New Age of music?

Vidder · Apr 7, 2010

Edit: Age = 27

I think we are on the brink of a new age of music. If i had to put a name to it...well, i'd call it "The **** Age of Music" (i'm sure most would disagree) But I think for the first time in history, due to technology, "music" is being produced without even using instruments. All this Rap, and techno, and slop that is being produced, and greatly recognized and appreciated is without (for the most part) the use of any real instruments.

I just saw a link to a song on my FB and I clicked on it because someone seemed to like this specific "song." Not one use of an instrument...and the voices were synthesized. Seriously...WTF? How has this style of "instrument-less music" become popular?

IMO, the only good music to come out after 2000 was created by bands from the 90's and earlier (with a few exceptions). It just seems to me that most bands just sound like everyone else now-a-days.

(Ok, let me have it...i'm sure i'll get beat up by all of you cool, bad ass, 'instrument-less' music lovers.)

(: EDIT - Out of curiosity, lets all put our age at the beginning of each one of our posts so we can see how age is correlating to our opinions)

Kawininja619 · Apr 8, 2010

Vidder said:
I think we are on the brink of a new age of music. If i had to put a name to it...well, i'd call it "The **** Age of Music" (i'm sure most would disagree) But I think for the first time in history, due to technology, "music" is being produced without even using instruments. All this Rap, and techno, and slop that is being produced, and greatly recognized and appreciated is without (for the most part) the use of any real instruments.

I just saw a link to a song on my FB and I clicked on it because someone seemed to like this specific "song." Not one use of an instrument...and the voices were synthesized. Seriously...WTF? How has this style of "instrument-less music" become popular?

IMO, the only good music to come out after 2000 was created by bands from the 90's and earlier (with a few exceptions). It just seems to me that most bands just sound like everyone else now-a-days.

(Ok, let me have it...i'm sure i'll get beat up by all of you cool, bad ass, 'instrument-less' music lovers.)

I like alot of new music, but it is all done by BANDS with REAL instruments. I dont really see any hip hop or computer generated music as having talent, cause honestly I can make the same thing with garage band or some other program in no time. I can't learn to play a guitar or drums with a simple tutorial. It takes years. So i'm with you on this one but I too am taking out the flame shield.

StruckANerve · Apr 8, 2010

That's because the majority of the human race are complete morons. You ever seen the movie Idiocracy? Yeah, that's really happening. People are getting dumber. Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga, Keisha and similar people are completely raping music in mainstream.

Luckily there is still a vast library of competent bands putting out real music. You just have to actively seek it out. Radio and Television are worthless for music purposes.

I listen to Heavy Metal for the most part which IMO has the best musicians alive today.

Disc Golfer · Apr 8, 2010

There was synthesized music before y2k and there is non synthesized music being made today. If you don't like what you're listening to it's more a matter of laziness on your part than that of the many different people making music today. The concept of "Music Was Better In My Day" is not a new one, but with all the ways of seeking out new and different music that exist today it is less justifiable than in the past.

tabasco70 · Apr 8, 2010

People change. Cultures change.
Accept the fact that music is changing.
Who says music has to be made with manual instruments? Maybe that's how it worked in your day, but today, when technology's made it possible to make songs, things are different.
Sure, you can learn to use a program like Garageband, meant to be 'easy to learn, out of the box' and use preloaded loops to make a generic sound. But that doesn't really cut it. Learning how to use Logic and other production takes time and effort, and making good music that the majority of the current generation enjoys is even harder.
And, people like Kanye, Eminem, and Lil Wayne (just listing big names so you'd know what I'm talking about) are geniuses at this. And this explains why they're famous, rich, and popular amongst the current generation.
What defines real music? Nobody's saying today's mainstream music is the only kind of 'real' music. stop being so ignorant and realize that things change, because its 2010, and 1980.

TheAngusBurger · Apr 8, 2010

The world's full of fantastic music, you might just have to look beyond what the record labels are shoving down your throat to find it. I must admit I'm becoming increasingly disillusioned with 'popular music', but am simultaneously discovering huge amounts of music which I love.

Although I do secretly enjoy some Lady GaGa sometimes...

Vidder · Apr 8, 2010

Disc Golfer said:
If you don't like what you're listening to it's more a matter of laziness on your part than that of the many different people making music today.

Age = 27

Yeah, because i was talking about the music that I listen to...thats just a stupid post by you.

tabasco70 said:
Who says music has to be made with manual instruments?

Age = 27
No one is saying that it has to happen with real instruments...otherwise i would doubt it would exist. However, i just don't see how a band who hits a bunch of buttons on a computer can be considered for having any type of credible music. Its practically talentless.

