-----message forwarded by sash---------
(a sincere apology to those who have never read Base 10 and are sick
of hearing about this thread. This is it. I hope)
------------------------------------------------
idm people
this is a resp, responding to two other letters. since i'm honestly not sure
of the proper way to id my statements at this point i'll just put a "B10" at
the start and end of each line\paragraph that belongs to us. ok? and way we
go...
B10: first, i would like to thank (one of our writers) sasha for standing up
for the collective. not that i think ozy isn't on "our side", it's just that
sasha seems to have a better understand of who we are.. what we are... where
we're coming from... where we want to go... and what it takes to produce a
'zime like BASE 10. just as we are when we "speak" in the 'zine (my
appologies to those who have not seem our 'zine) i will be straight forward
and honest - nothing more, nothing less. understood? B10
quoted 6 lines Subject: In Defense of _Base 10_>Subject: In Defense of _Base 10_
>Date: 95-01-25 04:54:50 EST
>From: ogd@selway.umt.edu (ozymandias G desiderata)
>To: sasha@tiac.com (Sasha Kipervarg)
>CC: 313@lazarus.uta.edu, idm@hyperreal.com, lowlands@xs4all.nl,
>spikepx@aol.comquoted 10 lines There's enough here for two different replies, so I'm> There's enough here for two different replies, so I'm
>splitting them up.
>
>>Sasha defends Base 10:
>> Hmmm. Okay. I think I'm the only Base 10'er here on IDM, so I'll respond.
>> just went back and read an old issue of the zine and here's what I think:
>> Yes, the reviews sometimes come down to: "its fuckin cool" or "you are an=
>> idiot if you don't get this". BUT, I can tell you that when Spike and
>Larry
>> write that they actually mean it.quoted 5 lines I have absolutely no doubt that this is the case. Note that I> I have absolutely no doubt that this is the case. Note that I
>didn't say that I don't like Base 10. I do, in fact, and I thank you
>for giving me the chance to see them. Base 10's reviews are far
>superior to most of the crappy reviews I read in StreetSound or
>DJ. But I also think that it has a lot of room for improvement.
B10: "a lot" is a bit heavy handed considering we make (i.e., that's "make"
not "take" - know what i'm sayin'?) the time, effort, etc to do this. it is
however odd that we have been put in a catagory *above* just big productions
as SS and DJ. in case no one knows, i have been writing for SS for almost 4
years and larry about 2. finally, BASE 10 is an open forum. material is only
rejected for space reason and not content (i.e., we don't agree w\a review so
we don't print it). it extremely difficult to tell someone "i think it's
great you love music so much that you're willing to write for for nothing
*but* your writing style sucks so we can't\won't use you". i think i've made
my point here B10
quoted 11 lines They do that cause they love the music.=>> They do that cause they love the music.=
>
> Again, I have no quibbles with that. Their love for music is
>what shows most clearly in the reviews.
>
>> Sometimes the reviews they write are more creative than most of the stuff
>> see here on the net.
>
> Except, of course, for the ones that we _have_ seen on the
>net, of course, right? Such as, say, your own reviews? I would stick a
>smiley in there, but I'm trying to cut the habit.
B10 without hurting myself while i pat myself o n the back :) - review for
review i think our writing is on average VG+ and our accuracy is excellent.
but that's only my opinion and i'm kinda biased...B10
quoted 4 lines In any case, I cant speak for them, so I will speak=>> In any case, I cant speak for them, so I will speak=
>> for myself. I do the writing for nothing. I do it to let other people out=
>> there know what is good. I don't have the time to waste on writing reviews
>> for shit tracks.quoted 10 lines Here's where I feel that I have a little room to argue with> Here's where I feel that I have a little room to argue with
>you. I think that negative reviews are just as valuable as positive
>ones. If I ever lay my hands on any stinkeroos, I'll be sure to let
>everybody here know about it. In fact, I think that picking out
>examples of things that fail miserably are just as important as
>finding the things that are especially good. Both give artists fairly
>clear pointers as to what direction they should be taking what they're
>working on. Especially when the failures, like Lassigue Bendthaus'
>recent album (just to pick one recent example) are so close to being
>something new and exceptional.
B10: it is not our position to tell an "artist" where to go - that's why
they're an artist i suppose. and we really don't like "dis reviews". *however* for credibilityit's important that we balance the great with the not so great. also, if you pay attentionthe dis reviews are usually used to take some wind out of the hpye that you might read about else where (e.g. todd terry, or whoever). we're only trying
to help people see that there are others who see throught the hype (bullshit?) again, we don't like to do it - well, ok, sometimes it is fun - but it is, as they say, a necessary evil B10
quoted 9 lines I buy everything I review so unless I get it for free,=>> I buy everything I review so unless I get it for free,=
>> which is _never_, I won't review it. When I do reviews, I sit down and
>>make
>> a conscious effort to write exactly what I feel about a track. The size
>>and=
>> cost of the printing restricts all writers to a paragraph or two. We
>>don't=
>> have the time, money or energy to write lenghty reviews articulating how=
>> and why a track sucked or why it moved us to tears.quoted 7 lines See, Base 10 seems to be on the "quantity" end of the the> See, Base 10 seems to be on the "quantity" end of the the
>"quantity<---->quality" scale. I'd prefer it if Base 10's reviewers
>slowed down a little bit and went into depth on things, especially
>things that excite the reviewer and strike him / her as being
>something innovative. As it is, you all seem so breathless all the
>time. There's no way you can possibly keep up with _all_ of the new
>releases, so why not concentrate on the very best of the best?
B10: "very best of the best" honestly, i think that depends on ones budget, eh?
we have kidz who do an easy $100 bucks a week (and many who do not). and from
what i understand (mr) adam x takes\own a very large percentage of what comes
out? are you saying a good number of his records aren't good? also, who's
idea of "best" is this? if we all agreed on what the very best is then you'd
see 2,3,4,5,6 people all reviewing the same record. again, BASE 10 is an open
forum - it's not my position (yet) to dictate what reviews (read: records)
matter and which ones don't. finally, i disagree - we're on the quality side.
B!)
quoted 23 lines Good reviews should communicate effectively to someone who hasnever heard>> >Good reviews should communicate effectively to someone who hasnever heard
>> >given piece of music a little bit of the flavor of the
>> >work. It helps if you can avoid comparisons to things that your
>> >"average" listener hasn't heard, although comparisons can be very
>> >useful.
>> > Base 10 is aimed at the average "dance" buyer. I don't think it will be=
>> given away at the nearest highbrow Waldenbooks location. And what wrong=
>> with buzzwords? Isn't techno a buzzword? How about trance? How about=
>> Triphop? Buzzwords make writing exciting and give my writing some depth.=
>> Thats just the way I express myself. Personally, I *hate* reading lengthy=
>> reviews. After reading so many "this release moved my soul to the point
>> of ectasy" reviews, my perspective is to keep it short, simple and
>> sometimes, funny.=20
>
> Shit, man, I'm not asking for everybody to write reviews that
>will be up for next year's Pulitzer. I just would like to see a little
>more depth and more qualitative discussion of what makes a track / 12"
>/ EP / LP / compilation strong or weak. I agree with you that there's
>a lot of overwrought reviews that try to convince you that if you buy
>this or that release you _will_ see God. I don't want that any more
>than you do. And it's possible to do exactly what I'm talking about in
>a couple of paragraphs. That's what I strive for in my reviews, at
>least.
B10: personally, i ty to capture the essence of a record. lenght is not the
issue. in fact (i think\feel) some of my best and most accurate reviews have
been "one liners". also, records should be listened to - not talked about. we
only talk about them cause - aside from copyright issues of making us a "tape
'zine compilations" - cause many people don't have a "real" store to go to.
B10
quoted 10 lines They should be concise and avoid buzzwords.>> >They should be concise and avoid buzzwords.
>> > Concise?
