What constitutes "boring" minimal?

shypht · Post by **shypht** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:29 pm

Hey, I like white noise percussion! Not when it's over done, but when it's done well it can be really effective. Especially when backed by a nice hypnotic/intense/wobbly bass line. I also really like how Sleeparchive uses whitenoise... maybe I just misunderstood what you meant there, but I think when it works - it works really well.

Smear · Post by **Smear** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:24 am

It's more the 'I don't waste my time programming synths' attitude i've heard from a few producer's mouths, which is no doubt why a lot of records sound pretty similar. You'd think that since people recognise these records sound similar, the producers would think about placing a bit more importance of producing rather than composing. It's all ok though, it makes it more satisfying when you find music that sounds genuinely unique.

Sleeparchive doesn't fall into this category, since he's aiming for a specific aesthetic, pure tones from sinewaves vs impure tones from noise etc. I don't view him as a techno producer at all anyway.

kristofason · Post by **kristofason** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:15 am

Long drawn-out thread

Smear · Post by **Smear** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 5:56 pm

kristofason wrote:Long drawn-out thread

As long and drawn-out as a boring minimal track?

prussell · Post by **prussell** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:11 am

Smear wrote:It's more the 'I don't waste my time programming synths' attitude i've heard from a few producer's mouths, which is no doubt why a lot of records sound pretty similar. You'd think that since people recognise these records sound similar, the producers would think about placing a bit more importance of producing rather than composing. It's all ok though, it makes it more satisfying when you find music that sounds genuinely unique.

that's it right there.
too many unoriginal newbies using the same sounds, turning on the shuffle, and bingo....some label that should know better picks up the track, and they are now a serious 'minimal' artist.

it then falls on the consumer/listener to be more judicious when purchasing & playing these crap tracks....i mean, there are so many great records out there people don't even play....why spend so much time in your life listening to mediocre music?

Sleeparchive doesn't fall into this category, since he's aiming for a specific aesthetic, pure tones from sinewaves vs impure tones from noise etc. I don't view him as a techno producer at all anyway.

actually, IMO he should be considered a techno artist exactly for that reason! it's these other boring garage-band-quality type things that don't qualify as techno, or even minimal for that matter.
how many DJs/artists today have listened--really listened--to the early Ø material?
i laugh & cry at the same time when i hear people refer to someone like Claude Von Stroke or Radio Slave as minimal, house, or techno....they (like much of today's "minimal" or "house") are nothing more than commercial or progressive dance music at this point.

Smear · Post by **Smear** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:08 am

Yeah almost nothing classed as minimal techno is actually minimal, it's all far too busy. Steve Bicknell is/was a minimal producer, a lot of his tracks have changes that are subtle to the point of them being unnoticeable, heh. No clever edits or effects, just an idea played out for a few minutes with no frills or distractions.

Ø is something you hear the influence of everywhere, without there being much insight into it(For an exception, check Mike Parker's records out if you haven't heard them, especially from 2001 onwards). I'm sure a couple of nights ago I heard a Sahko/Sleeparchive-esque melody in what was practically an electro-house track, lots of unnecessary chopping and varying going on in it. It was erm.....shite. Haha

tone-def · Post by **tone-def** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:04 pm

Smear wrote:Yeah almost nothing classed as minimal techno is actually minimal, it's all far too busy.

isn't a very repetatve track with 3 to 6 elements a little boring? sometimes you need substance.

MINIMALTECHNOHOUSE · Post by **MINIMALTECHNOHOUSE** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:28 pm

I too think minimal is the new term for progressive.... (yeh yeh i know lazy fat people said the same thing like two years ago..)

Look what happened to progressive house, its now just trance... I used to be a big prog head, and although my taste in music hasnt changed, apparently the genre i like has? wtf?

The thing is though, its getting harder and harder to place music into genres, because of all the amalgamated influences most artists have, but thats gotta be a good thing, right?

Who cares anyway...