Ask Geir Hongro

Oh, if you have any whale recipes, feel free to pass them along for our edification.

Geir, which do you hate more... hip-hop/rap, or metal?

Geir do you have a last.fm account?

Also, this.

Geir, which do you hate more... hip-hop/rap, or metal?

This is kind of puzzling, because it depends on whether I am subjective or objective. I take it you mean extreme metal (death, speed, doom, black etc.) or the answer would easily be Hip-hop/rap.

But as for extreme metal Vs. hip-hop/rap:
I would say if I have to listen to either, I'd much rather go for hip-hop/rap. It isn't like I suffer that much listening to that stuff, and although there is some stuff I absolutely miss (melodies, often also harmonies), there is still some interesting stuff going on. Extreme metal, on the other hand, I just cannot listen to at all. 2 minutes of screaming and growling singers, restlessly banging drummers and extremely heavy Marshall riffs will just cause me to give up and turn off the entire thing - I just cannot listen to anymore or it.

On the other hand, I respect metal musicians a lot. There are obviously some extremely talented people out there, some fantastic instrumentalists, and also some rather talented and complex composers. And there may often be some really interesting and sophisticated musical stuff buried behind the wall of noise that I just cannot manage to break through.
My main beef with rap is in this area. I feel like they lack the talent - the skills that I prefer in music. It's a bit like punk, in that I despise punk's musical values, even though some of it may be nice to listen to. Hip-hop, in a lot of ways, is the punk of today's mainstream music scene, only the three chords and simple guitar riffs have been replaced by production, programming, sampling and looping. Nevertheless, I want music to be a bit elitist, something that you have to stick out a bit - be more of a musical genius than the man on the street - to ever be able to do - at least on a level where lots people actually get to hear your work. And that is my main problem about hip-hop - I feel hip-hop doesn't have those elements. I requires too little of its musicians (and "composers" not least), in terms of actual musical skills and musical schooling.

Because this last thing is important to me, I guess I prefer extreme metal in terms of those very important classical values that mean a lot to me. But I'd much rather listen to rap than extreme metal any way.

And I believe I made a last.fm account once, but I don't even think I remember it. They played way too much stuff that I felt didn't fit into the very narrow profile I tried to create, so I kind of gave up, having AOR played when I wanted sophisticated and musically complex melodic pop.

Geir, what do you think of OK Computer by Radiohead?

Geir, what do you think of OK Computer by Radiohead?

Does this answer your question? :)

Hmm well I was hoping for a longer post, but thank you.

Well, I do find it brilliant obv. The first half is really amazing, with "Exit (Music For Films)" being an obvious highlight for me. Thom's vocal performance and those synths creating the unrest in the chorus. Really great stuff.

What are your views of the direction modern music should be progressing in, in regards to its history?

Thank you.

Geir, since you're someone who makes synth/electronic music, I'm curious about two things:

1. Do you get interested in and excited about production, when working on stuff? Apart from the actual song you're playing, do you find it fun to play with or think about interesting sounds or interesting ways of arranging them in space?

2. I know that with a lot of popular r&b or hip-hop you often don't like the songs, but do you ever just think the production is interesting? Do you ever listen to stuff and decide that even though you don't like the song, you think it sounds pretty cool?

I just ask because I've heard one of your songs, which I assume you pretty much produced yourself, and I wonder if you ever listen to modern electronic-type pop and just think about the production aspects of them.

Well, I do find it brilliant obv. The first half is really amazing, with "Exit (Music For Films)" being an obvious highlight for me. Thom's vocal performance and those synths creating the unrest in the chorus. Really great stuff.

Which are your least favorite tracks on OK Computer, and why?

"Fitter Happier" aside, obviously.

Geir, Manchester United have just won eight in a row, three of which were at some point unlikely comebacks, to more or less seal the title. It's a great achievement no doubt, but in your view was this the last gasp of a team running on empty, or typical of great champions who will now go onto even better things?

1. Do you get interested in and excited about production, when working on stuff? Apart from the actual song you're playing, do you find it fun to play with or think about interesting sounds or interesting ways of arranging them in space?

Definitely. A good tune is most important of all, but I a good production makes it even better.

2. I know that with a lot of popular r&b or hip-hop you often don't like the songs, but do you ever just think the production is interesting? Do you ever listen to stuff and decide that even though you don't like the song, you think it sounds pretty cool?

Indeed, yes. Absolutely.

