Over the last decade or so, the internet has changed the development of music scenes and genres beyond all recognition. The advent of instant digital distribution and the easy accessibility of music-making equipment (a laptop and a pair of headphones) has seen a plethora of new scenes and artists develop, and brought this new music to a potentially global audience. But it's also changed the way we perceive music too - and now it's more important than ever to be doing your own unique style. So let's go in a bit deeper on this very modern phenomenon...
Back in the day, and here we're talking from the 50's or earlier to the last decade, it was enough for many artists and bands to be 'scene players'. To look at the 90's for instance, while people like Jeff Mills and Richie Hawtin were making the big money in techno, there were still many many DJs and producers working in the same field who were writing and playing similar techno sounds and making a good living from it. The scenes were big and could potentially reach huge audiences. Those old grand-dads who tell you that they can remember when it was all just 'house music'? Well, they're actually right.
These days obviously, we have hundreds of scenes. Scenes within scenes, scenes that can come and go rapidly. From Moombahcore to Neurofunk to Future Garage, we have Soundcloud players offering every style you can imagine, being listened to by people across continents. This, for the consumer, is great (so much choice!) - although sometimes overwhelming. (How can you choose what to devote your attention to?)
It's also fun for the novice producer - with so many scenes out there, there's bound to be something that matches up with what you're doing; there's an audience ready made for you, just waiting to hear your latest banger. This is attractive; it's always good to feel part of a scene and honour your musical heroes by taking influence from them.
The bad part is, that it really does very little to bolster your longevity as an artist. Consider Moombahton; when Dave Nada started playing Dutch house at -20% most people thought he was nuts, and it was a joke of an idea. But he persevered and eventually his ideas of Reggaeton-influenced rave music took root. There are a now handful of big name players (who all started early) and a million budding producers in the scene. But when Moombahton stops being the next big thing (as it surely will), who will be remembered? Only a couple of those big players, who will be able to use the credibility gained as a springboard for their next artistic venture. The rest will be back to square one, as the scene dies out, the gigs dry up and people lose interest - looking for a new home.Burial was another case - coming out of the nascent dubstep scene, his loosely-timed, grainy, reverb-drenched first EP won him a few admirers but certainly didn't take the dancefloor-based scene by storm at first. Only later, as he established his sound as being fully distinct from dubstep, did people really latch on to his remarkable melodic prowess. Now, of course, your author gets a ton of promos every day that pitch up RnB vocals, slap on a heavy reverb and chuck the whole thing over a lo-fi 2-step beat. Some of them are very good indeed, but again, when the fashion for haunted garage passes, these producers will find that they struggle to find an audience for their work.
So what to do? Well, it all points to doing your own thing, and not trying to fit into any scene. Anyone with a modicum of musical talent will be able to write a track that fits in with a certain style - but they can also take that talent and use it to make something new and unique. This, initially, seems counterproductive - why would you want to write house music at a tempo that nobody plays, dubstep with no drums, or some other such oddity? There's no audience for this kind of thing.
The truth is, though, that if it's good music, people will begin to latch onto it. DJ's who don't normally play that tempo will make space in their sets for something unique and different if they really like it. Music fans are always looking for a new sound, and love to support emerging artists.
So you need to start writing away from the norm. It takes time to find your own sound - you may find that you need to produce tracks that get a little further 'out there' each time, as you refine a style and head into uncharted territory, but the rewards are many. For a start, it's incredibly satisfying to know that you're doing something really new. Equally, as people start to pick up on what you're doing, you'll begin to get a reputation as genuinely original producer. And this is invaluable; people will start coming to you with offers of gigs and remix work that you simply wouldn't get if you were just another face in a scene. Similarly, people will remember your name so that when you want to do something else, the platform will be there; for example dubstep pioneer Mala has just been to Cuba to record some local musicians. As one of the figureheads of the early dubstep scene, he commands such respect that he can take advantage of these opportunities - which his many imitators could never dream of.
Of course, it's not easy, and requires a lot of determination. As the old saying goes, you don't have to worry about people stealing your ideas because if something is truly original you'll have to ram it down people's throats. And that's true - it really does take perseverance, hard work, and a lot of time to get your ideas taken seriously. But in today's world, where there are now 10 million Soundcloud accounts all vying for attention in a faster-moving environment than ever, the only way to really grab that attention is to be as original, different, and set-apart from the norm as possible. It will help you find an audience, build a stronger reputation and have a longer lasting career. And that has to be a good thing!
