Seltzer

I just thought I'd point out that I find it amusing that someone with an AC/DC avatar is talking about how music has to be experimental.

Don't worry, I know what you mean by 'experimental', but I don't see the link between programming/sequencing and music making being confined to a class... or how programming/sequencing can't be experimental.

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GuitarBizarre

Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, The Mars Volta, thousands of OCremix tracks, etc.


All of them make extensive use of the technologies you are espousing as emotionless and lifeless.

I will put this bluntly.




If you still think this, you have obviously not got a clue what you are talking about. If you spend enough time tweaking parameters that need tweaking, you can recreate any sound on earth and plenty that aren't without ever touching anything except a QWERTY layout and a mouse.

Its not like you're just sitting there pressing buttons and music comes out. Take a course in music technology and listen to some of the synthesised orchestral remixes on OCRemix and you will have a far better idea of how much musical knowledge it takes to synthesize a part above and beyond the generic synthesized beeps (And some of those are pretty damned complicated and require a thorough knowledge of waverforms filtering and modulation besides)


And all of that before you even take into account variations in instrument technique (overblow, palm muting, pinch harmonics) or any note placement.

abaz_88

If you are creating something original then yes -
there is a lot of talent in extracting samples also
besides - if someone is using their finger instead of a paintbrush when painting, they are still painting

mr dave

two comments...

1 - anyone who tries to claim there is no skill involved in making electronic music because it's just a matter of pressing buttons has probably never tried to actually make a new sound in a synth beyond the default presets.

2 - SQUAREPUSHER

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i am the universe

Urban Hat€monger ?

So going by your argument if I spend 5 minutes learning how to play a couple of chords that makes me more musically adept then Brian Eno.

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spook

....

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It seems that lately, everybody's crying in their beer - I know that only the good die young - That's why I'm still here!

cardboard adolescent

Brian Eno did consider himself a non-musician, but I think composition is as much a musical talent as knowing how to play an instrument. Besides, the boundary between Eno's electronic non-music and "real" music has nowadays been completely blurred and confused, even inverted.

Seltzer

To be honest, I think a lot of 'musicians' are offended by the idea that they can practise for 5 hours a day over 20 years honing their instrumental technique while another person can come along with next to no instrumental skill, write music and be called a musician.

And I laugh at that, because I think songwriting is by far the most important part of being a musician, to the point that instrument skills can be entirely eschewed. And this is coming from someone who plays keyboard and bass.

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spook

God, that was long winded!
You've made a lot of valid points there which you'll be surprised I totally agree with!

The two handed tapping thing was done 10 years before EVH by Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, who openly admits it came from old bluesmen, some of which may have heard Pagannini - Nothing's truly new in music, only adapted and progressed.
Same thing with synths and programming, I guess - a follow on and progression of some things that went before.

Must admit I love playing Devil's Advocate and "stirring the pot", but that only works when someone else is truly passionate about a subject, which you, my friend, obviously are.
Just a shame more folks didn't join in to take the whole subject to a new dimension.

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It seems that lately, everybody's crying in their beer - I know that only the good die young - That's why I'm still here!

GuitarBizarre

Well I was mostly using EVH as an example that was easy to identify with to be perfectly honest. I knew he wasnt the 'original' as it were, didnt know who it really was though. The thought did cross my mind as I was writing it, but explaining would have made an already long winded post even longer

The more surprising thing is that every foray I've ever made into the black magic of synth and sequencing has been an utter failure because the programs are so much more complex than I can be bothered learning

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