At 07:25 PM 4/9/2002 +0000, you wrote:
quoted 8 lines i can't believe that this debate is even happening on>i can't believe that this debate is even happening on
>a mail list whose population regularly listens to
>music that is indistinguishable from compact disc
>skipping+radio static+tap shoes in washing
>machine played at fastforward. please try to
>understand the function of abstraction in art. its not
>easy listening and its not neccessarily going to be
>easy reading either.
The difference is that we're not looking to the music for
information. We're listening to the music for enjoyment. The sleeve
(which is NOT the main product we are purchasing) should supplement the
music and offer information. We're looking to the sleeve for stuff about
the music.
If that's pretty pictures, cool. I don't think the argument has even come
up that tDR does "shit graphics." They're all very visually interesting.
We're talking about usability, which is something a record sleeve, or
website, should have if it's to be effectively *used*. Perhaps skam is
saying "fuck you, we don't need you using our website, we just want one...
out there.. for.. users.. to.. uhh... use..."
Since when has the subject of the aesthetics of art, or even the overall
intention come into play? Are you reading the thread? For example,
Autechre have been creating their own designs since pretty much lp5, and
they want the covers to represent the music. Ironically, the titles for
Chiastlic Slide (created by tDR) are nearly unreadable, whereas the titles
for all the autechre releases after tDR have been, more or less,
readable. If I were an artist who spent time creating track titles, I
would hope that the user would be able to find those track titles. If
there are no track titles, that makes sense. If I'm creating a compilation
of artists, for the sake of introducing people to those artists on a name
basis, doesn't it follow that the artists names should appear in some
readable format on the sleeve -- the ONLY place that's readily available to
describe the music?
As much as we all enjoy the Internet, there are still plenty of people who
listen to IDM who don't use the Internet regularly, if at all, and for
them, the sleeve is the only place to get information about the
artist. That's what the sleeve is for. If the sleeve is just a visual
extension of the music, well that's fine. But it doesn't tell anyone
anything. It's just pretty to look at.
But that topic's never come up in the actual discussion. We're not talking
about sleeves as art, we're talking about sleeves as usable objects for
describing the music contained within the sleeves.
Derek
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with lather thingy
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