Otto Matta

Anoebis has done a pretty good job explaining. This is the way I'll put it: I've noticed for many years now that music from different parts of the world has a certain quality to it depending on where it's from. And I figure that a lot of these qualities are based on things that are characteristic of each region. Of course it's very complicated, especially since different regions cross-pollenate each other. But to give a simple example, perhaps a certain region that gets a lot of sun will somehow incorporate that sun into their music. I've noticed that I tend not to like music from England, for instance. I don't quite relate to Hallucinogen or Green Nuns or Cosmosis, etc. Their music seems very noisy to me, but noisy with a kind of over-the-top precision that makes it annoying to me. It's very analytical, like their philosophy, but as such lacks heart. Again, this is a generalization, and a biased one at that, but I've put some thought into it and am trying to give as simple an answer as possible. Scandinavian music, on the other hand, because I am very much affiliated with the region, sounds much more like home to me. And one thing that Scandinavian culture is very much in touch with is their forests. It's a large part of their folklore, and you see a lot of it in Norse-based legends, and stories based on those legends like Lord of the Rings, for instance. It's in their blood and their daily life. You can't grow up in Scandinavia without learning the mythology, and kids' books are full of trolls and elves and gnomes and stuff. Even Christmas is more foresty than I've seen elsewhere. Their Santa is a forest Santa. True, I didn't grow up in Scandinavia, but I grew up with the culture in my home, and have visited many times, and have walked into the forests and felt their magic. And I honestly think the forests creep into the music of Scandinavia. And it might also be true that only Scandinavians can hear it, since they're the ones who hold that knowledge in their blood. So maybe it doesn't mean anything to you because you're from somewhere else. Belgium, right? Do you find you relate more to Belgian music?

To you maybe.

I totally agree. Well, almost totally. I did pick up some losers in the store way back when (Twisted, for one) . But I also have to wonder if it's the case that we've heard SO MUCH of the music that it takes so much more to impress us. I remember when my psy/goa collection was 10 disks or so, and I couldn't stop listening to all of them. But like a typical junkie (and remember that music is exactly like a drug) I kept seeking more and more, and always needing more and more to feel those initial highs. So in that sense it may not be the case that the new music is any worse or better, but that we've been spending all our time since the old days impossibly trying to relive our first experiences, thereby building up a very, very high tolerance of sorts. A drug stays the same drug, but after a while it's hard to get high on it the same way. Maybe a good long detox is what some of us need.

I haven't heard much great new chillout. It all seems to be repeating the same thing over and over. I prefer the stuff from, oh, about 2001-2004 or so. Old Interchill and Ultimae. Then again, since I practically gave up on it a couple years ago, I haven't heard much of the really new stuff - but the stuff I have heard just isn't that great, especially when there is so much more innovation in other chilled electronic genres. I ordered the recent Solar Fields hoping that might renew my interest. No offense. Just my experience over the last 6 years or so.

It's a Scando thing, Chuck, you wouldn't understand.

I like the old stuff, too. Of course there have been some improvements, albeit rare, since then. I'd say maybe one or two of my top-ten fave tunes are new-ish, one of which is #1 (Ka-Sol: Pricken).

Whoa, how do you do that, LB? Talk about someone who gets into their own music!

Yeah. Odd. Totally looks like the one on the Sea Biscuit cover.

Nice HTML.

I hope this isn't strictly for psy stuff, which I don't listen to nearly as much as other electronic music. If it's not, then n.Ln - Astronomy for Children is my most-listened-to album so far this year. I've already mentioned it a few times in other threads, but it's lush, melodic and intricate IDM. And like a true fan-boy, I got him (Nyles Lannon) to sign my copy when I bought it from him. If psy, then Colorbox - Train to Chroma City. I was listening to it a bunch already, then baas (Kenneth Abildgaard, or 1/2 of Colorbox) came around to the forum, which inspired me to keep listening to it. I finally took it out of my car's CD player after several weeks this afternoon. Speaking of, those of you who are interested in an interview with Kenneth will get one when he finishes remastering and uploading the Colorbox stuff - and maybe some newer stuff - to a new website in the approaching months. Edit: If I win I'll be sure to pass along my prize to Charlie.

