RE: Looping genres

[Greg Meredith <gregmer@microsoft.com>]

All,

i have often thought that music might best be classified in terms of
recognizable compositional elements, instead of genres that seem arbitrary.
For example, music might be classified in terms of 

*       Rhythmic characteristics (e.g., number of beats per cycle,
relationship of beat to pulse)
*       Tonal characteristics (e.g., number of identifiable intervals
between octaves)
*       Harmonic characteristics (e.g., voices stay centered around a key 
or
mode; number of distinct voices)
*       Instrumentation
*       Timbral characteristics
*       Etc., etc.

This kind of classification system would be unambiguous. It is hard to 
argue
whether Brubeck's recording of Take 5 has piano in it or has a dominant
motif that has 5 beats per cycle. This is to be contrasted with endless
arguments of the form-"no, it's rock! no, it's jazz!"

It would provide utilitarian queries which might lead to interesting
surprises for people navigating databases of musical offerings. Imagine
walking up to a Tower Record service person and saying: "i'm throwing a
party. i need some music that's got about 200 bpm with 4 beats per cycle. i
want some electric bass and trap set in the instrumentation. i want the
music to evolve around a single tonal center." She might point you to a lot
more music than the latest techno or jungle releases.

--greg

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Greyseason@aol.com [SMTP:Greyseason@aol.com]
        Sent:   Tuesday, June 08, 1999 3:31 PM
        To:     Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
        Subject:        Looping genres

        Recently, there has been much talk on the list about classifying
loop music, 
        John Cage, etc.  I started to think about a genre of music where
looping is a 
        common practice: Hip-Hop.  I have not seen rap music discussed on
the list 
        and I was wondering what everyone thought.  I think it is pretty
safe to say 
        that everybody on this list is into looping.  What does everyone
think of 
        hip-hop?  I started to think about it this morning while listening
to "It Was 
        A Good Day" by Ice Cube.  I thought to myself: "That is a great
little guitar 
        loop."  I quickly realized why I like rap so much (other than for
those fun 
        rhymes and phat beats).  I'm just curious.

        Sam Paterson