So, I am notoriously terrible at organizing my work (or at least I have been traditionally for most of my producing days). In the past when I start a new project, I always name it something stupid, ridiculous, or crazy because I have no idea how to name incomplete or rubbish tracks.
I thought it would be amusing to post some of my old project names. I know I can’t possibly be the only one that does this, so I think we should get a thread dedicated to everyone’s strange project names.
Here are some of mine…
A Big Stupid Garbage Truck
Binge Head
Brandon’s Uncle Crimpy
Brent
Brent’s Tent
Clunk Monkeys Go To Work
Commander, We Have Forensics
Dolly Frugal Kelp
Drop Forged Steel 8"
Feed Sammy The Grease
Flat Baron Steak
From Crops to Scotch
fucking crabs FUCK!
Guy’s french freezer
Guys is stealing fakery bakery
Harmit Scandal in Taiwan
HOWS THIS GRANDMA!?!?!?!?!
I have like 57 teeth this morning
I’m not so sure about this fence
It’s a great day for calcium
Living in spinetown for the week
Mace the President (hmm… this one was done in 2011)
Mystery meat is the shit
No one is apple
No one is apple again and again
One guitar shitty p diddy plan dan
Relinquish the frostbite
Return my craisins immediately
Reverse potential diving machine
Rumple Crumps
Scandal at the barbershop
Simple fpandis brands
Smimple
Some fucking grieving hats
Some new hats to gargle
Spundles forsooth
Things that angela faked as garnish
time time time time Fuck
trouble with gumbo
I typically use a header based on what I am working with.
Ie. Nameless_Bb_265_Am7-11 would be something like nameless (ie working title),
Bb (breakbeat, changes based on project),
265 is the tempo
Am7-11 is the key, and chord types.
This was the method we used in post production studios, at Tesla, and typically most studios.
For sound design and exercises… separate folders titled stuff like
Big Farts
The Crackheads Late Night Street Recordings
Beats, bops, and voxs
Master Splinter and the wingnutz
These are not bass
Yeah I got noise, so what?!!
Did you say, you need a drone
Don’t touch my purse
Seeing that has made me realize my organization doesn’t seem so hot either ahaha,
I try to save the stuff I’m interested in continuing in the not very good stuff folder. the random date file is normally how I name them appending a number for each “meaningful” change I make for it. I used to name them keyboard smash type names a long time ago, but then it just felt like I had severe dyslexia when I would look through the folders lol.
Interesting subject… I use goofy names when it’s experimental, or a random jam or field recording. But even the goofy names will have some reference to what is in the recording or the event, so that I have some inkling of what is in there a year or two later.
Some Examples:
Kalimba Flute
Kalimba Jangle WIP 06
Blues Synth SK01
Dark Synth
Bar Background
Wockano Background
Good at 160 and 260
A Bit O Slide
Midnight Jam
Any Door to Oscar
These are mostly working titles. I use a lot of SK 01 (for sketches) or WIP 01 as the piece is progressing. Over time, if a piece starts to gel, I’ll come up with a release title. Sometimes some or all of the goofy working title will stick.
Periodically I delete stuff I’m not excited about so that I never waste more time listening to it.
It can get confusing though as well. If something is more than month old I have to launch my DAW and listen to know what it is : ) I’ve always hated coming up with titles and that is something I have to let develop along the way.
My brother and i usually have the date, then make up something random or something to do with what we just ate for dinner. Or the gear that we used in the jam.
Dosa Pain
DRM_Foogers_MKS70
LFOBEATS - which turned out to be my instagram handle.
Demoncore
Mf107_tape
Vermona_E1005_Drumbrute jams
Lfobeats_again
Lfobeats_again_again
Pastabake jams
Peaches and sausages jams
Prefrontal jams
Fuck the date (in the morning)
Christ jams - (it was Christmas)
that’s the thing. you can name something unique and fun but it still irrelevant to your memory of what it sounds like. Although, with those jams I did, I can just about remember by what gear was used, but only if the jam was memorable!
