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Question: Most Surprising Style Choice :: Total Votes:23 Poll choices Votes Statistics Native American ("Hiawatha") 1  [4.35%] Disco ("Guilty") 2  [8.70%] Scat ("Charlston") 5  [21.74%] Polka ("Polka") 0  [0.00%] Morris Dance ("Taurus II") 0  [0.00%] Flamenco ("Taurus III") 0  [0.00%] Reggae ("Gimme Back") 8  [34.78%] Hillbilly ("Moonshine") 1  [4.35%] Spaghetti Western ("Four Winds") 1  [4.35%] Other 5  [21.74%] Guests cannot vote

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Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: July 31 2008, 15:19 Which one really threw you for a loop? I admit I thought they were joking when people talked about Mike doing reggae. I was all 'Ha! That's a good one. But, seriously...' -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: July 31 2008, 16:24 Trance,on Light + Shade(better say,Shade) -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

Philippe Tavares Group: Members Posts: 1613 Joined: Feb. 2005 Posted: July 31 2008, 17:51 Quote (Sweetpea @ July 31 2008, 15:19) Which one really threw you for a loop? I admit I thought they were joking when people talked about Mike doing reggae. I was all 'Ha! That's a good one. But, seriously...' Sorry Sweetpea ! My English being limited , i don't know what you mean ! Can you explain a little bit ? ... I think Mike is good for making reggae . In the pool is really fantastic ! Is this what you wanted to talk about ? Really funny you're talking about reggae because my next piece of music has a reggae part ! ... Yeah man ! No particular style i hate in the music of Mike ... except maybe when he tries to make some .. " hard techno " ! Is this what you wanted to talk about ?  :-) EDIT @Tati ? nice new avatar ! Back to top

Philippe Tavares Group: Members Posts: 1613 Joined: Feb. 2005 Posted: July 31 2008, 17:59 ok ok sorry , just understood ! I vote " other " because for me there's no surprising style in your list ! Back to top

Harmono Group: Members Posts: 759 Joined: May 2005 Posted: July 31 2008, 18:17 @ Tubular Tos. Gimme Back is "reggae" and that's what Sweetpea was referring to, I guess? I voted "other" too. I heard there's a rap version of Sunlight Shining Through Cloud?     That's very weird. And not appropriate at all. Please tell me it's not true. Back to top

Philippe Tavares Group: Members Posts: 1613 Joined: Feb. 2005 Posted: July 31 2008, 19:02 @Harmono ... yes and it's a nice song . In fact i hadn't understood he wanted that we vote for the most surprising style . Back to top

