I'm working on a project right now that are trying to define the aesthetics of the way he samples extramusical sounds... Maybe I can give you an answer in a month!
I do however feel that, besides his landscapes and use of very semantic stuff like rain and lighter sounds, some of the emotional part of his tracks come from the fact that his music is never quantized. That gives it some patina and nostalgia reminding of us the early rave records, that looped old breakbeats (which also wasn't quantized). That may be part of the answer.
This is why you need government support of music in the states! They made an extreme impact on classical music's own selfimage - but that world was (and is) quite small. The thing is, before FLUXUS classical and avantgarde became extremely snobbish (Schöenberg would only play for other composers who were interested in composing in the same way) and very aware that what they did was sort of sacred and other lovely bullshit.
What FLUXUS did was to invert everything that classical music had come to admire (i.e. extremely thought-trough and virtuos composition and performance). The FLUXUS performances aren't that interesting to see this day, mainly because they're often quite silly (Like open a window in the room - let a butterfly free... when the butterfly leaves the room, the performance is done - that's actually a very Cage inspired score, because the thought is that you will be able to imagine the sound of the wings when that's all there is in the room...) BUT what classical music was able to do AFTER FLUXUS is very very VERY important! The fact that you didn't have to compose in a virtuoistic style removed all the restrictions that composers gradually had put upon themselves.
And back to the government support - there weren't that many people who did "get" FLUXUS at the time, but it was important - that's the way a lot of art works these days, so you should have some experts that can guide government money towards important movements that might not pay off a lot in capitalistic values but will raise the country's cultural stash a lot! (that's what we do over here in silly communist Denmark - that's also why my English is far from perfect!)
Peace out! Yoko isn't just anyone!
Does people know about the FLUXUS movement that she was a part of? They changed avantgarde classical music to be about everything that you present as music... they did it by doing intentionally bad and non-musical shows (like cutting lettuce and giving it to people... calling that a show). Yoko was a part of this, and it's one of the most important movements of the last century, but she comes from a highbrow musical society. She's avantgarde. She's not supposed to make music that 99 % like - she aims for the rest.
With that in mind I think this sounds almost like a pop song!
You go Yoko!
It's funny that his analysis of Daft Punk is the old way of understanding popmusic, and his analysis of Drake is the new way - from a musicology-student's point-of-view.
I've been thinking about what other performances that was at their level for the last five minutes (M.I.A. and Sufjan Stevens come to mind), but I don't think I have ever seen someone hypnotize me that much with them just being them.
...I have also come to the conclusion that it helps to be over 30 to make good indie pop these days.
yeezus!! I love Kanye!
...one thing I don't get - why do you blur out racial slurs in american press? it's not like people doesn't know the words or Stereogum is racist when they're reporting a story. I just don't get the point of it.
"While I don’t think Death Grips deserved a “Year-In” piece, they are the most interesting thing to happen to music in a long while. And “Government Plates” is one of the best albums released all year" Please explain this.
If you're in for more free Sadie Dupuis, let me recommend her project from last year, called Dark Warble feat. some dude and two danish dudes.
There EP "Moon is Trouble" cost whatever you want it to cost right here http://darkwarble.bandcamp.com/
If you haven't heard it before - it really helps to have a first listen where you think it will be utter shit!
Then it's a nice surprise (sounds a bit like Foxygen if they spaced the fuck out - which I really would have liked if Foxygen did!)
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