Have house and techno evolved as far as they can?
Strictly speaking, no, but the rate of evolution is incredibly slow when you consider the fast pace of technological change and the ever cheaper and more accessible tools to make the music. Other forms of music are evolving much faster and making use of these advancements.
Is it important to keep up to date with new product?
No. In fact it can slow you down. The way to write music effectively is to know your instruments inside out so you don't have to think about what you doing. A guitarist doesn't stop and think every time he has to move his hand to a different chord shape. That's what it needs to be like when you're putting an idea into your music even if you use a computer or other clever boxes.
If “house is a feeling”, are there any limits to what it can be?
Do you think that house/techno, etc, can survive without clubs?
I think it can. It'll maybe help the music become more interesting.
If you are a DJ, etc . . .
How much of a typical set is composed of new tracks?
How far do you think a crowd can distinguish between what is old and new?
What formats do you use?
When recording mixes, do you write track lists?
If not, why not?
If you are a music lover:
How often do you go clubbing?
Do you feel that a night club is a safe haven, an artificial construct or something else?
Do you think you are treated well or badly when at a club?
How much house and techno do you listen to in your free time?
Where do you listen to it?
In what form: specific tracks, albums, mixes?
If you don’t go out but still consume the music and keep up to date with things in general:
How do you listen to music?
How much money do you spend on it and in what format?
How important is it to you?
Do you see it as an integral part of your lifestyle?
How easy do you find it to describe the music you listen to?
How much have house and techno evolved over the last 35 years, or since the inception of disco?
Why are we often “looking back in order to go forward”?
Do you think your musical taste has changed much over time?
How?
If you are a music maker:
How long have you been making music?
Thirty years.
Is this a full-time occupation for you?
For much of that time it was but that's not possible at the moment. I'd be very sceptical of anyone who says it is. I've had some hilarious conversations with people who have convinced themselves that music is their job.
Are labels/genres important to you?
No.
Do you listen much to similar music to what you make in your free time?
I've actually moved significantly away from house/techno in the last few years. I currently listen to orchestral music 90% of the time and study film scores quite heavily. That's more the direction I'm going in. I think for making good house/techno it's obviously good to keep up with what other people are doing and listen to a bit of that but much more important is to listen to loads of other types of music.
You can gain a lot from listening to genres that sound nothing like what you're making. You can use the same techniques that work in other genres. You can even learn a lot about how to make music by studying other art forms like film, photography, painting, graphic design. Many of the same principles apply and it's sometimes easier to see them when you get away from music.
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