Re: Technology in nu jazz (was RE: N'Sync * Craft vs. Art)

From: Elson Trinidad (elson@westworld.com)
Date: Mon Aug 06 2001 - 05:34:58 CEST

  • Next message: Law, Alistair (DEM, North Ryde): "RE: Technology in nu jazz (was RE: N'Sync * Craft vs. Art)"

    At 11:43 AM 8/6/01 +1000, Law, Alistair (DEM, North Ryde) wrote:

    >Couldn't agree more. I have had these same experiences.

    :) I remember a time when every other listmember here was a member of some
    sort of acid-jazz-related band...I don't think any of them are around
    anymore...

    >When you find
    >musicians of like mind you'll go out of your way to work with them though.

    Oh definitely. It does has to be said though that "like mind" doesn't just
    account for musical tastes but like (or compatible) goals and attitudes as
    well...

    >As the technology gets better and cheaper I feel we are getting to the point
    >where just about anybody can put together a track that sounds reasonable (no
    >pun intended) - however it may sound exactly like everyone else's track. I
    >feel that what will set the good stuff apart (at least to the discerning
    >listener) *is* the human element - good vocals, good instrumentalists,
    >innovative programming, song writing ability etc that stuff is still hard to
    >fake. (I think).

    Music is subjective, of course, but I can seem to pick out the difference
    between an electronic track made by someone more experienced and someone
    who's a newbie. And usually the more experienced person will have a
    background of performing music (instrumentally and DJing), and has a more
    diverse and open taste in music (it definitely shows) than the
    inexperienced producer, who usually has little musical background and in
    most cases a narrow taste in music styles.

    Going back to the broken-beat/nu jazz, virtually all of the heavy players
    in the broken-beat scene had previous backgrounds in acid jazz and drum n
    bass, and it needs no explanation here as to the various forms of music
    that have fused together to become those genres...

    Of course, people have to start from somewhere, so of course I'm not
    newbies making music at all, but they should just woodshed for a while, and
    make tracks for themselves and their friends before making dubplates or
    trying to get that record deal.

    So I don't necessarily think the 'human element' per se is the only thing
    that separates the good stuff from the crap (though I don't see how you can
    be wrong either), but having some sort of background in the human
    element can account for that too.

    - 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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