IDM Mailing Archive

it is obvious that there are those on this list who have not acquired a proper taste in electronic music. i know for a fact that klunko is tasteful and good because i make electronic music myself and i am quite familiar with its components. unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), not everyone can understand or grasp all the elements and details involved and criticize bluntly (and without support) simply because it doesn't fit into their narrow scheme of taste. klunko is new and challenging music, isolated to itself alone. thank you, trevor, for your asanine comments. i'm sure they will inspire the artist in unique ways. perhaps, you should listen again. (and then again if you still don't get it) for it is meant to be "got" ... not criticized. detail folks! hail microstoria! --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

On Mon, 6 Dec 1999 Desnuits@aol.com wrote:

quoted 2 lines i know for a fact that klunko is tasteful and good because i make

> i know for a fact that klunko is tasteful and good because i make > electronic music myself and i am quite familiar with its components.

just because one is a musician does not mean one is more qualified to be a critic of music. * #### a disturbance in a system. #### laerm. @voicenet.com ##:# so if you're feeling low/stuck in some bardo/i, even i/know the solution love, music, wine and revolution icq:5562209 --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

On Mon, 6 Dec 1999, Greg Clow wrote:

quoted 7 lines But that fact doesn't stop crybaby musicians from whining "oh

> But that fact doesn't stop crybaby musicians from whining "oh > yeah, why don't *you* do something better!" when they get a crappy > review. > > Greg > (who has on the receiving end of that situation several times) >

I promise I'll never do that to you Greg. I do hope though that you understand the time and effort people put into even the lamest cack, and how producers really do try and make the best music they can, and how annoying being criticized by people who don't know what they're talking about can be. Not that I'm putting you in that category, just that there are lots of people who really have nothing to contribute except negativity. I think that a really good review engages music from a couple of perspectives -- whether or not it is successful with respect to it's ambitions, whether it works in different contexts for the listener (dancefloor, home listening, 4:20 club space-out material), and whether it holds together architecturally. To do a review like that you really need to meet the music half way, and try and understand it before you dismiss it. Whether, taken as a whole, you like a track can simply be a personal preference. I'm not convinced that reviewing music you don't like does anyone any favors -- do you dislike it on it's own terms, or maybe does something about it rub you the wrong way? Can you see how a listener who is more into that style of music might like it better? "Not my cup of tea" is more informative than "this track sucks." We can't tell from the latter whether the track really does deserve to be cast into the outer darkness, or whether the reviewer just isn't feeling it for reasons of personal taste. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

On Mon, 6 Dec 1999, Kent williams wrote:

quoted 9 lines But that fact doesn't stop crybaby musicians from whining "oh

> > But that fact doesn't stop crybaby musicians from whining "oh > > yeah, why don't *you* do something better!" when they get a crappy > > review. > > I promise I'll never do that to you Greg. I do hope though that > you understand the time and effort people put into even the lamest > cack, and how producers really do try and make the best music they > can, and how annoying being criticized by people who don't know > what they're talking about can be.

Oh, I can understand all of that. And with a few exceptions, I have never given a record an overtly negative review of the "this totally sucks!" variety. As you note later in your post...

quoted 1 line "Not my cup of tea" is more informative than "this track sucks."

> "Not my cup of tea" is more informative than "this track sucks."

Of the material I'm sent directly, I generally won't review a disc at all if I don't like it (whether it's 'cause I don't like the style, or just 'cause I think it's sucky), and if possible, I'll pass it to a DJ/reviewer friend who I think would get more out of it. And as for stuff that I'm assigned to review for the mags I write for - if I don't like it personally, I make every attempt to find *something* in the music that I could see appealing to a listener. Of course, this Thumper approach to reviewing ("if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all") has it's drawbacks as I've been accused of being an asskisser since I rarely make negative comments in my reviews. If I gave everything an absolutely *glowing* review, this might be a fair accusation. But I don't think my philosophy of accentuating the positive whereever possible is a bad one at all. Greg -- Greg Clow - greg@stainedproductions.com - http://www.stainedproductions.com - feedback monitor - electronic & experimental radio/reviews/interviews - - http://www.stainedproductions.com/feedback/ - - Dead Voices On Air & Not Breathing - December 22nd - Reverb - Toronto - --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

On Mon, 6 Dec 1999, Greg Clow wrote:

quoted 2 lines But that fact doesn't stop crybaby musicians from whining "oh yeah,

> But that fact doesn't stop crybaby musicians from whining "oh yeah, > why don't *you* do something better!" when they get a crappy review.

you gotta love an artist who takes his music very personally and seriously. you gotta love 'em even more if they actually have talent. * #### a disturbance in a system. #### laerm. @voicenet.com ##:# so if you're feeling low/stuck in some bardo/i, even i/know the solution love, music, wine and revolution icq:5562209 --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org