Originality - An observation by King By-Tor

Visitor13 wrote: Heh, fair enough. Still fairly obscure labels, though.

The other two perhaps, but Mute Records aren't THAT obscure. Didn't they publish Sonic Youth's early albums?

I know, don't get me wrong on that, I didn't call down the business world at all. Keep in mind that artists and corporate entities are not exactly like minded. I'd know! What I was meaning to say was that the business world expects one thing while some artists may want to do another. Labels often (not always) sign bands that sounds like bands that have already made them money, so the most original band in the world may be out there, somewhere, playing in their parents garage never to be signed.

There's an interesting point that I failed to bring up - the labels!

When it comes to originality no one hurts music more than the corporate world. Assigning producers to attempt to keep the music contemporary by bringing it down to earth. Well, maybe that's exaggerating a bit, but a lot of bands won't ever get signed unless they have some kind of sound that can be sold. Let's face it, originality is a hard sell for the most part (not always so in the progressive world), most people would rather listen to Justin Timberlake than A Silver Mt. Zion (again, in the non-prog world) so it's easier to sell the 1000th shelf pop star. I suppose even in prog it would be easier to sell something like Spock's Beard than something completely obscure and perhaps original.

Maybe some of these bands are in fact the most original artists on the planet being held within the restraints of modern labels .

Visitor13 wrote: Can you see these two landing a deal with Century Media?  http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=150896108

No, because Century Media don't do experimental electronica. Cold Meat Industry, Old Europa Café or even Mute Records, on the other hand...


Edited by Toaster Mantis - June 30 2008 at 11:48

Visitor13 wrote: And AFAIK in music recording a CD of 'incomprehensible' music is a surefire way of selling it in several hundred copies at most, not exactly a 'breakthrough'...

These guys have managed to get a deal with Century Media, which shows that either is there a market for this... or someone at Century Media has a weird sense of humour.

sinkadotentree wrote: I just have to give  to both Pnoom! and Russellk(i respect both of you guys a lot) for their usual intelligent and meaningful thoughts. And to King By-Tor for this thread which i really didn't think would go anywhere but downhill fast. And Atavachron your timing was perfect.

I'm surprised too (thanks, by the way!).


No, this is great! I'm trying to keep up with everything that's happened since I left, let's see if I've got anything left to add. Keep it coming! I'm enjoying the hell out of this discussion.

Rileydog22 wrote: Reminds me of this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=8s13sASS5F4

Funny isn't it? Actually, I had a song writer do almost the same thing for me the other day, except she just took the chords from Knocking On Heaven's door and came up with, like 3 or 4 songs out of it. She said you could do exactly the same thing as that guy did though. Good to see it in motion though! thanks for the link.

Our arguments may not have been original, but I hope they at least entertained 

I just have to give  to both Pnoom! and Russellk(i respect both of you guys a lot) for their usual intelligent and meaningful thoughts. And to King By-Tor for this thread which i really didn't think would go anywhere but downhill fast. And Atavachron your timing was perfect.

Atavachron wrote: as a young musician and then illustrator, I was always trying to be 'original' - that is, I would often start with originality as of prime importance - and what I realized is that original material that works usually stems from established principles.. that is, the new seemed to often come from the old, and not from some immaculately conceived notion  ..artists usually have breakthroughs from working and creating, it is a process more than an ideal suddenly come to fruition with no attention to aesthetics    ..sorry if that's useless

No I think it settles russelk's calls to talk about originality for its own sake very well, since I think it states an opinion that almost everyone would agree with (myself and I presume russelk as well).

^ interesting Russell...