Does better technology lead to worse music?

In a recent interview with Synth History, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor talked about his long relationship with synthesizers. The interview is full of advanced gear geekery, but in the most quoted passage, he suggests that the universal availability of electronic instruments has made music less interesting.

That goes back to the old question: do process and effort matter in creating art, or is it only about the end result? Photographers have faced a similar revolution in their craft. What used to be a long process to get it right in the camera and the darkroom can today be done in seconds on a smartphone. Yet a sizable group of photographers still believe that shooting film yields superior results. But would the majority of consumers ever see the difference?

The gamut of different tastes in music is more significant than in photography. Is there a reliable way to judge if a song is better if produced on hundreds of thousands of dollars of studio equipment or on a $1,000 laptop? Some argue that computer emulations can never sound as good as real hardware. On the other hand, it is already virtually impossible to bring music to the listener without going digital at some point.

Trent Reznor himself uses all kinds of gear and software to create his music, has a lot of experience, and knows what he wants. At the same time, younger musicians may be drowned in the abundance of possibilities when they have dozens of software synths readily available. That may prompt them to scroll through thousands of presets in search of an idea rather than being creative with their limited available gear. Indeed some of today's pop songs feel like the producers could have spent more time to make them interesting.

Technology enables more people than ever to produce and distribute music. Fortunately, Trent Reznor does not miss the high entry barriers and gatekeepers of the past. "I think lowering the bar where anybody - my kids have access to an entire studio on their laptop, and most of it came with the laptop, you know, that's pretty cool," he says.

At glamglare, we believe everybody's music is worth consideration. We may not like it sufficiently to write about a song, but we always appreciate that it has been made. So read on for the seven songs we picked for our blog last week.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to all our daily song picks on our playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.

WAKE – Spoon

Wake is the artist name of Alex Ingram, a singer/songwriter based in Hull, northeastern England, who just released the beautifully melancholic “Spoon.” The track starts and ends with a compelling, wistful guitar solo, enveloping the story and the deep, raspy vocals singing it. Asked about “Spoon,” Wake says:

Lyrically the track may come across as something quite depressing and harrowing but I wanted to create something musically with a positive vibe, that represents my struggles and the various ways I’ve tried to deal with my emotions while maintaining a positive attitude. I’ve always wanted to have my music out there in the world but lacked the confidence to perform in the studio, or on stage. Now, thanks to the support from people at The Warren, I’ve been enjoying opening up and telling my story, hoping others will relate and not feel so alone.

Music is the ultimate connector, and we are looking forward to hearing more from Wake! Listen to “Spoon,” our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with Wake here.

Emma Miller – Meet Me on the Lake

“Meet Me on the Lake” is an intense song about coming to terms with loss. Scottish singer/songwriter Emma Miller does little more than singing over a lone piano line, but you still get the entire range of her emotions.

“Meet Me on the Lake” is the new first song after Emma’s 2020 EP “Set Me Down.” Listen to our Song Pick of the Day on your favorite streaming service or below on YouTube:

Declan Welsh and The Decadent West – Mercy

Scottish indie-rockers Declan Welsh and The Decadent West gear up for their sophomore album, and the new single “Mercy” promises greatness! To celebrate the single’s release and the upcoming album (for 2023), the band plays a hometown show at Glasgow’s iconic Barowland Ballroom on November 18th. That brings back treasured memories for me, when I saw The Might Lemon Drops at said venue, basically when I was as young as Declan and his bandmates. And while time passes and a lot of things change, one thing does not change: the tremendous difficulty of overcoming addiction, which comes in many different shapes and forms, which inspired “Mercy.” Frontman Declan Welsh says about their new song:

It’s about how hard it is to chuck habits. Drink, cigarettes, drugs, food, social media, people, relationships – everyone’s been in a situation where they are in a bit of a loop of wanting to walk away from something and getting sucked back in. It’s what the song sounded like, not the real lows of that kinda thing but the last remnants of the high, when you are still getting something from it but you’re starting to know you’ve got to give it up sometime soon. The Id and the Superego battling it out and the Id winning for one of the last times”.

