The Acoustica album was interesting and worthwile for a number of reasons, but the most interesting reason was that it directly connected the virtuosity of human musicians to the machine's ability to play music well beyond the physical constraints of human performance. The arrangers took music whose character was composed with no regard for actual performance, and the musicians found ways to beat the machine at its own game. There was a John Henry VS the Steam Engine vibe to it.
Of course, virtuosity for its own sake is every bit as empty as having a computer spew 128th note arpeggios. The pieces on Acoustica work for me, work because Richard James composed something worth listening to, which was enhanced by the excitement of a live performance of great musicality. There are some, like Titonton Duvante, who seek to find their own fusions of western classical music and dance music, but most dance music is made quickly with utilitarian goals, and it's brilliance as listening music is incidental. UR's live techno bands like Los Hermanos and Timeline are genuine expressions of the UR aesthetic because Mad Mike and Buzz Goree and others can actually play, and the original recordings have live playing integrated with the mechanical beats. On 9/24/06, Dennis DeSantis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: the issue at all, which is fine of course.
I will say though, that the recent spate of acoustic AFX covers has generated a lot of interest in BOTH communities. After the Alarm Will Sound/AFX record last year, the group was approached by a bunch of other electronic artists, some fairly well-known, asking about the possibility of future collaborations. (Disclaimer: I'm a member of Alarm Will Sound.)
