Riffs wrote:
It looks like despite my clarification, you still don't get it.
What I find ridiculous is the weird notion that you need to be in any kind of music to be "fun" or "cool".
I understand that you are into this kind of music. Good for you if you like it.
And I didn't say people were uncultivated for going into clubs. I've been there. I said this kind of music's main target audience today is uncultivated dweebs. That's a well-known fact if you've worked in the music or radio industry (which I have). Thus keeping the music as simple as possible, squeezing out any dynamics as possible from the mix and playing a limited number of songs on the radio over and over again. Someone was asking why that was the case, I gladly gave the explanation.
Well I think the notion comes you define a cool person they are basically fashionable and popular, and popular music look good and are listened to by (usually) people with with a lot of friends. Even on those talent shows (America's go talent, X Factor etc.) It makes a difference on not the music but how you look, which is why they have The Voice now which takes away the physical appearance. A lot of pop music is essentially marketed towards fashion (you probably know this already.)
Also, the lyrics on radio music are usually about nothing, just whatever words fit the beat making nothing to deep and profound but just some jumbled message, in the same way popular music fans can make small talk and joke around. As an aspie, I hate small talk it's pointless. To me it's almost like stating the obvious and so I find it hard to relate to the music.
Really what it comes down to it, is unintelligent people don't have a hard time enjoying life (such as in the simple pleasures their type of music offers.) Geeks on the other hand are obsessive enthusiasts (the dictionary definition.) An obsessive person is easy to mock (i.e. someone spending a lot of their spare time listening to music or whatever should get a life.) Aspies also have narrow yet obsessive interests, you learn every piece of information you can about a particular subject, and know basically nothing else. So when it comes to talking to normal folk, it's very difficult to relate and can be seen as "uncool", "no fun" in their eyes. I'm sure a lot of Metal fans are also obsessive enthusiasts and find it hard to relate. I also think more intelligent people's brains have to work harder for pleasure which is why they find pleasure in more meaningful, profound, complex, layered, deep music (translation to normal folk = geeky, weird music.) It's sad but true.
What I basically thought you meant is you were stereotyping all mind numbing beat based music as uncultivated blockheads, which is not true as Rivetheads or whatever you want to call them is obviously a totally different culture who behave totally different. I was also trying to portray it is not just about how simplistic it is, but the textures, the structure and HOW it sounds. Which is perhaps why EBM is less popular and it is obviously is more aggressive, harsher and sounds more sinister. You have only attributed its simplicity, formulaic nature and lack of dynamics. I'm just saying that is only 50% of the reason people enjoy it, as I enjoy simplistic, formulaic EBM music (and some poppy Industrial like Ayria) but I'm not really interested in modern auto-tuned electro-pop/hip-hop (Kesha, Niki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga.) Why? Really it's down to the personality.
Riffs wrote:
I didn't call anyone uncivilized. But you just did
I don't think about stuff like that in those terms.
It seems like you're really trying to assess the value of different kind of music as well as judge the behavior of those who are into a particular scene. From my point of view, you're the one making heavy-handed judgment calls.
I just know what I like and what I don't like. I'm not gonna make a head count for the number of people who are assholes in different scenes. What would that accomplish?
Well allright, but it's true that uncultivated people do act in an uncivilized way, and I thought you were implying non Pop music and Metal fans somehow where more sophisticated because as you said yourself they can still be fun and chill. When in reality, although they listen to a finer art when they behave almost identical in their banter, drinking behaviour, drug intake etc. It's not like all Metal fan play Scrabble and Dungeons and Dragons and sip fine wine for their idea of fun. There is nothing more to be said here I think.
Riffs wrote:
Man, I almost get a vibe of self-loathing reading your words here. Asperger can affect socialization and I'm sorry you have to cope with this. But I don't think you should de facto consider yourself "uncool". You have to go beyond labels as that because they aren't what defines you. You've already demonstrated that by coming here and telling me: "I like a certain type of music and I don't give a shit what you think about it."
And that's what it's all about for me. We are the sum of all these little things we do, we like and we think. And I take great exception with someone telling me that not liking some type of music makes people less fun. That's completely retarded.
I don't really like to label people as outsiders or not. I don't think it serves much purpose.
And who cares if we don't see a lot of people at clubs who listen to metal? There aren't a lot of people who like metal, period. I don't know a lot of people who play the bagpipes either but the one person I know who does is awesome, and fun and generous. And I love that when I meet people at parties they have all these different music tastes and occupations and cultural backgrounds and sometimes weird hobbies.
I only know of one person with Asperger and yeah, he's not the most sociable but he's currently learning Japanese (pretty lightning quick!) and that's not something people usually do but I find it so fucking awesome!
Well I am glad that we both don't like stereotypes. In the same way you don't labels and personalities being attributed to music taste, neither do I, but the point with a stereotype is more often than not it is true. My point is although the stereotype can be true, the reasons for the stereotype can be different (as I mentioned earlier just because all Electro-pop is formulaic with no dynamics etc doesn't mean people listen to it just for the reason.) As I alluded to earlier, I enjoy a lot of different styles of music. As an aspie it's something I try and do to stem away from the repetitive behavior caused by the autism. As much as I enjoy Sylosis, War from a Harlots Mouth, Insect Warfare, Apparation & Sorrow, Blasphemy, Deicide, Blackdeath, Hypothermia bla bla bla I also enjoy awful lot of electro-industrial as well as Lights, Owl City, Gang Starr, The Roots, Tech N9ne, N.W.A, Skrillex, Daft Punk, Arcade Fire, The Cure, Deftones etc. etc.
As for the electro-pop of Lights and Owl City, it's something that just appeals to my human side. The sweetness of the music fills you up with a warm glow and is very pleasurable. With simple music like that, it's a subtle listen and you almost have to listen to "what is not there" which is a difficult technique when you also listen to Emperor. You just have to shut your mind off and let the emotions of the music guide you. Again, I don't like having to justify this as any much as you enjoy reading why I enjoy the music, but it's stereotyping that causes this. As a Metal fan if I said I enjoyed that kind of music and Metal they would probably assume I listened to Pop metal like Motley Crue or whatever.
Finally, just a side comment. Earlier you mentioned playing things over and over again on the radio as a bad thing. In terms of talent, remember although the music is very repetitive so is a lot of Metal (Hypothermia etc.) To hook a listener on one riff is just as hard to hook the listener on many riffs, so just because Daft Punk's Around the World is all one chorus and extremely repetitive does not make it bad. The fact that the radio / mainstream iTunes community don't get bored of that hook despite playing it over and over again means it's serving its purpose.
As for asperger's, it does not surprise me that they are learning such hard languages. Autism of any kind means you spot patterns and fine detail easily, which is good for not only learning a language but music theory. Another reason why it is "uncool" to be like me. I have a giant chart of chords and scales and I have memorized every single one, while all the cool people who play Pop music probably don't even know how to write the simplest cadence.