I mean...we've come/are coming to the part in time when music has stopped being created by instruments...and people are falling for it. Imagine how the history books will tell that story. "The year 2000 marks the begin of the instrument-less music era."

StruckANerve · Apr 8, 2010

Vidder said:
No one is saying that it has to happen with real instruments...otherwise i would doubt it would exist. However, i just don't see how a band who hits a bunch of buttons on a computer can be considered for having any type of credible music. Its practically talentless.

I mean...we've come/are coming to the part in time when music has stopped being created by instruments...and people are falling for it. Imagine how history book will tell that story. "The year 2000 marks the begin of the instrument-less music era."

I't just a trend. It won't last forever. Mainstream music is influenced by high school kids who happen to be very gullible and trendy. I kind of disagree about electronic music being completely talentless. The stuff you hear on the radio is for sure. But making techno music is not easy, at all, to make. I've watched a couple of freinds that spin music and it takes a lot focus and ingenuity.

Disc Golfer · Apr 8, 2010

Vidder said:
Yeah, because i was talking about the music that I listen to...thats just a stupid post by you.

How bout you complain about it some more? Maybe keep asking advice about why it's not as good as it was back in the good old days while you're at it.

longball11 · Apr 8, 2010

I listen to real rock and only that. Maybe some alternative because their instruments are good.

Schtumple · Apr 8, 2010

Disc Golfer said:
How bout you complain about it some more? Maybe keep asking advice about why it's not as good as it was back in the good old days while you're at it.

I was born in the late 80's and think music of the 60's and 70's was the golden era, figure that one.

Everything now is prepackaged and pristine, there's no soul in music, everything is recorded perfectly with no mistakes, no poor sound, no hiss, nothing, it's all perfect all the time, and it's grey and dull.

I once had a guest lecture with a professional photographer who stated that DSLRs and Photoshop killed the "happy accident" you could achieve in the darkroom when processing, music is the same, there's no happy accidents in music, it's too easy to create some perfect sounding record that whilst yes, does meet all the technical criteria of a record, it doesn't make it by any means enjoyable. But maybe that's just because I hated the 80's.

I think that was less complaining and more stating my reasoning for disliking modern music. I hope you actually read it instead of just offering sarcastic retorts.

Aeolius · Apr 8, 2010

Popcorn (1969), by Gershon Kingsley
Granted, in the days of the MOOG, electronic music was a bit more complicated.
The acoustic version, 38 years later

yayitsezekiel · Apr 8, 2010

well here's an example of no "real" instruments, but I play everything with my midi keyboard and I play several "real" instruments as a hobby. I made these songs and I'm in high school, so sort of part of the "new" generation

: http://soundcloud.com/distant-generation

The "new demo" song is my latest in progress song. I just like to make music and I love playing the piano the most. Also I don't use loops, for drums I use recorded samples that I trigger with my keyboard and I play everything else.

Schtumple · Apr 8, 2010

yayitsezekiel said:
well here's an example of no "real" instruments, but I play everything with my midi keyboard and I play several "real" instruments as a hobby. I made these songs and I'm in high school, so sort of part of the "new" generation : http://soundcloud.com/distant-generation

The "new demo" song is my latest in progress song. I just like to make music and I love playing the piano the most. Also I don't use loops, for drums I use recorded samples that I trigger with my keyboard and I play everything else.

You play a (midi) keyboard, that's still an instrument, you still have to sit down and multitrack out a recording. I think what the OP means is the use of loops and midi instruments to mimic other instruments (guitar piano etc), where as your genre is clearly electronica, which built itself up on sounding as it does rather than mimicking another genre.

(I really hope someone else comes in here to properly discuss music, don't think I've had a proper music discussion in years)

yayitsezekiel · Apr 8, 2010

Schtumple said:
You play a (midi) keyboard, that's still an instrument, you still have to sit down and multitrack out a recording. I think what the OP means is the use of loops and midi instruments to mimic other instruments (guitar piano etc), where as your genre is clearly electronica, which built itself up on sounding as it does rather than mimicking another genre.

(I really hope someone else comes in here to properly discuss music, don't think I've had a proper music discussion in years)

oh i see what you're saying, yeah when I first started out in music production I used loops simply because I had no idea what I was doing lol. But my music sounded amateur and off, and I could never really put my "touch" on it. I completely agree with the OP on that point, that it's just cookie-cutter with no taste. When people actually sit down and actually "play" it in whatever way, there is a style that comes through.

Schtumple said:
You play a (midi) keyboard, that's still an instrument, you still have to sit down and multitrack out a recording. I think what the OP means is the use of loops and midi instruments to mimic other instruments (guitar piano etc), where as your genre is clearly electronica, which built itself up on sounding as it does rather than mimicking another genre.

(I really hope someone else comes in here to properly discuss music, don't think I've had a proper music discussion in years)

off topic: btw you have some sweet photography skills!