>> > >From Merriam Websters Dictionary: Con-cise - free from all elaboration
>and=
>> superfluous.=20
>> > I think "this track sucks" (as Spike or Larry) would say is as concise
>as it
>=> gets.
>
> I think that's somewhere beyond concise.
B10: sorry, i gotta do this... but wotdafock is "beyond concise"?!?!?!
quoted 10 lines True, sometimes that come off as obnoxious, but I respect them for=>> True, sometimes that come off as obnoxious, but I respect them for=
>> having the honesty and courage to say that a track sucks or that the rave=
>> scene is shit. I cant say that for all people out here.
>
> I'll give them the respect they're due for that, but I'm also
>going to push them to take what they're doing to the next
>level. Nobody engaged in an artistic or critical enterprise should
>ever be fully comfortable with where they are; they should always want
>to be somewhere beyond where they are. At least in my little ideal
>world of discourse.
B10: "honesty and courage" is the life blood of BASE 10!!!! keep this words
in mind at all time when you think of us. we are independent and strive to side step the
hype so often found in the music industry - esp. the "dance music" industry.
without honesty and courage - amoung other things - we would not "survive".
As for "pushing" us - no thank you, we'll pass on your offer. feedback is
alway welcomed. however, we feel we already possess the means (i.e.,
intelligent, insight, creativity, etc) to determine where BASE 10 will go and
how it will get there. simply put, if you wanna "push" someone, why don't
you first start with yourself. if you find that you have extra energy left
over from that effort then we'd be happy to have Your Highness sit on our
board of directors. again sorry if i've misunderstood what's been written but
one of the issues here is the quality of our writing which includes:
communication, command of the language, etc) i can only assume our critic is
in a position to do so and therefore has written exactly what he\she meant.
if i am mistaken - sorry B10
quoted 12 lines They should be>> >They should be
>> >information-rich and follow the normal rules of grammar. Look at the
>> >reviews of books in the NYT Review of Books.
>>
>> I'll be sure to buy a New York Times styleguide the next time I do my=
>> reviews. ; )
>
> Thhbt! I'm merely putting forward one _possible_ model of
>reviewing here, cheese. Don't you think it would be cool if there were
>at least one place where you could read techno reviews that were of
>the same caliber as the book reviews in the NYT Review of Books? Think
>about it.
B10: i think you're confusing a large (and excessive) vocabulary, and
probably a post BA in english (i got my BS in comp sci so in my case these expectations are far out of my range) with insight, creativity, and an ability and
willingness to communicate. we see no need for some hi-brow style. we're a
'zine - we wanna be down'n'dirty. wanna a place? well, DIY. we did it - i
would think there's no reason (excuse?) why you can't. once again, sorry.
this is the last time i'm going to say this. if it happens again, you can
assume... B10
quoted 7 lines In conclusion, I'd like to say that I think Base 10 is a cool> In conclusion, I'd like to say that I think Base 10 is a cool
>little zine, and I don't want to trash Spike and Larry's hard work. If
>any of you have been wondering what the hell Sasha and I have been
>going on about, you owe it to yourselves to find out more about both
>Base 10 and Planet X (which is the excellent record store Base 10
>originates out of). I'd just like to see somebody raise the bar as far
>as reviewing goes. I'd do it myself if I wasn't so damn busy.
B10: "rasie the bar... i'm too damn busy..." well, guess what - so are we! as
you said, we run (what i feel is) a damn good shoppe!!! obviously, this
doesn't come effortlessly (e.g. i spent this past sunday - my one day off - @
watts buying records). *on top of running a top shoppe* we put out our
'zine. are you *reallY* too busy or just (conviently) unwilling to put your
*free time* where your mouth is. don't get me wrong - we apprecite your
support. however, as i highlighted a number of times there seems to be a
number of misunderstandings. some of them i can forgive but since many of
them could be solved with some simple DIY (which is an ethic we obviously
subscribe to) i can't just turn my head. also, there seems to be a certain
amout of subjectivity here as opposed to "what a shit print job" or "the
layout is weak". ok. that's it. enuff said. B10
spike
planet x\BASE 10
nb nj usa