SubscribeNow the art of recommending music to people is no new phenomenon; in the past you would usually rely upon genre specific publications, radio, or a trusted friend with similar tastes, to give you the latest low down on new music, film books etc. However, in these modern times of digital media wizardry, where most people use their computer to procure, store and play all their music, it's no wonder that some clever genius cottoned on to the fact that recommending music to those too lazy to actively search around themselves, could mean big business. So now there are a rash of websites, providing people with not just any old recommendations based upon their lowly, uneducated ear - or poncy, high-brow sneering one - but tailor bloody made to your own wonderful tastes!
And about time too, I hear some people say, after all that computers can do you'd think they can match the fact that some idiot who likes one blonde-generic-pop-bimbo is going to like their slightly skinnier and younger clone too.
So you've now got Apple's so called 'Genius Bar', along with Last.fm and, one other that I've road tested, The Filter. Ignoring the fact that a part of me feels that ones taste in music and film cannot be predicted by a computer or based upon five reviews given of totally unrelated films - I do actually use these things. They are rather helpful in some respects. I am a huge fan of Last.fm, though somewhat biased because the other two are new to me. However, of what I've seen I'd still say Last.fm was ahead by a mile. It works by adding a small application to iTunes or whatever media player you use, and then 'scrobbles' (that would be records, to anyone normal) the tracks you listen to. Simple as! You don't need to do anything else but listen to your music as normal and the more you listen, the more it can build up knowledge of what you will like.
I've downloaded loads of new artists thanks to its recommendations, and have to say they're pretty spot on. Although take your eye off it for one moment and an accidental scrobble of Will Young could seriously damage your overall taste. Also I don't think it's quite sure what to suggest when I've scrobbled a mixture of Huey Lewis & Robert Palmer, Chopin, Slipknot and Dire Straits all in one week.... this is where nothing can trump the human mind.
The Filter is slightly different in that it relies upon a similar application and also your own % ratings of artists and films. Apparently it also combines the two and will deduce something along the lines, that if you listen to a lot of metal you will like horror films. I think The Filter is a good idea, but I find the rating and reviewing a laborious task - and the range of artists limited - and I'd say it's also true that people only really rate artists that they like and know, and are also swayed by what they deem cool to like/hate.
The Genius bar is somewhat negligible to be honest. It obviously recommends songs on that which you haven't already got, and which other users have also bought, like Amazon. To be honest it's clearly a catch up/marketing ploy by Apple to get you to purchase more from the iTunes store.
All three of these sites however rely upon the other users and how many members it has. Last.fm not only goes upon matching up obviously related artists, but also on what other users are listening to in addition to the root artist. So, as with so many things, these sites are only as good as their users.
Merits and drawbacks aside...
I find it a fascinating concept that nowadays, instead of relying upon any number of reviews and critical opinions, thought up by people who may have spent years immersed in a certain genre of music - we now listen to a computer. Instead of weighing up the opinion of people who have actual human ears to hear music, or eyes to see a film, and form an opinion on it, as well as knowing the background and progression of the artist and their work - we now take the advice of a computer. There's something highly disconcerting and a touch Orwellian about the fact that we rely upon highly devised mathematical algorithms to tell us what to listen to and watch.
Numerous things are wrong with this scenario; 1) It highlights a catastrophically huge waste of time, effort and above all money - Peter Gabriel's The Filter has had $8.5million in investment - to think up highly intricate algorithms - so as to be able to see that someone who likes Iggy Pop may also like The Stooges!!
2) To hear Peter Gabriel talk about it, you can't help but get the feeling that in fifty years time we'll be living in a futuristic world where humans and thinking altogether will have become obsolete; instead we'll all be run by computers, with nothing left to do but breathe. Well why not ey?... apparently freedom of choice is a massive burden, especially when we live a "24hr lifestyle". In fact it would seem that not only do these gadgets free us from the total inundation of media the interweb provides us (which, granted is a problem) - but that overall these programmes are better at knowing what you'll like than your own self!
And there's the crux - a somewhat ethical question really - will there come a day when computers are better at making decisions than a human mind. It starts with simple things like deciding upon songs or which route you take in a car - all in a nice calming voice, until they eventually become wiser and they decide that the meatsacks they are helping out are worthless lazy lumps - and they'd be better of without us!
Or maybe I've been reading too much fantasy sci-fi? I mean I live in a world of magical seeds for god's sake...
Listening: Without You Here - Finch
I've been thinking a lot lately about why it is I and well ... everyone likes the music they do. Why are we attracted to the types and genres that we are? What does music say about us as people? The social impact of music is something which has intrigued me for a while so I thought I'd write down all my ramblings. I actually started writing this blog in May and it has taken me this long to figure out my thoughts into a somewhat coherent piece .... anyway here they are....
