There’s a
surprising amount of truth to the saying that an artist is their own
worst critic. I’ve heard many different artists - musicians or
otherwise - explicitly state how much they dislike or even hate their
earlier work. So do I. In fact, I dare say I stand as a prime
example.
I’ve produced over 15 albums worth of music in the past near-half of a decade. After finishing what was my latest album at any time, I’ve always regarded it as my masterpiece - my magnum opus, if you will. Everything else I made before it suddenly began to make my ears bleed. I can only barely tolerate listening to anything I made two years ago, while anything I made last year (because I haven’t made anything substantial in regards to music this year yet) I could listen to for hours on end.
Maybe it stems from my desire to constantly improve. I can say with full certainty that I have a better understanding of what I’m doing with my music now than I did four years ago, for instance. Or hell, even last year.
As I’ve mentioned prior, I always look for new directions to take my music in. There’s nothing I love more than getting inspired by new things. That’s why I like to listen to the occasional music mix on YouTube, be it folk music, trance or jazz. And then I look for ways to embed those genres into my own style. It’s a truly fascinating and satisfying process.