Re: microsound Digest 25 Jul 2001 01:46:26 -0000 Issue 362

[steve roden <sroden@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

hello-
thought i'd chime in even though i've never owned an autechre cd (yeah,
older dork here) - 
 
> I don't really see why you'd say that Confield exhibits the "emperors new
> clothes syndrome". I don't think Autechre are trying to pull the wool
> over anyone's eyes or anything. I think they're just 2 guys
> experimenting. I think their new pieces should be looked at as more like
> improvisations or process or generative music rather than finished
> compositions, because that's what I think they're doing. At the same time
> I also don't disagree with those who say that maybe more effort could be
> put into their recent work, but I find the process and their courage to go
> through with this new direction fascinating and inspiring.

i'd say that new directions are one thing, but anything other than 'finished
compositions' don't really belong on a release meant for consumers! keep the
unfinished in the studio until it is finished - put the time and the work
into it - and you better consider it a goddamn great piece of work before
you foist it out onto the world. of course, improv is improv, and
experiments are experiments - but if it is released, it should probably work
as the RESULT of something created through experimentation and not simply
'an experiment' (listen to taylor's occur cd for total relevance here in
terms of beautiful results of some experimentation, not simply a hacked out
experiment!). can we possibly be such die hard fans that we consider dreck
'ok' because they were 'experimenting'. i think that as listeners we should
expect more - i think that as artists we should expect more when considering
our own or someone else's work. it sounds like the problem here is that they
have released a cd that some folks think is 'nice' and others hear it as
totally unresolved or simply thrown together. i think that we are in an era
of folks releasing every single bit of material they can produce, and
perhaps it isn't necessarily the emperors new clothes as much as it is
simply an unresolved experiment that was released a good 6 months too soon
so that instead of a piece of work that everyone can be mindfucked over it
is simply a yawn to everyone who isn't an autechre-deadhead. even a fan
should expect a solid piece of work as opposed to studio noodling. again, i
haven't heard the cd and i ain't knocking it - but kim's comments seemed
pretty specific in terms of a relevant complaint (i.e. it sounds like he
really can't play guitar that well, why is everybody saying he's the next
hendrix), and i was stunned to see so many people jump all over him as
though he had badmouthed the pope. i think that terms like generative music
and process are fine for describing compositional approach, or working
methods, or software; but the bottom line is all of these things should
produce a finished composition if it is released to the public as a finished
composition. certainly i think something like eno's work with several cd's
going in and out of synch functions as a finished composition as well as so
called generative music and there  are many other things that fit that bill
as well - and shouldn't we be looking for things that do both, instead of
praising people who come up with a schtick and release a half assed
recording. i find it difficult to believe you could say they could 'put more
effort into their work' in the same sentence as ' the process and courage to
go through with this new direction' is inspiring. how can a cd that allows
you to question the effort that went into it be inspiring?
sorry to rant....
steve






steve roden/in be tween noise
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good - to learn
that rubies - have depth

but more - to know
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