Bassman Group: Members Posts: 548 Joined: Feb. 2008 Posted: July 31 2008, 20:24 @ Harmono.  The so-called "rap" version is only inappropriate if you have a dislike for rap.  In fact, it's quite a bit of a stretch to call it a rap version.  What it actually consists of is the same instrumental track stretched out to a shade under 6 minutes, the same choruses, and the vocal is delivered in the same lower-key spoken fashion.  The difference is that the verse lyrics have no connection whatsoever with "Amazing Grace", they are MO's own.  The words are more or less about a single person's efforts to overcome adversity.  It's worth seeking out for it's curiosity value. End of threadjack.   -------------- Turn up the music... Hi as Fi can go. Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Aug. 01 2008, 00:30 Quote (Tubular Tos @ July 31 2008, 19:51) No particular style i hate in the music of Mike ... except maybe when he tries to make some .. " hard techno " ! Is this what you wanted to talk about ?  :-) Since Mike is a rocker,the electronic experiments was a bit of surprise to me - especially on TB III,the first album I've heard from him in ages on my early days as a Mike Oldfield newbie almost 7 years ago. I don't think I'd consider what Mike has done on TB III and other "electronic" albums hard techno,I'd say it's a bit trancey...there are lot of tracks of that style that reminds me of some of the stuff Mike has done in the past. Trance(or european trance) means artists like Armin Van Buuren,Markus Schulz,Above & Beyond(one of their members used to do promo stuff for a few Mike's albums at Warner - Tony McGuinness),Tiësto,Paul Van Dyk,just to name a few. The BPM(beats per minute) of hard techno tracks are waaaay too far away from Mike's electronic tracks.In the past,people who isn't into electronic music used to say that everything coming from this genre was all techno...haha,it's normal Some trance tracks have repetitive piano riffs like TB.Try listening to Mike Foyle - Shipwrecked(John O' Callaghan vs Mike Foyle Club Mix).Even the sound of Mike on Tr3s Lunas can be found on tracks like Sunlounger - White Sand.Trance music is much based on melodies and soundscapes,like Mike's. Quicksilver and Nightshade reminds me of progressive trance.Romance and Lakme(Fruity Loops),uplifting trance,all because of their structure. Dunno why Mike's electronic tracks have got that trancey feeling in the air,he said on Changeling that the trance element he has found on electronic music has appealed to him during his clubbing days in Ibiza.Ha! That's it!   -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: Aug. 01 2008, 01:12 I'm sorry, Tubular Tos. I see that I could have been clearer. That's what I get for typing in a rush before heading out! Having listened to "Gimme Back" (which I really like) a lot, lately, I was thinking to myself 'Reggae is the last style of music I would have expected from MO'. Well, that or Klezmer music. So, I was wondering what other styles you guys thought were the most unexpected or the most artistically adventurous for Mike. -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: Aug. 01 2008, 15:35 The scat vocal bit on Charslton was always an odd choice....but it works.  And the Morris bit on Taurus II?Well if you're english it's wierd thing.Opinion here tends to either be that you get it and (secretly)enjoy it or you hate it.I'm guilty of sneakily liking it.Probably cos of it's pagan orgins (so much of English tradtional stuff is.....guess what a maypole represents). -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: Aug. 02 2008, 14:28 Quote (Tati The Sentinel @ Aug. 01 2008, 00:30) Quicksilver and Nightshade reminds me of progressive trance.Romance and Lakme(Fruity Loops),uplifting trance,all because of their structure. Dunno why Mike's electronic tracks have got that trancey feeling in the air,he said on Changeling that the trance element he has found on electronic music has appealed to him during his clubbing days in Ibiza.Ha! That's it!   I don't know much about 'techno' and 'trance', Tati. I tend to think of the former as harder or busier, soundwise, and the latter as more hypnotic or meditative. Is that right, or am I confused? I agree, that's another style that I found surprising. I should clarify that I wasn't surprised by his immersion in electronic music, but rather the very dance-oriented varieties. You've mentioned Ibiza, and I suppose that demonstrates the sort of influence one's surroundings can have. -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Aug. 02 2008, 15:20 I must say that, honestly, I don't understand those electronica labels at all. I'd say your description is quite accurate: "trance" is the faster, wider, more hypnotic, overreaching tracks; "techno" is the hermetic, claustrophobic attack on the ears; and "house" is the slower, more beat oriented stuff. But if I'm presented with a random club song, I'd be at a loss trying to say what it is; especially with the likes of Squarepusher, or Venetian Snares: there are so many labels that don't really seem to mean much that I feel quite lost. What I know is that I generally tend to like the music that resides somewhere in between those labels, not exactly in them - and that's why I adore Autechre and Squarepusher. As for the original question: among the list, "Spaghetti western" is the one I choose; in that track, it's absolutely unpredictable. I don't think it works, but it's certainly a refreshing choice. