Follower or Leader?

[Locus M]

eh...just want to say...human brain repetitions....sometimes to an extent that it even will "ignore" differences in favour of common traits...

On the behalf on my own bad taste, I would be very very very sad if there were only ONE techno tune in the universe...only ONE EBM tune....only ONE synthpop tune...because some idiot had convinced the masses that they have to invent something outstanding, unique and original every time they felt like jamming or producing something.

We would have no genres...

and given the math of music...

not many tunes either...

Actually with respect to such genres as techno and EBM, it is seldom the pioneers that arouse me, but the followers who develop and refine the art through, lets say, 90% cliché and 10% invention.

[kelvyn]

Deleuze wrote a book on this subject called 'Difference and repetion'. Original or copy? That is the question. Sometimes a leader sometimes a follower sometimes both at the same time...

[presswerk]

To be a true leader, one has to begin as a follower. There is no fault here. Had I not discovered the artists and the music that spoke to my soul, I would not have wanted their job. However, once I got the job, I had to prove myself. I had to be sure I could be in the same room with them and not feel guilty that they might see a bit of themselves in my work. After all, they would then ask... "What is that sound? It's awesome. Could you make that one for us?"

That's how one becomes a peer.

When you can imagine your heroes writing you a letter telling you how you are now inspiring them... You've become a leader.

[Locus M]

Originality is overrated.

you are an idiot...

Why? Does original always means "better?" I know of some "original" art-work both within music and film that does not fit my taste at all. If you think about it, not even words like "outstanding" guarantees that it is "better" taken literally, but just that it is "different", that it "stands out" from the crowd. But so does a plate of horse-shit at a traditional dinner table.

It is the same deal with a dichotomy from my youth: Commercial vs anti-commercial. At that time the latter was supposed to mean "always better" and applied among other to "techno" and "electro". However in the 90s most of those styles were commercialised and you would hear it on every TV-advertisement and in movie soundtracks. So, now the styles were supposed to be bad because they were "commercialised"?

Like in so many former pointless discussions at KVR: In the end we are dealing with "personal preferences" and the only way your own little niche is going to represent the universal truth is to exterminate all other people on planet Earth than yourself.

Good Luck!

[Mac of BIOnighT]

Sorry, I really have no time to read all the pages, so maybe somebody else already said this - anyway:
I believe the best thing is to just record whatever comes from your soul and expresses your current feelings, without thinking or worrying whether it sounds like somebody else or it's original.
Original just to be original is rarely good anyway, either it's a spontaneous expression, or it's got little worth no matter how hard you try.

[Mac of BIOnighT]

the only way your own little niche are going to represent the universal truth is to exterminate all other people on planet Earth than yourself.

Doesn't sound like a bad idea, how come I never thought about it? I'll get to work right away

[Reverend Rhythm]

I'm not sure if we are discussing cover songs, or creativity, or inventing new styles of music, so I'll pick one.

Creativity - I play in a blues band, and we only do "covers." But we interpret every song differently. In fact, we interpret it differently every time we play. Is that copying or being original? I think both. But we want to learn "how" to play the blues, so we do what we do.

For my own music, I have to do my own stuff, but I know that it is a combination of everything I have played... with me in the middle.

[MotorMind]

Originality is overrated.

you are an idiot...

Why? Does original always means "better?"

I think this this is a totally boring discussion. It's a challenge in and of itself to simply try to make nice music. 95% of all music uploaded to any online MP3 service is just very bad. Anyone should be glad if they manage to belong to the 5% who make anything worthwhile.

Sure, you can be original by making unlistenable crap. But I'd rather try to make some something that at least some people enjoy. Originality is also something that just happens and hardly anything you have any real control of.

[mcnoone]

Yes, but none of you can top doing a jellyfish, so I win. I'm certain no one else has tried it, so that just shows true originality, right?

[dirty oscillators]

I'm just not seeing the concept of originality in any of the arts being all that different. At the same time, borrowing and reusing in the arts is typical and common. How many books, films, songs and so on are truly innovative as opposed to simply well done, moving, inspiring or whatever without being an artistic break-through? Of course, I recognize that each medium is unique unto itself, but the concept of true originality remains consistent I think. In each case I could be quite satisfied by works that are obviously not new in concept but executed very well.

How many guitar bands are out there. Are many creating new works of obvious originality or reusing existing music to recreate more music? I don't find myself judging their music on the basis of how innovative it is because I don't need that to find much of value. It seems you do, but I wonder...do you really dismiss most works simply because they don't exhibit distinct innovation or originality? That wouldn't leave much, I don't think.

but you also don't believe the tools to create music are important, so why does it matter if there are a zillion guitar bands out there? IMO there are plenty of new sounds out there, even guitar bands - because they don't all use the same guitar, pedals, fx, amps, etc... then top it off with how they play and how the band works together.

uniqueness is enough to keep me interested. originality is not over rated in that if an artist shoots for originality the end result has a more unique quality than someone who thinks it's over rated, as you do.

[Locus M]

95% of all music uploaded to any online MP3 service is just very bad. Anyone should be glad if they manage to belong to the 5% who make anything worthwhile.

You forgot to add: IMFAO: In My F*cking Arrogant Oppinion. Sorry for you that you only like exactly 95% of ALL music uploaded to ANY mp3 sevice. However do not be surprised if your oppinion apply to no one else than yourself.

[Hink]

(addressing DO's point) a still painting or photo is always the same perspective from the artist, the perception of said art can change from person to person viewing it or even the same person may see it different ways depending on many factors. Performed arts add in another variable because the artists' interpretation can change from performance to performance which likely will change a listeners interpretation as well. Same piece of art, same artist but a unique and original perspective can change with every performance.

Also a still piece of art can not change during the viewing, comparing music to such is indeed is as you say DO apples/oranges. A themed picture stays the same theme throughout but because music is performed and observed over a period of time it'd theme, genre ect can change quite a bit in one composition because of TIME. I'm not sure why some people can't see those points DO, but I agree with you 100%

[djsubject]

neither (i hope)

[dirty oscillators]

@ HInk : and to take this even further, a live performance can reveal something about a band that you wouldn't notice from a studio recording. sometimes i don't "get into" a band until i see them live, and then i "get it." so originality can come through in many ways...

[Hink]

@ HInk : and to take this even further, a live performance can reveal something about a band that you wouldn't notice from a studio recording. sometimes i don't "get into" a band until i see them live, and then i "get it." so originality can come through in many ways...

I have two dead songs in my collection and do not listen to them often, I saw thedead 10 times and every show was different, no song was ever played the same way twice and that in my dictionary means unique and original.