IDM Mailing Archive

I agree wholehartedly.... most electronic musicians are really composers, not musicians... musicianship is a performance art.... pressing play is not performance... Let's arrive at a definition of performance: My definition: Performance is when the majority of tones being heard are caused directly by the performer on stage in real-time (not sequenced) using whatever instrument he/she likes. Musician is a little different because, although all musicians are performers, not all performers are musicians (for example DJs). Musicians: performers whose expertise is in manipulating raw musical tones in real-time and who combine them to form original music by playing an instrument. "b. fagan" wrote:

quoted 143 lines mozart did not play all the instruments he wrote music for, or at least i

> > mozart did not play all the instruments he wrote music for, or at least i > dont think so. he composed, using a piano, he then transcribed his piano > compositions onto paper, and expanded it to other instruments. mozart was > a genius, he could sequence in his head. if we could all do that > sequencing programs would be pointless. alas, we cannot, so they are not. > i dont think its the sounds that come out of computers that define the > electronic music genre (whatever that is), but what the computers can do > with sounds, e.g. new matmos. imho computers and other electronic such > electronic devices are composition tools, and electronic musicians are > first and foremost composers. only a select few can both play the > instruments and compose them, e.g. squarepusher. now im rambling, but > this is a debate that tends to get people all in a hissy about whats > "real" and whats not, which all comes down to personal preference, which > is what this list is all about, so i guess what im saying is that THANK > YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THIS AND NOT HOW OLD YOU ARE! > > On Mon, 9 Apr 2001, Josh Bown wrote: > > > ok.... hmmmm.... defensive maybe??? > > > > let me try to say this nicely: synths are great, so are effects, but > > they also have a kind of gimmiky quality to them. > > > > Yes, there will be more and more experimentation into new forms of music > > using synths.... > > > > There will also be more and more experimentation using traditional > > instruments... > > > > If you were able to go 1000 years into the future, I would be willing to > > be that people will still be playing traditional instruments.... > > > > also, I can make sounds come out of an acoustic guitar that I can't get > > out of any synth.... > > > > People, especially the listening audience, will always want to hear > > finger squeaks, pick scratches, breath noizes, and other random and > > chaotic sounds that add to the reality and emotionality of music made > > with real/traditional instruments.... > > > > the novelty of psychedelic sci-fi noises coming out of computers is > > wearing off, and music that has that as it's sole or primary voice will > > remain obscure and as a gimmick. > > > > Music that is based on skilled performance of real instruments, > > augmented by various synthetic spice will be what the future of music > > has to offer... > > > > Musical skill will always be the product of practice and dedication. > > Sound Design is not music... it's hollywod special effects.... > > > > music is composition and performance... and if you have a good > > composition, it will sound good when performed by a good performer no > > matter what instrument they use. > > > > If it is sequenced and relies on quantization, then it will sound boring > > to most people and would make a terrible live show... > > > > Again... this is all my opinion..... > > > > swamay wrote: > > > > > > If i hear another guitar, bass, drum set i am going to puke... this music > > > has been played to death!! it has ALL been done, every combination of every > > > string imaginable has been done. A real instrument! Synths are real > > > instruments. computers are real instruments. so is a water bottle. > > > insights from nature of music, no thanks, ill take my insight from > > > technology and the inspiration of what wonderful sounds we have all NOT > > > heard yet. which I guarantee you is not going to come from a "real" > > > instrument such as a guitar, bass, drums, horn or whatever "acoustic" or non > > > electronic instrument. > > > > > > I can see oscillator or bits. actually i create them. so can you. :) > > > Instead of the string vibrating, i see things on an oscillator. much more > > > appealing to a person into IDM music. > > > > > > ~swamay~ > > > www.swamay.com > > > www.mp3.com/swamay > > > > > > <<Also, learn to play a real instrument!!! aside from the miraculous > > > insights you will gain into the nature of music, fans like to see where > > > the sound is coming from, and you can't see oscillators or bits... you > > > can see strings vibrating, some one blowing into a flute... fingers > > > moving, etc>> > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "Josh Bown" <josh@undertone.com> > > > To: <idm@hyperreal.org> > > > Sent: Monday, April 09, 2001 12:42 PM > > > Subject: [idm] Re: What do you expect from IDM musicians on stage? > > > > > > > my $0.02 > > > > > > > > First off, I am a guitarist, singer songwriter who has performed in > > > > numerous bands etc... and also have a love of IDMish electronic > > > > music.... > > > > > > > > Alomst every single IDM show I have seen has been a waste of my time and > > > > has bored my ass off, so much so that I am intentionally missing the > > > > autechre show here in seattle coming up, because really, I am sure their > > > > CDs would sound better anyway.... > > > > > > > > One exception being when I saw Orbital... but then again I was on heavy > > > > doses of happy pills.... > > > > > > > > What I would like to see is, and I know the technology exists to do this > > > > because I use it in the studio (Logic Audio) is much more improvisation, > > > > interactivity etc... The people want to see you play your instrument. If > > > > your instrument is a mouse then stay in the studio and forget about > > > > touring... At the very least, just have the drum parts be sequenced > > > > and actually play the other parts live on a keyboard... > > > > > > > > If you were to take it to the limit, you could have it so that every > > > > minute part of your song could be triggered/untriggered/layered in what > > > > ever order you wanted so that you could extend it, break it down in new > > > > ways and/or improvise over a little jam section depending on the croud > > > > mood..... > > > > > > > > Also, learn to play a real instrument!!! aside from the miraculous > > > > insights you will gain into the nature of music, fans like to see where > > > > the sound is coming from, and you can't see oscillators or bits... you > > > > can see strings vibrating, some one blowing into a flute... fingers > > > > moving, etc.... > > > > > > > > Basically, if you have any real musical skill your live shows will be > > > > impressive... twiddling knobs is not musical skill per say... > > > > composition is musical skill, twiddling knobs is sound design, but > > > > performance is a completely other matter altogether.... > > > > > > > > peace > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > 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 > >

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