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Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

#5,501
Bob_Ross said:
It's funny, I find myself far more sensitive to the reverse -- musicians who are more process-oriented than results-oriented -- and I also notice that this reverse seems equally distributed between improvisors and the composers: Both camps can often be guilty of proclaiming (overtly or not) "this music is worthy of listening to because it was created by [insert description of some action, plan, structure, premeditated conceit, etc.]" without ever pausing to self-censor because "be that as it may, it still sounds like crap."
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I was talking to a friend about this. I was bitching about how I had to hack my way around something in the software. At the end I just said “who cares” since nobody will ever hear my process. They only hear the result (if they listen at all).
 
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#5,502
lordradish said:
Great insights, but I will admit to being a bit surprised that you even have physical media in the mix. After my last real band, we just decided that it's not really worth the money and effort that it used to be. I'm not kidding when I say that I haven't bought a CD, or even thought about it, in over 10 years. Only way I could even listen to one nowadays is if I dug out an external drive for the laptop. That's not to say I'm not an audiophile, as when I download, I still just DL lossless. Perhaps if I started doing a lot of live shows (hey, remember them, ah, the good ol' days), I might consider a small run, but I'd still sell a lot more download cards, but I'm more or less on the same mindset as @ugly_bassplayer on that. I've gotten rid of all of my vinyl and cds. The vinyl was easy to get rid of it, because a lot of it was the garbage I listened to in high school and would not care if I ever heard again.

I would say that, before I put something finally on bandcamp, I plan on having it sound just as good as if I were to release a physical product.

About your musing, there... I hear ya, but there's also something cool about, when you've been playing a long time, when you start to listen to things you did 10 years ago or even more and it still holds up. It's only been recently where that's been a thing for me. But as to now, yeah, the 'is it good enough' is that monkey that won't get off my back. I think we all talked about this a few weeks ago.
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hi.

first off, i'm old, so there's that bit of biz about having physical product. i buy discs, i like the artwork, i like liner notes and credits. i hate the itunes model (and i assume others) that doesn't have the credits. i like to know who wrote and played certain things. (cue "OK Boomer")

and then, it is about one's process.

i just did a count. i have 52 (!) releases on bandcamp, starting in 2009. 5 of those are archival or live gigs of bands. a bunch are synth and bass mutterings. the first 4 or so i mastered and everything. kinda decided that wasn't cost-effective when i was broke. 12 or so of those were "bass improv" diaries, which were just snapshots of process (they're free). i have plans for a few more releases, either synth-y stuff or a few live recordings. it's documentation—it's not all genius, but then what is?

conversely, i did about 15 discs between 1993 and 2009. all of those are studio band recordings of pretty difficult music. did a couple more in 2015-2016 and have two more in the pipeline that are continuations of projects i've done earlier (second and third disc)—for em those *have* to be discs because that's what the projects need, including the artwork etc.

then there's the diy cd/digi releases we did for toques (trying to do the third soon).

in my world, one can sell discs at shows and physical copies are good for trading with other players—which helps build community. they're also good for handing out to bookers. as i mentioned elsewhere, critics don't seem to review stuff from links that much (though reviews are becoming antiquated as well). i think radio people seem to find discs to be easier as well (at least the college style radio folks i know). physical product also make these people feel more special, so they might actually do something (or so i think i think . . . )

dig it, i just told you guys about something that i did 35 years ago. so, yeah, thinking you did okay is nice. (and sometimes being happily surprised . . . )

there's a real question about how to get your stuff heard. how do *you* find stuff? friends? discogs? (if you want a discogs listing, you are probably not gonna get someone listing your bandcamp stuff unless they already found out about you via hard media.)

last, i **always** want to be good as possible.
 
