AdamWoodBass Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 No words needed: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eTBc7aWBGw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eTBc7aWBGw[/url] Anyone seen anything else like this? If so post it up here! Ad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 This is stunning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stingray5 Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 +1 to both the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 (edited) Yeah, I saw Selene performed live in London a few weeks ago, from about 6ft away. It was the single most impressive displays of purist musicianship I've ever seen. Still gIves me goosebumps thinking about it! Edited November 11, 2009 by 51m0n Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 You need a mechanics degree & a user's manual just to play that bass!!! I can be impressed by it all, but find it self-indulgent and relates little to what I do. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 [quote name='geoffbyrne' post='651728' date='Nov 11 2009, 04:11 PM']You need a mechanics degree & a user's manual just to play that bass!!! [b]I can be impressed by it all, but find it self-indulgent and relates little to what I do.[/b] G.[/quote] Poor you, I find his stuff some of the most musical compositions I've ever heard. Each to his own I guess.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumfrog Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 as technically impressive as it is, doesn't do anything for me and I just want to tell him to leave his fecking tuning pegs alone for more than a few seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdgrsr400 Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Excellent stuff, I think he is one of the best of the bass ultra-virtuosos. I much prefer him to Alain Caron who leaves me cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgie Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 [quote name='Rich' post='651354' date='Nov 11 2009, 09:39 AM']This is stunning. [/quote] One of my favourite videos on YouTube. Some of his other stuff leaves me cold but this is just awesome. I watched it twice today, and might do so again now just the for the fun of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endorka Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 [quote name='bumfrog' post='651800' date='Nov 11 2009, 05:24 PM']as technically impressive as it is, doesn't do anything for me and I just want to tell him to leave his fecking tuning pegs alone for more than a few seconds.[/quote] I must admit to sharing some of this sentiment - does anyone else find that watching him bounces you out of the listening experience somewhat? Perhaps it is best listened to without the visuals. Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 If I only liked or listened to stuff that really relates to what I do, my playlists would be extremely short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Inspired me to go and play ... Davo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 [quote name='endorka' post='651839' date='Nov 11 2009, 06:04 PM']does anyone else find that watching him bounces you out of the listening experience somewhat?[/quote] It's his jeans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 You'd have thought he would have tuned the thing up properly before starting the recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 I've got to say, does nothing for me. Would much rather hear a Janek G/Tony Grey solo. I find the constant tuner adjustments intrusive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 I wonder if some of you (those mentioning watching him change the tuning being an issue) actually understand what he is doing and why? If you just listen to the musicality and dont worry about exactly what he is doing to achieve it then decide you dont like it I can completely accept that. But the fact is you cant play his stuff (whoever you are, Janeck,Tony, Vic or Bob Monkhouse) without changing the tuning on a 4 string bass. Thats the point of the bass he has, it allows him to produce music that is physically impossible to play on a normal bass. If you want to hear his soloing on a standard instrument in a group conttext, look for it, he is every bit the equal of any other player mentioned in that regard too. After all he was the Wyndham Hill label's in house session bassist for years, he might be rather good then.... Those of you saying it doesnt apply to you, well in that case neither does any music that you arent directly involved in stylistically or any instrument not used in a context you would normal play in. Dont ever listen to anything but that one style, you could learn somethig new, cant have that can we. No doubt I'm wasting my time saying all this, there are people who will discount his playing on the strength of his technical approach to achieving his compositional ideas on the instrumetn, or the fact that he plays a 3 octave fretless, or that he wears the wrong jeans, or that his instrument enables tuning changes on the fly, or that he makes use of eBows, or that he has a big nose (really). All that this does is make you all sound ridiculous though. Listen to how close minded and absurd the comments are. Clearly the man is a virtuoso performer. Clearly he is pushing boundaries in his solo work. If any of you who bothered to comment on his music and use of his instruments capapbilities had bothered to check his playing out in other scenarios you would know he is absolutely the real deal as a composer and (more importantly to a lot of you) a straight ahead bassist too in more standard bass situations. If any one of you can compose anything as beautiful as Selene (on any instrument at all) and has had some success with it, and is merely comenting on his composition then really I have no issue with you at all. But for all those who are complaining about how he achieves his own personal musical vision, please go back to the playground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamWoodBass Posted November 12, 2009 Author Share Posted November 12, 2009 [quote name='endorka' post='651839' date='Nov 11 2009, 06:04 PM']Perhaps it is best listened to without the visuals. Jennifer[/quote] I agree with this to be honest, I have listened to it without watching the vid and I still find it amazing. I think what is probably most staggering to me is that he's spent so much time figuring out how to create these tones with harmonics by using different tunings. It blows my mind that essentially he is constantly playing in a different tuning which in all honesty is testiment to just how good a musician he is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumfrog Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 [quote name='51m0n' post='652355' date='Nov 12 2009, 10:20 AM']I wonder if some of you (those mentioning watching him change the tuning being an issue) actually understand what he is doing and why? If you just listen to the musicality and dont worry about exactly what he is doing to achieve it then decide you dont like it I can completely accept that. But the fact is you cant play his stuff (whoever you are, Janeck,Tony, Vic or Bob Monkhouse) without changing the tuning on a 4 string bass. Thats the point of the bass he has, it allows him to produce music that is physically impossible to play on a normal bass. If you want to hear his soloing on a standard instrument in a group conttext, look for it, he is every bit the equal of any other player mentioned in that regard too. After all he was the Wyndham Hill label's in house session bassist for years, he might be rather good then.... Those of you saying it doesnt apply to