Summer pop-up share #3

[potzorbie]

Not every one wants to play games.

[Psyclon]

I actually like the idea! When I click through my treasure chest, I often choose the ones with a very flamboyant or otherwise eye-catching cover or tracks that I seem to have developed a pattern for (e.g. I start with Track A, scroll down 2x with the mousewheel and then see another well-known cover et cetera). When I lie in my bed with the tablet, my earphones makes it impossible to lay in any other way than staring at the ceiling. I do not want to do sit-ups in order to see the screen so I usually just tab the cursor buttons randomly to select something outside of my view and hit enter. I am more than often surprised what tracks I have, try to find out the artist, the year, the library and I just keep ... listening.

Likedeeler has a cold-as-ice approach, which I think is refreshing (no pun intended). I was recently thinking that this forum lacks discussion or some kind of "review" of albums. They just say "thanks", "thanks (%uploader%)" and such, but nobody really seem to enjoy the music - it's more about the "hunt" I guess. I could talk about each of my track that I choose, because I carefully selected each of my 1,002 tracks and easily dismissed half a dozen thousand tracks (Parry LP was 1,000 main and underscore already).
In the end, it's his choice to share and let us discover and we gotta respect that instead of disgruntle him from further courage.

However, ahem... as a vivid tagger myself, I would also like to know what album it is and who did it. What about a reveal after the link has been put down or some other compromise? The reason for that is simple: I want to find my tracks again afterwards. "Likedeeler Jazz Track 7" sounds more helpful than it really is afterwards, when the collection grew. . . Discovering music also means to branch out. But if I don't even know the people behind the tracks, the discovery, ironically, is over instantly.

[Greta]

It's rummy how two people here already, pretend to know the way other people understand/listen/face the music.
And even labeling people with epithets!

We got profilers at LMT, lol!!

[Psyclon]

Is called "being a profiler" in a slightly snarky way not an epithet, too..?

I try to leave the implications in-between the lines out of this response: I do not pretend anything actually. It's a very simple and clear observation over the past months. There has been a mininum-attention thread of "What is your favourite album if you are trapped on an island", which sparked very little interest or any converstation at all. Over the course of over a half a year. For a discussion forum, not much discussion is going on about the matter - music. It is mostly about tags, libraries, "filling the gaps". You know: The theoretical stuff. The hunt. The folder on your computer that has another entry. As likedeeler said: Catalogue numbers, release years, composer aliasses, compilation LPs,... There is one user that really just asks about re-ups and has a post count >200. That is stamp collecting at its best!

I can talk about my music (and I often did), I appreciate the uploads here actively, tag my stuff properly, sit down and even remove stickers from cover photographs on Discogs with careful photoshops, look for proper and correct data over hours on Japanese websites, even contact the studios (with mixed results) and donate here and there - you know, the full spectrum of enjoying music and the communication with likeminded people. Or so I thought. Reading "thanks" after Sub uploaded two very rare disks for 2 pages on the forum is somewhat lackluster IMO. You can do that, feel free, no obligations whatsoever, but Likedeeler tries a different approach and I like that! What's wrong with trying to spark interest rather than the monotonous "Thanks" after receiving a oh-so super rare LP that you looked after for a decade? Where is the "understanding" of the music in that regard? Isn't LMT a great place to actually be happy together that something rare has been shared. I mean, the term "sharing" is already very positive. "Handing out", which is happening actually, not so much.

I mean, this very thread shows it evidently that people are way more miffed about the lack of tags but not actually talking about the music he shared.

What a great opportunity to use this thread to be more open how you understand, face and listen the music, innit? I'd be very interested. That is up to everyone's discretion, that is alright with me, but then LMT is just degraded to a place to silently grab albums.... LMT is an amazing place, and I told you so several times. But this overall strangeness here is awkward. I feel like I just stepped into a private club and dared to expect too much -- exchange about and general interest in music. 

I think I will just grab albums silently now too, even though my goal has more than be fulfilled. LMT is an amazing place, but sometimes, the vibes are just strange . . .

[nidostar]

PS If I remember correctly you recently said that, for you, "it's all about the music". Here is the chance to prove it to yourself.

(No, I didn't do this because of your statement. I've just noticed the connection.)

@likedeeler thank you. You're one of the few people who actually listen to what I say!!  .

Yes it is all about the music but people listen in different ways and their interpretation of what they hear depends on a number of things including their cultural origins and the type of music that was being played around them when they were growing up. I suspect that the type of music I enjoy listening to and would consider "good" would not necessarily be your cup of tea. But, as I said before that doesn't make me right for liking it or you wrong for dismissing it. That is actually the joy of the sort of music available on this forum - there will always be something that will appeal to someone.

