That's Springintgut to You, Pal, and a Big Fuck-You to Sleigh Bells

So I had time to spare around Washington Square and thus decided to stop by Other Music, a record store that could be cooler but does well with its location by NYU and its stock of popular titles. I perused their "Out" section until I was bored with their obvious essential selections of 20th Century composers (which could actually use a good dusting and a restock, must just be there for cred). I then flipped through their "experimental" vinyl (god...) and did my regular routine/ritual of documenting the unheard of artists in my cell phone for a later inspection. Right as I was nearing completion of my store browse, I came across a fascinating piece of collectability. Perhaps it was the fact that the retrospective series has me remembering a time when I was extremely influenced by packaging, but nonetheless, the physical properties of this recording had me in awe.
Above, I have provided an image of the packaging, and below, I have detailed the image for your full understanding. 

I took the record over to the cashier and asked if he knew the story behind it (I was expecting the same experience that I get at Hospital Productions, with passionate clerks excitedly explaining the awesomeness of the music that you are holding), to which he passively responded, "I don't know... it's an art piece." Oh really, fuckwad?  An art piece?  Very interesting.  I'm glad you know the store and its products so well.  You might as well be selling toothpaste at Duane Reade, instead of wasting my time with your bullshit responses.  So it was only like 6 bucks, so I said I would go ahead and get it.  He had to come back to the register since he had already walked away.  I gave him a debit card but told him just to run it as credit.  He asked for I.D.  and insisted that he can't run it without something containing a signature.  Just run it as debit then, you tit basket, and then you can go back to playing your National record with your hyper-styled faux-hawk and your shark-tooth necklace like the indie pop teenie twat that you are.   Man, I couldn't wait to get out of there and go back to my home at Hospital, while Other Music's trying-way-too-hard-to-not-care staff draw stick men on the counter while tapping their toes to whatever co0l-for-the-present-five-minutes band (let's say, Sleigh Bells).  Someone at Other Music, however, has got to be cool, because they sell Buddha Machines and this record in discussion.  I've yet to meet him/her and have only encountered these mainstream shopping mall versions of hipsters.

On to the sound of the record, though.  The artist is German electronica composer, Springintgut, otherwise known as Andreas Otto.  Most information on this guy is in German, so I went to his label's site and translated via Google.  Otto is a classically trained cellist and drummer who - in spite of his distaste for electronic music - began to explore new possibilities for electronic composition back in 2001.  His live performances usually consist of a modified cello and a video game joystick as a sound controller (see video below).  On this particular record, confusingly sharing the same title as his current LP, Park and Ride, the music that begins is what Otto will later describe as an "electronic music cliche," which plays continuously during his speech on the decaying state of music due to the increased involvement of computers and other technology.  So that's the record, a lecture over an example.  Side A fades out, and the lesson continues on Side B (do be careful with your needle placement on this oddly shaped disc).  During the lecture, Otto invites you to view some images with him, and he instructs you on how to find them on the internet (easy to find due to the weird names of the files).  Neat!  I would share the links, but it's way more fun to do while listening to the record, so go find it (and at this point, I really am not sure where else to find it, sorry).

All novelty aside (I'm surprised this is the first time I've actually written that on this blog), Otto's argument is valid and compelling, and this topic is of concern to many contemporary artists. The real charm of his lecture though, is that he is not romanticizing what listeners may call more "organic" acoustics, nor is he rebelling against the idea of incorporating new technologies into composition (after all, his other records are pretty much straight forward electronic music).  He instead offers a quirky bit of guidance to music on computers and ideas of how to translate music notation for artificial/alternative intelligence in attempt to avoid the end-product from sounding, to put it in Otto's words, so "stupid."

Now, going back to my previous mention of new craze Sleigh Bells, whose popularity crutches on its mere over-compressed production, I would like to consider what Otto would have to say about American electronic music, the current cool essentials, and the kid that checked me out at the store.  I can't assume without projecting, but I like to think we'd feel the same.

Here's a clip of Otto doing his thing: