Perseverance was what I needed to Change my Opinion on some piece of Music ~ Spread the Vibes

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...2023... This will be such a wonderful year. Why? Well, because of the 23 in the number of years. What? 23? Good question. Donno, to be honest πŸ™ƒ Can you find us a reason why 23 is such a magic number? The one with the best reason gets an HP. Really? Yes, honestly πŸ€₯

...what was I writing... ah yah...

...2023... Since we concluded this year will be wonderful, I thought the HIVE community could do with some extra Vibes. Therefore, I write these words and share the music below to serve as a new contribution to the 'Spread the Vibes: challenge not challenge'.

Just yet I finished listening to this album that turned out to be the first ever album of this Mexican artist/band aiming to ... Well? ... Donno no ... Am Completely Puzzled! ... What did they aim for? I really don't know. For some reason, I pushed this album into my TBD folder in my Spotify app. TBD as in 'To Be Discovered.' Honestly? I wish I never Discovered this one. I must have been in a state where I can't be held responsible for my actions when labelling this album as TBD.

Though the intro and some parts of some tracks are promising, 'Childs' (yea, the name of the 'band') managed to turn any interesting sound into this modern elevator-like music. Some of the interesting elements are in no particular order... The mix of acoustic instruments with electronics... The choir-like sounds... The melodies: some are kinda okay-ish. The natural sounds such as a laptop keyboard, a school playground, traffic, wind cather, and some of the intro/outros of some of the tracks.

But but but...WHY!? WHY!? ...create such plain easy listening music?


Childs - Yui | source: youtube

Did you ever have goosebumps?

I almost had them when listening to the album: Inversed! Almost a gazillion tiny goosepotholes all over πŸ˜‚

Sorry...

Sorry for making you listen to the album from A to Z. Since that is required to be able to answer my question: Am I wrong? Am I too critical? Am I a brainless music consumer? Am I simply not seeing the art? You tell me. I throw in an HP for your honest words πŸ˜‰ By now I got the feeling I'm bribing you to leave a kinda thoughtful comment down below this post 😱

Back to Childs

Nothing to add to Childs, its debut album, and all...

Orrrrrr?

It was a few weeks ago I listened to this Childs album for the first time. It was just after that first listening round, I wrote what I wrote above. Since then I re-listened another 3 times and came to quite a different conclusion.

Before getting excited, this album will never become part of my collection of favourite albums. The main reason for this is the lack of expression in the tracks. I believe whenever the synths take the foreground, all the interesting and more expressive sounds are pushed way to the back, almost out of the entire 'room'... oops... 'composition' I mean.

That said, must admit the album and most of the tracks are far from simple 'elevator' like music. I can imagine this album does well for me when working, pushing the status of this album into background music. Owww that sounds pretty horrible, or? And it isn't the entire truth. Four times I listened to this album. The first time on headphones (the good type, not those phone earplugs) and disqualified the album. Then I tested on my HIFI system with a pretty ok speakers set. That round and my third round, on the same HIFI setup, made me listen again through headphones. This time around I didn't disqualify the album. Somehow I had pleasure in listening. Truth be told, I was executing some other tasks as well at certain stages of the listening session. But not more than 25% of the total time. I think I'll be listening to this album more often from now on. That said, likely not too often, and likely not any time soon πŸ˜‰

But but but

If not done already, I urge you to give this album a go. Regardless of my own opinion, my initial reaction and all that. You'll be in for something interesting. Opening with a full-on ambient track without any supporting drums, children in the background (sounding a little like seagulls), and synths with long breaths (ie stretched sounds), sometimes in the background, mostly at the forefront.

This track moves over into a complex piece of music. I would've thought this album is more on the chill side of things, but this 2nd track marks for me something different. Though ambient with slow pace bass rhythms (drum, bass guitar and whatnot), the synths with their stretched sounds overshadowing the rest (most of the time) don't give me a relaxed feeling. Quite the contrary. It gets me slightly irritated.

The fourth track (S.A.D) proves the recording isn't all that flat or compressed. Deep basses, similar to the drums in the second track. It is also the track I may like the most, due to being the most expressive of all. Fewer synths. Nice electronic guitar.

The last track, a combination of several tracks I suppose, is one that I give a high rank as well. The leading instrument is the piano. As far as I can tell, an acoustic version. But could also be a synth with the 'acoustic piano' mode enabled. Who knows. I don't πŸ˜‚ Similar to other tracks, a busy one, although one that has more variations. Not sure, but seems to me like some compilation of special sounds from previous tracks, like the children, the traffic, the instruments and all. Of course, the synths are here as well. And then... large break at around the 10-minute mark... But not finished at all... Rounding up the track with all the natural sounds we heard before and some being new, but now fully in our hearing spectrum, without synths to overshadow them. The wind catcher, The birds, The children, The grown-ups, The traffic, the guitar, and yes, also the piano.

What do you make of the resonating sounds in some of the tracks? Almost as if my speakers (and headphones) and ears were totally async to a particular frequency. Disturbing to me. But am not sure if it is to blame my systems or if it's the music recording itself.

Continuing...

Before I started writing this post, I planned to add a track by an Italian electronic producer to show you how one of the elements used by Childs can also be used to create something truly powerful, something truly inspiring, something truly admirable.

And then I decided I will not include this track. It's like the focus we keep when talking about something fantastic, to not distract the reader from the core of the story. It's that focus I try to give you. I don't want you to be distracted. Plus I have something to write about in my next Spread the Vibes post πŸ˜‚

Uhm: StV?

