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Okay For Now
One of the concepts that’s on my mind when I’m producing music is the notion of okay for now. Though it may sound slacker-ish, the mindset describes a settling for whatever I’m doing at the moment and not worrying about if it’s good or bad or where it may or may not be going. (Note:… Continue reading
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Musical Vantage Points
What is your vantage point on the music? From what position do you listen—from a point of doubt, sympathy, skepticism, good cheer, confidence, or anxiety? Does your vantage change as the music changes, moving from a positive glance to a negative sneer? Does your positioning allow you to hear the music as it is, as… Continue reading
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On The Ambiguous Appeal Of The Musically Worn
As I produce a track I’m constantly looking for ways alter its sounds so that they’re damaged and unclear, and some of my favorite effects processing plug-ins are those that destroy or roughen what is pristine and soft to make it more textured and fascinating to listen to. An analogy of the radio dial comes… Continue reading
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Brettworks 2019 Posts On Music Production
Notes On Perfect On Musical Stasis And Directionality Notes On Working In Layers On Minimalism and Maximalism On Micro-Adjustments And The Game Of Amounts Losing Objectivity Musical Endings Differ, Be Important: The Make It More Interesting Concept Journal Note: Tweaking Audibility, One Part At A Time Without Methods, But With Principles The One Fell Swoop… Continue reading
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Notes On Perfect
It’s said that perfectionism is a dangerous trait that leads you on endless goose chases after forever unattainable standards. Or that perfectionism catches you in its net of your own making, as the depth of your aspirations slowly suffocate your ability to finish things: If only I could fix this, this, and this, then it… Continue reading
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On Musical Stasis And Directionality
In some of my favorite musics there’s a tension between a sense of stasis and directionality. Stasis describes a music that “stays in one place” through repetition of one sort or another, while directionality describes a music that “goes somewhere”, usually through melody and harmony. A vamp or a repeating breakbeat is an example of… Continue reading
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Notes On Working In Layers
“Artworks are devices for engineering attention.” – Susan Tallman Insofar as I take inspiration from artists who don’t work with sound, in 2019 I took a lot of inspiration from Vija Celmins, who I first heard about via a (yet another excellent) Calvin Tomkins New Yorker profile. Celmins is celebrated for her meticulous paintings and… Continue reading
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Resonant Thoughts: Paul Klee’s “Pedagogical Sketchbook” (1925)
“The father of the arrow is the thought: how do I expand my reach? Over this river? This lake? That mountain?” “Be winged arrows, aiming at fulfillment and goal, even though you will tire without having reached the mark.” Paul Klee, Pedagogical Sketchbook, p. 54. Continue reading
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