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Is music loosing it's meaning.

When I were a lad, music had meaning - it was the backdrop to a life growing up, an eye opener, full of surprise and lofty ideals.

When Nirvana came out with 'that track' (1993 I think), it carried so much narrative to my life - a surprise package, an emmotional rollercoaster, a signpost or marker to the every day hum drum.

That was how music was back then. If some punk battled his way through the crowd and got recognised and signed, boy it really meant something. He'd pounded his life n soul into a track, it was a part of him and the gatekeepers - the A&R's filtered all the mediocre stuff out to find this gem, this signpost in your life.

Now what do we have; A commidification. Everyone clamouring for attention in an electronic landscape where they count thier 'freinds' each day.
Lots of people somewhere out there that seem little more than robots with thier "jj vansashusm ft melmac, yadya yada, hell mix, +'.

Everything fleeting and rushed, no time to be surprised or savour a track, it's all hussle hussle, look at me, must get on the latest social networking service - that's it, music is now just a commodidity, a service, something to be pimped, something to be sold. We crave attention and indeed expect it as a right - fame please on a platter.

As you may have guesses, I've had a few bears, am I making any sense, or is this justv a waste of your time?

So now I'm thinking whether it's even possible to stand out anymore when every other email is telling you of the 'next big thang'.

Is it me or do you find yourself overwhelmed with a tidal wave of new releases to swim through?

"Meaning" is subjective. Listen to Benn Jordan if you want an example of someone who still pours their life into their music.

Re: Is music loosing it's meaning.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler As you may have guesses, I've had a few bears,...

Dead giveaway.

Me - I prefer to NOT look for meaning in dance music. If I want music with meaning, I'll listen to, or create, something else.

Re: Re: Is music loosing it's meaning.

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik Dead giveaway. Me - I prefer to NOT look for meaning in dance music. If I want music with meaning, I'll listen to, or create, something else.

'meaning' is perhaps the wrong word. Kraftwerk you might say was cold robotic electronica but it was so fresh and new that it encaspulated a special moment in time, a new part of the journey.
That there is something your senses could latch onto and consume like a leach.

I remember the first 'proper' edm track as the 1987 - 'Love can't turn around' by Steve Silk Hurley which I class more as out and out dance than Donna Summers 'I feel love' - I think - hey what was your first 'proper' edm track?

EDITED - for beer errors.

Re: Re: Is music loosing it's meaning.

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik Dead giveaway. Me - I prefer to NOT look for meaning in dance music. If I want music with meaning, I'll listen to, or create, something else.

Well said old chap. Dance music once meant 'fun'

Oh bollocks, i'm at it too.

And another thing. I remember 20 years ago people maybe taking their music seriously, but these days it appears that they take themselves seriously instead/as well.

quote:

Originally posted by tehlord And another thing. I remember 20 years ago people maybe taking their music seriously, but these days it appears that they take themselves seriously instead/as well.

Yeah, imagine a cool rocker just making his sh1t for it's own sake without all the thoughts of his profile on Twitter, myspace, youtube, facebookl, beebo, that new IT Tunes one, Last FM, Spotify - Imean who's the poor barsteward on the end of all this hype actaualy consuming the music?

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler Yeah, imagine a cool rocker just making his sh1t for it's own sake without all the thoughts of his profile on Twitter, myspace, youtube, facebookl, beebo, that new IT Tunes one, Last FM, Spotify - Imean who's the poor barsteward on the end of all this hype actaualy consuming the music?

Fuck knows.

But let's face it, a lot of it is about selling other stuff now anyway.

Ringtones and hair gel, or whatever.

I think the landscape of music has changed that we are stull strugling to keep up to be honest.
I think the loss of vinyl has broken down a barrier between the the up and commers vs the household names.
It is probably fair to say that the household names have become less respected as it is possible for a kid at home with half a brain and some talent to duplicate what is done by the big names. A lot of stuff these days doesn't get signed, but may well have done ten years ago.

That said, a lot of young producers tend to forget that it's not the sound quality of finish on a track that gets attention but quality song writing that does the job. In my opinion the whole music industry is suffering from a lack of originality and good song writers.

The internet has also spawned so many sub genres of music of all kinds that producers and bands can never hope to achieve the same levels of success that were once enjoyed by artists.

Take the beatles for example. We will probably never ever see that again, back in those days there was far less choice and for a record label, pressing a track was an investment. MP3 is a very disposable format and in comparison requires far less financial input so the risks are reduced.

