by Christian LeBlanc » Tue Mar 18, 2014 1:38 pm
Yeah, sample #2 stood out a lot after hearing sample #1. I expected it to stand out a little, but the extent to which it actually did - even when I was expecting it - was surprising.
It's a weird subject to talk about, because it all seems so *obvious,* right? Music generally has a rhythm, and it's neat to think about the different levels of things that can be repeated: cycles of sound waves presenting a sound in the first place, drum patterns, sections of song, the song itself, and the song as part of an album cycle. 'Anticipation' plays a huge role in this discussion, ultimately leading into 'participation,' depending on how much you're willing to immerse yourself in the experience.
It gets to be depressing when you apply all this to the concept of going out to see a band you've never heard before - unless they play easy, predictable music, it implies they'll have a harder time picking up new listeners the more they stand out from traditional expectations.
It begs the question of why we prefer certain forms of repetition over others, and how much we're willing to overlook in the name of repetition. I can still remember the first few times I heard Joy Division's "Atmosphere" - that first word "Walk" sounded so warbled, off-tune and out-of-place to me. It sounds perfect now, and I can't hear it as 'wrong' today even if I try.