In order to work that way, those artists had to be as good at running
a drum machine, synths, effects and a mixing board. They had to have
a definite idea of the sound they wanted. They had to know how to
play, and to embrace and roll with happy accidents.
there are a lot of skills one has to have to make good laptop-based
music as well. people on lists like this forget or never heard all
the musical travesties made with the same gear.
with the glow of hindsight, 80s gear and its results have been
romanticized out of proportion. there were loads of analog synths,
drum machines, tube amps, and recorders that were just awful. true,
there was some excellent gear made, but mostly it was gear that was
made famous by someone who took what they had and went with it.
their creativity, and subsequent success, is what people really want
- the gear is just an over-f3tishized substitution. having said that
i do share some of the same attitude but won't be blinded by it.
d.
(still chopping up his long reply to find out what art is making the
list reject it)
