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Is music loosing it's meaning.
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| Richard Butler |
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?
:nervous: |
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| Kysora |
| "Meaning" is subjective. Listen to Benn Jordan if you want an example of someone who still pours their life into their music. |
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| cryophonik |
| 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. |
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| Richard Butler |
| 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. |
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| tehlord |
| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| Richard Butler |
| 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? |
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| tehlord |
| 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? |
knows.
But let's face it, a lot of it is about selling other stuff now anyway.
Ringtones and hair gel, or whatever. |
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| Nemesis44 |
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 |
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| Rusty O'Hara |
| quote: | | Originally posted by Richard Butler As you may have guesses, I've had a few bears |
:eyes: |
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| Richard Butler |
| 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.
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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 |
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| nortek |
| 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. |
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