- Is the Magic lost ? -

I eat everyday but I try to add variety to my meals. I try to do the same with my music consuption. Do you do the same or do you listen to mostly similar kinds of music? Are you speaking more in the terms of "EM/New Age" styles of music?

I take a break from music from time to time. In life, different things come my way so I may put in more time doing other things other than listening to music.
I haven't bought much music in the last 2 years. But for the 5 years prior to that I bought hundreds of cds, lps, 12"s, tapes. I started spending that money on other things like travelling, fine cusine, etc.

you are correct, my style of making music is changed also during the years.
but also the time I need to create an album. some hear it others not

There's some great stuff out there, but you have to look in different places to find it. Often, it will not be available on a CD or offered from a label; more than likely you will have to download it or hear it played live. Don't expect to find it from the original pioneers or their followers. There are some great musicians out there that are getting ignored because they don't sound like TD or Schulze. They don't get the play on radio or the word of mouth from forums or fans that won't accept anything but the traditional sound.

I think there's a lot of new music around that's exciting and pushing the envelope. It's just not in the format that tradionalists are interested in. In the last 10 years the voice of rhythm has evolved by artists like Squarepusher, Richard Devine, Aphex Twin, etc. Many softsynths and beatboxes such as the MPC series have ushered in a new way of playing and composing. The keyboard and step sequencer are now options. In its day the Moog modular system and its step sequencer seemed new and refreshing. TD/Schulze embraced that sound and developed a genre that is still loved and emulated by many. After many decades I'm finding that sound to be predictable. I'm finding some of the Live PAs are coming up with some interesting tracks that inspire me. Although, most of their work is focussed on the dance markets, I think their approaches are refreshing.

There's magic out there, but you may have to look outside the box.

My point is that you can utilize their approach and use it in other ways. It doesn't have to be for dance music. For example: Ableton Live, a mainstay software for PAs, can be applied to ambient for some startling sounds. It's thought of by many as a sequencer or loop player, but with a knob laden controller, it becomes an instrument in its own right. It can be a break from or used in tandem with traditional 12 note scales normally played via a keyboard or step sequencer.

I see the future of EM to be positive and innovative. The tools are there, and new ones are being produced all the time.