Place to chat about AAA thread

i think it's because the question itself is not framed right. They're not going to over explain anything they don't have to. IT seems like if you ask the question in a specific way and don't necessarily assume much about their process, they are much more open at describing it. For example when it comes to something 'generative' i doubt much if any of their stuff was ever generative in the true sense of the word. They talk a lot more about complex envelope controlling ( a lot in the AAA) and LFO controlled sliders for sequencer step values (during Untiled interviews when asked this same question) . I think if you asked them more specifics about this process, the one they keep going back to when anyone brings up this classic question, they would be happy to elaborate on it. I've noticed over the years people assume too much of their music is 'random' or 'generated' and they've often brushed off the assertion, rightfully so.

edit: mcbpete ya beat me to it!

they kept ignoring the quaristice live set release questions :(

I realise they said that they don't have 'soundboard' recordings from any of the live events in 2008, but the live set is still on the elektrons, surely! that is such an amazing live set, full of awesome melodic patterns.

actually they answered it pretty in depth at the very beginning of the aaa, at least i thought they did. ...

    Quote

 

we were discussing this recently (milking it for all it's worth)

the main barrier is the sheer amount of it we would have to go through, it's a few months work i reckon, if it was going to be comprehensive (and that's hard cos the archive is WELL patchy)

and we were debating what we'd actually do with it as well

ie. whether it's better to stitch the best bits of different gigs together (like a lot of 70s/80s live albums did) or to release them slightly edited (george lucas), or to touch them up here and there sonically, or leave them totally untouched

it's our style to release them untouched really - but they would sound a bit weak if we left them 100% intact cos they were mixed for a live rig, and what sounds good mixed in a venue can sound terrible as a 2 track master played at home (a bit better really loud on cans but never quite right)

the fact that we would prob end up messing with the sound sets off my autism and makes me want to make other changes

i had some questions ignored twice, do you think i pissed them off with the meme?

this is just like that time i pissed off Noel from the Mighty Boosh and a reference ended up in the show (i think)

i know right, why not just drop us the .syx, we deserve it!

to those of you who say "generative music is boring by itself", well.. no it isn't, if you're interested in processes and stuff.

tho the buzzword "generative" is so crappily overreaching...

i don't expect sean&rob to accompany their album releases with a paper about their algos lol, but it's not like autechrean

music is based on stepping to a microphone going lalala-happy-sad. it's deeply technically involved music, and reading answers wrt to this stuff it's quite clear they're aware of that, and a discussion about technical aspects will very likely also be interesting wrt the Why. tho i agree there's better Qs to ask than "how much elektron" (self-facepalm) or "did you use the random" or whatever....

  On 11/8/2013 at 12:02 PM, jhonny said:

 

  On 11/8/2013 at 12:00 PM, thisfieldisrequired said:

 

  On 11/8/2013 at 11:23 AM, o00o said:

I really liked the interview but they stayed pretty vague about their generative music software. I guess its to not spoil the magic

 

I think they stood vague because they're probably fed up being asked technical questions, as well as being seen as a purely technical act. Generative music itself is really boring, it's those two souls, sean & rob that make it interesting, not the computer.

 

Absolutely.

 

Maybe more people will listen for the soul in their music now rather than just the technical impressive-ness

 

I don't think so as they did answer a lot of them but some they purposely ignored or stayed pretty vague. I am totally ok with it its just some impression I had and found interesting

  On 11/8/2013 at 12:03 PM, mcbpete said:

Plus I don't really think they do 'generative music' - It's usually LFOs (possibly triggering other LFOs to create a nice wave shape) triggering parameters. Generative suggests some sort of compositional seed that drives an algorithm, and listening to their stuff I really don't think it's the case.

  On 11/8/2013 at 12:05 PM, John Ehrlichman said:

i think it's because the question itself is not framed right. They're not going to over explain anything they don't have to. IT seems like if you ask the question in a specific way and don't necessarily assume much about their process, they are much more open at describing it. For example when it comes to something 'generative' i doubt much if any of their stuff was ever generative in the true sense of the word. They talk a lot more about complex envelope controlling ( a lot in the AAA) and LFO controlled sliders for sequencer step values (during Untiled interviews when asked this same question) . I think if you asked them more specifics about this process, the one they keep going back to when anyone brings up this classic question, they would be happy to elaborate on it. I've noticed over the years people assume too much of their music is 'random' or 'generated' and they've often brushed off the assertion, rightfully so.

 

edit: mcbpete ya beat me to it!

yeah true its not about altering parameters and hitting generate -> song done. its more about finding more successful methods of arrangement than just pushing some notes on the keyboard. I just had the impression they do not want to go to much into that topic to not spoil certain (non-self coded) powerful tools they use to do that. Do you have some quotes at hand where they say what you are referring to?

