On Sat, 1 Jul 2000 11:15:51 EDT, BigKumquat@aol.com wrote:
quoted 5 lines To express a different viewpoint...I appreciate a clean, uncluttered
>To express a different viewpoint...I appreciate a clean, uncluttered
>packaging approach. What could be more tedious and distracting than an
>interminable list of shout-outs? Do we really need to know that the artist
>thanks god, his mom, his cousin Jerry in Akron, Ohio, and all the gals in the
>typing pool? Similarly, the equipment list takes some of the mystery out of
if the artist wants to put it in... anyway, you aren't required to
read all text you see. if you see the start of an equipment list,
stop reading! equipment is all gibberish to me, though.
quoted 4 lines Just me, but...while I love fine artwork and graphics, sometimes too many
>Just me, but...while I love fine artwork and graphics, sometimes too many
>words in the packaging just clutters up the mental environment (see Moby's
>political commentary). A website is a good clearinghouse for this kind of
>information.
I appreciate political commentary. But your point makes me realize
that the inserts and other things included with a release ultimately
just reflect the artist. Moby shows he has political concerns.
Others show through lack of included items they are all about the
sounds. To each their own. Although I agree with Lauryn Hill's
words "tell me your philosophy on exactly what an artist should be /
should they be someone with prosperity and no concept of reality?"
... all of the artists we discuss here have roots somewhere, but all
the music does tends to be a bit academic and 'lofty' at times. if
any of this is "underground," where are the underground sensibilities
like punk and other scenes have had? That's where I appreciate
Moby's texts, although inserts don't have to have text.
I applaud Matmos' recent support of the Les/Bi/Gay community.
I don't want political commentary everywhere, not by any means, and
it's not like I get upset when I get a CD and it only has the track
items. I mean, that's about all the Proem album had, and I love that
album. Actually, given the odd release that doesn't even list
tracks, when they do it's a triumph of reason. Still, the trend for
one page of cut-up graphics is getting a bit old. Autechre (read:
designer's republic) did it, now let's get over it.
Ultimately, I would say this: There is no such thing as a Bad Insert,
but pretty much all inserts can be improved by the inclusion of more
info, be it as straightforward as the artists' thoughts on something,
or as abstract as an extra visually deconstructed page of HTML source
code.
Compilations in particular could only benefit from extra information
on all the artists. I mean, the point is to advertise the featured
artists, and providing more information lets you learn about them.
Good examples of a job well done are the Law & Auder Assembly
compilation and the older Solar: A Music Travelogue Vol. 2 comp. I
mean, the Solar Comp had 15 pages of info on all the artists and the
goal of the comp!
octopus inc's "mere things and mindless creatures" is also good - no
text but the track listing, and the graphics give me a headache, but
they are very original. I love playing with the little cutout pacmen
on the transparent insert.
quoted 1 line If you still need stuff to look at while listening, might I suggest: the sky,
>If you still need stuff to look at while listening, might I suggest: the sky,
it's not a matter of necessity, it's a matter of desire. artists
will do what they do, and it will reflect their interests. i just
wish the IDM 'scene' were a little, i don't know, more complete than
it seems at times. social responsibility is not necessarily what i
mean. ...although, if they were serious about it, beta bodega's
'third world guerrillas' posturing would be nice.
-adam
--
Adam Piontek [
http://www.tcinternet.net/users/damek/]
ICQ: 3456339 [damek@earthling.net]
... When in trouble or when in doubt;
Run in circles and scream and shout!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org
For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org