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SUSTAINING CREATIVE HEALTH - Part 4: Developing Your Collaborative Practice with Griigg
🕑 Added 2022-11-23 19:00:07 +0000 UTC
SUSTAINING CREATIVE HEALTH
Part 4: Developing Your Collaborative Practice with Griigg
In this Lux Cache tutorial series, we analyse the foundational elements that lead to efficient creative workflow, testing interdisciplinary approaches to what can be applied to a musician’s arsenal outside of the DAW. In part four of Sustaining Creative Health, we invite producer and Club Late Music co-runner Griigg to uncover the soft skills of collaboration and networking within experimental music in URL spaces - from extensive exploration collaboration philosophy to best practises when sharing projects.
This tutorial is available as both a Patreon text post and a preferred .pdf document format. We ask you kindly to not share Lux Cache content outside of the Patreon, our contributors rely on your donations.
- An accompanying sample pack, designed by Griigg and previous collaborators, is available on the Lux Cache Patreon page. Join the Lux Cache Discord server to take part in the collaborative production challenge.
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CONTENTS
- PART 1 - PREFACE
- PART 2 - WHAT IS YOUR COLLABORATIVE FULFILMENT?
- PART 3 - FINDING COLLABORATORS
01 - Choosing People
02 - Contacting Collaborators
03 - Mindset
- PART 4 - CREATING TOGETHER
01 - Breaking Down Phases
02 - Aligning Expectations
03 - Sketching Ideas and Concepts
04 - Developing the Project
05 - Finishing a Project
- CONCLUSION / GOING FURTHER
PART 1 - PREFACE
Following the pathways opened by Samuel Organ in some previous tutorials, I'm very happy to contribute today to Lux Cache with an article focusing not on technical tools, or composition techniques, but on the context of music creation. I believe these 'soft' tutorials can help you develop as an artist, providing ways to improve your workflow, mindset and tools from which you can learn and grow - or more generally have a more pleasant experience in your artistic journey.
The focus of this article will be about collaboration. How to approach it, what are the things to consider and be careful about… as well as some creative and organizational tips and methods to keep it smooth and positive. It will mainly focus on how you can collaborate as a musician with another musician, but I will try to provide some insights for other disciplines as well.
> COLLECTIVE BROTH
Collaboration and collective creation has gained a lot of traction in the past few years - maybe as a result of the isolating covid pandemic, the coming to terms of 10+ years of Internet social networks, or just a broader community-thinking and anti-individualistic societal shift. Whatever the reasons, collaboration, sharing and mutual aid have actually always been part of electronic music history : from the pioneers sharing analog machines within close friend circles, to the pooling of resources in specific local scenes and communities, Internet collabs and sharing of digital files via forums and blogs, or the more recent development of online tools and platforms making it today very easy to connect, exchange and create together.
But the dominant political ideologies and cultural dogmas still put the individual first. Today, it is very easy to access the tools and knowledge needed to record, produce, distribute and promote your music by yourself, which is great (!!), but which also keeps feeding the idea of the artists as a solitary genius, existing in a cultural void and able to make their way "to the top" if working hard enough.
And artists never evolve alone. May that be through conscious or unconscious inspirations, indirect collaborations through resources created by another person (such as sample packs, presets or even DAWs and softwares, which are never 'just a tool') or exchanges and collabs with musicians and other disciplines (which sometimes play an equally important role in how the music will be experienced, from visual art to PR, sound engineers, performers, or promoters...). Music is collective by essence.
I will not expand too much on the cultural context of collaboration and collective practice but I will include at the end of the article a series of resources you can check if you want to dig deeper.
> INTRODUCING MYSELF
For quick presentations, I’ve been creating electronic music for roughly 10 years. Through my music practice and my freelance jobs, I’ve had the chance to collaborate with loads of musicians, visual artists, performers, architects, graphic designers, movie directors and more. Everytime I find it much more fulfilling than working on my own. I keep learning a lot about creative processes, about resources and knowledge that I would not encounter otherwise, and more simply about other people's lives, backgrounds and ways to see and be in the world. It often makes the creation process more pleasant and fun as well, avoiding to dive into the introspective, self-doubt loophole most of us can easily fall in. Sometimes it can also be frustrating, time-consuming or emotionally draining, and I hope this article can help in laying down the foundation of a healthy collaboration.
