dubstep and the spread of music.

http://www.nme.com/news/korn/60668
unique choice for Korn.

Its been interesting watching this genre sort of come out of left field and grip a generation, from the way its been spread, to the way its been received, and now the influence its having across so many fields.
Digital music for a digital era.

They need to make instruments for these kinds of noise. Pressing play on a laptop just isn't enough of a live show. Plus I want to make some of these noises without having to open a computer program.

Anyways this music is hardly human, but who cares. It still sounds awesome. Nothing about me was initially drawn to the 'dubstep' movement, but I heard it and liked it.

Some of the more interesting stuff to come out of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=CS5gr3T2gPI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md1QECWVRHs

What started it all (for me anyway):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSeNSzJ2-Jw

What's also interesting is seeing the reverse process of this music - undubbing or whatever you would call it, carried out in classical covers, on piano or whatever. There's something about dubstep's synthesizing that bypasses a lot of the regular conventions of creating music. The peculiarities of its tones and what can be done with them are near impossible to explore without the computer programs to do so.
So when you do hear the piano iteration, or the classical take or what have you, you can hear this approach to sound that is much less organic but that much more original come out in the mix
Few people are ever going to pick up an acoustic guitar and come up with an original dubstep drop and think it sounds great. It doesn't translate well.
But when people hear a song, and attempt to replicate that with their own human style and nuances, I think you really see new ground being broken.
Case in point:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=felcGl-Jam0&src_vid=TmJ2QRGghtY&annotation_id=annotation_658577&feature=iv

I also love the way this music has taken off. Youtube and other online sources have allowed people to enjoy whatever music they like without all the sub-cultural attachments. Its reducing music back to its purity; the way it sounds. Its judged on its merits rather than its cultural and status signalling. You don't have to smoke pot to listen to Bob Marely, you don't have to be black to listen to 50 cent, you don't have to be old to listen to Wagner, you don't have to be a teenager to enjoy Katy Perry.
The complete separation of the two is an impossibility of course. A song contains too much of the world in it to be reduced to just pure sound. But to be able to bypass all the conventions of genre has made different sounds accessible in a way that is unprecedented.
For music, whatever your into, you live in the perfect era. There is no sound left untapped, no music you cannot find, no music you cannot listen too. This is musical utopia.

The Soloist

I've recently discovered my university's DVD library. My University's very free DVD library.

I'm a little ecstatic. There are so many films on my list and I finally feel the space and motivation to start ticking them off.

Starting with The Soloist.

Perhaps it was merely my own sentiments impressing themselves upon the screen, but something seemed to echo into the depths in this film. The scenes, the characters, and most of the dialogue had a sense of reality about them. An uncompromising touch, which whilst not always manifest, alluded to the real worlds of homelessness, schizophrenia and music in a way that didn't try to fully capture them. For the most part anyway. Snippets of imagery and written epilogue tried to tie a parcel together that in my opinion didn't really need much packaging. I found beauty in the raw state of it all. It felt more genuine without those elements.

It made me think about the broken world. The world of homelessness, diseases. It asks what it means to help someone, without giving an easy answer when there isn't one, and I felt that that was all this film really needed to be about, the other themes almost being forced at it's expense.

There was an uncompromising intimacy and poignancy to the character of Nathaniel and his relationship with Lopez that was sufficient, and it was that which resonated with me so strongly.

I was fortunate in being able to see past the shortcomings to capture what I think was the gold beneath; a refreshingly gritty portrayal.

Things of Late

I figured it would be a good idea just to have a post about what I’ve been doing lately and some cool links to cool stuff.

Good news is I’m heading back to Sydney from the 9^th-14^th of February for the wedding of my good friend Kyle, and his lovely fiancé Jane. I’m really looking forward to seeing some friends again. I’ve really been feeling the isolation in Ballarat, even with the assistance of some very good people (Snitch and Netna <3 )

My dear wife is in the same boat, but has work commitments, and an interruption at such a time she feels wouldn’t serve her well. She’s working really hard. I’m very proud of her.

I’ve been getting super fit, and have been trying to really push myself physically. I feel great, but I need to learn to slow down a little. The intensity is taking its toll. I’m enjoying it though, as I’ve never really been one to own my own fitness. Also it saves me from the boredom. I have too much spare time and not enough discipline to use it well. It hasn’t been all bad but I’m looking forward to finding some work and beginning university. I have orientation next week.

Pumped for FutureMusic! Skrillex, Knife party, Fatboyslim....the list goes on.

A few interesting things I’ve stumbled across lately:

The following are courtesy of the lovely Aisha Strand; chiropractic extraordinaire!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_5xOcWI8p8&feature=related

This talk got me thinking about the effect of the mind on the body, naturalism, and identity and all things related. I particularly liked the way he talked about observation. I’m always for the scientific method, but for things that are difficult to quantify there always needs to be an open mind. Things exist whether we’re capable of measuring them or not. Bit weird but lots of thoughts on this one.

http://mobile.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_22/b3986001.htm

This article just validated many of my suspicions regarding the medical system. It’s broken, and there is so much room for improvement. Exciting for people like my wife though, as there’s a lot of room for her to bring initiative.

I’d recommend checking out the latest by song writer/singer  Sarah Mclennen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Dr1o9yq81dA#!

She’s off to New York to get famous.

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/?series=3416995#/view/885701

Interesting personal documentary about people with Intersex conditions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsJ4O-nSveg&ob=av3e

Oldie but a goodie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PAzqBUNlCs

appeared in my head, out of nowehere….