How I Started DTM Part 1
As for how I started DTM, which is music production using a computer,
when I was close to graduating high school, I told my parents I wanted to be a DJ,
so they bought me a Pioneer XDJ-R1 and HDJ-2000,
and back then, I started DJing more casually,
practicing by just mixing existing songs together for fun.
I learned what DJing was all about from the video below ↓
Meeting a TrackMaker
I would record occasionally and upload things to MixCloud, but
one day, after I discovered SoundCloud and was digging for Perfume remixes,
I encountered artpaix, and I believe that's where I was able to explore
the possibilities of DTM and the world of Perfume's music.
From there, I bought a Windows laptop with only a Core i5 and 8GB of RAM,
thinking, "I'm going to make a cool Perfume remix and play it at an event!"
With that enthusiasm,
FL STUDIOI bought it and started DTM... but
it was much harder than I thought, and even when I finished a song, it just sounded like
music playing in a local supermarket or Aeon, and I remember struggling with it lol
At the time, I taught myself how to use a DAW and learned basic music theory by watching various how-to videos on YouTube (from Japanese composers, overseas producers, etc.).
Then, while working, I used that money to collect software synths and plugins,
and I was so happy when I was finally able to make a song of a certain quality.
*I think I still have the data for the first song I made, but it sounds pretty terrible now lol
If there's demand, I might consider releasing it lol
At the time, besides being influenced by Mr. Nakata,Martin Garrix,Avicii, andZEDDwere also artists I liked to listen to, so I incorporated those essences into my production.
I used to listen to these on repeat when composing.
As a result of trial and error,
when I finished a remix (bootleg) of a certain Perfume song, for the first time
"This is cool!!"
I felt quite confident in it myself and posted it to SoundCloud.
It got more traction than I expected, and a Perfume fan who heard it
invited me to a private Perfume fan meetup and
DJ event, asking if I would like to DJ,
and I remember going all the way to Osaka to DJ.
I played in front of people who were mostly strangers,
but they really got into it, and from there I made friends,
and the number of event offers increased, so I still can't forget it...
The trigger for that was...
Mugen Mirai (V.VALENTINE RE:Arrangement)
*It's no longer available because my account was frozen once,
but it's still on YouTube, so please give it a listen.
That's it for now. Next time, I'd like to summarize
the process leading up to my current style.
Thank you!