IDM Mailing Archive

np: very old mix by DJ Scott Henry I just felt like sharing my story and chatting for a bit. I first heard electronic music almost ten years ago. From the very first sound that hit my ears, I knew it was different from any other music I'd heard before. I knew it was different because I felt something moving inside me that hadn't moved before. It was only a very few years ago, however, that I really began to become obsessed with the stuff. And that's what I am...obsessed. You can't tell it from the the way that I walk, talk or dress, and not from the relatively few CDs that I own. The only indication is that feeling that moves inside me when I listen to it. I'm here to say, "I'm addicted to the feeling!" and, "I'm proud!" Damn it, my day doesn't start until my music does. The very first thing that I do in the morning--no matter how badly I have to pee or happen to want a cigarette--is turn on the music. The day is instantly brighter and better because now I've got a groove to push me through it. I listen to and love a little bit of it all; house, techno, electro, d'n'b and on. Among countless other ways, I like to listen to it alone, by myself, in my living room, while just thinking. I do this all the time, for hours if I have the time. This music enables me to think clearer, more rationally. Or sometimes it does just the opposite by making me think in crazy, new, and innovative ways. There seems to be no limit to the different thoughts and feelings that this music pushes through me, nor do I want there to be. I use music to manipulate my moods. Not like a drug, though, more like the way an activity cures boredom. If I want to change my mood, enhance it, or in any way alter it, I know _exactly_ what cd I should put on to achieve the desired effect. And I like this. Among so many other things, I like how music has become an aid to my emotional health. It seems like we get lost in the technicalities of the music on these lists, sometimes. Like label names and who's who and see here how much I know. YO--what about the feeling? Certainly these details are essential for obtaining the music and thus the feeling, but it seems that these lists could be so much more than just a place for exchanging information. Do other people have similar experiences with this music that we all claim to love so much as I do? Why do you listen to the music? Why are you on this list, I wonder? I'm honestly very curious about other people's personal experiences and motivations with this music. How the hell does it make you _FEEL_? Take house music, for example. At my place, when the groove starts sneaking and thumping around, I just can't keep stil. Literally--some part of my body has to be moving in time to the music, and preferably all of it. I dance all the time. I just can't help it. Or take some fat, banging techno in my world as another example. The beats completely surround me. Like lions on the savanah they herd my thoughts and emotions up and thrust them in my face, engulfing me entirely. What's it like for you? just one woman's cents... _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com

I agree we sometimes get caught up in a lot of form-related arguments or discussions- especially on the IDM list, but a little on the 313 list, too(when I was on it, anyhoo). These have their place and this is often the only way to objectively talk about a great deal of this stuff. But concentration on form creates a lot of shit. Look at fusion or the ten thousand other jazz-related musics that have come about in the last decade or three. Prog rock. And a hell of a lot of techno/IDM since its inception- people just playing around with form-related issues and not expressing anything. This is how I feel about a great deal of Ae and other glitchy-melodic type stuff, as well as noise-related music. Fuzz fuzz chirpity chirp, who cares. Wow, so-and-so can program a synth/knows his way around Cubase, but what do they have to say? I guess that's why "formulaic" has the connotations it has. This is always the greatest danger in working in such a structured environment as musicians work in nowadays: you either conform to the blues song structure, the step-time sequencing software, the SFX built into your machines, the commercial demands of the populace, or you try hard to break all the rules and do something freakish and new-sounding. Either way, however, you can end up making a bunch of music that expresses nothing, because you're just playing with formulas. This is the only way I've come up with that effectively separates the wheat from the chaff in the deluge of new electronic music- does this even make me think of anything? Can I imagine any sort of cinematic scenes to go along with this(my personal perspective) or does it just sound like a bunch of notes and noises? Too often it's just a bunch of notes and noises, but then again, there's always Carl Craig. Tom

Tom: Yes, and, since you mention it, Innerzone Orchestra's "Programmed" is pretty frigging amazing. Andrew Duke :) Tom Millar wrote:

quoted 34 lines I agree we sometimes get caught up in a lot of form-related arguments or

> I agree we sometimes get caught up in a lot of form-related arguments or > discussions- especially on the IDM list, but a little on the 313 list, > too(when I was on it, anyhoo). These have their place and this is often > the only way to objectively talk about a great deal of this stuff. > > But concentration on form creates a lot of shit. Look at fusion or the > ten thousand other jazz-related musics that have come about in the last > decade or three. Prog rock. And a hell of a lot of techno/IDM since its > inception- people just playing around with form-related issues and not > expressing anything. This is how I feel about a great deal of Ae and > other glitchy-melodic type stuff, as well as noise-related music. Fuzz > fuzz chirpity chirp, who cares. Wow, so-and-so can program a synth/knows > his way around Cubase, but what do they have to say? > > I guess that's why "formulaic" has the connotations it has. > > This is always the greatest danger in working in such a structured > environment as musicians work in nowadays: you either conform to the > blues song structure, the step-time sequencing software, the SFX built > into your machines, the commercial demands of the populace, or you try > hard to break all the rules and do something freakish and new-sounding. > Either way, however, you can end up making a bunch of music that > expresses nothing, because you're just playing with formulas. > > This is the only way I've come up with that effectively separates the > wheat from the chaff in the deluge of new electronic music- does this > even make me think of anything? Can I imagine any sort of cinematic > scenes to go along with this(my personal perspective) or does it just > sound like a bunch of notes and noises? > > Too often it's just a bunch of notes and noises, but then again, there's > always Carl Craig. > > Tom

quoted 5 lines I use music to manipulate my moods. Not like a drug, though, more like the

>I use music to manipulate my moods. Not like a drug, though, more like the >way an activity cures boredom. If I want to change my mood, enhance it, or >in any way alter it, I know _exactly_ what cd I should put on to achieve the >desired effect. And I like this. Among so many other things, I like how >music has become an aid to my emotional health.

