Re: The Machines Rule (was: Re: Damn The Machines!!!!)

From: Elson Trinidad (elson@westworld.com)
Date: Sun Nov 26 2000 - 23:04:10 CET

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    At 03:28 PM 11/26/00 -0500, Eighth Dimension wrote:
    >At 8:13 PM -0800 on 11/25/00, Elson Trinidad wrote:
    >>
    >>I know people will throw eggs and various garden vegetables at me for saying
    >>this, but in my experience, most people doing the studio production thing are
    >>doing it for the love of it, the art of it (hey, it's all underground anyway)
    >>and those playing in live bands are primarily in it for the money.
      
    >Now, with new avenues of technology, we see the revolt of the
    >artistic loner, as he/she is able to fulfill his/her goals solitarily
    >without the annoyances of pesky bandmates. Thus, the only people left
    >in bands are the grandstanders and the fame-grabbers, while the
    >artists are staying home.

    Interesting point. Actually my point about live players "only out to make
    money" are more oriented towards mercenary sidemen...i.e. they'll ask how
    much a gig pays, they say they'll come to rehearsal, won't show up to
    rehearsal, will show up to a gig late and just ask for some charts and ask
    for their cash 10 minutes after the set is over. As a person who takes
    music on a more personal, almost spiritual level, I find that rather
    offensive and unappealing. So if more of them are out of work these days,
    then good riddance...I'll remember to throw a penny in their cup when they
    busk in the streets...not!

    >struggles. Being locked up in my studio and doing one-off DJ gigs is
    >actually much more fulfilling.

    Though I'm not a DJ...YES IT IS! You get to make *music* and not excuses.

    Now I follow Reynolds' evolution as I
    >find myself stuck in a rut and need to go forward by going back to
    >bring my sound to more people. Thus, I'm working on the band thing
    >again, getting together a few others to add the emotional spark of
    >on-stage 'vibing' to the one-man studio productions.

    You're doing what you want to do. That's what an artist does. Best of luck
    to your project.

    A weekend ago I went and saw a live hip-hop/jazz band who came down from
    San Francisco whom I'm sort of acquaintances with. After the show some of
    the members and some others had an impromptu jam and their keyboardist
    offered me to play his Rhodes. I'd be a liar if I said I didn't have fun
    jamming with them.
    So yeah, that's one aspect of full band playing that I miss.

    I've always envied other bands, take Ozomatli, whom I've seen since they
    were playing no-name local gigs here in Los Angeles, how they can get a
    dozen or so people all into what they're doing and rocking the crowd with
    full force amazed me.

    But then again, in reality, they never played more than the same 10-12
    songs that were on their debut album, two members are now on leave of
    absence due to their, um "little hip-hop side project" and I hear a lot of
    the original members are no longer there. Even a friend of a friend, a
    turntablist who subbed for Cut Chemist for one of their tours, absolutely
    hated the experience. They're touring the world, playing in London and
    Sydney for sure, but playing the same 10-12 songs they've been playing
    since 1996...I think that's kind of sad.

    - 30 -
    : . elson trinidad, los angeles, california, usa
    : . elson@westworld.com : www.westworld.com/~elson
    : . groove to the futurethnic beats of e:trinity at www.e-trinity.org and
    www.mp3.com.etrinity



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