Re: (idm) friday's (musical) musings

From TheevilD
Sent Sat, Sep 4th 1999, 11:06

>Wouldn't it be safe to say that the production techniques and music-tech in 
>general be so advanced that what we call crisp clean production today will 
>in the future be the equivalent of us listening to scratchy 78's from 
>mid-century? Who'd want to listen to those old crappy stereo recordings 
>when you have you're 8.1 surround sound set up that gives you the full joy 
>of the recent octosonicly enhanced
>releases,

I don't see this as a factor. You still watch, say, Casablanca or Citizen 
Kane even though they aren't in colour; anyhow, I like scratchy 78's.

>Listening to the majority of 
>releases from the early nineties, except for a few timeless albums and 
>others released years before their time, is already just for those moments 
>when you reminisce about good old days and faves of the day. 

You think so? I hadn't heard of idm for much of the early nineties, but 
getting hold of it now, it sounds pretty good. Sure, the majority of records 
from any period seem slightly weak in retrospect, but thats not because the 
music dates. Its more that we tend to be more excited (and less honest) about 
the exciting new 12". (Sorry if thats what you were saying all along).

>One can only drool in neophilic lust in expectation of the sounds we can 
>only theorize about at this time, if these past few years are any signifier 
>of the growth and audio mutations to come.

Even better, we can start trying to make them (and fail, rather often. I 
speak from experience on this one). We'd be a bit daft to sit around waiting 
for progress to happen like its an entirely natural force.

>I'd like to think we'll have our own electronic Mozart's and M. Davis's 
>once the inevitable maturation and mastering of our instruments occurs 
>along with the extra couple of decades it'll take for those who were born 
>listening solely to electronic music to come into their own.

That's true. Although I don't think its about solely listening to electronic 
music. Its more the people for whom synths and glitches and idm generally 
have no novelty value, and can just be stuck into a musicians armoury for use 
when, and only when, they're needed. Its like the internet will probably only 
come into its own when the generation for whom the internet is perfectly 
normal takes control. I mean, I have no hang ups about buying on line, but my 
parents run a mile at the thought of it.

>A period of great change has barely started...

Second that.

Quote (slightly obvious one, but...)
'Electric music is the music of this culture and in the breaking away (not 
the breaking down) from previously assumed forms a new kind of music is 
emerging. the old forms are inadequate, not the old eternal verities but the 
old structures, and new music isn't new in that sense either, it is still 
creation which is life itself and it is only done in a new way with new 
materials."
Ralph J Gleason, sleevenotes of Bitches Brew