Music is possibly the most dominant form of entertainment there is and its importance within popular culture is undeniable. It seems that over the past decade its impact upon the social realm has grown. For a lot of people music and the social side of it are inseparable and it has grown beyond being just music and into a kind of social structure in itself. Like the structure of gender or age, musical preference, usually by genre, has come define a person's identity, lifestyle and even personality.
Whenever I meet new people, as I did just the other night in the pub, I find that one of the first questions that they ask is, "what kind of music do I like?". It's not that this really bothers me, more that it intrigues me as to why my music tastes are an important indicator to my character. Obviously discussing music and connecting with others through a shared love for the same artist or type of music is integral to social interaction. Entertainment of all kinds, be it music, film, art or theatre would never be as much fun if we could not share our passion for it with others. Yet music has gone beyond being something you 'just' listen to or share with others, it has become something which others seemingly base your whole character on.
Now when someone asks about music, a lot of people do so (consciously or not) in order to place you in the social category that goes along with it. It is this whole phenomenon of social labels based upon music, with which I have a slight problem. Labelling or making assumptions and judgements about a person's character & personality, based wholly upon the main kind of music that they enjoy is largely misguided. Yes we are all guilty of doing it, and in the large part music does provide a good character reference point, but is artist or genre really the best criteria by which to do so.
Music is something which is highly personal and provides inspiration, along with being a point for emotional release. Therefore a person's musical preference will say a lot about them. What attracts us to a specific genre is something which is an innate part of our character. Personally lyrics and melody are of the highest importance, as they are what I connect with, evoke emotion and inspire all sorts of different thoughts and actions. However, for some it will be the rhythm, beat & drive of the song. Others will hold musical expertise, instruments, melody, tone & depth to be definitive. Some want experimentation and sprawling intricacies, whilst others just want simplicity and structure.
I tell people that I mainly listen to metal, yet I have numerous different genres and artists that they would then not expect me to like. Thus when I answer the obligatory music question they are only really getting a small glimpse as to what I like and so to what my personality and character is like. Yes, metal is part of my identity and I like to express my personality to others by way of how I dress, tattoos and piercings etc... yet it is certainly not the main way in which I define myself.
Ultimately I feel that judgements based upon music, genres especially, are misguided. I feel that when asking a person about music, we should enquire about what it is in the music they hold to be most important. This would obviously take a rather in depth conversation, but provide a much better view of a person's character and personality. We don't always have time for this, and so either judgement should be refrained from, or we should all take a step back from viewing it as the most important character trait.
I do feel it that music is an important part of what makes a person, and to all that feel the same it will naturally reflect a large part of 'who' they are as a person and their identity. However, it is not quite the matter of life or death as some people like to make out. Some go too far in deliberately avoiding ever having contact with those they label 'emo' or 'new rave', just because the associated music is seen by them as awful or the followers to be fake. There are also many that view it as 'just' music and may not connect with it on such a deep or emotional level. Perhaps all of us should remember that music is meant to bring enjoyment, rather than the constant criticism and hating that is so prevalent today.
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I've also been musing over numerous other subjects of later, ever since easter I think it was. Suffice to say that during a uneventful and rather tedious holiday I realised that there are so many, many things in this world that I don't know about or haven't experienced and that I really ought to. Learning as much as I can about all the things that interest me is a goal that will remain with me in all the things I do for the rest of my life. I decided that no longer could I waste time on things that have no real meaning. There are films I should view, books I should read, places I should go and so many things I should do. However, an interest in such things remains the key. I will never force myself to read a book that I may not like just because I feel I ought to read it.
With my final year at Birmingham fast approaching what to do after does seem a daunting task. Thus, it was more of a general life realisation and not anything that needs to be immediate or have a concrete plan. I just want to make sure that I always keep this in mind so that I never regret not having done something. Meaning to life is paramount.
I was hoping that my summer this year would be better and more exciting but unfortunately I am going to be on crutches for the most part. It was in April that I dislocated my knee again for the third time in my life. I have now recovered but next week I am undergoing knee surgery to stabilise it for the future. The thought of surgery scares me a little as I've never undergone any before hand, yet dislocating it again is perhaps my biggest fear. Not just because it is the most painful thing I have ever experienced, but the fact that at any moment when walking or running etc it could just give way, as it did in April.
Everything else is well, essay and exam trauma were experienced as normal but survived! I've passed the year with a 2:1, a tad lucky I feel. Next year I definitely need to work harder, but as always I most probably won't change my habits...