Since 2018 I also co-run the Club Late Music open-source and collaborative music label, working with a community of artists called the Global URL Nation. With our different projects and ways of functioning, we're trying to explore the production and promotion of various artistic projects based on collaboration, the sharing of knowledge and of creative resources. In practice, we facilitate and organize artistic collabs, providing ways for people to connect, exchange and create together. Taking care of the projects taught me a lot about collaboration, by witnessing what worked and what did not, from creative processes to workflows, relationships and tools.
I believe collaboration is something magical. Something that often brings unexpected beauties to the world. The alchemy that can sometimes emerge from it reminds me of a deeper cosmic connection - which is probably something people who played in bands or orchestras know already. I believe it is an amazing way to grow as an artist, and a person. It is an opportunity to create empathic relationships, to connect on an abstract level, and share that result with the world. Music creation, or even creation in general, is a very intimate craft. Sharing this intimacy with someone else can bring a lot of positive things, but it is precious, fragile, and must be taken care of.
In this article, I am happy to share what I have learned so far on how to make collaborations meaningful and pleasant for everyone involved.
The more complex a project is, involving multiple people and disciplines, the more it will need to be organized and thought of. For each point, I will let you decide if it's useful in the context of your own collaboration - sometimes it might be over the top if there's only two people involved, but I still believe it can give you new perspectives on how you approach it.
Most of my learnings are empiric and it’s a weird exercise trying to put words on them, so I apologize if I can’t make some points clear for you. It's also a learning process, one that is very personal - so if you have any feedback about what is being said, things I missed or things you disagree with, my inbox is happily open ::)
PART 2 - WHAT IS YOUR COLLABORATIVE FULFILMENT?
Before going outwards and connecting with other people, the foundation of a fulfilling collaboration is getting to know the first collaborator - yourself!
> Know your expectations
Getting to know who you are, what you want to do/be and how you want to do it as an artist or person is a very long process, one that can span over a lifetime. And it's ok. Multiple ways can help with this process, which can be fun and empowering as much as sometimes daunting and harrowing - from talking with friends and fellow artists, to practicing your art, reading books, exploring your psyche, or experiencing life in general. Collaborating with someone else, and confronting your craft and process to another person can raise or answer questions that can help you with that too.
With that in mind, it seems important to me to not directly jump into collaborations, and take some time to question what to expect from it and how to approach it.
Why do you want to collaborate in the first place? Is it to have fun and share an ecstatic moment of creation with someone else? Is it to create a powerful artistic piece with added depth? Is it to share the workload of an ambitious project? Is it because you feel stuck in your own creations? Is it to learn new techniques, tools or instruments?
A simple exercise to help finding answers is to make a mind map (a form of diagram used to organize ideas and relationships between elements). I invite you to do it right now if you have a piece of paper and a pen closely. Start with the middle question : "What is a fulfilling collaboration?". With a 5 minute timer, note everything that comes to mind, trying to organize things by groups and connections as you write them. When the time is up, try to see if you can create categories, major ideas or concepts that can group ideas together. If that helps, you can re-do a clean version which you can store for your future self.
I'm sharing mine as an example, but hopefully everyone's will look very different. Share it with me, your friends or the Lux Cache community if you feel like it! It can give everyone new perspectives.
Obviously, all these questions don't have to be that formal and over thought every time. Sometimes collaborations happen very naturally and unexpectedly when the context is favorable. But I believe it's an interesting exercise to do regularly (maybe like every 1-2 years), and see how your mindset evolves. For example if you narrow down your reasons for collaborations, expand them, or complement them with additional precisions etc, as they will probably change with every new collab you do, even if slightly.
> TRUST YOURSELF!
If you're attracted by collaborations, but feel like you're not experienced enough, not good enough or emotionally too fragile, you can still do it!
If you're reading this article, chances are you are already creating music, and that's a wonderful chance. You might not be happy with what you do, or you might feel like you're so far away from things you like to listen to, or that you don't have the level or legitimacy to collaborate with other people…
Good news is that it's the same feeling for almost everyone! Even experienced artists with decades in creation have a lot of self-doubt. They keep questioning and reconsidering what they do regularly, and they too look up to other people as if it's easy and natural for them to create. But it's not - creating art is never easy, everyone struggles and doubts.
So whatever your level and confidence, I assure you that you do have what it requires to collaborate with other people. There are ways to approach it to counter these feelings of self-doubt, and the goal of this article is to share as much of them, so that it can become a pleasant and meaningful experience for anyone.
