Minimal Concept.

[vanvan]

Hi, im new and from argentina, i found this community through wikipedia ( the free encyclopedia!!! ) im really found to minimal music and right now im doing some research for a design proyect in the university, and im trying to find some deep quality information about the minimal techno concept, but i cannot find on the internet more than 6 txt lines.

This is about the most i have found.

Minimal-techno is just a very simple rhythm and serval specific, sometimes synthesized sounds. It is a type of techno with a small amount of different noises. From the point of view ofliterary description minimal-techno does not evoke much interest, as it can be done with the help of one sentence. But from the pointof view of music this style is rather interesting and original thanks to maximum simplicity of minimal. It can be compared with simplicity of stringed quartet with respect to great symphony orchestra (but in spite of this the production of quartets does not become less amazing). Listen to techno-minimal more often and with the time you will understand the real meaning of arythms and blank even beat ...

If someone has something else i would really appreciate it... im having such a hard time...

Thx a lot !
Cheers from Buenos Aires.
Ivan.

[Rich]

It is hard to describe really, but you will often find that the percussion and the rhythm patterns are more important than the melodies. In fact, it is arguable that some minimal techno (Plastikman?) has no melody at all, and simply interests the listener through it's rhythmic patterns and fluctuations.

On a different note, I would personally say that it was generally more well produced and better thought out than "normal" faster techno.

I'm sure you'll find a few good descriptions from people here, and maybe people can even link you some mp3 examples?

Good luck!

[mayzee]

I hope this will help, something I found out, and some of my own thoughts...

I read something a while back in a magazine about how music is processed in the brain...

The brain is split into two hemispheres, each of which has different roles whilst working together...

One hemisphere, the right, is where the main audio processing center is, this is primarily designed to 'listen' to speech, and as such it responds to rhythm and tone, the same elements as music is constructed from.

This part of the brain is the same part that responds to music and explains in some way why simple 'pop' music is so popular, the use of simple rhythms and melodies with a vocal works well on these areas.

The left hemisphere deals more with logic and objective relations and does not normally respond strongly to audio signals. Brain scans have, however, shown that in musical people (people who play or have a great love of music), and especially in composers this left hand side is acyivated. The result of this is that the placement and relation in time and tone of the notes is also analysed by the brain.

I've just found a link which may be useful... link

I'd say that minimal music (of any kind) takes this idea to its conclusion. To normal ears the music seems simple and uninteresting, but to the more educated musical ear the delicate subtleties of the music come through.

Music is an art. All art is the communincation of ideas and emotions through the medium in which it is presented, whether it be sculpture or sound.

With minimal music the concept is to get across this idea or emotion in a way that the structure of the music and the way the sounds relate to each other, and themselves, become as or more important than any melodic element.

For minimal music the listener cannot simply sit back and listen passively, they must bring something to the music themselves.

Man, I love minimalism, even though this is a maximal post

[harass]

nice post..... but stop it.. i can see where this is heading.. hahah

sh!t-talk below, ignore if you’re not in the mood the read my bullshit

There are so many different ways I experience minimal, and I think that’s why I enjoy it so much. I’ve never really completely explained the impact it has on me, but I’m bored at work, and I would like to see if I can explain it.

My first experience was listening to Basic Channel. The very first thing I noticed was space to interpret, I’m someone who spends hours reflecting and thinking about things and I found that minimal provided me with this room to breathe. I think the element of space within music is an important factor, especially during these times, I don’t think we give ourselves enough time to slow down and watch the small things that build our lives repeat and change.

I have an experience of me sitting on top of the washing machine as kid watching my mum ironing to the rumble of the dryer. I used to sit there and play with the sounds, I’d make words and different sounds out of the repeating clanks and clinks. I never really understood the reason why monks repeat mantra’s over and over until I started to get into minimal, I’ve guess that repetition after a time forces you to look at the repeating object in a different perspective.

I just find the music easy to relate to, I love watching artists work and create things from their personality, their lives and I love watching how art can effect crowds and situations. Depending on my mood, I also get pictures and moments from music, especially minimal, sometimes I see rolling hills, kids playing at a park, people driving in a car, or a couple making love. I just find minimal rewarding, you can bend it how you want and get something out of it. You can dig deep into the track and unlock the different elements, or sit back and just take it in while you have a few beers with friends.

Minimal to me is not better, deeper or more intellectual then other genres, it just provides room.

[PatStormont]

To understand minimalism in techno and house music, perhaps you should also look back at minimalism in a more classical sense.

Artists like John Cage, Steve Reich, Phillip Glass etc.

In my opinion an unmissable track is "6 pianos in C" by Steve Reich.

The thing I get out of minimalism in music is probably similar to Harass, except I would define it as "the tension caused by the space". That sounds stupid, but oh well....

[Shteven]

I don't understand all this 'concentrating on the spaces between the beats' concept, allowing me to create my own imaginary sounds.

I just enjoy minimal for what it is. Music.

Am I taking it in, but not translating it, or do I just not get 'minimalism'?

I don't care, I like it and it gets me dancing.

[harass]

I don't understand all this 'concentrating on the spaces between the beats' concept, allowing me to create my own imaginary sounds.

I just enjoy minimal for what it is. Music.

Am I taking it in, but not translating it, or do I just not get 'minimalism'?

I don't care, I like it and it gets me dancing.

Just sounds like you're taking it for exactly what it is. Awesome music - I'm just a self confessed wanker, ignore me .. heh

[Torque]

Let's cut through all the artsy fartsy bullshit for a minute before you confuse the guy.

The concept of minimal techno is to make music with the least possible sounds and making it sound full by filling up the gaps in frequncy usually with effects. It may not be that way now because i know minimal producers that do 20+ track mixdowns when they produce but then technicly they aren't producing minimal i guess. The genre basicly has becomed poorly named. When minimal techno originally came on the scene it was made by people who had very little equipment like Robert Hood because they didn't have the money for much at the time. Minmal over the years in it's pure form has become more rare as equipment and software have become more accessable to the masses. However there are still artists like Robert Hood and Richie Hawtin who have stuck to the bare minimum ethic and still do it well. Modern "minimal" more often than not is not truely minimal but they have found a way to make it sound like it is by using the acoustic space in the recordings very well to give the illusion of minimalism.

Either way no matter how much artsy BS you throw into a sentence about it minimal is still music, not a concept and it should be respected as music not just a concept.