That’s the first name that comes to mind for me when I think of interesting modular performers (being a good parochial Melbournite, we have adopted him!). But I’d have to really think about why I like his performances and whether it’s anything to do with musicality. I don’t think so but could be wrong. Is ‘craft’ the same thing as ‘musicianship’?
Can be zero, can be a lot… electronic music is so broad…
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Usually when I have a controversial opinion about gear I just type it into google and read people talking about it a decade ago on gearslutz
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People don’t tend to wait five years before they start playing guitar on stage. either though!
And neither should they tbh, technical brilliance and adhering to rules can be very dull.
I think it’s also important to realise that as well as there being a lot of people trying to make music, and not all of them can make brilliant music… we probably all have somewhat limited taste as well, no matter how much weird shit we listen to. So actually someone might be expressing exactly what they want to express and maybe we just don’t dig it.
Is it an artists responsibility to ensure everyone can understand what they’re saying? (big question tbh, but possibly not!)
Of course maybe people DO lack the technical skill to get across what they want to get across… but unless they are playing cover versions and noticeably playing all the wrong notes how can you tell? Hmm. In fact, isn’t what I just described “Jazz” basically.
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wait you PRE-PATCH your opinions?
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Totally agree 
I know a music teacher here, who is getting all the first-years on stage … it always has been a great day for the community … the performing kids, the parents and familiy, and the teacher. Have I to mention that I enjoyed it every time? Yes, I did.
Everybody on stage had a piece of music, which did fit to the performers abilities, was well prepared, and well performed. Even a technically simple performance can be great, if done with the right vibe and spirit, even if it’s shadowed by some natural stage-fright. IMO it was always a great experience for everybody.
The other extrem … including myself being very young … going on stage to impress - this one girl - and not being prepared well …
IMO making “good” music is closly connected to “doing something right”, even “breaking the rules” should be “done right”.
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I think this is a very interesting topic.
In the open mic nights I attend, I mostly wish people would either practice a bit more before showing up, or pick a song that we haven’t all heard a thousand times (Think top 40). It’s so dull when two performers accidentally pick the same song to play. There is soo much music to cover and more better suited to cover if one was to look.
But in order to criticize the performer, we should first understand why they are performing. I don’t think every performer is out there on the stage trying to make an artistic statement or trying to ‘wow’ us. Maybe they just want to challenge themselves or do something fun. That is completely reasonable.
Maybe the people you see perform, they just perform to feel part of group. Show their interest and their rigs, something more like a car show. With electronic music, there are many who are interested in the gear more than the music itself and I totally get that. I don’t think it is ‘right’ to say what one should perform. I feel as long as a ‘piece’ does not overstay its welcome (last more than five minutes) then people should play whatever.
I’m assuming the show is an open mic type thing obviously.
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Mylar Melodies touched on this in his YT video “The Journey into Live Modular Synths” (https://youtu.be/c_WiOiWhPDQ?t=936), the importance of having a rhythmic core if you want peeps to dance. Once these machines are taken out of a club environment, they then enter the avant-garde realm. Maybe moving from physical to intellectual appreciation is the issue? Boring vs indulgent? Hypnotic vs mind-expanding?
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People can say “music is music”, and they are right. It’s all art, there is no right or wrong way to do it. I agree with all that. However, the term musicianship has a more specific meaning to me. I view that concept as having two parts:
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Possessing the skill and command of an instrument to produce the sounds you purposefully intend to make. In other words, your brain comes up with an idea and you are then capable of producing that idea on the instrument.
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Being able to interact with other musicians while playing and adjust your contribution to the musical “conversation”. This is all about listening and trying to understand someone else’s brain-to-instrument connection.
Both of these things are difficult on any instrument, but the nature of modular synths makes it even more so. And I would say that some of what you hear modular users doing is less “intentional” than it is “exploratory”. It’s still music. But when I attend a performance I want to experience something intentional. I appreciate it far less if the performer is every bit as surprised at all the sounds being made as I am.
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I’d argue that musicianship can be more than that. Autechre was already brought up in this thread - a process based approach to music making is also valid musicianship. Generative music, rule based music, etc are different approaches towards making music but they can provide valid outcomes too when judged against what is generally understood to be “music” (which in itself needs to be understood better - is the twelve tone series and concepts of scales/chords, melodies etc the only way to define something musical? What about microtonality etc?).
Which brings us back to the whole understanding of music in the first place. Free jazz for example can be difficult to be understand and those who really appreciate such music need some time and understanding of the genre to start appreciating it. I’m not saying all bleeps and bloops are good, or need time and understanding to appreciate, but with the affordances a modular platform offers, experimenting with different compositional structures and sonic elements become easier and often the process becomes more important than the outcome.
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funny thing is, these days I thoroughly enjoy pretty abstract jazz despite my lack of comprehension of what is going on under the hood (I understand coltranes ‘giant steps’ but a bit after that my theory craps out).
But bleeps ‘n’ bloops I’m way more critical of, because I listen to electronic music with a deconstructive approach, always pondering 'how did they do that, and how might I replicate the same sound with my limited ressources? or ‘mate, is a filter sweep over a one note drone really all you got?’
Perhaps creator’s (even flimsy ones like me) are by default way more picky and focused on the level of craft on display, and this tints discussion on a board like this.
Went with a classicaly trained professional bassoonist to an electronica event. She was floored by an example of a inept ambient krell-patch on a modular and a girl with an ableton push who toyed with delay and reverb like anyone discovering it for the first time would. The stuff I was excited about on the other hand did nothing for her. shrug
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This puts into words the way my brain works.
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I’m not one to hold back, honesty is the best policy.
I’ve never been compelled by any music I’ve heard made solely using modular gear. None of it ever had the depth or variety I need to enjoy it.
Not disputing good music can be made, I’m just yet to hear it.
Also the incessant need for companies to jump on the modular bandwagon with watered down overpriced hash ups of modular systems to appease an emerging trend is downright annoying.
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just don’t go there, really simple, where is the problem?
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not even really that into techno, but this guy is… I mean, it’s just bleeps and bloops.
Like all the best stuff
tbf, he does have a conventional synth in there too.
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This might be true for other genres of music too and I think many people do this deconstructive listening, after they have started writing music.
Purposefully created noises, beeps, and glitches and placing them in the right order and paying attention to timing is an art, like an excelent drummer playing on a drum-set … just using other sounds.
This exactly is one of those typical one-trick-pony performer issues and it’s even worse, if they run a single 16-32 step sequence for minutes, dancing on the knobs, faking action, and move those knobs only, which are simple as is … dead
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I remember being in a night club here in Helsinki hearing a 40min set from Suzanne Ciani, and a girl next to me - who was hoping during the previous dj turned to me and said “dude wtf is that?! I wanna dance!”… I felt really annoyed because I heard similar complaints countless times during my 118bpm dub techno sets back in Brasil…
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I was asked if i have any Britney whilst playing a Jungle / drillnbass set back in the late 90s.
Hang on i’ll check…
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I think the people who get on like that tend to only like electronic dance music/specific genre and not an electronic music festival/gig experience. I think they miss the point a little bit. But sure no matter what you do in life , people aren’t always going to get it. Besides , this is pretty niche stuff , I don’t think we can expect everyone to appreciate it!
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Life, my friend, is all about compromise :
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