Ask Geir Hongro

Geir, What James Brown tracks do you like? I'm sure there must be something you like.

Geir, you always claim percussion is unimportant, what were the key decisions you made when programming the drum track for Talking To A Computer?

Geir, What James Brown tracks do you like?

"Living In America" is OK. And that's about it, I think. "It's a Man's Man's World" has some interesting chords, but is dragged down by an extremely pointless and repetitive melody.

Geir, you always claim percussion is unimportant, what were the key decisions you made when programming the drum track for Talking To A Computer?

I was actually kind of into stuff like Break Machine, Rocksteady Crew etc (well, even Video Kids ;) ) at 14, which was when I originally made the song. And the drum track in the current version is based upon the drum track I programmed on my rather primitive Korg drum machine in 1985, which was meant to sound like a "breakdance" rhythm. (very influenced by Paul Hardcastle's "19" if you listen cloesr to it) It wasn't originally programmed for that song, I just ended up using it for it, and it probably would have been a more straight 4/4 had I composed the song now.

At this time, virtually everything in the hitlists (also included the hip-hop stuff) had a melody, so I hadn't developed a hatred for all things non-melodic yet, as they just didn't exist to me at all, other than some weird "blip blop" music that modern "classical" composers made and nobody liked. It wasn't until "Walk This Way" that I started hating rap with a passion (the electro had always been my reason for liking some early hip-hop and "Walk This Way" wasn't electro anymore), and it wasn't until "Pump Up The Volume", "Dig This" and "Theme S-Express" (all of which I weirdly kind of like by now) that I decided I hated all things non-melodic.

It wasn't until "Walk This Way" that I started hating rap with a passion

http://www.dynamicforces.com/images/Origins2signedbyStanLee.jpg

i love talking to a computer

what is soul?

Which song of yours was the one that got played twice on Nowegian national radio?

That one.

What advice would you give a young music enthusiast who is coming to understand more clearly that the rhythmic aspects of music are incapable of affecting him in the nearly the same way as melody or harmony does?

ok wow @ "walk this way" as the origin of geir

geirthink?

geirmind?

hongrobrane

What advice would you give a young music enthusiast who is coming to understand more clearly that the rhythmic aspects of music are incapable of affecting him in the nearly the same way as melody or harmony does?

Oh, there's so much great music to discover out there that has been more or less "underground" for the past 20 years ;)

Don't ask Geir (fuck me!)

Geir, the year is 1958, rock and roll is in it's first flush of youth. Strange and interesting things are happening in jazz and classical music. Phil Spector and Marvin Gaye have just begun their careers. What would 1958 era Geir listen to?

Dear Geir,

Why does Kayne West say "We want hen fap" in "Golddigger"?

Geir, the year is 1958, rock and roll is in it's first flush of youth. Strange and interesting things are happening in jazz and classical music. Phil Spector and Marvin Gaye have just begun their careers. What would 1958 era Geir listen to

Probably Frank Sinatra. I cannot see myself possibly getting into "rock" music until around "Yesterday", or maybe "And I Love Her".

Geir, what was your last karaoke song?

*My question wasn't supposed to be entirely sardonic by the way, as I was more or less referring to myself.

Geir, I'm curious to know how you define "melody". Do you just mean tonal or conjunct melodies or melodies that are traditionally consonant with their accompaniment? Or just easy-to-follow melodies? Because it would seem to me that a piece like Schoenberg's "Erwartung" does have a very clear and prominent melodic line. It's just a more complex and non-tonal melody. I wonder when you say this:

when it comes to prog I like all things melodic while I dislike all things non-melodic.

because a band like, say, Thinking Plague does place a high emphasis on melody, as I see it.

These threads sometimes feel like a dogpile but I was wondering since you'd made a number of comments that seemed to beg the question to me.

I enjoy Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet. What other good albums do they have?

Have you heard any of Liam Finn's music? If so did you enjoy it and how do you rate it against the work of other musical progeny such as.. erm... Sean Lennon or Rufus Wainwright?

I don't think the "wedding" question upthread was ever answered so I'll reask it:

1. Geir, have you ever danced at a wedding or similar social function to music you didn't like? If so, what was the song(s)?

2. If you were at a wedding or similar social function and a relative or close friend tried to drag you to the dancefloor to boogie to, oh let's say, The Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb On Me" (or any song you find particularly melody-deficient), what exactly would you do?

3. I'm mildly surprised to learn that you're not a big Fleetwood Mac fan. Isn't at least the Nicks-Buckingham era choked with indelible melodies?

In case you've never heard "You Dropped a Bomb On Me":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmbmPalsRi4

In case you've never heard "You Dropped a Bomb On Me":

If he hasn't, Norway is further away than I thought.

