Quote from: 13 on November 29, 2014, 12:04:12 AM
I've witnessed a lot of people feeling super jaded with the current state of underground music. They claim that everything's been done and that all that is left is an endless drome of recycled aesthetics. I beg to differ. There's so much that hasn't been done. So many directions the genre in question can be taken. So many personalities waiting to be expressed. I think it's important to understand that what makes a great artist isn't only a sense of aesthetics. It's the ability to communicate your personality and deepest obsessions. To make your art real and tangible to strangers. Just like a great film strives to make it's illusion real. A place that you'll yearn to visit again and again. This is the key element that most artists lack today. Both in the PE scene and beyond. People have learned how to make a product. Nothing else. It's meaningless. Just like a cross without the myth of the man who died on it. Anyway... That's my 2 cents. Hope things worked out for the author of the thread. If not, so be it.
Related to this, in some ways, is that I was just reading one crappy mainstream metal magazine with Exodus guitarist interview. And for the first time, I came across pretty honest self critical view. While everybody in more popular late 80's metal always claims "grunge killed metal" kinds of stuff as if it was not about them, but ONLY about changing times... this guy said yeah yeah, it's true grunge became popular, but now when looking back, the real reason is that
we all (Exodus and other thrash/speed/heavy etc..)
did so much worse albums than we did before.Learned or was being told how to make product to sell, but that wasn't too good. Nowhere near as good as when motivation was different. Lots of other bands who learned how to made product to market probably would have its effect as well, but if nobody makes truly great albums that stands out, then no wonder most people move on.
For those who often follow just the known names. Who buy albums of "trusted artists" instead of dive into swamp of unknown noise, I'm 100% sure,
jaded is the feeling that can be understood. You know, make a list of biggest and best known noise & p.e. and then ask yourself if the noise these guys have made during last years have made big impact on you?
On the side note.. I'm quite firm hater of all these "big cartel" etc kind of stuff. Yeah I know its all easy, good, simple. It looks professional, you don't need to communicate, just move product when people click buttons. But all sites look the same. All soundclouds look the same. All band camps look the same. Drag and drop some graphics to frames of template. I still stick mostly on this crappy 1.0 internetz coded site as while being pretty uncool and shitty, too big to anyone to really browse, but with all the flaws, at least it's not just exactly same as every place what you click.
All that being said, I also think that one can't solely blame makers. You know, for the audience, who has hunger for new, hunger for being entertained, how could you ever keep them
entertained? Never.
While one can request artists to make true art and communicate, one could also request listener to allow himself to join. Not to buy "product" that's destined to be treated as such, but also give it a chance. Not consider aesthetics as excuse for his own apathy. You know,
"again xeroxed bondage".
"I don't buy CD", "I don't buy tape", you know..
"No vocals", "I want screaming, but no stupid flanger effects", It's their choice of course, but if we are in check-mate situation with consumer needs, what can happen? If there's so many requirements one needs to fill, and finally it's all "like it should", and then one cries how it's all so expected and old, what else to expect, hah...?
Of course you can always say artist failed to entertain or spark interest, but you can also say that it ain't his job to do so. It's not job or necessity. It is something that may happen when ideas & sounds starts to communicate. I feel that within this swamp of noise, its perfectly fine for label to have 5 or 10 or 50 contacts who trade, buy, communicate with eachother. Even without "audience" beyond "artists" themselves. When you have some plot you think its going to lead for "success", then one knows it's probably doing it wrong.
