From Michael Shepherd Sent Mon, Jul 27th 1998, 10:27
From Michael Shepherd Sent Mon, Jul 27th 1998, 10:27
>Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 16:42:35 -0700 >From: Rychard <xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx.xxx> >To: IDM <xxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx> >Subject: (idm) The Farmers Manual ? > >I just picked up Explores We. First let me say that I appreciate noise. I both like & understand Richard James’s music and Autechre is >one of my favorite bands, but I do not get The Farmers Manual. Hmmm....you just might have to be more patient with Farmers Manual. You said that you appreciate noise, but you probably meant you appreciate noise in small doses when combined with more recognizable song structures. Autechre and Aphex dabble with noise, but they use it sparingly to texture their music. With Farmers Manual, all you are getting is just the pure noise. In "Explorers_We", The noise is the music. After I had been listening to electronic music for awhile, I noticed that some of the everyday sounds around me started to sound more musical: The hum or noises of a computer, fan, refrigerator, or washing machine, etc. This is because of bands like Autechre and Aphex who gave me a deeper appreciation of sound. Not just certain sounds, but ALL sound. Farmers Manual is the next logical step in that kind of appreciation of sound. Now, just about every sound I hear has a bit of musicality to it. Perhaps what would make Explorers_We more understandable to you are a few cds which are a transition from Autechre and Aphex to Farmers Manual. For example, for people who have only heard Autechre's Incunabula, I don't recommend that they listen to Chiastic Slide next. I usually suggest that they listen to Amber, Tri Repeatae, and Envane first. That way, they can gradually work their way to Chiastic Slide's noisy harshness and understand what's going on when they hear it. Hear are a few "transition" cds which prepared me for Farmers Manual: Matmos: "Quasi-Objects" and their self-titled debut lp are perfect! Speedy J: "Public Energy No. 1" Another winner! Panasonic: "Kulma" is probably the last step before Farmers Manual. There is more noise than structure, but still more structure than Farmers Manual. Autechre: "Autechre" The dark grey cd. Not relevant to what I'm saying, but I just got it and it's ace! >The first several tracks are all but silent and the next 30 tracks >sound like a distant recording of someone cleaning their house. Somewhere around track 39 there is some kind of music, but it does not >seem to me to be anything special. I thought I had forgotten to press play on the cd player during the first five minutes :-) Even though it's barely audible, there is something going on. It's all a part of appreciating sound (or it's noticeable absence) Give it time...Good luck! ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com