Drugs and creativity...your thoughts?

[Musicman]

Hey,

I'm a musician...fairly accomplished in technique/theory...but recently, when trying to write 'honestly' and descriptively (in the way I want), I'm having trouble...the words are too clinical, the music comes out too clean and structured...I want a looser writing, singing and playing style, which I personally think is very difficult to just make yourself do...

Do you guys recommend any particular drugs which enhance your feeling and state of consciousness in a way which is conducive to being creative?

Something not vastly expensive or dangerous, but something which will give me an insight into a new way of creating?

Just throwing things out there...weed? I haven't really smoked enough of it to acknowledge it's effects...Acid? Anything else? Pills?

I do hope nobody suggests Heroin!

Thanks!

Adam

[process]

personally acid, dmt & changa. will give you a whole new outlook and different perspective on life and the universe. its not just drugs that can help you do this tho. If your life has become a bit stagnant then this can effect your creativity. I also find after festivals/free parties i am the most inspired and creative as ive been in a proper positive enviropnment surrounded by positive people.

[p0ly]

go mushrooms picking when it's mushie season. track down lsd or get some strong legal psychedelics

[Iacchus]

I write most of my music on at least weed, and I'll take some K if I want to spend an hour or two making new soundscapes. Trick is to not take so much k you cant operate your sequencer tho!

[process]

oh yeah forgot about shrooms. also mescaline should open your mind up a bit! :wink:

[p0ly]

oh and don't forget about crack and heroin

hahahaha

[ellie]

so would people say the creativity comes whilst on the drug, or after. i'm not a creative person so i cant really comment but couldnt imagine sitting down and writing lyrics whilst high.

[Iacchus]

one problem with a lot of the drugs mentioned here (mesculine and acid and stuff) is that you probably wont be capable of willing to actually do much music when you're tripping. I've tried myself but you tend to get sidetracked by the trip and get bugger all done :D

great for inspiration tho. The trick is remembering it the next day ;)

[process]

one problem with a lot of the drugs mentioned here (mesculine and acid and stuff) is that you probably wont be capable of willing to actually do much music when you're tripping. I've tried myself but you tend to get sidetracked by the trip and get bugger all done :D

great for inspiration tho. The trick is remembering it the next day ;)

tricks to do it when your on the way down, smoked some changa when i was at mine, no way i could mix when i was peaking, but when its wearing off and for about half hour to an hour after music never sounds so good. was going mental round my bedroom absolutly loving mixing! :weee:

[joshd96320]

tricks to do it when your on the way down, smoked some changa when i was at mine, no way i could mix when i was peaking, but when its wearing off and for about half hour to an hour after music never sounds so good. was going mental round my bedroom absolutly loving mixing! :weee:

i do this when sober :P

[process]

i do this when sober :P

so do i... :wink:

[Musicman]

Haha. Good. Cool that you're all answering, thanks!

So far, weed, LSD and mushrooms have been mentioned...all very different drugs, I imagine, all with very different effects.

I suppose what I'm after is something to enhance my writing, something to allow me more insight to my normally crowded thoughts, something for a bit of clarity...

Then something, maybe the same thing, maybe something different, to free my inhibitions when it comes to recording...to record in a looser style, to allow me to wail as much as I like, rather than in a clipped, technical, self conscious way...

I suppose weed may be a good place to start...fairly cheap, fairly easy to get hold of, as safe a drug as you can get...

I suppose it's a difficult question to answer - and most of you guys seem to make electronic/dance music and/or DJ, rather than the kind of stuff I do...more guitar based stuff.

Keep discussing, it's interesting. I'm going to have another read of 'The Doors Of Perception' by Huxley...seems to be some interesting ideas there...

[ellie]

welcome to pv by the way :bounce_fl

sorry i cant help you much. dont really ahve a creative bone in m'body.

I would however say that all drugs (in my limited experience) have an effect on you as a person generally. You get transported into a different world and it opens your mind to new feelings, thoughts and emotions. This is bound to have an effect on your music.

As for which specifically would help you put pen to paper, im not sure.

I would imagine that the few hours chilling out after being mashed would be best though, whatever you take.

Take a look at some of the sticky threads where people have described their experiences of various drugs, may help.

Haha. Good. Cool that you're all answering, thanks!

So far, weed, LSD and mushrooms have been mentioned...all very different drugs, I imagine, all with very different effects.

I suppose what I'm after is something to enhance my writing, something to allow me more insight to my normally crowded thoughts, something for a bit of clarity...