PART 3 - FINDING COLLABORATORS
Once you have a clearer vision of why you want to collaborate and what you would expect from it, it's time to start thinking about who to collaborate with and how to initiate it.
01 - CHOOSING PEOPLE
My belief is that you can collaborate with anyone, provided you have a framework and method that is adapted to everyone's specificities.
It's often easier to start with your immediate circle (friends or other artists you are already in contact with), as things might happen more naturally and you won't have to worry too much about trust and communication. Once you get comfortable creating with other persons, it gets easier to connect with more remote people.
Here are some things to consider when choosing people you want to collaborate with (whether you initiate the project or get contacted by someone else) :
> LOCATION
Where are the collaborators based? Depending on their location, how and where will you collaborate? Online and physical collaborations will not require the same methods and organization. Both can be great, so it really comes down to your own preferences.
> COMPLEMENTARITY
Do the collaborators have the same skills as you? Or a different set?
If it's a collaboration with another discipline (visual artist or performer for example), you will need to think about ways to communicate your ideas efficiently.
If it's with another musician, do you prefer someone with a completely different set of skills (such as a vocalist, an instrumentalist or a programmer), so that everyone has a defined role and contribution to the project, assembling different pieces of material into a coherent whole? Or do you prefer someone with a similar set of skills, so that you can bounce back on each other's ideas and contributions, manipulating the same material through iterations? Both of these can give great results, but they will need different approaches and methods.
An example skill tree for electronic music (non exhaustive)
> SKILL LEVEL
What is everyone's proficiency in their respective skills ?
This one might be hard to gauge before starting the project and talking with the involved artists, but you can often get a general feeling by checking an artist's work chronologically - where they started from, what sounds or tools they introduced over time, what directions did they take, if they played live or did interviews where you can learn more about their process…
I found that in general, people with a relatively similar overall proficiency (often related to time experience) tend to collaborate more smoothly, focusing more on the creative aspect than on the technical ones. Especially if you decide to go with someone with the same skill set as you, it can become frustrating for everyone if your levels are way too different. In that case, you will all need to acknowledge that in the early phases and organize accordingly, as it’s not a limiting factor!
> NUMBER
How many collaborators would be involved?
It's tempting to gather as many people as you can to exponentially increase the creative exchanges that can happen, but keep in mind it also brings an exponential complexity in organization. Making sure everyone is satisfied with the project itself, their contribution, and how it is run, depending on their skills, desires and personalities will require additional efforts and communication. The more people get involved, the easier it will be to organize if they have different skills and roles.
> VIBES
Do you feel comfortable creating with the other person?
Obviously chances are the project will happen more smoothly if collaborators get along on a personal level and if you can really connect with them.
But it's also not a requirement : you don't have to be friends with people you create with, and vice versa, you will not necessarily make great art with your friends, nor does it mean the collaboration will be pleasant. Sometimes it's enough to just have a sweet and comfortable relationship with the other collaborators. Stay clear of toxic, oppressive or hateful people - it's not worth the effort, even if they do great art.
You can gauge the interest of an artist by checking if they already collaborated with other people or not, and if so, what types of collaborations and in which contexts. But if it’s not the case, maybe it doesn't mean the artist is not interested and it's still worth talking it through.
> OUTCOMES
What would everyone get out from this collaboration?
Try to envision what you and the collaborators will gain from the collaboration? Can you provide them some knowledge, some visibility or some connections? It's good if you can reach a balance for everyone.
I believe each collaboration is an opportunity to uplift each other, especially when it comes to knowledge and exposure. For example if you plan to release the track on label or compilation, can you bring people onboard who wouldn't have access to it otherwise? Can you share some resources and things you learned to less experienced artists or people who cannot afford them?
02 - Contacting Collaborators
If you are the one initiating the collaboration, once you decided on the people you are interested to collaborate with, it is time to start getting in touch with them.There is no specific guideline for that, as it really depends on your personality and ways to communicate, as well as the collaborator in question. A few things to keep in mind :
> DON'T BE SHY!
As mentioned above, most artists are very insecure and if you nicely ask to collaborate with them, chances are they will appreciate you getting in touch. And if they don't, maybe it's not the right person to create with. It doesn't mean they will accept, and it's their right which doesn't need to be justified (personal reasons, not enough time, or even just not a great artistic match). Surely it won't happen if you don't try.
