#Musical Innovation

[yellowmanula]

Dear Friends,

On November 29th-30th, the Aggregate, Electroacoustic Music Festival will take place in Berlin. This event merges tradition with electronic music, as through the use of MIDI, artists metaphorically awaken the spirit of the machine slumbering within the organ. Therefore, the festival features artists deeply connected to movements such as algorave—a type of event where the artist writes code in real-time, generating music—and electroacoustic traditions.

The festival’s approach to the relationship between musician and instrument is retro-futuristic, drawing from the ideas of electroacoustic avant-garde figures like Kotoński, Schaeffer, Varèse, Stockhausen, and many others. However, it raises new questions about how computer-controlled instrumental music, with its virtuosity, transcends the boundaries of perception in highly compressed musical events. It explores the intersections between electronic and acoustic music, objective interpretation, and the effects of mechanically precise performance.

Curators: gamut inc

Check the events: https://de.ra.co/events/1993705

[ai-revolution]

Artificial Intelligence Revolutionizes the Music World: The Case of "Neural Notes Revolution"

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming our world, permeating sectors from healthcare to industry, education to transportation. This technology, which aims to replicate and surpass human cognitive abilities, promises to revolutionize the way we live and work.

The applications of AI are numerous and ever-expanding: from medical diagnosis to autonomous driving, data analysis to content creation. A particularly intriguing field is music, where AI is demonstrating remarkable potential.

Recently, there has been much discussion about AI-based music generation platforms like "Suno" and "Udio," accused of violating numerous artists' copyrights to train their algorithms. These controversies highlight the complex ethical and legal issues that AI raises in the artistic field.

In this context, the Italian project "Neural Notes Revolution" emerges, demonstrating how, with the aid of AI programs, the study of algorithms suitable for targeted generation of musical styles, voices, song structures, and with adequate post-processing, it's possible to produce musical pieces of any genre and style, in any language, in relatively short timeframes.

The project also leverages other generative AI platforms such as OpenAI's ChatGPT (Microsoft group, of which Elon Musk was a co-founder), Anthropic's Claude AI, and Google's Gemini. These technologies allow for the generation of texts, both original and based on precise or imaginative prompts, in numerous languages, even using expressions typical of specific localities and dialects.

However, "Neural Notes Revolution" still faces some challenges. The results provided by ChatBOTs require careful verification, and in the music field, generation platforms have significant limitations. In particular, "Suno" and "Udio" lack a precise and rigorous syntax that allows for accurate results. Often, the outcomes are even opposite to those desired, forcing a trial-and-error approach. One of the major limitations is the near-total impossibility of having clear style changes within the same song.

Expected future developments include the ability to modify produced songs in a targeted manner. It would be useful to have separate files for the vocal part, the musical backing, and the lyrics in subtitle format. Moreover, there's hope to be able to modify individual parts of text or music, and above all, to have a correct and rigorously respected syntax for the song structure and use of styles.

The use of these platforms raises several issues. On one hand, they offer new creative possibilities and democratize music production. On the other, they raise concerns about copyright, artistic authenticity, and the future of work in the music industry.

In conclusion, while giving space to creativity, we are still far from competing with the styles, voices, and tones of artists of all time. However, in defense of the "new artists" of the AI era, it must be recognized that creativity and skill are still necessary to produce musical pieces of a certain depth. This is particularly relevant in a modern musical landscape that often offers music devoid of artistic and cultural significance. AI in music thus represents both a challenge and an opportunity, requiring a balance between technological innovation and preservation of human artistic expression.

[thisisgraeme]

Original Smith Bros Dirty Martini (Instrumental Remix) - New Release from THISISGRAEME Music

Original Smith Bros Dirty Martini (Instrumental Remix) I’m excited to share with you a remix of one of my creations from a while back, Original Smith Bros Dirty Martini (Instrumental Remix)! It’s an instrumental drum and bass track that I’ve poured my heart and soul into, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. If you have enjoyed my music and would like to show your support,…

[sixtreemusic]

Exploring the Evolution of Music: A Deep Dive into Genre Fusion and Micro-Niche Trends

The music landscape has undergone a fascinating transformation in recent years, characterized by a surge in genre fusion and the emergence of micro-niches. This evolution reflects artists’ innovative approaches to creating music and the changing preferences of listeners worldwide. Let’s delve into this phenomenon and its impact on the music industry. The Era of Genre Fusion: A Dynamic Shift in…

[disease]

ABACUSYNTH by ELIAS JARZOMBEK [2022]

Abacusynth is a synthesizer inspired by an abacus, the ancient counting tool used all around the world. Just like an abacus is used to learn the fundamentals of math, the Abacusynth can be used to explore the building blocks of audio synthesis.

