Finally figured out what I don't like about some of the newer prog music.

[Nogoodnamesleft]

I‘ve heard more “music” coming from a dot matrix printer back in the day… same precision too…

Okidata Microline 321... sweet.

Many a tearful moment getting those fixed for the angry admitting clerks circa 1995.

 

[StrangerNY]

I like them in small doses. That level of ability is pretty cool to watch, but only for a little while. Like Thunderbyrd said, it feels like they're writing the same song over and over.

I couldn't imagine sitting through an album's worth of it. Or a live show - after a couple of songs I think I'd start looking for the exit.

- D

 

[buster poser]

He actually plays those parts live and in the recording. I think they've added sensors to the drum kit (kind of like midi pickups on guitars) to manipulate the sound to fit their genre.

Yeah that's fair enough, I saw a live clip of the same number and he was for sure playing. Just looked weird him beating on toms and it was really untz-untz-untz sound.

 

[arlum]

I listen to music to de tech after a long day at work. This music wouldn't work for me. I'd be laying back on the couch thinking "We've got to get the printer tuned or replace it. It keeps going flat". "I'm sure the fax machine kept a better beat when it was new. I know someones screwing with it.". I like my music to be as far away from anything computer / tech / office related as possible. Bands that play this type of music make me wonder if their members were born the normal way or developed, chipped and delivered at Silicon Valley General Hospital and then sorted into sets of three to five before being released.

 

[boneyguy]

The first thing that strikes me is the unlistenable piezo pickup sound of those acoustic/electric guitars....I'm stumped as to how people who appear to be advanced musicians (which would, I think, imply advanced listening skills) could tolerate that sound.

 

[Buzzgrowl]

Polyphia is hipster neoclassical.

Hats off - they must have practised alot. The hip hop influences are a plus. I wonder what Yngwie would make of it.

Henson should write a song with Bellamy.

I must however agree with others that the plinky piezzo guitar sound they use is not great.

If you like prog better listen to Steve Wilson/Porcupine Tree or Devin Townsend.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

It's nice to see the new generation carrying on the proud tradition of Girl Repellent Music (see Rush et al).

And the one thing that lives on across the many decades, since any kind of Prog/math rock was invented, is telling your significant female other at the gig that -

“well , this might not be for you, but there are no lines at the women’s bathroom!”

 

[aging_rocker]

Truly, music is everywhere if we can just remember to listen. I recorded my toaster oven the other day and used it as percussion in a song.

 

[Lotek]

Sounds as though it was mastered to be played through a cell phone speaker.

 

[Brent Hutto]

The first thing that strikes me is the unlistenable piezo pickup sound of those acoustic/electric guitars....I'm stumped as to how people who appear to be advanced musicians (which would, I think, imply advanced listening skills) could tolerate that sound.

I used to say the same thing about Chet Atkins. Everyone back in the day was ga-ga over his playing but most of his records had a horrible piezo-sounding tone to me. Ranging from unpleasant to unlistenable. Talent and chops out the wazoo but his taste in guitar tone (as well as some of the rather over-the-top arrangements in songs he produced for other people) kept from my listening for more than a couple minutes at a time.

 

[Alex_C]

To each his own, but I think I figured out that it sucks for me. Zero soul in it.

Yes, lack of soul is a good description.

 

[Alex_C]

My first reaction is that I hate the way the guitars sound. I love nylon string guitars, but these sound like plinky, buzzy toys. It's not the first time I've heard great players make a sound that just isn't fun to listen to.
I often hate the instrument sounds on virtuoso music made since the 70s. 80s fusion has the worst sounding instruments to have to listen to. Not always, but often.
You know how someone is always saying to stop worrying about gear and go practice?
Well maybe some people need something like the opposite of that advice. Stop practicing and actually listen to the sound coming out. Does it really sound good to you?

No music has ever been better than it sounded.

Yes, the sound of the guitars is a turn off.

 

[Alex_C]

This is it for me. Soul might be the intersection of personality and error in music that is a very pleasing and human element. It feels to me like that is not part of Polyphia's equation.