you, well in that case neither does any music that you arent directly involved in stylistically or any instrument not used in a context you would normal play in. Dont ever listen to anything but that one style, you could learn somethig new, cant have that can we. No doubt I'm wasting my time saying all this, there are people who will discount his playing on the strength of his technical approach to achieving his compositional ideas on the instrumetn, or the fact that he plays a 3 octave fretless, or that he wears the wrong jeans, or that his instrument enables tuning changes on the fly, or that he makes use of eBows, or that he has a big nose (really). All that this does is make you all sound ridiculous though. Listen to how close minded and absurd the comments are. Clearly the man is a virtuoso performer. Clearly he is pushing boundaries in his solo work. If any of you who bothered to comment on his music and use of his instruments capapbilities had bothered to check his playing out in other scenarios you would know he is absolutely the real deal as a composer and (more importantly to a lot of you) a straight ahead bassist too in more standard bass situations. If any one of you can compose anything as beautiful as Selene (on any instrument at all) and has had some success with it, and is merely comenting on his composition then really I have no issue with you at all. But for all those who are complaining about how he achieves his own personal musical vision, please go back to the playground.[/quote] so because we don't like something you're willing to call us closed minded and absurd??? It's called an opinion and other people have different ones to you. Is it really that hard to accept? I can totally accept that this floats peoples boats and that's cool. But you sound like a preacher trying to convert people and you're coming off as quite frankly rude, eliteist and standing on a high horse that we can't hear you from because it's sooooo high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassy Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Neither of these do much for me. That's not just because I can't do it myself - there's plenty out there that I can't do (lets face it - practically all of it) that does do something for me. This simply does not. With all that fiddling with the D-tuner wouldn't he be better off with a five string? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 [quote name='bumfrog' post='652394' date='Nov 12 2009, 10:51 AM'] so because we don't like something you're willing to call us closed minded and absurd??? It's called an opinion and other people have different ones to you. Is it really that hard to accept? I can totally accept that this floats peoples boats and that's cool. But you sound like a preacher trying to convert people and you're coming off as quite frankly rude, eliteist and standing on a high horse that we can't hear you from because it's sooooo high.[/quote] Then I'm afraid you missed my point completely. I said I can understand and accept anyone whose opinion is that they dont like the composition, or they feel that in some way the playing was substandard (assuming they can back that up). You absolutely have every right to any opinion you like. If your opinion is that you dont like it cos he achieves through a technical means that 'doesnt float your boat' then I think that that is absurd and close minded. I dont care if he achieved this with 3000 green bottles on awall and a whole lot of puff. It is very very beautiful music. End of story. If that music doesnt float your boat thats fine, a huge amount doesnt float mine and I dont mind letting anyone know my opinion. But I dont think I've ever considered a piece of music that is brilliantly played, and very beautifully composed as being flawed as quickly as some here just because of the manner in which it is created. If I came off as being on a high horse, thats only cos of how low some of the comments seemed to stoop in order to bash this work. My apologies, I'll try and get down to the same level as everyone bashing it in future. I certainly am not 'preaching' - that would suggest I felt I might be able to convert some of you, and I dont really care if I do or not; but I do feel that people watching rather than listening, and commenting more on what they see than hear have totally missed the point. That is my opinion, and I have just as much right as you to make it. Any suggestion that this could be achieved on a five string is also showing a woeful lack of understanding of what he is actually doing to make this piece of music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 It still sounds like beaver documentary music to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='652481' date='Nov 12 2009, 11:49 AM']It still sounds like beaver documentary music to me.[/quote] Superb, I'd enjoy the documetnary in question far more for the soundtrack then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 [quote name='Count Bassy' post='652416' date='Nov 12 2009, 11:05 AM']Neither of these do much for me. That's not just because I can't do it myself - there's plenty out there that I can't do (lets face it - practically all of it) that does do something for me. This simply does not.[/quote] Fair enough. At least you didn't write it off on the basis of it looking weird. [quote]With all that fiddling with the D-tuner wouldn't he be better off with a five string?[/quote] Watch him carefully -- that's [i]four[/i] detuners on the headstock and at least two at the bridge. Good luck in finding a 5-string (or in fact an anything-string) capable of all the different tuning combinations possible with that lot (I can't be arsed to do the maths) For anyone not put off by his tunings or his trousers, there's a good interview [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121387"]here[/url]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 [quote name='Rich' post='652495' date='Nov 12 2009, 11:56 AM']Watch him carefully -- that's [i]four[/i] detuners on the headstock and at least two at the bridge. Good luck in finding a 5-string (or in fact an anything-string) capable of all the different tuning combinations possible with that lot (I can't be arsed to do the maths) For anyone not put off by his tunings or his trousers, there's a good interview [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121387"]here[/url].[/quote] Apparently its around about 10000 variations. I've no idea how he gets anywhere with it at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chardbass Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 I watched all of the vid before reading the posts- I have to say I find a lot of his stuff pretty stunning. I don't go out of my way to listen to his stuff but thanks for the link This piece can't really be compared to bass playing and risks being slated if judged from a meat n spuds bassist's point of view- listening to it without the visuals reminded me of a Koto or Shamisen piece. Very chilling. IMO when he plays like this he isn't a bassist- he's a musician/composer expressing himself through a (modified relative of a) bass guitar. I can't get my head around how you start composing a piece like this- I find alternative tunings a head mash and to mix this with hipshot-style detuners (I guess thats what he's using) If I had a hat on, I'd take it off to him. He's someone who clearly got bored of playing Mustang Sally early on. The bassist's world would be a poorer world without him and people like him- but the same could be said of players who haven't got bored of playing Mustang Sally. Music- you gotta love it and the people who create it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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