> STAY POLITE AND FRIENDLY
Maybe stating the obvious here, but don't be pushy. People can have complicated lives and not necessarily the time and mental space to create with other people. Approach your collaborators in a kind and comprehensive way. If you don't get a reply, don't get mad. It happens, but it doesn't mean the other artist has no interest in you. We live in an age of information saturation and sometimes it's hard to keep count of everything going on and replying to all messages.
> MUTUAL CONNECTIONS
If you know someone in common, you can ask them more information about the collaborator and probe if they would be interested. If you feel it, ask to be put in touch by this mutual, there's absolutely no shame in that.
> INTRODUCE YOUR PROJECT
If you envision the collaboration to be part of a specific project (such as an EP or album, a compilation or radio show you were invited to, an event, a commission...), try to present it in a nice way and give as much info as you can. People will be more keen to accept a collaboration if they know exactly what you have in mind. If you have no vision and just want to collaborate to see what would come out of it, say it too.
For example, if you want it to be part of an upcoming EP, present your vision, where you're at, where you want to go, what are your inspirations and directions, where and how you want to release it... Make a nice little PDF or email that is well organized to lay down everything clearly. Presenting the project in a nice way is especially important if you reach out to bigger artists who might have a dedicated management team.
> COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
It depends on the situation, but in general I like to first connect in a casual way physically or over social media and chat a bit about the project, and if the person is interested to know more, send a detailed email to present myself and the project in question. I feel that this way, you get the best of both worlds : both of you gain some trust and can represent a human person behind a moniker, and the collaborator can access the important info and take the time to decide at their own pace.
03 - MINDSET
Once you've found collaborators, you're almost ready to dive into the creation phase! Before you start, make sure you are in the right mindset :
> BREAKING HABITS
Collaborative projects are great ways to break habits, and they will probably take you out of your comfort zone. Make sure you feel open to experience new things and processes. If there is a lot going on in your life at the moment, it's ok to delay the start of the project if you need time to be mentally ready. Just explain it to your collaborators, they will understand.
> CONCESSIONS
Be ready to make concessions. If you don't like certain elements of the project but the other collaborators do, in most cases you can find a compromise. But sometimes it's not possible, and you will have to accept the result doesn't represent you fully - which is totally fine because it's not supposed to be.
> SLOW TIME
Keep in mind that working with other people means having greater inertia in all the phases of a project compared to working solo. People have their own imperatives, projects, and lives, and it can sometimes take several months for a collaborator to get back to you. Don’t be too pushy or impatient, even if you don’t hear from them in a while. Embrace this slow time and think of it as a way to develop something that will still mean a lot to you in the long run.
> SAFETY
It is really important that anyone feels safe and welcomed when participating in a collaborative project, regardless of their identity, skills or interests. Be sure everyone is able to be themselves freely and express themselves fully through their participation. Be considerate, friendly and open-minded when collaborating. Make sure the other persons feel safe and have enough trust to express their discomfort if they don't like how things are going. If you're not sure, make regular checkups (for example ask if they are happy with the project, or if they would like to see any changes in the process), for example at every phase of the project.
PART 4 - CREATING TOGETHER
You found your collaborator(s), and all of you are ready to start creating together, great! I will try to keep this part as generic as possible, but of course there is a lot that needs to be reconsidered depending on the context, the persons involved, the type of project, the musical genre etc... I will try to provide specific examples when they come to mind.
01 - Breaking Down Phases
I thought it would be useful to break down the creative process of a musical project in specific phases. Which can also be helpful to do and share with your collaborators so that they know what to expect.
Of course in practice things are not that separated, but as with most things in this article, decomposing and breaking down abstract processes and concepts in smaller units can help to consider things differently and find practical tools and methods for each of them.
The typical journey of a musical project
02 - ALIGNING EXPECTATIONS
The preproduction / organization phase is very important to make sure the collaboration will go smoothly. It is a crucial time to discuss how everyone approaches the project, deciding on processes and methods, sorting out technical details and so on... especially with complex projects that involve multiple persons and/or disciplines.
Here are a few things that would need to be considered collectively in the early phases of a collaboration :
> People : who is involved in the project? How can you contact them? What is their background and skill set?
> Knowing each other : make sure to know each other artistically. Don't be shy to share your music - what you have already released, what you're working on... especially things you can imagine for the project or similar to what you have in mind.