Is the song serving the musicians, or the other way around?

I like extreme music. I like Blotted Science and stuff like Cannibal Corpse and Gojira. I have no problem with mixing genres, but there are aspects and elements in Polyphia I personally don't prefer in my metal or extreme music.

I'd rather listen to Venom or Discharge, even though Polyphia are easily 1000% better musicians.

Sometimes it feels like modern artists over-emote...

I enjoy Blotted Science and pretty much all of Ron's work. It has crazy energy and groove.

 

[Greenmachine]

Classical music turned to eleven?

 

[4pickupguy]

Feels like precision is an adjunct output if not a goal for 'complex' music, gotta imagine computers would've been used in producing it 50 years ago if it were a usable t.ool (some of those bands had the latest synth/guitar tech at all times as I recall).

Couldn't remember their sound (and he doesn't play much in that vid^^) so I Googled Polyphia again, and yeah this ain't for me either. Yikes. I'd listen to Yes or the Dregs all day over this. Why did they film the drummer in the first one lol.



This one autoplayed after the first one. Vai, naturally. Lord.

There is some wonderful music out there. Just ran across Valeriy Stepanov. I must have married the only girl not repulsed by this music. She has already worked this song up. We hope to take a stab at recording it. It starts slow and dramatic and closes with pure girl repellent.

 

[Tyuk]

I enjoy complex music. Jazz/Rock, Heavy Prog, even some Tech/Math Metal. I'm not sure where Andy Timmons, Joe Satriani, Mark Lettieri, Steve Morse, etc fall. I consider them progressive rock, but I love those players styles and sounds.

It would seem that Polyphia, Animals as Leaders and Plini would be something that I would enjoy, but there is something that isn't clicking. Tim Henson is a huge talent. His playing is superb and very complex but I don't enjoy the sound. It is difficult (for me) to make it all the way through one of his tunes. I've come to the conclusion that it is largely due to the recording approach and the precision of the digital recording style. The lack of warmth is my perception. I guess my old ears like that warm sound.

I do like some of the 'newer' players sounds. Mark Lettieri has a great sound and feel, a monster talent. Lari Basilio is also a phenomenal player who has a sound I enjoy, although there are some tunes that are borderline because they lean in the sonic direction of the aformentioned players that I don't enjoy.
The video below is really interesting and helped me understand what I don't enjoy. The approach to recording and using the computer tools as an instrument is where the disconnect is, at least for me.

Intervals is a personal favorite of mine. I’m currently learning this:

 

[mr natural]

Not a new band but I inherited a copy of Snow by Spock’s Beard about a year ago. It’s a sort of neo-prog cross between Tommy and Lamb Lies Down. Technically proficient and occasionally brilliant but kinda gets samey-sounding after a while.

 

[loopfinding]

personally i like earlier prog stuff (60s, early 70s) because it was thinking about rock differently and taking into new territory. i think virtuosity and technical complexity were just one part of the whole package.

but i think krautrock really blew the lid off of so many things aesthetically in a way prog didn't. it's hard for prog after krautrock to not just seem like wankery, when krautrock and stuff that was influenced heavily by it goes to much broader and fresher places without having showing off or pedantry being front and center or a crutch.

if we're talking about more modern music that is "proggy," then i'd much rather listen to trans am or don cab or stuff like that. classic prog devices but not pretending that punk never happened.

 

[loopfinding]

easy to dismiss this as "hipster stuff", but as far as contemporary stuff i think these guys have a lot more of a fresh approach to classic prog devices than anything that's explicitly called prog, even if it comes off as a little tongue in cheek:



also just find it interesting having king crimson-y stuff contrasted with parts that sound like they're from a drive like jehu record.

 

[Alex_C]

Thrailkill plays a type of prog that I do enjoy. It is super technical, often atonal but it has that thing that I don't hear in the bands I mentioned in the OP.
I understand many don't like this style but I find it mentally engaging.