RE: [microsound] Ars Electronica

[Philip Sherburne <psherburne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Perhaps this isn't quite appropriate, because it's entirely non-objective.
But knowing Naut, I also know that he has a broader enthusiasm for new music
and new artists than just about anyone I know, and I've never known him to
favor "names" just for the sake of expectations. I also think Naut provides
a valuable service to "the scene" by helping to bring together different
generations of artists -- older, more established (yet still quite unknown,
especially to my generation) artists along with the hot-headed up and
comers. I don't know where the Missy Elliott and Radiohead remarks come
from, but I would be surprised if he advanced them as the most
groundbreaking stuff out there.

As for Ars, do you really think it's any more prejudiced toward "names" and
trends than something like Lovebytes, or similar festivals? From what I can
see they tend to share very similar lineups. I could be wrong, though.

Cheers
Philip

-----Original Message-----
From: Derek Holzer [mailto:derek@xxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 12:52 PM
To: microsound; Chris Parsons
Subject: Re: [microsound] Ars Electronica 


Chris, et al,

I guess sarcasm is the hardest thing to get accross in cyberspace. [without 
emoticons, that is  :)   ]  my hyperbolic commentary was meant to arouse 
suspicion...

your points about Ars Electronica's corperate sponsership, high profile, and

potential detachedness are exactly what i was hoping to point out. i think
it 
is interesting to keep an eye on who those "on the top of the heap" choose
to 
pick from those further down. when naut humon starts to talk about 
groundbreaking electronic music, then fishes up missy elliot and radiohead,
i 
start to wonder who hands out these awards, and what is really going on
anyway.

(by contrast, Rhizome's Mark Tribe uses his interview on the Ars E site to 
spotlight several young, lesser-known net.artists, while Pete Barr-Wilson
only 
discusses the work of his own animation company, which all goes to show that

everyone comes with their own set of priorities.)

in the last couple of years, the "star artists" of the
electronic-experimental 
music scene --people like ryoji ikeda and carsten nikolai-- have been
"honored" 
by Ars Electronica, and this exposure seems to go hand in hand with what
people 
expect to hear when you talk about these area of music in the widest sense.
my 
point, really, is who gets to pick the poster-children...

of course, there are festivals (like Impakt, Earrational, DEAF, KRAAAK, and 
others) willing to dig a bit deeper and look past the names and
trend-spotting 
to find quality artists of all different kinds of genres. thanks for
bringing 
these up in response.

best,
derek


Quoting Chris Parsons <cparse@xxxxxxxxxx>:

--> 
--> 
-->  
--> > Ars Electronica is also one of the places where the big-names of the
--> Digital
--> > Music scene come to claim their crown. The "buzz" in the music world
is
--> that
--> > time has run out for glitch and minimalism, and the "next big thing"
is
--> surely
--> > on the horizon. One wonders how long process, content and concept in
--> music
--> > creation can really hold out against the trend-driven market machine
--> that
--> > sinks 
--> > its roots into the underground at every turn, and --of course, and
with
--> > shallow, giddy breaths-- what that "next big thing" will be.
--> 
--> > What does Ars Electronica, arch-bishop of the electro-avant-garde, say
--> about
--> > this publically?
--> 
--> Was this post a press release? It seems like a bit of a strech to cast
--> Ars Electronica as the "Oscars night" of new electronic music.
--> 
--> Ars Electronica is a very well-funded festival, with corporate
--> sponsorship
--> from the likes of Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, Siemens, etc.
--> That guarantees it is a large well-organized event, but it does not
--> guarantee that it is necessarily in tune with the latest + most
important
--> creative developments.
--> 
--> There are numerous other similar festivals: Transmediale in Berlin,
--> DEAF in Rotterdam, Impakt in Utrecht, Lovebytes in Sheffield, etc.
--> You're probably more likely to hear/see really innovative work at any of
--> these.
--> 
--> Don't mean to imply anything negative about Ars Electronica,
--> of course it is a great festival. ...it's just, the phrase "arch-bishop
--> of
--> the electro-avant-garde" seems a bit over the top to me.
--> 
--> I suppose, money talks. And it's saying what people want to hear...
--> 
--> Chris
--> 
--> 
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