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Definition of "Good Music"
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Kaz
IsraTrance Full Member
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2268
Posted : May 16, 2002 02:18
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IMO, there are 5 different scales in which all music is measured (I gave this a bit of thought, so try and give these next sentances the same as well):
1) Sound - perfection was reached by Simon Posford in the second Shpongle album and the amazing Unusual Suspects compilation. The depth of his music goes way beyond what even LSD can deduct. Every sound has it's own "compartment", and the way it acts inside that compartment - as well as the way the "compartments" interact with eachother is what I define as the sound of the piece. This is also very strong in IDM/Electro, but I don't underestimate the qualities that were develped over a long period of time - the classical orchestra, the "classic" rock band, and even heavy metal, but Posford has reached a level of perfection no-one has even gotten close to. Ever.
2) Microstructuring - the closest to perfection ever was The Prodigy's second album. What this means is that every passage, every change that happens in the music is exactly the way it should be - you keep on adding something to what was before by the changes you made. In trance, the best act in this is probably Bitmonx - who just doesn't make "mistakes" in this. Pink Floyd also rank very high in this category IMO.
3) Macrostructuring - This is a bit tricky to define, but this is what "structure" in classical music is - this is the way a track is built from beginning to end. The way each element is "presented" during the musical piece, until everything just "clicks" together, and gives everything before that moment and after an extra meaning/s. The greatest in this ever was J.S. Bach. In "modern" music, Pink Floyd. In electronic music, Plastikman. In trance, IMO, Shiva Chandra does this amazingly well.
4) Melody - what any non-electronic listener would define as "the actual music" in the piece. This is all of the different tones of each sound, the way all of the tones interact with eachother. Mozart is considered the greatest musician ever known because this is where he excelled. In trance music, this is the place in which acts like Koxbox and Juno Reactor are placed above the rest.
5) Singularity - I used this word as a definition, because it means both the "unique" qualities of the music, and the "undefineable" parts of it. The ability the music has to surprise you and to touch you where no other music ever has is what I mean here. Aphex Twin is definately the leader of this category IMO. In trance, it would probably be Texas Faggot and Loopus in Fabula. You get the idea.
All of the things music has - from power to rhythm to just plain old fun and depth are just a matter of combining these. Each one can easily find his favorite style by defining these. Trance fans will say that sound is the most important, Techno fans will say that microstructuring is, classical music fanatics will look at the melodies as the most important... You get the idea.
I've been thinking about this theory for the last few days - putting my feelings about the music into words. If you found this enlightening, well, happy to be of help. If not, tell me why, and maybe I'll learn something 
  http://www.myspace.com/Hooloovoo222 |
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Luiz Paulo
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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1095
Posted : May 16, 2002 02:35
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Well, very neat piece dude. congrats.
Now on to my ideas: up until number 4 i thinking of criticizing you for compartimentalizing music (i was gonna say this is an engineer's idea), but number 5 just made me think a little harder.
The thing is, I think you miss something, and that is emotion. Why is "Spiritual Healing" almost unanimously mentioned as THE trance track of all time? One word: emotion.
Imo it's most represented by melody, but not only. You can't grasp emotion with melody only. Many beautiful melodies, Human Blue pops in my mind, and many psychedelic ones, in which Kox Box is the name, do not fully bring about all the feelings deep inside you. What does so is more than that, and then maybe it's closer to this 'macrostructuring', but come to read how you define it again, I don't think it's that either.
Anyway, I may sound a little confusing, but imo one thing that does define music is emotion. Being deeply touched by music imo is what this is all about...Maybe you adding a 6th category would do the trick. Because this is, the way I see it, a case when the total is more than the sum of these parts you mentioned.
not really sure about what I just wrote, but plz all feel free to comment
the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.... |
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Wolf
Purple Passion
Started Topics :
14
Posts :
254
Posted : May 16, 2002 03:13
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asaf that was brilliant i learned a lot from it, thankyou !!  |
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Psychadelo
Started Topics :
8
Posts :
150
Posted : May 16, 2002 03:21
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HIKARI
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
25
Posts :
611
Posted : May 16, 2002 07:46
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So much, research goin on.
