If the best the algorithm can do is establish that my YouTube needs ALL of the couples food touring Dublin because I watched one, then I may have to be disappointed in my few remaining years. If only Justin Timberlake had been successful resuscitating MySpace, where actual people decided who they wanted to hear . Best of luck with the new album!
A hard relate, Stewart. It’s taken until now and my son being a teenager for the YouTube algorithm to stop randomly offering up the 200th new variation on Baby Shark. Or Spotify to stop popping something from the Cars movie soundtrack into a playlist. It’s only taken a decade😂
Stunningly erudite as ever…and a bloody good read too! Being slightly long in the tooth, my musical horizons were definitely broadened by offshore Pirate Radio in the 60s and 70s - yes, they were probably (definitely 🤣) paid to play them, but some were very good, although there was a period on Radio Caroline where you could certainly have too much of “The days of Pearly Spencer”…. In the 80s GLR in London was a beacon of “new” music…then the streamers came along and the wireless took a back step 😢
I think Radio Caroline was done by the time I was a music mad teen but by virtue of living closer to France than the UK I’d tune in to the French equivalents which played some really great stuff, totally different from what we were getting on UK radio. I’m a big fan of some of the weirder online radio stations you get these days, partly because they’re passion projects but also because it’s a human not an algorithm offering up some really eccentric choices. If you fancy a dose of random and weird every now and then, you can’t go wrong with Resonance FM. My son is also a fan of something called Colourful FM which plays a mix of soul/jazz/hip hop and feels a lot like 1980s specialist radio. And the presenters are very sweet.
Oh my, that is sooo many Last Christmases, Nerina! I didn't realise you'd done one! We clearly still believe in George Michael! Sang it at choir last Christmas, and I'm not sure whose arrangement that one was, but I was a tad weary of it by the end.
Fond memories of seeing you at Ryde Theatre yonks ago. Love your music. And I was really touched to see (via Kathryn Flett's Substack) that you performed at the concert for her late son in July.
Thanks for subscribing to my Substack. I don't know what happy algorithm was at work there, apart from maybe human curiosity, but that's made my day!
I think at this rate every musician that has ever lived will have covered it😂 Well when I saw your profile bio and it said Just Seventeen that was it for me! I was OBSESSED as a teen - thank you - and then you had me in stitches when I started reading your posts. Consider me a fan Wendy xxx
As someone who drives an electric car that begins with the letter "T", and who has no knowledge of what an "ouroboros" is, this week's newsletter resonated hard :/ x
Mark I think you’d love the book then. It offers much food for thought, well beyond the realms of music. I feel like we all have a collective opportunity, and even more important, responsibility at this point in AI’s evolution to make sure that we really do chart a course that best serves the future of humanity. I’m not madly keen on governments intervening too much - the UK government’s history in tech is pretty crap to be honest - but it’s crucial that we nail it as best we can.
Thanks so much for letting me know about Timo Elliott. Having just had a look at the link I realise I’ve seen loads of his cartoons - but never credited.🙁
I don't have spotify, prefering to buy and own music, and thus give the creaters a fair(er) wage for their art, but I do think there is value in the discover idea; it can be a useful addition to a number of ways of finding new music. Of course, as you say, it's based on a self-serving idea, and without consumers accurately identifying derived music likes, then it's imperfect. And frankly, it's too general most of the time, music is too personal to be railroaded into segmentation. Genres are mostly bullshit, too difficult to categorize. What genre should your music sit in? Apart from "bloody marvelous" of course, but I've yet to see that category; maybe when you encode your next album, that should be the category?
What a great essay Nerina, I couldn't agree more with your point.
I started reading Jonathan Taplin's first book years ago and while it's not just about music, it touches on some of the issues (or the beginnings of) you've pointed out. Well, pretty normal, you could say he had an agenda having been Dylan and The Band's tour manager. More recently, both the state of music and the effect AI will have on it have been the subject of popular YouTuber Rick Beato. There are people who probably don't like him, but IMHO he hit the nail on the head.
As for me and music, I still buy CDs when possible. As bulky as they are, it's the best appreciation for what you do. Streaming services are of no interest to me, except maybe to discover some new artist, or music I didn't know I needed.
You cannot beat vinyl, cd or even cassette tapes, I don't care if they take up more space than a squillion streamed songs..My son doesn't understand my need to still want to purchase physical manifestations of my favourite artists. It isn't just about respect, it is about the artwork and the design effort that goes into tbe packaging, it is all a part of thr experience.
Recorded music is now essentially, free, and has been since the days of Napster. I don’t know why artists waste money on making CDs any more. The irony of vinyl resurgence being a novelty purchase at a higher price-point still confuses me. Who would have thought an exercise in compromise trying to fit a 'best of' compilation of analogue sound frequencies onto a piece of plastic with a limited lifespan would be the new sliced bread? I'll bet there wasn't an algorithm predicting that one!
I only buy FLAC releases now on Qobuz. I don't need the dust-gathering of any more physical objects - bar the 2-drive NAS box backed up to cloud storage sitting on the floor. Humans have become out of control hoarders. Do I really need to own those 5 snare drums when I can only really physically gig one? Does the listener care if I tracked my drums in an old studio live room or I recorded at home using state-of-the-art VST tech? No they don't! They're here for the song and the 4 minute emotional uplift - or an invisible shoulder to cry on.
Do people even consume music on an album basis any more or do they let Spotify decide on a random playlist? As creators and collaborators, we must ask ourselves these questions before we spend cash recording our performances for hopeful scrutiny in an overcrowded market place with a dwindling ROI.
My generation enjoyed the ‘algorithm’ of creating in lazy rock-star mode. The young don't have that luxury. They must be astute travelling minstrels, business-savvy hustlers with an eye on their social media 'likes'. It's no country for old men.
Love hearing your voice Nerina! I first heard Idaho as a cover version on harp guitar by a Korean artist taken by Herman Hesse’s Knulp to name herself after the book/character.
Great newsletter, Nerina. As a sadly lengthy comment, particularly relating to AI and the headlong race of technology, my view is that we are down a rabbit hole from which there is no escape. Let's face it, humanity is always playing catch-up, we can't even successfully legislate the Internet, or hold the tech giants to account as things stand. I recommend a book entitled Novecene: The Coming Age Of Hyperintelligence, by James Lovelock, in which he theorisies the next phase of evolution, from the Anthropocene age we are currently in.
As far as music is concerned, I'm definitely old school, with only occasional song save or research on the streaming platforms. Long live CD and Vinyl as far as I'm concerned! 🤖❤️
If the best the algorithm can do is establish that my YouTube needs ALL of the couples food touring Dublin because I watched one, then I may have to be disappointed in my few remaining years. If only Justin Timberlake had been successful resuscitating MySpace, where actual people decided who they wanted to hear . Best of luck with the new album!
A hard relate, Stewart. It’s taken until now and my son being a teenager for the YouTube algorithm to stop randomly offering up the 200th new variation on Baby Shark. Or Spotify to stop popping something from the Cars movie soundtrack into a playlist. It’s only taken a decade😂
There is a problem with AI - it can build algorithms, without a logic process being clear. And it's no better than the data it was "trained" on.
Audit is HARD
Stunningly erudite as ever…and a bloody good read too! Being slightly long in the tooth, my musical horizons were definitely broadened by offshore Pirate Radio in the 60s and 70s - yes, they were probably (definitely 🤣) paid to play them, but some were very good, although there was a period on Radio Caroline where you could certainly have too much of “The days of Pearly Spencer”…. In the 80s GLR in London was a beacon of “new” music…then the streamers came along and the wireless took a back step 😢
I think Radio Caroline was done by the time I was a music mad teen but by virtue of living closer to France than the UK I’d tune in to the French equivalents which played some really great stuff, totally different from what we were getting on UK radio. I’m a big fan of some of the weirder online radio stations you get these days, partly because they’re passion projects but also because it’s a human not an algorithm offering up some really eccentric choices. If you fancy a dose of random and weird every now and then, you can’t go wrong with Resonance FM. My son is also a fan of something called Colourful FM which plays a mix of soul/jazz/hip hop and feels a lot like 1980s specialist radio. And the presenters are very sweet.
Oh my, that is sooo many Last Christmases, Nerina! I didn't realise you'd done one! We clearly still believe in George Michael! Sang it at choir last Christmas, and I'm not sure whose arrangement that one was, but I was a tad weary of it by the end.
Fond memories of seeing you at Ryde Theatre yonks ago. Love your music. And I was really touched to see (via Kathryn Flett's Substack) that you performed at the concert for her late son in July.
Thanks for subscribing to my Substack. I don't know what happy algorithm was at work there, apart from maybe human curiosity, but that's made my day!
I think at this rate every musician that has ever lived will have covered it😂 Well when I saw your profile bio and it said Just Seventeen that was it for me! I was OBSESSED as a teen - thank you - and then you had me in stitches when I started reading your posts. Consider me a fan Wendy xxx
Thanks so much, Nerina. Glad you're enjoying.
