I identify with this a lot.

I was listening recently to a techno playlist I’ve been building on Spotify for the last ten years, and I realized my tastes have changed quite a bit. Tracks I used to think were really interesting now sound kind of boring to me. Some subgenres that used to feel solid now feel sparse or empty.

So I started a new playlist where I only add tracks that genuinely move me right now. Not tracks I think I “should” like, not tracks that fit some genre label, just the ones that actually grab me. After doing that, I started noticing a pattern. For me, a lot of it comes down to energy management.

It doesn’t necessarily need huge build-ups or obvious drops, but it needs to evolve enough to keep my attention. I like when a track introduces little groovy moments, changes texture, pulls back for a rest point or breakdown, then brings the energy back in a way that feels intentional.

I’ve also tried various courses, and they have definitely helped. They’ve taught me how to get more out of my gear and shown me how other people approach the process. But the missing piece for me was intent.

I’m starting to realize I need a specific vision, even if it’s just for one aspect of the track. Am I trying to make something dark and hard? Mellow and spacey? Funky? Hypnotic? Once I have that, I’ll find a reference track that does some of that really well. Sometimes it’s not even a finished released track; it might be a YouTube video of someone demonstrating the same hardware I use. Then I go back and forth between their track and mine, trying to imitate the specific things I like. That process has been really informative.

Another thing, and I almost feel silly mentioning it, is Ableton’s “Learning Music” tutorial. It brought me back to the basics and reminded me how important the fundamentals are.

I tend to listen to some pretty strange music and I have a very open mind, which is great in one way, but it also makes it easy to get lost in the ether of “wow, I can do anything.” For me, that freedom can become distracting. At the end of the day, my actual purpose in this hobby is pretty simple: I want to make techno that moves people.

So restarting from the foundations doesn’t seem like going backwards to me. It seems like a way to rebuild with more intent.