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I think the end of musical subcultures may be significant. It used to feel like there were many isolated musical bubbles, separated by geography or language or

I think the end of musical subcultures may be significant. It used to feel like there were many isolated musical bubbles, separated by geography or language or social class or simply aesthetic choice, and each one would develop its own unique musical idiom. Every now and then some cultural explorer would bring one of these idioms back to the mass market, introducing a new flavor into the pop music melting pot, and a surge of innovation would occur. Of course the flow of attention back into the previously-isolated musical subculture tended to be destructive, as far as its inhabitants were concerned; the musicians who rode the wave out to mainstream popularity were often scorned and labeled sell-outs, for making private profit at the expense of the community which had supported them. When there is no more isolation, all music shared everywhere over the internet all the time, how can a unique new cultural strain develop? When any new ideas one musician comes up with just get dropped into the global soup, instead of taking time to ferment in a smaller, more focused environment, how can any distinct new genre emerge? It seems like we are seeing a different model of musical creativity, which is likely to be broader and smoother; more gradual global drift and fewer irruptions.

est31 4y ago
> When there is no more isolation, all music shared everywhere over the internet all the time, how can a unique new cultural strain develop? When any new ideas one musician comes up with just get dropped into the global soup, instead of taking time to ferment in a smaller, more focused environment, how can any distinct new genre emerge? The bar of checking out a new genre has gotten lower than ever, yes. But I don't agree that it's one big global soup now. Recommendation systems of Soundcloud/Spotify/Youtube often give you stuff from the same genre/niche of music when you listen to a given niche, and conversely they don't recommend you stuff from unrelated niches. So small niches might not be discovered by average listeners unless they are going viral. Furthermore, the gatekeepers of the mainstream are still in full power. Things like radio stations, shopping mall music, etc. all are still controlled by a small elite. Even social media platforms often perform curation of things featured on their front or even trending pages. So there's still often a "this isn't going to work with average listeners" kind of decision going on, done by a human.
tomc1985 4y ago
I'm not so sure about the end of musical subcultures. The house/techno/dnb underground here is still strong, there are events focused around those genres every weekend and during the week here. I almost went to a warehouse party last night but was worn out from walking all day. And I just got back from a festival in another part of the state that was almost exclusively bass music. And this is completely separate from the larger festival circuit, EDC/CRSSD and the like. I actually don't like going to bigger festivals, the vibe is all wrong and its way too bro-y. The subcultures are still there, they're just not easily organized or present on Spotify. I judge a DJ by how easy it is to Shazam all the tracks he plays, the good ones aren't getting their shit off Spotify thats for sure My sis has been diving headfirst into goth culture, and exploring their musical palette. She goes to events centered around the music they listen to. And on and on.

est31 4y ago

> When there is no more isolation, all music shared everywhere over the internet all the time, how can a unique new cultural strain develop? When any new ideas one musician comes up with just get dropped into the global soup, instead of taking time to ferment in a smaller, more focused environment, how can any distinct new genre emerge? The bar of checking out a new genre has gotten lower than ever, yes. But I don't agree that it's one big global soup now. Recommendation systems of Soundcloud/Spotify/Youtube often give you stuff from the same genre/niche of music when you listen to a given niche, and conversely they don't recommend you stuff from unrelated niches. So small niches might not be discovered by average listeners unless they are going viral. Furthermore, the gatekeepers of the mainstream are still in full power. Things like radio stations, shopping mall music, etc. all are still controlled by a small elite. Even social media platforms often perform curation of things featured on their front or even trending pages. So there's still often a "this isn't going to work with average listeners" kind of decision going on, done by a human.

tomc1985 4y ago

I'm not so sure about the end of musical subcultures. The house/techno/dnb underground here is still strong, there are events focused around those genres every weekend and during the week here. I almost went to a warehouse party last night but was worn out from walking all day. And I just got back from a festival in another part of the state that was almost exclusively bass music. And this is completely separate from the larger festival circuit, EDC/CRSSD and the like. I actually don't like going to bigger festivals, the vibe is all wrong and its way too bro-y. The subcultures are still there, they're just not easily organized or present on Spotify. I judge a DJ by how easy it is to Shazam all the tracks he plays, the good ones aren't getting their shit off Spotify thats for sure My sis has been diving headfirst into goth culture, and exploring their musical palette. She goes to events centered around the music they listen to. And on and on.