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Geek Culture / Artsy Music

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TheComet
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Posted: 20th Jul 2013 17:40
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When I say "artsy", I mean music which shouldn't be listened to as plain old music, but should be viewed as a piece of art, just like you would view a picture in a gallery or museum.

Here is one example from the band How To Destroy Angels from their album Welcome Oblivion. This song is just a fraction of what the album is about. In order to understand, you need to listen to the entire album and not just one song. The album has so many layers of interpretations, it's a fantastic work of art.



This next one is from the band The Golden Palominos titled Ride.



Does anyone else know any music which can be considered a work of art? Please do share.

TheComet


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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 21st Jul 2013 11:35
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Quote: " just like you would view a picture in a gallery"


To mind mind that would ruin the experience. I hate galleries. My mum and sister were always into art, so they dragged me to galleries, not the sort of thing I was able to appreciate.

However, my uncle loves How to Destroy Angels.

I am a lover of a project called 'Ayreon', it's basically a Dutch guy (called Arjen) writing concept albums and getting various metal vocalists involved. Essentially each album has a story and each singer represents a different character, so in essence you've got an opera, but it's powerful and it's pretty epic. The stories are science fiction (and by jove, yes, I believe science fiction gets to be art too).

This is from their album, The Human Equation. Basically this is set present day and it follows a man (sung by James LaBrie of Dream Theater fame) who had a car accident who's facing all of his demons inside of a coma. Around him he's got his wife and best friend trying to get through to him. There's multi singers representing different parts of his mind, including Mikael Akerfeldth (Of Opeth, representing fear), Devin Townsend (as Rage) and Arjen himself as the best friend.

This video is basically the main character encountering visions of his father in his coma. The Ayreon albums use a plethora of different styles and I've found it to be a unique experience, albums you're supposed to listen to in one sitting, rather than picking songs to listen to.

To give you an idea of how styles vary, here's another track from the same album. This is Arjen singing as the best friend sharing fond memories with Jame LaBrie (who sings a little) to try and bring him out of the coma.


Making of the album:


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Wolf
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Posted: 21st Jul 2013 12:11 Edited at: 21st Jul 2013 12:11
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Aaron Miller
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Posted: 21st Jul 2013 12:32 Edited at: 21st Jul 2013 14:35
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Edit: I withdraw my entry. It's based on personal preference.

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Neuro Fuzzy
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Posted: 21st Jul 2013 13:19
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Merh, I'm not convinced this isn't 95% personal preference and 5% art. But to add something I'd consider art but am aware I'm not unbiased enough to be certain... a man tears out his heart in studio :3

The album revolves around references to Anne Frank and the holocaust, so, artsy is correct.

Or, waaaay more pop-ey, less serious (awesome 2nd chorus):



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Melancholic
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Posted: 21st Jul 2013 14:52
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Tool fits perfectly for this,



Also worth a mention, Blut Aus. Not to every bodies liking but certianly abstract.



However, if were nominating albums that are meant to be listend to in one sitting, you cant get away with not mentioning these greats:






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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 21st Jul 2013 15:12 Edited at: 21st Jul 2013 15:13
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Pink Floyd should be an obvious one here. But I can't pick a single song, so I won't.

Oh and this one has the word 'art' in it. In my eyes it's an excellent song, comes with some decent lyrics. Yes, it's 30 minutes long, but hey.



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Softscale
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Posted: 21st Jul 2013 15:16
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Does this count?




Maybe I just associate 'artsy' with bizarre and unconventional..

Or perhaps, "Storm Corrosion" by Storm Corrosion, from the album Storm Corrosion.



Or the whole album, for that matter.
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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 21st Jul 2013 15:53
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Quote: "Or perhaps, "Storm Corrosion" by Storm Corrosion, from the album Storm Corrosion."


Yes! And it's a very odd album at that. Now that's 2 albums with Mikael Akerfeldt in it, oh what the hey, shall we add a third?

This album is called 'Heritage' and it was Opeth's attempt at doing something progressive and something different to what they normally do - breaking their own mould as artists, some love it, others hate it. But I think it should be listed because it's an example of a band who make music that feels right and not music to please other people.

I don't think it constitutes as 'artsy' in the way people tend to mean it, but then to me "art" and "artsy" are two completely different things. "Art" is an expression, it's being creative and making something that 'feels' right and can having meaning, whereas "artsy" carries a certain pretense, the attempt to create something for the sake of it being considered 'art' (in turn not being artistic).

This song plays out in being very folkish (hence the name), but it really picks up and it has a great outro.


Heck, I'd consider something like Skunk Anansi as art, the vocalist has a really powerful way of getting her message across.
(May offend)


This is lyrical rather than musical, but this poet, Kate Tempest, I think is fantastic. I was one of her opening acts at my uni, I had heard her stuff prior (hence I was really excited by it), though I only knew of her stuff through Brian 'Yap' Barry's work (of One Minute Silence's fame).
(warning: language)


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JLMoondog
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Posted: 22nd Jul 2013 10:07
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I'd have to say Metropolis Pt2 by Dream Theater.

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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 22nd Jul 2013 19:18 Edited at: 22nd Jul 2013 19:19
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If you love Dream Theater you might like the Ayreon album I listed. James LaBrie sings the majority of the vocals, much of the album is highly progressive, so I suspect it's something a DT fan would appreciate.

The two videos I posted didn't really have him singing. Here's one where he's got a bigger part.


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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 28th Jul 2013 16:43
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Here's something else, I know, it's more metal. But it's one of those obscure bands. They're called Haggard, they're from Germany, they did a whole album dedicated to the life of Gallileo and one also dedicated to Nostradamus. They sing in English, German, Italian and Latin.

