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So...I want to make an album (or EP), but...
...I'm not sure how to go about it this time. I'm stumped. Definitely not from a lack of ideas or burnout but rather "too many options" once more.
I journalled some ideas, so maybe sharing some of these ideas will help me get some insights from you lot.
The first thing is the overall theme/concept/plot of the album. In the past I based each EP I made on which app/hardware I used for creation. For instance, I created three EPs on my OP-1 Field. However, this time I'm either looking to tell a story (an original "libretto" if you will), or have a main genre fused with other genres per track, or both. What I mean by the latter is picking one genre and sticking to it, while each track has its own elements of a secondary genre fused in with the main genre of the album. The former (libretto) is self explanatory.
The second thing is the pacing of the album. I think I have a pretty good feel for pacing. Start with a faster song, second song is slower, third song medium, etc. Kind of playing with the overall energy and flow of the album. But since this is my first time planning an album based on a theme rather than a creative environment, I feel I have inadequate knowledge and experience doing this. Maybe some of you more seasoned cats can help give me advice.
As far as sonic palette is concerned, I don't have "options paralysis" with that. It's simple really. I'll be using Koala Sampler for the instrumentals and Cubasis for the vocals (at least for the tracks that will become songs). Instead of sampling oneshots per track, I'll be sampling, say, 10-20 main instruments, 4-6 pad sounds, 4-5 bass sounds, etc, to compile in a sample pack of sorts (for my personal usage though). I'll also be limiting/curating which drum samples I'll be using via using Sample Crate (that is, once that's available on the Appstore again for US users, which I already alerted alecsbuga about). This way, having a limited palette will hopefully bring about a sense of homogeny throughout the album.
And for those who'll say "use Google", I already did. I feel the nice folks here will have better advice and insights and suggestions.
Finally, once I get the album planned out on paper, I'll be putting out a bat signal for possible collaborators here.
So after reading all of this, what do you make of it? Am I overthinking things? If you're the sort who makes albums, how do you personally go about it? Also, do you know of any sites, articles, youtube videos, etc I may not know about or have overlooked?
Many thanks. 
Comments
It’s a good challenge. Maybe try laying down as many tracks as you can very quickly so you’re not overthinking things, then sort out what’s working from what’s not working. In my process, I don’t slow down for anything. Just get it in the DAW first (or even more simply, hum a tune into some dictation software… like Apple’s “Voice Memos” app) and then you’ll have an excellent foundation onto which you can build.
And if you hit a roadblock, throw some key words or moods or genres at Udio.com and see what you get back.
When i started thinking about making an album i started adding songs to a playlist and kind of curated it as I went.
When I made another song I’d add it to the playlist and see how well it fitted.
Once I had more tracks than I wanted on my album I’d drop songs out that didn’t quite fit and mess about with the running order.
Tracks went in and out quite a bit.
So rather than write songs for the album I just wrote music and let the album evolve organically. Some of the tunes that didn’t make it go well together and I think I’ll make an EP or another album for those. And there’s definitely an EP required for one of the songs that didn’t make it onto the album — it’s probably the best song I’ve been involved with over the last 5 years. But it didn’t quite fit the album so it’s going to be saved to be the centrepiece of a new album or EP.
But this is probably all irrelevant to you as you’re a lot quicker than I am. The first song on my album chronologically was finished 5 years ago so it was a long time in the making! I don’t expect you will take that long, Jim!
If I may make a suggestion it would be that you try not to pressure yourself thinking about an album when you have inspiration for a song — make the song how you feel it should be and don’t worry about whether or not it fits the album until it’s done.
Let the album evolve organically and change as you make new songs. If you fancy making a song with a specific app — go for it — it may or may not end up on the album but you’ll enjoy it far more if there’s no self imposed pressure. The speed at which you write means you’ll probably finish 2 albums at the same time!
And if that’s dumb advice maybe start the album with a couple of track that you’ve already written? That would dictate a style for the album and kick start the song writing process :-)
Most importantly, have fun with it :-)
I look forward to hearing your progress!
For an ep use same drum kit and synths for all those 4/5 tracks...I would not overthink it.
Making albums is my ‘thing’. We are maybe coming at it from different angles, but at the end of the day we both are passionate about our music, so here’s a few of my album related thoughts:
Before releasing an album I have maybe 50% + more songs than I need - only the best ones make it onto the finished album.
I really try to think about the order of the songs to try to make it flow. Not just in terms of tempo, but also in terms of the key in which they are written. If you have three or four on the trot that are all in C / Am for example, subliminally, the listening experience gets tiring.
I ensemble all the finished tracks in one project and flick between them to ensure that quieter tracks actually sound quieter than the rockier ones.
Artwork- gotta love your album artwork. This is a big part for me - for four of my albums I collaborated with a professional graphic designer friend, we discuss the album’s musical themes and he is brilliant at bringing these ideas to life. My 2019 album Golden Years is an example, where Neil incorporated many of the album’s songs into one surreal image.