Then something, maybe the same thing, maybe something different, to free my inhibitions when it comes to recording...to record in a looser style, to allow me to wail as much as I like, rather than in a clipped, technical, self conscious way...

I suppose weed may be a good place to start...fairly cheap, fairly easy to get hold of, as safe a drug as you can get...

unless you want your thread to go off on a tangent, i wouldnt say things like that! :laugh_at:

I suppose it's a difficult question to answer - and most of you guys seem to make electronic/dance music and/or DJ, rather than the kind of stuff I do...more guitar based stuff.

Keep discussing, it's interesting. I'm going to have another read of 'The Doors Of Perception' by Huxley...seems to be some interesting ideas there...

[Southcaver]

Do some speed, you'll write 50 pages of bollox but there might be something good in there.

[ellie]

Do some speed, you'll write 50 pages of bollox but there might be something good in there.

:laugh_at:

[p0ly]

lsd and mushrooms are very very similar

[p0ly]

mephedrone is very similar to ecstasy, if you've never done that kind of drug before it could help

(mephedrone is legal, i can pm u link if u like)

[ellie]

(mephedrone is legal, i can pm u link if u like)

you miss people pm'ing you, don't you, admit it.

Is the website giving you a cut? - cus they really should

[process]

do a shed load of ketamine. good luck with writing anything intelligent or legible tho! :wink: :laugh_at:

[p0ly]

you miss people pm'ing you, don't you, admit it.

Is the website giving you a cut? - cus they really should

if i'm doing someone a favour i dont mind, or if they ask me nicely.

when i get like 4 pms a day pretty much saying GIVE ME PM it's annoying

+ when i give em pm they normally pm me back about 4-5 times (on average, sometimes more) asking really fucking annoying questions. GO ON EROWID IF U WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE DRUG FFS

[joshd96320]

poly that needs to be in the rant thread

Musicman: as healthy and safe people think weed is, it actually isnt,, it can be just as dangerous as anything else, just keep it in moderation. remember its for the music, not your enjoyment.. dont get carried away. any kind of psychdelic would help your creativity i imagine as it will transport you to a new world of dimensions, visual and emotional senses will be open to a new world.

although i havent done drugs myself, from a point of understanding how the drugs work and my understanding of music and how it is produced, (guitars too), i would reccomend a psychdelic such as lsd or magic mushies, and perhaps at another time ecstasy so you write shit loads and tab like a maniac.. but dont mix at the same time!

[p0ly]

if u cut up and cook aload of those tesco cooking mushrooms up they normally get me feeling pretty good, i dunno about creative but good!! hahaha

[joshd96320]

hahahahahahaah

[p0ly]

josh why dont u try some stella (5%) for some creativity

[joshd96320]

whats wrong with 5% stella

[ellie]

do a shed load of ketamine. good luck with writing anything intelligent or legible tho! :wink: :laugh_at:

or standing, or walking ...

[Iacchus]

do a shed load of ketamine. good luck with writing anything intelligent or legible tho! :wink: :laugh_at:

i wrote the majority of my last album on k :weee:

a few times I took a bit too much and confused and lost the plot and had to go lie down

[p0ly]

or standing, or walking ...

if theres anyone doing auditions for zombies you'd probaly get the role though

[p0ly]

whats wrong with 5% stella

it's fucking lovely, u tell me what's wrong with it joshua

[Iacchus]

if you're going to drink stella you might as well go all the way and drink wrongbow :D

[joshd96320]

it's fucking lovely, u tell me what's wrong with it joshua

theres nothing wrong with it, but jacques 5.5% fruit cider is better..

[p0ly]

not only is jacques a rip off, it's cider!! yuck

[joshd96320]

its not a rip off coz it tastes nice and is in a cool bottle :)

u should see the amount of bottles me and mother get through (maternal one, not just TG :P)

cider is good

its only coz youve had bad experiences

the cider doesnt like you poly, the cider doesnt like you. be very wary.

[p0ly]

i wouldnt wanna like jaques at the price it is sold, maybe wrongbow cos it's cheap but jaques and all that pear shit. no thanks

[joshd96320]

magners
scrumpy jack
jacques
strongbow
brothers

its all good

probably easier to say for me coz i only really buy strongbow or bulmers myself i dont buy the rest it is bought and i consume it ;p

[Diceface]

cocaína

[process]

if you're going to drink stella you might as well go all the way and drink wrongbow :D

wrongbow = :yakk:
scrumpy all the way! :love:

[process]

i wrote the majority of my last album on k :weee:

a few times I took a bit too much and confused and lost the plot and had to go lie down

what sort of music is it?

