Skip to main content

I spent 18 years on the road as a electronic duo playing clubs using racks of midi gear and sequencers with a guitar. I took jobs away from 5 piece rock bands all the time. I helped build this nightmare.

I studied guitar and never thought that day would come when it wasn't cool to play solo's in pop music. Even though I love all types of music and have always found something to tap my foot to, I am so sick of the new music scene now. It such BS and artificial, so far off of what I call music that's good for our souls.

Autotune and samples are destroying public ability to accept real more than we think. Video did kill the radio. The entire music business is about shock, dance moves, geared towards DJ's becoming the new musician. It has nothing to do with art in the sense of what our world needs to bring us closer together for the love of this planet and all that makes us connected organically. We're loosing the balance that keeps us content with ourselves. If we're not happy with ourselves, what are we saying?
Where are the musicians people? The world is going nuts. I look to the sky for inspiration, but this new generation looks to their phone for messages. What a nightmare we're creating here.

As an example of what I saw on the MTV music awards: Katy Perry, I love your voice but WTF does a stupid box on your head have anything to do with music.
How can anyone do anything positive wearing a box on their head?

All I can say is, I hope no one important is watching us here on earth.
Support your local musicians and reflect.

Topic Tags

Comments

djmukilteo Tue, 08/30/2011 - 11:51

Hey audiokid....being close to your age and all and having grown up in the rock n roll days of the Beatles and Stones and Pink Floyd (I could go on and on...there were sooo many)...I feel a rant coming on so I apologize ahead of time...everything is strictly my pea brain opinion and means nothing to anyone including myself...it just feels good to let it out....because I am so upset about this mindless "entertainment".
I watched that VMA on MTV (or was it VH1) and all I saw was commercials to sell young people corporate wares...and to think your hip like the Kardashians and flying lip sync hip hopsters...it's just all such entertainment pablum. Unfortunately the kids are being brainwashed and dumbed down to a corporate agenda for creating psychologically manipulated consumers!
It's not about the "music" anymore because that would take talent and time. It's about what sells products..
Recording an album used to be a passion of time and thought and trying to achieve a sound and make an album. They didn't care about awards then. Maybe a grammy...they did care about selling us kids those albums though. That's what the British invasion was really all about...selling American (and Canadian) kids those records with much of that money going back to London.
Today it's all about the immediate result....corporate sponsors, movies come out and their ranked the next day as a hit or miss based on attendance and how much money they sucked in from the public.
It's the same thing with the music industry....the kids are still the target market...you and I don't listen to it and we aren't buying into all this new media crap....but the kids do.
They like to watch crime murder shows and enjoy death and violence and play video games all day with headphones so they can kill things....and they will go to war to protect their cars, gas and phones and the secret corporate agenda.....
Peace, love and the good things of humanity are just liberal concepts that should be avoided and demonized...vampires and s*x are more exciting and be sure to go to your doctor and ask for that latest drug you saw on TV for something you think you have that some corporation makes that may have side affects which could cause you to go and kill all of your classmates for no good reason.....crazy world isn't really adequate to describe what's really going on is it!
Don't look now but your 401K and home are now worthless!

anonymous Fri, 09/23/2011 - 15:20

It's easy to write a huge rant on this subject. Let's just start with placing more importance on early education for children that includes access to music, the arts, and deeper science than "a Triceratops has THREE horns!" Break the cycle of letting children believe that music must be 100% quantized to be even acceptable.

Mysterious Squirrel Sun, 09/25/2011 - 06:07

Mad Alright

Yes, sad but true. Music has been dumbed down for the masses but there's still plenty of great stuff out there not being played.

The fault lies with the sheep mentality of the public who are more than willing to part with their hard earned cash for whatever is put in front of them, neatly packaged, airbrushed and resplendent with box on head.

MS

theheavy Sun, 09/25/2011 - 07:50

Tune in to a different "channel/circuit" altogether.

The television is only a trend setter if you watch it.
The "press" is only valid if you give it your ear.
The "powers" are only in control of those who abide.
The "system" only kills you if you don't step out of it to survive.

looks like I just wrote me self a song lyric.

Make your own trend.
There are plenty of musicians who are making music for the good ole reasons.

Stop sending your power to a circuit and it has none.

Peace

sachit Sun, 09/25/2011 - 10:18

The view from our side

Well hello guys.

I'm a young guy. I'm exactly from the same generation which worships Justin Bieber and swings to DJing in nightclubs. I'm from the generation who thinks that Autotune is the singer and MIDIs are the drummer.

I've grown up without listening to the music of today.

I got into music around seven years back, when a friend introduced me to Green Day. Then my dad(himself an avid music lover), seeing my interest, bought me a few CDs. The turning point was Dark Side Of The Moon.

After that album, it was no turning back. As my proficiency with my music grew, I devoured albums of the greats. Floyd are my idols. I listen to Straits, LZ, Joel, Dave Brubeck... the real musicians. Last year I went through nearly half of all the Beatles albums.

I often find myself feeling hopelessly frustrated at the rubbish being produced by musicians today. I'm the kind of guy who listens to Chopin, then to Floyd, then Metallica, then maybe John Coltrane. In fact, audiokid echoes my own thoughts. I like her voice, and her singing. But not her "celeb" behaviour. I don't know where the music today is headed.

In fact, that drives me to make better music. That's my inspiration. To try my best to keep the good music going for those who can still appreciate it.

JohnTodd Sun, 09/25/2011 - 14:38

I still think we should (those of us here) should put together several 'virtual' bands. Let's write songs and record them over the net. Not live streaming, but download tracks and add to them. I'm up for some guitars and vocals. Let's put together some real music and see if we can sell it online. Let's put our music where our mouths are.

That way we can create the thing we long for from the past: good tunes that are worth paying for, listening to, and remembering.

audiokid Sun, 09/25/2011 - 16:27

If we keep our group small, so it doesn't consume too much bandwidth we could use RO. I'm still not clear what the focus is but it sounds like fun. I've never participated in any online collaboration so I'm green. What about dropbox?

Sure, I could add hybrid to tracks but don't expect me to be a mastering engineer. I would suggest we involve one of our ME gems here. Someone using the Weiss system would be an interest to me because its looking like that will be my next purchase one day. I don't think I will ever be an actual ME. I'm more interested in adding my creative abilities because thats what I am, a musician/producer gone hybrid.

Maybe we will get a really cool thing going here. Looks like we are forming a band lol. Like Toto.

JohnTodd Sun, 09/25/2011 - 16:50

Yay!

I think it could work like this:
One person could keep the master tracks in highest fidelity on their own DAW. Instead of sending a bunch of discrete (as in HUGE) tracks over the internet, only mp3's could be sent out. That would suffice for tracking a new part. Just put it in your DAW, add your part at high fidelity, and then all you have to upload is your one new track. No need to return the mp3.

So we decide, somebody plays drums, somebody does rhythm guitar 1, another on rhythm 2, another on bass, etc. Each musician adds their own part.

Whoever writes the song will need to make a crude demo so the rest of us can learn it and work out our parts.

The dude with the master tracks need to be the mixing engineer. He can then pass the stereo master to the mastering engineer.

As for the money, the author will have to split everything equally with all of us? Let's decide that before we have a number one hit to fight over!

What shall we be called? I nominate:

"Satanic Cowboy and the 6-6-6 Shooters."

:tongue:

audiokid Sun, 09/25/2011 - 17:03

Great idea's.

How about World Going Nuts
I'm cool with the bed track, Drums or whatever. I have tons of experience in pop music programming and producing so whatever works and keeps us all interested and feeling part of it all is essential.

I was also thinking we could start out with parts and hooks and see how they sit with each of us. It could all get a bit crazy so yes, we need to establish the business side first.

This is a great lesson for others to watch as well. I hope we succeed and tolerate our ups and downs as this evolves.. Keep thinking. I have to take a break from RO for a bit. Spent way too much time on the Neos saga. PM me if you want.

So far there are three of us. Maybe thats enough for this star-up. Thoughts?

(y)

JohnTodd Sun, 09/25/2011 - 17:51

World Gone Nuts is great!

Let's make music based upon the bands we love. Floyd, Beatles, Zep, gets mentioned a lot. Any other faves?

As for our mix engineer, does he have Amplitube/Guitar Rig? Want electrics clean and dry or full-tone recordings through an amp?

What about synth? Upload MIDI only, recorded synth parts, or both?

I think we should all be open to suggestion from each other as well. As in, "Hey John, I'd like to hear your rhythm part laid down with that new Tele you made." or "John, track your backing vocals with your SM57." or "John, I think you are oversinging a little on the bridge. Would you do it again more breathy?" I'm all for that, but all artist are not the same.

djmukilteo Sun, 09/25/2011 - 18:59

World Gone Nuts!
Sounds good....my contribution could be keyboard/synth parts as that is all I have or could do...
So if one of you could start a crude beat/demo, post something I can load up and play too (MP3 or wav) I will certainly give it my best shot and you all can decide if it's worthy or suitable.
Toto, Floyd, Yes, Beatles, Zep all good!
Should we start a new thread for this?

audiokid Sun, 09/25/2011 - 20:00

Toto as in, they were known to be studio musicians, sorry I didn't clarify but thanks. Yes all the above. How fun is this, right on.

