--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I turn on the machines and start to think…" description: "\"I turn on the machines and start to think about ideas and take it from there, it usually begins if it's a beat, a track creating a beat/beats and then ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2f/mick-harris-88403_art-work_i-turn-on-the-machines-and-start-to-thin_2773781.jpg" --- # I turn on the machines and start to think about ideas and… ![“I turn on the machines and start to think about ideas and take it from there, it usually begins if it's a beat, a track creating a beat/beats and then the bass-line/lines, then comes the sounds--drones, atmospherics etc, then the edits of various sounds I created and keep going till I feel I have…” quote by Mick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2f/mick-harris-88403_art-work_i-turn-on-the-machines-and-start-to-thin_2773781.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2f/mick-harris-88403_art-work_i-turn-on-the-machines-and-start-to-thin_2773781.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2f/mick-harris-88403_art-work_i-turn-on-the-machines-and-start-to-thin_2773781.jpg) > “I turn on the machines and start to think about ideas and take it from there, it usually begins if it's a beat, a track creating a beat/beats and then the bass-line/lines, then comes the sounds--drones, atmospherics etc, then the edits of various sounds I created and keep going till I feel I have enough sounds ideas to start working and building a track. I have many banks of sounds that we hear that can be manipulated in the machines.” [Mick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes his creative workflow: starting with machines, building beats, adding bass, layering sounds, and editing until the track feels complete. **In simple terms:** His music-making steps from beats to full track. Key Takeaway Follow a structured layering process. Themes creativity process music production Mood focused analytical Type instructional process When to use this quote - studio work - electronic music creation - sound experimentation Key Concepts audio layering iteration sound design Questions to Reflect On - Do you need a strict order to create music? - How can improvisation fit into this workflow? A Different Perspective A rigid step‑by‑step method may stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-work/) [Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bass/) [Beats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beats/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [Creating Beat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating-beat-3260995/) [Drones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drones/) [Edits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edits/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Etc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/etc/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-start-296840/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Keep going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keep-going/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Sounds Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sounds-created-1072426/) [Sounds Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sounds-ideas-1961193/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Track](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/track/) [Track Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/track-creating-3260996/) [Turn on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turn-on/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Various](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/various/) ## Related quotes > [A Composer who hears sounds will try to find a notation for sounds. One who has ideas will find one that expresses his ideas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-cardew/a-composer-who-hears-sounds-will-try-to-find-a-notation-for-sounds/) [Cornelius Cardew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-cardew/) > [A chance to work with the guys from Isis sounded like a lot of fun. I've always been into the atmospheric sounds they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chino-moreno/a-chance-to-work-with-the-guys-from-isis-sounded-like-a-lot-of-fun-i/) [Chino Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chino-moreno/) > [ I'm interested in finding sounds and ideas that help bring the audience into the world that we \[moviemakes\] are all trying to create. Sometimes… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-trapanese/i-m-interested-in-finding-sounds-and-ideas-that-help-bring-the/) [Joseph Trapanese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-trapanese/) > [I think a lot of electronic musicians are drawn to starting with texture because the whole reason we're working with electronics is to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-deacon/i-think-a-lot-of-electronic-musicians-are-drawn-to-starting-with/) [Dan Deacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-deacon/) > [“Perhaps you are just close to what you have been waiting for all along and ideas start formulating in your mind and advising you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/perhaps-you-are-just-close-to-what-you-have-been-waiting-for-all/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Big ideas start as weird ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patri-friedman/big-ideas-start-as-weird-ideas/) [Patri Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patri-friedman/) > [Great dreams and ideas start from the mind and end outside as goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-takon/great-dreams-and-ideas-start-from-the-mind-and-end-outside-as-goals/) [Jonah Takon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-takon/) > [“Live to start your stupid ideas, and start to live a life without regret--a life filled with meaning, freedom, happiness, fun, authenticity, and influence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/live-to-start-your-stupid-ideas-and-start-to-live-a-life-without/) [Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/) > [It's funny that some ideas start with a little "What if?" and then suddenly you're spending a million dollars to shoot the scene and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/it-s-funny-that-some-ideas-start-with-a-little-what-if-and-then/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [My favorite part of writing a book is thinking up the ideas, and that can start a long time before I actually sit down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/my-favorite-part-of-writing-a-book-is-thinking-up-the-ideas-and-that/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) > [All great ideas start as weird ideas. What