guy from BBC says RDJ can't play keyboard (re: piano stuff on Druqks). WTF?

from an article on Warp.net

He bought a grand piano that can be played by computer. It's called a 'Diskclavier' and it's made by Yamaha. It's exactly like a straightforward grand piano but the keys can be controlled by a computer via MIDI – the musical instrument digital interface. Richard James cannot read conventional musical notation and he cannot play a keyboard so, in order to make the piano and prepared piano pieces that appear on 'Drukqs' he prepared his Diskclavier according to the principles established by John Cage and programmed the playing using a computer.

first off, I'd been wondering how much of a player he is, but when I started working on Avril 14th on piano (which isn't really that hard, but does require a bit of polyrhythm), I came to assume that he could play pretty well. the statement here implies that he can't really play and that stuff is all played thru midi.

what do you guys think?

this is pretty well known.

from aphex twin wikipedia:

  Quote

Prepared piano, laptops, and more DSP: 2000–2003

In 2001 Aphex Twin released drukqs, a two-CD album that featured computer controlled piano songs influenced by Erik Satie and John Cage"

right, I get it that he used the used the computer controlled piano, but to assert that he 'cannot play a keyboard' sounds bananas to me. is he really such a musical savant that he cannot play a keyboard, but instead enters everything digitally? I don't buy it. he must be able to play. eh?

I don't think it's such a big deal. He probably never spent a lot of time trying to learn to play the keyboard but learnt composing by sequencer instead.

Like a boss. He's even able to create distortion effects.

he would mash the keyboard with his fists in time with the beat then organise the midi notes (with the mouse) into pleasing/discordant chords

I don't think rich is that good of a piano player, but I couldn't know. He has admitted in a couple interviews he's pretty ignorant of music theory so this would make sense.

TBH I've always viewed Richards work as more of the work of a percussionist, not necessarily the work of a piano player. Richard loves that linear shit.

What I wouldn't give to own a midi controlled piano. Its the ultimate Satie-machine as even Satie also referred to himself as a "phonometrician" (meaning "someone who measures sounds") preferring this designation to that of a "musician", after having been called "a clumsy but subtle technician" in a book on contemporary French composers published in 1911.

isn't most of his piano stuff rather unplayable, though? read somewhere it would require extra hand to nail it.

in some early interviews he said he can do pads, but prefers everything else sequenced because it's crucial for all the notes to be in time.

i find people having problems with electronic musicians not being skilled players a bit silly. maybe imagine he's conducting machines.

penty harmonium sounds like its played live

  On 6/29/2012 at 7:26 PM, Audioblysk said:

TBH I've always viewed Richards work as more of the work of a percussionist, not necessarily the work of a piano player. Richard loves that linear shit.

as I've been trying to replicate some of his rhythms on my sampler, I can see now how much of his talent lies in rhythm! him and Squarepusher (who is apparently a real player).

  On 6/29/2012 at 7:36 PM, kinski said:

isn't most of his piano stuff rather unplayable, though? read somewhere it would require extra hand to nail it.

I think I read something like that somewhere too, but I'm not sure I buy it. Avril 14th isn't very hard and Nanou doesn't sound like it would require extra hands.

if penty harmonium is any indication of his skills he better stick to sequencing amirite

  On 6/29/2012 at 7:45 PM, xclark said:

  On 6/29/2012 at 7:26 PM, Audioblysk said:

TBH I've always viewed Richards work as more of the work of a percussionist, not necessarily the work of a piano player. Richard loves that linear shit.

 

as I've been trying to replicate some of his rhythms on my sampler, I can see now how much of his talent lies in rhythm! him and Squarepusher (who is apparently a real player).

 

 

  On 6/29/2012 at 7:36 PM, kinski said:

isn't most of his piano stuff rather unplayable, though? read somewhere it would require extra hand to nail it.

 

I think I read something like that somewhere too, but I'm not sure I buy it. Avril 14th isn't very hard and Nanou doesn't sound like it would require extra hands.

actually, nanou spans so many octaves that it would require 4 hands. I only know this cause i looked up sheet music for it

RDJ doesn't give a shit and says guy from BBC can go fuck himself ?

Penty is a live organ recording no?

  On 6/29/2012 at 8:02 PM, mcglockers said:

Penty is a live organ recording no?

surely, it is, as I've never seen a midi-controlled harmonium.

robots

seriously though... who cares anyway if he can or cannot?

he's an electronic musician, not a wanky radio 1 live indie 'band of the moment'.

lol maybe he just play some notes in a scale and then rearrange them... actually most of his melodies and chords and that shit are pretty easy to play in piano or whatever...

maybe we can ask global goon! o.o

  On 6/29/2012 at 8:11 PM, sirch said:

seriously though... who cares anyway if he can or cannot?

 

well, it would certainly never taint my appreciation for the man or his music (I'm not a retard), but as a musician, I find it interesting that one of the most important/influential/blah-blah-blah musicians alive, and someone who has recorded hundreds and hundreds (thousands?) of tracks, can't actually play an instrument, especially since, when he wants to be, his music is so musical. it's a testament to the age that we live in.

you dont have to be trained to play the piano to produce something gorgeous out of it.

with that said, its pretty obvious that very few untrained people are able to do this.

if I remember correctly, Paul McCartney didn't know how to read music. He just learned by ear/repetition.

  On 6/29/2012 at 8:19 PM, Smettingham Rutherford IV said:

 

if I remember correctly, Paul McCartney didn't know how to read music. He just learned by ear/repetition.

right, and that surprised me too, but at least Paul McCartney could play his instruments. that's what I find so interesting about this piece of information.

Richard's instrument is the sequencer. He can play / program it like few others.

  On 6/29/2012 at 9:14 PM, Gocab said:

Richard's instrument is the sequencer. He can play / program it like few others.

this. why is sequencer not an instrument? if someone bangs on a can everyone goes bonkers on his can-banging musician skills, but if it's done with computers it's not real playing. how come it isn't if the end result is usually music?

  On 6/29/2012 at 9:19 PM, kinski said:

  On 6/29/2012 at 9:14 PM, Gocab said:

Richard's instrument is the sequencer. He can play / program it like few others.

 

this. why is sequencer not an instrument? if someone bangs on a can everyone goes bonkers on his can-banging musician skills, but if it's done with computers it's not real playing. how come it isn't if the end result is usually music?

because people are retards.

  On 6/29/2012 at 9:14 PM, Gocab said:

Richard's instrument is the sequencer. He can play / program it like few others.

and drum machines and synthesizers and effects and samplers! etc.

i really couldn't care less if he or autechre or any of the features artists here can play an instrument or not, in the traditional sense of it. how very 20th 19th pre-20th Century!