It's been a pretty difficult ride, full of nightmares & personal demons but with the added bonus of being able to select my own font. The delights of the internet...
I'm going to stay relatively neutral for now & release some spiel on the world of music! Although no doubt contention will arise within the seething millions that are you, the readers.
In the modern jungle of websites & domains where people can publish music online its probably safe to say that there has never before been so much music available to the average person with internet access.
Although this might initially seem a fantastic benefit to composers, singers, artists & such folk it drags with it its own problems of anonymity within cyberspace. With so much music being published online by both professionals & amateurs it is now the case that the seemingly helpful promotional blessing of having your music so exposed is really something of a catch-22. Artists who could be the potential musical magnates of the future now find themselves caught up behind the endless queues of those who are, shall we say, not ideal for the future of music. So has the democratisation of musical promotion into the online DIY system has caused a massive depreciation in the value of music? Do websites such as Sound-Cloud & Myspace help or hinder the musically creative populous?
That aside, there are notable, & in my opinion very cleverly packaged & talented, exceptions to this trend. The group, CLEAN BANDIT, who I have recently discovered, have demonstrated themselves to be a highly able, competent & attractive band, basing their aesthetic largely around an online idiom. Seemingly well versed in the technological, theoretical, & presentational facets of music, this 6 piece (I think) group are 'originally built around a string quartet and they mix classical, hip-hop and electronica in a way that isn't overly self-conscious' according to the Guardian. With a seductively concise musical aesthetic, the band allows separate musical ideas to jump in and out again without getting old or dull, whilst simultaneously giving the listener enough to find catchy, and wanting more. Given the structure of the ensemble, a creative blend of electronic & acoustic timbres, it is comforting that the group hasn't produced something self indulgent or gimmicky. Instead they have found a playfully accessible & integral sound, whilst also being very funny, something difficult to achieve in modern music. It is hard to fault the videos, both the audio & visual elements complimenting each other very well to create a very pleasing end product.
So, have a listen & a watch & enjoy!
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