[dominozee]

My Top 5 Old School Bass Players

Rock and roll is known for its fast-paced, electrifying guitar riffs and soulful vocals, but the bass guitar is an integral part of the genre. The bass guitar provides the foundation for the music, holding down the rhythm and adding depth and groove to the sound. Here are my picks for the top 5 old school rock and roll bass players: John Paul Jones – As the bassist for Led Zeppelin, John Paul…

[colorisbyshe]

Carly Rae Jepsen rly is the perfect pop star to me.

I know almost nothing about her personal life besides sweet anecdotes like her failed attempt to quit sugar and her engagement. And it’s exceedingly hard to know much more than that because she doesn’t do much press and her music is mostly just vaguely personal but largely just universal and broad.

Her music caters to that perfectly—it’s pop but constantly evolving. Covers a wide emotional spectrum but never goes too deep, aware of exactly what it’s meant to be. It’s a treat, it’s a bop, it’s pop! Her music ages with her but doesn’t age, if that makes sense. It has youth but isn’t juvenile. The music comes out regularly, with great and full b sides that justify their existence and don’t feel of chart manipulation or attempts to stay relevant.

She performs energetically on stage, does good crowd work, plays along with some fan stuff (blow up swords, the gays, the wig guy) without leaning too much into it, and she’s great about touring regularly at reasonable venues (not booking too large or two small). When my show got canceled due to weather, she performed a free show at a bar that night, AND rescheduled a free, full show the next after noon.

And she does all of this balancing to be the perfect level of famous—decent sized, loyal fandom that isn’t obsessive but will go to shows and buy her music—without coming off as manufactured or withholding. Like she feels like The Girl Next Door without it seeming forced, pathetic, or without it getting in the way of putting on a spectacular show either.

She’s accessible. But can’t be accessed.

I love it.

[1111iza]

📸wsj

[taylornation]

Taylor will be accepting the Innovator Award at tonight’s iHeartRadio Music Awards for her impact on global pop culture throughout her career!!! What a mind. 🥺♥️

Tune in with us at 8/7c on FOX!

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Punk

The philosophy of punk is a distinctive blend of cultural rebellion, DIY ethos, and anti-establishment attitudes. Emerging from the punk rock music scene in the 1970s, punk philosophy has since evolved into a broader subcultural movement that encompasses music, fashion, art, and social commentary. Here's an exploration of the core tenets and influences of punk philosophy:

1. DIY Ethic

At the heart of punk philosophy is the "Do It Yourself" (DIY) ethic. Punk advocates self-sufficiency and creativity without reliance on mainstream institutions or commercial interests. This ethos encourages individuals to create their own music, art, and fashion, often using limited resources. It fosters a sense of empowerment and community, as punks produce and distribute their own records, zines, and merchandise.

2. Anti-Establishment and Rebellion

Punk philosophy is deeply rooted in anti-establishment sentiments. It rejects conventional norms, authority, and societal expectations. Punk often criticizes political systems, corporate greed, and social inequalities. This rebellious stance is reflected in the raw and confrontational style of punk music and the provocative nature of punk fashion, which frequently includes ripped clothing, bold hairstyles, and symbolic accessories like safety pins and leather jackets.

3. Individualism and Authenticity

Punk values individualism and authenticity, championing the idea of being true to oneself. It opposes conformity and encourages people to express their unique identities and beliefs. This focus on personal authenticity often translates into a rejection of polished, commercialized aesthetics in favor of raw, unfiltered expression.

4. Anarchy and Libertarianism

Many punk subcultures are influenced by anarchist and libertarian ideologies. Punk philosophy often promotes the idea of a society without hierarchical structures or authoritarian control. Anarcho-punk, a subgenre of punk, explicitly incorporates anarchist principles, advocating for direct action, mutual aid, and community-based alternatives to state power.

5. Social and Political Activism

Punk philosophy is not only about music and fashion but also about activism and social change. Punk bands and communities frequently address issues such as anti-racism, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and environmentalism. Punk's activist spirit is evident in its support for grassroots movements, protests, and various forms of direct action.