Hehe, I think I'm going to call him Oopsie from now on.

"We feel Tip is on firing form this year. After 2 very cool and contemporary albums in Hujaboy and Lucas's "God Save The Machine", a big gun is wheeled out! Raja Ram's new project, "Evolution of Expanded Consciousness". This is a sneak preview of sales notes as Raja Ram will soon write his blurb for the album. There is a whole concept behind this new project that will be best explained by the man himself. An update to follow in the next week!! For now all you need to know is this has been Raja Ram's passion this year. And it has given us an exciting new idea for next year too. Raja Ram pooled together 6 of his favourite artists to write specific pieces for his new concept. It is all about 20,000 years of tribes using various psychedelics towards a higher consciousness. He wanted 6 epic pieces from the masters of the genre that could push further than most and come up with some high quality, original pieces that told a story. The result is magnificent and has a combination of sublime listening experiences but also some intense dancefloor elements. There are only so many people with the skills and maturity that can write such pieces and those picked did a very good job. 6 Highlights. But only 6 pieces...tracklists at the end!"

I've been getting increasingly annoyed by computer tracks that are too glossy and clean in their production. Maybe I've simply been hearing too many "shiny turds", as Colin says, lately. I'm starting to learn, slowly but surely, that production is part of the art itself, and shouldn't really be considered an exclusively technical and dry aspect of music-making. In other words, obviously it's a good idea to learn about production and how to do it properly, but the art comes with knowing how to break the rules in order to achieve your own sound, your own identity. I'm sure I write more or less like everyone else, and do the production as I go along, side by side with the melodies and the beats and what have you. In this way it's part of the creation, and not just something you do at the end to make whatever you've done sellable or whatever. But ultimately it comes down to one's priorities. Art? Money? Or somewhere in between.

That was shocking to me, too. I wonder what full-on will be in another five years.

Oh, a good beating is definitely in order. I will beat them by complaining better.

Well I for one have found Amphiton's taste more or less discriminating.

Well, I actually am letting people complain. This isn't a thread to force people to stop complaining. I'm realistic. We all need something to complain about. I'm just pointing out that at some point it gets repetetive, predictable and old (i.e., ugly). Does no one remember when "full-on" was the Really Good Stuff? Edited.

Simmer down. It's perfectly legal, albeit rare, to like two releases in one week.

It's not the complaining itself, Chuckie, it's the amount and style of complaining. It's gotten to the point where people haven't even heard it (I won't mention Radi's name) and are complaining about it. Does anyone else find it totally and unsettlingly bizarre that you could substitute "full-on" for "minimal" in this thread and you'd have the exact same sorts of views and arguments as 4/5 years ago?

Either that or it just ran it's course.

I don't know about you but I'm getting a little tired of the complaining about full-on music. It's giving me nasty flashbacks to the minimal days when every other post had a complaint about minimal this, minimal that. And is it just me or didn't "full-on" used to mean a good thing? Remember when UX and Pleiadians were called full-on? History is repeating itself, and it's silly. It's like we have to have something to complain about at all times. Beh.

The real issue is how many naked/gay dudes did you have to go through to find the right one? Yikes, bro.

What, you don't remember that night in Stockholm, Regenald? Well, Radi has his opinions, too. Brown is the new black.

I hear you. I was hugely disappointed too. But have you listened to Headspin or Meter lately? Oh god, that's some seriously good music, I have got to say. I think there's something really odd that happens with follow-up albums. You get so attached to the first one that no matter how good a follow-up is it almost always feels like a betrayal.

Didjou jus' cawl me a fahkin' cahnt?