Interview: Grace Before Meals post-rocking Shanghai
Around Shanghai: No more airplane temperature checks, but we're getting a Wall St. Bull and Linkin Park!
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Fatal bus crash on Shanghai's Yangpu bridge: 3 deaths, 14 hurt
Last night's gig was much welcomed after a long drought in Shanghai's experimental/ indie electronic music scene (think DJ Krush back in December 2006), judging by the large turnout ready to party on a week night. Daedelus, outlandishly dandy as ever with massive sideburns (that would do well to give Gaz Coombes a run for his money), certainly did not disappoint.
He started off his set with pop-infused electronica then improvised onward to harder sounding, experimental abstract beats. For those who were lucky enough to squeeze to the front, it was definitely fun watching him work the Monomes. Thumbs up to new party organizers on the block, FREE the WAX who brought Daedelus in. Mark your calenders, their second event takes place Oct. 9 at The Shelter featuring Aussie instrumental hip hop duo, Hermitude.
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This is like the Orwellian language bending of the music world.
He played a set at a gig, during which he improvised.
Are we sure we're not talking about a DJ playing pre-recorded music in a bar?
Or maybe we've hit on something. Maybe we should get rock bands to just play their CD's over the PA at a show - and still sell tickets and refer to it as their 'gig' ... or seeing them 'live'.
See the point here? Of course there's some skills to being a DJ and the events are enjoyable - but it's clearly not the same thing, so get some of your own language.
Is there a verb for using the Monome? Perhaps, there's some language from the Guitar Hero playing community that might be applicable?
He didn't DJ though, it was a live performance- OK he was triggering samples, but I don't see any guitar bands making up new chords on stage either.
andy, andy, andy. if your memory fails you, I think we have had this discussion before.
http://shanghaiist.com/2008/04/28/the_analog_girl.php#comments
sure you have your right to your own opinion and good that you're passionate about live music/ bands. so quit being so anal about this.
since you're the expert here, I'll check with you next time before I write anything remotely music related. that'll probably work out for the best.
Hey wee ling soh
No need to do the name repeating or the reprimands. And having an opinion doesn't make me an 'expert'.
I'm not trolling here or saying stuff like "blah blah is a m*****f*****" or whatever.
Reading your comment basically sounds like you're discouraging comments on your posts or opinions that differ from yours.
If you don't agree, why not explain why you think it is 'live'. James had a go. And if you think it's silly or not really worth dicsussion, then don't reply.
Also, I'm not down on your music tastes at all. I had a few listens to Daedalus and quite liked some of it. Especially Fairtweather Friends, which reminds me of the old school soundtracks and sounds from my Atari ST or Commodore Amiga consoles. But that's not the point i'm making.
@ James - good point , but are you equating pushing buttons to set of a sample (hence my guitar hero analogy) with playing a song on the guitar and the atmoshpere at a live show?
**** **** ** * ****** fucker!
@ andy,
There's really no dispute -- Daedelus is not a DJ act. He uses instruments that aren't guitars, but I don't really think there's any philosophical difference. Granted, he did use some samples, but the music is his own composition, and very different from a DJ, both in method and audience experience.
@ wee ling,
dear where have you been? there's been "experimental/ indie electronic music" -- both live and DJ -- going on every week in Shanghai!
andy - it's worth a discussion and it's always interesting to hear differing opinions except that it is hard to continue a constructive discussion when you are disagreeing in a snarky tone.
like I said before, I'm not as familiar with the intricacies of music-making - rock band or electronic music - as you are. in this regard, you (and a lot more people) are the expert more so than I. I attend live gigs (both types) and enjoy them on a layman's standard based on a mix of two aspects, audience experience and performer skill/ technique - as long as it's not press-button music and as long as I can't replicate the experience at home with a CD, I'm good.
michael - oh dear, where have I been? had been trying to look for IDM/ experimental events for a while. give me a heads up sometime !
Hi all
WLS - I agree that my comment was obviously phrased in a provocative manner - but not as a personal attack on you and not with insults or trolling. And hey - here we have comments.
Michael Michael - I accept your point and would also join you in pointing out that, for fans of non-commercial electronica, Antidote and STD, among others, hold lots of events are are going strong right now.
I think Daedelus would probably be better on CD, he's quite painful to look at.
Monomes seem like the bastard child of synthesizers and laptops, the antithesis of good music.
Looking at the photos, you can't see a single person smiling or dancing. What a dour crowd. The Shelter hosts good artists, but the people who go there are a depressingly pretentious lot...
@stephan. yea it was a shame so many people were at the front crowding over him,but there was definitely a group of us at the back dancing and laughing.
Regarding the language use debate, I would generally agree with Mr Best. Words such as improvisation have a specific meaning in performance. although 'playing a live set' is completely what daedalus did, and you could say it was his gig.
people shouldn't underestimate how different this guy is. using his own special software and hardware interface allows him a lot faster access to different samples than traditional vinyl.
it sure looked like crappy party.