6. Cultural Innovation and Subversion

Punk is known for its cultural innovation and subversion. It challenges mainstream cultural standards and pushes the boundaries of artistic expression. Punk art, music, and literature often employ satire, irony, and shock value to critique societal norms and provoke thought.

The philosophy of punk is a multifaceted and dynamic ideology that encompasses a wide range of attitudes and practices. At its core, punk is about rejecting conformity, embracing individuality, and striving for authenticity. It promotes a DIY ethic, challenges authority, and seeks to create a more just and equitable society through activism and direct action. Punk's enduring influence can be seen in various cultural and social movements, making it a vital and vibrant part of contemporary philosophy and culture.

[dangerclaw]

I was not expecting Odysseus to make a friggin’ Aeolus-powered jetpack

#short kings in stem

[rosemaryfuckingwalten]

HES SUCH A LITTLE QUEER WHATS WRONG WITH HIM

[clouds-of-wings]

Power Metal reddit currently has a discussion about Nuclear Blast, about what has changed with them and why, and man I have learned a lot of disturbing facts about what has happened there in the past 5 years. Someone posted an in-depth investigative article about it (from November 2021), which you should read if you speak German and are interested, otherwise or if it's too long here are the main points...

If you're into Nightwish, Sabaton, Blind Guardian etc., this is relevant information.

In 2018, the French Believe Music, which is a large corporation that mainly specializes in digital distribution, became majority owner of NB

Believe is not really interested in physical media like CDs and vinyls even though the people who worked at NB told their new corporate overlords that metal fans like physical media, both because many fans of especially the oldest and most successful bands are 50+ and because it's more ingrained in the subculture. Believe doesn't care and doesn't listen. They have their experiences from pop and hip-hop, where phone-based streaming subscriptions are the norm, and that's all they want to know. They are also ignoring printed magazines and don't advertise there much anymore.

Less focus on physical media means that bands now earn less, that they rank less highly in album charts, which in turn means that they lose negotiation power when they try to plan tours and negotiate with venues etc., because they "look" less successful

Believe has been dealing with this by signing mainly bands that are easy to market digitally and ending co-operations with bands that aren't, even ones that had been with NB for decades (like Rage and Nile, who went to Napalm)

The personal cooperation between bands and NB has really suffered, everything is more profit-oriented and impersonal, a lot of budgets have been decreased and the real decisions are made by Believe in Paris, not by any specific NB team

Believe has been stock market traded since 2021. Their stock value went down at first, was at about the price it had started out at when the article was written - I looked it up and in March 23 it's down 40% from its original value. Ouch.

The original founder of NB started a new label, Atomic Fire, and took "Amorphis, Helloween, Opeth, Sonata Arctica, Meshuggah, Primal Fear, Agnostic Front, Rise Of The Northstar, Silver Lake, White Stones and Michael Schenker Group" with him, also because Believe didn't really do much to keep many of these bands

It's certainly interesting to learn about, also because I had already wondered if NB, and some of their bands, had intentionally taken a more "commercial" approach in recent years, but I didn't know about the Believe thing. I thought it maybe had something to do with losses from the pandemic or something. Turns out they have a new owner.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

I am by far your superior, but my notorious modesty prevents me from saying so.

- Erik Satie

To his contemporaries and peers Erik Satie was something of an enigma. Just a few of his quirks included claiming he only ate white foods, carrying a hammer wherever he went, founding his own religion, eating 150 oysters in one sitting, and writing a piece with the instruction to repeat 840 times! As a composer, Satie paved the way for the avant-garde in music and became a very influential figure in the classical music of the 20th century whose works still sound fresh today.

Born into a poor and difficult childhood in the Normandy harbour town of Honfleur on 17 May 1866, Satie would always be an outsider. The Paris Conservatoire to which he was enrolled by his stepmother, herself a pianist, became for him “a sort of local penitentiary” during his teens; he left with no qualifications and a reputation for being lazy. He signed up for military service in 1886 and dropped out within the same year. Immersing himself in the bohemian life of Montmartre, he became linked with the popular music scene and eked out a living as an accompanist, playing at the Chat Noir cabaret. Always on the periphery, and forever out of money, he later downgraded from the cramped room in which he lived to the less fashionable Parisian suburb of Arcueil, where he holed up in isolation and squalor – no visitors set foot in the room during the near-30 years he lived there.

