Amazing! Most of the responses on this thread have done little but
underscore Rjyan's point: arguments about sound-fuckery vs. music
or DSP for DSP's sake vs. DSP for music's sake aren't worth the bits
they're written with when no terms are defined or concrete examples
presented. Mix that with the implied self-abuse of those who subscribe
to a list devoted to computer-produced music yet claim that such music
is soulless and unworthwhile, and it becomes a scene straight out of
Lewis Carroll. Tweedledum and Tweedledee are arguing over just what
"music" is, not seeing that the question is fundamentally unanswerable.
Is Amber better than EP7? Better what? They're different, certainly.
Amber is a pretty poor example of using DSP to produce fascinatingly
complex layered textures. EP7 is a pretty poor example of using simple
means to make an evocative sonic landscape. But I'd argue that each is
very, very good at what it does, and whether you like either, none, or
both is more a matter of what music is to you than it is about any
innate goodness or failure on their parts. Thus the question over
whether Autechre is getting worse or better (or not) can only be
answered in the context of what your personal definition of "music" is,
and no one else's.
Yet people continue to argue over such stuff as if their egos are at
stake, despite overwhelming evidence that such discussions lead nowhere.
That's not to say that fruitful discussion is impossible; it's quite
useful, in fact, for people to discuss what they like or don't like
about particular tracks, albums, and artists. Tastes differ (and it
would be a boring world if they didn't), but if you describe just
what it is you love or hate about a work, I'll be able to tell if
your opinion is likely to match mine, and whether I should seek or
avoid the item being discussed. But unless I know you pretty damn
well, just the mere fact that something is "fucking good" or "dsp
wankery" (to use two recent examples) is of no use to me (and I'd
guess the majority of the list as well).
Perhaps a half dozen people here go to the trouble of describing what
they like or don't like in a given work (aside from meaningless polemics
like "It's great!" or "It's shite!"). This makes it next to impossible
for anyone to discern whether or not they might agree. And that makes
the list pretty much useless beyond a source of news (e.g. new releases
and performance dates) and a place where people vent more or less on-
topic rants. Oh, and the periodic for-sale/for-auction posts that I
never bother to read (though I'm sure someone does).
Bring back reviews. Stop trying to argue people into liking what they
don't like, or hating what they do like. And stop hurling insults
just because you don't agree with something. Please.
-Ed
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