IDM Mailing Archive

quoted 10 lines Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 12:00:10 -0400 (EDT)

>Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 12:00:10 -0400 (EDT) >From: Greg Clow <stained@interlog.com> > >On Fri, 3 Sep 1999, Irene McC wrote: > >> Besides wondering what he might be listening to, it also got me to >> thinking what we (collectively) might be listening to when we reach >> 60 or 70 - will we be pulling out Ae's LP5 and telling our >> grandchildren how lucky we consider ourselves to have been >> around at a time when this was fresh and new?

About a year ago, when there was some commentary on the LP5 release, I asked this same question off-list. Interesting. Are there are some aspects of electronic music that will have staying power long after we've passed away? I want to think so, and if so, I'll bet the kids will be listening to Autechre or something damn close when they take music classes. Or at least they should. Another part of me thinks we are building electronic music to be something it is not, and even if the kids two or three generations listen to Ae, maybe that wasn't how the music was intended to be. Maybe the stuff we listen to *should* be rooted in time... Why does Good music have to be timeless in order to earn the "Good" title?

quoted 3 lines ...And as for jazz, I think I've already "come around" to it. Miles,

>...And as for jazz, I think I've already "come around" to it. Miles, >Coltrane, Mingus, Hancock, Parker, etc. make up a fair (and slowly >increasing) portion of my music collection. I expect that to continue.

I don't know. I'll probably get flamed but I think 98% of jazz is seriously overrated. Mostly you get these suburban PBS yuppies with large jazz collections saying how great (insert obscure jazz musician here) is. Something about this fetishist, elitist attitude really disturbs me, since a large part of how jazz has earned its cachet as "civilized" music is through a bunch of rich people kissing up to blacks. I'm sure Miles is rolling in his grave every time his stuff gets played on "public" radio. Oh well, at least PBS doesn't play Air Supply in its 'bumpers'. I suppose we have that to be thankful for. -A.

quoted 6 lines I don't know. I'll probably get flamed but I think 98% of jazz is seriously

>I don't know. I'll probably get flamed but I think 98% of jazz is seriously >overrated. Mostly you get these suburban PBS yuppies with large jazz >collections saying how great (insert obscure jazz musician here) is. >Something about this fetishist, elitist attitude really disturbs me, since >a large part of how jazz has earned its cachet as "civilized" music is >through a bunch of rich people kissing up to blacks.

good thing your argument doesn't draw any parallels to IDM, alex ;P -jeff -------------- 1642 try 621 --------------

quoted 8 lines I don't know. I'll probably get flamed but I think 98% of jazz is seriously

>>I don't know. I'll probably get flamed but I think 98% of jazz is seriously >>overrated. Mostly you get these suburban PBS yuppies with large jazz >>collections saying how great (insert obscure jazz musician here) is. >>Something about this fetishist, elitist attitude really disturbs me, since >>a large part of how jazz has earned its cachet as "civilized" music is >>through a bunch of rich people kissing up to blacks. > >good thing your argument doesn't draw any parallels to IDM, alex ;P

now, now, jeff.. you're just being cynical ;P Alex Reynolds / Biology IT Support SAS Computing University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104 V +1 215 573.2818 F +1 215 898.8780 http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~reynolda/

quoted 4 lines Are there are some aspects of electronic music that will have staying power

>Are there are some aspects of electronic music that will have staying power >long after we've passed away? I want to think so, and if so, I'll bet the >kids will be listening to Autechre or something damn close when they take >music classes. Or at least they should.

Because it's "serious" music--like what gets taught in "classes"? Well, the idea of Autechre in music classes reminds me of that act's evolution into a classic "art band". ie they take some "low" form music (electronic dance music) and muck it up with prime-numbered time signitures, and astringent sonorities reminiscent of "avant-garde" music, of "modernism". Are they in fact modernists? I don't know. I think they're making pop music whose flavor is "neo-modern". Will they make it to the history books? Only if the book considers pop music within its scope. Their low art/high art combo thing seems like something better appreciated in the visual art world which provided early support for people like the Velvet Underground, Phillip Glass, Glenn Branca. In short, if Autechre want to be in the history books, they should get a gallery, do "sound installation", and start selling their 12" singles in editions of 10. OT: Speaking of Phillip Glass, I met this guy once who'd been to Glass concerts in the 60's. He was pointing out that, back then, when Glass' ensemble was all electric organs plus amplified reeds, a Glass concert would be stoned/tripping people laying on the floor while the music played at blasting loud rock levels. I mention it, I suppose, because it seems that that period of Glass' work probably has more to do with what people are interested here in IDM land than the formulaic orchestral work Glass has been churning out since the late-seventies...

quoted 3 lines Maybe the stuff we

> Maybe the stuff we >listen to *should* be rooted in time... Why does Good music have to be >timeless in order to earn the "Good" title?

The excitement of an emerging genre lends interest to some music that won't ever sound so good ever again... Doesn't make the moment less exciting, or the music sound less good at the time, so we go with it. Hell, the whole genre will make a comeback once its good and dead. On the other hand, the tides of fashion routinely obscure great stuff. a lot of music functions *better* once its moment has passed. My friend Brian Dewan was playing me some incredible organ piece written in the 1950's by an obscure Montreal-based composer, whose style was might have been considered mildly bracing sometime around 1920 (kinda Les Six/Jehan Alain-ish). Gray-pastel colored melodies, extended tonality. Obviously, its the sort of stuff that would have recieved zero attention in the '50's, as its style was patently conservative in its day. Now it's forty or so years later, and who fucking cares if it's not some post-Webern 12-tone music?

quoted 2 lines Mostly you get these suburban PBS yuppies with large jazz

>Mostly you get these suburban PBS yuppies with large jazz >collections

Yeah, your right, it's all a sham. But before we heave it all down the tubes, can we just hear "Daybreak Express" by the Ellington orchestra one last time? Ta ta, I'm off to Prada. kisses Kurt