I guess the "better system than midi" quote refers to their own customized version of http://opensoundcontrol.org/ as its closely tied to maxmsp and logic / digital performer

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:05 PM, o00o said:

I guess the "better system than midi" quote refers to their own customized version of http://opensoundcontrol.org/ as its closely tied to maxmsp and logic / digital performer

no, Sean said it is not packet-based

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:12 PM, telefunken said:

 

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:05 PM, o00o said:

I guess the "better system than midi" quote refers to their own customized version of http://opensoundcontrol.org/ as its closely tied to maxmsp and logic / digital performer

 

no, Sean said it is not packet-based

 

ah thx

Their hints regarding the concepts of albums titillates me to no end. From what I recall, Oversteps was loosely about 'memory' and Quaristice about dream logic? Part of me is dying to know more, and the other is just satisfied that these albums will puzzle me for years to come.

Its like walking up to the monolith in 2001 and shouting "WHAT ARE YOU"

  On 11/8/2013 at 12:49 PM, MadameChaos said:

i had some questions ignored twice, do you think i pissed them off with the meme?

 

rob.jpg

 

this is just like that time i pissed off Noel from the Mighty Boosh and a reference ended up in the show (i think)

share the mighty boosh tale pls

I don't think you pissed them off with that, lol. No worries. There were a lot of questions, everyone had a hard time keeping up with the thread, even the guys. People just had to push a question if they didn't answer it, Sean advised that at some point. I remember one of your questions was like "can you share more amusing anecdotes". Problem with that is, the question wasn't specific enough. They have 20 years of concert experience, something amusing might have happened at every show. I've pulled two extra tales out of them by asking for amusing stuff that happened at Belgian gigs. You could've asked for London gigs or something.

Oh, well. Another time then. They'll come back right? Say, next month?

I really wanted to ask him if they realize many songs of them have Spanish and catalan word titles.

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:19 PM, triachus said:

 

  On 11/8/2013 at 12:49 PM, MadameChaos said:

i had some questions ignored twice, do you think i pissed them off with the meme?

 

rob.jpg

 

this is just like that time i pissed off Noel from the Mighty Boosh and a reference ended up in the show (i think)

share the mighty boosh tale pls

 

I don't think you pissed them off with that, lol. No worries. There were a lot of questions, everyone had a hard time keeping up with the thread, even the guys. People just had to push a question if they didn't answer it, Sean advised that at some point. I remember one of your questions was like "can you share more amusing anecdotes". Problem with that is, the question wasn't specific enough. They have 20 years of concert experience, something amusing might have happened at every show. I've pulled two extra tales out of them by asking for amusing stuff that happened at Belgian gigs. You could've asked for London gigs or something.

 

Oh, well. Another time then. They'll come back right? Say, next month?

 

haha, that would be masochistic.

i sent Noel a message on twitter once asking "is that your real hair" and he blocked me. a similar line then appeared in the show "is that your real body"

lol

Fielding's a humourless twunt.

  On 11/8/2013 at 11:17 AM, keltoi said:

hey lumpenprol, did you form babby again?

 

well done sir. you have rapid-fire loins.

thank you sir!

yeah, basically 4 mos after the first. Guess the seed is still strong, despite sitting on my arse all day. Wasn't on purpose but I'm happy to see it through (after all won't be my vagina exploding)

of course, like most, i was listening to autechre all week. it all seemed less robotic because they were being so genuine and cool. i never thought it could happen, but their music just got even better for me.

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:32 PM, mcbpete said:

Fielding's a humourless twunt.

i just laughed when i saw it. i could be wrong, but it would be one hell of a coincidence.

i seem to have a knack for pissing people off. it's a double edged sword/two way door.

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:46 PM, MadameChaos said:

i seem to have a knack for pissing people off.

No you dont YOU FUCKING IDIOT SHEESH FUCK

*slams door*

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:45 PM, lumpenprol said:

 

  On 11/8/2013 at 11:17 AM, keltoi said:

hey lumpenprol, did you form babby again?

 

well done sir. you have rapid-fire loins.

thank you sir!

 

yeah, basically 4 mos after the first. Guess the seed is still strong, despite sitting on my arse all day. Wasn't on purpose but I'm happy to see it through (after all won't be my vagina exploding)

 

congrats lumpy!

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:46 PM, jules said:

of course, like most, i was listening to autechre all week. it all seemed less robotic because they were being so genuine and cool. i never thought it could happen, but their music just got even better for me.

yeah they made me complete my vinyl discography now by just being nice

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:46 PM, jules said:

of course, like most, i was listening to autechre all week. it all seemed less robotic because they were being so genuine and cool. i never thought it could happen, but their music just got even better for me.

Yeah man, I've been on the biggest AE kick too. Listening to LP5 now, Oversteps after. Such a great week.

  On 11/8/2013 at 7:33 AM, thisfieldisrequired said:

guys, what did you learn from this thread ? what stood out the most from all of their answers ?

that i'm not the only one diggin both merzbow and tears for fears

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:59 PM, Gravity said:

 

  On 11/8/2013 at 1:46 PM, jules said:

of course, like most, i was listening to autechre all week. it all seemed less robotic because they were being so genuine and cool. i never thought it could happen, but their music just got even better for me.

 

Yeah man, I've been on the biggest AE kick too. Listening to LP5 now, Oversteps after. Such a great week.

 

yeah I think the TH marketing lead-up combined with some of the Bros seemingly somewhat smug interviews contributed to my dissatisfaction with that album. This Q&A on the other hand has only increased my regard for ae. Top guys. Crazy stamina to do it for so many days.

so what now for the watmm?