Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As a registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name.
Deep Space NYC: Message Board
Deep Space NYC :: View topic - Random observation of the day
Thought occasioned by Sasha In Flagranti's DJ set last night: not every song needs an edit.
The effect seemed to be to diminish each song's individuality and increase the consistency of sound from track-to-track. The whole set had a vibe, but the individual tracks did not... Seems sort of a cop-out way to achieve a vibe to me, though. Not any different from playing a whole bunch of paint-by-numbers house or minimal tracks...
Joined: May 31, 2003 Posts: 2094 Location: in range
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 6:00 pm Post subject:
ttauri wrote:
Thought occasioned by Sasha In Flagranti's DJ set last night: not every song needs an edit.
The effect seemed to be to diminish each song's individuality and increase the consistency of sound from track-to-track. The whole set had a vibe, but the individual tracks did not... Seems sort of a cop-out way to achieve a vibe to me, though. Not any different from playing a whole bunch of paint-by-numbers house or minimal tracks... Peece, T. Tauri
The same could be said (and was said!) about using drum machines with the same tired stock samples, rather than recording live drums for every song.
Although Dâm Funk is doing a mighty fine job of rehashing the DMX stock ROM samples with great success. But that's because it's now so retro 28 years after the fact.!!
Thought occasioned by Sasha In Flagranti's DJ set last night: not every song needs an edit.
True.
FK wrote:
The same could be said (and was said!) about using drum machines with the same tired stock samples, rather than recording live drums for every song.
My mate's next door neighbour was a drummer (and quite possibly still is) and I remember feeling a bit smug about the "keep music live" sticker on his car in the '80s. At the time I thought that modern production techniques and technology were the future of music, sweeping all before them. But he and others were right (kind of). Edits and samples have their place, but they can't replace music made by real musicians...
The same could be said (and was said!) about using drum machines with the same tired stock samples, rather than recording live drums for every song.
True. I think in all things music, I tend toward a "too much of a thing is too much" philosophy.
Sasha's set also brought to mind a wrinkle I've noticed in the mash-up world: if playing mash-ups (or edits) is a selling point of your set, then it becomes a problem if you play songs that people aren't familiar with, as they then may not realize that what you're playing is, in fact, a mash-up (edit).... So to make sure the audience is in on the trick, you kind of have to play songs that they're already familiar with in their original form....
Anyway...
Personally, I'd find it interesting to see someone pull off a megamix of contemporary music in a fresh way... (Sets aside idea as a personal project for another time, right next to my "Vocorders/Autotunes of the World" mixtape...)
There's a difference between expressing ideas that were meaningful back in the day, and expressing "back in the day": this difference is what makes Abe Duque & Blake Baxter's "Acid" a better song than their "What Happened?"
Just ripped Michael Watford's "Holding On" and strikes as a bit sad that songs like this don't have a (legit) digital life because they were on majors.
It's an easy trap for people whose lives revolve around digging for beats to make the performances that result speak largely about digging for beats--as if the passion of shopping for records was the fundamental thing.
Nah.
The trick is to channel the grander passions within the music we love--the love, anger, insecurity, hatred of injustice, joy, and so on and so forth--and make those part of our own creative voice too. Making and playing music that basically just says how much you love music isn't enough. To quote Bruce Lee, we need emotional content. "It is like a finger pointing a way to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all that heavenly glory."
Interesting experience seeing the Chicago Afrobeat Project last night. Lots of cognitive dissonance.
On the one hand, as with, say, Daptone artists or Breakestra, I have this frustration of hearing something that's kind of a pantomime of other music that I love. The act of tribute means that here is a musical form that can't really break away from its influences and become its own living, breathing thing. So there isn't any shock of the new or of the musicians' own distinct personalities shining through.
On the other hand, it's truly wonderful to hear afrobeat played live. It's the way it should be experienced, and it's great to have that opportunity, and we should have that opportunity. It would truly suck to lose the experiences of live afrobeat or R&B (in Daptone/Breakestra's case) and only have the records to understand these genres.
So that was one element of the cognitive dissonance. The other was walking past a number of African-run businesses and restaurants in the venue's neighborhood, only to join an audience almost entirely white like us. Dismaying that events like this don't connect to the significant African community here. Wonder what can be done to improve that.
On another note--struck by how singular Fela's sound is. As much as there's quite a bit of African music using the same funk/soul influences, when you hear a Fela song, you know it's him.
Joined: May 31, 2003 Posts: 2094 Location: in range
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:01 pm Post subject:
ttauri wrote:
It's an easy trap for people whose lives revolve around digging for beats to make the performances that result speak largely about digging for beats--as if the passion of shopping for records was the fundamental thing.
Nah.
