The Ebbs and Flows of Making Music

Making music depends on more than just what mood we're in for the day

It's so much more than day to day moods. There's a lot that goes into this, just to mention a few - it's about the producers' technical experience, their life experiences, the evolution of their musical taste, the songs they listen to, their socio-economic status, and more. That's not to say that someone with minimal equipment can't make influential music. I tried to prove this point one time by making a post to social media making a beat with a paper clip, a rock, and a table. To me, it actually sounded pretty cool. Many artists take this a step further by sampling a simple sound and including it in a more complex production. One of my favorite un-released songs is called "bubble wrap swagged tf out". I used the pop of bubble wrap as the snare in the beat. This beat and many more are coming soon.

What am I listening to while writing this?

(Cue Episodes by Gucci Mane)

For me, its all about that one-take originality that might stand the test of time

While only time will tell, I believe the music I make has the best chance to stand the test of time by remaining original and in its true form. In 50 years I hope that just one person might listen to a beat I made and say, "wow - they were on something different". And I don't make music to fulfill that idea, I just make music, and I believe it will.

Makes me think of 'Kool Aid and Frozen Pizza' by Mac Miller

"I smoke herb, then I make music

I don't even talk about it, boy, I just do it"

My soccer coach would always use the acronym KISS, or Keep It Stupid Simple

No, my coach was not referring to the legendary band, KISS. He was referring to making the easy passes instead a lob down the field expecting your teammate to score a goal with a bicycle kick. However, KISS (the band) might lend some insight into the meaning and application of this acronym.

KISS kept it stupid simple by making sonically sound, hard rock music

It was simple in this way - make good music and perform as a group of matching characters with extreme personas. While simple is often thought of as plain they are quite different, and only when we say "plain and simple" do the two share meaning. Plain is often simple, but simple doesn't need to be plain. In the case of KISS, they had a plan and they executed their plan with near perfection. KISS performed as a memorable energetic band painted in black and white from 1973-1983. In 1983 KISS performed for the first time without makeup (Martin). This is the beginning of the conversation I sought out at first, the ebbs and flows of making music.

Artists and bands create according to the zeitgeist of their time

"Zeitgeist - the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era". When I see this definition it makes sense why artists change over time. Many artists are tuned into the zeitgeist of the time and so they naturally make and perform music according to the state of the era. It's not always the artist changing; in many cases, it's the world changing and the artist adapting. For KISS, they started publishing music in a time when in-person performance was the primary (and literal) platform for artists and bands to build their brand. Concert attendance was largely driven by static media and word of mouth. Static media like newspapers and magazines, where an article is published and information is consumed as it is presented. Newspaper and magazine reviews might entice people to attend a future concert because of the feeling the journalist experienced while attending the show and/or how an audience reacted or the energy at the show. This format lent itself well to KISS's simple (yet extreme) performance.

In 1981, MTV was started, and the zeitgeist of the time changed

All of the sudden, information and music videos were consumed real-time, and individual opinions were formed also in real time. I'd argue that KISS and/or its managers were tapped into the zeitgeist and because of the zeitgeist, they chose to perform for the first time without their iconic black and white makeup. Only KISS or people involved in the band's decisions would be able to truly answer the why. But no matter the why, its hard to argue that KISS was not tapped into the zeitgeist when they made this decision.

(Cue Infinite by Mobb Deep)

What is the idea of the mirror and the hammer?

It's simple - an artist will either create something that reflects the zeitgeist (the mirror) or they will create something that shatters the zeitgeist (the hammer). I first learned this idea from my professor in American Musical Theatre. My professor was an enthusiastic and passionate person. They were passionate about Musical Theatre and some of the lessons they taught can be understood in all forms of art and entertainment, including this one.

The un-quantized, 1:30, one-take, no loop beat is the hammer today

Many of the instrumental beats and songs that are popular today follow a certain form and sonic aesthetic. Songs often include the same 4/8/16 bar drum loop and cycle through loops of other sounds. It works and it sounds good! I'd argue it's also more difficult to make something that mirrors the sonic expectations today because producers have mastered combining musical talent with modern technology. So, the bar is set high, and only those who master these things AND maintain a sense of originality stand out and succeed. An example of this in some of my production is when I record up to five minutes of drums and end up choosing my favorite 16 or 32 bars, and then either automatically or manually quantize notes to be perfectly on beat. Sometimes I make the decision to keep the full five minutes of original drums. The important thing is that an artist doesn't make decisions like these in order to be the mirror or hammer, they just make the decisions because they like the sound, and by doing so, the finished product is either the mirror or the hammer. In other words, I don't set out to make a beat that's the mirror or hammer. I just make a beat and it ends up being either the hammer or the mirror.

Fans are always asking for the old version of their favorite artists

The truth is, fans should really be asking for the old zeitgeist. Zeitgeist's shape and form the audio waves that we all know and love. If you want that old version of your favorite artist - good luck, they might not come back unless the world goes back too. And if your hell bent on your favorite artist making new music that is like their old music, that was shaped and formed by the zeitgeist, then you should be asking that artist to go live where they lived, work where they worked, eat what they ate, drink what they drank, hang with who they hung, and so on. And even then, you'd have to ask their community to metaphorically do the same.

It's not within an artist's control to return to their prior self

It's the ebbs and flows, and that's all I'm trying to say. If you don't let an artist ebb or flow, then they will be more concerned with appealing to their fans than making art that truly reflects or breaks their point and view, in and of, life. So next time you think about asking an artist to return to their old self, think twice, and maybe go listen to new artists. The best motivation for an artist to make music is usually support and/or silence from their fanbase. Just my two cents.

Citations

Martin, Roland. “Kiss.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2025, www.britannica.com/topic/Kiss-band.

“Zeitgeist Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeitgeist. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.