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Or, the occasionally opaque veil of opinion


----- Original Message -----
From: "Patrick Bolan" <pbolan@csiconstruction.com>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 16:37:PM
Subject: Loopfest - the opaque veil of technology


> As a classically-trained musician, I'd like to say a few words in the
> name of music.
>
> Many of the acts at the Portland Loopfest were more "performance art".
> Hearing wave upon wave of amorphous withering masses of sound, including
> unintentional (?) feedback, screaming, and cursing, was overpowering.
>
> Call me a purist, but the technology should be used to augment a
> performer's skill in their instrument of choice.

Okay, you're a purist. :)

> Most of the time, what
> I heard was "look-what-I-can-do-with-this-cool-piece-of-gear".  They
> probably had chops, but the opaque veil of technology had descended on
> their performances, covering up their true musical talents.

In what respect?  Obviously the musicians you refer to didn't say that, but
how did this translate out to such a statement?

> (To be fair, I did not hear Admiral Twinkle Devil.)
>
> Let's use this amazing technology to create things that are articulate
> and wonderful.

Ah, yes, but the question then would be whose version of "articulate and
wonderful" you're talking about.  Then again I tend to prefer
"thought-provoking and non-conformist".  I hated the hell out of a DNA
performance, and said so here last year -- but the first thing I wanted to
do when I got home from the show was play guitar.  In terms of ones'
expectations of music in this regard, I've found that more often than not
that preconceived notions can be far more opaque than hardware, and far 
more
limiting content-wise.

If the question then is "Captain Beefheart or Bach?", I'd tend to say that
such is not a question at all, but a statement of personal taste -- that 
is,
when one reveals what one DOES like.

So, what do YOU like?

S.P. Goodman
EarthLight Productions
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