The trick is to channel the grander passions within the music we love--the love, anger, insecurity, hatred of injustice, joy, and so on and so forth--and make those part of our own creative voice too. Making and playing music that basically just says how much you love music isn't enough. To quote Bruce Lee, we need emotional content. "It is like a finger pointing a way to the moon. Don't concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all that heavenly glory."
Peece,
T. Tauri
I'm still digesting this one... very interesting observation!!
I'm still digesting this one... very interesting observation!!
Heard some sets recently that were full of technical finesse, but had a hard time feeling like more was being expressed than "isn't it cool that I've got all these records you haven't heard before?"
I once had the unexpected request to put together a mix for the delivery of a friend's child... Over the years, I've been really grateful for that project: I had to understand what I was doing on so many levels! Technical stuff like ensuring that the energy levels suited the PUUUUUUUSHING (the main reason I was asked to do it), that there weren't any key clashes or jarring transitions; but most importantly, I had to really think about the emotional statement each song was making, how the lyrics expressed the moment, how they suited my friends' relationship in particular, etc etc. It was a breakthrough for me to understanding where I was supposed to be as a DJ--in terms of putting all the technique and record collection and so forth in the service of a purpose, and that was what mattered. When it was done right, awareness of the technique disappeared...
Less than 24 hours in Miami (WMC), and I already wish I had a blog for random observations. It would probably be quiet as the grave the rest of the year doe, so probably not a good idea to start one.
I'll return with a few of them later.
Edit: wonder what has happened to my avatar. _________________ Marius
---
twitter
You know the type. Or at least you do if you've ever played any kind of sport. The kind that live out their dream through their offspring. They're most often recognized by the tendency to scream very loud at referees and like if things are going offspring's way. This even if offspring themselves doesn't seem to give a rat's ass.
Didn't know they existed in dance music until today, but I am now in a position to bring you this breaking piece of news from my Miami hotel room: they actually do! A mint condition one observed with own eyes in badge pickup line this morning. Scenario went something like this: young aspiring tech house producer (hereafter referred to as "YATHP") meets aquintance in the line (disclaimer: I'm guessing at music style, but judging from the music profile down here, I'd say I have approximately 97 % chance of being right). Aquintance greets YATHP, whereafter YATHP's dad enters the scene rather violently. Greetings are exchanged. YATHP's dad gets to say hello to Aquintance's girlfriend. YATHP's asks Aquintance (as well as the rest of the room) if he've heard that YATHP has "been signed". Aquintance has not heard this, but is very happy for YATHP. Aquitance then moves on to telling YATHP that he'd like to bring him somewhere to play at Aquintance's residency. YATHP's dad replies that this would be very swell, as long as he gets him in as well. At this point, YATHP just grins like an idiot. They exchange numbers and YATHP and YATHP's dad leave.
It almost brought a tear to my eye, taking me back to my days as a tennis player - especially the time I spent here. No offense, but the type seems to be more common in the US for some reason.
Which brings me to my second observation of the day:
#2: "I got SIGNED!"
Wohoo! So happy for you! Let's bring out the confetti and throw you a friggin parade! What was the label called you say? Maddoff Records? Brilliant!
I have the pleasure of seeing this reaction a lot in my job (attorney in organization representing artists/musician for those of you that don't know). So basicly what you're saying is this: someone handed you a piece of paper where it says (and I empasize "says") they're gonna print cds/press records/make a file with your music on available? Are they gonna pay you as well? No, I didn't think so.
No this rant isn't an attack on labels. I'm merely pointing out the fact (which isn't in any way revolutionary) that "being signed" in general doesn't mean shit. I wanted to shake YATHP's dad by the collar this morning. Obviously I didn't. For all I know YATHP is the new van Dyk, and about to make millions. Getting signed to a good label is fantastic - one that gives you a decent offer, does a good job and actually pays you in the end. But trust me when I say they're in a minority.
I guess the essence of all this was that it never stops amazing me how enthusiastic musicians get at the prospect of giving away their music. _________________ Marius
---
twitter
re: The Lower East Side Pipes - "Disorganized Corruption": a pressing such as this is not the record to include a message to "Mother Fuck MP3's and Wav files too!"
Joined: May 31, 2003 Posts: 2094 Location: in range
Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 9:10 am Post subject:
Some random thoughts, and a very recurring topic that many people could possibly find cryptic:
"Even though music as a product continues to steadily lose whatever commercial shelf value it once may have held, it is quite interesting to notice that there is a much more stable value to information about, classification of, filtering and presentation of that same and now practically-worthless music."
And also: "While people are clearly less and less willing to pay for it, they are increasingly selective as to what they pick and chose of the free stuff. "
All times are GMT - 5 Hours Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5Next
Page 1 of 5
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
True.
