Oh I'm a huge music fan. In fact I used to compose and produce music back in the 90s and 00s (and obviously listened to it long before that) and spent much of the last decade DJing in house and techno clubs (though not as a headliner, sadly). So I've been an observer of formulas used within music for quite some time :)

In fact I used to deliberately play off contrasting formulas just to challenge peoples perceptions of what music they like or should expect from a specific genre. I'll be honest, sometimes with little success. But enough times I'd create something unique and engaging enough to make the failed attempts worthwhile.

I wish I still had the time for all this, but it's really an all or nothing passion; you really need to dedicate your life to it otherwise you're never going to be happy with your output (particularly if you're hypercritical of your own work, like I am). Sadly my wife doesn't share the same passion, so it's hard to justify spending weeks locked in my modest home studio. So these days I just produce the odd novelty record for NYE house parties, friends weddings and such like.