The Music of the future?

Eventually music from all cultures and times will fuse together into a messy electronic style that no one will deviate from for the fear of being considered prejudiced against the cultures or time periods they did not include. All instruments would be used as well, but played very badly, as it would be hard to play every single instrument well. No one will have those tin whistle prejudices, because that is downright whistlist. Then someone will go against that with something really primitive, everyone will be really shocked, and the whole history of music will repeat. Except with electricity.

There is still a lot of potential musical fusion. In some ways rock was a fusion of European popular music and African American blues. Progressive music still remains largely anchored in Euro rock. There has been minimal fusion with influences outside of Europe and North America. Prog/folk fusions are also Eurocentric. Look what Paul Simon was able to achieve with Graceland - a new sound. It remains to be seen what sounds can emerge with more Indian/African/Middle Eastern/Asian fusions.

As I type this I am aaware that my knowledge of the genre is ot that deep so I am ready to be corrected.

I remember being asked by the mother of a friend of mine when I was a young teen if it wasn't true that all the melodies had been nearly used up. I look back and laugh when I think about that. I doubt that any one music will ever dominate the world. Beware Musical World Domination! (new bumper sticker)

ghost_of_morphy wrote: If you think that's scary, consider that we are about due for another rockabilly revival.

^ My thoughts exactly, which I've expressed in a shorter and much less understandable post now hopefully lost in time 

Well I mean...though Electronic music tends to be a bit less emotional at times, I think a lot of newer music still conveys loads of emotion:

Ulver's Shadows of the Sun and Blood Inside, though both highly programmed/electronic, they both still reflect loads of emotion and mood.

And if we look at Radiohead's and Thom Yorke's electronic works, we once again hear much emotion shining through the programs. As for bands like Battles and perhaps Meshuggah (though completely different) that sound a bit more like machines, I think there are still moods present; Battles to me is very frantic/frolicking/happy while Meshuggah is deathly, harrowing, and apocalyptic.

The replies in this topic kind of wandered, so I'm not sure if I'm even answering the question the thread-maker was asking, but I think the music of the future, as it is called, will still be full of emotion and new ideas (as all four of the bands I mentioned are innovative in my opinion); however, I think this emotion and these ideas will be fresher, generally more experimental, and perhaps a bit more varied.

The above sentiment, however, is my opinion, as I am slightly biased towards newer music than towards older music (unless we get into, you know, classical [as a genre] music, which I think will always be effective and emotional, as well as an influence).

To answer the question bluntly, I think there will be acts that shun emotion as a precursor (Meshuggah, Battles) and favor a more programmed, machine-like sound; however, I think this is okay, as I think no matter what, if the music is earnest, the emotions and ideas embodied in it will continue to shine through as they always have.

Edited by king volta - March 06 2008 at 21:38

HEY! It was me in a review who said Battles is the music of the future!

The fact that the huge popularity of bands like the Fratellis, Arctic Monkeys, Strokes, Libertines, Razorlight etc is happening now has kind of shifted the pop band focus away from midi and electronics and placed it back into the hands of blokes playing instruments.
 Thats a little like punk I suppose.

maybe a mainstream prog revival next ?  maybe not ?

Hold on.... when is the last time a genre was invented ?  Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Thrash Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hardcore Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, NWOAHM, Progressive Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Alternative Metal, New Metal...   its all metal, either heavy or very heavy.

Punk, Hardcore Punk, Pop Punk, Ska Punk

And a billion types of pop,   but it always seems to be two things mixed together.. eg. Hardcore Metal or Progressive Death Metal.

Has anyone invented a genre recently ?

The music of the future will involve somebody mixing two things together, like progressive Ska Punk or electronic regae or something.

GoldenSpiral wrote: In the future, all music will sound like the opening theme from the original Star Trek.   that, or we'll end up with a cyberpunk distopia where everything but crunk rap or country is illegal.

I had a music teacher once who was sure the next big dance craze would be odd-meter jazz rock   ..he was amazed when it never happened