Parhelic Triangle vs. Steve Reich's Different Trains

A friend and I got into an argument when we each played music for each other. He, a very classically minded music lover, played Steve Reich's Different Trains, a piece for about 12 cellos, or one cello and a tape recorder. I reached for Parhelic Triangle. He didn't seem to think Ae was music. I tried to point out where he was wrong.

By pure coincidence, these two pieces of music were very similar in style. They both had a repeating "bass line", and they both had intertwining melodies layered over the bass line. Where Ae blew Different Trains out of the water was on the timbre. The melodies of both pieces were similar in style, they both dealt with rhythm in interesting ways, but instead of just having a cello bow away, sounding the same, Ae use a computer to get an infinite variety of sounds.

Needless to say my friend wasn't convinced. How do I prove to him that Ae and Confield is the next step in musical evolution, like Steve Reich was way beck when? My argument didn't work. I need some new ones.

There is no ONE musical evolution. There are many. Anyway, everyone knows AE peaked with "Basscadet". :innocent:

if he didnt think ae was music then i think its pointless arguing with him

did he really say that?

  rocky path said:

if he didnt think ae was music then i think its pointless arguing with him

 

did he really say that?

Not directly, but pretty much. He's a very smart guy and a talented musician, but his mind is very closed when it comes to music that hasn't come out of the classical tradition. I'm trying to open his eyes, but it seemed to me that if he liked Steve Reich the he will like Autechre.

one of my best friends is a classical guitarist. he taught or teaches a music class at U.C. Irvine. when i lived in cali, he'd always asked me of electronic music type artists (he wasn't into electronic music, but he was really into the ambient side of electronic music). i showed him a few autechre tracks and he was down with them. he loved those long tracks that started one way then deviated to another direction (ala augmatic disport). anyway, he used one of my tracks for one of his classes!

When I want to make people see Autechre as I do (because after all we want to share our appreciation and make others experience it too), I make them listen to 3 or 4 songs mostly starting at Amber or something (depending on their background) and carefully moving up. Mostly they'll like the early stuff and are confused by the later work. So I explain them once why I think they're later work is even more interesting to me. What drawns me into this kind of music.

If they're not open for it after that I accept my defeat and tell them 'to each its own' and change the subject. Some of my best friends I've tried to convince for months and then they would come over and put on some clubby crap. I've always got like outsider tastes and ideologies so I'm kind of used to it and mostly keep it to myself to not look like a pretentious know it all.

tell him that steve reich is listening to autechre,

i'm currently studying for my PhD in composition (mostly contemporary classical), & i think Autechre are fantastic! Your friend's unfortunate to think the way he does, but he's also far from unique... :undecided:

  Kavinsky said:

tell him that steve reich is listening to autechre,

the winning strategy

  Kavinsky said:

tell him that steve reich is listening to autechre,

Really? Awesome.

  Berk said:

  Kavinsky said:

tell him that steve reich is listening to autechre,

 

Really? Awesome.

Is there any proof that Steve Reich is listening to autechre? If someone has an interview or something that would be great.

i have no idea if it's true, but i think it's a winning strategy either way

I don't know if Reich is listening the Ae in particular, but he does have a great deal of respect for electronic music.

Some of the musique concrete guys like Iannis Xenakis and Edgard Varese would have LOVED Parhelic Triangle. John Cage would've found it overwhelming, but he'd have been fond of the possibilities offered in the software.

I have dreams of Glenn Branca collaborating with Sean and Rob...

If the 20th Century taught us anything, it's that "music" is a highly flexible and subjective term. I only got as far as a bachelor's in composition/theory, but I had to pore through my share of guys like Elliott Carter, and I'd rather put Parhelic Triangle in a time-capsule than any of his stuff.

I've got alot of respect for Steve Reich's music, but using Pat Metheny?!? :shade:

  LonelyMachines said:

I've got alot of respect for Steve Reich's music, but using Pat Metheny?!? :shade:

  Quote

Metheny plays a custom-made Pikasso I created by Canadian luthier Linda Manzer on "Into the Dream" and on the albums Quartet, Imaginary Day, Jim Hall & Pat Metheny, Trio->Live, and the Speaking of Now Live and Imaginary Day DVDs. Metheny has also used the guitar in his guest appearances on other artist's albums.

What the hell? lol

It looks like a photoshop that you would find on WATMM

It does seem really odd to me having someone really REALLY appreciate the finer details of music like Steve Reich and not appreciate those same qualities in something like Autechre... I haven't heard a lot of Steve Reich but both of them seem so... "academic", but what I like about both of them is that it takes those ideas and makes them accessible. One who does not appreciate the technical aspects of music could listen to Music for 18 Musicians and be like "wow, that's pretty" and then listen to... I dunno... let's say Vose In or Eidetic Casein or maybe even Pen Expers and think "wow that's funky".

That said.. while I do sorta like Parhelic Triangle, I personally wouldn't introduce someone to Autechre with that song... I think it's a pretty odd one personally...