Well, I gotta say you sound damn lucky. So often I find that I can't match my mood with music at all. I'll stand there flicking through my tunes, going "duh", and nothing will seem quite right. It'd be nice and heroic to say that's why I write my own stuff, but not normally.

quoted 2 lines Do other people have similar experiences with this music that we all claim

>Do other people have similar experiences with this music that we all claim >to love so much as I do?

Hey, uh, no one makes claims to love this music just by being on a mailing list! I've been on several mailing lists because I thought the topic was interesting, but not something that absolutely rocked my world.

quoted 3 lines I'm honestly very curious about other people's

> I'm honestly very curious about other people's > personal experiences and motivations with this >music. How the hell does it > make you _FEEL_?

Sometimes when I hear music that really grabs me I get a tingling rush than reminds me most of doing things like standing on the very edge of a building, looking down 6 floors at the street below. I guess it's kinda like an adrenalin rush, but it's a huge bursting feeling that makes me want to laugh and cry and wet myself. I normally go with the first of the three. :-) There's lots of fairly bonkers shit that does this to me, and often it makes me want to boogie at the same time, but, yeah, as I suspect with quite a few people on here who post, it's the other feelings the music brings out that do it for me. When I want to dance, it's more likely to be soul or reggae than IDM stuff. Michael Join 18 million Eudora users by signing up for a free Eudora Web-Mail account at http://www.eudoramail.com

I tell ya, Craig is something else! I havent heard too much from him, and many say that I am missing out! Looks like this weekend will be the time to pick up some things..........Andrew what CD should I look out 4? If u r looking for some textbook Techno, Get John Beltrans Earth and Nightfall! I got it about two months ago and I am still amazed at the sound of that stuff, geeeeeeeeeeeeezzzz shoot. If that doesnt do, and I would think that it would, then go more melodic with still that Standard Techno feel and buy(if ya can) 10 Days of Blue or The Cry(under his Placid Angels guise) OOOOOUUUUUCH! Your boat will forever float, on the waves of JB, as he socks it 2 ya with a 1-2 Gangsta Lean! Still, many know that I get much hype from the stuff I listen to so I dont need to say anymore............ Hk!

quoted 64 lines -----Original Message-----

> -----Original Message----- > From: Andrew Duke Cognition/In The Mix > [SMTP:cognition@globalserve.net] > Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 1999 8:17 PM > To: tmillar@utkux.utcc.utk.edu > Cc: idm@hyperreal.org > Subject: Re: (idm) Personal Emotional Manifesto > > Tom: Yes, and, since you mention it, Innerzone Orchestra's > "Programmed" > is pretty frigging amazing. Andrew Duke :) > > Tom Millar wrote: > > > I agree we sometimes get caught up in a lot of form-related > arguments or > > discussions- especially on the IDM list, but a little on the 313 > list, > > too(when I was on it, anyhoo). These have their place and this is > often > > the only way to objectively talk about a great deal of this stuff. > > > > But concentration on form creates a lot of shit. Look at fusion or > the > > ten thousand other jazz-related musics that have come about in the > last > > decade or three. Prog rock. And a hell of a lot of techno/IDM since > its > > inception- people just playing around with form-related issues and > not > > expressing anything. This is how I feel about a great deal of Ae and > > other glitchy-melodic type stuff, as well as noise-related music. > Fuzz > > fuzz chirpity chirp, who cares. Wow, so-and-so can program a > synth/knows > > his way around Cubase, but what do they have to say? > > > > I guess that's why "formulaic" has the connotations it has. > > > > This is always the greatest danger in working in such a structured > > environment as musicians work in nowadays: you either conform to the > > blues song structure, the step-time sequencing software, the SFX > built > > into your machines, the commercial demands of the populace, or you > try > > hard to break all the rules and do something freakish and > new-sounding. > > Either way, however, you can end up making a bunch of music that > > expresses nothing, because you're just playing with formulas. > > > > This is the only way I've come up with that effectively separates > the > > wheat from the chaff in the deluge of new electronic music- does > this > > even make me think of anything? Can I imagine any sort of cinematic > > scenes to go along with this(my personal perspective) or does it > just > > sound like a bunch of notes and noises? > > > > Too often it's just a bunch of notes and noises, but then again, > there's > > always Carl Craig. > > > > Tom

quoted 8 lines if I have the time. This music enables me to think clearer, more

>if I have the time. This music enables me to think clearer, more >rationally. Or sometimes it does just the opposite by making me think >in crazy, new, and innovative ways. There seems to be no limit to the >different thoughts and feelings that this music pushes through me, nor >do I want there to be. > >I use music to manipulate my moods. Not like a drug, though, more >like the way an activity cures boredom. If I want to change my mood,

enhance

quoted 2 lines it, or in any way alter it, I know _exactly_ what cd I should put on to

>it, or in any way alter it, I know _exactly_ what cd I should put on to >achieve the desired effect. And I like this. Among so many other

things, I like

quoted 1 line how music has become an aid to my emotional health.

>how music has become an aid to my emotional health.

I think this effect of music is the common thread between all people who love music. Sad as it may seem, the 14 year old who identifies with Britney Spearis' latest single might be having the same feeling I get from listening to Squarepusher's "Beep Street" for example. Even much of the highly technical idm that usually is considered devoid of feeling has a pleasing effect on me. When I first got the last Ae release for instance, at first I was like "what the fuck is this?" But as usual with all Ae releases, the beast suddenly turned into beauty. I haven't gotten anything recently that has really moved me in the IDM world, but this new D'arcangelo has some nice moments on it. --nick-- ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]