Linked to the art, is the question of whether you want to make physical copies. I’ve made short run CD versions and even gatefold sleeve vinyl copies. It costs money as I don’t sell many, but the vinyl copies in particular are legacy gifts for my kids…whether they want them or not!
Above all, making an album for me is about producing a finished product - it gives me a sense of completing something and then moving on from that point to a new project.
@NeuM Udio sounds like a fun way to cobble together a music album. Could be worth a shot. ☺️
Then again, I get the feeling that some of the best albums created have a unifying concept, theme, etc. Each were planned out, such as "Dark Side of the Moon", "Billy the Mountain", "Demon Days", "2001", and even the newly released "Hyperdrama". Like a lot of careful thought went into the planning of each album regardless of genre, whether the unifying concept was abstract or concrete.
I've created my EPs (especially the OP-1 Field ones) by creating ideas and seeing what sticks. It's a good method for also cobbling together an album, but I want the new album to have a theme rather than come off as a "greatest hits"/"collection of singles" type deal mate. 🙏
@klownshed As I told NeuM, looking for more of a unifying theme as compared to a collection of songs and making a ton and seeing what sticks. I DO like the idea of using a dictaphone styled workflow as he suggested, if for nothing else for humming in melodies and such. Maybe using Garageband to come up with some basic ideas and sequence those. Those could be the basis of a new album.
@Sergiu That's definitely one of the ideas is coming up with my own "sample pack" for the album (one for personal usage) consisting of hand-selected drum samples and a selection of instrument oneshots from romplers and synths recorded in AUM. That's the easy part compared to figuring out a unifying theme, etc.
@BillS That nugget of advice regarding key signature is one I didn't consider. Good call mate. I also like the idea of making sure the quieter tracks are quieter. I usually master my tracks in Logic and call it a day. But perhaps sequencing them also requires a little extra volume automation. Something for me to consider. 🤔
Normally for single tracks and EPs I use AI to generate artwork, slap on my name and title in ProCreate, and call it "done". Perhaps for an album I'll create the album art from scratch.
Anyways, thank you all so much for the advice so far. I'm so happy I can turn to the ABF for help. 🫶
Oh dang! I just remembered an incredible album that ticks all the boxes of having a theme, a concept, and a cohesive homogenous story/plot - Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories". One of the ultimate concept albums in my opinion.
There is no way that masterpiece was just a random bunch of songs thrown together to make an album despite "random" being in the title. That album seemed like it had to be planned out on paper to come out the amazing way it did - from the "sampling humans" concept, to the "two robots wanting to find their humanity" plotline (at least that's the plotline I sensed from the entirety of the album).
And that is the kind of album I want to make. Not an album about robots finding their humanity (that plotline is taken lol) nor "samples humans" necessarily, but rather a concept album that plays like an album rather than 12 "best of 50" tracks tossed together in a sonic salad. And definitely not a behemoth album like Taylor Swift's latest album as I want this to play like a vinyl album (20 min each "side").
Ah if only I could pick Daft Punk's minds to see how they formulated "Random Access Memories", how they conceptualised it, etc. 😂
Holy shit! I forgot I could ask ChatGPT my burning questions. That thing is scary good and knowledgeable. 😂
I’m a big daft punk fan, and RAM can qualify for a concept album, or as you put it, an EP.
Truth is, as excited as I was when it came out, turns out it’s my least favorite album of them, and if I had to listen to it once again I might throw a fit.
Bottom line, my advice is that you have fun, do a bunch of stuff, see what gels well together in that progression sense, amend what could help with that sense of continuity and don’t fret about it anymore than needed
Hey here’s another concept album for you from my memory lane:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_Feet_High_and_Rising
Having recurrent themes (samples, motifs) helps to have a continuity throughout all songs
Some light reading material on themes and how to score them - could take a lot of good things even from the first few pages of this book.
https://www.amazon.com/Music-Lord-Rings-Films-Comprehensive/dp/0739071572
@pedro Thanks for the advice and album suggestion mate. Man it's been years since I last heard "3 Feet and Rising". A classic! 😎
@mjcouche 😰 That price though holy smokes. The LotR score is definitely one of the best movie scores ever conceived by humankind. I'll have to consider buying the book, unless you can find similar advice online that is free? 🤷♂️
I think the rapid sketches NeuM is referring to still applies. You can just approach your sketches within whatever criteria/categories you establish. You said "Start with a faster song, second song is slower, third song medium, etc. " so you can just quickly make four or so sketches of each track (the faster, slower etc). Knowing any given one may or may not be the final one can actually alleviate the pressure to manipulate/noodle/tweak just one to be right and gives you a healthy range to work from. It is like in games if we know there will be a desert environment, a factory environment etc, but for each one there are multiple preliminary sketches and the best one within each category rises to the top; often those sketches within a theme will even cross pollinate within the single theme as well or even get extended into the other themes in some way, if it makes sense to do so.
I’m going to give you a theme.
Each track uses a different kind of rhythm than you would usually use eg. samba or bossa nova or mozambique. The whole album is more focused on how groovy and danceable it is rather than chords or melody.