Schtumple · Apr 8, 2010

yayitsezekiel said:
oh i see what you're saying, yeah when I first started out in music production I used loops simply because I had no idea what I was doing lol. But my music sounded amateur and off, and I could never really put my "touch" on it. I completely agree with the OP on that point, that it's just cookie-cutter with no taste. When people actually sit down and actually "play" it in whatever way, there is a style that comes through.

Exactly, original compositions that require something more than mashing 4 keyboard chords a flat sounding roland kit and a piss poor lead riff is something to be admired, I gave electronica a shot and found it hard to build up a "full" sound, so I understand the difficulties you do face when you start out, but there is a lot of bare basic stuff out at the moment that really is pretty poor, laziness and stuff that's rushed by a buzz on the internet is teaching a new generation to not really bother, as long as you get youtube hits you're fine. It's not good.

Oh man I could give a lecture on this huh?

MicBook · Apr 8, 2010

tabasco70 said:
People change. Cultures change.
Accept the fact that music is changing.
Who says music has to be made with manual instruments? Maybe that's how it worked in your day, but today, when technology's made it possible to make songs, things are different.
Sure, you can learn to use a program like Garageband, meant to be 'easy to learn, out of the box' and use preloaded loops to make a generic sound. But that doesn't really cut it. Learning how to use Logic and other production takes time and effort, and making good music that the majority of the current generation enjoys is even harder.
And, people like Kanye, Eminem, and Lil Wayne (just listing big names so you'd know what I'm talking about) are geniuses at this. And this explains why they're famous, rich, and popular amongst the current generation.
What defines real music? Nobody's saying today's mainstream music is the only kind of 'real' music. stop being so ignorant and realize that things change, because its 2010, and 1980.

Ok...Normally I'm one to keep my mouth shut and hide in a corner...but since I work in the music industry I think I'll chime in here...do you have any clue as to what you just said...You're telling me that someone who relies on a piece of computer software to basically sing for them (autotune) and press play for a backing track has more talent than someone who has spent over 30 years learning how to play the guitar and master every sound that the instrument can put out and arranging a band with 5-6 members all playing in time and together working seamlessly with each other to put on one hell of a show....my 3 year old cousin could play an instrument on garageband....and then you have people like Rihanna who dont even sing their own songs (watch the last American Idol) I dont care what %$%^@#$^ year it is music is music and none of it involves computer software

AGE-18

Vidder · Apr 10, 2010

I should have asked for everyone to post there age at the beginning of their post so we can see how the age of each person correlates with their opinion.

(i'm gonna go edit my posts and put my age; and change the first post to do so.) Age = 27

Disc Golfer said:
If you don't like what you're listening to it's more a matter of laziness on your part.

Vidder said:

Yeah, because i was talking about the music that I listen to...thats just a stupid post by you.

Disc Golfer said:

How bout you complain about it some more? Maybe keep asking advice about why it's not as good as it was back in the good old days while you're at it.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Are you on serious drugs?

c-Row · Apr 13, 2010

Vidder said:
All this Rap, and techno, [...]

Calling every form of electronic music "techno" is the same as calling every form of guitar based music "trash metal". It's a sub-genre, and most other flavours are miles away from what you probably would label "techno".

Schtumple · Apr 13, 2010

c-Row said:
Calling every form of electronic music "techno" is the same as calling every form of guitar based music "trash metal". It's a sub-genre, and most other flavours are miles away from what you probably would label "techno".

To prove a point. I hate techno, but love electronica...

Vidder · Apr 13, 2010

c-Row said:
Calling every form of electronic music "techno" is the same as calling every form of guitar based music "trash metal". It's a sub-genre, and most other flavours are miles away from what you probably would label "techno".

either way...this so called "music" is easy to create and, other then the patience it takes to get it perfect, holds no skill.... It requires zero physical skill. How can someone admire something that requires no skill?

Maybe i can consider "spinning" records a skill...but its still not really creating their own music. It all just seems strange that skill-less music is so popular.

MrCheeto · Apr 13, 2010

You don't need talent to be famous and successful, it's just a fact. If you're like Lady (what an ironic name) Gaga, a production company will pick you out the way southern farmers picked out their own "workers" and buy you. They paint your face, teach you stupid Backstreet Boys "dance" moves and throw you on TV along with headlines like "Gaga, it's all the rave" or some crap like that. They create the illusion of success.

They rave about these people long before they even release an album!!! It's like Obama! Everybody was bowing down to Obama before he did ANYTHING! And when he DID accomplish something...well...I don't think he's very excited to talk about it.

