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Electronica Artist Owl City/Adam Young Designed iOS 7 Sounds [Updated]
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All of the new iOS7 sounds lack much midrange oomph -- they all sound very tinny. And yes, I know this kind of frequency range works better for small speakers. But still. That would be my main complaint, I do like some of the samples, especially the ones that sound more natural, organic and less cheesy/grating as many of the previous iOS sounds did.
Never heard this guy before, but I can see why it's popular...this kind of autotuned-to-hell, cheeseball music has become de rigueur. The vocals are tailored to be completely inoffensive to any possible audience; not only sonically, but the content of lyrics as well. I'm not singling him out -- even most of the modern indie pop acts have this tepid kind of sound. I'm not sure why, perhaps these are the people who grew up listening to bad emo music in the 2000s, and stuff like Paramore. But the over-earnest vocals, and bending every vowel of every word, it's like nails on chalkboard to me. It's a weird autotune vocal accent that doesn't exist in real life.
Never heard this guy before, but I can see why it's popular...this kind of autotuned-to-hell, cheeseball music has become de rigueur. The vocals are tailored to be completely inoffensive to any possible audience; not only sonically, but the content of lyrics as well. I'm not singling him out -- even most of the modern indie pop acts have this tepid kind of sound. I'm not sure why, perhaps these are the people who grew up listening to bad emo music in the 2000s, and stuff like Paramore. But the over-earnest vocals, and bending every vowel of every word, it's like nails on chalkboard to me. It's a weird autotune vocal accent that doesn't exist in real life.
Let me explain something about English and "opinion". "He sux I hate him" is one statement of opinion, and one statement of fact based on your own personal emotion. Those are acceptable, and no one can argue with them. "He has no talent" is not an opinion, it's a statement of fact as "talent" is not a subjective thing. "Talent" is based on some sort of average or surrounding. You can say a kid on the high school soccer team has a lot of talent, and he will as a matter of fact have more talent than those around him, or at least be above average. People may hate Kobe Bryant for many reasons, and may hate him as a player because he's a show off, but you can't make an argument that he has no talent. People just don't like how he uses that talent.
You say that an artist (that I don't like but have knowledge of) has no talent and of course, you are wrong. You also confuse synth sounds with "auto tune", which is ridiculous given the amont of synth in voice and sound in many of today's genres. You may not like it, or understand it, but the fact is that the dude has a lot of musical talent. And if you can't accept that and stick with a real opinion like "he sux" than it is not us that needs to "grow up".
And that is why they included the classic ringtones.
No reason on earth that you shouldn't be happy enough since you can always use those.
Oh yeah, you're posting on MR for all the fame that comes with clever commenting.
That's understandable, as there are genres that grate on me the same way.
Neither does the electric guitar, or most instruments for that matter. Synth sounds are just a new wave of instruments that are enabling and augmenting the giant spectrum of entertainment called "music". Just like "electric instruments" that shocked people in the 50s and 60s it's no surprise that people (especially those not of a young generation) find "new instruments" unnatural. But unnatural sounds is, thank goodness, not a real criteria for the definition of music.
Yes, he is a flagrant Ben Gibbard, DCFC rip-off but with sub-sub-par lyrics and a-tune assist...frick off, Owl....hoooo?!
Owl city on ITunes Radio SOUNDS like ios7 LOOKS
You are on to something here. Just put owl city on iTunes Radio. It sounds like ios7 looks (not just owl city, all similar bands).
You are on to something here. Just put owl city on iTunes Radio. It sounds like ios7 looks (not just owl city, all similar bands).
And that is why they included the classic ringtones.
No reason on earth that you shouldn't be happy enough since you can always use those.
Oh yeah, you're posting on MR for all the fame that comes with clever commenting.
Agreed - admittedly, I do use 'Slow Rise' - kind of Harry Potter-ish.
All in good fun Start the countdown? The first generation of Power Macintosh computers startup chime was a tapped chord by legendary jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan... commissioned I am sure by mister Jobs himself...
You're spot on. Well written post.
Apple's commercials and marketing still have this aesthetic and human quality (perhaps too much these days, often becoming a bit corny or "We created happiness and love"), but their actual products are losing this. iOS 6 was badly outdated, true, but Apple's approach now lacks a human touch.
talent to me is the ability to stir complex emotions and thoughts, not being a fast technical typist.
you will find the former not only levels of magnitude more difficult than the latter, but also rarer.
/rollseyes @ "back in the day" being circa 2010~
See above.
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There's a big difference between new sounds and new vocal phrasings. Electric guitars and synthesizers defied conventions for some people, but they just made new sounds. Autotune, especially the way he is manipulating it, alters something we have a different, more personal, much deeper relationship with: the human voice. We project many qualities onto the voices we hear...trust, understanding, kinship, love, hate, etc. When a human voice is altered with artificial perfection and robotic precision, it's no longer a human singing, but some simulacrum of one. Guitars and drums don't have this problem -- we are used to sounds changing even in the natural world.
Now I'm not saying there isn't a case for autotune -- it can be used to good artistic effect with discretion -- but to just slap it on a voice and distort a natural talking/speaking style and accent that humans are used to, it comes off (to me) as disingenuous and fake. Especially when you add to the mix his super-earnest vocal style a la Postal Service and other emo bands of that era.
Obviously that's my opinion of the music, but comparing acoustic->electric guitars to the use of autotune is just not equivalent. Humans have a fundamentally different relationship with voices. Instruments provide rhythm and melody and can create emotional textures, but voices create an emotional judgment and reaction (or conversely, ambivalence) on the singer and the song, because that's how our brains are built to relate to other humans.
talent to me is the ability to stir complex emotions and thoughts, not being a fast technical typist.
you will find the former not only levels of magnitude more difficult than the latter, but also much rarer.
/rollseyes @ "back in the day" being circa 2010~
See above.
I get what you mean about talent being about stirring emotions and thoughts. I agree with you. But you do have to realize that people have different musical tastes and will be emotionally provoked by different songs. Back in my early high school days when Owl City was one of my favorites, his music caused me to think and feel emotions.
It's all a matter of opinion on whether you like him or not, but again, you can't say he has no talent simply because you personally don't connect with his style of music.
oh jesus here we go.
ok seriously, unlike the sounds of an electric guitar or bass circa the60s (when alot of social movements and cultural happenings were going on), the sounds of some of todays synth/autotune IS NOT shocking anybody, its putting us to sleep, or to be even more succinct - makin us feel vapid. thats the problem.
I do love a lot of EDM but get REAL.
Grandeur of Apple? Apple sells their iPhones in Walmart and RadioShack now in case you haven't noticed. They're in the business of making money.
Making money is a function of making great products that people want to buy. They are in the business of making great products.