how to performe electronic music?
spc
534 Posts
I've just been discussing "live acts" with a few friends after reading this (and the dangermouse link there).
What do you expect from an electronic music live act and what is a no-go ?
In the past few years I've seen around 10 live acts live (plus perhaps 20-30 via video) and actually only two were ok, the rest was mostly embarassing. I've seen guys operating their laptop with a mouse only, triggering pre-warped tracks from ableton live's clip view and stuff like that. For me the most important thing is what comes out audio-wise, the soundquality and if it's something unique. If that is whack, then all the drum machines and synthesizer in the world can make up for this. If the performer can somehow operate his gear in a way that translates visually for what one can hear then I think it is an additional benefit and if the performer is doing something that not many could repeat or imitate, something which requires skills then more respect to him.
What do you think?
What do you expect from an electronic music live act and what is a no-go ?
In the past few years I've seen around 10 live acts live (plus perhaps 20-30 via video) and actually only two were ok, the rest was mostly embarassing. I've seen guys operating their laptop with a mouse only, triggering pre-warped tracks from ableton live's clip view and stuff like that. For me the most important thing is what comes out audio-wise, the soundquality and if it's something unique. If that is whack, then all the drum machines and synthesizer in the world can make up for this. If the performer can somehow operate his gear in a way that translates visually for what one can hear then I think it is an additional benefit and if the performer is doing something that not many could repeat or imitate, something which requires skills then more respect to him.
What do you think?
Comments
Something like this is what I expect for a live pa. I couldn't care less about your deadmau5 ableton master files and silly digifilters
Dope video!
I don't know how come to think I like that deadmaus guy or ableton live "live performances", I'm a gear nerd non-plus-ultra ;)
I wasn't trying to make a case for "I don't care what and how they do, it just has to sound good". I actually saw a pretty good sounding "live act" two years ago and if I weren't next to him I'd really had a good time, but seeing him using a mouse triggering whole songs in ableton just broke the whole thing for me. I couldn't understand how he couldn't not be embarassed calling himself a "live act" with such a "performance".
"live acts" iseem very pretentious to me in general.
That said, I would much prefer integration of live instrumentations than straight triggering tracks on Ableton Live. One has to play something in order to fulfil the definition of live, right?
for me watching dj play is dope and everything, watching djs play their own music is cool, but watching it being made in front of you from a production stand point blew my mind, being behind the scenes a lot back then and hanging out with dj's and promoters i never would have expected anything like that was possible or that people even did that..
1. in an immersive audio/visual environment where the button pushing is linked to some kind of VJ set up, or 3D mapping situation. This can mean that if the performer isn't actually doing much, you can at least get a rather animated concert experience.
Here is Aphex Twin. He barely moved the whole set. But there was much power and energy in his synced up audio/visual display
Of course its always better when the performer is getting into it, like Daedalus at the Kubik Gigi below.
2. in a dark basement/room with not much light. That way you only focus on the music. This is really the ultimate test. The performer/producer has to be really good at what they do to pull this of.
May I also add Amon Tobin's ISAM to that list?
yeah definitely. He's really tried to do something special with that concept.
whoa! that was amazing. also feeling this:
It's the difference between lame and lam??.