just a little bit

i was watching an interview of brian eno and his reasons behind writing instrumental music. when we think of instrumental music, we assume that there won't be any vocals done on the songs. for the most part, its true. however, brian eno suggests that we can use voice as an instrument and still make the song instrumental. the voice as an instrument should not distract from the rest of the elements in the song. when we think of pop songs, the vocals take center stage while everything around it plays a part to make it shine. the vocals also contribute more than just a melody, it contributes a character and attitude of the artist performing the voice. popular media focuses and surrounds the artists and this becomes problematic. there is greater emphasis placed upon the artist than the actual product. we can take any pop artist as an example of this case. the popular media is more worried about who is with who, how much one weighs, and how much bling is around their neck that we lose focus on what really matters or at least what matters to me: the artistic product.

eno explains that if we take the persona away from the song, we can really see the essence of the song. for a while, eno thought that to do this, he had to eliminate the vocals from the song entirely. but he missed the soul of the voice and wanted to reintroduce it into his work. so he tracked some vocals, added effects, and mixed it in so that it blends in with the rest of the instruments.

i'm not sure if this is the solution to the problem, but it is one way to get there. listening to instrumental music for the past few weeks, i do miss the soul of the voice in songs. there is a deeper connection and instant gratification with songs with voice in it. maybe there's a way to still use vocals without it being too distracting. but maybe there isn't. or maybe the problem isn't in the songwriting but in popular media and its power to influence. maybe it could be the array of radio stations that play the same songs every two hours. or maybe video killed the radio star. or maybe radio is a sound salvation. maybe we just need to break out of the daily routine of listening to what we're told and find alternative ways to express ourselves as music listeners.

just a few thoughts to start the day. more writing to come later tonight.

bhurin

playlist:
dustin kensrue - please come home
pinback - summer in abaddon
modest mouse - the lonesome crowded west