A discussion about electronic music [SPLIT]

[Igziabeher]

here\'s my take:

both electronic and "live" music have the ability to be great or suck.  there are great electronic acts, there are boring ones.  there are great live acts, and there are shitty ones too.

if you\'re trying to classify the entire realm of electronic music as boring and repetitive, well then you\'re not really giving it all that much a shot.

I got to see Daft Punk this summer and it was hands down one of the greatest live shows i\'ve ever seen(alongside the Flaming Lips).  Both those shows reinvented the live show atmosphere for me, and totally blew me away.  So it doesn\'t really matter much to me if its live or electronic, its all what you do w/ it.

[Spacey]

What exactly is a PA set?

[princesscaspian]

well said igzy. it\'s truly not just black and white. i am a fan of electronic music and have stumbled onto some pretty awful crap while pursing new music. it just happens.

but to completely write off the genre of electronic music is just downright ignorant. it\'s still such a new category that changes with each new piece of technology/software/equipment that comes out. i mean honestly, you think pink floyd got slack for their synthesizers? of course ! they were groundbreaking when they started incorporating electronic noises into their music, and now they are legends. so before you lump and stereotype, expand your horizons. . . . .

[weekapaug19]

What exactly is a PA set?

i\'ve been wondering this for a while.  

For the STS9 PA set, assuming I\'m understanding this correctly, there was just people on stage with laptops?  There was no "live" music?  I\'m not big into electronic music so could somebody please fill me in on what this PA set is all about.

[jking]

what if i\'ve already expanded my horizons and still think its unispired tripe? remember, this "new" music isn\'t new.

utilizing electronic elements is one thing (see: synthesizers). relying on those elements is constrictive and dull.

its like the time i saw moby in 1990 at this dilapidated warehouse outside of baltimore. this was when, if you were really hip, you knew who moby was. so we get there, excited to hear some great mixing and all he does is turn on an album of his most recently finished tracks and walked away from the dj booth. the people who were there and on drugs thought it was spiritual. those of us actually listening to the music heard it for what it was - uninspired, non-interactive and repetitive.

the more things change....

[princesscaspian]

ok ok you saw moby in 1990... you want a medal?

but to chalk up anything moving about electronic music simply to drug use.... pfffft.... not going to touch this one. you\'re entitled to your opinion, so be it.

i, for one, don\'t think all electronic music is uninspired tripe, and have found lots of profound, complex, moving tunes out there... maybe not in 1990, but here in 2007. to imply that the music has stayed the same through all these years just seems silly to me...

[Overexjoesure]

Pink Floyd were far from groundbreaking when it came to electronica development.  Besides minimalists, all electronic accomplishments can be chalked up to the Germans.  If anyone wants any stuff let me know, I would love to hook it up.....

Oh, and Moby sucks IMO.....

[dredmonkey]

one word......bassnectar

[jking]

he certainly does. he didn\'t. but he has for quite a while.

and i\'m not comparing 1990 to 2007. i am comparing experiences in both years and saying that the experiences are the same. i felt the same way when i saw sts9 in 2000 and 05, bisco in 02 and 04. also, if you don\'t think interesting, complex things were happening back then and that things have only gotten better since, well, thats just youth talking. some things have improved. some things haven\'t. but newer simply doesn\'t necessarily mean better. so, please tell me what is moving about electronic music? where are the peaks and builds? the tension and release? where is the human interaction upon which music thrives?

didn\'t bassnectar have to end his set at waka early when his laptop got wet? :lol:

[princesscaspian]

and i\'m not comparing 1990 to 2007. i am comparing experiences in both years and saying that the experiences are the same. i felt the same way when i saw sts9 in 2000 and 05, bisco in 02 and 04. also, if you don\'t think interesting, complex things were happening back then and that things have only gotten better since, well, thats just youth talking. some things have improved. some things haven\'t. but newer simply doesn\'t necessarily mean better. so, please tell me what is moving about electronic music? where are the peaks and builds? the tension and release? where is the human interaction upon which music thrives?

i never said interesting things *weren\'t* happening 2 decades ago, just merely stating the fact that the music is simply not the same. if the experiences that you, personally, had were the same, then perhaps you indeed have maxed out on your enjoyment of electronic music.

music is a dynamic process, and as time goes on and on, people change, styles change, influences change, whats "hot" changes as well.... just the nature of the game. if that is just my youthful innocence (insert puppy dog eyes) then perhaps i\'m just a naive child. but it makes me happy, makes me move, hits places in my brain rock music could *never* reach, and its quite real to me.

... human interaction upon which music thrives? how do you figure? just because a human isn\'t playing a guitar, bass, or drums, how is it not human? is a person spinning at a live show not human ?? can they not react to the audience, thrive off their energy? i don\'t understand your logic.

[ulee]

If the environment is perfect (night, happy people, colors, glowing stuff, strobe lights) and the DJ really knows how to work the crowd, the collective climaxes of trance/techno/house can be pretty incredible.  (coming from a drug free experience perspective).  The climactic moments tend to be more shortlived and the builds more predictable.  Good house music with dirty deep bass is just plain sexxy.  I\'ve found with "progressive" electronic music, I like it better as an accompaniment to doing something, like writing, driving, etc., because it keeps flowing and changing and propelling you forward.  

DJs versus all-electronic bands are pretty different beasts though.  I prefer if a band is going to have an electronic sound that they at least use some instruments (Lotus, Psylab, from last year\'s Camp).

[Overexjoesure]

Ok Jason, you prefer music with tension/release,  and peaks/builds. Those qualities don\'t define music, as music is a subjective and evolving word. As consciousness evolves so does music. Electronic music is the next step. It allows me to access altered states of consciousness in a lucid state.  Sound Tribe Sector 9 give off beautiful energy.  Seeing as almost every person I encounter igornantly laughs at their "hetty crystals", I find most don\'t allow themselves to experience the healing potential their music offers.  Disco Biscuits bring a different energy: darker, malevolent, which often helps me tap into my shadow side.  None of these light/dark experiences would occur if there weren\'t electronic instruments involved. A wiseman once said, "through repetition comes change".....

[princesscaspian]

that\'s a great point ulee... the environment has a really profound effect on the perception of the music. and so little of that (if any!) translates to a CD. prime example: Girl Talk ... not a big fan until I saw the show, and DAMN! i\'m buyin tickets to the show next month.

[Overexjoesure]

Depending on how sensitive one is to other people\'s energy, a show can be a godsend or disaster. For instance, I\'m extremely sensitive to other people\'s energy. I can pick up on agitated states, altered states, (negative energies) etc and it most likely will ruin the show for me. Prime example was Umphrey\'s in Northhampton. The crowd\'s energy was TERRIBLE and I wasn\'t enjoying any of the music. I swore off Umphrey\'s after that experience, but sure enough upon listening to the show on disc I realized it was one of their best performances.

[freddiewaht]

treys dead
bisco sucks
get a job