CoNtrivedNiHilism

I've been a fan of Filter and Richard Patrick since my middle school days. I've always agreed with a lot of his views on music, politics within the music, the state of music, things like that. He says that if you look at the top 40 right now, or for whatever number of years, it's disgusting, because it's a lot of fake artists that can't write their own music, flaunt their wealth without giving a second thought to how it looks to someone that struggles to make a living, just real stupid sh*t that so many people eat up and try to defend as being this great music, and I couldn't agree more. Music, the art of music, I also agree is in an abysmal state. Richard states that the art of music right now is ****, or dead, and that's because largely, it is dead.

Just watch the interview, he eventually goes on to talk about all of that stuff. He makes valid points in my opinion.

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grtwhtgrvty

Bull****.

Music is the best it has ever been. This dude is as much of a mainstream yuppie as the people's he's talking **** about. He's literally on this huge label talking about mainstream label *******s.


People who say this is the worst time for music are ignorant as ****, or they are old and bitter because their studio / label slave version of rock isn't viable anymore There's literally a DIY revolution happening where people don't need these labels anymore if they push themselves hard enough. Artists like Ani DiFranco, Pretty Lights, The Knife, I could go on and on. That dude is so full of ****.

Not to mention the hardcore pretentious claim that people stole that guitar sound from them.

1.) They didn't even invent that sound, so he's literally taking credit for it and calling other people derivative when they are equally derivative. Didn't come up with it. Don't take credit for it. Don't bitch when people replicate it.

2.) If you are so concerned with being "copied", maybe you should try being more creative and being less easily copied.

Let's take two influential artists -- Bjork, and The Knife.

Bjork is easily one of the most influential artists in contemporary music. From single-handedly inventing Dance Pop to putting glitch sounds on the map, to molding orchestral, organic sounds and samples with electronic aesthetics. Bjork's legacy is impossible to deny. Her influence is incredible, both in the mainstream and the alternative / experimental scene. I can't think of a single artist that sounds like Bjork, because noone CAN sound like Bjork.

Now let's look at The Knife. Totally revitalized synthpop and put dark, moody electronic pop with dance elements back on the map in 2004-2006. Pretty much revolutionary use of pitch shifting on the vocals.

What are we hearing so much of now adays? dark, moody electronic pop with dance elements and pitch shifted / detuned vocals. None of them managed to replicate what The Knife did, but the influence was annoyingly evident, so what did they do? Instead of becoming bitter parodies of themselves and bitching about the "state of the music industry", they adapted, and turned the entire genre on it's head, once again, with Shaking the Habitual, incorporating drone and noise and linear, harsh, tribal dance songs, soundscapes. They went from dark and electronic -- ethereal and subdued to bright as **** and booming, intense, vivid experimental dance music.

This dude is bitter, old, and out of touch. He was never unique to begin with. He's claiming ownership of a style of music, which is immature, especially since it's a style of music he didn't even invent. I'm starting to see a lot of post grunge, washed out 40 somethings who are talking about 'the state of the industry', but what they fail to realize is that there is an entirely new industry happening right under their nose. They are just too washed up and tired to get on board.

CoNtrivedNiHilism

Not a bad post man. But I think you might be misunderstanding some of the things he says about the state of music. Do you really think that all of that Pop music that's so popular right now is really that great and deserves a lot of the praise it gets? It's not just Pop, but Rock too. Ton of Rock bands around now that are still largely new that are just so void of anything innovative or that has grit or depth to it. It's irritating.