The band could enlist Gianluca Buccellati (Arlo Parks, Easy Life, Biig Piig) to produce their upcoming album and this should be exciting!  Listen to “Mercy,” our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with Declan Welsh and The Decadent West here.

Jenny Newman – Danish Boy

Miss summer already? LA-based singer/songwriter Jenny Newman takes you right back to a carefree transatlantic fling with an exchange student. That is when everything feels intense and right because you know you have to live it while it lasts.

Jenny gives us some background about the song:

“I wanted the vibe of ‘Danish Boy’ to make people feel the same genuine happiness and excitement for life that the relationship gave me. It’s kind of a time capsule of young love and blissful naivete.”

Watch the video for Song Pick of the Day, “Danish Boy:”

Brothertiger – Be True

Brothertiger, the musical project of singer, songwriter, and producer John Jagos, has announced his fifth studio album, Brothertiger. Throughout the past one and a half years, the gifted Brooklyn-based artist released a flurry of singles in his soft and dreamy style, always irresistibly catchy and never dull. Produced alongside longtime collaborator Jon Markson (Drug Church, Cathedral Bells, Can’t Swim), the self-titled album is accompanied by the new single and music video “Be True.” The track feels like a personal anthem but at the same time, universally applicable: be true to yourself, don’t lose your focus but follow your dreams. When asked about the track’s inspiration, John says:

I had this syllabic rhythm in my head for months and I felt like I needed to make a song around it. It had this specific ‘90s RnB’ vibe to it which I loved. That evolved into the mantra of the song, and from there, I just built around it. Then Jon came in and we added specks of detail all over. I love how heavy it became.

I am a huge fan of Brothertiger, and a day starts well when I can listen to a new single of his or any song really from his previous four albums. “Be True” might be a new favorite, perfect to wind down or whenever in need of a sprinkle of sonic happiness. Have a look and see if Brothertiger plays a show in your city when he goes on tour come November. I have yet to see him live -in a venue- myself, but thoroughly enjoyed Brothertiger’s virtual concerts, which were a fantastic beacon of joy during the dark times of the pandemic!

Listen to “Be True,” our Song Pick of the Day and check out the gorgeous video too:

Connect with Brothertiger here.

Alle The Dreamer – Lonely Hallucinations

What if what you did in the past was a mistake, and where will this leave you in the future? That is what Toronto-based singer/songwriter Alle The Dreamer muses about in her debut single “Lonely Hallucinations.” The song shines with the smart, elegant production that seems to thrive, particularly in the Toronto music scene.

Alle says about the song:

“I wrote this song about being stuck in between the past and the present. It’s a break up song about my inability to see clarity and wanting peace. Feeling paralyzed in my decisions and constantly reliving memories from the past. I also have this deep fear of making mistakes and then regretting them in the future. So it was kind of like all of these mixed feelings that were coming up. You know when someone is talking to you, but you’re just somewhere else, lost in a memory? Yeah that’s Lonely Hallucinations. It’s about all the thoughts and memories that live in your head that no one knows about. “

Listen to “Lonely Hallucinations” on your favorite streaming service or below on YouTube:

GIFT – Share The Present

Brooklyn five-piece GIFT just released another brilliant song from their upcoming album Momentary Presence, out on October 14th via Dedstrange. The song is called “Share The Present” and its double meaning instantly resonated with me. I also took it to heart, as today is my birthday and I wanted to stay in the present, with presents, so I prepared everything yesterday, in the past. Or more precisely, I prepare it now, so I can share the present tomorrow, because I totally agree with GIFT’s sentiment, especially while going through a bit of a taxing time.

Frontman TJ Freda says about the inspiration for “Share The Present:”

Being present is the most important thing you can do when you are feeling down. Don’t dwell on the past of who you were. Look to the present moment and appreciate who you are and where you’re going.

Listen to “Share The Present,” our Song Pick of the Day and check out the inspired video, directed, shot, and edited by Andrew Gibson, too:

Connect with GIFT here.

On Our Turntable