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From:
Christophe McKeon
To:
James R McPherson
Cc:
Date:
Wed, 05 Apr 2000 07:50:22 -0400
Subject:
Re: [idm] Reflections
Msg-Id:
<38EB287B.CBE670FC@rcn.com>
Mbox:
idm.0004.gz
Try Asmus Tietchens' "Noturno". I don't know how 'IDM' it is but who cares. Sorry don't have time to write any more on the subject, fantastic electronic artist though. Regards, Christophe James R McPherson wrote:
quoted 48 lines Perhaps the deepest disappointment I've experienced with IDM (or whatever> Perhaps the deepest disappointment I've experienced with IDM (or whatever > we call it) is the lack of well done "empty" music. By this I mean the > use of space - empty space - not mere echo, reverb, or swaths of synth. > While groups like Autechre (to use the most obvious and easily obtained > example) create(d 'round TriRepatae) shimmering structures, songs that > almost crystallize into breaking, by creating rhythmic maelstroms with > beacons of melody shining through the dense, I find the opposite approach > generally non-existent. That is, using the "beacon" without the storm. > For example, in classical Eastern music solo and combined works (for > pipa, shakuhachi, zither, harp, etc.) are very affecting in their use of > few instruments and lots of "empty" space. I don't mean white noise, and > I know true silence is impossible, but the space where the instrument/s > are not in action. The classical Western canon seems more focused on > larger bodies producing a more full sound (although there are exceptions > to every rule). This parallel projects today - listen to (most) dnb from > NA and Europe and then plug in your far more subtle Japanese artists > (Bisk, Multiphonic Ensemble). Difference in approach is evident. > So, where are the purveyors of the empty IDM? Perhaps they are there and > I just haven't found them. Or perhaps Sven Birkerts gleans the truth > when stating "technology and inwardness are fundamentally discordant". > So it seems to my ears, as artists pile on as many tracks into each track > as they can, merely because they can. Excepting rare tidbits where > harmony is struck (and these are often SHORT tidbits - Richard Thomas' > work on _Invsble Sndtrks_, i.e.), can someone point out to me the > accomplished artists who paint a canvas with a single stroke? > > J > > np: space, the final frontier > Join The Party @www.cpusa.org > > PS - To clarify: Porter RIcks reaches beauty to my ears by creating a > false background of aurally full and space-filling synths, Plastikman > does the same without the melody part, the Orb are far too busy, Arovane > ascends to being Autechre with slightly less force, Shankar gets it right > when solo dbl. violin, and Eno's early work is close but no cigar. > Vadim's _USSR Repertoire_ accomplishes it at (brief) moments. These are > the most common reference points I can communicate. > > ________________________________________________________________ > YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! > Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! > Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: > http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org
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