Comments on: The State We’re In http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/ The Intermittant and oft Incoherent Outpourings of one Mr James Leahy ESQ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:42:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Rob http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/#comment-631 Rob Thu, 27 Jul 2006 13:23:37 +0000 http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/#comment-631 The world has gone lo-fi ... it's all about quiet, simplistic sounds. Plus there's only so long an artist can continually pump out original, groundbreaking material. The world has gone lo-fi … it’s all about quiet, simplistic sounds.

Plus there’s only so long an artist can continually pump out original, groundbreaking material.

]]> By: James http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/#comment-633 James Thu, 27 Jul 2006 14:40:44 +0000 http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/#comment-633 Just to clarify; I'm not trying to say that lo-fi and simplistic is bad or even inferior but why is it the only thing around at the moment? I see what you're saying about an artist's creative talents being exhausted. It's usually a worrysome sign when an artist puts out a Best Of, isn't it? Just to clarify; I’m not trying to say that lo-fi and simplistic is bad or even inferior but why is it the only thing around at the moment? I see what you’re saying about an artist’s creative talents being exhausted. It’s usually a worrysome sign when an artist puts out a Best Of, isn’t it?

]]> By: James http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/#comment-634 James Thu, 27 Jul 2006 14:42:25 +0000 http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/#comment-634 Or maybe it's a sign that I'm getting old! What I'm really talking about is today's music being rubbish. Aaaaarghhhh!! Or maybe it’s a sign that I’m getting old! What I’m really talking about is today’s music being rubbish. Aaaaarghhhh!!

]]> By: Liam http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/#comment-635 Liam Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:43:24 +0000 http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/#comment-635 Not really an answer to your question, but I rather enjoy the production on "The Comfort of Strangers." It's done by Jim O'Rourke, who played bass with Sonic Youth for a while, and worked on a couple of Wilco albums. I recently got my hands on one of his solo albums, "Insignificance," which contains one of the best songs I've heard this year. A lot of the time his mixes sound purposefully muted. I really like the way he seems to flatten the sound of the drums. It's a subtle production job. The experimentalism you're after is out there, but maybe the artists you habitually listen to are trying other things right now. I'll try to find some links to stuff... Not really an answer to your question, but I rather enjoy the production on “The Comfort of Strangers.” It’s done by Jim O’Rourke, who played bass with Sonic Youth for a while, and worked on a couple of Wilco albums. I recently got my hands on one of his solo albums, “Insignificance,” which contains one of the best songs I’ve heard this year.

A lot of the time his mixes sound purposefully muted. I really like the way he seems to flatten the sound of the drums. It’s a subtle production job.

The experimentalism you’re after is out there, but maybe the artists you habitually listen to are trying other things right now. I’ll try to find some links to stuff…

]]> By: James http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/#comment-640 James Fri, 28 Jul 2006 09:00:17 +0000 http://www.eyelashjam.co.uk/2006/07/27/the-state-were-in/#comment-640 But "...trying other things..." is experimentalism, surely? Unless you mean they are trying other things that aren't music. I just worry that the only real reason these people aren't doing anything is because the mass market has gone very conservative all of a sudden. Beth's album could have been recorded thirty years ago and would sound no different but then maybe that's what she was going for (if so thousands of other people are already doing this - maybe she's just trying to please herself these days). Since Sonic Youth helped to invent the grunge scene in the US, can we expect Beth to persue this? But “…trying other things…” is experimentalism, surely? Unless you mean they are trying other things that aren’t music. I just worry that the only real reason these people aren’t doing anything is because the mass market has gone very conservative all of a sudden. Beth’s album could have been recorded thirty years ago and would sound no different but then maybe that’s what she was going for (if so thousands of other people are already doing this - maybe she’s just trying to please herself these days). Since Sonic Youth helped to invent the grunge scene in the US, can we expect Beth to persue this?

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