One of the hardest balances to strike as a musician (or any kind of artist) must be finding your own balance between accessibility and experimentation. Move too far in either direction and you’ll be accused of pandering or pretention.
I’ve started to notice that some of my favourite songs come either from experimental artists who briefly branch out into accessibility, or from overly accessible acts that aim for more complexity.
This week’s song probably fits into that first category. Or, strangely, both.
Geoff White is a producer who makes fairly straightforward techno. However, under the name “Aeroc” (eye-rock) he made a pair of albums that are much more out-there and demand more of the listener; a classic example of an accessible artist putting out a tough-to-access album.
But on his 2004 release Viscous Solid, this week’s track, “Blue Eyed Bitter”, stands out as a melodic, almost breezy listen. An accessible entry on a tough-to-access album.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. On the album, each song transitions into the next with no dead space, and so “Blue Eyed Bitter” begins with an eerie, unsettling synth pattern from the previous track.
2. After just 12 seconds, that eeriness is interrupted by a sparkling acoustic guitar.
3. Although the bulk of the song is quite mellow and traditionally pretty, each sixteenth note is punctuated by a subtly glitchy percussive sound. This keeps the listener on edge just a little from start to finish.
Recommended listening activity:
Going to an event slightly over-dressed.