Music talks episode 1: advice and tips to musical artists [video]

Very unrelated to the video but I absolutely LOVE that you're wearing a Mäkikupla ravintola t-shirt, I had no idea even that they sell t shirts

big love bro, great tips!

Brilliant! So much fantastic advice and really resonated with me. Wondering what your thoughts are on the following… I feel that I focus far too much on only using original sounds I’ve created myself or samples I’ve sourced myself or know exactly where they have originated. I can’t seem to bring myself to use other people’s sounds or samples but feel that this approach is limiting my creativity when creating music and making it less fun. Do you think my principles are too strict and making me less productive?

Really appreciate your authenticity and insights

Wise words from a breakbeat don.

This was super interesting to watch and I really look forward to more Music Talks videos from Uncle Fanu! I really think you hit it home about the state of the music industry concerning the focus on content and style and technicality, and how that is a problem, and that what we need now more than ever is genuine, original human art. One thing I think that helps a lot, an idea that changed gears for me and something I was talking to a friend about making music and a book he read by a famous rapper (I can't remember the exact artist or book at the moment)... but he asks in the book, "Why are you rapping and making music?" It really made him and I think, and it is super overlooked by a lot artists today, like is it just to be "cool" and do what is trending to become famous, or show your technical musicality, or appeal to an image you like, or to copy a style and make money? Like what are you about and what do you stand for and what are you trying to achieve as an artist? So, when I think about music and creating a new track, I always start thinking about my purpose in this life and as an artist and why I am actually doing this, and the emotion and message of the song first and foremost, and building from there. Like you said, getting stuck on gear and plugins and nerdy mixing things really just hinders the actual point of the song. I am not so technically or musically educated with production, but I think it would really help people to ask themselves, "What is my purpose, what is my message, and emotion, and reason for this song?" or album or whatever you are putting together. Is it a happy song, a sad song, a deep song, a dark song, or experimental, or what, and find the right sounds and vibe straight away. Then the mix and technicality comes after that, because if the song doesn't have emotion and depth, then it loses it's soul in a way, and a very simple song with strong emotion beats a technical masterpiece with no meaning or feeling any day. I like this quote a lot: “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.” ― Ludwig van Beethoven The only part where I think balance is necessary, rather than to avoid making content and focus solely on the music, is that making content can be super helpful and appropriate if it is done for the right reason and adds to your art or your purpose and brand as an artist. For example, it is true what someone said how the industry is different these days and content is in a way almost necessary to get yourself out there to your audience, however I think a lot of people are going about it the totally wrong way. I like your point about being the funny guy and making funny videos won't get those people interested in buying your music, because they are there watching for your comedy at that point and not there for your music. However, if for instance you make like "Weird Al" Yankovic music, where it's comedy songs and that is the whole point, then doing funny videos would make a lot of sense. But if you are making let's say conscious hip-hop or intelligent drum & bass or something like that, and you are making sexy videos and gym routines showing off your muscles or stuff about material things like your car and money and showing off your possessions, all for followers... it makes absolutely no sense at all, because the people interested in those things are not the audience for your music. If you are a different kind of rapper or artist, maybe those things would make sense... but the point I am making is just that the content and your music should be cohesive so that the audience and message and material you put out all connect and work together and add to each other. Like think of yourself as the artwork in everything you do and put out as part of the masterpiece that is yourself, rather than ever just thinking about, "What can get me more followers?" The other point about focusing on content, because I do like to do all sorts of things like videos and photography and graphic design and all sorts of art, is that it can help you to keep costs down in promoting yourself, expand your creativity and artistic vision and help keep things in your control and part of that same vision. If you can get good at photography and videos and graphic design, and don't have to hire people to make your music videos and do your photo shoots or album artwork and things like that, then it can be a very good idea to learn about those things, and even if you end up hiring people, you know better how to direct your vision to them to get the result you want. But it must also be said, that the more time you spend doing those things takes away from time spent on the actual music, which is the main point of being a music artist, and not the image and social media content. Hope some of that might be helpful or at least interesting for people to read and think about on top of all the really great points you made :-D - One love!

Love this. I’d buy a T shirt with ‘Fuck the Content” on it 💀

Thanks for your thoughts. I think these things are as important as the practical side, so I do appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I think I'm in a bit of an unusual place in that I'm about the same age as you but have only recently got into making music (better late than never!) I hear what you're saying about not doing content and focusing on the music but I think maybe you have to remember that you made a reputation for yourself in a different era, when how that was done was done differently. Like you say, the field is saturated with people making music now. I'm not at all bothered about making money or getting big but I do want at least some people to listen to my music. And it's very hard to get that in 2025 when you have no reputation to trade on. Maybe it's because my music's just not up to standard- it could well be- but I don't even get replies from labels that I try to send stuff to. I can see why people turn to social media content in an attempt to stand out because otherwise it often feels like shouting into the void. How are the rest of you feeling on that front?

I agree and appreciate all about this talk, from the first AI comment to the last word. But it particulrly struck me that you mention *not* listening to alot of dnb. I've been listening at so much dnb in the last 2 years, obesessing with sound.. then you say that thing and I recalled a very old Breakage interview where he said the same thing, about absorbing from other genres and moods. I used to do that too when I was starting out, and my "dnb" came out almost alien.. but on a much steadier flow. Now it's almost like obsessing with sounds and techniques _hindered_ my ability to close songs.

Thanks for this pep talk, because it was just the advice I needed. I've been struggling a bit lately with my own sense of whether or not showing up daily and making shit for nearly two years has yielded much. Last night I got into a lengthy discussion with artist friends on Discord whom I regard highly, and I left it feeling a little unsettled. I'm always focused on the musical/melodic idea, since I come from a pianist/orchestral background. My journey toward producing DnB and jungle has been a bit bumpy as I figure out how to get good drums and mix everything. It's been brought to my attention that I'm putting too much onto all my channels, probably because I see others doing the same. I looked at the discussion this morning and it read a whole lot more positively than it seemed to me last night. Today I'm going to get back into my project after I write this, and I'm going to take every damn insert off my drums except a glue compressor on the bus, so I can start over with using my ears. I'm hoping that it instantly sounds a bit better, and that I can get it closer to my reference with volume faders alone. Part of me is afraid that it's not that simple, but when have I ever just listened to others who say it is? It's funny that you talk about making more tunes, rather than remixing old ones, and how it's the key to improving. That also came up in our discussion. It's the one thing I've noticed in my production from last year that seemed on the surface like an improvement, but wasn't. Yes, I made 60-something partial ideas (like half of a song), but I didn't flex the muscles where I fully develop those arrangements until the song is mostly finished. I mostly focused on finishing the same songs I wrote in the previous two years, with only six new, full songs coming out of 2024. I'm determined to change that this year.

I got a lot of value from this! Big up!