You comment on his claim that bands stole the guitar sound Filter had in their hay day, as bullsh*t. Filter has been around since the early 90's. One of the groups biggest influence is Ministry. That tone you hear in Filter's music is largely borrowed from Ministry, just like with Nine Inch Nails. They've got their own spin on it, and my opinion is that Filter did it in a way that didn't come off to me as a completely ripped off tone, but more they built on the idea of it to make it something they could mold and fit to the kind of music Filter plays. Richard isn't just saying bands stole Filter's guitar sound for no reason. Because there are actually bands out their that have attempted to mimic Filter's sound which is more or less its own thing, still even today. You can't lump Filter in as unoriginal just because other bands sound like them, because it's a fact that the bands that are unoriginal, or the ones copying the sound Filter has. Filter didn't pioneer it, but they sure as hell were one of the bands that were around at the start of it before every other band that wanted a sound like that, ripped it off.

I agree on the view that the music we have today is much less inspired, it's less bold, it's largely marketed with a 'safe' sound when it's mainstream or commercial. Richard has a point when he mentions how a lot of bands like Filter, or bands in general that are a Rock band or any sort of variant of it, come around with some song that's got a lot of grit to it, that's holds no punches, that's bold and in your face...it sort of gets ignored because these days people don't want to hear that kind of music, they want safe, nice sounding music, music like what's hot on the top 40 or played the hell out of on the radio. Let's see a radio station play the song Jurassitol by Filter, you won't because it's not painting a pretty picture and it's also not the 90's anymore when bands like Filter and Nine Inch Nails were popular. It's sad man. It's like nobody in a lot of the genre's there are want to write about anything worth talking about; has to be about sex, has to be about wealth, has to be about fame, has to be about drugs if you want it to get airplay. That sh*t was big in the 80's, but compared to now in my opinion, even those cheesy hair bands were writing better music than this bubblegum pop people eat up like gold.

I strongly believe more effort should start being important to have in today's music. Because I don't hear much effort in a lot of it because these days, little effort is needed. If you sound like One Direction or Kanye West, Katy Perry, you're good, you'll sell out stadiums and have number one hits lined up for years. I feel that those artists don't appreciate the art of music, or music in general. They're in it, they're doing it, they'll talk about how much they love music. But the music they produce tells me something different.

Also. Richard is not bitter because his band isn't as relevant anymore. He's bitter because music that is built from the ground up isn't really appreciated anymore. People don't seem to care. He wants to see that back in the music scene, recognized. I think he made that pretty clear haha. He's also not claiming ownership of a genre either. I think you might be completely missing what he's actually saying. And if I were Richard or one of those supposed washed up 40 somethings from thirty years ago or so, I wouldn't want to conform to this new industry you speak of either, because what I've heard from it so far is exactly the bland, uninspired music Richard is talking about in the interview.

And really man. He makes valid points.

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grtwhtgrvty

As if that's any different from the 90s. There's always ****ty mainstream stuff and good alternative stuff.

Do you remember limp bizkit? Smash Mouth? Remember Aqua and Creed and All Saints and Stone Temple Pilots and Sugar Ray? Remember Hanson? Baha Men? Billy Ray Cyrus?

Every generation has bull**** and then it has good music. This generation has the most good music of any because of the internet and how easy it is to get your stuff out there. This dude is talking about EDM like it's not the most over saturated, hyper generic thing in contemporary music. EDM is literally the same exact thing as pop. The only people who think it isn't are people who just discovered it, so he's clearly out of touch with contemporary alternative music.

Rock bands are void of innovation? Yeah, your over saturated post grunge dude rock scene is void of innovation. It has been ever since Nirvana. What about math rock, and post rock, and experimental rock bands like Swans? What about the new wave of experimental folk rock?

Yeah, music is dead and void of innovation, if all you do is turn on the radio and watch MTV. This guy has such an MTV perspective. MTV is dead. The radio is dead. The internet took its place.

That's why it's not theirs. Also, if you're good, noone can mimic you. That's why iconic bands are iconic, or iconic artists in general. I don't see a million Vladimir Nabokov clones running around because noone can write like Vladimir Nabokov.

