Music – whatever its genre – requires time to discover and ultimately experience in depth. In this process, repeated listenings are very important. As we saw in the previous discussion, recordings began in the early 20th century and played a central role in creating a new paradigm.

In what is known as art music (the music of traditional concerts), this was fulfilled to some extent even earlier through frequent performances of popular works. However, recordings and radio broadcasts multiplied the possibilities for listening. Where a completely new framework was created, however, was in the realm of commercial music and Jazz. The 33 rpm record played a central role in this, leading to the concept of the album. This happened immediately with LPs of movie soundtracks and musicals, but beyond that, it was something different. The songs on a record ceased to be a somewhat random collection with two or three designed to be hits, and albums began to acquire personality. From the cover to the sequence of songs, everything started to have a central idea. This was perceived by the public, and for many, listening to a new LP became an experience. I personally still remember the summer of ’67, when we gathered to listen to Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The basic idea came from McCartney, who wanted this album to mark a new musical direction for the Beatles.

There are many similar examples in Greek discography. Here, we already had the concept of the song cycle, with which many composers worked (and still work). There are numerous examples from Theodorakis (Romiosini, Lianotragouda), but it’s something many others followed. It’s worth remembering “Ta Paraloga” (1976) by Hadjidakis – Gatsos. I quote from Hadjidakis’s own note: “Needless to add, that the participation of so many national assets in the interpretation of the work makes the record genuinely patriotic, without question as to its ethos and goals. Musically, the work belongs to my newer conceptions of song and music.”

With the advent of the CD, things continued more or less as before. But what happens today with “intangible” forms? Without a doubt, the new reality has increased our capabilities beyond all imagination, while simultaneously eliminating any cost. Everything is free and just a click away! However, the hundreds – if not thousands – of choices create a maelstrom that requires searching and “sifting.” Do we have time for such a thing? Thus, older, well-known pieces and names of all kinds end up having a significant comparative advantage.

The algorithm is an impersonal mechanism that reacts by measuring likes and listening times. The higher the numbers, the stronger its reaction will be. Basically, whatever “walks” immediately wins and is promoted. What the “digital herds” choose here and now. This means that there are ideas and objects that are disadvantaged in this environment.

On the other hand, the algorithm “studies” each person’s choices to offer us similar or analogous ones. Very quickly, we find ourselves with “digital blinkers.” Did you listen to Mozart? Here’s more of the same. Did you search for the Beatles? A 10-minute video appears where you can learn when and how Yoko Ono argued with George Harrison. Did you look for something about education or theory? You see ten different titles, eight of which are probably completely useless to you.

What I’m saying is that nothing that seems obvious is innocent, and nothing is as it seems. The echo chambers of social media favor the easy, the ephemeral, and the slightly risqué. “The meaning of the internet is our attention,” Francis Fukuyama once wrote. On the other hand, the capabilities of the tools remain and are real. It is up to us to use them correctly, overcoming the difficulties.

P.S. As this short text was finishing, two news items were released: The first, that Australia banned social media access for children under 16. The second, that our own SKAI is launching a bilingual news presentation with AI…

I often think that what we discuss here is but a tiny fragment of the bigger picture…

Nevertheless, happy listening to all and Happy Holidays!