It’s a big book. Comes with a CD with unreleased tracks. I’m sure you’ve spent more on Gadget 😉
You know something? I think @NeuM and you and others are onto something about audio sketches for the tracks. Maybe 8-bar loops (or however long the loops need to be) just to get an idea.
I asked my mate Sascha of EDM trio Sash! (you may know them from "Encore Une Fois" and "Ecuador") how they gestated an album, and they said "many demo versions of tracks, many which were scrapped or saved for later". And their album "S4! Sash!" is definitely one of the best, most cohesive EDM albums from the early 2000s.
So I think I will use Korg Gadget to come up with various audio sketches first (I can even sketch out on my iPad) and see where all that takes me.
That's actually not a bad idea. I've done HipHop, Reggaeton, and of course EDM and Disco, so maybe switching things up with different rhythmic ideas could be worth exploring. Of course I'd probably open with a piece of EDM and then delve off into other types of rhythms and music.
Is there a good website online that explains different rhythms?
"Over time" is the key word here, mate.
"Over time", lol. I'm not counting out getting the book, mind. It's just I'm on the fence currently. It does sound like a brilliant tome full of info and deep insights into Hans Zimmer's mindset, but would it be the right thing I'm looking for RE:building an album? 🤔
I've read several of the reviews, and I want to get this book eventually anyways now that I know it exists. If for nothing else, for a good read. But, maybe you can explain a little more how it could fit into me looking to create an album. Unless you're alluding to creating an album being akin to creating a movie score? Where a movie score is like an album but set to visuals.
(Actually, that's not a bad way to think about it to be honest. Setting a story to music using the mindset of a film composer. I mean, I just watched "Jackie Brown" on Tubi after many years of not watching it, and don't think I didn't pick up on how Tarantino used those classic tunes from the Delfonics and other bands and artists to enhance the story. Brilliant piece of cinema if you've never watched it before.)
So, here are my thoughts. First of all, I think the easiest way for me to plot out an album would simply be to type things out as opposed to writing them out. I'm used to using a paper tablet to keep a daily journal, and that's good for slowing my mind down at night. However, my mind usually works at lightning speed, and I think I need to type in order to keep up with my brain droppings. I usually use typing in IA Writer to write lyrics.
Regarding which creative environment I'll use to sketch out 8-bar loops (or however many bars each loop may need to be) as well as flesh out full tracks, I think I'm going to utilise Korg Gadget. Koala IS a great environment for creating tracks in (and I have two unreleased Koala tracks I'll be posting on Saturday), but I feel it may be not the right app for producing my first album on. I can always utilise Koala for future albums once I get the hang of making a music album in an app I'm a bit more comfortable using. Which is odd since I am comfortable using Koala for single tracks and EPs.
Anyways, time to start plotting something out.
This literally helped me move past a major mental block. Quentin Tarantino said and I'm paraphrasing - "I make my movies for me, and everyone else is invited." I think the reason I wanted to make an album wasn't "for me" per se but rather me trying to impress others with what I can do, regardless of what app I used.
"Trying to impress others" is the WRONG motivation for making something as huge as a whole cohesive album, let alone a singular track. Tarantino has the CORRECT motivation, mindset, ideology and reason for creating things - do it for myself.
Yes, I idolise Quentin Tarantino as a fellow visionary. Even though I'm not a movie writer and director myself, I am a "writer and director of music". Thank you Quentin for lighting the fire under my arse.
I have found making stuff to impress others can be the PERFECT motivation for making something, particularly for paying the bills. But sure, making things for myself more often feels the BEST.
Well if I'm working for someone, that's a different kind of "making stuff to impress others". Me it was about being a "showboater" rather than a "make myself happy" sort of thing.
At one time I made my best music trying to convince others I was "legit". Kept me from lazy-ing out.
Too easy at times to say "I know I could do X part well if I wanted to".
Me my motivations were usually someone saying "This app sucks" and me being like "Hold my f--king beer". 😂🤣
lol, a few times I was motivated to defend the honor of BM3
BM3 sucks. Change my mind.
(I'm just joshing. I'm just trying to motivate you to create some new music. BM3 is actually great, but I've never gotten into it just yet because of the space limitations on my iPad Mini 6. Wish BM3 were available for iPhone.)
Okay, and I think I'm in a musical burnout. I've been tinkering with art today instead of music, because my creative juices musicwise are spent. So, I watched "Jackie Brown" yesterday, and today I watched "The Mask". Not sure what I'll be watching tomorrow, lol. 😂 At least I perform at my gig tomorrow.
So, I have a new album in the works. 9 out of 10 tracks have been completed! So far I have a Deadmau5-styled track, Experimental Techno, TripHop, Country EDM, Dubstep, Lofi House, Complextro, Reggaeton, and Synthwave. I'm trying to decide the genre of the final track (which will serve as the intro track). I'm thinking some sort of soft smokey Jazz type of track to lead into the Lofi House track. Start off smooth. The ending of the album will be the Country EDM track.
The thing all these tracks have in common is they are all produced on Android, hence the title "Do Androids Dream of Music?" (If you can also guess the movie reference of the album title, you're a f--king OG.
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