Often once someone has found a particular library that appeals it's not unreasonable to expect them to search for further examples. To describe them as as "stamp collectors" is a little disingenuous since you don't know their particular circumstances. @Psyclon refers to a member who has a post count >200 who consistently requests re-ups. I think we all know who that is but we don't know their background. Should we not consider that this could be someone who has just discovered library music and is, pretty much like the rest of us, wanting to broaden their knowledge and experience? Anyway, there's no obligation on any of us to share a particular album if we don't want to.

Clearly the lack of tagging has unnerved some members and that is entirely up to you. But I think we need to respect concerns that members may have in this regard rather than deride them. As for me I would only want to know the title/artist of a piece of music if I enjoyed it so that I could find more examples of that artist's work. Though I hope that wouldn't be considered "stamp collecting". On this occasion it is not the case because the music wasn't really up my street.

Finally, I quite like @Psyclon's idea that we develop an opportunity for more detailed discussion of the music available on this forum. We just need to be careful it doesn't get too nerdy or create a hostile environment where members become overly defensive of their precious albums. It's important we respect everyone's views and not be offensive.

Thanks @likedeeler for prompting this discussion.

[Greta]

Everyone is free to have the approach to music they like. And mind, I don't judge, as quite everybody else here.

What I am really sick of, is people spitting their judgements.

This is an epithet:
"frustrating-the-stamp-collectors"

This is a baseless claim:
"nobody really seems to enjoy the music"

That's what you've been doing here, spitting your judgements after people you know nothing about.


And I'm over with this.

[likedeeler]

Everyone is free to have the approach to music they like. And mind, I don't judge, as quite everybody else here.

What I am really sick of, is people spitting their judgements.

This is an epithet:
"frustrating-the-stamp-collectors"

This is a baseless claim:
"nobody really seems to enjoy the music"

That's what you've been doing here, spitting your judgements after people you know nothing about.

And I'm over with this.

Did the shoe fit?

[likedeeler]

Inspired by the thoughtful comments of Psyclon and nidostar, let me perhaps relate some aspects of my experience.

During the time I have been able to observe interactions on this forum, several users -- who had proved themselves to be an asset -- left because they were obviously repelled by an atmosphere that may be characterised as superficially friendly and latently hostile. One case happened quite recently. It was not the first, and it will likely not be the last.

Since the crash in September the environment has noticeably changed, and I don't mean improved. Two and a half years of content were lost. I have been less inclined since then to put effort into posts or comments. Because it's not so much the rips that should be deplored but the conversations. I had always read them with interest. They were often enlightening. They're all gone. Along with 300 of my own contributions.

The loss revealed serious negligence on the part of technical admins. An unforced mistake of this magnitude must not happen. Anywhere. Ever. It would have been easy to avoid. The nonchalance with which that loss was shrugged off subsequently I found astonishing.

Saying "oooh" and "aah" and "thank you, [insert nickname here]!" a thousand times cannot substitute actual communication, however restricted it may be by having only letters to express oneself. Being "nice" to each other should not come at the expense of vilifying critique, discussion, doubt or a challenging thought. But here, at times, it apparently does.

The varnish of niceness is also thin. When it cracks, what then shines through is rather unattractive.

There is a tendency to interpret remarks of others in the most unforgiving way imaginable, as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

The disposition of users to engage themselves in the overarching theme of this forum -- namely (library) music and its enjoyment -- is limited.

The incessant talk about upgrades, about closing gaps and completing runs is tiring, and it's a self-deception. A very large part of the recordings of phonographic library records floating around is of low quality (I am only speaking of lossless files here). Unfit for actual enjoyment in an adequate listening situation. The problem is not crackles, the problem is overzealous rippers who treated their recordings with automatic de-clickers and de-noisers. And don't let's start about labels who treat their own products with disdain.

Then there are the heroes: Andrew, roope, Rocco, a8detective, Retronic, [(Sub)] and others. Without their excellent recordings and generosity this forum would not exist. They keep dropping their pearls into a bottomless, ever-greedy maw that only really reacts when a link does not work. Or when a file is corrupted (that will be me, usually).

Knowledge, of which music is the highest expression, pleasure, of which music is the foremost origin, fellowship, for which music is the keenest inspiration, is largely absent.

The row is ticked, the gap is closed, the tags are made, and on we go.