10/12/09

From an interview in 'Explain:'

"I definitely feel like 'What is the point? What's the point of making music anymore?' I feel that the album no longer has a stronghold or has any real bearing anymore. The physical format itself is obsolete; the CD is obsolete and the LP is kinda nostalgic. So, I think the album is suffering and that's how I've always created-- I work with these conceptual albums in the long-form. And I'm wondering, what's the value of my work once these forms are obsolete and everyone's just downloading music? And I'm starting to get sick of my conceptual ideas. I'm tired of these grand, epic endeavours, and wanting to just make music for the joy of making music and having it be immediate and nothing to do with the industry itself, which, y'know is suffering right now of course.

And I think it has to do with a creative crisis too. I'm wondering what am I doing? What is a song even? I'm questioning, what's the point of a song? Is a song antiquated? Does it have any power any more? The format itself-- a narrative song with accompaniment-- is really beyond me now. Like, I feel that The BQE is not really a song, it's not really a movie, it's not really just a soundtrack. It's so ambiguous and diversified, it seems to lack shape. And the expressway itself lacks shape, so I feel like it's all related to this existential crisis: Me versus the BQE, or me versus my work, y'know? And I don't think I can win; I feel like it's a losing battle."

It's interesting, how no matter how valued your work is by total strangers, you can still feel like saying "well, fuck this." He's got an excellent concept of the album, and a good point about where it's headed. But I feel as though his epic, in-depth creations are kind of a diamond in the full-length rough of the past decade, something worth noting.

Looking forward to BQE, especially because I miss the view.

6/24/09

I like interviews. This was one of the more interesting and albeit colorful interviews with a musician that I've read in awhile, I like his attitudes about entertainment vs. art and his concept of rock and roll. Sure he's Marilyn Manson so that makes him kind of a dick, cause ya know, he helps inspire kids to kill, but if that's what the world is doing these days.....that's what the world is doing these days. Maybe it's just good to hear from a rock star. Or maybe I'm just watching too much 'Zeitgeist' these days. I think the point of free speech is to see how far it can go into offensive territory, where is the line between people's lives and rights and thoughts affecting each other?