Lessons you've learned from other artists.

[[voodoopony]]

I find myself learning from others without knowing it. These aren't quotes, these are just things I come to realize after time.

Things I learned from artists:
Gorillaz - You don't have to overproduce to sound good.
Techdiff - Overproducing doesn't mean you'll sound good.
Aphex Twin - There are great uses for vintage drum machines.
Squarepusher - There are great things you can do with forgotten equipment.
Deadmau5 - Owning everything means nothing if you're not creative.
LCD Soundsystem - Making music doesn't always have to be about making something new and innovative; you can just have fun with it.
Fatboy Slim - Age means nothing/It's not about how good you are at djing, it's all about your name and status.
Venetian Snares - It's not about what you own, but how you use it.
Dj Shadow - There are crazy good uses for forgotten old records.
Cut Chemist - DJs can actually perform, too.
Boards of Canada - I never thought those cheesy synths you hear in those corny public education videos could be implemented into something so incredible.

What have you learned?

[jubian]

Louder & Prouder (Picco Elektro Remix) - Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency. Always try and make the most out of the least.

Flutterwonder - Major seventh chords are the shit.

Friday - Yesterday was Thursday.

[PinkieGuy]

Things I learned from artists:

Periphery - Dynamic picking is fundamental to interesting, percussive polyrhythmic guitar work.

Killswitch Engage - If you're writing for angry people it doesn't matter how much you can scream or yell, it's the resolving chorus that makes spirits soar

Psychostick - Have fun once in a while.

Skrillex - Don't be tied down by genre, create what interests you here and now.

Dubba Jonny - Everything I know about writing dubstep.

Ayreon - Music is about telling a story, so when writing an album ensure that it is cohesive.

Nickelback - Don't.

Daysend - Australians can write good music too.

[Tarby]

People might hate me for a few in this list, but go right ahead:

Alter Bridge - You can never have too many guitars
Apocalyptica - Sometimes, ideas seem better in your head or even written down than they actually are in practice
Arcade Fire - It's possible to be a paradox (both indie/hipster band while still being relatively famous for being the biggest indie/hipster band) and not rip a hole in the universe
The Beatles - It's okay to sell out at first as long as you plan on doing your own thing later
Buckethead - There is such thing as "too much". of anything.
Busdriver - Rap can be just as intelligent and just as humerous as any other genre
Daft Punk - It is easy to overuse a synth/LFO/effect
The Decemberists - a story album written in shakesperian english with folk instruments on top of a standard rock set up can be one of the most unintentionally metal things ever. Also, good things come to those who wait.
Depeche Mode - All I ever wanted or needed was here all along; words aren't needed to get a point across - in the end, they only cause harm. Just enjoy the silence.
Devin Townsend - Canadians are badass; Open C is an amazingly versatile guitar tuning; There's nothing wrong with doing what you want to do - be it metal, progressive, ambient/drone, acoustic folk, or pop rock, as long as you enjoy every second of it.
Dio - Rainbows can be metal.
DragonForce - It's easy to gain a reputation, even an unbased one, and hard to get rid of one
The For Carnation - Sometimes, the most minimalistic approaches can leave greatest impressions
Frank Zappa - oh jesus christ.
Grateful Dead - Drugs can lead to good and bad things, and your keyboardist isn't worth keeping if his wife insists on being part of the band, too
Elton John - Everyone's got a little prog in them (Take a good listen to the song "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding". Hell, even dream theater have covered it)
Lady Gaga - I'd say "never judge a book by it's cover", but when the cover changes every week anyway, sometimes you're better off just looking inside anyway
Nickelback - Sometimes, it doesn't matter if you're talented as long as you can write a good hook and keep a decent rhythm
Nine Inch Nails - Everything could use a bit of distortion
Pink Floyd - Don't become a slave to your own equipment.

this is all that comes to mind at 7:27 am that isn't me rambling. I had about 3 times as many as i listed now, but got rid of a lot of them.

[bartekko]

Rammstein- Lyrical ignorance is bliss

David Guetta- Hm... needs just a little more vocals/you can be famous even if you have a singer

Justin Bieber (eeyup) : Don't give a fuck, ever, especially if no actual critic is involved.

Beyonce: "stitchin' 'em together"

Prodigy: " never enough sampling"

[X-Trav]

Everyone here - EVEN MUSIC WITH PONIES CAN BE AWESOME.

[zorg]

hmm, not sure if i can even list "normal" musicians, but these are what i could think of:

purple motion - composing can go from the simple to the complex, though neither is guaranteed to sound "simple" or "complex" at all. AT ALL.
unreal tournament ost (many artists) - with inspiration (or money) can come true a great soundscape.
yazoo - synths are your friends; ...use them responcibly though.
alphaville - it's okay to ride the wave of recent happenings, but only if you can write a decent song.
jeckyll and hyde - repepepepepepetitititition can be pulled off brilliantly and lousily; guess which will be liked less.
electric light orchestra - genre-specific instruments? what are those?
all japanese bands ever - genres? what are those? :3
skrillex - the line DOES exist that separates music from not music; though there are people who draw that line elsewhere
venetian snares - abstact soundscapes are liked by people

that's all i could think of... also, the last two are really my own interpretations of their work, they're not bad, but it's not my cup of liquid; still wanted to include them though, since i did learn things from them.

