honestly, the last thing I wanted to do was get involved here...but just as
a matter of record, I'd say that "Flutter" by Autechre is an innovation.
How long, I wonder, until music afficienados begin to see innovation as an
intellectual movement and not a physically measureable shift in sound or
chord structure. There is surely new sound out there...there are surely new
chord structures somewhere. But this doesn't mean that innovation is only
the realm of the unheard sound. Innovation simply makrs a new way of
thinking that has impacted the music...I'd say autechre, for instance, have
been pretty innovative with packaging (TDR designs, braile on every Skam
release, etc). I'd say their minidisc release is an innovation in the way we
conceive of an album (or, rather, a 'release'). I'd say their song-naming
conventions have been an innovation, as well, and certainly influential.
RDJ's innovations have come by way of attitude. He was one of the first
really successful electronic artists to start his own label and succeed.
Rephlex has broadened the musical horizons of a lot of people...and it's
exposed the world to a lot of new music. RDJs's work with Chris Cunningham
undoubtedly had an effect on a director who's since gone on to do more
really cool stuff. RDJ's sense of humor, above all else, has changed the way
some people experience electronic music.
Look at Global Communication's emphasis with 76:14 on unspoken
communication, even going so far as refusing to give names to their tracks.
Look at the 20 to 2000 series from last year. Look at Up, Bustle and Out.
Look at Coldcut and their heavily audio-visual direction. Look at every
concept album (or, better, concept SERIES of albums) produced in the last
ten years. Not all innovation is about the music. Some of it's about life
and the way we live it as artists and musicians and as fans of these artists
and musicians. Some of this innovation is about the way we conceive of the
world. Some of it is simply about the way we conceive of music.
Sure, "Flutter" is musically innovative. Sure, RDJ's "Didgeridoo" sounded
like nothing else before it. Sure, there are others...and there will be
more. But don't back yourself into a corner by declaring innovation a notion
of the past because you don't see what these artists are doing with their
art. It's not fair to these people who work hard to create something new and
beautiful.
---brian
------------------------
Brian W. Gause
Senior Technical Writer
SECTORBASE.com
568 Howard Street
First Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
Direct: (415) 365-8203
Fax: (415) 365-8263
-----Original Message-----
From: DynamiCell@aol.com [mailto:DynamiCell@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2000 2:15 PM
To: guerdis@mindspring.com; idm@hyperreal.org
Subject: Re: [idm] RDJ's Innovations
In a message dated 12/13/00 6:09:25 PM Pacific Standard Time,
guerdis@mindspring.com writes:
<< > >Though, I don't really feel like starting an arguement about whether
or
> >not RDJ is an "experimental" musician. Frankly, he's never innovated and
> >he's never done anything completely new.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >>
if this is how you feel, then no musician has done anything innovative or
experimental. Nothing is completely new, not even your dear autechre (I
speak not to you but to all the list) has done anything truely new, no
matter
who you are or what music you make, the same notes, chords and rythms will
still be there, and the same abilities to sample and process. If Aphex twin
hasn't originated some of the phattest strangest rythms and the most
beautyful melodic composures in the genera, then I don't know anything about
IDM. I have and always will fully appreciate near all of his music, he is
an
amazing composer and anyone who says otherwise is ignorant.
MÅ-Nick------|[www.manicdetroit.com][www.8bitpeoples.com]|
------------------|[www.mp3.com/manicdetroit]|-------111.41/110-pi
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org
For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org
For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org