You want know what kind of music inspires me? I like multi-layered compositions that push the boundaries of what we think is possible with music. If it’s done within a pop-like idiom, even better.

Laurie Anderson has been pretty influential in my music development. What she has done for the technology and acceptance of electronic instruments is rather remarkable. For starters, she invented a violin that plays using magnetic tape technology. She can string an infinite number of bows with an infinite number of recorded tape reels and play them on a special violin that contains a magnetic tape player in the bridge. The result is the ability to play sounds–natural, synthetic, spoken word, other instruments, entire musical passages–with all of the various bowing techniques of a traditional violin. It pushes the boundaries of what sounds constitute music, which allows people like me to experiment with how we structure, write, and record sounds to create music.

More importantly to me, she really experimented with the combination of acoustic and electronic instruments. In this track, you can see she combines traditional Japanese folk instruments with multiple synthesizers and her Tape-Bow violin.

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I’ll give the “electro hop* duo” LMFAO credit for one thing: they’re getting airplay with songs that don’t exactly rely on melody, lyrical power, or chorus to be exciting. Not that their verses aren’t fun, or their choruses aren’t memorable. They have very well-produced tracks that steal the spotlight for me.

I actually rather like a lot of their music. There’s a sense of awareness in what they’re doing and a full commitment to the ridiculous nature of this music crossing over into the mainstream.

Have you seen their music video for “Party Anthem?” It’s a mock zombie invasion where the zombies are “shuffling” uncontrollably to blasting techno…err…electro hop beats. It’s hilarious and bizarre, which clearly puts it in my wheelhouse.

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