Yes, i say we have a book written.
Actually i am going to do a report on the effects of music to the mind. Can somebody help me???? PLEAASE!!! contact me!!
btw, good music is music that leaves an impression, something that when you hear it, its special. |
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PsycHo.G
Started Topics :
1
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15
Posted : May 16, 2002 11:02
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Very interesting !
I love it !
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Jason (LyTe)
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
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1626
Posted : May 16, 2002 11:11
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kaz, I'll sum it up in one sentence - if it makes me feel good, and it makes me wanna dance, than it's good.
or in the words of the late great johnny rotten - never mind the bollocks!
"We Do Not Allways See Things As They Are. We See Things As We Are" -Ancient Chinese Proverb
LyTe Email:TechnoLyte@gmail.com |
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Munchie
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
109
Posts :
762
Posted : May 16, 2002 11:56
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I have 2 defanitions for "Good Music":
- The Beatles
- Psychedelic Trance
MiniMAL cabron... |
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tom anteater
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : May 16, 2002 12:08
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interesting.. very interesting.
whilst everything you have said makes sense and i wouldn't really take issue with any of it as statements about music, i am not sure that music is admissible of such an 'elemental' decomposition as you have attempted.
i mean, at some pt. you have to tackle the tricky question of when is noise music and vice versa and it seems to me from a first reading that the possibilities allowed by your scheme are fairly rigidly confined to what might be termed the conventional (yes i do mean plastikman as well) because you refer to musical ideas in your 'scales' and hence it could be a bit circular.
secondly even if music can be 'elemenatally decomposed' it is not clear to me that you have the correct resolution, in the sense that, you know, these categories may subdivide further if we think about it hard enough.
anyway..don't get me wrong i think what you've said is very cool, this is meant to be constructive
>>love will tear us apart...<< |
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Hodi
IsraTrance Full Member
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1212
Posted : May 16, 2002 15:20
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Unusual Suspects was a very bad compilation and all the tracks had a very bad kick drum
how can it be perfect?? |
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klichevski
Started Topics :
6
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91
Posted : May 16, 2002 15:33
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Kazo you right but i think you shouldn't give examples because everyone has another taste.
words of wisdom
Apo Rado Dacho. |
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Luiz Paulo
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
40
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1095
Posted : May 16, 2002 15:46
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Quote:
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Unusual Suspects was a very bad compilation and all the tracks had a very bad kick drum
how can it be perfect??
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You have such good-manners that it amazes me.
Ever heard of the term IMHO??
Dude, so far I've only seen rude posts from you here in the forum. Plz go ahead and rethink the way you communicate with ppl here. Learn to respect other ppl's tastes.
And imo Unusual Suspects is an awesome compilation.
All the examples Asaf wrote are top-notch and very well placed imo.
the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.... |
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PIN
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
55
Posts :
381
Posted : May 16, 2002 15:57
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You guys mentioned Pink Floyd.
Well, the album, The Dark Side of the Moon, had as sound engineer Alan Parson.
This guy used to run a progressive rock band called : The Alan Parson´s Project
He have a eletronic song, 4x4, from the early 70´s called Apollo. Search for it !!! Its probably one of the first downtempo´s ever.
But the point is, I read a Simon interview that he said he is going to record some tracks with Alan. So we can expect a master piece I think.
Waiting for it ... |
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Kaz
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
90
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2268
Posted : May 16, 2002 16:24
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Emotion is undefined - I put the Singularity there, because there are things that cannot be defined. Hear Aphex Twin - Ptolemy. Divide it into different elements, and it's CRAP.
... Once you hear everything together, it's an emotional trip that most music never touches. I totally agree with people who say that some parts of music can't be defined. I just tried to define it in the best way I can.
http://www.myspace.com/Hooloovoo222 |
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tech chem bpm
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
63
Posted : May 16, 2002 17:32
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PIN u r right and take the words from my mouth
Alan Parson also was sound engneer at beatles "Abbey road" alboom that is masterpiece too. and his own bant is simply gre8, Alan Parson's project was first electronic music i liked
parlez vous trance?
oh oui |
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