Are we the last 'Hifi' generation?

There are no shortcuts. There’s certainly no ‘one-stop shop’ for the stuff I like and buy.

My techniques are to follow artists and record labels I like on Twitter, Bandcamp and YouTube, subscribe to the weekly new releases email of all the record shops I like (and also catch-up on the record shop best of year lists to see what I’ve missed). I’m a vinyl buyer so like to get in real early on some very limited releases so my approach is targeted to this, and most of the time it works. The key to this approach is just about everything is on YouTube, i.e. if something looks interesting in say the Rough Trade pre-orders list I can usually find a couple of tracks there and make a decision if I’m likely to like it, even if it is inly a track from a past single or album. I’ve also got a record shop so moving stuff on if I decide it doesn’t make the cut is usually easy, especially if it is a long-sold out limited issue.

The ‘forthcoming vinyl releases’ and ‘best of year’ threads in the music room here often turn up interesting stuff. I’ve bought quite a lot thanks to other’s recommendations here on pfm across many genres. There’s a lot of great stuff floating around.

 

My intention wasn’t to knock Beato, I like him and subscribe to his channel. He’s one of the good guys. His musical analysis is amazing, especially on jazz, Joni etc. I just see him as very biased against electronic music, and very pro a type of classic rock that I don’t really connect with. I’d actually love to see his reaction to some Aphex Twin, Squarepusher or even Stockhausen. The most ‘out there’ he gets seems to be say Radiohead or Keith Jarrett, both of whom I love. I’d still like to see him analyse say Coltrane’s Interstellar Space!

 

Despite dwindling numbers I don't think audiophiles will become extinct. The audiophile population has not passed the lower threshold of individuals needed to ensure that inbreeding effects do not dominate. We might get to that point, but the breeding audiophile population is not perilously low yet.

But, more to the point, the Human Genome Project has isolated and stored copies of key audiophile genes, so in principal if the species became extinct it could be resurrected once genetic techniques are developed. It's a decade or more away, but it's certainly feasible and more than likely.

The main audiophile genes stored by the Human Genome Project are the following —

• The what-if gene: This gene is the one that makes an audiophile wonder, "Hey, what if I tightened the bolt holding my tonearm just a bit more?" or "What if I give valves a go after decades of using solid state amps?" Sometimes it takes the form of putting coins under spikes after nailing equipment to the floor because what if the spikes are making things worse.
  
  
• The box gene: This gene predisposes the audiophile to keep the original box kit came in just in case an upgrade is on the horizon and the item is more likely to be sold with an original box rather than something picked up at Staples and packed with Styrofoam peanuts or bubble wrap
  
  
• The monkey crap gene: This gene predisposes the audiophile to stop and squat so ears are in the sweet spot when entering a listening room of a friend or a hi-fi dealer's showroom
  
  
• The 25-seconds of the amazing LP gene: This gene makes the audiophile play the first 25 seconds of a sonically treasured album to either evaluate new equipment or to show off the hi-fi to rivals; note duration: exactly 25 seconds, no more, no less
  
  
• The remove grille and press woofer gene: Self-explanatory, but in case this behaviour is unfamiliar it's performed whenever an audiophile is wondering if something is wrong with the system (see what if gene); this gene is often co-expressed with the touch metal dome tweeter gene
  
  
• The careless whisper gene: This gene makes it possible for an audiophile to hear a female singer's breath with greater clarity than the singer's voice; this gene is found only in male audiophiles —Y chromosome-linked, obviously
  
  
• The ability to evaluate kit from YouTube videos: Despite lossy compression and cheap laptop speakers, this gene gives audiophiles the ability to assess kit from videos online; it's a form of super hearing despite having tinnitus and hearing loss around 8–12kHz in the left ear

I think the species will survive. And the genes are safely stored — cryogenically, no less! — should the unthinkable happen.

Joe

 

It isn’t a new thing either, e.g. I’d rate Grandmaster Flash’s The Message as one of the best singles ever. Just one repetitive loop and vocal for 8 minutes or so, and the 12” sounds astonishingly good from an audiophile perspective too. Complex certainly doesn’t mean good.

I watched his current chart video and liked a couple of them, e.g. the SZA (I nearly bought the album when it was released a month or so ago). I almost liked one of the others too. My main criticism is I personally hate auto-tune and it is still everywhere for some reason that escapes me. To my ears it is more of a cliche than even DX7 or D50 presets were back in the ‘80s. It has to date soon, surely? Every now and again it crops up in something I really like, e.g. Yeule’s Glitch Princess from last year, but most of the time it just sounds so lazy and formulaic.

I’ve no idea how the Spotify charts work or how regional they are. I was certainly surprised how much latin stuff always ends up in the one Beato selects, though doesn’t appear to be in the list when I google ‘spotify chart’. I assume there are more than one. I’m not a subscriber so can’t really dig in too far here.

PS For techno with Beato chords:

 

Likewise, he is an astonishing musician. I love the Shobaleader stuff where he assembled a live band to play the seemingly impossible sequenced Squarepusher stuff.

Fair enough, and I’ve an appropriate helping of that stuff in my collection and a lot of memories from various clubs in Liverpool and That London.

PS A lot of the best music in many genres is long and repetitive IMO, e.g. Krautrock, stoner rock, space rock etc. In the classic rock arena I’d take early Hawkwind or The Stooges over anything by say Led Zeppelin. Real masters such as Can could stretch a groove over a full album side and keep it interesting: