The Joys of Non-Algorithmic Discovery
Introducing a redesigned Oh Fire
Two strongly opposing forces in my life are techno-optimism, while also thinking I’ll be just fine without more technology. Admittedly, I think it’d be cool to hang out at the Eames Case Study house in the metaverse, but I hope no one skips a 40-minute commute to a dinner party at my 1BR apartment to do so. I think lab-grown meat will change the world for the better, but also think everyone should purchase from their local produce purveyors at farmers' markets. I think Dall-E can be a net positive in creative fields, but don’t think that an AI-generated club flyer is even in the same conversation as the posters Bráulio Amado makes for Good Room.
Nowhere in my life is this tension more palpable than in the discovery of new music. I listen to my Discovery Weekly every week (and even use a bot to auto-archive every song into one playlist), but feel somewhere between lame and unfulfilled discovering music this way.
Let me get this out of the way: I reject all premises of efficiency. I have no interest in efficient discovery. I care much more about the accompanying feeling and story behind a discovery, no matter where it falls on the spectrum of completely serendipitous to hard-earned. That is, ranging from Shazaming a song at a coffee shop to shuffling through record crates at a flea market. The characteristic that every song discovered on this spectrum has in common is intention, the one thing algorithmic discovery has completely removed.
“I feel unsettled when I stream music on Spotify. Maybe you feel that way, too. Even though it has all the music I’ve ever wanted, none of it feels necessarily rewarding, emotional, or personal.”
-Jeremy D. Larson, The Woes of Being Addicted to Streaming
In January 2020, I started Oh Fire, a “music-sharing group” on the work chat platform, Slack. Honestly, I just wanted one place to share music bangers with a handful of people I cared about, rather than individual texts to various people and groups. In my world, the sixth and seventh love languages are Preparing Meals and Sending Songs.
Oh Fire was a highlight of the C*vid lockdowns for many of us. Roughly 40 active members (“QTs” as we affectionately refer to them) posted, commented, and streamed, every single day. We hosted listening sessions, simulstreamed Boiler Rooms, and watched music docs.
I’m currently writing from Berlin, where just last week last weekend, I saw a band that I discovered via Oh Fire live for the first time. This city’s dominant genre is techno. Oh Fire originally just had one “electronic” channel, before Elliot politely requested we add a “house” channel. We have since added “techno” and “ambient” channels. Each night out in Berlin has had moments of appreciation for Oh Fire and the things I’ve learned from the group, beyond the songs I’ve discovered.
Earlier this year, we moved from Slack to Discord, in hopes of leveraging the latter’s more community-focused mission. Last month, I tweeted and shared in other Discords that we were hoping to add some more folks with above-average taste and was reminded why I still, to steal common Discord terminology, manage this community.
These types of introductions, descriptions of personal taste, and off-the-beaten-path-smashes, spark so much more joy than any algorithmic discovery could ever. In the same article I quoted above, the author categorizes music listeners into three buckets: Passive, Auxiliary, and Intentional. When I first read that in May, I tweeted that there’s “certainly a delicate balance between encouraging non-algorithmic discovery and railing holier than thou judgments against passive listeners.” But I think my sentiment has shifted a bit in the last few months. The balance might not be as delicate as I originally thought.
On the Lex Fridman podcast, Grimes said she listens to a lot of new music because it forms new neural pathways (thereby keeping her brain sharp). That certainly seems like a plus, but I’m pushing hard for intentional listening for a multitude of reasons. I’m encouraging everyone find and share an independently discovered track for the satisfaction that accompanies it. The feeling of attainment, to briefly be the Magellan of MP3s.
Oh Fire has been such a pleasant reminder that people are unique, with differing tastes, none better than another. Except for those with no taste at all. Mere slaves to the algorithm. For shame.
Most excitingly, after more than 2.5 years, the logo I made for Oh Fire using two emojis has been improved and replaced. Designed by the super-talented visual designer Ray Ro (without the help of Dall-E). I’m also really excited about the tagline we landed on.
Fred again.. | Boiler Room: London
Most Boiler Rooms are better watched than listened to, but sufficient to just be listened to. Not this already viral masterpiece from the Brian-Eno-mentored, famed producer, and now budding superstar DJ, Fred again… (I have no idea how many periods go after a name that ends in two periods. Presumably three, right? English teachers and MLA-heads sound off in the comments). Watch this video with your kids or your parents, ideally on a big TV that has external speakers. If I was still in college, this would be on at every single pregame until Christmas. And then every singly pregame after Christmas, until graduation.
—Andrew
Vengeance
I’m a B.J. Novak fan, although I must admit that owes in large part to his authorship of the incredible kids book The Book With No Pictures, which is an endlessly entertaining thing to read to little kids. But that fandom was confirmed with Vengeance, which he wrote, directed, and starred in. When I saw it billed as a comedic thriller, my initial reaction was, What does that even mean? But sure enough, the film proves that it’s a viable genre. The film does an excellent job of gently getting a viewer to objectively look at their own cognitive biases. Also, thanks to a John Mayer cameo, it is forcing me to reevaluate my use of “100 percent” in conversation.
—Justin
The Edge Of Legibility
Geoff McFetridge is one of my favorite artists. And one of the things that I like about him is how prolific he is. McFetridge can do a fine art show, a collaboration with Vans, and the cover of The New York Review of Books, and make each feel distinct and special yet uniquely his. After completing the latter, he also took part in an interview for The New York Review. Since it’s not your typical hypebeast publication, the questions take on a more intellectual and literary bent, which is quite refreshing.
—Justin
Driving a car in another country
There have been two heat waves in the month I’ve been in Berlin, a city with no air conditioning. On the hottest day of each, we’ve opted to rent a car and head out of the city to a lake. I love driving and rarely get to do it, so this is an easy yes for me. But driving in another country just hits different. Guessing what each road sign means, hoping that a toll gate will accept whatever combination of coins you happen to have on you, praying that the spot you hang out in the weird left-turn waiting section won’t block the oncoming tram. Driving in another country is like being in a video game, except you get to choose the perfect soundtrack.
—Andrew