rephlex wrote:
quoted 7 lines Only one of the ten>
> >Only one of the ten
> >tracks comes close to what I expected
>
> If it was what you were expecting then it wouldn't be cutting edge techno
> music would it? Once again you haven't listened to the record properly. You
> can't review it properly for another week at least, I don't think.
While I grant that one should listen to something a couple of times before
one reviews something, you should prepare yourself for the case that someone
just might not like this release. It is exactly this kind of attitude that
make people resentful when they buy Squarepusher and it doesn't make them
orgasm when they listen to it. That happens once in a blue moon, and as good
as your releases are, it doesn't happen with every Rephlex release. If you
hadn't helped hype Sqpr so much on this list, then maybe people wouldn't
listen to it expecting the greatest music they've ever heard and come away
disappointed when it's not. (This is what we in the software business refer
to as "expectations management." :-)
Now, while you didn't hype Mike & Rich nearly as much (because a lot of us are
Mike & Rich sycophants anyways and you didn't really have to), the above
attitude is in a similar style to that hype, in that you pound into us the
idea that, if for some reason I don't think it's the greatest release on the
planet, that I must not have "listened to the record properly," challenging
the very idea that someone might not think it is the perfect music in every
way, and suggesting that since I listen to things other than Rephlex (or even
in other genres, heaven forbid), I must not know how to appreciate a Rephlex
release. This is pure bologna, and I think most people here would agree with
me on that.
You insist on snapping at the IDM hands that feed you at the mere implication
that some release on your label is not the greatest recorded musical work to
reach human ears, and I don't know why. We all respect what you do (which is
why we bug you for new releases all the time) and we know that even if we
don't like one particular release or another, that it doesn't reflect on the
entire recorded output of the label.
We know you love the music you release, that's why you do it, and I respect
your right to espouse that love any way you see fit. But don't discount other
opinions, either.
quoted 1 line You do better, send me a demo, and I'll release it straight away.> You do better, send me a demo, and I'll release it straight away.
Don't reject someone's opinion just because they don't know how to work a
sequencer. It is not the case that only musicians know how to critique music.
quoted 1 line When will everyone realise that they can't argue with RDJ> When will everyone realise that they can't argue with RDJ
You mean that you can't admit that not 100% of everything he does is
mind-alteringly brilliant? Sure, most of it is (that's why we all like him so
much and were anxiously awaiting this release), but not so much that I can't
pick out a track here or there and state that I just don't think it's very
good.
quoted 2 lines you should really count your blessings that you are alive at the moment to> you should really count your blessings that you are alive at the moment to
> witness the legend first hand.
I think most of us do. That's not the issue here. All of my favorite
musicians have occasional substandard releases, and that includes RDJ. I
don't hold it against them, because you can't be perfect all the time. I just
appreciate that they're trying.
quoted 2 lines If you think that I over-rate him as the most important figure in> If you think that I over-rate him as the most important figure in
> contemporary techno music, then go and buy some happy hardcore or something.
He may be. That doesn't make this particular release any better or worse than
what it is, though, does it?
quoted 3 lines Don't bother mailing me back with some fiery reply - just post your> Don't bother mailing me back with some fiery reply - just post your
> favourite records of the last month, excluding the Rx stable, and I think
> I'll see where you're coming from.
I'm not going to let you off that easy, Grant. You can ignore whatever you
want, but to suggest that your comments are beyond criticism is patently
absurd. Since you asked, though, in no particular order (except the top 2):
Meat Beat Manifesto - Subliminal Sandwich
Orbital - "The Box"
Dandy Jack - Dandy Jack And The Cosmic Trousers
Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen - "Theme From Mission: Impossible" (remixes)
Bjork - "Hyperballad" (remixes)
Metallica - Load
Jedi Knights - New School Science
Lassigue Bendthaus - "Overflow"
Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Pete Namlook/Tetsu Inoue - 2350 Broadway 3
OnNow: Renegade Soundwave - "Women Respond To Bass"
--
Adam J Weitzman ----- Individual, Inc. ----- weitzman@individual.com
"I love the music of the 20th century!" - Bruce Willis, "12 Monkeys"