Whilst they are symphonic, they don't cheat like other bands, so instead of using synthesisers, pre-recorded instruments or stand-in orchestras, everybody who performs is a member of the band, making a total of 19 members. It's interesting to see them trying to fit on a small stage. I saw them Wacken 2007 and they're playing again this year. I know some will find it difficult to stomach the combination of doom metal and classical, but I don't think they get the recognition they deserve, but for some strange reason they seem to be most popular in Mexico.

This is the title track of the ablum Eppur Si Muove.



More info about the band

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Melancholic
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Posted: 28th Jul 2013 19:23
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Can't have a thread like this without some Isis!




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budokaiman
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Posted: 29th Jul 2013 00:15
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Björk
An obvious choice of artist, but totally fitting. Every album's sound is based around a different theme, Medulla (the album the above song is from) was almost completely acapella (it has a few synths on a couple songs, but that's it). It's a brilliant, but often overlooked album from her discography.


Emerson, Lake & Palmer
An old, but great band. Their lyrics are some of the best, and they've got an interesting sound.


Falling Up
They released two new albums earlier this year. One of which, was a concept album that was based around a novel that they had written (that was released only as an audio novel at the same time of release as the other two albums).


Fates Warning
Fates Warning were Dream Theater, before Dream Theater existed. Blending many different genres with metal to create a refreshing sound for their time.


Palms
Palms are the instrumental musicians from Isis combined with Chino from Deftones. They wanted to stay away from the Isis image, so Palms is more of an ambient/post-rock sound than Isis.


Porcupine Tree
Anything with Steven Wilson should be on this list. That includes his solo project, Storm Corrosion (already listed), No-Man, Blackfield, Bass Communion, and others.


RJD2
RJD2 may not seem to be as "artsy" as the other bands on this list, but I included him because what sets him apart from other electronic musicians, is that all his music is made from custom built hardware synths.


Sigur Ros
If you want to get invested in decyphering the lyrics of this band, which are all in a made up language, have fun.


Symphony X
Blending neo-classical sounds with progressive metal, and writing epic poems of lyrics, Symphony X totally belong on this list.


Voivod
Voivod have a strange, but unique sound. Few bands have such a distinct sound that can still be fresh after 30 years.


"Giraffe is soft, Gorilla is hard." - Phaelax
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Doomster
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Posted: 29th Jul 2013 02:18
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No idea why "Loveless" wasn't mentioned yet. There's something about these subtle, bittersweet melodies amidst the warm fuzz. So easy to lose track of time, being completely absorbed into the sound. Picking apart every layer.


Part ambient, part folk, completely heartfelt even when there's a language barrier. "When Spring comes" is definitely one of my favourite albums.
Like "Loveless" the album just flows, no uneccesary sections anywhere, no distractions, progresses perfectly.


Atmosphere's ike your sitting in the forest, eavesdropping on every sound nature has in store. Intimate, natural.


Angelic voice, some electronic elements and orchestral instrumental. Vague and emotional.


No lyrics, not even voices. Yet the song transmits emotions so effortlessly. One of the best moments in Post-Rock, fo'sho!


Layers upon layers, all intertwined and hold together by a simple riff and quiet vocal delivery.


Spoken word with hand-made music. At times peaceful, at times hard as nail, but always in perfect harmony.


Same thing applies here.


Alcest, 'nuff said.


No idea what it is about The Echelon Effect that's so captivating, but there's something special in every song.
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Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 7th Aug 2013 11:32
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In response to Symphony X, I raise you a Rhapsody of Fire.

20 minute long song, but it's a fantasy fiction in music and well put together. Oh and yes, that is Sir Christopher Lee narrating.



They also did a song singing with Sir Christopher Lee, which I thought was pretty awesome.



I also find it pretty awesome that Christopher Lee himself is in fact a metal head.

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Reese80
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Posted: 17th Sep 2013 14:49
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I think I might add Bjork to this thread, she's genius musician, her music is insane. Also I can recommend Asa Chang & Junray and Fever Ray, I think that they fit in into this concept as well.
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Rudolpho
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Posted: 18th Sep 2013 23:37 Edited at: 18th Sep 2013 23:38
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Haha, funny to see so many songs / artists I regularly listen to on a "weird" music list.

Anyway, to list some really "artsy" music...

A Hole in a Cloud, a Cloud in a Hole (yep, it's artsy enough that it has that kind of name and isn't readily available to the masses through youtube).




Maybe this is more some kind of tibetan folk music than odd through artistry.




Well, that one is maybe more odd than artsy but still.


And then for something that I guess can be classified as "artsy" too, but in a much more... pleasurable way? (in my opinion that is) than the above:



Edit: fixed the youtube embed tags.


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Libervurto
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Posted: 18th Sep 2013 23:51 Edited at: 18th Sep 2013 23:51
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I've been listening to Django recently:



Formerly OBese87.
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Metal Devil123
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Posted: 20th Sep 2013 21:39
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Although Ghost seems like a simple enough band at first, there's just something very unique about their style and they manage to get a haunting feeling in some of their songs. Some just seem more doom-ish (as in end of days), which is great too.


May contain content which one could find disturbing.


Anything from Tool could be considered (and SHOULD be considered) a piece of art.


But these are all pretty subjective. I don't like the use of the word "art" in the way of 'art games', 'art movies' etc. It just makes me think "okay, how boring and how pretentious is this one going to be?" (can be considered ironic since Tool is my favorite band, but oh well).

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