IDM Mailing Archive

i certainly agree.. though i think its more a combination of the two.. the only reason good music with a boring performance can get away with its boringness is the fact that we're all used to djs, who many times do nothing entertaining but play thumping music. and i believe thats how these laptoppers can get away with doing nothing, because its now socially acceptable to pay $10 to watch someone stand still and stare into space. (the only thing needed to test the boring music = boring performance is to find out if anyone has been to a show of boring music with a really exciting performance, and see if it is still boring. i've never seen it, but i believe it could be done) In a message dated 10/6/02 1:43:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time, tosh@c4.ca writes:

quoted 44 lines Sure maybe it's flame bait, but at least it's honest flame bait.

> Sure maybe it's flame bait, but at least it's honest flame bait. > > I've had this in me for about two months now. > > Do you ever wonder why a laptop show is boring? I know many of you do > because I've seen the posts to prove it. > > I know why a laptop show is boring. > > It's because the f**king music the artist is playing is boring. > > That's right. It doesn't matter how intelligent you think you are or > how intelligent you think the artist is, or what they are trying to > "achieve" with their boringness, the fact is that their music sucks. > > It's true, otherwise nobody would be complaining that it's boring. > > It's like the story "The Emperor's New Clothes." All it takes is one > little girl to say "it's boring" and everyone knows the truth. > > Sure some people will try to delude themselves because their whole > personal identity is wrapped up in thinking that because they like > boring music they are somehow special. Ignore them. > > Why do I know this? Why do I speak with such god-given authority? > > Because two months ago I was outside in Cologne at a party on the beach > (kinda) and The Modernist was playing. And do you know what? He was > the most boring d*nm performer I have ever seen. He just stood there > the entire time in front of his laptop doing something, maybe looking at > porn (I know that's what *I* would be doing) for all I know. How boring > can that be!?!?!?! But holy heaven/hell damn me if it wasn't the most > energetic and amazing set of music I (and a thousand or so others) have > heard in ages.... dance dance dance rock rock rock pumpin'..... > > So if The Modernist just sits around and is boring and other laptop > artists sit around and are boring, yet nobody complains about The > Modernist then the logical conclusion is that all the people that I am > too stupid to understand properly are boring. > > QED. > > Tosh >

At 11:30 AM 10/6/2002 -0400, you wrote:

quoted 4 lines (the only thing needed to test the boring music = boring performance is to

>(the only thing needed to test the boring music = boring performance is to >find out if anyone has been to a show of boring music with a really exciting >performance, and see if it is still boring. i've never seen it, but i believe >it could be done)

I saw einsturzende neubauten in chicago during their "silence is sexy" tour and despite their interesting stage stuff, i found it somewhat boring. Maybe it's because I hadn't heard any neubauten before then, and it didn't really interest me, but I suppose it's true. If you don't like what you hear, you're not going to like what you hear. That's pretty obvious. And if you go for a visual show and don't get one, you're going to be disappointed. It's not really groundbreaking -- if you're bored, you're bored regardless of whether the person's on a laptop or not. derek ------- eggytoast.com ------- kills germs on contact --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

quoted 5 lines (the only thing needed to test the boring music = boring performance is to

> >(the only thing needed to test the boring music = boring performance is to >find out if anyone has been to a show of boring music with a really exciting >performance, and see if it is still boring. i've never seen it, but i believe >it could be done)

Not at all. What if exciting music could be performed in a boring fashion? And whose monolithic notion of what is boring and what isn't gets to decide for the rest of us? jeff --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

it basically comes down to the fact that you guys are just cheap and need some vague assurance that you're getting your money's worth by seeing some guy hit a key or strike a chord or do a little jig that says, "see, i'm alive, i'm neither robot nor hologram." if you don't like it don't go. how many times must we have the same shit repeated in this thread? would you really rather have someone play more preprogammed stuff just to see them move around a bit more? don't get me wrong... i make stuff that's much more song oriented with vocals and everything so for a lot of songs i haven't really found a way to get around the prerecorded playing from a laptop thing and i just end up accompanying stuff with synth parts played off a midi controller. every time i play something that is interesting to look at visually, where people can make a relation between the sound and the image, i get a much better response than if i try to actually do things live and end up having to stare at my monitor intensely. anyway... it's so simple. whining is not going to make performers start performing, probably that will only happen if software is designed in a yet more intuitive way and you don't have to construct your tool in max msp or whatever... so until you hear about crazy advancements in software design... maybe it's a good idea just to stay at home and listen to your records... it'll give the people who actually enjoy the music a shorter wait at the bar and a little more breathing space on the floor. gregory ===== )the fawn )"i thought when i started playing )shows i'd meet a lot of really cool )people, but most of the people i've )met just want me to copy software )for them" __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More http://faith.yahoo.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

quoted 7 lines if you don't like it don't go......

> >if you don't like it don't go...... >maybe it's a good idea just to stay at home and >listen to your records... it'll give the people who >actually enjoy the music a shorter wait at the bar >and a little more breathing space on the floor. >

And PLEASE, if you *do* go, don't get into groups of people who couldn't care less about what's transpiring through the PA and see how loud you can talk. Some of like to go to listen to the performance. I know that is a controversial issue, but believe it or not, there are all kinds of places you can go and talk loudly in groups. I'm always amazed when I go to shows and see how few people seem to be there for the show. jeff --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

At 06:23 PM 10/6/2002 -0500, you wrote:

quoted 12 lines if you don't like it don't go......

