I’m starting to use more than one alias now. Not sure yet if it’s going to end up being a good idea, but it’s a way for me to categorize different styles/workflows. I use Evasive Maneuvers or EvMan for the overarching stuff, and go on little excursions into other genres and techniques, which I’ll then give a name also starting with Ev.
So now I just made this EP as EvTek, which is my angry hardcore/breakcore hardware live set alias. The next thing I want to do is finish all my Octamed tracker tunes and release them as EvMod.
I see these projects as kind of mini versions of EvMan that have their own distinct personalities.
It’s super dorky.
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Each type of music I’ve worked on: Hip Hop, Techno, Minimal, Electro, Ghettotech, Ambient, House, DnB/Jungle, and “experimental” gets a different name. It makes the most sense to me to do it that way and keep things siloed by genre.
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i always use Groesk for anything electronic related, even if it makes my discog disjointed. i find that better than making a new alias for each new thing i want to do.
i use Rultch for metal related stuff, which will probably stay as death metal centered. its half of what i listen to.
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I have wondered about this too!
I know some artists like Richard D. James use to use a ton of different names (Aphex Twin, AFX, The Tuss, Gak, Bradley Strider, Caustic Window, Polygon Window…), being a big fan of his work, sometimes I can’t tell why he picked one name over another when some sound pretty similar (Caustic/Polygon Window) other names the distinction makes sense–AFX is more analog based acid techno compared to The Tuss.
As for me, I have 2 names, I made them because of the drastic difference in styles.
Gadfly (my main), I use for all things electronic. IDM, Acid Techno, etc. If I’m making something with synths, sequencers, drum machines, and I can move to it; I’ll release it under this name.
I’m working on a new project, it’s been in the works for about a year now, I haven’t released anything under it yet, but it is a completely different style. NO synths, drum machines, and you can’t move to it. I’m using found sounds, and physical instruments (guitar, bass, mandolin, toy piano, the list goes on), and heavy computer processing to create it. I’m approaching it from a drone/ambient/post-rock angle, miles away from IDM/Techno. I couldn’t release it under my main, it just wouldn’t make sense.
I’m sure it works for some people to have glitchy drum’n’bass track sitting next to something that sounds like it could have been a B-side from Swans–Soundtracks for the Blind, but that just doesn’t work for me.
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