A few weeks ago someone left a comment below a reel about my last release “Time Is Up” I posted on instagram:
He says: “Really good groove, bro! try to upload a short version on spotify getting to the point. Congrats.”
The guy’s got good intentions, no doubt. I also get his idea but …
I’m not going to do that because, for one thing, I don’t want to compromise my music to please the algorithms of a streaming platform.
I’m not a fan of tracks like that as a listener either.
I’ve started skipping right away whenever the algorithm suggests tracks that are under three minutes long.
What´s the point of a track if it’s only between one and two minutes long?
As a starting or middle piece for an album, sure.
But as a standalone track, I can’t take it seriously.
That’s why today I want to devote myself to an art form that is the exact opposite:
Long-form tracks
There’s no official definition for this, but for me it includes tracks that are (significantly) longer than 8 minutes.
When they’re done well, these songs are like musical journeys.
It’s a listening experience that makes you forget about time and space.
Long-form tracks are great for playing in the background when you need to focus on something else, like work or studying.
But they also work when you listen closely and pay attention to every nuance.
These pieces work differently
The demands on the producer are also in a whole other league.
Loop-based pieces of music can be tough to keep interesting for more than 10 or 12 minutes, even sometimes longer.
As a producer I’m all good with 5-7 minute tracks, but so far I’ve only been able to keep the tension going for about 10 minutes on two tracks.
I’m going to release both tracks this year.
Either way, it´s more than just adding and removing a few elements here and there.
You’ve got to come up with more ideas to keep the listener hooked.
The basis is always an irresistible loop
It’s a combination of drums, percussion, bass, and synths that creates a groove so good, you could listen to it forever.
The goal is to build this loop throughout the entire piece, to vary it and develop it further without losing its mojo.
Before we get lost in the details, let’s chat about some great long-form tracks that show how to do this right.
Listening Recommendations
I want to tell you about four long pieces that I love and have been listening to over and over. In one case, I’ve been listening to it for almost 20 years now…
01/ S.O.N. – UNTITLED A (S.A.M RESHAPE)
Format: Vinyl (see Discogs) & Digital
Label: OGE Music Group
Genre: Deep House
Year of Release: 2017
Track length: 9:39 min
What I like about this track:
The basis for this soothing deep house track is its finely interwoven pads.
These swell and fade throughout the tune, providing a cozy foundation for the rhythmic synth motif.
Here and there, tasteful vocal cuts enrich the sound spectrum, as do acid-like synth bass lines, which remain discreetly in the background at all times.
It doesn’t even need a real breakdown in the middle to make the track sound dynamic.
In any case, the 9 minutes and 39 seconds fly by, and you wish the track would just go on forever…
02/ Martin Buttrich – Full Clip
Format: Vinyl (see Discogs) & Digital
Label: Planet E
Genre: Detroit House
Year of Release: 2006
Track length: 12:04 min
What I like about this track:
This track brings back a lot of memories for me.
In 2007, I worked shifts in a surgical intensive care unit (yes, my main profession is medicine…) and Martin Buttrich’s “Full Clip” was often my soundtrack at night.
Coincidence or not, in the breakdown of the track, only one element remains in place: the classic beeping of an ECG.
The way Buttrich builds up the rhythmic string motif over time, subtly increasing the energy level, is still unmatched in my opinion.
A timeless classic that I still enjoy listening to as much as I did on the first day, almost 20 years later.
Mattias El Mansouri – Inre Dimension
Format: Vinyl & Digital
Label: Aniara
Genre: Deep House
Year of Release: 2024
Track length: 13:19
What I like about this track:
Mattias El Mansouri’s “Inre Dimension” is actually two tracks in one.
The piece begins with a pleasant ambient pad that meanders along. After about 4 minutes, the first rhythmic element kicks in subtly.
In the 6th minute, the track picks up speed with a percussion ensemble and a driving kick.
The original pad recedes almost completely into the background at times, but always comes back to the fore.
Beautiful stuff!
Richie Hawtin – Time Warps
Format: Vinyl (see Discogs) & Digital
Label: From Our Minds
Genre: Techno
Year of Release: 2020
Track length: 18:38 min
What I like about this track:
“Time Warps” is the fastest at 138 bpm and also the longest of the four tracks I’m presenting today.
Hawtin has probably processed his experiences at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in this work.
It is carried by a memorable question-and-answer sequence formed by two bright, similar synth sounds.
Underneath is a driving groove, primarily powered by kick and various hi-hats.
From the breakdown at minute 10, another synth figure enters the scene, harmonically expanding the track and keeping it exciting …
Those were my recommendations on the topic of long-form tracks.
Take care, Magasine
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