I've noticed a decent ammount of people seem to equate an engaging
performance as being something with a lot of forced "entertainment." I beg to
differ. You can have an engaging performance without having props, or
dancers, or lights.
I'd like to equate IDM to Jazz music. I've been to a number of jazz clubs,
and there are rarely people jumping around hollering. A jazz "show" is
usually an audience sitting at tables watching the performers go. But the
band always addresses the audience, and they manipulate the sets as to how
the audience reacts. Plus watching an amazingly talented musician playing a
solo is great entertainment in itself.
It is in this direction that IDM artists should look, perhaps. The rock
setting certainly does not hold up well with many people (myself included).
IDM certainly isn't for pyrotechnics, but that doesnt mean it should be dull
either. If someone is willing to pay $15 to see a show, they should at least
get some entertainment out of it. And not forced, calculated stuff either.
There is an art to performance, just like anything else. Most of that art
centers around the audience, because without them there would be no
performance. It is so important to be able to engage the audience. As long as
the artist accomplishes this the show will be a success. Neither laptops nor
pyrotechnics interact with the audience, but musicians do.
In a message dated 4/19/02 9:25:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
gweinstock@citynet.net writes:
quoted 3 lines it's about the music for me, not the pyrotechnics. I think some IDM artists> it's about the music for me, not the pyrotechnics. I think some IDM artists
> are coming around to your viewpoint though, cex comes to mind as a
> particularly appropriate example.