Volitions Advocate on 21/10/2011 at 18:40

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I've been growing more and more bored of pop music in it's many forms lately. Part of this is probably because I'm becoming a real music snob with my degree program, but I can admit that at least.

I don't remember the last CD I bought was (or itunes download or whatever) but I've been exposed to a great deal of interesting things lately. Given that I'm a Digital Audio major, there is a lot of focus on technology and research. I'm not like most of my peers who figure they'll work in a recording studio some day and be the next Bob Rock, I'm focusing my schooling primarily on technology, research, and computer science.

Here are some things I've been listening to recently. Before I show these I'll share a disclaimer. This is not really music in most cases. I've spoken to several of these technologists and university professors from all over the continent as they've come to lecture and most of them have this attitute of " What do you mean "practical" application? its ART!", which I find really grating. The technologies they are inventing are interesting, but just throwing sine waves out there and white noise does not constitute art in my opinion. Many of these compositions are extremely boring and were it not for the university crowd, they'd probably have no audience (some of them) So when you watch these I hope you think "hmm interesting" and not "WTF VA needs to get a life" (which may be true anyway)

Silent Drum
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH6U99ZmUSo)
Atau Tanaka's "BioMuse" (this guy is pretty much a celebrity in these circles)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB_yE_Y3_8k)
SensorBand
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLSoPmY6jGM)
The T-Stick
(http://www.idmil.org/projects/the_t-stick)
Arduino + Violin + Wiimote + Max/MSP <-- this one is pretty cool
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqZNeDGmgVY)

Some are more interesting than others. I'll tell you the above examples are some of the more tolerable, musically speaking.

There's a lot that are far more abstract. And I have difficulty taking them seriously.
And yes... they ALL drone on like this for 10+ minutes of performance.

Id like to try some of this out myself, I have an (http://www.arduino.cc/) Arduino Board on order to start making my own electronic instruments. But I plan to make real music with them. Integrate the things that are inaccessible to the "non-elitist" group with the popular forms. Having a rock bank with some sensor instruments could be pretty cool, as an example.

In less pretentious areas, I've really started to get into Glitch. Some pretty interesting artists have popped up and I really like the aesthetic. I'm not really into the heavy club type of stuff like (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwGroPd-IjY) HECQ but Just the other day I discovered (http://tympanikaudio.com/releases/ta045/) Access to Arasaka and quite like the album " void(); "

Also here are a couple of compositions and projects I've done this year:

ZAS: This was a commission that an old friend from high school gave me for a flash game of his. Its not thing really special, because he had all of these requriements for me. Asked me to take some complexity out of it for him and make it a short 2 min loopable file. The looping might not work so well on the website, but it works. He was happy, but I didn't really put much effort into it. Took me about 4 hours beginning to end.

(http://www.taltopia.com/view/201325/ZAS1)

This last one has no name, it was just a project. I work on it iwth a few classmates, and I only actually produced the first minute and a half of it. I do quite like it though.

(http://www.taltopia.com/view/201326/4630-Final)

I realize a lot of this stuff isn't 2011, but it was MY 2011 so it counts (for me)

Kuuso on 22/10/2011 at 12:22

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Dubstep is stabilized by now, so the innovative folk keep amazing and the brosteppers churn out pop hits. It don't have much to do with dubstep, but their..."hard electro" is fun dancing to and can overlap with industrial/rock stuff as mosh-type stuff live. Skrillex was one of the most intensive gigs I've been in and I do come from the land of ubermetal after all. I'm glad that it's here, since now hits don't have to be near commercial trance, which is the most blandest form of music alive.

Anyways, Drum'n'Bass is where it's at always. This year Dom & Roland made a stunning return to form with The Big Bang LP. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1bfgZNC6xA)

Also Rico - Narc is completely out there coupled with B-side Crack Bag: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM2Ls8fYYb8)

Shadowhide on 22/10/2011 at 14:10

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electro music ? its not even music,it doesn't require any talents
Dupstep ? more like dumbstep
http://www.electronicaoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/skrillex-1.jpg
just press "play" button...
that what you like

Vernon on 22/10/2011 at 14:37

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Bro Kuuso just got told. BACK DOWN DON'T MAKE ME COME AT YOU

edit: thrad needs more pics of skrillex. After all, this thread is about 2011 in music

http://www.gingercatpictures.com/MusicFestivals-1/Rockness-2011/Skrillex/i-LjqXG5C/0/L/Skrillex-2-L.jpg

http://www.kicktickets.com/wp-content/gallery/skrillex-concert-and-tour-dates-2011/skrillex-3.jpg

Sort of reminds me of steven king, or one of his creations

june gloom on 22/10/2011 at 20:08

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so he's a dubstep artist