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#5,503
steubig said:
hi.

first off, i'm old, so there's that bit of biz about having physical product. i buy discs, i like the artwork, i like liner notes and credits. i hate the itunes model (and i assume others) that doesn't have the credits. i like to know who wrote and played certain things. (cue "OK Boomer")

and then, it is about one's process.

i just did a count. i have 52 (!) releases on bandcamp, starting in 2009. 5 of those are archival or live gigs of bands. a bunch are synth and bass mutterings. the first 4 or so i mastered and everything. kinda decided that wasn't cost-effective when i was broke. 12 or so of those were "bass improv" diaries, which were just snapshots of process (they're free). i have plans for a few more releases, either synth-y stuff or a few live recordings. it's documentation—it's not all genius, but then what is?

conversely, i did about 15 discs between 1993 and 2009. all of those are studio band recordings of pretty difficult music. did a couple more in 2015-2016 and have two more in the pipeline that are continuations of projects i've done earlier (second and third disc)—for em those *have* to be discs because that's what the projects need, including the artwork etc.

then there's the diy cd/digi releases we did for toques (trying to do the third soon).

in my world, one can sell discs at shows and physical copies are good for trading with other players—which helps build community. they're also good for handing out to bookers. as i mentioned elsewhere, critics don't seem to review stuff from links that much (though reviews are becoming antiquated as well). i think radio people seem to find discs to be easier as well (at least the college style radio folks i know). physical product also make these people feel more special, so they might actually do something (or so i think i think . . . )

dig it, i just told you guys about something that i did 35 years ago. so, yeah, thinking you did okay is nice. (and sometimes being happily surprised . . . )

there's a real question about how to get your stuff heard. how do *you* find stuff? friends? discogs? (if you want a discogs listing, you are probably not gonna get someone listing your bandcamp stuff unless they already found out about you via hard media.)

last, i **always** want to be good as possible.
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Can you send me links to some of your favs??
By PM, I really dig some of your stuff. Not to mention killer playing....

Ill go practice all modes of the melodic minor scale in 6ths before I go to bed.....promised (sorry inside joke, when I went to audition at Univerisity of Montreal, one of the best known players up here named Michel Donato said to me those exact words when I was warming before going in to get the most intimidating audition I’ve ever done.......they went HAARRRRDDD on all the bass players there that day. I ended up 3rd out of 18. With only 1 spot available on electric bass.....not too bad for a limited talent like me I think....its actually one of my buddies who got the spot....but later declined the offer...so #2 got the spot that year.).....sorry rambling again....

;)
 
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#5,504
Bob_Ross said:
It's funny, I find myself far more sensitive to the reverse -- musicians who are more process-oriented than results-oriented -- and I also notice that this reverse seems equally distributed between improvisors and the composers: Both camps can often be guilty of proclaiming (overtly or not) "this music is worthy of listening to because it was created by [insert description of some action, plan, structure, premeditated conceit, etc.]" without ever pausing to self-censor because "be that as it may, it still sounds like crap."
Click to expand...

yeah, i can see that. semantically, that's not where i'm coming from. i have very little patience for people who aren't gonna bring it or who aren't coming with intent and focus.

there is a lot of dreck out there.

but you bring up a good point about how i'm positioning this.

i guess i'm coming at from that people think everything has to be a masterpiece or perfect. whereas i think the piece you just finished just became the groundwork for the next one. (that's where i think process comes in.)

i don't mean process like operations or concept. (most conceptual stuff bores me to tears)
 
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#5,506
ugly_bassplayer said:
Ill go practice all modes of the melodic minor scale in 6ths before I go to bed.....
Click to expand...

you're way ahead of me. i'm currently just trying to get my handle on those and similar for harmonic minor and harmonic major. the entertainment never ends!

ugly_bassplayer said:
promised (sorry inside joke, when I went to audition at Univerisity of Montreal, one of the best known players up here named Michel Donato said to me those exact words when I was warming before going in to get the most intimidating audition I’ve ever done.......they went HAARRRRDDD on all the bass players there that day. I ended up 3rd out of 18. With only 1 spot available on electric bass.....not too bad for a limited talent like me I think....its actually one of my buddies who got the spot....but later declined the offer...so #2 got the spot that year.).....sorry rambling again....
;)
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that's awesome. and i seem to know donato's name. though i guess i thought he was french.
 
#5,510
This is gonna be interesting

2F831D32-08E3-452C-840B-64F06300F468.jpeg E07EE7E7-97D4-43DC-9578-7D61C610CFD7.jpeg
 
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#5,513
And lo and behold, the heavens opened up and from the skies came an email from Sweetwater telling me that MY WAVESTATE HAS SHIPPED TODAY. I thought I wasn't going to see it till June, at this point. And it couldn't have happened at a better time... I am in such a creative rut right now. Like, really bad.

