At 7:22 PM 3/28/96, astro wrote:
quoted 7 lines sorry if this seems a little off-topic, but i think this way too--but NOT>sorry if this seems a little off-topic, but i think this way too--but NOT
>about Autechre. i think Richard James is overrated. i really must be
>missing something, because everyone speaks of all his work as superawesome,
>and i just don't see it. i saw him dj once too and was equally unimpressed.
>am i missing the secret?
>puzzled,
>saiki o.d.
Check out Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 1985-92
and the Aphex Twin "On" single (this should be really cheap,
like $8). I also think the track "Digeridoo" is amazing. If you
still aren't impressed, you probably won't be.
I think Richard James is really talented, but I think a lot of his
music is really self-indulgent, like he's testing his listeners
to see exactly how bad he can make his music and still have
people listen to it. From interviews I've read of his, he definitely
seems to have an ego big enough to support its own weather system,
and I think this has adversely affected his music. So, while
he's definitely an electronic music maestro, I think he's still a big
target for the "most overrated" award.
I have a friend, Andy Parsonage, in London who grew up with him
in Cornwall and was close friends with him then. Andy says his
success really went to his head and they stopped talking. According
to Andy, Richard thought of himself as a contemporary Mozart,
having genius that is unchallengable by others. While I think
he is in many ways a musical genius, for someone to think of
himself in this way (and perhaps he doesn't) is kind of sickening.
Wow, I hope you guys don't kick me off of this list for calling
Richard James and Autechre overrated in the same day! I have
a lot of respect for both, but think that there is definitely a lot
of music I have heard that is much less talked about and comparable
in merit, and that I personally enjoy more.
My tastes would be well represented by:
Orbital 2
Deluxe - Let the Magic Flow (you may have trouble finding
this one - it's from San Fran on UV recordings, check
the hyperreal music archives)
Freaky Chakra
Rabbit in the Moon (almost everything by them or remixed by them)
Aphex Twin - SAW 1
AI 2
X-Mix-3 is a pretty solid mixed compilation of "armchair" techno.
Speedy J - Live
Jeff
--
Jeff Andrews
Globalstar Software Engineer
jandrews@qualcomm.com
619.658.4756