Quote by modulator_esp
Quote by pjtmusic
I use both hardware and software.
and no-one complains about it do they
tbh, in my experience, most audience members have no comprehension of what does what, all they care about is that it sounds good and they can see someone doing something to produce it live
That may be true, but personally, it's the main reason I go to almost zero ambient/EM concerts and when I do go, I find it boring in the extreme. The music seldom sounds any different from the recording and the artist doesn't really seem to be making the music, per se, on stage. Even if the artist plays some of the music "live" it's just not the same. Of course, I don't really understand the attraction for this kind of music live anyway. Maybe it would be different if I saw more Berlin school EM live, as it's more energetic than ambient, which is usually what I can see here in the US. This does NOT mean I am condemning the making of music this way. My comments are strictly about how I feel towards this kind of music played LIVE. As for this kind of
recorded music on CD or digital download, see my comments later in this post.
The other thing missing in live concerts, the ones I've been to, is artist-audience interaction. Why do some/most/all artists think the audience doesn't want to be talked to during a concert? The best concerts I've been to featured lots of byplay between artist and fans, but for some reason, the ambient artists I've seen act like they are playing to themselves, not an audience.
As for "the end of hardware" I have no feelings one way or the other (again, my earlier comments reflect my dissatisfaction with live conerts where I need to feel a more direct connection to the music than simply "heaing" it the same way I hear it on CD; my earlier comments do not mean that I dislike music made through software per se). I am not preoccupied with knowing HOW the music is made, but how it sounds and how it moves me. If you can do that with a laptop and software, fine with me. As for that kind of thing revealing a lack of actual music playing "talent" who cares? Hell, Stephen King is NOT a good
writer but his books thrill millions. You can argue all you want the merits of being a "technician" versus a "magician" or an "artisan" but in the end, if the music moves the audience, well, honestly, why isn't that enough? (shakes head)
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but as a reviewer, it simply doesn't matter to me. I love music made solely from an acoustic guitar and I also love glitch ambient music made from pure software and electronics with not even a trace of a sample.
Let me use another analogy. Kathryn, my partner, is a
GREAT COOK. She can look at a bunch of ingredients in the refridgerator, and concoct a superb meal through her knowledge, skill and imagination. I, OTOH, need to follow a recipe. Now, she contends that my meals are equally delicious and I exhibit cooking talent just the same even though, from one perspective, I am not being an artist, merely a technican and following instructions. But the end result in both cases is that the receiver of the meal is very pleased with the results, no matter if they sprung from the imagination and artistry of the cook or simply the technical proficiency of the recipe follower.
Anyway, that's how I see it.
Back to lurk mode.
).