[Iacchus]

what sort of music is it?

Psybreaks/psychill.. think shpongle/ott/entheogenic

1) download http://bitcrusher.co.uk/releases/BITCR003/BITCR003.zip
2) take drugs
3) enjoy! :D

[joshd96320]

=O

OTT!

yumyum

downloading

[p0ly]

i think i downloaded that months ago, you got a track called dissosociated? or dissociative?

[joshd96320]

dissosociation

dude this is sick!

[Iacchus]

dissociation - ie what K does to you :D (most of the titles relate to states of consciousness)

glad u likey

[p0ly]

i knooow hahahah!!

need to listen to it disconnected

[Iacchus]

tis the ketamine opera :)

[joshd96320]

hyperrealism, big choon!

[Iacchus]

:weee:

[Musicman]

hahahahahahahahahahaaaaa!

You guys are funny!

Right, I'm gonna listen to the 'K' album, just out of pure intrigue and as it seems popular here!

Seriously, thanks for all your replies and help, it's really cool that you're all balanced people, not just saying 'go out and take a shit load of drugs and see what happens'...really appreciated.

I think I need to have a think, maybe i'll pm some of you soon, if that's cool, and get some specific thoughts on it...

Have you guys listened to John Frusciante stuff? Not exactly the kind of stuff I do, but it's actually really good music...the first solo album, Niandre Lades and Usually Just A T-Shirt was written when he was properly fucked up on heroin and speed...the songwriting is actually brilliant and insightful, and the music is, although scratchy and unsettling, really emotive and descriptive, if that's the right word...it really is full of the emotion and state in which is was written in. Even if it's no help here, I'd advise you all to go listen to it.
There are several other albums of his really worth listeneing to, especially in the early/drugs period - not because they were written whilst on drugs, or about drugs necessarily - just really great music. And there's something for everyone in his stuff - some strange instrumental, almost chillout stuff, electronic stuff...
The interesting things is that now he is seemingly clean of drugs, the music he writes is far more controlled, whether that's detrimental to the effect of the music, I'm not sure, but you can tell that just having had the experience of certain drugs, he is far more aware of a much deeper level than what we see in every day life - I suppose you could say he's enlightened to a certain level of existence, not that it means he necessarily understands it...it's still very questioning music/lyrics...

To be honest, the reason why the stuff I'm writing now, or at least want to rework now, is about an ex girlfriend, and I have so many things in my subconscious or whatever, I suppose there are so many feelings that I find difficult to express with just words or standard chord progressions, that I really want to connect with those feelings and try to get the real, raw, honest thing out that I want to say...that is, the feeling feels more like music than just thoughts and my voice rationalising...it's like music - sometimes disturbing, sometimes sweet and nice, but always conflicting...and just writing and playing from my earthly experience feels a bit contrived...
It sounds like it's going to be a depressing collection of songs! But it's not, there is hope in there too! There are nice songs about nice things that had happened, are happening, and will happen! So I'm not approaching drugs in a neagtive way - just for a deeper understanding of the way my thoughts process (or not, as the case may be!)...

I dunno...long post! Sorry!

[process]

you seem to have the right attitude mate, but be carefull you dont want to end up with a heroin habit, just for the pursuit of writing better music! (an extreme example i know!) also drugs dont always enlighten you, some can give you false enlightenment, if you know what i mean? You can get ideas in your head that seem real, but maybe are just your imagination going overdrive. Some drugs can increase creativity, but also i found a regular drug habit can reduce that creativity down to nil and you can lose siight of your direction. Im sure your probably aleady aware of this, but its good to make sure that your gonna be aware of the positives and negatives that this may have on your music, and you! :love:

[Diceface]

I think the key lies somewhere within the depths of LSD.

[leveret]

i wrote the majority of my last album on k :weee:

Was that Subjectivity ? We downloaded that, really enjoyed it, cheers. I just couldn't remember where I'd got it from !

a few times I took a bit too much and confused and lost the plot and had to go lie down

:laugh_at:

[Iacchus]

yeah thats the one :)

another one in the pipeline

[process]

yeah thats the one :)

another one in the pipeline

yeah is a nice album. only had a chance to listen to it once, gonna give it another listen tonight. nice one for the cd :love: