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Well friends, it's been a LONG time since I've updated this. I keep meaning to, but that's not saying much for someone with ADHD. I have so much I could write about, but considering it's Summer, I think I'll update with some club oriented stuff. This time around I thought it would be interesting to see how many songs I listen to, and how many songs I actually end up getting. Today I listened to 64, and I downloaded none. I usually find around 2-3 songs if I listen to around 100+. If I listen to more, the chances of me finding a song I like are obviously higher. If I wasn't such a picky bastard, I'm sure that number would be higher. Progressive House Considering that Progressive House always makes me think of the beach, you could imagine that I listen to it a LOT in the Summer. Now when it comes to Progressive House there's two different kinds, the more Trancey Progressive House (what I like), and the more Housey Progressive House (which is alright I guess). Housey: Trancey: Take your pick! I'm not sure why, but House has just never really been for me. It just doesn't feel right. The funny thing is that I do like Dutch House, Tech House, Electro House (some), and of course Progressive House. Does that make sense at all? No, I didn't think so either. I do enjoy one or two songs every now and then, but I really don't remember the last time I even bothered looking up anything new. It's just not worth it, but I digress. Progressive House is great stuff, and I've been scouring the web for stuff so that I can have some for my vacation to Florida. Good times bro. Hardstyle For quite awhile I just gave up on Hardstyle. It's become so soft and so far removed from real Hardstyle, it's not even close to what I used to listen to back in 05-07. And then I happened upon a label that serves up nothing but REAL Hardstyle. You could imagine my excitement. Out of any of the genres I listen to, I honestly think that Hardstyle would probably be the least popular. People just don't seem to appreciate dark melodies and unbelievably hard kicks. You people crazy. Dubstep After me and my friend Johnny started getting into Dubstep, I had realized that it was getting more and more popular. Now it's on movie commercials and videos are piling up millions of views. I definitely didn't see it coming this far. As with anything else, I'm a picky bastard when it comes to Dubstep. I'm not a fan of tracks that seem to have just one melody that just wobbles. That's boring. If I want anything, I want shit that's all over the place. It's just how I do. But what I really hope is that at least some people move onto stuff outside of the Wobble. There's some amazing artists coming out of that genre, but they're simply getting ignored because their music doesn't have huge drops and loud filthy melodies. There's more to life kids. Techno It took me long enough, but I'm finally into Techno. I guess House will be the one big genre I just can't get into. Oh well. I blame House for that. But yes, Techno is good stuff. I enjoy both the stuff that's a bit more chill: AS well as the stuff that's in your face and can kill a room of innocent party goers: As of right now my go to labels are CLR, Perc Trax, and Sleaze Records. Check em'. Trance Trance is kind of obligatory right? It IS the first Electronic genre I got into and all. Unfortunately right now it's being all messed up by commercial artists who add every goddamn thing to it to try and make it as relevant as possible. STOP IT. But there are still plenty of great tracks coming out, so I'm not worried none. Well this was a jolly good time folks. I'll be back, don't worry. I'm not exactly sure what I'll update it with, so it's gonna be a HUGE SUPPISE. |
Favorites! This time around I'll be talking about my recent favorites.
Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/50...i+Warszawa.jpg Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa, or Warsaw Village Band if you're boring, is a 9 piece polish outfit who play their take on traditional Polish folk music. Since I'm such a big lover of folk music, it's no wonder I'm a huge fan. But for them I don't think it's that simple. Despite not knowing their background when I first heard them, I knew their music had a significance. I couldn't know what, of course, but when I found out their lyrics are all traditional, it definitely made sense. Their music is primitive in the best of ways, and yet in some tracks sounds undeniably modern, sometimes even including effects like scratching. It's this juxtaposition of tradition and modernity that makes their sound fascinating. Now, not every song has these modern elements, which I am thankful for. I feel that would make their sound gimmicky, and the only purpose for it would seem to be to make it palatable to a wide audience. There's enough of that already. So far I have all of their albums, and enjoy pretty much every one. I think my personal favorite would be Wiosna Ludu. The Irrepressibles http://www.promonews.tv/wordpress/wp...ten-circus.jpg After first listening to Antony & The Johnsons, I knew I needed to seek out something like him. He couldn't be the only one with this particular sound. As I found out, he was involved in a particular genre called Cabaret Pop. Once I discovered this, I was delighted! "Ah, there must be quite a few artists that I'll just adore!" Yeah, I was a bit too optimistic. After a long time of searching, I found The Irrepressibles. I suddenly didn't care about how many artists made it; I found all I wanted in these two artists. The Irrepressibles, as you can tell by the picture, is actually more like a troupe than a band. Their theatrical performances and music is mainly the product of the founding member, Jamie McDermott. A self proclaimed perfectionist, he admitted that many people couldn't stand working with him, and struggled to create what he has thus far. Their sound, like their performance, is quite theatrical and extravagant. It's not subtle, and it's not reserved. As he says in an interview with Guardian, he says that, "a lot of things have been stolen from music", and he has taken it upon himself to make things right. Well, I think he's more than successful. How To Dress Well http://www.clashmusic.com/files/imag...resswell_0.jpg "It's like R&B for ghosts." If there's anyway I can listen to music that would make me think it's for ghosts, well, you know I'm gonna love it. How to Dress Well is Tom Krell, a man from Brooklyn with quite an interesting sound. I originally found him researching the Tri-Angle label, home to some "witch house" artists, like the very big name of oOoOO and another favorite, Balam Acab. The cover of Love Remains struck me as pretty weird, but I figured I would give it a shot considering the label and such. It hasn't let me down before! I wasn't quite sure what to think at first. I immediately thought Burial, because of it's ghost-like dreaminess contrasted with oneiric vocals and a slow but steady pace. I fell in love quite quickly, needless to say. It has the best elements of Ambient, but is never too sleepy or drab. It's emotional, accessible, and full of beautifully subtle nuances. You need it. Max Richter http://www.flowersintime.org/images/...MaxRichter.png When I first got into Modern Classical, the only artists I really knew were Richard Skelton, Library Tapes, and Jóhann Jóhannsson. I was more than content, seeing as I could never really get into "true" Classical and found something perfectly suitable for me. Well, then I found Max Richter. Okay, so THIS is what I was looking for. His music is beautifully cinematic, and could easily make the most mundane of tasks into a scene from an epic drama, but it's never too overwhelming. It's almost like the chewable vitamin form of Classical. He also adds bits of his own sound into the mix, and helps keep him sound unique. Instead of only sticking to strings and such, quite a bit of his music includes Ambient passages and influences. Yes, it pretty much has my name on it. |
I like some Richter though he can sometimes seem a bit easy listening. Yes his music can sound 'beautiful' but also a bit too placid and really not going anywhere for me often. Trying to get into a new type of music of course takes effort but I think it is possible with modern classical if you hear enough of it and get attuned to the sound (whether modernistic/impressionistic/or more conservative).
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This is probably actually my favourite journal. From great music to a brilliant outlook. Never let this die.
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Hello all! I just got back from a sort of mega vacation, so don't you fret none! I'll be updating it shortly.
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Hello all! I hope everything is well. Just a quicky update on a few things I've been enjoying lately.
Two Bicycles http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...3_106368_n.jpg He's Post Folk! Is that an actual genre? Probably not. I just use it to describe artists like Balmorhea, Emphemetry, and this man too. He has 3 releases to his name. My personal favorite is The Holy Forest. He treats the vocals so beautifully, it adds an entirely different facet to his sound. The other two he has are good, don't get me wrong, but if you're gonna get anything from him you MUST get The Holy Forest. And if you're into lo-fi sounding retro-ish dancey music... stuff, then you can check out his other project Teen Daze. I'm not a huge fan, but maybe some of you will get something out of it. It's a shame too, because some of the songs sound incredible at certain passages (and even some entire ones), but then get ruined by corny synth melodies and such. Moombahton GET ON TO DA DANCEFLOOOOR. It's a new genre kids. It's big. Diplo, Skrillex, and Laidback Luke are all playing the shit out of it. It's massive. Think Reggaeton/Dutch House, slowed down to around 108 bpm. It's danceable and features intensely infectious melodies and tribal sounds. Do it up friends. |
That last post was full of win
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I do my bestest. :D Since you ended up liking Emphemetry, I figured you may enjoy him.
Dakota Suite & Emanuele Errante - The North Green Down http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ls1lPBmRwC...0/s320/img.png Well, as you all probably know by now, I'm a huge fan of Modern Classical. Great releases come out all the time, but sometimes you'll have to revisit it a couple times for it to click. Such was the case with this album. The back story of North Green Down is that Chris Hooson of Dakota Suite's sister in law died of cancer, and is supposed to be a sort of tribute to her. You can hear that quite readily, but it's understandably dirgeful. I mean, it IS dedicated to someone who recently passed away. Luckily, it doesn't just sound "sad"; it's not just an album filled with dirges. It is, as a whole, driven by feelings in general. It's quite refreshing to hear such an album come out THIS year. It makes you feel hope for the future of Modern Classical. |
Update time!
Peter Broderick - How They Are http://www.downeu.net/uploads/posts/...3/163946-0.jpg I've always been quite the Peter Broderick fan, even before he was cool. I discovered him pretty soon after I began to broaden my horizons. EDM, Black metal, and all the stuff I used to listen to in the 90s just wasn't cutting it. Little did I know he would be the one that put me on to folk music, which would then put me on to some of my all time favorite albums. What's bizarre is that I got two albums from him, listened to them, loved them, but then he sort of drowned in the wave of new music I got. With the amount of new material I was getting, I just sort of overlooked him. Today I rediscovered him. And for the record, I have to thank the fact that I've had to scour new blogspots for new music, because it's become increasingly difficult to find stuff I truly enjoy. HELP. In the off chance you're not familiar with him (which I just don't see as possible), his sound is a sort of amalgamate of folk and modern classical (and is especially heavy on piano). Some of it is instrumental, some of it includes his own vocals. Consider yourself caught up. Now, about this specific album. Well, for starters, this album is easily my favorite of his. It starts out with him singing without any instruments accompanying his voice, which creates one hell of a dramatic opening. It gets friendlier. And I think that's what I enjoy so much about his music. It's not "weird" or "bizarre", and I have enough of that already. He's just sticking to his own sound, which I think he does especially well on this one. I think my personal favorite from the album is Human Eyeballs on Toast. I think his voice, mixed with the tone of the song, creates such a beautifully happy combination. It's one of those songs you can't listen to without a smile. I need more of those. The last song, dedicated to his friend and fellow amazing artist Nils Frahm, is especially beautiful. I knew they collaborated, but had no idea that they were so close. They actually have a side project called Oliveray, and have just recently came out with an album. From what I've heard, it's unbelievable. Best believe I'll be getting my hands on that. The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World http://www.trancemusic.lv/images/The...is%20World.jpg When I initially saw the album art and album title, I admit that I initially thought it was going to be a forgettable post-rock album. I'm happy that I ended up being wrong. And I was very wrong. As I mentioned earlier, I like friendly music. I like weird music. I love when the two find a happy medium. This is one of those albums. What is it exactly? Think big band music being played with a vinyl's static and warmth. Some of them are easily recognizable as having that big band sound, but in some of the songs it sounds almost as if it's buried, or if as if you were listening to it from a distance. I've never heard anything like it. I'm so enamored. It's like spending a dark snowy night in the city. I don't want to say anything else about it. Just get it. |
Hello all! I've been trying to get all my college stuff done so I can once again be FREE! Once I am, I'll be on here more. I miss it. Here's just an update of what I've been listening to lately.
African choral music http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2MEV3yvgs-...enya-choir.jpg I've always been a fan of cultural music, and for one reason or another, Africa was always usually a place I could count on. I always felt a warmth when I listened to it. I've tried to find stuff that I've liked for quite some time, but never knew exactly what to look up. Now that I have a few artists, I can simply find artists related to the ones I know now. I'm genius. One of my favorite findings is a group from Kenya, aptly named the Kenyan Boys Choir. Their voices are obviously impeccable, but they exude such a wonderful sense of joy and warmth, even in a song titled "Homeless". For those unfamiliar, this was originally written by a band named Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Ironically, I was never familiar with quite possibly the most well known African choral group. I can't be surprised. Aside from choral music, I also came upon a wonderful album named Seprewa Kasa, dedicated to an instrument named the Seprewa. From what I understand it's just a one off, which is a shame, but I'll be okay. Unfortunately I can't track down any songs on YouTube, but you can check out previews here. It's definitely one of the brightest albums I've heard in QUITE some time. Oh how much it makes me wish I was on the beach. Techno http://hearisqueer.files.wordpress.c...750b0df139.jpg It's become an addiction I tell you. The relentlessness, the energy, the tone. It's perfect. It truly sounds as if it could be made by machines. There are, of course, other genres that do (obvious ones like Noise and Power Electronics come to mind). I think of those genres as almost being focused around machine sounds, whereas Techno sounds like a bunch of machines got together and made a band. It's listenable, melodic, and infectious. Earworms, earworms everywhere. The Saddest Landscape http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OcguxmMRSL...0716475_36.jpg The Saddest Landscape were one of the last bands I found after doing some investigatating of Screamo. I listened to a lot of the big names, like Touche Amore, La Dispute, Pianos Become the Teeth, Pg. 99, and Funeral Diner. I enjoyed some of it, but wasn't truly compelled. After seeing the cover of You Will Not Survive, and hearing a bit about them, I gave them a shot. Unreal. What I realized almost immediately, is that his screaming had more of a realness than some of the other bands. It's hard to explain. I think a big part of what I'm also perceiving is the massive amount of emotions put into it. I remember hearing The Temptation That is You for the first time, and being blown away. The way that his voice changes through the song, and ends with it sounding like he's shredding his vocal chords, felt like it was beyond music and technique. It's easily one of my favorite songs. Ever. Normally I listen to a band for awhile, ease off, then go back to them. The thing about The Saddest Landscape is that they just never get old. I can always listen to them. I can honestly say I listened to all of their songs on shuffle every day I was going home from college for at least a month. I can't say this about ANY band. I cannot WAIT for their next album. It's gonna be amazing. |
The Caretaker is awesome! Love Comraderie at Arm's Length
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Before I get too off topic, let me tell you all what I'll be talking about: Depressive Suicidal Black Metal! So wipe that goddamn smile off your face. The average person, or maybe the normal person, might wonder what the hell it even is I look for in a genre such as this. Well that's a very good question, friend. Like everything, it's all about balance. I like it to be rough and raw, but not to the point that it's just noise. I like for the moans and wails that are synonymous with DSBM to be rich and full, like Xasthur's, over the screechy and high pitched ones like Sterbend's. I'm certainly okay with ones that are somewhere in the middle, like ...'s and Amfarek's in this here song. In addition, I'm partial to songs that have a drone like quality, but aren't excessively long. ... is especially good at this. Bands like Hanging Garden make the most accessible DSBM out there and isn't drone-like at all, but I still like it. It's just not exactly in line with most of the other stuff from the genre that I enjoy. There are, of course, bands who could break all of this and I would still like them, like Cold Cry. These are just the general things I look for. Without further adieu, here's a quick rundown of some of the bands I found that I enjoy, along with a few examples of their musik. Dead It's a pretty fitting name, innit? I could try and find information, but googling "dead suicidal depressive black metal" wasn't exactly helpful. Now, I'm not sure if it's the same guy behind Hordah Blaästhiir, but it certainly sounds like it. Between the symphonic elements and the wails being so similar, at least in this song, I'm relatively sure it's him. Having said that, it's pretty much a mix of what I like, as I mentioned earlier, in addition to things that are far out of the norm. Not counting HB (who I almost KNOW is involved), I can't tell you of damn near any other artist that made a DSBM song without guitar, but still left the vocals and drums. I quite like it. See, there is TONS of evolution in DSBM. You just have to find it! Lmao. Hopeless Gee, these names are really misanthropic aren't they? I wonder what's wrong. Anywho! Hopeless, a band from Spain, was a band I was quite surprised by. I heard one song, figured that would be his "sound", only for it to vary completely from song to song. Some short, some long, some with prominent vocals, some without, some more sad, some more angry, etc. The thing he does best, I feel, is evoke a specific atmosphere. Each song is rich with its own imagery, of course, very misanthropic and depressing imagery. Most bands usually stick with a very specific sound, make an EP and maybe an album, then call it quits. For him to change it up from song to song is fantastic. Definitely a good find. Cold Cry Cold Cry, hailing from Iran (yes, Iran), is by far the most intense and unusual DSBM band I've heard yet. The other stuff I've posted is bubblegum pop compared to what these guys have come up with. While most of DSBM utilizes wails and moans, Cold Cry has opted for that "what-a-murder-would-sound-like-on-tape" vocal technique. I can't actually spot much rhyme or reason, it just sounds like death and anguished screaming and crying put to keyboard melodies. You know, the usual. What else would you expect? |
Post Dubstep/Future Garage
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmt87gKlbQ1qeeoq5.jpg Just for clarification, all of the music here could be either one. People argue about whatever the hell it is, and I don't care. Call it what you will. But I do know these two names are usually what people use. There's even Chillstep, but I believe that's mainly used by Brostep fans. Maybe not. Who knows. In a couple of hours to a day I'm sure there will be a fourth name for it. Hmph. So I guess now it's Post Dubstep or Brostep? What happened to Dubstep? Who knows anymore. Did I mention that Moombahton, a genre only maybe a year or so old, already spawned another one? Moombahcore (the combination of Moombahton and Brostep)! I can't keep up anymore. I'm going insane. Everything is fracturing. I'm not sure if there's anything else out there like Electronic music and how much evolution happens from year to year. I think that's one of the things I find most appealing. Well, I guess I should get back on topic now... You may not be familiar with the name, but I'm sure you're familiar with the music. You know, James Blake, Burial, Mount Kimbie, Four Tet, etc. Post Dubstep/Future Garage is stylistically related to 2-step and garage (BURIAL!), which are the 2 genres that inspired the original Dubstep of yesteryear, as well as Ambient, R&B, and god knows what else. In a couple of hours this will all be old and outdated information anyway. Why am I even trying. The stuff I tend to enjoy most is anything with atmosphere. I love atmosphere. Ambient by itself is nice, but not very accessible, and definitely not very energetic. When put to a wonderfully melodic drum track, you get magic. That's what happens. "You're a wizard, Burial." Unlike some other genres that branched off of genres that branched off of other genres, there's variability. It's not formulaic. The niche isn't very small. James Blake is doing his own thing, as is Burial, as is Four Tet, as is Desolate, Owsey, etc. There's room. And without further adieu, here's a preview of what's going on in this here genre. |
This, I'm sure, will be horribly worded. With my ADD, I'm apt to say things twice, lose focus and regain it at a later point, and maybe put in completely pointless sentences that don't belong. I'm okay with it. I hope you are too. At least I'm honest, right? I am Charles Bukowski, except for the drinking and poetry.
I've experienced quite a bit of evolution in my musical taste, thanks to MB. I went outside my comfort zone, and now I listen to a big mess of genres. This is to be expected if you really do enjoy music, and all of the possibilities. The thing that has me wondering is, why is it I can't get into some of the most revered and influential artists? Or even some genres? As well as other questions? My friend AJ was talking about some of the biggest guitar players of all time, and realizing I hadn't really heard any of their work, I checked a few examples out from all the big names (Jimmy Paige, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc.), and none of it really clicked with me. After thinking about it for awhile, I realized this is true for quite a few musicians. Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Bach, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Led Zepplin, etc. I could do a list of musicians for multiple genres, but that would take forever. When I name these musicians, I don't mean that I don't like their music. It's simply that I don't really go out of my way to listen to them, and when I do, I always think "yeah that's good". I've never been compelled to get any of it for myself. Why? I love EDM, as many of you know, so I thought about researching the beginnings. Naturally I listened to Kraftwerk. I thought it was awesome. So revolutionary! Did I download it? No. Did I like it enough to listen to it again and again? No. I tried Jean Michel Jarre. Kinda cool, not my thing though. Klaus Schulze. I'm alright. I guess there's no luck here either. Classical. It's a weird thing with Classical. On the one hand, if I ever have to use the radio, I will always put it on the Classical station. Now, do I have any true Classical on my iPhone? Yes, Arvo Pärt (which I don't listen to often). Mozart, Bach, Beethoven? No. Do I like it when I listen to it? Oh, definitely! I just never feel all that compelled to listen to it. That's sort of the story of it all. I never really feel compelled to listen to anything, except for when I'm in a car or plane or anything moving (for whatever reason). Naturally, since I love music, you'd think I would be listening to some now? No. I don't really ever listen to music at home. Ever. Unless it's to see if I like it enough to download, or put on my iPhone. At college? No, except for maybe to cover loud people in the cafeteria. I prefer just sitting outside, listening to cars and birds, people talking, the wind, etc. What I like listening to most is silence. The vast majority of what I find, and end up liking, ends up falling by the wayside in due time. It's rare for me to ever truly like anything. When I do, I'm not exactly sure why. Sometimes I need to hear the whole thing, sometimes fast forwarding through it and only really listening to a minute of my favorite bits will suffice. This just seems wrong. How could someone that loves music do this? I honestly don't know. I give up trying to figure it out. |
Hard to answer such a question. For me, music is just about everything. I listen to it when doing things, relaxing, walking, on the bus. Used to listen to it at lunchtime in work sometimes, definitely going to and from, and whenever I do the dishes or make my dinner I almost always have music on. I'd be lost without it.