I think we're all full of ideas stemming from a mass amount of musical decades. I grew up on Pink Floyd, Santana, Clapton, Zeppelin, Steve Miller, Steely Dan, Genesis, Goose Creek Symphony, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Brothers, Chick Korea even Floyd Kramer and so many more but I spent 18 years playing top 40 in clubs. I've programmed thousands of songs and performed them as a Duo as well. So lets say it like this instead. How about we just create what we can, add what comes to our minds and see what happens as a whole. We are what we are and we are all in equal. I'm sure we will be able to look at this as a work in progress and if it sounds right and we have a sound, we will know it and not take it personal if something doesn't gel.. Nothing to loose, only to gain, even if its just an experience. If we really made something, then we have to decide our future. Being equal is the best because we don't know our strengths or values right now.. This is the first step. After a song or two, we'll know.

In the mean time, Lets all come up with grooves and pass them back and forth. I'm not the best singer anymore but great for gravelly low back ground. I'm a sort of Hootie and the BlowFish voice with a mixture of Men At Work so that tells you something. I think John is the youngest so I vote you to take the lead vox.

I hope I have time to really help here. I've a busy life but this is all I'm interested. Lets start a new user group. You two work it all out from here. I'm cool with whatever you both come up with for a name, business concept, parts, etc however, World Gone Nuts or Crazy kind of suits this sudden happening don't ya think?

I'll set up our user group and touch base soon. He's to us!

jammster Sun, 09/25/2011 - 21:24

I believe the World is going nuts for a reason. Stay true to your music!

Hey y'all,

Ignore the mainstream media, turn off the television, the radio, the cell phone and stop your texting. Start talking face to face with your friends and turn on your mind. Don't be discouraged by propaganda, start listening to alternative thinking outside the compartmenalized box that was made for you to think in and start reading books that actually teach something worth knowing about in detail rather than learning through sound bites and shock and awe of visual entertainment. The amount of pollution being generated globally these days is astonishing. New disasters occur every day, more and more war is promoted successfully worldwide, stories of corruption all over every single facet of all human relationships and government, now that should keep you concerned. Also, the fact that the average working American is too busy working, or trying to find work and pay the bankers and have dumbed down enough to agree to support the war on the torture of innocent people around the world with their so called vote, all while the media controls the amount of information given to the public in the name of greed. All smart and informed people know 9/11/2001 was an inside job, performed for the benefit of a few at the expense of many, the perfect horror to get laws in place to rid more personal freedom from the people. Osama Bin Laden was a false flag, Al Quida is a CIA operation funded by the taxpayer and Barack Hussein Obama is the biggest lie of them all. What's next for America you may ask? The politics in America, and worldwide for that matter has become a toxic wasteland just as hazardous as the oil spill in the gulf of mexico last year and ever increasing radiation spewing off Fukishima, Japan and yet there is still great new music being produced as we speak. The job that awaits new talent has become more challenging than ever, having to be good at almost all facets of production and promotion in order to get even get noticed and as if being musically talented is not enough now you have to look ***y enough to please the viewers as well. It would seem that new songs are practically worthless in a world of disorder. To those of us who have written songs that mean something to us we know this to be false. Its up to us to see that our favorite new music gets the support and attention it deserves. As for our economic system it is seaming like it is headed for an impending collapse, now its up to you to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Do your best in informing others to prepare for earth changes and economic depression. Its no joke, we could be headed for a very nasty few years, especially if our so called leaders fail to do their jobs and leave the public in the dark about the truth of what is really going on, which is exactly what seems to be happening. Alright, so before you try and and label me as a "conspiracy theorist" try thinking how easy it would be for the ruling class to suppress information available to the public in order to shape the agenda to their control and make a load of money to boot. The signs are all here and there are really big lies all over the place pointing to a very large global conspiracy. And to top it all off its really hard to trust anyone you don't know anymore. As far as mainstream music trends go, leave it to the money whores to produce mind control for the Illuminati and sell their souls to the devil, while the real musician will work hard and stay grounded to the concerns of good honest music.

Ignore the mainstream, its become the new sewer.

Real Art rarely makes money, it makes an impact!

The more people that are moved by your work the more you know you have made a difference.

djmukilteo Mon, 09/26/2011 - 11:13

JohnTodd, post: 376610 wrote: Sounds great. Business wise, let's split the money equally among all participating parties.

Now let's designate our personel. I'd be delighted to sing if there are no objections. I can also do rhythm and/or lead guitars.

Who wants the other positions?

I have no objections to anything
Put me down for some keyboard part(s)....possible background vocal....but that might be pushing it..LOL
Have you thought about using one of those free BigFiles type sites to pass wav files back and forth.
I really don't know where to start with this.
I suppose once we have the Group thing setup we can start there.
There may be other people who will want to follow or join in and take part.
Another idea I had was to allow reviews or voting/poll somehow in the Group thread.
It might be an interesting thing to get other peoples opinions involved and add to the collaboration.

BTW JT
listened to Savoy Truffle and loved that....I would definitely vote you do the mixing...not only did it have a great tempo but it also sounded fantastic.

x

User login