On 3 Feb 00, at 14:48, david hong wrote:
> Do you see any parallels between the current rave/electronic scene to the
> early Jazz movement(ie. views by the "majority" culture, talent pool,
> actual musical culture)?
Like secret meetings/raves at cool undergroundy locations and
smoky clubs at nighttime to get away from an everyday life that
suckx ass? To create a counterculture against an overwhelming
but boring mainstream with money and no credebility? Yes, I see
some parallels. Sorry bout that sarcasm...
> Do you consider the electronic genre to be more improvisational or more
> following song structures and melodies( ie. written music)?
As in "real" Jazz, there is both. Improvisation has mostly shifted
from melodic to rhythmic patterns. The DJ changes the temporal
order of fractions (samples) of the original, either on the turntables
or on an MPC2000 or alike. While in classic improvisation melodic
patterns are altered, today it is the rhythm and the arrangement.
As for the other, music is no longer "written". The term "produced"
describes the process more acurately. An up to date sequencer
can not only translate played music into signs, notes and pauses
and vice versa, it allows for the musician to influence his material
on a much more basic level. Plus audio features have been added
over the last decade. Thus sampling just happens in the process.
"Back in the days" inspirations were cited, today we sample.
The question, wether one improvises or follows structures, depends
on the situation of presentation. In a live set a dj has to capture the
atmosphere and form it with his choice of records and his styles.
He improvises. While recording a track at a (home) studio, he
would much rather seek perfection and thus alter very small details
of his piece until it sounds right; a rather structural process. A real
live act (take massive attack for one) certainly improvises a lot
during a show. Yet the surrounding patterns are much more strict.
A sequencer doesn't start the next sample 1/8th later, just
because the solo guitarrist is 0.12 seconds off.
I believe that for a new kind of music we need a new musical
language as well. You cannot explain Rockers Hi-Fi with Tonics,
Dominant-7-9s and Modulations, you have to talk cuts, breaks and
loops.
> Do you consider electronic genre to be respected by the musical community?
WHICH musical community. Acid Jazz classes at college? I don't
think so. And I wouldn't want that either. But are not the major
labels the musical community of the last decade, with all the
music magazines, MTV and radio stations hype-ing this song or
that one? Is not "the musical community" where all the media is
(ie. where all the money is)? What pays better, Acid Jazz or
Dixieland? But there are exceptions (like Paul McCartney's
academy, don't ask me for the name).
>
> thanks
>
Hope my babble was of any help.
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