Bass Jouhikko and thoughts about hidden experiments

Recently I have got many new instruments, mostly by random chance. For example I got a cheap terrible Squier free of cost from one fellow. Because of many reasons I will probably not use it on my projects, but it would be nice to have in order to sketch stuff, give as a gift (or just shred aimlessly without any skills). A few days ago I also got Bass Jouhikko (made by Crossroad Music). It is very based… To be more precise, it is based on an ancient Finnish folk music instrument, Jouhikko, except that this version operates on bass frequencies, similar to cello.

I have no prior experience playing bowed string instruments, so I need to learn the instrument properly first. I already did some experimental test recordings, but listening back to those sessions got reminded me of an old dilemma I’ve struggled on many areas of music making before.

If mixing has taught me something is that everything I touch turns to sh*t. And if I don’t mix my stuff properly, it will stay that way. More precisely this applies especially to every new thing I get excited to try out. I could probably produce quite high quality stuff if I would only stick to the simplest ground basics I master already quite well. But the problem is that I lack interest keeping myself at bay on these basics. I always want to explore new methods and techniques of playing, composition, sound design etc. While occasionally I could hit some interesting spots with my explorations, taking those initial findings to mixing table is rarely good idea, maybe 5% in the cases. I mean, I could enjoy the experimenting in itself but the end product might not be very pleasant to listen to, at least in any professional (-hobbyist) sense.

I should keep myself in somewhat check, since I could make even a few albums in a year by this way, but maybe only one with a good quality in end product, if even that. On the other hand I would like to have a rich discography on bandcamp or something, but if it is only worth for listening by myself maybe all that stuff is not worth to publish in the first place. That’s why I might seem a bit inactive when it comes to music making. I am too tired of publishing unfinished stuff, it doesn’t make them any closer to being finished. They only serve some personal curiosity and that’s it. I know I should widen my idea of exploration to mixing too, but it is difficult or even frustrating at times. Also I would need more usable-for-mixing material to start with. It either takes some time to polish music to that point or just recording “bulletproof” easy listening that I have no habit doing. Dilemma indeed.