Anyone else having a hard time? I'm not so stressed or depressed, here... we're both still working full time, and are healthy, it's just... I don't know. I go up, stand in the big ring of gear (synths and the pedalboard actually make up a 'ring', now), and I'm just like, Sh*t, I don't want to be here. It's frustrating, because I have more time in the world than ever, I don't have to learn other stuff for gigs. Apart from the few bright spots I've had with those collabs with @ugly_bassplayer, I'm really having a hard time feelin' it.

The synth duo was finally taking off, before this, and I want to have a bunch of new stuff ready to go when we finally get going again. GRRRRR. Sorry, had to vent.
 
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#5,514
lordradish said:
And lo and behold, the heavens opened up and from the skies came an email from Sweetwater telling me that MY WAVESTATE HAS SHIPPED TODAY. I thought I wasn't going to see it till June, at this point. And it couldn't have happened at a better time... I am in such a creative rut right now. Like, really bad.

Anyone else having a hard time? I'm not so stressed or depressed, here... we're both still working full time, and are healthy, it's just... I don't know. I go up, stand in the big ring of gear (synths and the pedalboard actually make up a 'ring', now), and I'm just like, Sh*t, I don't want to be here. It's frustrating, because I have more time in the world than ever, I don't have to learn other stuff for gigs. Apart from the few bright spots I've had with those collabs with @ugly_bassplayer, I'm really having a hard time feelin' it.

The synth duo was finally taking off, before this, and I want to have a bunch of new stuff ready to go when we finally get going again. GRRRRR. Sorry, had to vent.
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The mojo will return.
Keep us posted on the new keyboard!!!!
Send me some wavs.....

:)
 
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#5,517
hi,

yes, it's a bit weird.

i hope the following doesn't come off as virtue signaling, just trying to outline my process. maybe it'll help??

i've pretty much put myself on a schedule (which is something i did so i wouldn't implode in the great recession, when i was out of work for 6-7 months). i've kept it up, but have modified it for this time of no work and staying home.

up at 7:00. coffee and paper. practice 7:30-8:30. exercise and take a walk 8:30-9:45-ish (mask on!). home to see if there's any work (not generally).

10:00 -5:00 rotating between practicing upright bass and piano, synth programming, and working on electronic stuff i'm doing right now. take a break or two for a bite, catch up with social media or read a book.

5:30-7:00 dinner, coffee. 8:00-10:00 practice. 10:00-12:00 watch some television with wife and daughter.

dunno . . . it's mostly working for me . . .
 
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#5,518
steubig said:
hi,

yes, it's a bit weird.

i hope the following doesn't come off as virtue signaling, just trying to outline my process. maybe it'll help??

i've pretty much put myself on a schedule (which is something i did so i wouldn't implode in the great recession, when i was out of work for 6-7 months). i've kept it up, but have modified it for this time of no work and staying home.

up at 7:00. coffee and paper. practice 7:30-8:30. exercise and take a walk 8:30-9:45-ish (mask on!). home to see if there's any work (not generally).

10:00 -5:00 rotating between practicing upright bass and piano, synth programming, and working on electronic stuff i'm doing right now. take a break or two for a bite, catch up with social media or read a book.

5:30-7:00 dinner, coffee. 8:00-10:00 practice. 10:00-12:00 watch some television with wife and daughter.

dunno . . . it's mostly working for me . . .
Click to expand...
Certainly no way on earth I'd see that as virtue signalling.

I more or less have something similar. Get up around 8-9, read the news for an hour, and work till about 4, on my own job as well as the grad school stuff I'm in now. Then take a walk with the wife if weather allows, dinner, a bit more hang time with the wife, maybe a movie, then when the wife goes to bed, around 10, I go up to the studio, and depending on the muse, either go till the wee hours of the morning, or just give up and go downstairs. I wish I could work during the day, but that's when the non-creative side of my brain tends to be the most active.

I think it's not so much a lack of routine, because until recently, I had no problem, especially in the winter. I just need to get over this funk. Maybe set some concrete goals, as opposed to just winging it every time I go up there. Thanks, bro.
 
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