Interview about Minimal

[interviewer]

Hey everybody!

I have a really big favor to ask for:
I am currently writing a really important research paper for college. And guess what: It's about minimal! More in the classical Minimal Music way, but I do wanna write about Minimal Music today in the electronic way too!
So ... therefore I am hoping to find a couple of people here to answer me a few questions:

1) What do you like about Minimal Music? What is the fascinating part for you?

2) Do you know any classical Minimal Music or composers as well?

3) Would you say Minimal Music is becoming more popular or do you think it is rather a musical subculture?

So that's all. Really not a lot! I would be really happy about two sentences already .

Well, please write me back

Best wishes,
Simon

[Celltek]

You mean your manager at Warner/Universal records sent you out to do some field research?

[Vito]

You mean your manager at Warner/Universal records sent you out to do some field research?

hahahaha

[laurens]

the minimal i like and what got me hooked is getting more and more rare, i can tell u that already :s

[tone-def]

1) i don't know really. i like music because of it sounds/feels good and there are some interesting musical ideas. with minimal i guess it's easier to focus on the important elements of the track.

2) not really. i've heard some but don't remember any names.

3) i think minimal music is not getting any more or less popular.

[Robot Criminal]

the minimal i like and what got me hooked is getting more and more rare, i can tell u that already :s

+1

ok maybe actually its not that rare. Omega Man is out soon )))))

[Ingemar]

1) What do you like about Minimal Music? What is the fascinating part for you?

2) Do you know any classical Minimal Music or composers as well?

3) Would you say Minimal Music is becoming more popular or do you think it is rather a musical subculture?

1- I got into 'minimal' after listening to trance/house/dnb and the more common genres. As I followed my taste I ended up in a genre where the common denominator between the tracks was 'minimal'. I've never bothered about the minimal aesthetics as such, as a purpose in itself so to say.

2- Phillip Glass I think he's called. Steve Reich. These I keep hearing about but have never checked out myself. Bought an Arvo Pärt cd for my father for christmas a few years ago, I liked it but didn't listen much to it.

3- I'm pretty sure that minimal music will never reach much wider recognition than it already has. People will keep incorporating the parts that they like into their productions - rnb, hip hop, pop - but late night sessions stretching into the noon hours of the day after don't really appeal to anyone but the most extreme of revelers.

As for the subculture aspect, with the increasing possibilities to make the music yourself - any genre - I believe that netlabels and creative common licenses will play a bigger part in the future music industry.

[Shepherd_of_Anu]

Try reading this wikipedia entry on the piece "In C", composed 1964 by Terry Riley.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_C

It is supposed to be the first minimalist composition. I first heard about it last year. I was supposed to attend a performance but I didn't make it. I have never actually heard it. I want to wait to hear it in person because its not supposed to be played in an exact fashion. Every performance is different.

To be honest though... I think there is lots of classical music form long before that which is minimalist. I can't think of a piece off the top of my head but I used to listen to a lot of classical music when I was younger. If not entire pieces I would definitely say there there are often large minimalist components to most symphonic works. Used to to build space and tension as a prelude to the more powerful sections. Its usually those lulls that I enjoy the most.