Theoretically Complex Dubstep

[atticuh]

i agree that most edm is not complex relative to other genre's, BUT

#1-Aphex Twin

You know he built a hardware synth with household items at age 15. Most people on these forums can't PROGRAM (program patches) a synth at age 20 (overgeneralizing here but can safely say majority). AFX is in a league of his own as far as iconoclasts go.

[drake89]

yeah congrats we've all read wikipedia. I would be surprised if he doesn't have asberger's and if he has friends, though.

[hasezwei]

yeah congrats we've all read wikipedia. I would be surprised if he doesn't have asberger's and if he has friends, though.

oh jesus lemmeguess, you're a teenager?

[BudSpencertron]

[-TraX-]

i do give deadmau5 props to one song, strobe. particularly when the synth comes in, one of the most beautiful melodic arrangements ever.
the complexity of EDM lies in the rythms and percussion, i think. Like Qawwali ? That beat will never leave my head. Peverelist and his arrangements, like in Roll With the Punches, are incredible. Also, I loved Burial's arrangement of Kindred, almost seemed like it was in acts, haha.
The whole brostep scene is just becoming a button pushing contest, I used to think it took some musicianship but not anymore.

Un Sospiro. Liszt is to this day one of the most technically advanced pianists ever



and speaking of John Coltrane, his nephew Flying Lotus makes some wickedly meaningful tunes as well, particularly all of Cosmogramma

[cmgoodman1226]

The whole brostep scene is just becoming a button pushing contest, I used to think it took some musicianship but not anymore.

I couldn't agree with you more.

[therapist]

i do give deadmau5 props to one song, strobe. particularly when the synth comes in, one of the most beautiful melodic arrangements ever.
the complexity of EDM lies in the rythms and percussion, i think. Like Qawwali ? That beat will never leave my head. Peverelist and his arrangements, like in Roll With the Punches, are incredible. Also, I loved Burial's arrangement of Kindred, almost seemed like it was in acts, haha.
The whole brostep scene is just becoming a button pushing contest, I used to think it took some musicianship but not anymore.

Un Sospiro. Liszt is to this day one of the most technically advanced pianists ever



and speaking of John Coltrane, his nephew Flying Lotus makes some wickedly meaningful tunes as well, particularly all of Cosmogramma

That's pretty cool.

[Attila]

The whole brostep scene is just becoming a button pushing contest, I used to think it took some musicianship but not anymore.

I couldn't agree with you more.

Both wrong. Musicianship is a personal choice not a genre characteristic. The only reason musicality is lacking in a lot of electronic music is that it's the easiest form of music to get into (by which I mean you can download a few torrents and be running within an afternoon). Doesn't mean dubstep's not musical, just means there's a lot of shitty producers.

[drake89]

The whole brostep scene is just becoming a button pushing contest, I used to think it took some musicianship but not anymore.

I couldn't agree with you more.

Doesn't mean dubstep's not musical, just means there's a lot of shitty producers.

[jonahmann]

The IDM genre is what I was thinking. Not technically dubstep.

Artists like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Autechre, Venetian Snares, Boards of Canada.

[Mindforce]

Shoot me if I'm a cigarette for posting non-dubstep, but I think these guys are just fucking talented in so many ways. Like I listen to the composition of this song and I'm just...

Sure it's not dubstep but fuck me these guys are fucking genius. Just the way shit flows is like... Holy hell. Besides the rhythmic and melodic complexity, their producuing is pretty crazy too imo. But the composition of this song still blows my mind.

SERIOUSLY worth listening to this song.

[wub]

The whole brostep scene is just becoming a button pushing contest, I used to think it took some musicianship but not anymore.

I couldn't agree with you more.

There is one particular producer in the Dubs board I've had run ins with recently who has freely admitted that he just places his notes randomly on the piano roll when doing his midrange drop sections

[slothrop]

I don't believe Aphex twin is classically trained, so I think that most of his complexities are rhythmic and textural. I would be quite suprised if venitian snares isn't classically trained, but a lot of his complexities are rhythmic also.

Rhythm is part of music theory, something that hasn't been discussed so far.

Yes, there are at least three seperate things going on here...

Some stuff is melodically / harmonically complex. This isn't the same as having a prominent melody and 99.999% of 'melodic dubstep' isn't it.

Some stuff is melodically / harmonically simple but rhythmically or texturally complex. Arguably a lot of electronic music is near the forefront here, excluding a few things like free improv or music concrete.

Some stuff isn't complex in any sense but is sophisticated and subtle. For instance, Aphex's drill and bass stuff is more rhythmically complex than most James Brown stuff, but I'd argue that Clyde Stubblefield was more of a rhythmic genius than AFX for just being so damn funky. Similarly, I'd rate Keith Richards as more of a melodic genius than a lot of technical metal wonks, because he could write an incredible riff using three chords. I think this is where a lot of electronic music fits in - Shackleton's drum programming isn't complex in the same way that Venetian Snares is, but it's very very good.

On an unrelated note, I'd reckon that several Mars Volta songs are on par with that symphony (though I haven't listened to it yet).

Examples?

I have to admit I'm sceptical, although I am a bit of a Mahler fanboy...

[wolf89]

No mars volta aren't at that level he's being a tit. (That's not to say that I don't really like them)

also the whole thing about being simple but making music that is better thing is true also. Just because you write music that in terms of conventional music theory is complex doesn't mean that you write good music.

[AxeD]

Big up anyone posting Liszt.