Geir, I'm curious to know how you define "melody". Do you just mean tonal or conjunct melodies or melodies that are traditionally consonant with their accompaniment? Or just easy-to-follow melodies?

A melody is a tonal melody. It need not be tonal in a full-tempered way, modal tonality is OK. (and not Locrian), but it must be tonal.

I enjoy Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet. What other good albums do they have?

Have you heard any of Liam Finn's music?

I actually don't think I have yet, but his dad is a genius :)
Out of the others, Sean Lennon obviously isn't up there with his dad, althogh I like "Saltwater", "Too Late For Goodbyes" and "Valotte". The Wainrights I haven't really gotten into, but Rufus is the only one of these who is better than his dad.

Just getting into them myself, but "In Absentia" is my fave.

1. Geir, have you ever danced at a wedding or similar social function to music you didn't like? If so, what was the song(s)?

Yes, but it was ages ago, and I have no idea what it was.

2. If you were at a wedding or similar social function and a relative or close friend tried to drag you to the dancefloor to boogie to, oh let's say, The Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb On Me" (or any song you find particularly melody-deficient), what exactly would you do?

Depends how drunk that person was. :)
It isn't completely out of the question that I would do it though.

3. I'm mildly surprised to learn that you're not a big Fleetwood Mac fan. Isn't at least the Nicks-Buckingham era choked with indelible melodies?

Ace Of Base are too, but I still don't like Ace Of Base. Fleetwood Mac's melodies in the 70s were a bit too simply, in a three chord/country music way. I love "Little Lies" and several of the "Tango In The Night" tracks though, as they have a little more minor chords and are moving a bit more away from country. My other problem with Fleetwood Mac is I cannot stand Stevie Nicks' voice.

Geir, what was your last karaoke song?

It's been some time since the last time I did karaoke. It may have been "Everytime You Go Away". Or maybe "What's Goin' On". I kind of like to do those melodic soul songs at karaoke. :)

i could totally see geir digging the future games/bare trees fleetwood mac - after the blooz period, before the the stevie years. danny kirwan = highly melodic

Geir: do you ever hear something that doesn't adhere to your rigid rules of what makes 'good' music and find yourself thinking, unbidden, that it sounds quite good before you have a chance to analyse it?

In other words, do you react to music on a visceral level at all, or is it entirely cerebral?

Geir: do you ever hear something that doesn't adhere to your rigid rules of what makes 'good' music and find yourself thinking, unbidden, that it sounds quite good before you have a chance to analyse it?

This is not about analysing. The first thing I hear is always the melody and its belonging harmonies. With no exception. And that is also the first thing I judge: Is this a good melody or not (And if there is no melody, it is sorted as a bad melody, along with those boring three chord ones)

Sorry if this has been asked before but:

In your advocation of melody/harmony, if I'm remembering it right, you said that rhythm is just mental, while melody is emotional, and those who are tone deaf can't get anything out of it.

so. . .
1)Couldn't it just be the other way around, that you might just be arrhythmic?

2)if a song is written with a time signature that is totally awkward, or non existent, is that alone possible to mangle a decent melody?

A non existent time signature makes no sense, but a weird time signature such as 11/8 or similar may often be interesting.

Well, I mean if the music just wasn't in time, not following any sort of time signature.

Then it would just be floating away and completely meaningless as a song.

Geir, is Per Pettersen very famous in Norway? Have you ever read his books?

Where have all the cowboys gone?

Not sure if I have even heard of Per Pettersen. And all the cowboys are at various country festivals here in Norway :)

"Theme From Harry's Game" to thread.

Ok, well another question - is Norway's resistance to the Nazis still a strong part of national mythology and self-image? Also, do people still call each other Quislings?

Dear Geir,
Who is the bestestest N'wegian footballer of all time?

Was Tore Andre Flo worth the £12m that Rangers paid for him? Or was it sheer stupidity by a desperate manager/chairman?

Sir,

I need the following guess papers:

Norwegian III
Business II
Physics II

What is the most melodic "Crank Dat" parody?

1. Do you predict a promising future for star child Liam Finn?
2. How come you no longer update Geirology?
3. Are you a fan of the English prog group Family? How highly would you rate their debut album Music in a Doll's House?
4. Please explain this:
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/9586/ilfue8.png

1. I haven't really been able to check out his music yet, but I understand he isn't totally different from his dad, so I guess I should.
2. Laziness
3. "Music In a Doll's House" is a great album from a generally great music year. What I've heard of their later material I haven't enjoyed quite as much though.
4. Oh, just a fun way to try to create boards, I guess ;)

What do you think of All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes?

Do you mean a European or an African swallow?

I thought you'd love it....

Geir, will you go vote and comment on my Best Shoegaze Band poll?

Done

Geir, is it true that you eat dolphins, or were your alt.animals.dolphins posts just a bit of lighthearted flaming? What are your three favorite dolphin recipes?