Stop guessing: the simple way to find your musical identity
- Mar 3
- 3 min read
How well do you know your music taste?
Can you describe, in one sentence, the type of music you like?
Now, can you do the same for the music you’re trying to create?
At first, this might seem like an easy question. Of course you know what you like.
But getting a clear, deep understanding of both your personal taste and the sound you want to make can unlock something fundamental in your creative process.
And I don’t just mean throwing out a genre tag like hardgroove, hypnotic techno, or organic tech-house. I mean having a specific and detailed vision for the music you enjoy and want to create.
For years, I never thought much about this. I just made music.
The result? My tracks had very little in common.
Sure, they were made by me. In the same DAW. Using similar sounds and techniques.
But the essence, purpose, vibe, and aesthetic? Completely random.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. But it meant every time I sat down to produce, I was essentially starting from scratch, with no clear direction.
And that became frustrating. Because deep down, I did want to make a certain kind of techno—I just didn’t have a well-defined vision of what that actually was.
It felt like throwing darts at a dartboard and getting frustrated that I wasn’t hitting the centre—while keeping my eyes closed the whole time.
I’d spend months working towards an EP, only to end up with a completely disjointed selection of tracks. The darts were all over the wall, with only the occasional lucky hit near the board.
And then, I realised—all I had to do was open my eyes.
Instead of blindly making music and hoping it would “sound right”, I needed to clearly define what my favourite type of techno actually was.
Ironically, I had dismissed this for too long, assuming I already knew. But I had never actually sat down and articulated it.
This is crucial because our taste is what guides our decisions in music production.
Our music taste is our creative compass—it tells us when something feels right or when something’s off.
So, I set aside an evening to listen to my favourite artists and tracks. And I asked myself:
What do all of these have in common?
Here’s what I realised I really love:
Powerful, groovy, and commanding low frequencies—music designed for the club dancefloor.
Abstract textures and sounds—elements I haven’t heard before and can’t easily explain.
Complex, interwoven rhythms—where different elements “talk” to each other, creating an intricate listening experience.
Once I had this written down, everything changed.
This wasn’t just a list of things I liked. It was a blueprint for the music I wanted to make.
The dartboard had been in front of me the whole time—I had just been playing blindfolded.
Defining my taste was like taking off the blindfold.
With my vision finally clear, all my production decisions became easier:
I knew what I was aiming for.
I could measure my progress more effectively.
My music became more consistent.
I felt more fulfilled in my creative process.
So simple, yet so helpful.
Try this for yourself.
If you’ve ever felt lost in your own music-making journey, try this exercise:
Take an evening to listen to some of your absolute favourite tracks.
Write down the key qualities they all share. Be specific.
Compare this list to the music you’ve been making.
Ask yourself: Are you actually making the music you love? Or are you just making some music?
When you define your taste with clarity, everything else—sound design, arrangement, mix decisions—falls into place.
You’ll know exactly where your “dartboard” is, and from that point on, it’s just a matter of getting better at hitting the centre.
So... what does your ideal music sound like?
Try writing it down. You might be surprised at how much clarity it gives you. I hope you give this a try next time you sit down to make music.
Big love
Eryk Kabay
Ready for action? Whether you’re feeling stuck or looking for that final professional polish, I’m here to help you cut through the confusion and make your tracks shine. Let’s get your music sounding its best and ready to be released into the world.