[NewMusic] three-fisted RANT about 'video games live'

[barry threw]

I agree with you mostly.

I mean, I do understand why this is done...the irony of having this  
toy music played my something as anachronistic as an orchestra...Its  
like playing dress-up or something.

It seems like most of the joy from the audience is just stemming from  
the identification of games. This is fun...I guess.

There are notions about validity wrapped up in this that I find  
interesting though. As if somehow orchestrating this music makes it  
more real, or gives it greater value...

b


On Feb 13, 2008, at 1:22 PM, lx rudis wrote:

> a friend of mine sent me this link today, claiming 'this is REAL  
> music'. >
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVHGy9XEF9I
> unknown to him, i'd already _accidentally_ bought a ticket to Video  
> GAmes
> Live. initially i scripted a rant back to him and the CC list. it was
> sitting here in my inbox when m@'s earlier post about 'experimental  
> music'
> came in.
>
> i decided to cut/paste my reply to the 'videogames live' folks and  
> send it
> to all of you instead.
> because i love you. or you can re-educate me. or something.
>
> ------------start quote-----------------
>> although i'm actually scheduled to attend this thing, i'm not real  
>> happy
> about it. ..i agreed to buy a ticket to it before i realized the #^^  
> ticket
> was FORTY EIGHT DOLLARS. :P   imvho this exercise is about at the  
> conceptual
> level of re-transcribing Delta Blues for symphony orchestra and  
> employing
> operatic tenors to sing the stuff. sans wit. often the music you  
> hear on
> these classic game machines was designed _specifically_ for that game
> machine and its associated development tools - although the machines
> technically function as 'musical instruments', they are mediocre  
> ones at
> best, and the decisions i made in composing for them often flew in  
> the face
> of traditional orchestration. sigh. well, music is music i suppose,  
> and
> organized pitch and time can be transliterated in a variety of ways.
> having said that, i feel that this event is an expensive, ironic  
> gesture. i
> figure i'll live thru the evening, but i hope i can get some  
> schmoozing done
> out in the lobby. that's about the value i place on the evening.
> flame away if you wish. i know i'm being a curmudgeon here, but i  
> just can't
> stand this crap. game music paid my rent for about a decade, and i'm  
> still
> enough of an aesthetician to have an opinion on the form.
>
> -----------end quote------------
>
> what do i think is valid?
> hmm. well for starters: http://www.chiptune.com/
> http://www.myspace.com/blipfestival
>
> lx :P
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barry threw
Media Art and Technology

San Francisco, CA
Work: 857-544-3967
Email: bthrew (at) gmail (dot) com
Web: www.barrythrew.com