>>if you don't like it don't go...... >>maybe it's a good idea just to stay at home and >>listen to your records... it'll give the people who >>actually enjoy the music a shorter wait at the bar >>and a little more breathing space on the floor. > >And PLEASE, if you *do* go, don't get into groups of people who couldn't >care less about what's transpiring through the PA and see how loud you can >talk. Some of like to go to listen to the performance. I know that is a >controversial issue, but believe it or not, there are all kinds of places >you can go and talk loudly in groups. I'm always amazed when I go to shows >and see how few people seem to be there for the show.

I concur! 3 separate shows I saw in Minneapolis were like this, and considering I only saw 5 while I lived there, that's pretty bad! It was more like a social gathering of the Twin Cities Hipsters than a bunch of people out to see someone play music. They all stood around in groups and chatted to each other, not even nodding their heads or paying any attention to the music, bar speaking over it. I was like "go to a coffee house if you want to do that!" derek ------- eggytoast.com ------- kills germs on contact --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

At 07:50 PM 10/6/2002 -0700, you wrote:

quoted 14 lines I love it!

>I love it! > >People talking, dancing, yelling and generally enjoying themselves....that >is...especially while I'm playing! > >I think of playing as providing an ambiance to a social gathering not doing >it to be analysed, studied or being in a spotlight...I find it somewhat >silly that people would go to a bar with friends and then expect everyone to >act like its a museum. > >So if anyone ever sees us play we will take a special offense if you are too >quiet, you stare, or shush anyone! Feel free to pick up a chair and run >around! You are free to do whatever you want and your mother won't be there >to look disapprovingly if you talk....hehehe

Well, see, that'd be great if these places had chairs and other rooms and a bar and some food. In fact, also in Minneapolis there's a small diner in the Dinkytown area (suitably named "The Dinkytowner) that offers food, drinks, and live music or a semi-decent DJ. It's great! You go and sit down with some friends and listen to good music, usually. I was sitting there with a friend and betwixt two rather crappy songs, "Analog Bubblebath" got put on the decks and I was like "hey, cool!" Another time when the girl and I were rejected at the door because she was 20 and not planning on purchasing overprices low quality booze, they were spinning "in a beautiful place out in the country." But, see, it's usually 21 plus. Gah! As I was only 21 for the last year of my residence there, and my girlfriend only for the last 2 months, we never had a chance to really go when good stuff was happening. Now it's not an issue, but we're not there anymore. Baltimore has, I'm sure, plenty of fun things going on, but we're still relatively new in the area ;D What I was complaining about is that these people weren't at these very specific events to see the specific event. It's like going to a play and acting surprised when you see live actors. I'm happy they're padding the wallets of an IDM artist, but that doesn't mean I have to like them :) It's all about picking the right venues, in my opinion. And as IDM as a live performance is more like a club DJ setting without the obvious dancing meatmarket element, there aren't a lot of good places for it. I'd love it if there were coffeehouses and small diners that let IDM acts or other small performers perform, but the laws surrounding venues make it really prohibitive in nearly all places in the US. The few places that do have performances tend to keep it quiet and early and geared towards "guy and his guitar and his bad songs," rather than "guy with his laptop or rack of gear." Sad, really. derek ------- eggytoast.com ------- kills germs on contact --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

glad you love it!!! thanks for your proffessional advice!!! clearly your work does not require me to wear my thinking cap!!! but when i do want to wear the proverbial cap, i'd appreciate if the audience would allow me the pleasure of soaking in as much of the richness, subtle nuances, etc., the the artist most likely intended for me to hear. In a message dated 10/6/02 10:50:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time, cookie@mashup.org writes:

quoted 22 lines I love it!

> > I love it! > > People talking, dancing, yelling and generally enjoying themselves....that > is...especially while I'm playing! > > I think of playing as providing an ambiance to a social gathering not doing > it to be analysed, studied or being in a spotlight...I find it somewhat > silly that people would go to a bar with friends and then expect everyone > to > act like its a museum. > > So if anyone ever sees us play we will take a special offense if you are > too > quiet, you stare, or shush anyone! Feel free to pick up a chair and run > around! You are free to do whatever you want and your mother won't be there > to look disapprovingly if you talk....hehehe > > ;) > > cookie >

glad you love it!!! thanks for your proffessional advice!!! clearly your work does not require me to wear my thinking cap!!! but when i do want to wear the proverbial cap, i'd appreciate if the audience would allow me the pleasure of soaking in as much of the richness, subtle nuances, etc., the the artist most likely intended for me to hear. In a message dated 10/6/02 10:50:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time, cookie@mashup.org writes:

quoted 22 lines I love it!

> > I love it! > > People talking, dancing, yelling and generally enjoying themselves....that > is...especially while I'm playing! > > I think of playing as providing an ambiance to a social gathering not doing > it to be analysed, studied or being in a spotlight...I find it somewhat > silly that people would go to a bar with friends and then expect everyone > to > act like its a museum. > > So if anyone ever sees us play we will take a special offense if you are > too > quiet, you stare, or shush anyone! Feel free to pick up a chair and run > around! You are free to do whatever you want and your mother won't be there > to look disapprovingly if you talk....hehehe > > ;) > > cookie >