What is live techno ?

[KBD_TRACKER]

Interesting article in which several techno acts talk about their conception and experience of live performance:
http://www.attackmagazine.com/features/ ... ve-techno/

[Re-Member]

[meatballfulton]

So the condensed version of the article: I can't tell you what it is, and I don't know it when I hear it

[elsongs]

I used to do the Live PA thing back in the late '90s-early 2000s. Did live drum n bass, house, garage, trip-hop and some techno. I got fed up after a while because everyone was going, "That was some cool DJing..."

[KBD_TRACKER]

So the condensed version of the article: I can't tell you what it is, and I don't know it when I hear it

Fair enough, the title question "What is live techno ? " reflects a bit the editorial style of web-based articles

But the article did broach on important issues for live techno music (and live electronic music in general) such as pre-programming some stuff (what ? and how much ?) vs real time play vs total improvisation, the formatting pressure to keep a style/repertory in compliance with "public" expectations, the basic technical unpredictability of electronic gear in live performance, the unforeseeable role of a particular audience-energy on the musician, etc..

Clearly for the many people who never play electronic music except at ease in their studio or apt or bedroom (and there is nothing wrong with that), these issues and the related ones on the topic may seem not only "exotic" but pointless or irrelevant.
But IMO it only heightens the merit of those who do "play live".

[madtheory]

Meh. No mention of Orbital, and their Glasto set? IMO they set the bar for live "techno" years ago, Chemicals and Orb were always dull live by comparison IMO. Misuse of the word "verbatim" or just a failed muso turned journo trying to sound cool and intelligent? Good points about Ableton, but I can't get past the writing style.

[sigment]

:my opinion:

I think its a fine line, in the end (at a live show) you are either selling a product (the music people came to hear) or the entertainment (the live show). As a business, I think it would obviously be a blend of both. Give the feeling of a thrown-together-and-we'll-make-it-work set while ultimately delivering the hooks, melodies and beats that got people to buy your music in the first place. That's where DJing comes in..
As a former spinner of vinyl, i found that the mix only worked if the popular track was identifiable. Even now, at any shite club in my city (mostly pop/hip hop), the dj can be playing some c**p and as soon as he spins it against some 'classic' like 50cent- in the club or tupac-california luv or some biggie and the crowd literally gets hyped.

All that to say, sure freeform the transistions and even mix it up a bit (preferably (for on hardware) but get it to the point of a recognizable track at some point. Make it live.

[meatballfulton]

It's funny (at least to me) that this discussion has been going on in electronic music circles for so long.

I know at least some of the folks here play instruments like guitar, piano, drums, etc. I've worked as a bassist for over three decades doing everything from fully arranged (with sheet music) to total improv. It's always live, eh?

Every so often I'll read an interview with an e-musician who states he's started to "experiment" using live instrumentation alongside sequencing as if he's just unearthed some ancient secret

[sigment]

. It's always live, eh?

[madtheory]

Richard Devine gives a much better description of the process, and it's only part of the interview. The guy is genuinely exploring the process and giving to his audience. The article above was all selfish and trying to look clever without being it.

"The patch you’ve prepared for tonight, is it something you intend to be tweaking a lot live, or is it something you’ll just sort of push in the right direction, but will mostly be operating by itself?

No, when I do my live performances, it’s driven by my hands the entire time. Tonight, I’m trying to get around 8 different “songs” out of the one patch, so there are all kinds of things I’ll have to do to move through the parts. It won’t do anything if I just life my hands away. It can ”run,” but it’ll just idle, and that’s what I like about it. I have to perform everything. Based on the energy in the room and what’s happening, I can make decisions, as opposed to a patch I might do in the studio, which is much less hands-on.

When I post videos online, I’ll do little minor adjustments, but those patches are more regenerative. They sound like they could play almost forever, almost like a re-composing piece of music, and I don’t really have to do anything. For the live shows, I want them to know that it’s live. I don’t want anyone to feel like it’s just a spacebar-linear set where the BPM doesn’t change. It can be a lot more fun when people feel that energy, it’s a different energy altogether.

I hope it goes well! The thing is it could go really bad too! When you have that many open variables in play, there are things that just spontaneously go wrong. Pretty much every show I’ve played, there are at least 2 or 3 things that go wrong, and then you’re trying to retrace how it went wrong… It’s part of it I guess, you’re flying by the seat of your pants, doing everything live; no safety net."

http://eliptikmagazine.ca/richard-devine/