'Spread the Vibes' (aka StV) posts are usually positive. I can't remember I wasn't positive myself in any of my StV posts. Can't even remember I wasn't positive or at worst, neutral, about any music I shared in the HIVE community. I suppose I broke with that habit. Doesn't 'bad' music deserve an article? Isn't 'bad' music contributing to Vibes spreading? Isn't 'Vibes' not allowed for 'bad' music? Vibes are Vibes πŸ˜‚

Added to the words above, written weeks ago, by now I can safely say: The post wasn't to negative anymore. Needless to say that I still believe truly bad music can be the subject for a StV entry, no doubt about that. However, this album isn't that bad after all. Ok, it took some extra effort for me to change my initial opinion, but in the end, energy and time worth spending πŸ™‡

Challenge not Challenge...

...the tagline of StV (aka Spread the Vibes). It's for a reason. The tagline I mean. StV isn't a normal challenge. What is it in fact? Well, check it out for yourselves. I believe most of the StV posts are under the tag #spreadthevibes. Started this whole thingy something like two years ago. Owwww, here is the launch post: please clikerdeeclick me.

In short: No rules. Only guidelines. Some musts... Music share of any kind. Words about or around your share. Your reaction to a previous HIVE post (a music-related post of any kind). Your brains. Your hands. The latter two show us they made an effort. You define what effort is. I'll do that as well when reading and digesting your contributions 😎 Those that made my marks, will get some love in the vote section as a minimum.

But but but...

Rules can always be bent. Maybe rules are there to be bent. Same for Guidelines. Same for 'Musts'. Soooooo, I bent one right here. I regard this StV post as the first of a new StV chain of posts-in-the-making. In this edition, no previous post I'll be reacting to, not this time at least. But who knows? Maybe? Maybe I'll spend some time finding myself such post I'll react to. When I do, I'll post my reaction in the comment section. Or I simply enjoy the post EDIT function we got from our developers some years ago. But first things first πŸ˜‰

Playtime! 😍

@empoderat : an idea with regards to 'our' SEED anthem?
@trumpman : cool tracks about silver?
@mammasitta : up for a challenge?
@mipiano : any interest to play?
ALL : all of you aka everybody πŸ˜‰

Join in. Read. Listen. Digest. React. Select. Write. Send. It's that easy πŸ™ƒ

Endnote

Perseverance and an open mind are key when we like to discover beauty. That! and the 'focus' on the little things πŸ˜‰

a HIVE original
all images by edje unless stated otherwise



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19 comments
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But am not sure if it is to blame my systems or if it's the music recording itself.

Maybe once you have to blame your speakers and headphone? Though you always say they are good, so something happened in between. Do you also have neighbours that are refurbishing their homes? πŸ˜‚ Maybe it is disturbing

I will check the whole album so to see/hear
And thanks for the invitation. it sums up to thee now. In any case, less than 23 πŸ˜‚

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Though my headphones are good, and speakers as well... They may not be that good.

Actually, when life permits, I like to buy all new, of even higher quality. All that I have is darn old. Especially my HIFI setup can become mucho better I think. But even my headphones, quality Sennheizer thingy, but still... mucho better around I believe. Once I tried a piece costing something like 20k Euro, wood, leather and I don't know what other materials they used to build. PERFECT sound for at least the classical pieces I tried. I never tried techno or other electronic music with those. Perhaps not good for them. Since I know, each different type of music requires a different setup. That makes it super hard for me to renew what I have since I don't know to what music I should tailor the configuration. Anyways, luxury problems πŸ˜‚

Neighbours: They have been super quiet over the last weeks. Upstairs neighbours on vacation. Street neighbours: Not working, or finished this round of work.

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Street neighbours: Not working, or finished this round of work.

Found and watched that video of street works today 🀣

Once I tried a piece costing something like 20k Euro

At first glance, I didn't see the letter k after the number 20 and was surprised why do you even mention it... πŸ˜‚

So, I listened to the whole album this evening. Though with some skipping-through attitude at some parts.
I will have to listen to it once again, without doing that, but I do have my first impression of the music shared here.

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but I do have my first impression of the music shared here

Shared where? The link isn't included.... or you meant in the comment section?

Found and watched that video of street works today 🀣

I did as well and thought slightly differently to you. Kinda funny but could be mucho better. Anyways, it made me smile as well a little. But that little smile is maybe the smile I got when I read the video made you smile again. In the end, that's the whole purpose of life, to make people smile πŸ˜‰

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Shared where?

In my mind atm ;)

In the end, that's the whole purpose of life, to make people smile πŸ˜‰

{smile}

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πŸ˜‚

and

😍

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πŸ˜‚

Still just in my mind... but one day it will have to reach the keyboards too ;)

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Perseverance and an open mind, try opening two tabs and playing the intro and sad at the same time, the mix might be even better than the two songs separate and that is why 23 is an awesome number.
Really?
Yes Absolutely how do you dare doubt my answer?
BTW REKI is also pretty chill I think I will need to add these guys to my writing playlists-

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πŸ˜‚

Indeed track 1 plus 4 in the mix isn't that bad πŸ˜‰ Track four needs a volume boost though. Same 'problem' I see with the original synths overshadowing the interesting sounds.

Yea, Reki is also pretty ok 🎢

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well they gladly surprised me this morning, really not a bad choice. Not a best ever but very interesting-

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an idea with regards to 'our' SEED anthem?

Something like this came to my mind:

Imagine watching the sunrise after staying up all night in a house in the countryside, surrounded by friends and beer on a summer night.

It's cold (but not that cold), and some flames are still crackling in the campfire you started last night.

This song captures exactly that moment.

untitled.gif

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Owwww YES! That one is certainly one to consider.
Now I find my mind somewhere on one of its few mountains, on top, in the setting you described. PERFECT! πŸ˜‰
I added a DJ to the setting. Maybe out of sight, but such a 'role' is required to continuously push other music into the mix so that I'm not distracted from the beauty out there above the lake πŸ˜‰ 🎢

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