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Dragon

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Millions of people all over the world are passionate about music. Throughout history, people have looked to music as one of the deepest expressions of the soul, a way of communicating thoughts and feelings that would otherwise be lost in words.

 

And while this emotive impulse is one reason to start making music, we should know by 2012 that there are many others. Now that YouTube has officially replaced the MTV generation in terms of sheer cultural explosiveness, we are witnessing many more of these new reasons.

 

These days, people want to be famous. And they don't care how it's done.

 

We have an entire culture of people who are rewarded for being weird, hilarious, crazy, fucking awesome, or to use the dictionary word, egregious. People want to be different, they want to step out. They want to be known for something, anything that will get them attention.

 

This has become such a powerful motive, that for most of today's popular musicians, it has simply replaced the original meaning of music. Forget

, forget aesthetics, forget
. People are becoming incredibly successful for their work, but it has nothing to do with musical talent.

 

It's not simply a case of failing to be a good composer. Indeed, artists such as Skrillex and deadmau5 have achieved exactly what they wanted to do with their music. They're not interested in technical skill, or attention to detail, or any of the priorities of professional music. Their focus is popularity, and figuring out exactly what their fanbase wants.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSeNSzJ2-Jw

 

And as it turns out, they want bass drops. They want robot diarrhea. They want manic, sugary melodies that make you feel warm inside for five seconds. You don't see people on YouTube looking for deep, emotional soundscapes to appreciate and empathize with. Because that's totally gay, you know? This is a culture that rewards stupidity, outlandishness, and being totally whacked out on crazy sounds.

 

In fact, the very idea that someone would take this music seriously is hilarious in itself. And that's part of the novelty. They know you're not supposed to treat Dubstep like a Beethoven symphony, and for many people it's refreshing to be able to enjoy music without having to put too much effort into it.

 

The point is, the appeal of this music is social rather than musical. It's all about popularity, in every sense of the word. This may seem frustrating to many, especially if you focus on musical talent as a virtue, but this is simply where our culture leads when you have all the ingredients.

 

For what it's worth, Skrillex (and most dubstep artists, to some extent) is very successful at what he does, and he has the hit counter to back it up. He gives fans the entertainment they need, and they in return give him all the attention and praise a celebrity could want. It may not be emotive, but it's music that can be shared and enjoyed as freely as any internet meme. Whether that makes it "real music" is entirely up to you...

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Well said and I would add that the trick to this cultural problem we face is not minding it hurts. Celebrate, discuss, and focus on the good stuff... For attention is their food source, good or bad that they seek to consume. Their celebration revolves around submission to normality and those that don't fall in line must only be that way because they are angry. We must love only.

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I think there are plenty of people who listen to Skrillex and get legitimate emotion out of it, who take it seriously and love it. People probably get the same emotional response from Skrillex that you get from Autechre. Some people just like it for parties and social purposes, but those people often either just aren't musical, or they have other music which they take more seriously. I have a friend who loves VHS Head and Flying Lotus and all sorts of other "deep" music, but when Skrillex is on at a party he'll dance. It's fun. But it's still music, it can still be taken seriously, and it's not objectively bad.

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I think there is a distinguishable difference between Art and Entertainment. I used to think the whole thing was subjective, but I think from a broader vantage point there is a difference between music that offers individual emotional depth/uniqueness and music that is a structural and emotional extension of corporate advertising... a repackaging of a proven marketable exp<b></b>ression. I am not suggesting that this exp<b></b>ression is soulless, it definitely resonates with people. But it is through a deeper exp<b></b>ression and exploration of oneself where we see most of the innovation, at least since the 1980s I'd say. And I find that to be of more significance than music that is fun to dance to. Though I don't suggest vocally hating on other peoples music at all. That is foolish. I am simply suggesting that we continue to promote our ideals, not because we are ego maniacs, but because it is spreading knowledge. And anyone who is too closed minded to listen to your suggestion because it is abstract, should be questioned because that seems unfriendly and illogical. I feel I try to be open minded, and at the least I am constantly somewhat aware of popular music due to the abundance of advertising that markets it. Something music of WATMM doesn't really have.

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I guess you could describe the attitude as akin to missionaries of music. We find things that aren't commonly found, kind of like artifacts, and we find these things to be important. We worship them. All I am suggesting is you promote those things, listen to everything, but I think back to when someone suggested Aphex Twin and had that not occurred, idk, I would hope that someone would mentioned it eventually. Point is people have not found everything about who they are, if one can ever, so extending yourself in its most honest form is an act of appreciation. We are all unique at some level and it just takes the right chaos to spark that into consciousness.

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Guest dunharvestskreech

Posted

I think Skrillex is fucking awesome. He conquers all dubstep artists in my opinion. I mean really. Listen to the musicality in his songs. Not only are they just catchy, they have MAD groove. I always pay attention to the musicality in what i listen to and i'm super picky about who i listen to. Skrillex caught me off-guard. A LOT of his stuff is sick as fuck.

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I think those who don't like it say its a popularity thing (which makes sense cause that is the reason you now about it), while those who actually like it say its just fucking good.

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