Oenyaw "oldie"

I'm not sure what to think.

I got into the 3rd minute of Achilles and the song seemed to be on the same chord.

Have I missed something?

I'm not sure what to think.

I got into the 3rd minute of Achilles and the song seemed to be on the same chord.

Have I missed something?

There's a lot going on in the background...But I have to agree, I'm not really getting it. 25 minutes is very long for a song these days. I can handle the length, I've become a big fan of Beethoven. Take his Ninth symphony for example, over an hour long. But even the last movement of that, which is about 16 minutes has 4 different movements in it. There is a lot of variation in the music, it revolves around the same theme, to hold it together, but there are a lot of changes. 25 minutes of the same sound, with minor, very minor changes, is hard to listen to, it doesn't hold the attention. The building intensity helps a lot here, but not enough.

Greenland seems to be better in this regard, offering more variety, but I'm halfway through it and it's been a half hour. I just don't have time to finish it. Well, not entirely true. If it was Beehtoven, I'd find the time, but only because I know it'll be brilliant. As a new artist, I don't think you'll find the devotion needed by listeners to sit through an hour of music and really listen.

I don't mean to me negative, maybe someone else will get it better than I do. It's really just very different from any music that I listen to, and I have fairly broad scopes.

You know, the most ironic thing about the Oenyaw thing is that I was trying to develop a music that listeners would not have to listen to. Music that could be played primarily for the intention of substituting the mindless, commercial onslaught of totally insignificant music which is produced primarily to sell itself. The aim was to create music that would exist in the background, enhance the silence without complicating the stress of the day any further than it already is. Music which would exist like a drawing on a blank wall. You don't want a blank wall, but you're not going to sit and study it all day, either. I have come to find out that the biggest problem now with my music is that people are actually trying to listen to it. I never expected anyone to listen to the stuff I was doing, the intention was for the listener to "use it" as a way to escape. I guess the joke is once again on me.

Another wierd thing is that I don't think I am ultimately original. Everything I am doing has been done. Maybe not in the same scale, or with the same equipment, but it has been done. I am merely combining things that have been done and releasing them in what I consider to be an original way. Despite these feelings, it seems to me that with all the questions I get along the lines of "I don't get it" which come from people familiar and unfamiliar with the "genre" of ambient/electronic music, I sometimes think "maybe I am doing something original here." This is why I have said that I have grown tired of the term ambient music and have opted for the genre of Avant-Garde Psychedelic Experimental. I would rather be classified as an impressionist, but catagories such as those used in the art world aren't usually accepted as ways of explaining music. The very few people that are "getting it" are expressing their acceptance.

As far as "getting it"(and not just my music but all music in general), I only ask "what is there to get?" It is there, it is art, and this is it's purpose. I could in no way explain a painting by Jackson Pollack, Kadinsky, or Salvador Dali. But it doesn't mean I don't like them. I consider it extreme arrogance for someone to say another person doesn't truly appriciate music such as Schoenberg or Cage because one needs a degree in music theory to truly understand it. The point I always try to convey is that one doesn't have to understand music in an advanced theoretical sense to enjoy it. Art is an expression of emotion, not a demonstration of conciet.

So with that out, here's a few statements from my website....
The study (of sitar and Indian music) taught me more about music in on year than I had learned in my entire life; the techniques of playing,theories of performance and composition changed my view point on music itself. I began practising acoustic guitar in many different genres, blues, bluegrass, folk, and ragtime, but I found myself selecting music on the basis of what some imaginary audience might appreciate. It's akin to painting your house and selecting the color yellow because you think a higher percentage of people driving by will prefer a yellow house over a green one. I had to be comfortable with the music I was presenting. I've listened to many different types of music from day one, and been drawn to electronic music since the 1960's. The road that got me to this place of present occupation has had many influential turns, and when you find that you are the type of person who's favorite Beatle song is "Revolution #9", you must accept that you will never be satisfied playing in a A minor/G/F band.

Electronic Music performance and recording had long been and expensive journey to embark upon. A few years ago, I began noticing the presence of the low-overhead performance, and certain products have developed a media which is quite easy to work with. The ability to use a guitar as a primary instrument over a synthesizer, the improvement in quality of small effects along with the ability to interface a home computer to manipulate sounds, and proceed with mixing and recording has evolved the entire process from massively expensive to incredibly affordable. One of the most overwhelming feelings of awe came from the mathematical discovery of the MP3 formatted disc.
No longer was I limited to the 80 minute constraint of an album release.

The aim of Oenyaw lies in the production of music that provides an ambient background, unconstrained by time through works that lasts longer than the average workday, or longer than the period of relaxation the listener requires, or deserves. Providing music that is not intended to attract total attention of the listener, but music that the listener can enjoy, leave, and then return to. Music that is not composed for the purpose of provoking awe from the listener, but music which could allow the listener to relax. I have read many definitions of ambient music, my two favorites are "silence enhancement" and "music that doesn't have to be listened to, but will present the listener with something of interest if the listener so desires."

What is Oenyaw about?
Long, forget about time. No drums, no vocals. Like being in the back of the casino playing the nickle draw poker machine until 5 am.

Why?
Because I wanted to do music that didn't end. I was tired of the switching, tired of "what should I put on next?" emptiness. If I have to
drive/travel for five hours, I want it to last. If I'm at work, and I put on a disc, I don't want to have to think about changing it before lunchtime. If I am at home reading a book, I don't want to have to get up if the book gets really good. Oenyaw is about not being disturbed. Oenyaw is about being alone, bored, nothingness, and enjoying it.

Who am I targeting?
Everyone that stays up late playing games or surfing the net or reads or draws or colors or does cross-word puzzels or any puzzle for that
matter.

"I like to draw."

By the way, thanks for listening. There's alot more on my website.

by the way,"Achilles" is one chord. E minor 13th. Each track is a different note at different octaves looped and slowly altered. Played on guitar, assembled on a computer.