ChoccyPhilly: How to enjoy any genre

ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	But of course, let me know what you think in the comments below! And don't forget to SMASH like and HIT that subscribe button, peace y'all.
MillionDead 02.22.21	Step 1: LISTEN "For instance, electronic music is rarely enjoyed in an album format and truly excels through a DJ." I disagree. I feel like these are equals at worst.
Ryus 02.22.21	i agree that electronic is better in non-album formats. dj mixes, singles, EPs reign supreme
ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	yeah there are definitely some good electronic albums but I think there are more great electronic mixes than there are great electronic albums. And I'm more referring to beat heavy electronic genres like house, techno, d&b etc. compared to the sputcore stuff, cos too few users delve into those genres Once you get a good ear for hearing mixing blends, a well transitioned track is orgasmic
Ryus 02.22.21	in terms of dance music at least (house, techno, ghettotech, footwork, etc) edit: choccy beat me to it
GhandhiLion 02.22.21	Very based list
Ryus 02.22.21	"Once you get a good ear for hearing mixing blends, a well transitioned track is orgasmic" fr. dj mixes are the fucking best
MillionDead 02.22.21	Well, yeah. But a lot of that is vibe music. I could say the same about a lot of popular hip hop of today. But I consider industrial electronic music of a sort too. And then you have your early dubstep and idm and trip hop and d&b shit that just sings in the context of records.
ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	I completely agree but I had to generalise somewhere. Most of sput don't really get the differences between most electronic music genres, so I just used the umbrella term to make my point, especially when many will associate electronic music as club music.
MillionDead 02.22.21	That's fair enough!
Demon of the Fall 02.22.21	I think you should maybe have clarified the electronic music thing (in the first post) by saying dance/club orientated music instead. Now I’ve read the comments it’s definitely clearer, so no biggy. I think you’re definitely right in saying that music listeners look for elements we're familiar with and then attempt to transfer this to unfamiliar genres. It can take a little while to adjust. Personally this has improved with age, but part of it is somewhat embedded into your subconscious. I guess perseverance and patience is often the solution. The more you hear the better placed you are, simple.
Avagantamos 02.22.21	I think IDM and minimal techno excel in an album format. and anyone that says that you can't dance to IDM just isn't trying hard enough
MillionDead 02.22.21	Yeah, at this point, music is music is music. I may have my preferences like anyone, but I think all music in any context is capable of being excellent. I tend towards darkness, experimentalism, and abrasiveness either in sound or theme, but I'm open to it all at this point. Hope I stay that way my whole life, honestly.
cordwainerbird 02.22.21	this is a really cool write-up, thanks for this. really nice musings, currently don't have much to add
Demon of the Fall 02.22.21	Ooh that’s interesting Million re darkness, my biggest obstacle has always been and currently remains ‘happy music’ - there are exceptions but I do find much of it instinctively off-putting.
ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	yah good point, I've edited it to clarify. There are definitely some sick IDM albums to dance to that I might prefer in that format than a live mix. Pretty much anything by Jon Hopkins for instance @Demon 'happy' music is a bit of a struggle for me too but I can enjoy loads of pop in that format. So many of my friends think my taste is just depressive though and that it gets them down. I think they see music as something that sets the their exact tone which I never really got. I'm sure we've all got that mate who will listen to a happy song when sad and kinda be ok even though it probably doesn't work for a lot of other people
Ryus 02.22.21	so anyway the moral is we need more dance music fans around here
MillionDead 02.22.21	@Demon: Oh man, I COMPLETELY relate to that tbh. In college I would actively avoid music I thought was overtly happy. A lot of it I just can't relate to, but plenty of it also transcends the happy aspect by virtue of good songwriting. Like "Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield is an 11/10 song in spite of its optimism. Lots of Stevie Wonder's music is happy but manages to strike a chord with me. etc etc
ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	"We need more dance music fans around here" [2] Hard agree
rage11111ro 02.22.21	Now this is what I call content!! Excellent stuff! Not sure how much it applies to me though as I became almost exclusively a metal listener but on the other hand the number of metal subgenres grew a lot for me. And indeed I had to tackle them in a completely different way: drone for instance can never work if one wears the black metal glasses. Also enjoyed the call out for the boy with the blaze.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	i hate everything that has been said about electronic in this thread
Ryus 02.22.21	haha there are plenty of good album-oriented electronic subgenres too :^]
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	electronic of any genre can excel in album format. some producers make electronic specifically for single/ep/mix format, others make electronic specifically with the traditional 'album' format in mind. electronic is so vast and every sub genre has so many different niches. for example, me and ryus listen to a lot of the same styles but i gravitate towards structured albums and eps and judging off his lists he gravitates more towards mixes and niche genre fundamentals. and some people straight up listen to electronic by label rather than artist. there are no generalizations for electronic that make sense.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	"plenty of good album-oriented electronic subgenres too :^]" yeah but the genres you guys declared as non album oriented have just as much album oriented content out there, you just don't come across it as much because your focus is on the mixes, eps, singles etc. which is fine, but i'm just sayin' bein more knowledgeable of one niche area doesn't render another area non-existent or unsubstantial.
CaliggyJack 02.22.21	As a person who literally likes every single genre of music, everything you said is correct except for what you said about Electronic music. For me, it was simply an understanding of what drew people to that specific genre and what the best made of it. I always say there are no bad genre's, only bad artists.
Ryus 02.22.21	" yeah but the genres you guys declared as non album oriented have just as much album oriented content out there, you just don't come across it as much because your focus is on the mixes, eps, singles etc. which is fine, but i'm just sayin' bein more knowledgeable of one niche area doesn't render another area non-existent or unsubstantial." idk, most of the time the producers themselves gravitate towards making EPs/singles/dj mixes so albums are less common in general. but these are very very blanket statements and may/may not be pointless distinctions
Ryus 02.22.21	we're talking about very large subgenres here so ig youre right
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	'"idk, most of the time the producers themselves gravitate towards making EPs/singles/dj mixes so albums are less common in general." the ones you listen to.
GhandhiLion 02.22.21	I literally like every genre of music except country and slipknot.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	i wish in this moment i hadn't deleted lots of my lists because i think if you contrasted your own with mine while paying attention to the genre tags you'd see what i mean.
ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	Yo pots i definitely agree and I mentioned it in the comments. There are good electronic albums, EPs and good mixes and sometimes mixes of the album and EPs, which can bring a different energy to whatever it's mixing I made the point about electronic music because I've found it's quite the obstacle for regular sputters to get into that side of electronic music, so it was largely catered to that audience. Plus so much electronic music is enjoyed through a mixed medium which a lot of people not that familiar just don't get. Like I said, generalisations were inevitable but my point still stands.
ReefaJones 02.22.21	@Lord(e)Po)))ts Have you listened to Orbital? If not check In Sides.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	"I made the point about electronic music because I've found it's quite the obstacle for regular sputters to get into that side of electronic music, so it was largely catered to that audience." the funny thing about this being perceived as a hurdle is that i find within our small margins of sputters that listen to electronic, more people seem to be into that side of things, which does seem oddly counterintuitive
Kompys2000 02.22.21	Something I think about a lot is the differences between genres when it comes to attitudes toward authorship. If you look at the relationship between composer and performer in pop vs folk vs edm vs hip hop there are some really interesting delineations imo. Like I think the fact that rappers barely ever cover each other's songs points to what rap as a genre prioritizes and focuses on Format can also be a concern but idk it kinda feels like there are enough "singles" artists from "album" genres and vice-versa that making any kind of broad statement about it seems unproductive
Egarran 02.22.21	Ulver is a good example. I really want to like their later electronic albums but it never seems to happen. The metalz tho oh boy
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	electronic is likely my favourite umbrella genre, i listen to tonnes of 'dance' music, and i barely listen to any specific label eps and dj mixes and singles are still my least favourite format. if i've been able to almost entirely circumvent all of that while listening to the same genres as you guys do in abundance i think it's pretty clearly a matter of perspective rather than an indicator of some genre specific orientation. it's just different niches. "Like I think the fact that rappers barely ever cover each other's songs points to what rap as a genre prioritizes and focuses on" well tbf it doesn't make much sense for a sample-oriented genre to do a lot of covers. covers are more appealing to bands. and i think hip-hop does it's own genre specific variation of covers by using the same samples in new contexts and by doing lyrical homages and references galore. like using part of someone elses verse and then spinning it off into your own might as well be the hip-hop version of covering another artist.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	if i had to generalize what we are talking about with electronic in some way i'd say the three different key focuses would be genre, artist, and label, and that there are different niches depending on how those three factors are prioritized. producers who prioritize genre and label heavily over artist will obviously focus in very specific mixes and label oriented eps etc. producers who focus on 'artist', ie themselves, will be less heavily associated with specific labels and will release a lot more album/context oriented content, and you probably won't find them making many mixes or performing other peoples music live. and if they do you might feel disappointed and surprised (like when i saw Tipper live and he literally just did a dj set it was a very big WTF moment)
Egarran 02.22.21	Hottest take: Nina Gordon's cover of Straight Outta Compton is better than the og.
ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	"electronic is likely my favourite umbrella genre, i listen to tonnes of 'dance' music, and i barely listen to any specific label eps and dj mixes and singles are still my least favourite format. if i've been able to almost entirely circumvent all of that while listening to the same genres as you guys do in abundance i think it's pretty clearly a matter of perspective rather than an indicator of some genre specific orientation. it's just different niches" Completely agree, it's quite amusing how it's so poorly mapped out in contrast to metal but I think that's just more cos metal heads are so anal about genres (me included) I have noticed this here though. Sometimes I see a list where someone featured a techno rec and I think cool, let's try it and it's like the tamest shit with no bass and weirdly chilled out. Like wtf, where my thick, thumping warehouse beats that sound like dropping cannonballs into a cave? But yh 'electronic' music is just so diverse and so hard to pigeonhole with arbitrary genre names
Ryus 02.22.21	choccy check paula temple's FACT mix
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	a lot of mix oriented electronic is a bit more derivative by nature. it's very utilitarian, so there are stricter guidelines to make it mix with other tracks well and maintain a specific vibe etc.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	it takes a lot more skill to mix janky, progressive, or dynamic music
ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	"a lot of mix oriented electronic is a bit more derivative by nature." That's why a lot of this stuff sucks in album formats. So much of it is painfully formulaic in its 'original mix' form Agreed with the mixing janky music though. A DJ mixing stuff like that is such an experience @ryus will do man. Heard her essential mix and it was class
Colton 02.22.21	just throw gross beat on it
ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	Ew who invited colton to this thread. Go back go the Honey Harper or Jeffrey thread m8 Kidding luv ya matey
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	"That's why a lot of this stuff sucks in album formats. So much of it is painfully formulaic in its 'original mix' form" lol yes, but that's why i prefer 'artist' focused producers, there is a lot more creative freedom and liberty over experimentation and genre bending when you are focused on making your own self contained thing, so albums are much more viable for them
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	omg u hypocrite
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	dude literally 99% of your comments are you pigeon holing artists to genres that you hate for being "rapey" or "repetitive" etc lmao
GhandhiLion 02.22.21	nice!
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	yeah well i listen to modern classical with opera vox while doing my lap curls, polka trap in downward dog, and electronic bowel music during jiu jitsu
Colton 02.22.21	you don't do jiu jitsu
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	"that's the vibe, mood, message of a lotta softcore dancefloor electronic in a more pathetic way also the vibe, mood, message of indie and folky shit like i don't dislike funky swingy 4/4 beats a la house but the vibe/feeling of shit is too gross even for me" this is the exact opposite "disregard(ing) genre altogether"
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	"you don't do jiu jitsu" no shit, and you don't play guitar well, are we done here?
Colton 02.22.21	actually I do
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	"real talk i'm surprised you didn't call me out for having 3/5 noise-related lmao" lol i'm not gonna assume too much, i don't know what any of the artists you listen to are
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	i dunno these all sound like some crazy rationalizations for genre fixations and prejudices still
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	i suppose thats one way to look at it
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	dust them off for me !
DDDeftoneDDD 02.22.21	"Same to all of you who seem to think the guitar is the ONLY instrument that is allowed to be the base of music." I thought the base of music was the base. Enjoyed this tho.
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	"i'd sell them too you for post-gentrification hipster prices if you like" Lmao
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	"got some wacky untitled singles from random no-name local deep house labels no artist - no title just some very variable quality grooves and slowed down funk samples" Ryus, you buyin'?
MillionDead 02.22.21	Damn, this thread took the fuck off.
Ryus 02.22.21	"Ryus, you buyin'?" shoutboxing sach my address as we speak
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	Hahah
LeddSledd 02.22.21	great list Phil been thinking about this myself, transitioning from being a big rock and metal fan to trying to appreciate and get into pop, electronic, and hip hop. it's hard but I'm starting to bend my ear to look for new aspects of music I'm not used to
LeddSledd 02.22.21	Oh hi sach
Lord(e)Po)))ts 02.22.21	Sometimes you just gotta find the right starting place to ease you in instead of diving head first into the classic and niche shit
Colton 02.22.21	Ledd check Velocity: Design: Comfort
MillionDead 02.22.21	At this point I'm down for having no point of reference, even if it's harder to find these days. I love stuff that makes me uncomfortable.
CaliggyJack 02.22.21	"Oh hi sach" WHO!? WHERE!? WHERE'S MY BOI!?
LeddSledd 02.22.21	i'm kinda with MillionDead here i know that it's not often the best choice to go into a classic (or wildly different work) for a genre you're not accustomed to, but i kinda like being thrown to the wolves to try out something completely different. i often come to see what value it has in my own time there isn't a whole lot that'll genuinely make me uncomfortable, just really surprise me. so when it really is unnerving i'm just that much more interested
LeddSledd 02.22.21	@Colton you know what ppl keep telling me to so fuck it im jamming it tonight
Colton 02.22.21	nice. keep in mind the first song is aggressively electronic and then after that it's a blend of a bunch of different elements
ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	Naaah, the man wants to get thrown into the classics first. Check Venetian Snares.
MillionDead 02.22.21	Well I meant uncomfortable in the sense of not being used to it. I've heard so much deranged Power Electronics and noise shit that it's kinda normal now. Lmao the belt whipping samples.
ChoccyPhilly 02.22.21	Holy shit, that Taint rec is something else...
ArsMoriendi 02.22.21	Genres are useful when looking for music similar to other music you like and uhhh idk that's all I got
MillionDead 02.22.21	If the music lightly traumatizes you, it's doing good work.
ArsMoriendi 02.23.21	Dammit where'd sach go, I wanted to tell him about the history of funk :\| it's interesting DAMN YOU MODS
sixdegrees 02.23.21	StalinSeason is pissed
LeddSledd 02.23.21	SowingDivision
Sinternet 02.23.21	SowingHisSeedInMyBoiPussy
CaliggyJack 02.23.21	SowingHisSeedInMyBussy
pizzamachine 02.23.21	StayingTheFuckAwayFromThisGayShit
cordwainerbird 02.23.21	i think, okay, for me the issue is with aesthetics a lot of the music i love has very specific visual associations for me. it's difficult to branch out of my genres because a lot of what i visually associate with the music i like is calming but also exclusive. new wave has very specific aesthetics that I vibe with much more than rock, for example - which makes getting into rock classics quite a bit harder (and SUCKS bc that leaves a LOT of cool music out for me) i can find pathways between aesthetics sort of like your points here but it's harder than with sound, i feel. sound is very nebulous - visuals are very definite
Ryus 02.23.21	i kinda get that. visuals/aesthetic can add quite a bit to a listening experience and i often listen to albums because their cover art is alluring and aesthetically pleasing to me for whatever reason
cordwainerbird 02.23.21	yea fr! it's really hard to overstate how much cover art lends to a musical listening experience imo. even tho for a lot of ppl i think its effect is more subconscious it's why i really love video game osts as well - the game's world/vision contextualizes the sound. and vice versa
ChoccyPhilly 02.23.21	I always find the album art dictates the 'colour' of the album. Whatever I imagine from the music will be in the colour of the album art. Definitely has more impact than that but I haven't been able to articulate it. Less keen on OSTs and video game music though. I find it makes my mind way too rigid in interpreting the music, as it's apparent through the game or film. Prefer music being a bit more open ended personally
cordwainerbird 02.23.21	totally valid and thats a rly cool perspective
LeddSledd 02.24.21	"the music will be in the color of the album art" bro Phil i cannot agree more. whenever i imagine a visual representation of the music as it's playing, whether it's some sort of gradually molded soundscape or imagery or just the band playing the music, i always find the image influenced by the general color or atmosphere of the cover art. like you said it feels like more that just that but that's the easiest way to describe it. i'm a very visual guy in that regard
Colton 02.24.21	Maybe that’s why I don’t like A Moon Shaped Pool that much
LeddSledd 02.24.21	or in the case of cordwainerbird's problem, i find myself pushed away from a lot of rock, metal, and -core with super shiny and sterile - or genericly dark or fantastical - cover art because in my mind the music will also be like that if the cover is
Colton 02.24.21	every album cover should be colourful and gorgeous not even being ironic
MillionDead 02.24.21	I think the album art should compliment the sound in some fashion, whether that be playing to it or subverting it in someway. Or just by looking cool. Idk, I see lots of black and white punk and metal covers, but I never get tired of them for whatever reason. @Colt: If they were all just really vibrant and colorful, it wouldn't stand out anymore. I feel like it has to be more calculated than that. Some of my favorite album covers are just photographs.
Ryus 02.24.21	there are some genres best left unenjoyed (▰˘︹˘▰)
MillionDead 02.24.21	WRONG. If you don't fuck with Witch House, I don't fuck with YOU
Ryus 02.24.21	i do fw witch house
MillionDead 02.24.21	Lmao I was kidding but that's cool that you actually like it.
EphemeralEternity 02.24.21	I have ADHD and I can hardly watch a movie without getting bored, plus nothing in my childhood really positioned me to appreciate music besides some guitar teacher that showed me tool and opeth... so it’s a bit of a wonder I genuinely enjoy 2 hour dark ambient pieces and stuff I think it has to do with how the music sets the backdrop for me to daydream over - meanwhile visual media doesn’t allow that?
cordwainerbird 02.24.21	i rly love how intimate and honest ppl are being ITT sorry im a sappy fuck, thanks for sharing this shit guys