As for listening to artistes and thinking they're good, then going out of my way to? Yes, that's me. I found out about Mostly Autumn and fell in love, getting all their music and listening to it exclusively for about six months, despite the fact that I knew I had a lot of other music to listen to: I just couldn't stop. Same with Ten, then Arena. Mind you, this is the sort of music I'm into, probably wouldn't suit your tastes. But when I hear something I like, I really do make an effort to get into it. Like just now, I've heard "Runaway train", which for years I thought was Tom Petty. Now I find it's some band called Soul Asylum, and am trying to find their discography. Of course, after a while you just have too much music to ever listen to it all, and there's nothing wrong with listening to nature (best music of all often), but given a choice, with the opportunity I would always listen to music I like. Be it rock, classical, country, instrumental, whatever. I really don't think I could exist without music. I'm sure none of that helps in any way! ;) |
Of course not! :D
Hahaa no I appreciate the comment! I don't check back on this much except when I'm going to do an update. Which, if I didn't work today I'd probably be doing now. I'm a tease. It'll definitely be in the next couple of days. Key words: Native Americans, progressive, and chill electronic. Maybe a few other things. We shall see. |
I'm not sure that I listen to music to relax, I want to engage with it. Maybe it would be better sometimes to just relax, but I think some people can just like music just as background which I think goes against the purpose of most of the best music. Good music deserves some concentration, but as with anything it takes practice I think. Similarly it can take time to get into a genre, but some patience is needed. Most people are definitely more used to the 3/4 minute song as well, so something longer than that takes some getting used to. And most of us are very busy in this time as well with lots of different things we can engage in.
I'm the oppposite as far as my likes. If I really like something I think it's rare that I go off it. Yet I also have a desire to hear new things all the time as well. The problem now is that because I find new things I like all the time I never really get to obsess over them and enjoy them to the fullest like I probably did in the past. But I suppose that some time in the future I will have the time to do that. |
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I'm with you on the ADHD. I'll devote a week to one genre then forget about the stuff for months on end before going back to it. As for being inattentive on some genres, stuff like ambient, is, by name, really supposed to be background noise in my opinion. Some genres just seem to be designed as that.
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I don't think ambient, new age or more minimalist music has to be background at all. In fact if I find it good I want to pay attention.
But I suppose as long as you get something out the music it doesn't really matter how you listen. Luckily there is enough interesting music to last several lifetimes so you'll never run out of it anyway. |
BUMP. I was apprehensive about doing this again because of how long I change everything around. I think now I'm just going to write whatever I want. Fuck authority and the government. 4edgy5u.
Today I will talk about an interesting amalgamation that's been taking place the last year or so. I don't know to explain it. I'd say it's a bit Tribal/Dutch House with some Electro mixed in. I LOVE the larger than life/anthemic sound. It sounds almost like you need to play it on big speakers. Actually, you should. The first time I heard Voodoo on the computer, I was thinking there was no kickdrum with the main melody. Why... why would you do that? The peak of the song after the drop and there's no... kickdrum? Then I played it in my car... and realized that there were subs that my computer speakers couldn't even pick up. Here's some other gems for you and your sad life: I wish there was more music and change happening elsewhere in EDM. Like, maybe, I don't know, TRANCE. I swear to you, it's like we went back to 2005 with all the Tech coming out. Now it's all Tech and "Trouse". Trouse was a neat novelty when it first came out, and there are some neat tracks coming out every now and again, but I think Arty's early stuff is about as good as it's gonna get. Then again I'm sure this style will grow old in no time flat, but I'm biased towards this style. I'm still bitter about the downfall of Dutch's syncopated style to the more conventional 4 x 4 pattern. Before: After: What the hell man. What the hell. Well anywho, I'm off to ponder about something or nothing. I think my next entry will probably be about DSBM or maybe stuff from around the world. |
That... "thing".
