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Old 25.04.2005, 12:37 AM
BlakeLight BlakeLight is offline
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I meant gigging... IE, playing all the musical lines on a set of keyboards like a Jazz organist on his setup (by sequencing I meant inputting melody lines into a recorder of sorts and having it playback, independently of human performance)

The closest example to what Im thinking of is John Medeski of Medeski, Martin, and Wood... but I don't care much for music that wanks around, I prefer songs with concise focus as opposed to "free-form jamming"... the type of stuff Ive been listening is rock like Coheed and Cambria, Muse, Radiohead, the Smashing Pumpkins, and a hefty dose of early NIN - the spirit of their music is the closest to what I do... I play everything live on my keyboard... I dont record it and ask it to play... its limiting insofar as you cant control everything at once, but having that control over a few keyboards in real time gives you an infinite amount of control to explore textures and improvise songs on the fly that I dont think Id ever find by writing indivualized lines. My performing setup, once completed, will be my Virus KC, a V-Synth, an MPC, perhaps a Nord or Waldorf, and my guitar through my guitar rig.

I like electronica sounds... thats why I got a Virus, nothing has a better ballsy tone than that thing. But Ive never heard any really good electronica pop songs... most strikes me as being random noises over a straight break beat or alot of boring harmonic material (I-IV-ii-V7-I or I-vii-vi-vii-I chord progressions) I certainly hope theres more... Ive heard stuff like Amon Tobin and thought it was interesting, but I also heard that his stuff was used in a video game (which I think demonstrates my sentiments over its emotional depth). I love the variety in electronica sounds, but the trouble to me is it all strikes me as music to pop E to, rather than to listen... and most IDM ive heard (like Squarepusher and stuff on Ninja Tune) makes me think of Medeski, Martin, and Wood... ie, limited structure, lots of improv that centers around a central motif without much expansion - the creativity lies more in the creation of the sounds textures rather than their manipulation into song structures that hit on a more expressive level.

I really do believe that there must be people who are doing great stuff with synths... and specifically with the Virus and VA's of that nature... but I have yet to hear anything with synths which knocks my socks off like Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club or Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness or OK Computer. (and yes, Ive listened to the whole gamut of whats considered classic electronica, from Kraftwerk onward - so I dont make these comments lightly). Perhaps thats why electronica hasnt gone mainstream in the United States, because techno isnt packaged into song format, or because noone has writen it into good pop songs (Im not talking of the Justin Timberlake ilk... I mean of the substative pop song variety that includes 'pop' groups like the Beatles and Nirvana) But please prove me wrong... Im infinitely open to new music... Id love to hear suggestions for listening for music that uses gear like the Virus that is song... not jam... oriented. Peace.

-Blakelight
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