Can Any Hip-Hop Collective Top the Legendary Dungeon Family?

Where's the love for The Beastie Boys? I remember bumping The New Style so loud my rearview mirror fell off.

a reply to: zosimov

Its really something else..

Its almost like we expect our tools to fix all of our problems for us, but simply by operating under that premise, we put it all at odds with nature itself. I'm guessing people have been saying the same thing since we figured out fire. "This next invention will solve it, surely!"

I'm of the mind that nature (including human) and technology don't need to be at odds. In fact, they can complement each other brilliantly. All of my own inventions live in that paradigm.

The 3d printed headphones were a blast, and sound fantastic. They used the drivers from an existing model (Fostex) and printed the cups. I was all ready to CAD it out, but a nice company not only did it first, they shared the print files! All I had to do was click "go." I also designed/built my own headphone amp for 'em, but its all solid state.

Only downside is that without the ability to really move air, I feel all headphones lack the immersion of a full setup with a sub. They can make the noise, but don't rumble the gut.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Oh ye poor stripling..

Whale oil doesn't use wax cylinders. Further, your newfangled whale oil technology 'tis but a fad. When it is dead and gone, candles will persevere! Just you wait!

Whale oil is for the weak and wishy-washy, real men use candles.

originally posted by: Serdgiam
Whale oil is for the weak and wishy-washy, real men use candles.

I thought it was quiche.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

I thought it was quiche.

You are probably right, the whole "real man" thing is a bit quiché.

a reply to: Serdgiam


That was terrible but Zosi will probably laugh.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Omg, not terrible at all, I am still laughing at the egg-regious pun!

PS guys don't get me started with whales as I am utterly obsessed with Moby Dick. I could seriously take this off on a tangent now.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: Serdgiam


That was terrible but Zosi will probably laugh.

I'm hip to the jive talk. I know that "terrible" means "mind-blowingly awesome" in the same way that "badass" means "cool."

Thought you could trick me, eh? I'm too clever for such shenanigans, obviously.

a reply to: zosimov

Thank you!

I'm obsessed with books as much as I am music. Probably spend more time on goodreads than ATS! I have decent sized collections of both.

On topic, and perhaps an interesting angle, how important do you feel something like a subwoofer, or truly full range speakers, are to enjoying certain genres of music (like hip hop)?

I think they are imperative, to the point that songs can completely transform when their full range is accurately reproduced.

a reply to: Serdgiam

Oh boy now you've done it and encouraged me (it took that much) to root through my copy to find that really interesting reference in Moby Dick to whale oil-- LOL. This passage struck me as tremendously progressive for its time, as it's doubtful that animal rights (or the rights and humanity of cannibals for that matter) were at the forefront of many discussions in the 1850s.

Here's the passage I found:

It is not, perhaps, entirely because the whale is so excessively unctuous that landsmen seem to regard the eating of him with abhorrence; that appears to result, in some way, from the consideration before mentioned: i.e. that a man should eat a newly murdered thing of the sea, and eat it too by its own light. But no doubt the first man that ever murdered an ox was regarded as a murderer; perhaps he was hung; and if he had been put on his trial by oxen, he certainly would have been; and he certainly deserved it if any murderer does. Go to the meat-market of a Saturday night and see the crowds of live bipeds staring up at the long rows of dead quadrupeds. Does not that sight take a tooth out of the cannibal’s jaw? Cannibals? who is not a cannibal? I tell you it will be more tolerable for the Fejee that salted down a lean missionary in his cellar against a coming famine; it will be more tolerable for that provident Fejee, I say, in the day of judgment, than for thee, civilized and enlightened gourmand, who nailest geese to the ground and feastest on their bloated livers in thy pate-de-foie-gras.

But Stubb, he eats the whale by its own light, does he? and that is adding insult to injury, is it? Look at your knife-handle, there, my civilized and enlightened gourmand, dining off that roast beef, what is that handle made of?- what but the bones of the brother of the very ox you are eating? And what do you pick your teeth with, after devouring that fat goose? With a feather of the same fowl. And with what quill did the Secretary of the Society for the Suppression of Cruelty of Ganders formally indite his circulars? It is only within the last month or two that the society passed a resolution to patronize nothing but steel pens.

etc.usf.edu...

But to your great question (and I am by no means knowledgeable in the matter of good stereo eqipment) I agree one hundred percent that acoustics matter. My favorite sound is live, but a good system (or record player, if one is listening to old soul music or opera) makes a huge difference!

But it really depends on the song in my view! For example, I think that this following song needs the right kind of equipment to experience it the way it's meant to be experienced (I was considering its title earlier with not a little admiration- what a beautiful way to tell a story! I just love human expression.


On the other hand, I think songs like this, where the powerful lyrics are the focus, could be enjoyed on a less subtle system.


Thought I'd mention that the equipment which hip-hop/rap was first created on was (most likely) pretty sub-par but the vibe and the spirit shines right through (similar to old quality films I guess).

I really appreciated your comment about the quality of the 3d printed headphones, as I understand that my dogged bias against technology (it's love/hate) sometimes gets in the way of my enjoying the best available.

Ha, Moby Dick and hip-hop.... whouda thought?

a reply to: denybedoomed

Got mad love for Beastie Boys

Another talented member of the Dungeon Family:

IMO Stankonia was the last above par collaborative effort by Outkast (Andre and Erykah make a such a great duo in this one- what a dynamic couple)

a reply to: zosimov

Progressive concepts can frequently be cyclical. Even in Melville's words, perhaps such thoughts are a return to something older rather than anything truly novel.

Randomly, I also realized Moby Dick hasn't had a movie adaptation in quite some time.. Last time I could find in my (very) quick search was in '56 with Bradbury (!) at the helm.

One of my favorite literary areas is old scifi (pre-WWII). Its fascinating just how prescient they can be. Though, I always wonder if its a glimpse into their future, or if merely by containing their imagination in words, they somehow guided our progress. Maybe both.

I think that many have preconceptions about subs due to the nature of low frequency sound waves. Due to their nature, they are less directional and they tend to be less attenuated by things like walls.

Many get them just for the "noise" aspect, but a properly tuned system should be exceedingly well balanced. Meaning, it should actually bring more subtlety and nuance to any given track!

I think its a lot like painting. It adds a whole new palatte, a whole new range of colors to work with. You can overdo it, but used properly, it can be a helluva thing.

Literature, music, and now painting