It was a blast to work on Just Seventeen during the boom years. Best job ever. Delighted to hear you were an avid reader! x
As someone who drives an electric car that begins with the letter "T", and who has no knowledge of what an "ouroboros" is, this week's newsletter resonated hard :/ x
This generated multiple light bulb moments in me. (Just with my own small-to-medium language model.)
PS Timo Elliott is your AI museum cartoonist. Some other chucklesome ones here... https://timoelliott.com/blog/cartoons/artificial-intelligence-cartoons
Mark I think you’d love the book then. It offers much food for thought, well beyond the realms of music. I feel like we all have a collective opportunity, and even more important, responsibility at this point in AI’s evolution to make sure that we really do chart a course that best serves the future of humanity. I’m not madly keen on governments intervening too much - the UK government’s history in tech is pretty crap to be honest - but it’s crucial that we nail it as best we can.
Thanks so much for letting me know about Timo Elliott. Having just had a look at the link I realise I’ve seen loads of his cartoons - but never credited.🙁
I don't have spotify, prefering to buy and own music, and thus give the creaters a fair(er) wage for their art, but I do think there is value in the discover idea; it can be a useful addition to a number of ways of finding new music. Of course, as you say, it's based on a self-serving idea, and without consumers accurately identifying derived music likes, then it's imperfect. And frankly, it's too general most of the time, music is too personal to be railroaded into segmentation. Genres are mostly bullshit, too difficult to categorize. What genre should your music sit in? Apart from "bloody marvelous" of course, but I've yet to see that category; maybe when you encode your next album, that should be the category?
And a very merry Christmas to you too!
What a great essay Nerina, I couldn't agree more with your point.
I started reading Jonathan Taplin's first book years ago and while it's not just about music, it touches on some of the issues (or the beginnings of) you've pointed out. Well, pretty normal, you could say he had an agenda having been Dylan and The Band's tour manager. More recently, both the state of music and the effect AI will have on it have been the subject of popular YouTuber Rick Beato. There are people who probably don't like him, but IMHO he hit the nail on the head.
As for me and music, I still buy CDs when possible. As bulky as they are, it's the best appreciation for what you do. Streaming services are of no interest to me, except maybe to discover some new artist, or music I didn't know I needed.
Thanks for reading.
You cannot beat vinyl, cd or even cassette tapes, I don't care if they take up more space than a squillion streamed songs..My son doesn't understand my need to still want to purchase physical manifestations of my favourite artists. It isn't just about respect, it is about the artwork and the design effort that goes into tbe packaging, it is all a part of thr experience.
Recorded music is now essentially, free, and has been since the days of Napster. I don’t know why artists waste money on making CDs any more. The irony of vinyl resurgence being a novelty purchase at a higher price-point still confuses me. Who would have thought an exercise in compromise trying to fit a 'best of' compilation of analogue sound frequencies onto a piece of plastic with a limited lifespan would be the new sliced bread? I'll bet there wasn't an algorithm predicting that one!
I only buy FLAC releases now on Qobuz. I don't need the dust-gathering of any more physical objects - bar the 2-drive NAS box backed up to cloud storage sitting on the floor. Humans have become out of control hoarders. Do I really need to own those 5 snare drums when I can only really physically gig one? Does the listener care if I tracked my drums in an old studio live room or I recorded at home using state-of-the-art VST tech? No they don't! They're here for the song and the 4 minute emotional uplift - or an invisible shoulder to cry on.
Do people even consume music on an album basis any more or do they let Spotify decide on a random playlist? As creators and collaborators, we must ask ourselves these questions before we spend cash recording our performances for hopeful scrutiny in an overcrowded market place with a dwindling ROI.
My generation enjoyed the ‘algorithm’ of creating in lazy rock-star mode. The young don't have that luxury. They must be astute travelling minstrels, business-savvy hustlers with an eye on their social media 'likes'. It's no country for old men.
Love hearing your voice Nerina! I first heard Idaho as a cover version on harp guitar by a Korean artist taken by Herman Hesse’s Knulp to name herself after the book/character.
Great newsletter, Nerina. As a sadly lengthy comment, particularly relating to AI and the headlong race of technology, my view is that we are down a rabbit hole from which there is no escape. Let's face it, humanity is always playing catch-up, we can't even successfully legislate the Internet, or hold the tech giants to account as things stand. I recommend a book entitled Novecene: The Coming Age Of Hyperintelligence, by James Lovelock, in which he theorisies the next phase of evolution, from the Anthropocene age we are currently in.
As far as music is concerned, I'm definitely old school, with only occasional song save or research on the streaming platforms. Long live CD and Vinyl as far as I'm concerned! 🤖❤️
What a great classic jazz lineup in the link to Hear, O Israel. Worth the price of admission 😁