now seems obvious, early on, is not obvious to anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-case/all-great-ideas-start-as-weird-ideas-what-now-seems-obvious-early-on/) [Steve Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-case/) > [To me, all creativity is magic. Ideas start out in the empty void of your head - and they end up as a material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/to-me-all-creativity-is-magic-ideas-start-out-in-the-empty-void-of/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [The great ideas start flowing when you stop thinking about the obvious way of doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-lord/the-great-ideas-start-flowing-when-you-stop-thinking-about-the/) [Phil Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-lord/) > [It's amazing how ideas start out, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/it-s-amazing-how-ideas-start-out-isn-t-it/) [Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/) > [In my own life, I found that whenever I wasn't sure what to do next, I would go and learn a lot, read a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-ng/in-my-own-life-i-found-that-whenever-i-wasn-t-sure-what-to-do-next-i/) [Andrew Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-ng/) ## More by Mick Harris > [I love music/sounds that have a passion, a fire, an energy I can connect with. I love angry sounding beat tracks, dark sounds for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-harris/i-love-music-sounds-that-have-a-passion-a-fire-an-energy-i-can/) [Mick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-harris/) > [I can't say if I have influenced anything really, maybe a few artists but at the end of the day we are all influenced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-harris/i-can-t-say-if-i-have-influenced-anything-really-maybe-a-few-artists/) [Mick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-harris/) [Explore all 3 Mick Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-harris/) ## More Art work quotes > [I get pretty focused when I start working on something. And I drink a lot of water, way more than most people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-woodman/i-get-pretty-focused-when-i-start-working-on-something-and-i-drink-a/) [Nick Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-woodman/) > [“Recluses won’t find purpose living out their days in a sacred bubble. Partake in commerce, start working out, volunteer, go on a mission. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-j-demarco/recluses-won-t-find-purpose-living-out-their-days-in-a-sacred-bubble/) [M.J. DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-j-demarco/) > [Society takes what it wants. The artist himself does not count, because there is no actual existence for the work of art. The work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/society-takes-what-it-wants-the-artist-himself-does-not-count-because/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/) [Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/) > [Smart Work + Hard Work = Genius!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manish-pandey/smart-work-hard-work-genius/) [Manish Pandey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manish-pandey/) > [When art works travel from place to place, what you have is the opportunity to engage with the intellect of another person who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/when-art-works-travel-from-place-to-place-what-you-have-is-the/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [“monotony kills the heart. Ironically, monotony is what keeps the heart working.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soumeet-lanka/monotony-kills-the-heart-ironically-monotony-is-what-keeps-the-heart/) [soumeet lanka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soumeet-lanka/) > [But I think you have to - whatever the environment looks like, it does enter into people's art work one way or another; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-judd/but-i-think-you-have-to-whatever-the-environment-looks-like-it-does/) [Donald Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-judd/) > [The longest break I have taken in my life was 14 days. On the 15th day, I started getting impatient to start work again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/the-longest-break-i-have-taken-in-my-life-was-14-days-on-the-15th-day/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [Whenever you start working on something, you have to go about it with the underlying assumption that this puzzle has a solution, right? If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyan-slat/whenever-you-start-working-on-something-you-have-to-go-about-it-with/) [Boyan Slat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyan-slat/) > [When you first start working for me, directly for me, I micromanage until I trust you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/when-you-first-start-working-for-me-directly-for-me-i-micromanage/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [We are not being true to the artist as a man if we consider his art work junk simply because we differ with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-not-being-true-to-the-artist-as-a-man-if-we-consider-his-art/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That's what I like: to kind of get up and start working right away in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramin-djawadi/that-s-what-i-like-to-kind-of-get-up-and-start-working-right-away-in/) [Ramin Djawadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramin-djawadi/) > [The JCPOA is working - preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. It's time for the Republicans to start working, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-schakowsky/the-jcpoa-is-working-preventing-iran-from-developing-a-nuclear-weapon/) [Jan Schakowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-schakowsky/) > [I went to London to do the stuff. I was like "What am I going to do? What's going to happen?" But then once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/i-went-to-london-to-do-the-stuff-i-was-like-what-am-i-going-to-do/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) [Browse all 484 Art work quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-work/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I turn on the machines and start to think about ideas and take it from there, it usually begins if it's a beat, a track creating a beat/beats and then the bass-line/lines, then comes the sounds--drones, atmospherics etc, then the edits of various sounds I created and keep going till I feel I have enough sounds ideas to start working and building a track. 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