I couldn’t really think of a suitable topic title, but what I mean is -
When I’m making a tune, I really, really love the process. I’ll finish the track, love it, upload to YouTube, love it some more.
But when I go back and retrospectively listen after a few months, I dislike at least 95% of the stuff I’ve done.
Anyone else experience this? I guess, for me, it means it’s all about the journey rather than the destination.
Previously on Elektronauts:
yeah lov it on top of the world then post on SC and few plays and 0 likes like i thought it would make me a famous DJ
I think most, if not all of my tracks are shit.
I’ve learned not to let it bother me, besides, I have pretty shit taste anyway.
The experience for me is the exact opposite. During the process - I’m like “what is this? It’a unoriginal” etc
When I browse through old abandoned projects I often think - that was kind of cool.
The work that I actually finish - by the time I’m done with the it, I’m done with it! If I come back to it much later, I can often enjoy it a lot more - even though the flaws are easier to see, if that makes sense.
I wouldn’t say any of it is actually, objectively “good” though. More that I’m proud to have done it and can see some merits.
Music is a hobby though - my actual work, which is also creative - I pretty much universally hate after-the-fact!
I do like some more, some less. I mean I try to make music I think is missing from the world, so naturally I at least like the concept. Usually if I don’t like something finished, it’s because I couldn’t quite make the concept into reality as well as I’d hoped. Still, there’s nothing I’ve made I couldn’t listen to.
Trick is to upload and forget it.
2 folk albums I have never listened to.
Now working on 2 idm albums I’ll probably never listen to.
The process is my hobby. It takes up time and is a tiny way to get self gratification.
I go through phases with gear too. I will love a piece of gear until I can afford it or I actually get it then I’m like “why did I want this?”
I would be interested in hearing these… I quite like some folk music.
I have always written songs because they come to me from somewhere and I have to get them out. The only time I hear them again is if someone in the band wants to play them or I hear someone else play them. Sometimes my wife will go to Apple Music and stream my record in front of the kids or driving in the car and I cannot stand it. So to answer your question: I think they’re okay. But I don’t want to sit around listening to them. With the synths and samplers though, I just enjoy the process like some other people have mentioned. I enjoy learning the machines. It relaxes me. Almost a form of meditation.
Mostly when I listen to my older stuff I’m surprised at how much I like it. There’s some that I’m not that happy with, but that stuff I reckon I probably wasn’t that into while making it, and probably should have just ditched rather than ploughing on and finishing. I have to say that I don’t listen back to my own stuff that often though 
interesting question. i like making music at the time it’s made. i’ll go back and listen to some tracks, mostly as reference, to either improve upon some element or try something new. but i’m not sure any of my stuff strikes me as truly enjoyable in a way i’d throw a track on repeat while working. if anyone enjoys my stuff in the moment, for any reason (even if they never listen again), that’s cool by me. it’s a hobby, a challenging learning experience, a journey and creative outlet for me. when i want to listen to music for enjoyment, it’s usually not mine, though.
I like the feelings my music evokes. I’m experienced enough to know what sounds right, even if I’m not necessarily adept at getting there. I should be because of my years of making music but it is what it is. I’m absolutely crap at mixing, so that always bothers me. And it’s stopped me from having tracks released. But in any case it takes about 10 years of a gap for me to be able to really look back and understand the emotions and experiences that shaped that music.
I usually like what I’m doing. I’m always bothered if something’s original when I work on it, which is really a pain.
When I go back to it… I usually love it.
Of course, I can always think of things I could have done differently, but I also discover some solutions that I didn’t get fully at the time.
All in all, it is like looking at a picture of some day or years ago. It reminds of that moment, I remember when i’ve done it, and I feel nostalgic about the process.
I’m going to save your ears some pain and suggest you don’t. But if you must, the albums are under Trashcoon Jake on spotify.
Personally, I hate the albums. Every song ended up being long and drawn out. I’m not a good singer, and not a very good musician. My phone recorded demos are a lot better than the actual recordings. They capture the enjoyment I felt while playing and singing.
Recording the albums were fun at first but half way through I was rushing through them to finish. The first one has everything from Balalaikas, to accordions, theremin, mandolin, harmonica, washboard, etc.
It was my first time multi recording and bouncing so I ended up getting carried away.
I wrote a bunch of songs over the years and just wanted to release them for something to do. Recorded and mastered all the songs on a zoom R8 in my kitchen.
I have the same problem. Every time i listen one of my tracks i only hear the “mistakes” and think what i should have changed.
I guess it’s normal to some extent, since we the producers of those tracks are no longer neutral in this regard.
I also see it as a good sign that i still able to learn a lot. If i would be happy with my music i would maybe no longer do any progres.
I can’t even trust my friends when they tell me that they like a track.
I learned to upload the best recording and start new again, in hope to improve on the way.
Also for me the fun is the sound design and the whole thing is just a hobby for me.
I had a experience last year: I was on acid, laying on a rooftop while listening to my mp3 player.
Suddendly there was a track i recognised but didn’t remember who made it. Really liked it.
I checkt the mp3 player and reallized that i was the one who made it.
I then reallized that i’m usally not able to be neutral.
It’s like watching myself in the mirror.
I see the same person as the others, but i tend to fixate on the parts i don’t like, which makes them even “uglyer” through my inner projection.
I love going to listen to my older stuff because i always wonder how the hell I did a certain thing… like say a sequence which is really odd.
The funny thing is the songs and jams I’ve gotten the most response from are the ones I personally enjoy the least and vice versa for the ones I do enjoy the most.
Just the opposite. I “finish” something. Hate it. Post it. Get a couple likes. Don’t listen to it for a year. Give it a listen again and I’m like, “wait, that was actually pretty good”
That’s changing though. I kind of like some of the music I’m making these days.
Not really. I’m a tribute keyboardist mostly. Jarre/Vangelis stuff. Years ago i found i’m a better copier than creator. This applies to my Oil painting as well. Each to their own i guess.
I think I do(until I don’t)
I think my mindset approaching listening to my own stuff is different than when I listen to music from others.
The songs I recorded feel like they mean more than other songs whose appreciation is more face value. There’s the memory of making it, so it has a nostalgic quality. It also feels like I’m hearing potential value. Like, “hey I can do this too!” approaching the emotionally manipulative works that inspired me to get into music.
I wish I had that sorta “set it and forget it” mindset others have mentioned, because this altered mindset makes it difficult to appreciate others music like I used to and the tracks I make have a very short half-life for appreciation
I like parts of it.
This is just a hobby, so I don’t have a lot of time to really dig into a song or process for like 8-10 hours at a clip, but I do enjoy the time I have making patterns and sounds and patches, but always get hung up on actually arranging songs.
Lately I’ve liked what I’m making a lot more, but it’s still missing something. Things aren’t always as interesting as the process I used to make them, the idea was great but the output is not what I expected or hoped for, or all the work I put into creating variations and changes doesn’t read and for all the work I put in on little changes, it just sounds repetitive.
I still enjoy it, and I am happy with some pieces of what I create, but I’m not getting a record deal, and this is just for fun, so that’s good enough.