Re: melodic electronica...

KEVIN D. ENGLAND
Mon, 23 Mar 1998 09:12:49 -0500 (EST)


I certainly agree that most African music emphasizes rhythm ... more so
than most European. I'm not certain if that means there is less emphasis
on melody. I wonder this because even though ears all over the world can
pick up on a 4/4 or 3/4 drum groove .... it is harder for ears that grew
up on a 12 tone scale to pick up on scales that are prominent in other
parts of the world. So sometimes it is difficult to tell if a tune
written on a 6 note scale is "melodic" or not. By strict definition there
is of course a melody...but are my ears hearing it the same way as the
ears that wrote it? Just my .02 (sorry about all the "ear" stuff)

kev

Oh, anybody know of a group called Skinny Puppy (industrial noise types)
I read an interview years ago where they responded to the criticisms that
their music lacked melody. One fellow explained it like this. "When your
chopping up and pasting together bits of noise for days and weeks pretty
soon you start hearing all sorts of implied notes and harmonics in the
static. By the time we finish a track it sounds like Aaron Copeland to
us." Kinda explains my point better....