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Aug. 02 2008, 15:55 Quote (Sir Mustapha @ Aug. 02 2008, 21:20) I must say that, honestly, I don't understand those electronica labels at all. I'd say your description is quite accurate: "trance" is the faster, wider, more hypnotic, overreaching tracks; "techno" is the hermetic, claustrophobic attack on the ears; and "house" is the slower, more beat oriented stuff. But if I'm presented with a random club song, I'd be at a loss trying to say what it is; especially with the likes of Squarepusher, or Venetian Snares: there are so many labels that don't really seem to mean much that I feel quite lost. What I know is that I generally tend to like the music that resides somewhere in between those labels, not exactly in them - and that's why I adore Autechre and Squarepusher. I think it's easiest to think of it in terms of where those genres originated (didn't we have this same topic just a while ago, btw?): - Techno: originated when black DJs from Detroit started being heavily influenced by Kraftwerk (the earliest Techno, like Cybotron, is almost indistinguishable in sound from Kraftwerk). - Trance: Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Jarre with dance beats. - House: this is simply the electronic version of Disco music ("I Feel Love" by Donna Summer is a great example of a transitional track: very noticeably disco, but with a completely electronic instrumentation, as opposed to the large orchestras of earlier disco). - Jungle / Drum'n'Bass (those two terms are more or less interchangeable): originated in Jamaica, from Ragga music which is basically Reggae at double speed (hence the "crazy" drum patterns - in Jungle / D'n'B, speeded-up drum breaks from other styles are also used, like the famous "Amen Break" from an obscure Rhythm'n'Blues B-side). - Breakbeat: basically just another word for Hip Hop; created by rapping over endlessly repeated breaks from funk, disco, or other music, achieved by alternating between two identical records on two turntables. Squarepusher, Venetian Snares or Aphex Twin are a special case of Drum'n'Bass, usually (and pompously) referred to as IDM - "intelligent dance music". They basically cut up the usual drum breaks and reassemble them to form ever more complex patterns. All of this is of course oversimplified and to be taken with a pinch of salt; also, there is and has always been considerable overlap between all of those genres. Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Aug. 03 2008, 14:49 Quote (Tati The Sentinel @ Aug. 01 2008, 06:30) The BPM(beats per minute) of hard techno tracks are waaaay too far away from Mike's electronic tracks. Indeed, BPM are another way of distinguishing between the genres. Wikipedia's article on electronic dance music gives this system of categorization by someone most of us will be familiar with: Quote Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy set out a categorization of electronic dance music genres based on beats per minute (bpm) although no method of categorization is universally recognized:    * 60–90 bpm — Hip hop and Dub    * 90–120 bpm — Faster Hip Hop and Big Beats/"Trip hop"    * 120–135 bpm — House    * 135–155 bpm — Techno and Trance    * 155–180 bpm — Drum'n'bass / Jungle    * 180+ bpm — Hardcore, Gabber and beyond Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Aug. 03 2008, 16:38 Quote (Holger @ Aug. 03 2008, 16:49) Quote (Tati The Sentinel @ Aug. 01 2008, 06:30) The BPM(beats per minute) of hard techno tracks are waaaay too far away from Mike's electronic tracks. Indeed, BPM are another way of distinguishing between the genres. Wikipedia's article on electronic dance music gives this system of categorization by someone most of us will be familiar with: Quote Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy set out a categorization of electronic dance music genres based on beats per minute (bpm) although no method of categorization is universally recognized:    * 60–90 bpm — Hip hop and Dub    * 90–120 bpm — Faster Hip Hop and Big Beats/"Trip hop"    * 120–135 bpm — House    * 135–155 bpm — Techno and Trance    * 155–180 bpm — Drum'n'bass / Jungle    * 180+ bpm — Hardcore, Gabber and beyond Just adding the new so-called progressive(which means progressive house and progressive trance) - 125-130 bpm. -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Aug. 