06 June 2007

MORE THOUGHTS ON BLOGGING

Woebot responds to comments made by Simon 'Blissblog' Reynolds in interviews, concerning the blogging community.

(Funnily enough I was in Waterstones earlier this week looking for a copy of Simon's new book 'Bring The Noise', without success. Hopefully the wife will track down a copy for me in time for Father's day.)

But coming back to Matt, who typically takes it all personally, there's lots there I agree with. He takes a very honest line when admitting that most of his 'theory' is secondhand/borrowed, and I'm exactly the same, really. Simon's approach to music journalism has coloured my/our view all these years, yet I don't consider myself to have any grand theoretical designs. I just try to write about what I believe in on a very basic emotional level, because that's all I'm capable of.

Regarding the 'halcyon days',I came in at the tail-end of the blogging 'golden age', when it seemed like all the best music/theory blogs were involved in a fascinating organic web of inter-linked discourse. It's true that the Dissensus forum might've contributed to the demise of that 'scene', and I do think it's a bit of a shame. It's like most of the blogs are little islands now, and the big ones like Woebot, K-Punk and Blissblog, by removing the comments box, seem to deliberately shun other's opinions of what they write, though to be fair to Simon, he's never had a comments box anyway, and to be fair to both him and Mark K-P, they both still link and comment on other blogs, perhaps trying to re-energise the interplay. And of course I'm guilty of turning off the comments too. I dunno exactly what provoked them to do so, but in my case it was simply a way of building a mental wall after the mauling I got over some MP3s I posted last year. In some ways it was like Roger Water's concept for Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' concerts - wanting to literally build a wall across the stage because he couldn't stand the sight of the audience. Perhaps that's going too far in my situation...I just needed some protective padding while I got my confidence back. But, jesus, that's nearly a year ago now, and besides I don't have anywhere near the amount of readers I had back then ( and I never had anything like the million hits a month that Matt claims) so I reckon it's time to lighten-up and get things in perspective. My comments box is totally back, so now you can call me a cunt whenever you want. Unfortunately I somehow managed to delete all previous comments, which is a bloody shame cos there were some great contributions to some of my posts, but there's nothing I can do about that now. Stupid, stupid...

Maybe it's time for a few more changes here, too. I think I blogged myself into a corner by getting too focused on current trends within certain areas of dance music, getting too scene-centric. It's so restricting and I just don't have enough to say on the matter to make this blog interesting anymore. Plus it gets a bit boring trying to find different ways of saying the same thing all the time. I'd like to get back to where I was in the latter half of 2004, when it was just random stuff from past and present, without having any direct link to one scene, sound or time period. Time to just shuffle the decks and go with my own flow again.

Maybe...

14 comments:

  1. you really sure you want to do this G ???

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  2. bloody hell, you're not still lurking around here are you? ah well, so it goes...

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  3. Heh.... good one...
    I heartily welcome the return of both the comments and the 'random' posts...
    I really do think that the blogosphere needs both to make it what it is, otherwise it just becomes online unedited music journalism doesn't it.
    I remember K-Punk dropped the comments cos he was fed up with the trolls (and some monkeys as well I think) - Maybe if we want to preserve any remnants of a golden age (which i missed entirely) - we need to get off our arses and comment more and we also need to try and balance out the negative stuff.
    On related matters - I removed anything that could tell me how many visitors I had some months ago and it has honestly made a positive contribution to my overall mental health (beyond a slightly paranoid sense that I'm talking to myself - actually, not sure that's right, is it possible to be paranoid because you believe that No-ONE is watching you?)

    Interesting point about dissensus - I'm none too keen on forums (though all respect to those involved)- not enough pictures for my likin'!

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  4. Anonymous9:08 PM

    go gutterz go gutterz!!!!

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  5. funny thing about dissensus is you're not really allowed to have any unless the ruling elite says you are...

    ...and as for bannings pfffft

    what a complete waste of time. Anyone with a half a brain could by pass security and spam it anonymously...

    ...that place is a dead zone anyway cos it doesn't reflect real life, nah actually maybe it does too much .Oligarchy and all that :)

    It should be like a training room full of steroid pumped bodybuilders looking to flex some muscled up opinions but it's more like a playpen for ritalin addicted ADHD kids whose highs and lows have all been knocked out save for the odd one who forgets to take their meds, still it gives the thought police something to moderate, just barely though

    hmmm... I'm starting to wonder if it really is like the freemasons. Bones buried under the floor, funny handshakes and the old boys network

    re : blogging

    it must be hard for longtime bloggers from the 'golden age' what/whenever that was...

    was that like the golden age of hiphop in the late 80's/early 90's ???