Much has been made of the eccentricities of this flâneur, who was always seen in a grey velvet suit, and yet underlying Satie’s music is his serious desire to create something new. You can hear it in his popular piano pieces: the haunting scales and rhythms of the Trois Gnossiennes written under the spell of Romanian folk music, and the meditative world of Gymnopédies, where, as in a cubist painting, motifs are “seen” from all sides. At a time when French composers were looking to escape the shadows of Wagner’s epic Romanticism, the French composer’s stripped-back mechanical sound, inspired by the humble barrel organ, offered a radically simple approach.

Satie preferred originality to the mundane. The composer of the famous Gymnopedies, could never be accused of having an uninteresting personality. For one, his outgoing fashion statements always caused a stir. During his Montmartre years, he had 12 identical velvet corduroy suits hanging in his wardrobe, which earned him the nickname ‘The Velvet Gentleman’, and in his socialist years, he donned a bowler hat and carried an umbrella.

Debussy helped to draw public attention to Satie, orchestrating two of his Gymnopédies, yet Satie had to wait until much later in life to attain celebrity status. While still earning a living writing salon dances and popular cabaret songs, and after suffering a creative crisis, he enrolled himself at the Schola Cantorum in Paris at the age of 39. Rather than finding him validation, his studies seem to have fuelled his hatred of convention - it’s with more than a hint of bitterness that he claims to put “everything I know about Boredom” into the Bach chorale of his masterful Sports et Divertissements piano pieces. But notoriety led to a succès de scandale and when it came it came with a bang in Parade, his surreal, one-act circus ballet for Diaghilev. Into the orchestral score, which featured jazz and cabaret tunes, were thrown typewriters, sirens and a pistol - just the kind of noises a wartime audience would normally pay not to hear. With its rigid cubist costumes by Picasso - which restricted Massine’s choreography - and a promotional push from Cocteau, it was provocative enough to secure Satie’s position at the vanguard of modernism.

Yet Satie was continually frustrated in his attempts to be accepted as an artist in high society France - his failure to establish himself at the prestigious Académie des Beaux-Arts, to which Debussy had won a scholarship, only compounded his resentment. Was this treatment by the cultural elite fair? Certainly his determination to antagonise his audience in his late ballets did little to endear him to the critics, but the fierce criticism he received in Paris was also a sign of things to come. Pierre Boulez would later poke fun at Satie’s lack of craft, while composer Jean Barraqué - another proponent of 12-tone music - would deride Satie as “an accomplished musical illiterate … who found that his friendship with Debussy was an unhoped-for opportunity to loiter in the corridors of history”.

Satie is perhaps, to this day, the most audacious and original composer when it comes to naming his works e.g. Gnossiennes and Gymnopédies. With Satie you will not see symphonies, concertos or opus numbers. Satie possessed a wicked sense of humour and his mockery, both of himself and others, became an inspiration for many of his irony-tinged works. His Sonatine bureaucratique is a spoof of Muzio Clementi’s Sonatina Op. 36 and contained many witticisms in the score. For example, he writes Vivache (vache being French for cow) instead of the original Italian tempo marking Vivace.

Whether in the collage-like miniature piano parodies he wrote during the World War I, his creation of a theatre format that has endured over the years, or in his collaboration with Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso y Sergei Diaghilev, there is a liveliness of imagination and a hunger for innovation that made Erik Satie In the torch bearer of the vanguard in his work. Satie would influence so many so strongly that years later some of his closest friends became radical artists, for example. ManRay, the sculptor Constantin Brâncusi, and Marcel Duchamp, or a much younger group of Paris-based composers like Les Six.

Satie, a known drinker of absinthe, and apparently every other alcohol available, died of cirrhosis at the age of 59 in Arcueil, France in July 1925. But his compositions, especially those deceptively simple-sounding solo piano works, find life today through recitals, concerts, and great movie scores. Although he died in poverty with little success to his name, today Erik Satie is acknowledged as a founder of 20th-century modernism, who changed the face of music.

Personally I do find Satie's music enriching, But I also find that his calculated wackiness is culturally apt. Pieces like ‘3 Pieces in the Shape of a Pear’, ‘Flabby Preludes for a Dog’ and ‘Desiccated Embryos’ rewardingly deflate Wagnerism's excesses in a characteristically French way.

[nashvillethotchicken]

"Lestat would get woken up by the macarena" "No he'd get waken up by dubstep" "No he'd get waken up by Call Me Maybe" You fool's. You absolute fools. Lestat is buried/out in the dump of New Orleans, a city that's 60 percent black. He's getting woken up by Back That Azz Up by Juvenile