> Process : how will you work together? Will you have time in a shared space? At someone's place? URL only? What will be your creative processes? What will be the role of everyone involved? Who will do what? How will you incorporate and consider everyone's skills and levels? Don't hesitate to ask a lot of questions about the process beforehand to make things crystal clear.
> Meetings & communication : How often will you meet? How and where? In person, or online? What channels will you use for communication? DMs, Discord, group chat, emails...? WIll you have some sort of shared document to take notes or share inspirations?
> Technical requirements : Make sure everyone's needs are clear - what file formats, what software versions, where to store the files, who gathers everything etc... This is especially important when working with other disciplines.
> Planning : Consider together the timeline of the project. If needed, try to agree on a planning and specific deadlines for each important phase of the project.
> Budget : Talk about the budget if you have any. Be transparent about it. People can agree to collaborate for free and find an arrangement when the project is finished, but keep in mind a lot of people don't have the option to do that. Don't be mad if someone cannot afford to contribute within the given budget.
> Traces : Write a recap of your agreements and decisions and share it with everyone involved. If there is a consequent budget involved, make a contract or quote that states all these points, as well as deadlines and deliverables.
> Expect the unexpected : How can you prepare for unknown challenges (personal, space, weather, technical, visa...)? Try to list what problems you can encounter, and how you could solve them.
It doesn't have to be formal and explicit (sometimes killing the vibe by making it too official), but make sure to ask yourselves these questions, and if you deem necessary, talk about it with your collaborators.
Of course, you don't need to have answers for all of them - for example you can collectively agree that you will decide later on. If you're uncomfortable on a specific point, it's important that you mention it and if no solution can be found, it's better to cancel the collaboration before it actually starts, than getting yourself trapped in an unpleasant situation.
03 - SKETCHING IDEAS AND CONCEPTS
Deciding on how you start creating depends on a lot of factors : the type of project, the people involved, the processes you agreed on etc... As with everything else in this article, if you have a doubt, just talk with your collaborators and see how they feel. I'm sharing below some tips and ways to approach this crucial phase.
> SHARING DEMOS
If you already have some material you would like to build upon, such as demos or unfinished tracks, you can share it with your collaborators.
Although it's important to make sure they understand it as sketches, laying down some foundations for the collaboration but nothing more. It's best if you can explicitly state what you like and what you don't in what you share, if there are some elements you really want to keep and build around, or some that can be reworked and taken out.
It's also important to leave room for appropriation and participation - if you share a finished track, people might not be sure how they could contribute. In that case, I would recommend that you share the finished track you want to rework, but also a stripped down version with only the core elements you want to keep. That way you state your intention, but also leave some space for the other people to express themselves.
> STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Starting from a blank page with your collaborators can be amazing, as all of you can really consider the project equally their own. But it's not that easy, especially if you collaborate with someone you're not very familiar with. Quickly some power dynamics can appear, so it's sometimes useful to regularly check with yourself and the other persons how everyone feels.
Before starting, or after a little while, it helps if you can make explicit the directions you're taking, or put into words your intentions (such as a specific genre, mood, structure, topic or process). It’s a good way to check if everyone is on the same wavelength.
From my experience, I feel like starting from scratch can work well if you can create in the same room, but can quickly get messy if you collab fully online. In that case, I usually find it more efficient to pick someone's demo and work from there.
> CREATIVE CONSTRAINTS
You can decide to go with the flow and see where it goes - which is great if the alchemy is right, but sometimes adding some creative constraints can really help to get it started, without staying stuck on a blank session.
For example you can decide to :
- take time-limited turns on the project (15 minutes each IRL, or 1 day each URL)
- only use a specific set of tools or samples
- imagine some composition rules that first sound stupid but which can lead to great ideas to develop the project further (maybe that’s material for another tutorial?). For example having an exquisite corpse approach, where each collaborator creates something without knowing what the others are doing, and then just layering everything together ; not being able to Ctrl-Z anything ; or working only visually with no sound…
You will be surprised what great things can come out of it, trust me. Keep in mind you're just sketching ideas here, so don't give too much importance to details. Keep the exploration open and fun, until you reach something everyone likes and feels inspired by.
> INSPIRATIONS
Sharing inspirations and references is great if you have trouble putting musical elements into words, and even if you're able to do that, it's still useful to make sure everyone agrees on what you mean by "wonky donk" or "liquid drum".