    ...with all those artists from that era struggling to stay relevant, having shot their load early in the piece or is it more like the minister fresh out of college all fire and brimstone but now struggling to write a weekly sermon that continues to fire up the faithful

    Still you can always go the obfuscation route and talk the same thing in obscure terms making the oddest connections in such a manner as no one really understands what you're on about save a few disciples of boring euro theorists who have no cultural bearing on anything in the wider world beyond the confines of western academia

    that wont get you laid and if you ever tried on me it a party I'd walk off mid sentence...

    ...BTW yes G I'm still lurking around and as long as my fingers can type and I'm connected i always will be so yeah feel free to delete whatever offends you about me

    it is after all your world...

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  6. I'd say the 'golden age' was around 2003, that's when all the big blogs got going. Blissblog kinda legitamised the medium, I guess. And yeah, I got a lot of shit off my chest early on, so then you gotta struggle to keep the momentum even when you're running on empty. Why bother when it doesn't even earn you a living??!

    and i won't be deleting any comments - it's all about free speech around here from now on...

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  7. shotties...:)

    as a suggestion if you gonna post up more mp3's (yes please)

    ...just make em 112 bit for promo purpose

    that was my only real gripe about that whole episode...

    ...so ya heard any good dubstep lately ???

    I'm really feeling reso, rusko and caspa...

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  8. I like the latest Rusko record, but dubstep MP3s are not on the agenda, at any bit-rate.

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  9. Anonymous9:31 PM

    Well, well…Welcome back! Will you be putting the 808 back as your header? And how about those “Gutta’ demo” tracks as well? I’ve been a loyal “Gutta’” reader since 2003, and to be honest my favorite pieces were always the “retro” posts, or the leftfield fan-boy scribbling (Luke Vibert, Aphex, vintage drum machines, Mrs. Gutta’ etc.), as your eclectic musical experience and taste seems so close to my own. Also, I think you got a very raw deal when you got all of that negative shit over the MP3’s (I must admit I’m guilty as charged - I downloaded ‘em too). Your blog has exposed a lot of new dubstep(ish) stuff that I would never have otherwise come across\heard – and yes, as a direct result I’ve actually tracked down records (12’, vinyl, CD etc.) and (gasp) !bought! them. I’m sure that your blog has helped sell more records to more than make up for the (supposed) damage that posting those (old even at the time) MP3s caused. It pissed me off - I thought you deserved much more credit for selling (and that means selling records...) the “scene” beyond Sarf’ London and Bristol. It also pissed me off that the incident seems to suck a little bit of the life out of the GB blog. It’s good to see you returning to form!

    As for the “big” blogs out there – I always just assumed that they didn’t allow comments because the bloggers felt above that sort of thing. I mean, who am I to critique the musings of the great Simon? Whatever. One can lament the passing of a “golden age” all one wants – but if you’re not willing to put your money where you mouth is (like you are again, Gutta’), then stop moaning.

    Now – how’s the Fruity Loops stuff coming…? Still fiddling with it?

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  10. Anonymous11:44 PM

    First up - I'm glad to see you've got your comments back on. Second, I'd welcome your widening up the blog again, I used to like your non-dubstep writing a lot. Lastly, I read Woebot's piece - I would be amazed if he gets 1m hits. He's clearly pretty tech-literate, but hits and unique visitors are not the same at all - the latter is a LOT less than the former in every case.

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  11. jeez.... it must be a bit depressing Gutta.... a year without the comment boxes and first post back we're into the Mp3 debate... surely enough's enough on that one?

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  12. well i suppose it's my own fault for bringing up the subject in passing.

    Sam - thanks for the kind words. no immediate plans to bring back the 808 logo...although now you've got me thinking. as for the Fruity Loops excursions, that's practically ground to halt. but you never know...

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  13. what ever u write about Gee is always worth the read !

    and good to see the comment box back in order

    im in berin next week too... gunna hunt down summa dem techno riddums

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  14. Great stuff Nick. Good to have the comments back... - its about bloody time too!

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