Recently I had set aside some time to make music, but when I opened a Live Set I wanted to continue working on, nothing came. Total writer’s block. Luckily it rarely happens to me and when it does I look at my own “Oblique Strategies”.
It’s a list of things that have helped me get over creative hurdles in the past. It’s loosely based on the original “Oblique Strategies” by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt, but ranging from ideas to change your perspective or mode of thinking to concrete production tricks in Live.
Anyone can be hit by writer’s block or feel stuck in old habits, so I thought I’d share them here on Sonic Bloom. I hope you’ll find this new series of posts helpful and inspiring. If you have any tips of your own to share, please do so in the comments below.
Warp an audio clip to the extreme, crop or consolidate, warp it even more.
10 responses
There’s a free MaxForLive device called Oblique Strategies that cycles thru the cards at random. I keep it on my master track at all times. Sorry no link, on my cell.
Thanks for the heads up. Turns out, there are two Max for Live devices now. The other one’s called Oblique. I might test both and then report back soon.
Some of my oblique strategies are gonna encourage different approaches and using features in the “wrong” way specifically in Live. Like the extreme warping I started things off with. Not many people try it, but it can yield very cool results.
Oh great idea! I didn’t realize you were gonna make yr own Ableton related cards. Don’t forget about the I Ching — I like to think of it as the great grandfather of Oblique Strategy decks.
Yes, a lot will be specific to Ableton Live, but I’ll also have some more general tips in there. The I Ching will forever remind me of “Man in the High Castle” by Philip K. Dick. And then we should also mention Tarot, I guess. đ
I love this Madeleine – very creative idea! Thanks for posting and please keep this up so I don’t have to keep reaching for my deck of cards đ
Thanks. I’ll do my best. đ
Really helpful posts..thank you!
Gabriele
fĂźr oblique strategies:
erfinde eine gute Melodie
Just thank you! đ
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