(the japanese bands example is one of my suits, or so i'd like to think)

[General Mumble]

What other artists have taught me:

The Mars Votla - There is no limit to what you can do with sound.

The Unreal soundtrack - Brilliant music can surround you in amazing atmosphere, and even make visuals that much more appealing.

Renard - never be afraid to sample EVERYTHING

Justin Bieber: Okay, so he hasn't taught me anything musically, but he's an inspiration for surviving through tidal waves of hatred. Kid has some guts.

In Flames - Don't be afraid for each release to have a completely different sound, do what you want to do, make what you want to make.

Daft Punk - Repetition can be beautiful. It can also drive you insane.

Interrobang Pie - A well done chiptune is beautiful, not just ironic.

System of a Down's first album - Not sticking strictly to all the notes in a key can add so much flavour when done right.

Omar Rodriguez Lopez group - We were sticking to a time signature? We were sticking to a key? Eh, whatever I'm doing right now sounds better anyway.

Primal Scream - Diversify: A gospel/rock track on the same album as a house track can just work for some reason.

sci - Playing with your music makes for very playful music.

HIM - Love songs can be incredibly beautiful, they can also sound incredibly whiny and needy.

HIM - People are always gonna hate you. Just keep doing what you do, because only you can do it.

Daniel Ingram - It doesn't matter what your subject matter is, grown men will still fall in love with it.

Gorillaz - (as [voodoopony] said) You don't have to overproduce to sound good.

I can think of more but it's time to sleep. ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz,,,,,,,,,............

[H8_Seed]

Fatboy Slim: If you've got a beat, there's no shame in adding a drum loop over the top anyway as long as it complements your sound.

Wolfgang Gartner: Music theory is not something that has to immediately get thrown out of the window with respect to electro.

No Doubt: You don't have to change chords every bar. It gets boring that way.

Daft Punk: Hand-selecting each individual sound you want to modify makes your track sound much more organic.

DJ Fresh: Funk is NEVER a bad thing.

Dave Matthews Band: Don't neglect your rides and crashes. It's not all about hats, all the time.

EVE6: Often, there's no substitute for a good melody.

Chromeo: DON'T NEGLECT YOUR KEYS.

This is what I'm working from so far

[sci]

oh man, I have a ton of things I could write here...

big names for me, the reason I'm into making music:
beek: OHC is the best thing ever
beek: A# is an amazing key
Mazedude: variety is amazing.
xerxes: pads = insta-atmosphere
xerxes: one note is all you need to make a song.
d fast: THE POWER OF FUNK
d fast: variety is amazing
md: envelopes are amazing
shnabubula: (along with Maxo, Casey James, and Sadsic) a song can be a head-exploding rollercoaster
shnabubula: fun synthwork can really add umph to a song.
WAVE: simple sounds can be incredibly compelling when used properly


medium-sized names
Tim Folin: holy hell look at those arps (I spent weeks trying to make arps as epic as these after hearing the song.)
dusthillguy: thePENIS.wav
blitz lunar: arps can be super relaxing.
blitz lunar: THE POWER OF FUNK
Boards of Canada: a simple song can be very, very effective.
Boards of Canada: detuned pads are amazing.
skytree: air makes sounds too, and has a place in every song.
DDRKirby: stream-of-thought composing only leads to magic.


special section for renard:
as aurastys: mininimal sound, low voumes? that's A-OK
as renard: the distorted bassdrum is an amazing element to add to any song
as TQBF: speedcore can be fun, too
as Adraen: this man pointed back to something I forgot: I love and was practically raised on rave music.
as renard: sampling is rad. sample everything.
as renard: melodyne and autotune are amazing (and also doable in modplug)


from you guys♥:
Supersaw Hoover: clipping is an art.
[voodoopony]: EQ is probably worth something
Sadsic: sample the EVERYTHING
Cats: I'm not even sure how to describe this one...something like: you can take your time delivering a melody.
PPS: slice your samples.

and...there's some other stuff but I can't think of it. I absorb a lot.

[Mundius]

Ooh boy.

Makkon - he's a god and should be adored. (Basically, I learned almost everything I know by listening to his music)
Sci - No matter what anyone says, yes, you can make it 20% odder.
Voodoo - Add drums, song is better.
Derpy Hooves - EXACT SAME THING AS VOO.
Justin Bieber - Don't read reviews or comments on Internet.
PkWinner - A chicken goes well with everything. Even 300.
InterrobangPie - It is theoretically possible to break any song by making it a BSoD.
Windows 8 - Use Windows 7 or XP or get a tablet and install me on it.
Odyssey - A polka followed by dubstep fits perfectly.

I'm sure I missed a bunch of people.

[Circuitfry]

Jackle: Production can make the leap between a good song and a great song.
Aussie: Production is a concentration that isn't easily mastered. Always take advice and your songs will soar.
Cats: Inspiration comes from anywhere and nowhere. A unique personality will give a track character.
Eurobeat: The same sound can be loved and made in many different ways.
SqueakAnon: A song doesn't specifically need a set tempo to sound rhythmic.
Hirosashii: A song doesn't need to be busy or complex to sound beautiful.

Mmmore later. I'll try to learn something from all of you. I want to learrrn

[Interrobang Pie]

I've learnt so much from being here that it is impossible to put it into words.