I have no style

[Elliptisoar]

I've been making music since around March of 2011 and I started out with a style similar to deadmau5. As I became more popular, I tried out every type of genre I could. I got a knack for drumstep mostly. Eventually some of my fans told me they liked my older, calmer stuff better. Honestly, I do too. Now I find myself posting a mix of hard x-step music and soft house music.

I feel like people think it's not acceptable for an artist to produce both hard songs and soft songs of TOTALLY different styles. Most artists have a recognizable style, and I don't think I'm one of them. This makes me feel lost.

My questions:

1. Compare the song "deadmau5 - Faxing Berlin" to "Knife Party - Centipede", what would you think of an artist who released both types of songs on one album?
2. Should I stick to one style only?

Bleh. I have such a linear mind.

[Navron]

There are plenty of musicians that have albums that continuously change styles.

You should stick to the style you enjoy making, and not give a damn about what people say.

[Elliptisoar]

There are plenty of musicians that have albums that continuously change styles.

You should stick to the style you enjoy making, and not give a damn about what people say.

Deep down I know this, it just seems weird to me.

[prettiestPony]

How about releasing different styles under different names? A little harder to build up a reputation that way, but it gives potential fans a more predictable experience. If you get popular enough, they'll learn that you're the same producer and hunt them down if interested. (Hasn't Aphex Twin released under like 20 different artist names?)

[Elliptisoar]

How about releasing different styles under different names? A little harder to build up a reputation that way, but it gives potential fans a more predictable experience. If you get popular enough, they'll learn that you're the same producer and hunt them down if interested. (Hasn't Aphex Twin released under like 20 different artist names?)

This is actually exactly what I was thinking of doing... but yeah, recognition will be impossible.

[colortwelve]

1. Oh shit, that's me.
2. If you can make more than one genre, don't limit yourself. As long as it's you making it, it should still be recognizable as your own music.

[the4thImpulse]

There are plenty of musicians that have albums that continuously change styles.

You should stick to the style you enjoy making, and not give a damn about what people say.

I would keep everything you make under the same name, its much easier to gain fans (and keep them). Ultimately you should make music that you enjoy making. For me its a mood thing, I usually make prog house but sometimes I have ideas for dubstep or hard dance. I you don't enjoy producing the music you make your doing it wrong.

[Versilaryan]

Do what I do and give negative shits about what people expect in terms of genre. Seriously, I don't think I've released any two songs that fall in the same genre (though some get close). It's more fun to try out a lot of different things, and I feel you grow a lot more as a musician by pushing outwards like that.

[Gray Ham]

@ albums: I'm not so sure about having two of them on the same album. Maybe have a transitional piece between two different sides or the album? Or maybe just release two different albums with different genres on them.

[Captain Ironhelm]

With albums there is a certain point at where you want it to flow nicely, it should be enjoyable to listen to. Like a piano solo of some Mozart Piece directly to a heavy metal song might not sound very well going together (unless you find a way to make a good transition.) I have a violin CD that covers just about every style of playing all crammed into 1 album, and it sounds great.

If you want to give your audience a way of knowing what to expect, you could add a tag into the title (progressive house), or whatever. Just a random idea.

[5COPY]

You could decide which one you would like to stay with most. However there is an alternative but not an awful lot of people do this.

Jonathan Gooch

Goes by 3 names in music industry each for it's own type of music because he enjoys to make them all.

You could do that if really like making the genres you are going with. Which have the pure intention of love for the music. Or you could listen to the fans and stay with the type of music liked you for in the first place. Or you could just ignore it all and make music the way you like. Which imo is the best choice.

[VINXIS]

To me, I would just add cowbell to every genre I make nao and that's my style.
But besides that, I'm not able to stick to one genre, I'm always in different genres. Why do you maik it sound like a baaaad thing??? ;_;

[ArcaneSoul]

Hehe, funny. I do the SAME exact thing by posting songs with different styles and genres. My yt subs don't give a damn if i do that and listen anyway.

[VINXIS]

Hehe, funny. I do the SAME exact thing by posting songs with different styles and genres. My yt subs don't give a damn if i do that and listen anyway.

[Kiwibomb]

You could do different artists for different genres. lapfoxtrax.com < All this music is made by one guy. He has like 15 different name he posts music under, because all of them are different.

[XXDarkShadow79XX]

Look at Skrillex:

He made All I ask of you, and Skrillex-turmoil. Listen to both.

[ph00tbag]

Wait, you want to be samey and unoriginal like deadmau5?

Just make what you feel like making.

[VINXIS]

Wait, you want to be samey and unoriginal like deadmau5?

Just make what you feel like making.

...wut have I been missing on???

[Facade]

Just make what you feel like making.

^ this
after hearing these words i thought to myself "what do i like making?"
now i make cool chiptune remixes and im happy with music again
moral of the story think about what you like making and go for it

[prettiestPony]

But making what you like doesn't bring in teh moniez.

... Of course, making what you don't like doesn't either, unless you're one of a select group of producers/musicians, so what the hell.

[Andanté]

2. Should I stick to one style only?

You've been making music for more than a year, but it takes a lot longer for a musician to really hone their creative edge and master the software he uses. Finding your own style will come naturally to you as you get more experience and you begin to focus less on learning and expanding your knowledge, and more on making consistent high-quality tracks. You own style shouldn't be something you consciously choose - Just the path of least resistance that you will encounter whilst making music.

Sure, you can push yourself (I mostly do House but I'm pushing myself to learn Complextro too), but it will become clear eventually what style you tend to emulate the most.

[Kagetori]

I've made up at least three or more different genres and still never stick with anything because I just plain never pay attention to what it is I'm making, I just make it. When I try to make something a certain way, it's just more frustrating and the overall composition just doesn't sound great.

[MYCUTIEMARKISAGUN]

"Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

Bruce Lee, bitches.

[Kagetori]

"Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

Bruce Lee, bitches.

Bruce Lee is one of my inspirations, but if I mention that for music and/or art people think I'm just kidding and joking around. =t
Seriously.

[Anforium]

Multiple genres is fine, just as long as it's enjoyable to listen to. Tons of metal/rock bands include ballads on their albums, and it works fine.