Genres, Music, video games, what have you.

This is something which I've been stewing over for a while. Genres. I understand the need for them, it's so you can get a basic idea of what something will be like without going through the trouble of finding out yourself and then realizing you hate that kind of thing. But the issue is that so few people are able to accurately use them.

I mean, like all the people who call electronic music "techno" whether or not it's actually what people familiar with it call "techno." To me, techno is music with a stronger focus on percussion than anything else. Maybe that's because I've checked out this pretty sweet guide.

As for video game genres, I'm mainly pissed at the number of people who can't figure out Audiosurf is a puzzle game. And the fact that Steam has a genre labeled "Indie". It's not a genre; it's a style of development.

Ok, there have been more meaningful rants. If you're unhappy with the labels that some people give, just go check out what others have to say. Not a big deal.

Yeah, I kinda got distracted midway through this by said guide to electronic music. It just makes me mad that people are so stupid and don't even know it. Well, I guess that's part of the arrogance that makes the internet full of assholes.

Well what is true for us is relative to what we know.

I've always called electronic music techno because "electronic music" sounds stupid. The word "techno" just seems to fit with it. The same goes for most of my friends. And don't say "but why should we make electronic music ruin the techno genre" because every genre has shit music. For instance, Rock has Emo. It's not cool but it's there.

Also, I don't know if you know this but there are a helluva lot of music genres. Instead of cycling through all of them I think it would be easier if we just had a few universal ones instead of "Death Rock", "Deathcore", "Death/Doom", "Death Punk", "Doom Metal", "Doomcore", and last but not least "Deathgrind". It's all Metal and Punk, but tell that to the fans.



PS: I wouldn't argue with Steam or Valve. With the games they make, I don't give a shit what they label them.

It's quite easy to branch off, but in the end, it's techno.

Rock --> Metal-->Death Metal --> Screamo
|............... |
V...............V
Punk.......Thrash

etc. In the end, it's all rock.

In it's basic form, it's techno, plain and simple. And honestly, they really aren't different enough to make a big deal over generalizing it.

Actually from what I read it's techno is a branch of electronic music. But I prefer techno.

And yes, in the end it's all rock, but I accept the name Metal and a few others because there are very distinct sound differences. Rock is singing with a 2 minute guitar solo. Metal is screaming and 6 minute guitar solos.

I'll take sounding like a pretentious asshole over sounding like a dumbass any day, personally.

I don't see how calling Electronic Music "Electronic Music" is going to make someone sound pretentious.

I also don't see how calling Electronic Music "Techno" is going to make someone a dumbass.

What is true for us is relative to what we know. It doesn't make us ignorant to not look up the proper definition to a word we think we already know.

Also, I'm going to quote you because you kind of proved my point in your first post:

"To me, techno is music with a stronger focus on percussion than anything else. Maybe that's because I've checked out this pretty sweet guide."

When you say "to me" it shows that the subject is relative. Each person has their own set of beliefs about music, and you're imposing your beliefs on others about what techno music is. And don't say it has a universal definition because it doesn't. Genre's are abstract. You give them one meaning that your culture enforces, our culture may think differently.

Plus it's not a big deal. If a few people ant to call something "something else" who cares?