Geir, Manchester United have just won eight in a row, three of which were at some point unlikely comebacks, to more or less seal the title. It's a great achievement no doubt, but in your view was this the last gasp of a team running on empty, or typical of great champions who will now go onto even better things?

Depends whether Ronaldo will remain with the team ;)

Which are your least favorite tracks on OK Computer, and why?

"Electioneering" is a bit repetitive and boring. A bit like the guitar rockers on "The Bends", only without as strong a tune. "Climbing Up The Walls" I don't really have anything against, but it isn't quite as amazing as the rest either.

What are your views of the direction modern music should be progressing in, in regards to its history?

It may progress in any direction it wants to, as long as it remains rather conservative in terms of melody and harmony. Technology develops all the time, and using new technology is positive. As long as the songs and chords are composed in the traditional way at first, and the new technology is only used to "spice up" that afterwards.

:(

i know, only a month...

i take it this means dude is temporarily banned?

the not-even-crypto racism was certainly fucked but i can't help but admit that part of me feels sad tbh

finally the SB system does something right

It is you guys who are trying to make music into something else than just music. Music is all about how it sounds and nothing else. There is no quota for certain genders or skin colours, just sound and nothing but sound. Music is strictly music, and shouldn't be judged from any other criteria than strictly (head) musical ones. The world neeeds to get back to the values of German classical music in the 18th and 19th century.

Music sounds best when being melody/harmony oriented rather than rhythm oriented and performed by male voices. Now, it's easy for black people to make the former, and they probably well before or since to a larger extent than today. But no hope for female voices, sorry.

are we positive geir's a real person?

Do you reckon he'd pass the Turing test?

lol no

oh wow i didn't know about the female voices thing.

Wow.

lol, never saw the female voice thing before either, what a shame it'll never be explained

The female voice is the female voice and only the female voice. True complex harmonics can only be performed by the resonance of an adam's apple. Of course some female voices can be appealing in certain ways, with the right melodic structure :)

SB'd u for reposting

let's pour one out for our buddy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZE6HfWbg1E

this you, Geir?

geirbot

that is not a question iirc

Geir, what are your favorite albums that can be described as lo-fi? if you heard a record that was extremely well written (I'm talkin Pet Sounds quality) but rather shoddily produced, how highly would you rate it?

Geir, what are your favorite albums that can be described as lo-fi?

A lot of 60s albums would apply. "Face To Face" by The Kinks is horribly low fi, as in very very very badly produced. But it's still a great album because it contains great songs.

(Needless to say, I would have liked it way better with a state of the art production a la "Revolver" or "Pet Sounds" though)

that's funny, because Face to Face is the last album of theirs that Ray didn't produce. it's pretty flat and tinny-sounding, which is less of a problem on the garagey songs than on the more delicate stuff like "Too Much on My Mind" and "Rainy Day in June". I think Something Else was a pretty big leap in sound quality in terms of stereo effects and the sense of space surrounding each instrument, but I don't know if that has more to do with Ray's creative input than with improved recording technology. both, maybe.

Probably some kind of demand that even they would get access to better equipment. Pye was a small label with a small budget, and Kinks had to put up with really bad recording conditions for longer than most major acts.

Geir, are there any more recent albums (say, last 10 years) of which you're a huge fan, but would consider the production "lo-fi"?

Geir, what breakfast cereal do you eat?

Frosted mini wheats but only the white side

thanks geir

what is your favorite record sleeve?

Geir, are there any more recent albums (say, last 10 years) of which you're a huge fan, but would consider the production "lo-fi"?

Depends on the definition of low-fi and "huge fan". But "Phantom Power" is one of my definite favourite albums by Super Furry Animals. I don't know if it was low-fi per se, but it was a considerably cheaper and rougher production than the ones before and after it. Still sounds great though.

what is your favorite record sleeve?

Probably "Tales From Topographic Oceans".

As for acts I am not necessarily a great fan of musically, I absolutely adore this recent sleeve by Danish postrockers Efterklang:
http://onethirtybpm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Efterklang-Magic-Chairs.jpg

who is your favourite painter

who is your favourite painter

Not very into painting, but I guess it might be Dali or Margritte or somebody from that age.

Weird and absurd, but strictly figurative.
Which sort of parallells my taste in prog and 60s psych pop: Weird and absurd, but strictly tonal.

Geir, what breakfast cereal do you eat?

― glumdalclitch, Wednesday, 23 March 2011 04:51

LOL We usually don't eat cerals for breakfast in Norway. More like slices of bread. :)

oh.