Synthesizers, drum machines, and
other audio electronics such as midi controllers and, more recently, DAWs and
the plug-ins that come with them being used as software instruments have taken
what a musician can do to a whole other level. The problem I see with such
devices (and do not get me wrong I am in love with all of the above mentioned electronics)
is that they take away from the live performance experience.
I have been
to multiple electronic music performances that after child-like anticipation, I
find myself walking away from the experience with the feeling of regret. The
human interaction element has been taken away with electronic instruments,
especially using plug-ins or DAWs such as Reason as a live performance tool.
One show I recently attended had an individual by the name of John Kannenberg on the bill; while
his performance was amazing, the visual of him sitting behind a laptop clicking
a mouse was less than entertaining.
One
of my favorite bands, Cold Cave, was just in town last month, and while the
music was phenomenal, they were just pressing play to trigger the original
instrumentals and sparsely soloing over a few parts. Most fans would disagree
with me, saying that you want to hear the songs just like they were on the
record, but the fact of the matter is that the recording process is complicated
and reproducing that in a live setting is almost impossible. I instead want to
hear the human element when I go to a live show; I want the mistakes, I want
the rawness, and I want the interaction. If I want to listen to the album, I’ll
put the CD on in my car as I drive home.
Electronic
instruments have created a world where performance cannot always be replicated
in a live setting and when someone is behind a synthesizer there is minimal
human interaction. It’s hard to entertain when you are spending your time
behind an electronic device twisting knobs; I know this all too well.
Last year I agreed to
perform at a school show and for my last song I used my microKorg and a loop
pedal. I was so nervous making sure all my loops were in time that I never paid
any attention to the crowd. By the time I was done and turned the pedal off, there
was silence, no one knew what was going on or how to react; I neglected the
crowd and it seemed they were doing the same to me.
We have been so
focused on how these electronics can benefit us that we neglect to see how they
can benefit our audience. So peek your head over the synthesizer or laptop,
possibly play a stripped down version of the song with ten synthesizer patches,
and interact with the people who show you support.
Below are links to Cold Cave's "God Made The World" both from the live performance I recently attended and the original album.
God Made The World Live
God Made The World Original
...My mistake in "Player Piano" was my failure as a futurist. I did not foresee transistors, and so imagined that super computers would have to be huge, with bulky vacuum tubes taking up a lot of space. -Kurt Vonnegut in "Letters"
Tried to post this earlier on my phone but it wouldn't work for me..
ReplyDeleteI've never performed in an electronic group, but I'm sure it is very hard to break past that barrier of disconnect when you rely so heavily on the constant tweaking of knobs and strategically placed sonic elements. There are groups out there that do the music justice but can't bring that live element that you're speaking of. I've got a friend that does this experimental electronic music and does it well. I think the key to the success of his live performances is that he doesn't rely as heavily on preprogrammed tracks and he also includes live instrumentation such as guitar and light percussion. He performs solo using loop stations and moves around from piano to guitar to percussion instruments. I think it's this blend of electronic instrument and live performance of guitar and various other instruments that make his live performance an incredibly enjoyable one and sets him aside from other artists that, as you said, pretty much regurgitate their album. He is one of the few people out there where his recorded tracks didn't do as much justice to the material as his live performance of it. Artists in this genre need to make sure they don't box themselves into strictly using these, albeit convenient, electronic sources and get back to the performance aspect of playing live music to make it a more enjoyable experience for concert goers.
Thank you, Ryan, for your insight. I wholeheartedly agree with you that there are electronic performers who do their genre justice. Two examples of these performers in my mind would be Zola Jesus and Xiu Xiu. Zola Jesus is particularly interesting because of how powerful her voice is, as well as the fact that she has a wonderful stage presence. When she is on stage, you are in awe; her performance demands, it steals your attention.
DeleteThe other example, Xiu Xiu, does something similar to your friend. He has a box full of odd percussion that he bangs away at at random times. He also incorporates unorthodox instruments such as the Nintendo DS. He also plays avant-garde music and that in it self is an experience.
So while I gave small insight into a common problem with electronic performance, I without a doubt agree that there are bands who not only do it well, but do it better live. The live experience of electronic music can be exhilarating when done uniquely and done with care.
Thank you again Ryan.