From David O Sent Tue, Aug 10th 1999, 20:24
I am no purist. I love chiastic slide, and it's full of dsp type stuff..... but I hate the twitchy stuff in between all Ae's lp5 tracks, and the pointless secret track on Ep7. It's not a song or even a coherent recording. I love noise but not structureless atonality. I can press record on GranuLab and fool with the parameters for awhile, and produce a 10-minute noise opus that sounds just like Ae. Believe me, once you hear what granular synthesis sounds like you'll probably recognize how much Autechre has been overusing it. want a WAV? email me The problem is structure. Since most DSP algorithms at their extremes tend toward white noise (i.e. random signal) excessive DSP can obliterate structure and timbre and just produce junk. Anyone who's used Buzz will recognize the sound of the "FXor" plugin (or a vst equivalent): Anything you play into it makes exactly the same sound coming out. Good DSP alters sounds, makes new and interesting sounds, and can produce otherworldly timbres (i.e. chiastic slide.) The key is structure and restraint. Note: dsp is just an example. I am not arguing against digital technology in any form; that debate is over anyway. The interaction between music and technology is what produced this kind of music in the first place.