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(3 News New Zealand) Interesting How doing things wrong has improved music over the years   (3news.co.nz) divider line 86
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jhva3 2009-07-02 01:38:45 PM  
Glitchwerks: Sleng Teng is the name given to the first fully computerised riddim in Jamaican music. The riddim created by the collaboration between King Jammy and Wayne Smith's was entitled "Under Me Sleng Teng". However, in this case Wayne Smith was the one who had found the computerized sound in Noel Davey's keyboard. Together they were the ones who arranged the riddim, slowed it down, matched it to his key, and rehearsed on it before taking it to Jammys studio. The riddim itself is apparently an attempt to recreate Eddie Cochran's "Somethin' Else". It is a pattern found in the Casio MT-40 home keyboard.

Hey buddy, thanks a lot for that, I couldn't for the life of me remember the tune.

 
OldManDownDRoad 2009-07-02 01:39:07 PM  
gbcinques: Gulper Eel
The name you're looking for is Hugh Padgham (click for exhaustive studio-geeky goodness).


Thanks Gulper, you saved me from digging through old vinyl for Padgham's name.


Yeah, and I was trying to remember Padgham's mentor and it finally clicked - Gus Dudgeon. I believe they worked together with acts as different as Elton John and XTC.

/poor Gus Dudgeon, lying in a ditch . . .

 
jhva3 2009-07-02 01:41:50 PM  
FeedTheCollapse: jhva3: I remember reading somewhere that some famous early reggae tracks are based on preset lines built into a cheap casio keyboard, but could be mistaken.

I am pretty sure at least That One Song can easily be replicated with any Casio keyboard you can buy in KMart:


Are you going to post that pic in every thread? Do you work for Mr. Boy?

 
tricycleracer 2009-07-02 01:54:42 PM  
UNAUTHORIZED FINGER: Any further filtering only degrades the purity of the original author's intent.

I bet you only read handwritten poetry.

 
mekkab [recently expired TotalFark] 2009-07-02 02:14:20 PM  
tricycleracer: UNAUTHORIZED FINGER: Any further filtering only degrades the purity of the original author's intent.

I bet you only read handwritten poetry.


can you imagine e.e. cummings poetry re-written by hand?!

 
santadog [TotalFark] 2009-07-02 02:29:49 PM  
LewDux:

Not even close!!

Burn Baby Burn from Wormwood (new window)

 
spewing 2009-07-02 02:35:03 PM  
UNAUTHORIZED FINGER: From the beginning of recorded sound, there has been a steady and continuous decline in actual sound quality.

Couple things:

The early analog mediums recorded through a horn probably sounded the least like the source material when compared to later recording methods. Signal to noise was awful. The combination of filtering from the mechanical nature of the recording and narrow bandwidth of the medium itself combined with the double jeopardy of having the same filtering occur upon playback pretty much reduced the sound to a tinny squawkitation of its former self.

Also, cassette, reel to reel and 8-track machines are all capstan driven. Source and take-up reels are gear driven to provide tension to keep the tape from spilling all over the floor.

I agree with you about the speed of the medium in analog recording and reproduction. The higher the speed, the better the bandwidth. However, I think it's fair to say that a stereo LP will stomp a victrola into the ground based on sound quality.

I think what you may be getting at is that purity in sound recording has suffered since technology has provided the means to artificially color and manipulate recorded sound to produce "bigger than life" results. That is absolutely correct. The technology is not at fault though. This is an artistic choice. Place your horn and cylinder recorder next to a good condensor mic hooked up to a digital recorder with no effects or coloration. Start both of them recording, sit next to them and witness the performance. Upon playback, I think it would be impossible for you to find the tin cylinder system the sonic victor.

My $.02

 
solcofn [TotalFark] 2009-07-02 02:39:37 PM  
Glitchwerks: joshiz: Winktologist: Of all the great things done with a 303, you drag The Crystal Method into this?


I was being faceitous...I didn't think anyone wanted a whole history starting with The Music Box in Chicago, to Phuture, to Detroit, then Shoom, then 808 State, and thousands of others in between.

/don't like The Crystal Method at all

This is still my favorite.




Another great one... Josh Wink - Higher State of Consciousnes (new window)

 
FeedTheCollapse 2009-07-02 03:01:40 PM  
jhva3: FeedTheCollapse: jhva3: I remember reading somewhere that some famous early reggae tracks are based on preset lines built into a cheap casio keyboard, but could be mistaken.

I am pretty sure at least That One Song can easily be replicated with any Casio keyboard you can buy in KMart:

Are you going to post that pic in every thread? Do you work for Mr. Boy?


it's either that or I post this and derail yet another thread.

 
santadog [TotalFark] 2009-07-02 03:08:09 PM  
FeedTheCollapse: jhva3: FeedTheCollapse: jhva3: I remember reading somewhere that some famous early reggae tracks are based on preset lines built into a cheap casio keyboard, but could be mistaken.

I am pretty sure at least That One Song can easily be replicated with any Casio keyboard you can buy in KMart:

Are you going to post that pic in every thread? Do you work for Mr. Boy?

it's either that or I post this and derail yet another thread.


WTF was that? A cross between Cannibal Corpse, Danzig, and something very very very lame.

Cute how they all wear jeans and black t-shirts.

 
jhva3 2009-07-02 03:16:18 PM  
FeedTheCollapse: jhva3: FeedTheCollapse: jhva3: I remember reading somewhere that some famous early reggae tracks are based on preset lines built into a cheap casio keyboard, but could be mistaken.

I am pretty sure at least That One Song can easily be replicated with any Casio keyboard you can buy in KMart:

Are you going to post that pic in every thread? Do you work for Mr. Boy?

it's either that or I post this and derail yet another thread.


That is indeed terrible. Well played sir.

 
Linux_Yes [TotalFark] 2009-07-02 03:17:42 PM  
If you play Noise, they (usually the young) will come....

most 'music' is played/composed by the untalented and listened to by the untutored.

as long as 'music' is marketed right, it doesn't matter how bad it is, they will come.

 
pope183 2009-07-02 03:18:04 PM  
UNAUTHORIZED FINGER: From the beginning of recorded sound, there has been a steady and continuous decline in actual sound quality.

..


Shirley you can't be serious ...

 
jhva3 2009-07-02 03:23:47 PM  
Linux_Yes: If you play Noise, they (usually the young) will come....

most 'music' is played/composed by the untalented and listened to by the untutored.

as long as 'music' is marketed right, it doesn't matter how bad it is, they will come.


You left out the bit about getting off your lawn.

 
LewDux 2009-07-02 03:24:54 PM  
santadog: WTF was that? A cross between Cannibal Corpse, Danzig, and something very very very lame.

Cute how they all wear jeans and black t-shirts.


They look like Children of Bodom in at least one of their videos

 
LewDux 2009-07-02 03:34:22 PM  
pope183: UNAUTHORIZED FINGER: From the beginning of recorded sound, there has been a steady and continuous decline in actual sound quality.

..

Shirley you can't be serious ...


Judging from his WoT it's all just a little bit of history repeating - every new technology worsens sound quality

 
MikoSquiz 2009-07-02 03:35:26 PM  
Dub reggae was created by mistake, too. "Oops, wiped the vocals and the guitar ... you know what? This backing track is great. What happens if I turn the bass up all the way and put a massive delay-echo on the remaining half-second snipper of vocals..? WHOA."

 
WhyteRaven74 [TotalFark] 2009-07-02 03:44:59 PM  
PickinWhiskers: That is some farking great house. :)

*golf clap* well done!

 
LewDux 2009-07-02 03:49:50 PM  
solcofn: Another great one... Josh Wink - Higher State of Consciousnes (new window)

I like this one
/right now on radio

 
LewDux 2009-07-02 03:58:40 PM  
PickinWhiskers: That is some farking great house. :)

Very deep house
Russian minimal techno (DJ Havtinoff)

 
Glitchwerks 2009-07-02 04:01:42 PM  
MikoSquiz: Dub reggae was created by mistake, too. "Oops, wiped the vocals and the guitar ... you know what? This backing track is great. What happens if I turn the bass up all the way and put a massive delay-echo on the remaining half-second snipper of vocals..? WHOA."

It's a good point. Dub reggae was basically nothing but fooling around behind the mixing board. Most music today owes a huge debt to reggae in general, but especially dub.

 
Henry Holland 2009-07-02 04:01:44 PM  
Gulper Eel: The name you're looking for is Hugh Padgham (click for exhaustive studio-geeky goodness)

Luckily, my boss is gone today, so I just spent an hour or so reading the various entries in that website's Classic Mix series. You damn kids today with your ProTools and Autotune and sounds-in-a-box [shakes fist]! Back in the day, it was bloody hard work to make a record! [another fist shake]

/Why the hell are you still on my lawn?

 
thematthewshow 2009-07-02 04:10:47 PM  
It was indeed Hugh Padgham, but it occurred during the sessions for Peter Gabriel's third album, on which Phil Collins was drumming. The song Intruder utilizes the effect throughout. Phil's Face Value, featuring In The Air Tonight, was released the following year, also produced by Padgham.

And it was actually Link Wray who first slashed his speakers for that Rumble sound, well before the Kinks.

Rather poorly researched article, no? The guy should read some Piero Scaruffi: http://www.scaruffi.com/history/long.html

 
LewDux 2009-07-02 04:29:15 PM  
santadog: LewDux:

Not even close!!

Burn Baby Burn from Wormwood (new window)


Your link has eye ball people, my first link has eye ball people and acid, just like pictures suggest. Am I missing something?

Now my second link has eye ball people, skeleton people and bird people, just like your link. Coincidence?

 
kenny's mom 2009-07-02 04:50:33 PM  
About the Article:

1) Of course, this is about "recorded Western popular/commercial music of the second half of the twentieth century" rather than that larger category called "music."

2) Ah, the "who-did-it-first?" fight (Les Paul, Leo Fender, Rickenbacker, and other contenders)--it depends how you phrase it: first electric guitar? first solidbody electric guitar? first non-Hawaiian/lap electric guitar? first commercially successful electric solidbody guitar? etc.

3) And then there's the whole multi-track/overdubbing thing. I take nothing away from Les Paul and the fidelity he was able to keep through many generations of overdubs (and the kind of performing perfection he and Mary Ford had to be capable of to do it), but check out "Sidney Bechet" and "Sheik of Araby" (Victor/1941) sometime.....

****************************

Unauthorized Finger: thanks for taking all the time with this; I understand and appreciate both everything you say, and the reactions of others as well. I work in a mostly non-amplified, acoustic music world daily, while I know that a high percentage of what (most) people listen to everyday comes to them through a transducer of some sort (speaker, earbuds, whatever). I'm still amazed at the detail of what could be captured on tape at 15 or 30 ips, or on the best LPs.....and a really good transfer vintage 78 puts me in the room with the performer(s), even across 60 or more years, in an amazing way.

But I've come to accept that what's, in some way, "phony" to me (i.e., a rock singer being heard over the drums, much less the amplified instruments) is just an "enlargement of expressive possibilities" to somebody else.


And still, it's hard to ignore the sweeping commercial trend everyone cites of of smaller, cheaper, more storage, convenience, etc........

/just my two cents

 
Broktun 2009-07-02 05:44:36 PM  
qsblues: Occam's Chainsaw: qsblues: I get it dude ... you are correct. Americans in general are riding the short bus when it comes to education of the arts. Music in general has suffered a decline in quality over the past 7 years or so.

Maybe I'm just getting old, but (IMHO) the bands that'll make it out of this decade which weren't already established in the 90s can be counted on both hands.

I KNOW I'm getting old ... but that doesn't hide the sad fact that there just ain't no more BANDS anymore. It's been a growing trend to slap together various people together in a lame attempt at a "supergroup". That term gets thrown around like Ike threw Tina ... yeah I know I'm catching some flak for that one ... but it seems like there are only names and "personalities" now more than bands.

Chickenfoot? They're already toast before they even start ... Maroon 5, Matchbox 20 and all the rest are flashes in the pan. Everyone else is trying to do a "comeback". Seriously, who else is there that hasn't always been there for the past 20 odd years?

I may be old, but my memory ain't THAT bad!

