New Monday #4
Happy Monday. One thing leads to another.
Happy Accidents
Honestly, this is the whole point: Letting shit happen and then recognizing that it's good shit (or flushing it if it's bad).
A happy accident is when something unintended turns out to be better than any idea you had or thing you tried to make.
A great song is a series of happy accidents connected by music theory. A great production is a series of happy accidents connected by moments of waiting for the next happy accident.
A good creative environment is one where happy accidents are encouraged.
Talent is recognizing happy accidents when they happen.
This whole newsletter is a happy accident. Because of google searches for Shaun Ryder last week, all sorts of content about him is popping up on my feed. Happy accident? Perhaps. But what is important is that I spotted it.
So... here Shaun Ryder discusses a GREAT happy accident:
And here’s a link to the song he’s talking about:
Damn, that is a really catchy groove, Just two chords - like an A to a G. Gorillaz do interesting stuff.
Another fun one, this time courtesy of New Order. You wouldn’t think that a group that is sequenced and, well, orderly, would crop up here. But they do... a quick vid:
An Accident?
This popped up on my feed. I'm not a fan of the band, but this will scoop part of your brain out and smear it on the wall.
It's a room mic feed of EVH recording Eruption. From a talkback mic? Drum overheads? Miscellaneous leakage?
Whatever. It's spectacular playing, and in this recording context, it's pretty clear he dropped that solo like a bomb in one take.
On the album, with that goofy panning and awful reverb... the slickness of it makes me think it was "worked on." Punched in. Comp'd. Done with mirrors.
But the link below sounds like one incredible take. Leaps from one happy accident to another.
Think about how the processing changes the perception.
Here’s a longer discussion of how this came to be.
Happy Accidents and AI
Just to tie the past few weeks together: AI can’t recognize a happy accident. It’s capable of screwing up, but it can’t decide if the screw-up is a keeper.
Remember you have a human superpower right now that gives you an advantage over AI. You have an opinion, and you have taste. Cultivate that over skills.
Dan and Luke
We hope you’re finding this monday thing inspirational and a little bit educational. Let us know how we can make it better.
