-djkc- wrote:
quoted 4 lines From what I've heard of Jeff Mills ("Changes of Life" off Tresor II comp),>>From what I've heard of Jeff Mills ("Changes of Life" off Tresor II comp),
>it's a joke.
>But then some may like the hard but minimal stuff.
>But this song just sounded like a kid and his toys...
IMHO, there aren't many good songs on that comp. The Jeff Mills piece is
weak, but I think it is put there for a reason. I believe that much of the
'art'
value of Techno (in a larger context) is its self-referential use of instruments
with limited capabilities. The use of these obviously crude and unpolished
bleeps and thumps *calls attention to the fact that the equipment is limited*
(that's the self-referential part). There is also the irony in Techno that the
musicians making it often frame wildly creative soundscapes with very
ordinary, perhaps even tyrannical, 4-on-the-floor dance beats. This would
seem to defeat the purpose, but it does not. The thumping bass drum
physically pounds you into dancing. The repetitive melodies and rhythms
induce a trance-like state in the dancers. This, in turn, leaves the mind
open to the creative suggestions put forth by the anarchic soundscapes
that often form the creative core of Techno music.
Jeff Mill's piece "Changes of Life" may be a simplistic piece of music with
little to interpret, but it does closely follow what I have theorized about
Techno music having art value through its self-referential use of limited
instruments. In this case, the 'Tempo' knob is being turned in an obviously
unrehearsed way, with little regard for how it will affect the audience.
This also calls attention to the environment in which much of Techno is
created: The Bedroom/Basement Studio. These studios are isolated from
the world of audiences. The musicians are untethered by the constraints
of mainstream music, or even traditional music theory and history. They
just put down what sounds good, and twiddle whatever knobs they like.
Often the charm of it is its musical naivete and simplicity of statement.
I really am trying to figure out Techno, and why I love it so much. I think
Techno is important, the way that Jazz and Blues were important earlier
in this century. Do I think there will be a "Rhapsody in Blue" from a
Techno Gershwin? Perhaps.
Barry S.
"Information wants to be free! (Or for a small charge, which will be
conveniently added to your monthly phone bill.)" -B. Sanders