And stop talking about the top 40. Who cares about the top 40. Who gives a **** about the top 40 honestly. There's this huge amount of experimental, amazing music coming out of electronic scenes. Literally the age of the internet caused every genre and scene of music to mesh together and new sounds are popping up left and right and the level of innovation and accessibility is at an all time high and people aren't bound to the studios anymore and people are slaves to the label as much and we're sitting here referencing Katy Perry and Iggy Azaelia and Nicki Minaj. There was bubblegum pop in the 90s. The term bubblegum pop literally originated in the 60s. It's been happening for a really, really long time. It's not anything new. Mainstream pop has been doing what mainstream pop does forever.

If you really think that the new wave of experimental electronic music in the past 10 years is bland, I want to know what artists you are talking about specifically. From my standpoint, I don't think you'd be able to name a single one because you seem so wrapped up in Katy Perry, who is literally the most irrelevant person in music ever.

I looked at your last FM and literally we don't have a single artist in common except Placebo. You keep talking about the scene I'm talking about as if it's the scene he's talking about, but honestly, I don't think you, or him, even know that the scene I'm talking about exists.

CoNtrivedNiHilism

You just aren't getting the point he is making man, like at all.

You're reading in to this as if this guy and his band are trying to say they're set apart from all the other generic sh*t that is out there, when he's saying the opposite. Did you even watch it? He's saying it's hard to sound different because everyone else already sounds like Filter or any other Rock band out there. But my opinion? Filter isn't nearly as generic, in fact I say they're much more original than a large amount of all these other bands selling out venues because people have bland taste.

Your point on electronic is moot to me in this conversation because I don't listen to electronic music. There's a lot you can do with it from what I have heard and been told about. But what I've been shown (don't ask who, because I don't remember, I just remember how the music sounded and it sounded so basic and simple to me...) did not impress me. I want the sound of live instruments in my music. I can't get the same feeling or sound out of something that's processed through a computer and whatever music program being used to make those sounds. You know Celldweller? Klayton, the guy behind it, is hugely all about the electronic movement. I think he's a brilliant musician, but I have never favored the electronic music he's put out, I prefer the more Rock or Industrial material he's released.

You're also talking to me like me referencing Katy Perry is the only example of bland music I know. It's not. But why would I sit here and attempt convincing someone that's so tightly wrapped up in their own opinion and won't acknowledge the valid points about the state of music as a WHOLE and not just a part of it? Because you're focus on one small part of it with electronic music, like seriously dude.

You already had your mind made up about that interview I posted before you spent that thirty seconds skipping through it and missing anything you might have found yourself agreeing with.

It's hard talking about things like this with a person with a view like yours, because you just won't have things any other way than your own. An MTV perspective? Dude, that's just hilarious because Richard is entirely against MTV, has been for a while. The last video I believe they had played on there was way back in 2000, when MTV didn't play so much sh*t.

You're narrow minded, and your have a narrow minded perspective because of it.

You're not bringing anything substantial to this topic, so why should I bother discussing it anymore with you? Give me one reason why I should be convinced you know what you're talking about. Because you don't understand it as well as you think you do, not from how I see things.

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Janszoon

Not only do I disagree with Richard Patrick, but I've always considered Filter to be an example of tepid pop music so hearing these comments from him is kind of humorous.

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CoNtrivedNiHilism

When I read an opinion like this, I always wonder where the Pop music even applies to Filter and their music, other than maybe some of their softer material that was geared toward radio play and MTV when they were popular.

You know your sh*t Jansz, and of course you wouldn't like something like Filter. At least you're not blowing up the thread, glorifying electronic music.

...also, isn't it obvious that Richard is talking mainly about the popular, mainstream music and not so much the underground sh*t? Probably because he wants what he hears outside of popular music culture to get the exposure it needs to push everything ****ty that dominates the charts, out and gone. Not once does he glorify Filter as being this super great band. He just feels that he's keeping the music he makes more true to the art in whatever way he can. I can say from listening to this band since Short Bus that yes, Filter had a lot going for them, and I think even the ideas Richard has in the band today are good. That's just me, though, whatever.

