On Mar 28, 2004, at 8:42 PM, Paul Schreiber wrote:
> Be warned!
>
> What you will see is 4 guys in front of laptops! Really! Several EU
> folks
> complained.
How sad :(
I think we're in about the same place with laptops that we where with
turntables in the 80's. Many artists see their potential, but nobody is
really sure how to make an interesting show that doesn't make you look
like your checking your email on stage. It's getting to the point that
an otherwise talented musician will have to cut through all the
negative rep that laptops are accumulating before people even notice.
What to do about this is a daily topic of conversation here in San
Francisco.
I saw Kid Koala at the Mezzanine this weekend. My my how far
turntablists have come. This guy played a single trumpet note on an LP
and with rapid manipulation of the decks and faders re-pitched this
short 3" section of black vinyl in real time into a Jazz trumpet solo.
It's was awe inspiring. There is no substitute for refined talent.
There is also no substitute for the audience being able to directly
translate your actions on stage into what they hear in response.
I think modulars have that same potential as well. Even though they've
been around forever, very few artists use them effectively on stage, or
at all. Robot Rich is the only guy I can think of who treats his system
as a performance instrument, instead of a recording instrument. The
first thing to keep in mind is: keep your hands visible! That's the
great thing about a guitar, you can face the audience, and people can
still see what your doing.
I wonder what Kid Koala or DJ Q-Bert could do with a motm if it had a
scratch fader?
--mikes