Randomness

[Faust]

Couldn't ask for a better first post

I think part of it is that we live in the postmodernist world, where so much of culture has been done that it's becoming harder to do something original. Not impossible, but harder. Though in some ways it's also easier, as technology has shifted the means of cultural production significantly (it's actually a very Marxist idea, only without the violent revolution).

I think nostalgia works differently for different people. For those who lived it as a teenager, they are reliving it. Their young sibling, who imitated them, also relive it in a somewhat different way. And then I suppose even younger people are reviving those cultural artifacts in a new way.

A big part of nostalgia is about who is in the driver's seat of culture. And now it's my generation, who grew up in the 90s and are now heads of creative and marketing agencies, etc.

[Faust]

There were a couple of big tech announcements in the consumer tech world recently that have made me feel sad about the continuing erasure of quality in favor of convenience in our lives.

1) The announcement of iPhone 7, on which you can only listen to you already lossy music only through wireless headphones. In essence this is Apple saying, fuck you and your hi-fi headphones and your headphone DACs. I can only imagine how many enthusiasts this has pissed off; and what are they supposed to do now with the headphones they have invested in? I really hope this will come back to bite Apple hard, but I am not holding my breath.

2) The announcement of Amazon offering unlimited streaming music (MP3, of course) for only $4 a month. The catch is that you can only get that pricing if you buy their new piece of crap Echo Dot "speaker" (which they sell in 6-packs, like beer). Undoubtedly, a ton of people will sign up for this.

We used to LISTEN to music. Like, really listen - not just hum the words in unison or have something in the background but we used to let music be a transformative experience. This quality is increasingly being lost in favor of convenience and I find this really sad. (I also find it disturbing that Amazon treats cultural production as a vehicle for selling low grade consumer products, not that it's news to any one.)

I am going the opposite way. I bought a pair of Focal tower speakers late last year, following up with a new amp and an OPPO universal disc player. I am buying CDs again and I am looking into streaming HD audio.

[eleves]

I agree with you wholeheartedly, music and what it can truly do is definitely lost on a lot of people. I also just started buying CDs and vinyl again for different sound experiences, even when I have all of the music in digital format. It's also been harder and harder to find cohesive albums that can be thoroughly enjoyed straight through from opening track to closing track.

In regards to sound quality, have you or anyone else experienced 3D Sound headphones? Do they deliver on what they promise?

[Faust]

I am glad we are in agreement! I have not tested those.

[Nickefuge]

I love the ritual of listening to a record from beginning to end. No playlists, no random mode. The large artwork is also nice.

[Ahimsa]

I love the ritual of listening to a record from beginning to end. No playlists, no random mode. The large artwork is also nice.

Same.

A great deal of proper production is disappearing as well. An artist I listen to once posted a "what's in my bag" image and included a pair of Beats. She went on to elaborate that the only reason she carries them is that so she understands how her listeners hear her music. This means that many modern day producers are actually tuning their music to accommodate these low grade listening devices. So unfortunately, many good speakers and headphones will be lost for certain artists as there won't be anything missing that you wouldn't be able to hear on a pair of Beats.

I've learned to work within this framework as many of the artists that I would like to use for website sound or social media won't be fully audible on say an iPhone or Macbook. (Ben Frost's soundscapes, for instance, are totally lost when heard through laptop speakers)

[Nickefuge]

Same.

A great deal of proper production is disappearing as well. An artist I listen to once posted a "what's in my bag" image and included a pair of Beats. She went on to elaborate that the only reason she carries them is that so she understands how her listeners hear her music. This means that many modern day producers are actually tuning their music to accommodate these low grade listening devices. So unfortunately, many good speakers and headphones will be lost for certain artists as there won't be anything missing that you wouldn't be able to hear on a pair of Beats.

I've learned to work within this framework as many of the artists that I would like to use for website sound or social media won't be fully audible on say an iPhone or Macbook. (Ben Frost's soundscapes, for instance, are totally lost when heard through laptop speakers)

That’s not a new trend though. Producers in the 50s used to emulate kitchen radios when mixing songs.

When I recorded a record with my band the producer used both studio speakers and small lower grade ones and switched back and forth to make sure the songs would sound good on high and low tech devices. I find that to be a very democratic approach as not everybody has the means (or the knowledge) to use great audio gear.

[interest1]

The morning after the night before.

[Faust]

R.I.P. Leonard Cohen. I cannot underestimate his influence and the compassion, comfort and understanding he has brought into my life.

https://www.sz-mag.com/news/2016/11/on-leonard-cohen/

[interest1]

Tom Ford believes all men should be penetrated at least once: 'It would help them understand women'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...ated-once.html

haha, oh Tom.

[Faust]

Tom Ford believes all men should be penetrated at least once: 'It would help them understand women'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...ated-once.html

haha, oh Tom.

LOL. I must say, that's pretty solid reasoning.

[MJRH]

ok that's cute, and he ain't wrong, but anyone who agreed with this bit

it’s such a passive position to be in

needs to have sex with more interesting partners

[interest1]

[Faust]

Two assholes are better than one?

[interest1]

Two assholes are better than one?

Well, we can consolidate.