this post was submitted on 29 Mar 2024
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Music
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I'm more concerned that streaming platform algorithms prioritise passive listening (maybe not more concerned... I'm not sure how concern is quantified). It goes against their business model to risk serving users music that might actually push, and thus potentially expand, their taste. Music that is challenging may cause a user to stop listening. Better for the auto play algorithm to serve up safe bets, homogenising the general popular music gene pool. Like serving endless Big Macs in case tom yum is too spicy or lamb shoulder is too rich. As a result, the way to find success in the era of streaming platforms is to play G-D-Em-C and sing about the boy/girl you like/liked. This causes a feedback loop where bland music leads to bland tastes, which leads to bland music...
btw, if you want to broaden your taste in music, go listen to an entire album with a few or just one song you like from a particular artist a couple of times.
You like one album they've done, go listen to the other work they've made. Trust me, it's very worthwhile.
Yeah I almost exclusively listen to full albums. Definitely helps give context to the music and understand the artist better. I also agree that you should give it a few listens. Some great albums need you to dial in before you really fall in love with them. It's a more active process than just listening to an unending algorithmic recommendation stream, but the effort is rewarded!
Sometimes it takes decades. I bought Stiff Little Fingers "Nobody's Heros" back in the early 80's and only listened to it a couple of times. When I was digitizing my vinyl collection some 20 or 30 years later, I couldn't believe that it wasn't one of my favorite albums. Pretty quickly bought everything in the catalog and am still listening to their new records.
the flow between songs is sometimes better than the individual songs. Bonus points for artists that use transitory tracks between the main ones. Those are always weird.
A personal example of mine was morcheeba, had listened to their early albums, never the later ones, got a hold of a discog, that band is one of my top favorites now.
Ah Morcheba! Now that's a band I've not heard in a while!
Another album feature I enjoy is the "bonus" track at the end after an absurd length of silence. 1977 by Ash comes to mind. Nothing like going to sleep with an album on to be suddenly woken up by drunk people puking.
As well as transitional tracks, I love it when tracks genuinely feel like they exist as part of something larger. Whether through transitions within the tracks (Nonegon Infinity by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard takes this to the extreme) or by essentially turning the album into one long almost operatic piece (like Colours by Between the Buried and Me).
massive attack i believe, has a track that has a "hidden track" which is just like 8 minutes of ambient noise. After an immediate banger as well, so it just gaslights you. It's great.
i've always been intrigued by bands and artists that meld songs between the album, it's an interesting experience. Boards of canada does it somewhat. It's pretty hard to distinguish which makes it really interesting to listen to. It's all one thing, but a collection of many different things also. Very interesting.