Music alone is often not enough to catch your attention. I hear a lot of good music all the time, but I couldn’t possibly come to love and know all of it. I find what makes the difference between the music that crosses the threshold and that which remains unnoticed is often merely fortune and circumstance, which determines whether or not we are given the opportunity for that music to resonate with us. Hearing a song in one situation might not leave an impression, but hearing it another time when it has a direct connection to your experience or current events in your life can leave a permanent mark.
A friend sent me a few songs by Meshuggah last night, urging me to listen to them. I listened to a couple before going to bed, and the instrumentals seemed really cool, though the vocals were a bit of a turn off. I figured it’d be the type of thing I might revisit occasionally. Then, I got into a really, really frustrating situation while I had the music playing in the background. I put on my headphones and let it blast.
The threshold has been reached.
Combustion will be forever etched in my memory.
Future Breed Machine was hard on my ears at first, but the controlled insanity took hold of me in the moment. ObZen was an extension of my rage and frustration. It was hard to maintain control.
This is why I believe musicians should make their music available and downloadable. If I can’t listen to the music with ease, I’m not going to listen to it nearly as often and opportunities for connection like this will be missed.
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