From Kent Williams Sent Mon, Aug 23rd 1999, 02:50
From Kent Williams Sent Mon, Aug 23rd 1999, 02:50
On Sun, 22 Aug 1999 xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx wrote: > > I don't see why everyone's so hysterical about tunes. There seems to be some > sugestion that the tune (ie the order of frequencies of sound waves) is in > some way 'primary', and that the rhythms underneath it, the type of sound > used, the degree of dsp buggery and so on are just decorations. That view of melody (or more generally harmonic progression) is the cornerstone of western music. It took Africa (and African Americans) to bring rhythm and drums up to where they are co-equal with harmony in Western Music. When you hear a melody it has an emotional resonance that is, for most people, lacking in pure rhythm music. But that doesn't need to be the case -- when a good DJ drops "The Bells" by Jeff Mills into a set, you would need a heart of stone to resist the propulsive mood of that track. I personally am so attracted to Dance music because it emphasises rhythm and sound design over melody. When someone can really mesh harmony and rhythm (i.e. Muziq on a good day), it's a bonus. I don't think that regarding rhythm and DSP buggery as peripheral to harmony is that common among IDM list members frankly. But when an artist is able to work with harmonic progressions in that context, people notice it and comment on it.