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Janszoon

My familiarity with Filter is limited to Short Bus and their singles, and nothing I've heard was better than lukewarm or ever gave me the impression that he might progress on to making anything interesting. Maybe I'm wrong, and later on he went on to make material that was more unique and interesting. My guess is he didn't, but I'd be willing give it a listen if he did.

On a different note, what's wrong with electronic music?

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grtwhtgrvty

I rest my case. You just don't know.

No. I'm talking about you referencing Katy Perry because when I talk about the state of music with my friends, we don't reference Katy Perry or the top 40 because it's static. It's always going to be there. It's always been there. It has nothing to do with anything. Referencing Katy Perry and top 40 reminds me of those youtube comments that are like

YOU SAY LADY GAGA? I SAY NICKELBACK

YOU SAY KATY PERRY? I SAY LINKIN PARK

90% OF TEENS LISTEN TO ****TY MUSIC. IF YOU'RE ONE OF THE 10% THAT DOESN'T, POST THIS TO 10 PEOPLE.

Like it's just immature to reference Katy Perry and top 40 music in that context.

Actually I watched 20 minutes of it.

Yeah this is a misunderstanding. When I talk about the MTV mentality, I'm not saying he likes MTV. I'm saying that he only pays attention to what is right in front of his face. He only listens to what is handed to him and what is within his immediate culture. That's why he references EDM the way he does. EDM is tired and static and everything sounds the same. Even all of the EDM artists are saying that. If you go to the EDM production subreddit, there is constantly threads about how static the genre is. This dude references EDM like it's this new wave of hardcore innovation when it's literally the most static genre out there. Mainstream pop is more dynamic than EDM. That's why I'm saying he has the MTV mindset. He's used to music being handed to him. That explains his narrow minded viewpoint on EDM, and his lack of music knowledge in general. People who are actually on the cutting edge, listening to the new experimental sounds, sifting through the trends in alternative music -- they aren't referencing EDM. Only an ignorant person would reference EDM as innovative. It's just such an outdated point of view.

Ad hominem.

CoNtrivedNiHilism

There's a disconnect between it, and me. I can't find anything I like about it. How innovative or great grtwhtgrvty is something I don't hear, or agree on. I feel like he's just trying to make something dull, shine. It's possible I could find something pretty neat if I tried. But honestly, that desire to do so just isn't there.

Go check out the Title Of Record by Filter, I felt it was better than Short Bus. You might like it better. I feel Filter did produce songs that were interesting and unique in some ways, but you're talking to a guy that really likes the band, and Mr. Know It All grtwhtgrvty is calling me bland for liking them and that I'm an idiot that doesn't know what he's talking about. Whatever, kind of done or don't even care to waste time on people like him with nothing good to say.

Richard Patrick. Been in the music business since 86', multi-instrumentalist, producer, successful to boot, but somehow doesn't know sh*t about the industry or what's going on in it, you're judging this about a guy you know nothing about, and have only watched one single interview from him where he expressed some opinions about the COMMERCIAL/MAINSTREAM music scene.

I talked with Richard the last time I saw Filter live. I asked him what he thought of the obscure bands, indie music, electronic music that you glorify grtwhtgrvty, and he had some pretty profound and knowledgeable things to say about it. Don't be a f*cking prick dude, because you don't know the guy or what he thinks about the things you claim he's oblivious to.

But you can keep acting like you do. F*ck if I'm going to take your opinion seriously when its been pulled out of your ass.

You're also doing the same thing with me. Judging me on just a few things I've said here, how credible my knowledge is, like you f*cking know me. You're not going to last here man. You're going to keep touting around your know it all attitude, and people are going to get tired of it and run you off.

You're going to reply to this with assumptions and insult my intelligence, what I know. But you're going to be talking to a wall because I'm done dignifying what you say with a response.

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