Music is cheaper and people buying the stuff can afford more of it, hence we are struck by choice overload and may not become as attatched to music.

Singing contests have also cheapened the arts and artists these days are gaining over night success, given badly written songs that are almost guaranteed to sell because we have had them shamelessly promoted to us every week for months on end.

Because a large number of us are producing our own material we in turn have also closed the gap between those we once held in high regard and have a much more critical ear to music we hear elsewhere and it has lost its magic to some degree, compared to someone who neither DJs or producers who may well be easier to impress.
Something that I call 'The Curse of the DJ' is when you go to a club and you hear a DJ that isn't as good as you are and you can't focus on having a good time because his mistakes are like torture for your ears yet most of your friends are having a great time because they are not hearing the samething that you are.

Not to mention, back in 93... wtf did we know of anyting back then he he. It's all part of the ageing process... all that noise of the young kids today.

I don't know... my two cents worth

Cheers
Nem

Re: Is music loosing it's meaning.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler As you may have guesses, I've had a few bears

quote:

Originally posted by Nemesis44 That said, a lot of young producers tend to forget that it's not the sound quality of finish on a track that gets attention but quality song writing that does the job. In my opinion the whole music industry is suffering from a lack of originality and good song writers.

I agree apart form on the pop scene. So many decent orignal tunes such as 'this club is dynamite' - we can poopoo easily as cheese, but in reality those uber catcy riffs are incredibly hard to come up with.

In a while I'm going to focus on a pop number or 2 with hopefuly the right balance of catchy and urban cool that all the real young kids I know just love.

A young kid (10) said to me he doesn't like my stuff as it's all banging drums with no hookey bits! Greattttt

this "meaning" as you call it, i consider some sort of religion, hence why i only like the meaninglessness of edm already from early age.

post this in the music discussion, you know the appropriate forum for this. im sure there are some guys that will give you their opinions. stop worrying about this shit anyways, focus on the good, if you cant find anything good then bug off.

theres already so much negativity in the scene.

Re: Is music loosing it's meaning.

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler As you may have guesses, I've had a few bears

Sounds hot.

damn , since when did nortek start hitting the gym. I'd let him cuddle him.

quote:

Originally posted by Nemesis44 That said, a lot of young producers tend to forget that it's not the sound quality of finish on a track that gets attention but quality song writing that does the job. In my opinion the whole music industry is suffering from a lack of originality and good song writers.

Just the young producers? It's the whole scene in general. These days I'd rather listen to pop because it's superior in almost every way.

People rather talk about loudness, than vibrato. They rather talk about side chain compression, than dynamic expression. There's the culture surrounding EDM that is more engineering than actual art.

Luckily I got out of that whole mind set that mixing and mastering are important. They aren't. There are several times where I blamed a lack of delay or a lack of verb for my music sucking, but if I'm really honest with myself it has nothing to do with the mixing tools.

I know I am the minority and that's fine by me. It just gives me an edge.

Re: Is music loosing it's meaning.

Malcolm Gladwell: My goal is to do less things online, not more.

Interviewer: Why?

Gladwell: Well, because I have a limited amount of time.

Interviewer: Do you feel it clutters you?

Gladwell: My whole goal in the world is to clear big spaces of time to think and to explore and to follow my curiosity, and if I'm constantly on my Blackberry it kind of chews into what's important.

---

Maybe replace "Blackberry" with message boards, social networks, or other time eaters.

the thing is many people dont care if their music has no meaning as long as it's doing something for them that's enough. a soulfull peace of music on the dance floor wont work unless its the right setting or time.

and in most cases people want to hear tunes to blow their mind and have a good dance to meaningfull or otherwise.


just get ya house head on that genre was made with fealing

quote:

Originally posted by Mad for Brad damn , since when did nortek start hitting the gym. I'd let him cuddle him.

what the hell are you talking about

just saying you are looking good these days. No need to make everything so gay all the time.

ban

I thought all Norwegians were bi curious. Something about the cold weather and hairy women. Oh well. Your loss.

quote:

Originally posted by Beatflux There's the culture surrounding EDM that is more engineering than actual art.

i agree with this, nice post.

Music is what you want it to be. If i'm not mistaken you have choices. The problem is not music, it is your perception that good music has to come from a system where you are spoon fed what to listen to. What you are saying is that you are too lazy or too dependent on a system to give you good music. Wake up...thats not the case anymore. Find the music you want music to be. Is that so hard?

:: puts Mad for Brad on ignore ahead of time ::

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