Justin Beiber...can't sing. End of story. The kid simply can NOT sing! He sounds like a 12-year-old girl "singing" to her hairbrush in front of her Barbie Star Fashion mirror...you know...with that annoying stuck up teen ***** voice...

And while he is not capable of singing, the production companies will SAY he can and SAY he's a "sensation" and suddenly every 12-year-old girl across America is brainwashed (as if it's difficult, hahaha) into thinking this kid is the end-all in..ehem.."music".

Did anybody see the number of young painted-faced white girls CRYING as he performed at the Nick Kid's choice awards, or whatever it was?

Knowing there are so many 12-year-olds painting their faces and dressing like sluts and knowing people like Gaga and Beiber can be ANYTHING in this world makes it more and more difficult to go on living in THIS world.

Edit
To make matters worse, the hippies are taking over! 80% of all commercials include ukuleles and xylophones and skinny elfish democrats in mocassins and rainbow scarfs whispering all "cutely" into a microphone like some toyish 4' tall Japanese girl that looks no more than 10-years of age as the audio track.
These people are just awful, offspring of the old "bag ladies" in San Francisco that everybody once criticized and so they forced upon her kids the idea that "it doesn't matter what they say, be yourself" in order to ease their pain, and when they broke out their xylophone and started "singing" with their Janis Joplin smoker voice, the ole bag lady just smiled and told them "it's uh...well it doesn't have to sound good to be music, and that's what matters" encouraging them to continue raping the ears of the innocent.
Like that iPod commercial, can ANYBODY that is NOT on acid make sense of the following conglomerate of mouth mashing? "Vacation and barbecue, shmall talkin' and nothing to do. You keep it locked in a shopping cart, a bourgeois shangri-La" followed by a temper-boiling smoker shriek.
These people always take it over the top, it's "cool" to be "weird", but to them it's not being weird, they convince theirself it's being "open" by doing stupid stuff like saying "shmall" as opposed to small and expecting it to be just the most adorable thing. Or shrieking like Joplin in a meat grinder, but not a controlled shout, no, make it "odd" make it "not-right" because doing things a bit "off" is...somehow artistic...or something.
They intentionally add such "flaws" to sound more as though they're "unique" and "experienced" enough to do such "bold" things...I could write a book on why modern hippies are effected by some mental disorder brought on by insecurity and poor self-esteem and how it led to Obama's election and thus began our current national blunder****.

OP, you, I and people like Bl00dblitz need to band together to ensure each other we're not the only beings with a hint of thought, unlike these damn sheeple. We need a name for ourselves to identify us. Something difficult to remember and pronounce, and something that can't be turned into some asstastic contraction so that it would immediately be impossible for those trogs to even say it, eliminating the chance of misrepresentation, hahaha.

shingi70 · Apr 13, 2010

Vidder said:
either way...this so called "music" is easy to create and, other then the patience it takes to get it perfect, holds no skill.... It requires zero physical skill. How can someone admire something that requires no skill?

Maybe i can consider "spinning" records a skill...but its still not really creating their own music. It all just seems strange that skill-less music is so popular.

Because something is popular doesn't mean its not real music. For example when it comes to Rap music the meaning is in the lyrics(which is the most important part of a song) They just build melodies around them to pass it to the public, because all rap music isn't like wayne.

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

The same goes for techno/eletrontic where the beat takes you to different places and the simplest line can display a varied emotion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOS9aOIXPEk

I mean Lady GaGa writes all her music, can sing, and plays the instruments in her songs.

c-Row · Apr 14, 2010

Vidder said:
either way...this so called "music" is easy to create and, other then the patience it takes to get it perfect, holds no skill.... It requires zero physical skill. How can someone admire something that requires no skill?

You really have no idea what you are talking about.

To write (yes, write!) a good piece of electronic music requires a great amount of skill. Sure, anybody can push some buttons and tweak some knobs, but then everybody can hammer a piano, get a sound out of a trumpet (I should know) or sing under the shower. Again, skill makes the difference between good and bad.

Rating different genres into "skillful" or "skil-less" is rubbish, especially when it's based on personal preference. You don't want a discussion on the topic, you only want people to agree with you and all others to shut up.

Schtumple · Apr 14, 2010

MrCheeto said:
You don't need talent to be famous and successful, it's just a fact. If you're like Lady (what an ironic name) Gaga

Whilst Gaga's music isn't anything to write home about, she is talented, it's just a shame she was pushed into this world of pop electronica rather than allowing her to keep how talented she is.

Case in point.

New Age of music?

macrumors regular

macrumors member

macrumors 6502

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502

macrumors member

macrumors regular

macrumors 6502

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 601

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 601

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 601

macrumors regular

macrumors regular

macrumors 65816

macrumors 601

macrumors regular

macrumors 68040

macrumors regular

macrumors 65816

macrumors 601

Our Staff