Yet again I've come to hear that tone, note, oten, enot, musical "thing" that I get from a lot of my favorite songs, or songs I like in general. On the contrary, sometimes there will be songs with a "thing" that make me hate it. It could be seen as a masterpiece, but I'd still hate it. Here's an example (not a masterpiece or anything, it's just a good example of a song I despise for nothing more than the feeling of it): I don't know what it is. The lyrics, the instruments, the musicianship, etc. It means nothing to me. If I like the tone or feeling or "thing" I'll like it. If it doesn't, I won't. Or if it has something on the opposite end of the spectrum and actually has some "thing" I don't like. I find that a lot of EDM is completely neutral, except for genres where a lot of atmosphere or some kind of feeling is put in. The two that come to mind are Trance and Progressive House. This is an example of Trance with that tone/feeling I hate: One that I love: It's a bit annoying to think that no matter how good a song is to other people, I could still hate it for some undefinable reason that's actually quite specific. I just don't have the slightest idea of what it is. "Thing"s man. How do they work? |
The Beginning
Back before I had a say in what I was listening to, all I had was the radio. Being a little kid, I lacked the seniority to choose and the knowledge on how to use it. I do remember liking certain songs though. These just being a few of them. Spoiler for Old shiz:
The other big influence was what my brothers listened to. For whatever reason, I don't really recall what my older brother liked. I assume he shared a lot of taste with my younger brother, or vice versa. I enjoyed most of it as well, but not all of it (I don't think I was too keen on Nirvana). It was primarily made up of stuff like Deftones, Counting Crows, Korn, Dave Matthews Band, Green Day, 2Pac, and Snoop Dogg. Developing Taste The first sort of "separation" from what I was brought up with was my fondness for Native American music. Funnily enough, what I was buying was actually New Age music created by Germans. Despite this, I actually do recall liking New Age as well, though at the time I had no idea what it was called. Enigma - The Return of Innocence is one track that definitely comes to mind. I remember also looking forward to the Pure Moods commercials. To this day I still thoroughly enjoy Native American music, but finding real stuff online is tricky. Either it's an album of short, badly recorded songs from Pow-wows, or having to buy full on CDs for $15 + shipping. Without previews, that's a scary proposition. It probably wouldn't be if I wasn't poor. Nowadays I have an affinity for most world folk music. I have a particular proclivity for African choir music, Bulgarian choir music, throat singing, and monk chanting. You know, the usual. Of course, this is just a small sampling. There's tons of stuff I like that falls outside of this, like the few Raï albums I have, Bhangra, Kapela ze wsi Warszawa, etc. The list goes on and on man. On and on. Man. Getting Darker Around the late 90s my brother had bought a Rage Against the Machine album. I had heard some aggressive stuff prior to that, but for some reason it struck a chord with me. From that point I started developing a like for aggressive music. My first purchase was actually Mudvayne's L.D. 50. I almost bought a Slipknot C.D., but I never got into them. I listened to it a LOT. I loved the fact that it was aggressive, but then some songs had light passages as well, like -1. Headbangers Ball on MTV 2 had opened up my eyes to what else was out there Metal-wise. I don't know how, but that first episode I watched was filled with songs I ended up liking. It actually made me want to keep watching it in vain, just to hear those songs again. Funnily enough, I don't really remember liking any other songs from any of the other episodes. There was one song that struck me in particular though. It was the last one played. Naturally I would go out and by Unhallowed immediately. It my first foray into "extreme" metal. The aggression and speed were so perfect. I loved it. Soon after this I would get into Rammstein (I remembered Du Hast from when I was a kid). One fateful day, I would bring Rosenrot into school. My friend said that Rammstein had started getting into Black Metal (in hindsight I realize how much bullshit that is). Hm... Black Metal? What's that? Well, needless to say, I was hooked. And not even with normal Black Metal, but DSBM, Blackened Death Metal, etc. Go Satan lol. Techno Tim My earliest memories of Techno were hearing small bits of it on the radio. Strangely, my dad's girlfriend seemed to listen to it a lot. At the time I didn't think much of it, but I don't know of many 40 year olds that listen to Electronic music. Well, not here in the U.S. of course. The songs from that era were quite popular so I'm sure you're all quite familiar with them. What is Love?, Mr. Vain, This is Your Night, Where Do You Go (My Lovely)? I Wanna Know My Lovely By The 90s Hit Group No Mercy, Rhythm of the Night, Be