| Title: | * * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * * |
| Notice: | Conference has been write-locked. Use new version. |
| Moderator: | DYPSS1::SCHAFER |
| Created: | Thu Feb 20 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Mon Aug 29 1994 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 2852 |
| Total number of notes: | 33157 |
Norman Spinrad's "Little Heroes" has just come out in paperback.
This is a "cyberpunk" genre science fiction novel where music/video
technology of the first decade of the 21st century plays a *central*
role. Some of our worst fantasies (I guess that makes them nightmares)
of how the music industry could evolve are played out here. The
protagonists (a sexagenarian rock'n'roll has-been known as "the
Crazy Old Lady of Rock'n'Roll" and and a male/female pair of techno
dweeb weenies who'd be right at home in this conference) are chartered
by a former drummer turned drum machine programmer turned demographic
marketing type (is this what awaits me?) to produce an AP (artificial
personality, i.e., computer based simulated star) who will "ship gold".
Needless to say, in the cyberpunk tradition, the rest of society
has gone down the same tube.
The language is coarse and many of the sentiments offensive. But
this is the way it *could* be twenty years from now.
len.
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1527.1 | Do Little Heroes Have Little Feat? | JAWS::COTE | yawn... | Mon Jul 11 1988 20:10 | 20 |
Is this all that different from the 'formula' pop music being
produced now? Is it really necessary to produce a 'cyber-star'
when the pop music biz has the ability to clone itself repeatedly?
("...who begat Donna Summer who begat Madonna who begat Tyffany...")
Formula. Programmed. Cyber. Ship gold. It's here today with the
exception of a viable silicon 'star'. And there's a market for it. A
market composed of people who think it's new, or think it's good,
or realize it isn't and listen just 'cuz it's fun.
The industry only reacts, it doesn't create. Let one person come
up with a hot new idea and the industry will clone it to death.
Luckily, there will always be some folks at any given time who
are creating...
I think most of Spinrad's future is here, today. And it ain't all
that bad...
Edd
| |||||
| 1527.2 | Hot Peppers are not Bad. Therefore, More Hot Peppers are Evne Less Bad! | DRUMS::FEHSKENS | Mon Jul 11 1988 20:33 | 9 | |
Yes, but imagine it "refined" for twenty more years. And imagine
it supported by technology 20 years more sophisticated. If that
doesn't sound significant, think of the technology that was available
20 years ago, and compare it to today's.
But go read teh book anyway.
len.
| |||||
| 1527.3 | tomorrow today | SUBSYS::ORIN | AMIGA te amo | Tue Jul 12 1988 15:20 | 22 |
Thanks for the tip Len, is the book available at any local stores (pointer)? How about a music generator to "create" the "Solid Gold" hits... Set level(gold,platinum)? GOLD Select instruments(strings,percussion,horns,piano,organ,sax,guitar) SPHPSG Select vocalists(none,lead(m/f),background(m/f/mixed),duet(m/f)) LM,BF,DF Select style(jazz,folk,blues,rnb,funk,pop,elevator,musak,regae,latin,other) POP Select sections(Intro,Verse,Chorus,Refrain,Ending) IVVCVCE ...Now generating Intro... ...Now generating Verse 1... ...Now generating Verse 2... ...Now generating Chorus... ...Now generating Verse 3... ...Repeating Chorus... ...Now generating Ending (with fade out)... ...Now printing score/ title: Please Don't Phase Me Out... ...JOB COMPLETE... dave | |||||
| 1527.4 | .3 is a bit unnerving, eh? | DYO780::SCHAFER | Brad - DTN 433-2408 | Tue Jul 12 1988 16:46 | 0 |
| 1527.5 | Get Your Red Jack Neural Shunt Today! | DRUMS::FEHSKENS | Tue Jul 12 1988 16:49 | 11 | |
I think I got mine at Lauriat's in the Natick Mall. The book's getting
the full court press, so it ought to be available in just about
any bookstore.
Incidentally, the bad guys lose, music changes the world, and you'll
learn more Spanish profanity than you ever thought possible from a mere
science fiction novel. Also, be prepared for some X-rated stuff.
Not for kids.
len.
| |||||
| 1527.6 | Who Wants To Buy? | DRUMS::FEHSKENS | Tue Jul 12 1988 16:56 | 5 | |
re .3 - you left out the demographics input. Just which submarket
do you want the song to appeal to?
len.
| |||||
| 1527.7 | NAC::SCHUCHARD | uh? | Wed Jul 13 1988 21:03 | 6 | |
I wonder how much more worse todays god awful production values
can get in the future? It certainly sounds like we already have
replaced people producers with ears....
bs
| |||||