My own 2 cents:

I think you see the same thing in all types of music. A style is developed at some time, and it's innovative at the time, and it sounds great. After the style is pioneered, it remains popular with people who love it, and they start making tracks in that style, using the same ideas. And since it's been done before they have templates to work from and they can elaborate on and 'perfect' the ideas that were already there, to the point where they're doing them 'better' and more sophisticated than the originals.

But, it just doesn't move you like the stuff done when it was breaking new ground. So you'll hear some melodic techno nowadays that sounds great, and it's all done perfect, you can't fix a note or a timbre or anything. You hear it and you think "this couldn't be done any better", "this is a perfect example of that kind of (for example) melodic techno" - but it kind of bores you.

For me, this applies to all types of music, not just some kinds of techno. In my experience, if the track wasn't breaking a little new ground at the time it was made, it just doesn't have the same amount of life in it, and I think over the long run it will do even less for you, whereas the stuff that was breaking ground at the time sounds good forever.

Jamil



Matt Chester (313) wrote:


Also, any one want to cite some examples of this recent wave of boring
polished melodic techno that people are saying is not gritty enough? Are you all still talking about Vince Watson or just general trends in production?


Can't speak for the others, but I'm talking about a general trend rather than any specific artists. If you compare current releases with those of say 10 years ago, they have in general become far smoother, cleaner and, in a way, colder. I rarely hear new material with the depth and warmth of B12, Stasis, GPR etc, or the raw grit of older UR and Planet E tracks.

I think this comes down to the increasing use of software that allows a 'perfect' sound to be created, and also a stylistic trend (mirroring the development of other sounds such as minimal house and techno where this clean feel has been an integral part of the style).

It's a very subjective thing, a lot of people seem to feel that striving for the so-called perfect production is an essential development, but personally I'm far more into a sound that gives more rawness, warmth and depth than one which is ultra crisp and clean.


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