/the lawn
//git off'n it
///bring me my paper


I too have dwelt in this cave, and it is no feast Try theese:

Old Crow Medicine Show if you like bluegrassy
Todd Snider if you like folky
Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt/Wilco if you like alt-country/americana
Gillian Welch if you like awesome.

If you like any newer artists, plug them into Pandora and see what else plays. Pandora turned me on to newer artist (Iron and Wine, Calexio) and older (Nick Drake).

Broktun

 
santadog [TotalFark] 2009-07-02 06:00:08 PM  
LewDux: santadog: LewDux:

Not even close!!

Burn Baby Burn from Wormwood (new window)

Your link has eye ball people, my first link has eye ball people and acid, just like pictures suggest. Am I missing something?

Now my second link has eye ball people, skeleton people and bird people, just like your link. Coincidence?


Comparing THE RESIDENTS to some random eyeball people... well, it just ain't right. The Residents: Producing unusual music and sounds since 1972. Super prolific. Composers at this point in their career.

/sorry, fan for over 28 years.
//has over 100 of their releases.
///my only real true geekness.

 
UNAUTHORIZED FINGER 2009-07-02 06:22:16 PM  
Thanks to everyone who read and responded to my novelette of a post. I expected the only response would be tl/dr.

Oh, and tricycleracer you gave me the best laugh of the day. Thanks!

 
Linux_Yes [TotalFark] 2009-07-02 07:23:28 PM  
jhva3: Linux

good one.


in all fairness, there is good music out there, but jesus, there is plenty of shhitt too. and the mixing of business with music/art doesn't help either. business suits making decisions that the artist/musicians should be making.

its gotten so commercialized that i'd be willing to bet some great music/bands are not even known outside of a small group of loyal fans.

too many business turds controling things.

 
rekoil [TotalFark] 2009-07-02 07:32:48 PM  
Don't forget Autotune's antecedent, the original vocoder - originally developed by Bell Labs to encrypt voice signals. Until some crazy Germans got a hold of one...

 
jhva3 2009-07-02 07:55:29 PM  
Linux_Yes: jhva3: Linux

good one.


in all fairness, there is good music out there, but jesus, there is plenty of shhitt too. and the mixing of business with music/art doesn't help either. business suits making decisions that the artist/musicians should be making.

its gotten so commercialized that i'd be willing to bet some great music/bands are not even known outside of a small group of loyal fans.

too many business turds controling things.


Yeah i don't disagree. While music is easier to find now, it is also cheaper to record and distribute so there is way more shiat to wade through. I spend a pretty decent amount of time just listening to stuff that got favorable reviews and most of it is pretty crappy.

 
Galaxy of Prawns 2009-07-02 10:22:15 PM  
Are you telling me that things change when people try something new? I never would have guessed.

 
Cross of Iron 2009-07-03 12:48:18 AM  
SilentStrider: That's some pretty cool stuff.

Although they left out the accident that lopped part of Tony Iommi's fingers, forcing him to down-tune and use thicker strings. And thus the sludgier heavier tone of metal was born.


Tony Iommi actually uses lighter strings.

 
Timdesuyo 2009-07-03 07:56:21 AM  
FLAKENGA: The Auto Tune is the worst thing that happened to music, however it helps me seperate the wheat from the shaft.

Real entertainment found here:
Link (new window)


Wow. Talk about your Freudian slips...

 
Glitchwerks 2009-07-03 08:54:40 AM  
Timdesuyo: FLAKENGA: The Auto Tune is the worst thing that happened to music, however it helps me seperate the wheat from the shaft.

Real entertainment found here:
Link (new window)

Wow. Talk about your Freudian slips...


4.bp.blogspot.com

 
sp0rk_of_psychosis 2009-07-03 03:13:33 PM  
I like this thread very much.

The treatise by UNAUTHORIZED FINGER is lovely.

As a voluntarily home-bound musician and true amateur, I both love and hate our present situation. On the one hand I can afford gizmos and do-dads and even get free backing tracks/loops or "here do something with this" project fodder from the 'net, but I'm never sure if my tunes qualify as technology enabled garbage or will be discovered/enjoyed long after I've left the internet echo chamber.

/practices guitar unplugged & clean
//it's not a hobby, it's a goddamned compulsion and I get very pissy if not allowed to play/listen to/daydream about sounds

 
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