Point of Discussion: "Experimental" Music - Music

Norman Bates

Gender: Male
Age: 51
Location: Paris, France

Tap wrote:

Do you guys think having this umbrella term is actually detrimental? Like people can hear something strange and rather than engaging with what it's doing, just go "yeah that's just experimental music just like the other experimental music, I don't care".

I sincerely think that to some people the label 'experimental' is a warning, and acts like a repellent.

'Oh God why did they have to go all experimental on me?'
'I quite liked Radiohead before they went experimental.'
'Man, that's, er..., experimental to say the least."
'F*** me if I'm going to listen to some experimental s*** some lonely wan*er spurted all by his lonesome in some f***ing student's room in Carlisle.'

etc.

RockyRaccoon
Is it solipsistic in here or is it just me?

Gender: Male
Age: 33
Location: Maryland

Moderator

benpaco wrote:

I think "experimental" is about as useful as "alternative" as a music label.

Or "world"
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Necharsian
Best Ever User

Gender: Male

Tap wrote:

I find experimental to be a very useful category actually. I'll be like "what genre is this really?" and then when I give up trying to figure that out I can just say "experimental".

I don't believe I use the term "experimental" very often, and was trying to recall instances in which I have, just for a measuring stick as to what exactly I think it is. It seems like I use it mostly for rock music, as a blanket for the kinds I'm more interested in. I'll just lump Vampire Rodents, Can, The Dead C, etc. together rather than trying to individually label each (and really I don't know how I would anyway - I'm not sure what subgenre of rock Vampire Rodents fit under for instance). And this looks like it's how a lot of people use 'experimental' as being. There's a record store in my hometown that has a "left-field" section, that's essentially just a bunch of weird stuff that's more difficult to categorize. Things just feel like they should be there, without a set definition for why.

craola
crayon master

Location: pdx

Norman Bates wrote:

I sincerely think that to some people the label 'experimental' is a warning, and acts like a repellent.

'Oh God why did they have to go all experimental on me?'
'I quite liked Radiohead before they went experimental.'
'Man, that's, er..., experimental to say the least."
'F*** me if I'm going to listen to some experimental s*** some lonely wan*er spurted all by his lonesome in some f***ing student's room in Carlisle.'

etc.

it goes both ways. it repels one crowd and attracts another. the genre terminology stuff is for marketing in the end, isn't it? as far as "experimental" goes, the way it's used generally rubs me as "this isn't for everyone, and your grandma definitely ain't gonna be up for it".

most of these terms by themselves mean next to nothing (even synth-pop can be a bajillion different things), but you add a few together, and it'll give you some sense of what you're getting yourself into. in any event, if you're trying to understand what the music sounds like, listening is the only way you'll really know.
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Applerill
Autistic Princess <3

Gender: Female
Age: 30
Location: Chicago

Norman Bates wrote:

I sincerely think that to some people the label 'experimental' is a warning, and acts like a repellent.

'Oh God why did they have to go all experimental on me?'
'I quite liked Radiohead before they went experimental.'
'Man, that's, er..., experimental to say the least."
'F*** me if I'm going to listen to some experimental s*** some lonely wan*er spurted all by his lonesome in some f***ing student's room in Carlisle.'

etc.

I don't know about you, but experiments always give me boners.

Norman Bates

Gender: Male
Age: 51
Location: Paris, France

Applerill wrote:

I don't know about you, but experiments always give me boners.

I am un chien andalou myself.

Norman Bates

Gender: Male
Age: 51
Location: Paris, France

craola wrote:

Norman Bates wrote:

I sincerely think that to some people the label 'experimental' is a warning, and acts like a repellent.

'Oh God why did they have to go all experimental on me?'
'I quite liked Radiohead before they went experimental.'
'Man, that's, er..., experimental to say the least."
'F*** me if I'm going to listen to some experimental s*** some lonely wan*er spurted all by his lonesome in some f***ing student's room in Carlisle.'

etc.

it goes both ways. it repels one crowd and attracts another. the genre terminology stuff is for marketing in the end, isn't it?

Oh, certainly, although I fail to see where the 'experimental' marketing approach is going to get you millions.

Necharsian
Best Ever User

Gender: Male

Norman Bates wrote:

Oh, certainly, although I fail to see where the 'experimental' marketing approach is going to get you millions.

I think it's more of a "I'm listening to higher art" sort of tag.

Applerill
Autistic Princess <3

Gender: Female
Age: 30
Location: Chicago

Necharsian wrote:

I think it's more of a "I'm listening to higher art" sort of tag.

So, you don't think any of it is because of the boom boom boom?

Tap
to resume download

Gender: Female
Age: 38

Pretty sure literally no one else uses that or has any clue what you mean with that term.