I love technology, it’s been of great assistance to humankind. But I don’t like technology taking over humanity. Replacing humanity. Replacing the human brain.
Tricky no kidding, when you have AI writing their code in a language that only AI understands, or the fact that AI skips several generations and to have our data scientists detect this only several months after the fact. Tricky, I'm thinking is an understatement.
Indeed disco DJs came out on top… But won? Maybe in Vegas but have you listened to the sorry condition to which music has descended? Good grief and the only really good bands are the (REALLY) old ones, which we are going to have to add a new meaning…To Rock’N Roll. (will have them in wheelchairs), Rollins Stones rolling on tour. Mick at 95, don't miss it!
Yes I know what you mean but I believe there are many great areas. You just need to know where to look to find them. As far as DJs taking over Las Vegas. DJs did not take over Las Vegas. Recorded music took over the jobs of musicians.
Disco or DJ, it's all recorded. Just seemed to come into focus in the Disco genera (95 or so to present). And the Disco was there, with the DJ. Now agree it did produce a different kind of music (ie techno). But certainly not better (IMHO). Because bands quit live performance as it became cheaper to hire the DJs. And not just in Vegas but across the country.
To me I think of a DJ is a disc jockey. Somebody who plays music to dance to. A disco song is a dance song.
Recorded music is just recorded music to me. Regardless if it’s a symphony concert or Elvis, But I don’t refer to that as disco music or DJ music. The worst thing that could’ve happened to your average musician playing and nightclubs across the United States is karaoke. That’s what put many of them out of business.
Honestly I found some old Sinatra (recorded in some kind of RCA studio several stories underground no doubt to get that true echo), but had the big band (Mancini maybe)… But a wonderful experience and so well done it was like Frank was crooning in my living room. Fantastic recording (circa 1960 something).
The recorded music, okay I get that. Have a Yamaha synth myself, and can plug in to an AI music Gen and presto! I have Elvis singing with the Doobie Brothers but not a better performance. I guess that is my point… And performance is part of the music that's crafted with the audience.
Thanks for your feedback David! I am glad you enjoyed it. Sadly I think Mr Andreessen would lump Chesterton and is fence as an "enemy". But I think it's a tool worth considering at times!
Thanks for introducing Chesterton's fence to me a couple of weeks back :)
Great post, minor correction: Ozempic and Wegovy aren't pills / tablets, they're injections. IMO it adds, for now, a layer of grimness to the "techno-optimist" solution they promise to be.
Thank you for your recent post Zan! I always look forward to your work. This piece is no exception. I was in Las Vegas during the late 80s early 90s when the musician went on strike Overconfident they would win the battle with the casinos it. In the end they lost and they were all replaced with recorded music. Just one small example of people being substituted with technology.
This was really interesting and insightful, Zan. I am not up to speed with all these ideas to the same degree that you are, but I found your points to be well reasoned and easy to follow. Your piece has also got me intrigued to learn more.
And by the way —- “I think the answer will come from knowledge embodied in a technology called culture.” — I think that is a great point.
Thanks Michael! Glad you enjoyed it even though it's new territory. Yes - I think we should not forget that things like culture, language and tradition are all (loosely) technologies too, because they let us "do more with less" (i.e. "bring more people together with less friction")
I totally agree. I have heard language referred to as a psycho-technology as it is a tool that enhanced our cognition, I always found that pretty interesting.
“The manifesto isn’t a philosophical essay that’s meant to be logically watertight, so I think Marc's aim here wasn't to defend techno-optimism. It was to sell it.” I have a friend that enthusiastically shared the manifesto, the field is outside of my wheelhouse, I just applauded the optimism, but it seemed like what you described above. 🤔
Thanks Kimia! Aha that is such a coincidence! I'm loving King's book - although it's written for fiction there's so much that can be applied to writing in general.
Looking forward to our journeys of optimism together 💪
I love technology, it’s been of great assistance to humankind. But I don’t like technology taking over humanity. Replacing humanity. Replacing the human brain.
Yes - technology for the sake of technology is a tricky thing.
Tricky no kidding, when you have AI writing their code in a language that only AI understands, or the fact that AI skips several generations and to have our data scientists detect this only several months after the fact. Tricky, I'm thinking is an understatement.
Indeed disco DJs came out on top… But won? Maybe in Vegas but have you listened to the sorry condition to which music has descended? Good grief and the only really good bands are the (REALLY) old ones, which we are going to have to add a new meaning…To Rock’N Roll. (will have them in wheelchairs), Rollins Stones rolling on tour. Mick at 95, don't miss it!
