Contemporary??? Whats is it really??

[Kolstad]

I also think one point often overlooked for the contemporary discussion is that you need to know your genre really, really, really well!

You can't do something fresh and new, without recognizing the past, what's already been done, knowing the cliché's ect, in order to make choices that hasn't been done before. Sometimes it's even about knowing several genres really, really well, so you know what, how and when to import a trick from one genre to another.

So, to be contemporary is also very much about knowing music history, looking back, on top of follwing your instincts and using new tools. It's a game for true experts and innovators.. you really have to be great!

Sometimes we hit that by fluke, sometimes by research, sometimes never despite talent and knowledge. One thing is certain, though.. we have to keep at it!

[Kolstad]

Hello,

I am writing a contemporary pop song for radio and I noticed that the chorus I wrote, doesn't have that R&B vibe of todays music on the radio. Rather is uses a rhythm guitar 16 note strumming pattern. When I listen to pop choruses it sounds like it's really just drums with some light synth that plays a one bar repetitive pattern, and sometimes only one chord is used in the chorus. I question of this Is this what contemporary pop needs to be. I notice the vocals in the chorus will repeat certain words or phrases a lot.

+1 I've noticed that as well. I think about it as minimalist, but with very specific choices

Don't know if it NEEDs to be like that, after all, now that it's been done.. for a tv/film listing write, it's probably a good approach - for a record label listing.. you might need to foresee the next big thing.

Things often evolves in opposites, so after a minimalist trend.. the whole Encilada, might be it

[Casey H]

Taxi live stream yesterday was on this topic. Thanks Taxi!

http://bit.ly/i1XyDJ

Casey

[cherbear]

Yep - just finished watching the uStream from yesterday - good episode. Covered a lot of the "contemporary" questions.
Cher

[mojobone]

I bet we can look for more U-streams inspired by forum topics; it's tough coming up with a show every week!

[mojobone]

bump

[Ajetpackoperation]

By definition contemporary is whatever music people are into at the time - and that includes a lot of different styles and aesthetics. Current chart pop is contemporary, in that it's what the masses are mostly into right now - but artistically, it's anything but groundbreaking or innovative. It's mostly all watered-down versions of 80s synthpop. Gaga's new single sounds like a straight up rip-off of "Express Yourself". Chart music is popular because it's "safe" - which is not to say inherently "bad" but about as challenging as a loaf of bread. Most of the envelope-pushing stuff is happening in the independent scene. I'm very intrigued by artists like James Blake, Flying Lotus, and Glasser as well as bands like Deerhoof, Yeasayer, Menomena, and Circulatory System.

On the other end of things there's Daptone Records' Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, who've brought back 60s soul all the way down to production values and recording techniques. Reissue labels like Finders Keepers, Honest Jons, Trunk, Sublime Frequencies, and Dusty Groove have been very successful in bringing out old classics forgotten by time.

It's the Net age - old and new styles exist side-by-side with both influencing each other.

[mojobone]

Excellent point; contemporary and mainstream are often at odds, and yet some would define them as one and the same.

[ernstinen]

O.K. Guys! If I may chime in again on my new iMac (woo hoo --- Can't type on this sucker yet!):

My little sister came out to S.F. to tend to her old bro, who has been depressed.

She lives in Michigan, and is a "Here Come The Mummies" FANATIC! --- Remember how we would go see bands like YES, who were sensational live!? Wendy goes to EVERY concert within 200 miles to see "Here Come The Mummies!" It's an amazing Midwest phenomena. These guys live and breathe (I think!) in Nashville, and are the hottest band I've seen in a long time.

But CONTEMPORARY? A lot of young fans think they are. But us old dudes see the mix of Zappa & James Brown in their schtick. It's a great band, funny and sarcastic, but contemporary? I don't think so. But what the hey, they are signed artists and college professors hiding their real personas behind the Mummy uniforms. Good for them! At least they figured out how to make a buck.

Ern

[dynamicalan]

I appreciate Michael writing this post. I know he's very busy and most likely didn't have a lot of time to do so. I like the post and I think it's great. They are great comparisons, but sometimes it's not easy to bring those things to life, such as contemporary sounds. You can listen, but the sounds used, by the real expensive engineers, such as the ones used by the engineer who works on Lady Gaga's music; are untouchable to most musicians. The innovators win, such as in the case of Facebook. This project won; because it provided what a lot of people wanted at the time.

Great thread folks! Much to agree with, and all perspectives are valid.

We can all drive by a house and venture a decent guess as to when it was built. We can all look at fashion and peg the decade. We can all hear a piece of music and venture a good guess as to when it was produced.

What is often difficult is to hear one’s own music and understand why it sounds dated and not contemporary. True objectivity is hard to achieve!!

Styles change and yes, imitation of current styles is part of being contemporary. Friendster and MySpace, not contemporary, yet Facebook is. Yahoo, not so contemporary, yet Google is.

My observation is that part of being contemporary is building on today’s fashion or sound, or architecture and changing it up or improving it by a matter of degrees—like Google and Facebook did. It’s often the "immovators" who win. Maybe that’s due to complacency on the part of the originators. Maybe they don’t realize they need to keep innovating in small increments.

It’s really rare that a total game changer like the Beatles comes along. It’s GREAT when it happens, but more often than not, it’s incremental improvement that keeps the ball moving forward. Maybe the question to ask is, “What can I do to tweak this by 15%?”

What breaks on radio today was typically discovered by an A&R person 1.5 to 2 years ago. There’s a cycle to getting the contracts signed (6-9 months), making the record (6-9 months), marketing set up, etc. (6-9 months), so what is current today is often on the down side of the slope by the time we hear it.

While A&R (record companies) people who run listings with us typically site current acts as references, what they’re really looking for is something that sounds like a palatable and digestable improvement on what they’re referencing. That’s really hard to describe in a request. But, just like we can all spot a house built in the 20s, we can also hear something that’s fresh, new and exciting.

“I’ll know it when I hear it.”

When we understand what makes it fresh, new and exciting, then we understand what contemporary means. When we learn how to harness what makes it fresh, new and exciting, we are creating something contemporary!

Everything old is new again, but with a twist.

Michael