All considerate and kind thoughts from you good folks here.
If I start counting from my first encounter with synths and stuff, I’ve been at this for decades. It’s lately, say last year or two, I’ve found a voice that works in a context. And it feels like that maybe was the endgame.
But I don’t know, I’m just venting now, it helps to understand this state and make some kind of decision around that.
You’re all great people around here, just talking about it is really helpful.
Good for you, it’s actually a really nice post to read.
Like others have said on here, relax, do something else creative (if that’s what you want) and see if the itch/urge comes back.
I’m in a similar situation. My goals were youtube jams & then bandcamp albums. Done both, so i’m pretty satisfied. At the moment I am trying to teach myself how to DJ - it’s fun!
Yes, but never on making music. After finishing a non-musical project I always drop into a kind of black-hole and enjoy to have a mission accomplished.
Since I started making music as a child, I never wanted to quit making music. For me it’s a never ending journey and I love to explore new ways to do it. Particularly in the world of electronic music and electronic music technology I feel that my live is not long enough to explore all those interesting things, I have seen or heard about.
And … I am very happy about every idea or track completed, or a new instrument or technique learned. For me it’s like sailing to an island, seeing the costline and the haven already, beeing happy to arrive there soon … BUT … on the horizon I already see the next island, which calls me … if this makes any sense … 
Worth remembering that you don’t have to promise anything or commit to anything. You don’t have to say “I quit”, you can just stop for as little or as long as you like. No unnecessary pressure.
Stop and start as you please!
This strikes a chord with me, although all too often I leave for the next island before exploring the first one which means that releases outstay their welcome on my hard drives rather than making their way into the wider world.
The islands approach has often defined my relationship with pieces of gear too & I’m trying to stop that being the case.
this. I worked on a specific method and approach to writing for a few years. once that work was done, and I was satisfied with it, I felt like “I’ve taken this where I wanted to, there’s no need to continue.” so I didn’t. I took some time off, got into other stuff, and approached writing differently when I came back. maybe this is what you need; time off.
I do this as well. sometimes for months. it seems I end up doing a lot of “writing” in the winter. i.e. actually finishing ideas and tracks enough to record and tweak them. the rest of the time I do a lot of “jamming.” both are productive for me.
I did it with djing. Was playing still every week but was going through the motions playing gigs as work. Far away from why I started. Decided that was it and stopped playing and stopped taking any more bookings. Cool venue I liked going to asked me to play again a year or so later and that’s all I do now because I have total freedom to play what I want. I’m firm believer in doing what makes you happy, if making music does that do it, if it doesn’t and I becomes a chore best to evaluate its worth
“quitting” sounds so eternal.
I think what you are really doing is taking a vacation from making music. It might be a short vacation, or a very long one. I am sure it will be fine for either case, or somewhere in between.
You have been productive with your music. Vacation is well deserved.
enjoy threads like this cos it exposes how everyones mind operates differently.
i’ve never had a set goal or outcome that would make me feel content to resolve an itch.
whenever i’m itchy i scratch.
I’ve thought about this recently for sure. If I look back most of my musical activity has been obsessing about and buying gear rather than using it. Unlike @circuitghost I haven’t produced anything even remotely ‘finished’. Motivation & time for working on music else has been low lately. I’ve managed a not of DJing, that’s all. I could definitely use the money tied up in the studio kit to the benefit of myself and the family.
But - all the kit is well thought out, functional, and enough to satisfy a lifetime of any musical itch that comes along. In most cases bought, sold, re-bought.
I guess it’s hard to justify to myself keeping upwards of £10K worth of gear that is basically going unused. Maybe I should have just stuck to Ableton…
Just wait until the Syntakt is out, oooh boy.
Go with the flow baby life works in cycles. Good or bad. Turn it off, sell it all, buy a tent, burn it, buy a volca, move to france. Who knows. Do whatever you feel like. You’ll come back to it if you want to. I did
Interesting question. I would say if you’re happy for the moment, follow other pursuits. When/if the need to make more music comes, you probably won’t have a choice anyway!
This happened to me in Photography. I went through the whole lot from Film to Digital(Full Format contact prints cinema sized prints and all. I got on Flickr Front Page numerous times which is no mean feat as millions are uploaded every day and only the best of the best get there. I started my own business and got quite successful. THEN…
I thought i’d achieved everything i set out to. I no longer had any interest in photographing thing people or places. So i quit feeling no regrets. In a good place and a good time just like you now.
10 years later on i noticed something. I no longer look at the world. Before when i went for a walk my head was always raised looking up or ahead or around for opportunities or just wonderment at nature,the sky, architecture and such. Now i find im looking down at the pavement as i walk. I no longer have interest in my surroundings as i know it off by heart. Hmmmm.
So if you stop making music you may stop listening actively. Its not beyond the realms is it?
The nice thing about music for me is that it has come and gone throughout my life, but it always comes back, and every time it does it feels more pure, clear and closer to my heart, maybe it will be the same for you.
It all depends from what type of music you are into and if you also perform/play live or not
Cracking me up dude. Life comes in phases, we don’t need to do all our hobbies all the time, what does quitting even mean when you can pick up music again at a moment’s notice? Like if I say I quit music but then I turn on a keyboard a few months later, what was the point of even declaring that I “quit” in the first place? I guarantee that you will continue to make music.
I’m with you man…20 years and I haven’t made 1 track I like…
im thinking its time to move on.
BUT…that means pairing way down, and holding on to a couple bit of gear to fiddle with when I feel like fiddling, by no means getting rid of it all. who knows…it may come back. but right now, I think I would prefer to be a listener that tinkers from time to time.
On a more contemporary angle, I like the idea of plugging MIDI files into your electronic gear and creating your own versions of tracks that you may never have heard the originals of - maybe “originals” wouldn’t even exist. Perpetual cover versions, where each song is done in the style of the performer and whatever sounds they may choose to use in the arrangement.
Really? I couldn’t do it if I didn’t like it - do you think maybe you put too high standards on yourself which you don’t to others music?