03 2008, 16:41 Quote (Holger @ Aug. 02 2008, 17:55) - Trance: Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Jarre with dance beats. That's it! And in a some sort of a way,even some of Mike's tunes.Lots of trance artists say that all those artists are major influences on their work,inclunding Mike Oldfield Quote (Holger @ Aug. 02 2008, 17:55) All of this is of course oversimplified and to be taken with a pinch of salt; also, there is and has always been considerable overlap between all of those genres. Oh yeah,nowadays the overlap is so huge that drives me nuts...as well as all those subgenres,what a confusion,even for those who are into electronic music Quote (Tubular Tos @ July 31 2008, 19:51) EDIT @Tati ? nice new avatar ! This angel featuring headphones is featured on a new tee shirt I've bought   -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: Aug. 06 2008, 05:55 Quote (Tati The Sentinel @ Aug. 03 2008, 21:38) Quote (Holger @ Aug. 03 2008, 16:49) Quote (Tati The Sentinel @ Aug. 01 2008, 06:30) The BPM(beats per minute) of hard techno tracks are waaaay too far away from Mike's electronic tracks. Indeed, BPM are another way of distinguishing between the genres. Wikipedia's article on electronic dance music gives this system of categorization by someone most of us will be familiar with: Quote Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy set out a categorization of electronic dance music genres based on beats per minute (bpm) although no method of categorization is universally recognized:    * 60–90 bpm — Hip hop and Dub    * 90–120 bpm — Faster Hip Hop and Big Beats/"Trip hop"    * 120–135 bpm — House    * 135–155 bpm — Techno and Trance    * 155–180 bpm — Drum'n'bass / Jungle    * 180+ bpm — Hardcore, Gabber and beyond Just adding the new so-called progressive(which means progressive house and progressive trance) - 125-130 bpm. And don`t forget to put a Donk on it??..  OMG this is bad. Err apparently a "donk" is the use of sidechain compression on a Roland TR909 kick drum..Yes of course it is.Don`t quote me on that though,I`m just quoting somebody else.If only Ktel and Ronco were still kicking around they could release an album called 20 Golden Donks.Or yeah The Best Donk Album In The World Ever. I don`t know if any of Mike`s style choices really surprise me that much at all to be honest.I think he`s pretty much covered everything now in his own unique way.It`s his own way of doing things if you like which always makes whatever particular style his own if you like.Maybe that reggae section on Amarok kind of threw me a little bit on first listen,so I`d possibly go for reggae here.Also when Mike released TSODE I was definetly a little surprised by all the drum loops and computer stuff originaly.Especialy taking into consideration some of the comments he`d been making about Stock Aitken Waterman and all that kind of sequencer based stuff just a few years prior.Mmmm technology in the wrong hands maybe?Of course originaly Mike recorded TSODE without any "organic" instruments at all.And then changed his mind apparently after he`d played his "demo version" to a few different people etc.Kind of makes you wonder how that would of went down if he`d decided to release it at the time though?Kind of makes you wonder what it sounded like? Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Aug. 06 2008, 10:12 I voted for "Other" as I chose the first time he went classical - Mont St. Michel. I think that if one listens to Voyager all the way through, the least probable thing that can be expected is a deviation into the classical/symphonic style, albeit a very soundtrackish/Hollywoodish one [not that MotS isn't partly in that style, but let's not go into that... ]. As an 'average' listener, you'd expect Voyager to stay Celtic up to the very end. And yet here comes the big, big orchestra. And it sort-of freaks you out. In the most positive sense. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4770 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: Aug. 06 2008, 10:46 Well, here's a related question: what genre - if any - has Mike not explored? Perhaps only the very precisely-defined classical categories, such as string quartet, cantata. Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Aug. 06 2008, 12:05 Quote (nightspore @ Aug. 06 2008, 16:46) Well, here's a related question: what genre - if any - has Mike not explored? Perhaps only the very precisely-defined classical categories, such as string quartet, cantata. Well, I'd say the very precisely-defined categories of any genre, really. I mean he hasn't done crust punk or microhouse or cool jazz... he's covered "everything" only in a very general sense, he's dabbled in this and that a bit. Can you say he's "covered" Balinese classical music just because The Wind Chimes contains a few hints at it? I'd say not. Back to top

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