Other media (visuals, texts, objects...) can also really help to give shape to an emotion or intention that you can't immediately transcribe into sound, especially when working with other disciplines. Find a medium most of you can understand and relate to.
Taking it out of the sonic realm can sometimes be a great way to initiate ideas, as people can reply with other references, so on and so on, until you find something inspiring for everyone. Be open to discover new things and to take the time to talk about them - getting to know someone else's influences and inspirations can be a very rewarding aspect of collaboration. Online, you can use free tools like Padlet or Miro to share links, videos, images and whatnot on an infinite canvas - really useful to organize and keep track of inspirations.
> KEEPING YOUR IDENTITY
When creating with someone else, it's important to try to make something that still represents you faithfully. In the heat of the action, it can become easy to go into directions that make you move forward, but after some time off, you might have difficulties to connect with the project, as you can feel it's not really "you".
An efficient way to avoid this problem is to curate a personal vault of resources, from which you can quickly take elements that you know for sure will fit your identity. The best way to make that personal vault is to regularly take the time to compose new things (such as song ideas, melodies, sound designs, or drum patterns) and save them in a dedicated folder. This way, you can efficiently sketch ideas and sounds in the future, but still stay connected to your own personal research and exploration. For IRL sessions, put this folder on a USB stick you can tap into.
This is especially important when working with other disciplines (for example if you get a commission for a movie or video game), as your own sound can get diluted in the general artistic direction of the project.
04 - DEVELOPING THE PROJECT
Once you've sketched out an idea, a demo or a concept with your collaborators, you will enter the development phase, which can easily become the longest one. In that phase, you will turn your initial idea into a finished object. I will share below some tips and things to take into consideration in that phase, even though there is no right or wrong way to do it as it all comes down to personal preferences, workflows and feelings.
> URL vs IRL
Sharing a physical space is nice for developing ideas, throwing things without restrictions and exploring a broad range of possibilities, or deciding on a structure and narrative. For tedious things and details, such as micro-editing, mixing, fine tuning automations or synth parameters, it might be easier if one of the collaborators works on their own. Depending on everyone's skills and availability, there's a balance to be found between solo and collective sessions.
For an IRL session, you can work side by side on the same computer, with either one person having the control or by taking 15-30' turns, or you can each have your own tool (computer, instrument, voice...).
For URL collabs, it's a bit more complicated to get a real-time collaboration. There are some interesting things being developed in this direction (such as the Endlesss creation tool - link at the end of the article), but in general each person works on their own, making a significant step forward, and then sends the project back. From experience, 3-4 exchanges get you to a nice balance. Sometimes, one person can also work on a specific part of the project (such as an entire section or a specific instrument).
For bigger projects, it's sometimes useful to implement a shared document with what needs to be done to keep track of the progress and everyone's contribution.
> FEEDBACKS
When receiving someone's contribution, take the time to make a feedback, whether you're asked or not. Acknowledge what the other person did, what you like and what you don't, and how you would see the project going further.
Be precise with your returns - what section or timing are you talking about? What instruments or effects? Try to put words on it even if it's hard. Voice notes can help too.Keeping things organized and named correctly helps a lot to have a constructive dialogue.
When you share something and expect other people's opinion, your collaborators might not get the full picture of what you have in your mind. State your intentions, what you like and don't like, and what are the elements you are still working on. It's ok to share things in progress, especially if you have hesitations or can't choose between two options, as long as you explain what you consider definitive and what still needs some changes.
> SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES
As mentioned previously, collaborations are great to get new knowledge - for you and your collaborators. It's often easier IRL, but share as much as you can about specific devices, tools, concepts or techniques. And don't be afraid to ask, it's the best way to learn.
If the skill levels are too different, what I found useful is to commonly agree at the beginning of the project that the more proficient artists need to be very tolerant about other peoples' process. They need to accept people with less experience can take more time, or that the sound quality won't be perfect. In the best scenario, they can also accept to take the time to share what they know and give more insights to people with less experience. In no way having a lack of experience means making worse music - some beginners can have really great musical ideas, but just need a little bit of extra help on the technical side to realize them fully.
> FEELING STUCK?
When you're not sure how to advance the project, you can try to inject some creative constraints - see above. It might not solve everything, but chances are it will give you new perspectives and ideas to build upon.
Narration can help a lot with that too (maybe for another LC tutorial?). Creating characters, environments or scenes related to the sounds you made can help to get a collective vision of where you're going and give you new ways to advance. You can try to turn your instruments into characters, writing themes for specific situations and see them evolve in the track, or picture a complex ecosystem that will inspire new sonic textures.
> GIVING UP
Sometimes you don't know where to go with the project, even if the initial idea was great or if you already spent a lot of time developing it almost to the end.
It's ok to give up - you don't have to finish everything you start. And it's also ok to let the project rest for some time - months or even years. If that happens, make sure everyone agrees with that. Maybe in the future you will work on other projects and will get an idea to finish the collaboration, and even if you don't, you probably still learned a lot from this experience.
Don't be afraid to ask to start from scratch with the same people too. At least now you know each other better for sure.
> EXCHANGING FILES
There are different ways to pass the musical project to collaborators, each with their pros and cons. You can also make a mix of them depending on the situation.
You can send each other the full packaged session, which allows for everyone to take over the project entirely. Be careful about software versions, and external samples or plugins though.
You can also send stems. They flatten the project and make you go forward without the possibility to go back to a previous version, but this constraint can also make it more creative, as you will spend less time on parameters and details, and more time on modifying and structuring what you already have. When exporting to stems, make a new version of the project and keep the old session somewhere safe in case you really need to retrieve an old setting.
Finally you can also send loops or individual sounds. It's sometimes easier when you don't need to work on the full project. You can timestamp them or include a note on how to integrate them in the full project if needed.
> KEEPING THINGS TIDY
When working with other people, it's really important to keep an organized and clean project. Name tracks, group them, take out the empty ones, use markers for sections, colors etc....
The clearer a project is, the less time you will spend trying to understand each other's intentions.
Use a naming system that is clear for everyone : if you agree on how to describe elements, it can help a lot to talk about them - is this instrument a synth or a bass? how would you characterize it? Cold, hard, soft, dreamy...?
An example of stem naming system & the corresponding Ableton Live project
> FINAL TOUCH
As with any other creative projects, you can always spend an infinite amount of time on it, trying to finetune every little detail.
Learn when to stop. If everyone's relatively happy with the project, it can be enough. As stated above, sometimes collaboration is about compromise, and you might not be 100% satisfied with the track, but that's part of the process. Learn to let go of that feeling and appreciate what you already did.
05 - FINISHING A PROJECT
Towards the end of the production phase, and in the following ones, the collaboration still goes on, even if more diffuse or indirect. I don't feel there is much to be said after this point, as most of it boils down to communicating openly and sharing thoughts, which were covered before. Just a few tips on specific things.
> MIXING & MASTERING
Even if you don't end up releasing your project to the public, try to make a mixed down version. It's always good training. Moreover, if you do it with a collaborator, it's a great way to learn a lot about technical tools and mixing/mastering techniques, even if you think you already know much.
Sometimes one of the collaborators wants to take care of it - don't feel obligated to participate if you don't want to, but also don't be afraid to ask to tag along or have a look at the project afterwards if you want to get better at it.
> RELEASE?
As mentioned previously, you don't have to release everything you create.
If you decide to do so, make sure everyone agrees, as well as on the ways it's gonna be done - via a label, for a compilation, for your own project...? As mentioned in Part 2, it’s best if you can clearly explain your intentions and the situation as much as possible, so that other people can decide accordingly.
> ADDITIONAL ASSETS & PROMO
For everything that will go around the music itself, such as presskit, cover art, video clips, premieres or interviews… Developing these aspects can be really pleasant and as creative as writing music, so it’s worth taking the time to think about how you want to approach it. Every new step is an opportunity to bring another person in, or to create with the original collaborators through other mediums.
Always make sure to double check all collaborators are informed and ok with all aspects. Ask if they want to participate as well, sometimes people have additional skills you didn’t expect, or have some good connections.
- An accompanying sample pack, designed by Grigg and previous collaborators, is available on the Lux Cache Patreon page. Join the Lux Cache Discord server to take part in the collaborative production challenge.
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Griigg is an artist, producer and label co-runner based in Paris.
You can listen to Griigg’s music on their SoundCloud and Bandcamp pages.
Sample libraries and releases from their label ‘Club Late Music’ can be found on their Bandcamp.
You can follow them on Instagram @griigg
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