My Lover, Rhythm is a Dancer, Better Off Alone, etc. The first one that made any impact on me was Blue Da Ba Dee. My sister even bought the cassette! :O On Saturday Nights my dad would take us to the mall. On awesome nights he would take us to Lehigh, which is further away, but it's also bigger. Those nights we'd put on 106.9 and listen to all of the Techno they'd play. After hearing stuff on the radio, my sister decided to buy the Trance Classics CD (on the Moonshine label). If you're wondering why she did most of the buying, she's older than me, so she had that kind of power in the world. With that CD it changed everything. We knew exactly what we liked. Once we got internet, forget about it. We made mix CDs all the damn time with whatever we could find. To this day I check up new Electronic releases online. Usually every other day, sometimes a few days in a row, or sometimes only once a week. It allllll depends. Evolution of my Electronic Tastes For quite awhile, I stuck to Trance. I had figured that's all there was, and then all that other weird stuff I'd download on accident. The first kind of stuff I heard and enjoyed that wasn't Trance, was Hardstyle. I only liked a select few tracks though, this being one of them. When Tech Trance came out, I hated it. Hated it. They had those nice breaks I loved in MY Trance (Uplifting/Epic), but the melodies weren't nice at all! They were distorted and dark. No thank you. Slowly but surely I would develop a taste for it, but only for a small number of tracks (same story with Hardstyle), like Tiesto - Traffic. In 11th grade metal shop class, my teacher loved Techno. He was in his 50s too, so that was awesome. This one kid always complained about it... until he heard Traffic. He asked me to keep playing that song. I converted him in a short period of time. Knowing what he liked, I gave him a mix CD of Tech Trance. I enjoyed doing it, but I hated the stuff I put on there. He, of course, loved it. One day he even asked to borrow my MP3 player to listen to it all. Now we're close friends and is just as into it as I am. He, like me, wants to DJ it. Now, to abbreviate the further progression: A few years after that conversion, we started getting into this weird stuff called Electro House. A song called Christopher Francis - Crystals in the Heaven (Electro VIP Mix) would be the first song I downloaded. Shortly after that came the creation of Trash Electro, which is far more aggressive, distorted, and awesome. In around 2010 or so, we got into this Dubstep stuff. The first song being Bar 9 - Piano Tune. We enjoyed this guy named Skrillex, as well as random other tracks, like Richie August - Side 2 Side, Baconhead - Wookie, Kanedubstep & Budzak - Jabba, etc. After hearing a lot about "true" Dubstep, I would look into an artist called Burial. Holy. ****. The next time I found myself in an FYE I purchased Untrue and fell in love. Now, as for Pop Dubstep, I would grow to not like it so much, but I think Johnny still has a fondness for it. In 2011 I was trying to broaden my horizons as much as possible, so when someone posted a Techno mix on Basenotes, I decided to check it out. Not so much piqued my interest, but out of nowhere I heard some insanely heavy kickdrums. I thought that was just in Hardstyle? The track was Tommy Four Seven's Sor. It took some getting used to. There was no breaks, there was no real "melodies", at least what I think of as melodies, so at first I wasn't too keen on it. Little by little though, I would find myself listening to it more and more. Now I think it's one of my favorite Electronic genres, and is one I check up on more than any other. So, this gives some insight to how I got to where I am now. There was quite a bit of discovery in 2011, but it all happened the same way. Like The Tallest Man on Earth, for example. I saw the album cover, thought it was interesting, downloaded it, enjoyed it. Same story for Sigur Ros - Takk, Hammock - Kenotic, and Arms & Sleepers - Warm. I found Modern Classical in that era too, thanks to Richard Skelton. |
Considering how long you've been away, this is a bloody amazing entry! One man's developing musical tastes in a single entry! Amazing stuff. If you have no objection I'd like to use this as this weekend's Showcase on the Journals Update Thread. Totally bravo, man! Totally! I pretty much hate/have no interest in ninety percent of the music you wrote about here, but that doesn't matter: a good entry is a good entry regardless of the content. Excellent stuff.
Welcome back! :clap: |
Nice entry. It's always interesting to look back and see how our musical tastes have changed and expanded over time. Oddly enough that Talking Heads song was a big part of my high school experience since I played it every morning while getting ready for school.
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I’ve posted about this guy a couple times before. Was just listening to An Ash-Tree Which the Ignorant Call Holy. https://aeolian.bandcamp.com/album/a...rant-call-holy Great stuff! |
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