Re: (idm) on reviewing music

From Will Samuels
Sent Fri, Mar 19th 1999, 00:38

--Alex Reynolds <xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxxxx.xxx> wrote:
>
> will,
> 
> >Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 21:43:12 -0800 (PST)
> >From: Will Samuels <x_xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx>
> >Subject: Re: (idm) Jega slaggin' and some other stuff.....
> >
> >...What kills most e-coms for me is that alot of people aren't
critical
> >enough or just hype anything remotely IDM-oriented. Reading great
> >things about mediocre music makes me wary about trusting opinions on
> >the list. Stop polishing turds...
> 
> briefly, i recall a bit from 'retina' -- an electronic music zine from
> baltimore -- stating its review policy: (this is from memory, mind
you)
> "why waste time and paper reviewing shitty records? we only publish
reviews
> of stuff we think is legitimately good music."

That's a good policy! Often the magazines say good things about free
stuff they review. I have nothing but good things to say about Magic
Feet because I think they are pretty critical and credible!
 
> barring the odd warning about a real stinker of a release (where the
hell
> were you people when 'urmur bile trax' came out?) i think this is a
very
> good policy.

I was on the list then but never hyped that. I've already said this in
another post, i really disagree with alot of people's attitudes that a
popular IDM artist can do no wrong (meaning low quality control). 

> i don't know about others on the list, but in my fast-paced,
> adrenalin-fueled lifestyle, in order to keep up with what's going on
i have
> to quickly scan the IDM digest for news on artists i know, and then
-- if i
> have time -- read the well-written, well-thought-out reviews of
artists i'm
> not familiar with.

I read part of the emails from this list and other lists. Read emails
from record stores and read mags if I have the time. Luckily, I live
close to some good record stores and can listen to most stuff that I
am looking for. So I don't really too heavily merely on posts...thank
goodness.
 
> perhaps people are not so handy with the proverbial golden shovel so
much
> as you disagree with their pov. consider moving on and reading the
reviews
> from those you trust to share your perspective. surely there is
*someone*
> on the list with similar taste in music?

Certainly there are some people whose opinions I value over others.
They are usually on the same lists (IDM, 313, G-Tech) that I am on.
And then there are some locals on the list that share their music with
others.

Cheers
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