I get prompted to categorise my music, for which I don’t always have an easy answer. If you really want to get your music heard nowadays, then it’s pretty essential to pin yourself to a specific genre in order to feed the various algorithms that drive streaming platforms; and it also makes it easier to find blogs, playlists and online communities that might be interested in your music.

That’s all very well if you’re clearly in the business of making drill, grindcore, tweepop, vaporwave or whatever. But what are you meant to do when your approach to music is more scattershot? and it’s entirely instrumental? and you really don’t have the time or inclination to self-promote your efforts on social media?

Fortunately, I’m quite happy to just actually finish stuff, and maybe improve my production skills along the way. Let’s face it, if I really wanted lots of people to listen to my music, I probably wouldn’t have spent several years recording an entirely instrumental hyperlocal concept album.

I’ve been working with Ableton Live since 2007 and so, by proxy, have tended to make predominantly electronic music (although I have no idea as to which particular sub-genre). It just doesn’t always sound that electronic, as I often use VSTs and samples to mimic the expensive gear that I can’t afford. I also still like to add some guitars whenever I can, although that’s not the case on this occasion….

Eros is probably the most overtly electronic track on the LP so far, and has also taken the least time to complete. Once I had come up with the opening arpeggiator riff, it seemed elementary to pair it with some Fender Rhodes, and from there on the arrangement quickly grew legs.

The end result sounds much more complex than it’s actual sum of parts. I’m actually pretty awful at playing piano, but get round this ruthlessly editing in midi to fix all the bum notes and poor timing.

It’s good to get this one wrapped up so soon, and I’m another step closer to finishing the LP. Only three tracks to go now and hopefully, it won’t be too long until I post the next one.