From BigKumquat Sent Fri, Jul 2nd 1999, 21:42
From BigKumquat Sent Fri, Jul 2nd 1999, 21:42
*** fellow pork-lover xxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx (Moonlight) writes: *** >> Yeah, but then you'd have one killer single. And one killer single with no other releases would seem very mysterious and make lotsa IDMers conjecture about who you really are (AFX?, not that you sound like him). << Right, you caught me...AFX I am, using my "kumquat" alter ego to employ the IDM list as a giant on-line focus group for my new musical direction. Please e-mail off-list with your critiques of my entire discography. Right, I'm off to George Robey pub, Finsbury Park, North London, for a pint. Hope I don't get glassed. (for more lies, check out the lies page on the kumquat website) >> >Song structure is always a problem for sampladelica, I guess.< I agree with Fred here. What? Song structure has never been important to electronic musicians.>> Even a lack of traditional structure amounts to a structure of some kind...is it possible to write a song with no structure whatsoever? If so, who has done it...pan sonic, perhaps? -- semantics warning meter light flashing -- << Sure, there are parts that i wish were repeated more, cos i really like them. Listening to it, i think "bring back that one part" and it doesn't and i don't mind too much. >> I sometimes think of kumquat as "short attention span" IDM in that the repetition factor is reduced. But you're welcome to use the rewind/replay button on your CD player to generate your own cutsom remix. *** xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxxx.xxx.xxx (Tom Millar) writes: *** >> >Right, well, I had to put them all in different places. If I put them all in the same song, then nobody would listen to the rest of the disc. It's like an Easter Egg hunt.< If you have good parts, go ahead and put them all together. Unless they got good purely by accident, you will have more good parts. Just condense & compile until it's all good. If you KNOW yourself that some parts of a track are weaker than others, then you owe it to yourself and your listeners to replace them or cut them out. I think that's the hardest thing to learn, making music, and it's probably why so many people stick to endless vamps for seven minutes... e.g. me. << Of course, I was being somewhat facetious in my original "easter egg" comment. There are parts of the kumquat disc I like better than others, I think that's only natural...but obviously I wouldn't have kept any parts that I didn't think were up to scratch. Plenty got edited out. I agree that learning how to edit/delete music appropriately is often even harder than the pure original creation of the music. What isn't there is as important as what is there. Or, it's not the notes, it's the rests between them. <<When I listen to your stuff, it sounds a lot like a DJ doing fast cuts back and forth between records. If I was into the whole battle DJ thing I would probably like it more, but I'm not, so maybe my comments aren't really on the mark.>> That's cool, Tom...there are several tracks where my mental concept behind the music involved a hyperdimensional DJ battle (if you will). << I've sent out stuff for free to get feedback before (on the 313 list). So I know how it feels to get criticized afterwards. You feel like, bitch, I gave you a free record, shut up. >> Yes and no...some honest criticism is good...better than my non-list friends who just say "your CD is cool" without offering any tangible commentary. Of course, honest praise is also delectable...I gotta admit it. It can be a form of "payment." But it has to be honest. << If you want I'll remix your stuff first chance I get and we can see what happens. Thanks for letting me clarify my statements. >> Sounds great...I'd love to hear that. Let me know if you want me to send you DAT tapes with raw unmixed tracks...specify the tracks you're most interested in. Also, I might reciprocate by remixing your stuff if you can provide me with the raw materials. This could be an interesting project given (as we've learned) the different perspectives that we have. - Fred Church xxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx http://www.thelocus.com/kumquat