Yes I know what you mean but I believe there are many great areas. You just need to know where to look to find them. As far as DJs taking over Las Vegas. DJs did not take over Las Vegas. Recorded music took over the jobs of musicians.
Disco or DJ, it's all recorded. Just seemed to come into focus in the Disco genera (95 or so to present). And the Disco was there, with the DJ. Now agree it did produce a different kind of music (ie techno). But certainly not better (IMHO). Because bands quit live performance as it became cheaper to hire the DJs. And not just in Vegas but across the country.
To me I think of a DJ is a disc jockey. Somebody who plays music to dance to. A disco song is a dance song.
Recorded music is just recorded music to me. Regardless if it’s a symphony concert or Elvis, But I don’t refer to that as disco music or DJ music. The worst thing that could’ve happened to your average musician playing and nightclubs across the United States is karaoke. That’s what put many of them out of business.
The antiquated business model of being an “average musician” is what put them out of business . . .
Being stuck in a mentality of a 1960s douchebag doesn't help much either.
https://cwspangle.substack.com/p/flamme-en-el-lobscurite
Honestly I found some old Sinatra (recorded in some kind of RCA studio several stories underground no doubt to get that true echo), but had the big band (Mancini maybe)… But a wonderful experience and so well done it was like Frank was crooning in my living room. Fantastic recording (circa 1960 something).
The recorded music, okay I get that. Have a Yamaha synth myself, and can plug in to an AI music Gen and presto! I have Elvis singing with the Doobie Brothers but not a better performance. I guess that is my point… And performance is part of the music that's crafted with the audience.
You listen to absolute crap . . .
https://cwspangle.substack.com/p/flamme-en-el-lobscurite
Another terrific post, Zan.
I'm a fan of the oft cited principle of Chesterton's fence. Progress, but progress with care. I'm guessing that would not fit in with the manifesto.
Thanks for your feedback David! I am glad you enjoyed it. Sadly I think Mr Andreessen would lump Chesterton and is fence as an "enemy". But I think it's a tool worth considering at times!
Thanks for introducing Chesterton's fence to me a couple of weeks back :)
Great coverage Zan on the different takes on techno-optimism. And thanks for including me in your recommended list.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for writing - keep it up
Great post, minor correction: Ozempic and Wegovy aren't pills / tablets, they're injections. IMO it adds, for now, a layer of grimness to the "techno-optimist" solution they promise to be.
Thanks for pointing that out! Good catch - but yes fundamentally as you say, issue is the same if not more grim
If I may…I disagree that Karpf’s is the harshest response:
https://kevinmunger.substack.com/p/accelerationism-is-terrorism
Great essay and loved your analysis - I’m sorry it didn’t cross my plate. Thoughts:
- do you think the dominance of STEM overshadowing humanities has anything to do with the internal conflicts of humanities? (Post modernism etc)
- is there a space for contending with accelerationist tech with “accelerating self knowledge” which is fundamentally what the humanities are for?
Thank you for your recent post Zan! I always look forward to your work. This piece is no exception. I was in Las Vegas during the late 80s early 90s when the musician went on strike Overconfident they would win the battle with the casinos it. In the end they lost and they were all replaced with recorded music. Just one small example of people being substituted with technology.
Thank you as always for your unwavering support Charlotte 🙏
🤗🙏
This was really interesting and insightful, Zan. I am not up to speed with all these ideas to the same degree that you are, but I found your points to be well reasoned and easy to follow. Your piece has also got me intrigued to learn more.
And by the way —- “I think the answer will come from knowledge embodied in a technology called culture.” — I think that is a great point.
Thanks Zan.
Thanks Michael! Glad you enjoyed it even though it's new territory. Yes - I think we should not forget that things like culture, language and tradition are all (loosely) technologies too, because they let us "do more with less" (i.e. "bring more people together with less friction")
I totally agree. I have heard language referred to as a psycho-technology as it is a tool that enhanced our cognition, I always found that pretty interesting.
Thanks Zan
Great article. Love the format and structure. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback Martin! Tried something a bit different this week so it's good to hear you enjoyed it.
“The manifesto isn’t a philosophical essay that’s meant to be logically watertight, so I think Marc's aim here wasn't to defend techno-optimism. It was to sell it.” I have a friend that enthusiastically shared the manifesto, the field is outside of my wheelhouse, I just applauded the optimism, but it seemed like what you described above. 🤔
Yes - I definitely think so! I think it's worth discussing and commenting, but no point refuting from a logical standpoint
Thanks Kimia! Aha that is such a coincidence! I'm loving King's book - although it's written for fiction there's so much that can be applied to writing in general.
Looking forward to our journeys of optimism together 💪