Why Nocturnal Feels Like the Start of Something New

Hey friends,

A few days ago I sat down in my studio with no plan, no project file, no deadline. Just the Push 3 running standalone, the Moog Mother-32 patched into something I hadn't tried before, and the Microcosm pedal waiting to turn whatever I played into something I couldn't predict. What came out of that session surprised me -- and honestly, it scared me a little too.

Where this has been growing

If you've been following me for a while, this shift won't come as a complete surprise. As you already know from my track Dune, I've been drawn to slower, more atmospheric spaces for a while now. Longer notes, less kick drum, more room to breathe. My Shelter performance took that even further into ambient territory. But for a long time, I treated those projects as side explorations rather than something I'd actively pursue.

What happened with Nocturnal

Nocturnal feels different because it's not just another experiment -- it's a conscious decision to develop this sound further. I let the Push 3 pads ring out, gave the Mother-32 these slow, evolving sequences, and ran everything through the Microcosm to create textures I'd never heard in my own music before. No click track, no arrangement, no structure -- just listening and reacting.

Here's the thing: I haven't had that much fun creating in a long time. And when making music feels like that -- when you lose track of time and forget to check your phone -- that's usually a sign you're moving in the right direction.

The vulnerable part

Putting this out there feels different from uploading a melodic techno set. With techno, I know the audience, I know what works. With this kind of ambient music, I'm still figuring things out. I don't know if the people who followed me for driving basslines and arpeggios will connect with something this slow and quiet.

But I think that's exactly why it matters. The moments where you feel most uncertain about your creative choices are often the moments right before real growth happens. Not the comfortable "I know exactly what I'm doing" sessions -- the ones where you're genuinely not sure if it's good.

More is coming

Nocturnal, Dune, Shelter -- looking at them together, I can see a thread that's been there for a while. The difference now is that I'm not treating it as a side thing anymore. I'm actively working on more projects in this direction because this is where the energy is right now. Not leaving melodic techno behind -- just giving another part of my musical identity the room it's been asking for.

If you're sitting on a creative impulse that doesn't quite fit what you've been doing, maybe this is your nudge to follow it. You might be surprised what comes out.

Stay creative,
Milan

P.S.: I'd love to hear if you've ever made a creative shift like this. Come share your story in the Melodic Minds Discord -- these conversations always inspire me: https://discord.gg/gWg4ddkeDb