Kyle Bobby Dunn (when good artists go bad)

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Valotonin wrote:Might want to delete my last post to ensure that it does, if you feel that it would be a good call.
Loosely based on what the best course of action is in Kyle's case, but it was straying off course and will just attract off topic replies and the thread will find its self somewhere unrelated.

Plus I see a potential politics storm brewing and I don't want to be the cause of or involved in that.


Nah, all good. Just a reminder ;-)
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Sherbet Head
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I’ve never really understood his music, honestly. All his songs sound the same to me.
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Do you like other similar artists? Curious :-)

Good to see you back btw.
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Sherbet Head
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I love Oneohtrix Point Never's music up to Returnal, as well as the albums Soliloquy for Lilith by Nurse With Wound, Owl Splinters by Deaf Center, Black Sea by Fennesz, and Aphex Twin's SAW II. Those all seem relatively similar to me, but the difference is that the tracks all have unique timbral and rhythmic identities that make them recognizable and set them aside from other drone releases.

I haven't listened to any full album by KBD, but I remember listening to Infinite Sadness back when it came out, and played several tracks from throughout his career upon seeing this thread, and I couldn't tell that they were recorded in different sessions, let alone different years. I like ambient music, but there's so much out there and it's so easy to make that it needs more than different chord progressions to make it interesting to listen to.

I recall having a similar experience with Stars of the Lid. Maybe I just don't like stuff to be too mellow.

Thanks for the welcome. I took a break from secular music for a while and have been studying Orthodox liturgical chants, but now I am rediscovering the stuff I used to listen to, which has been great fun.
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New Seed
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I know I'm coming in very late to this thread, but I just wanted to say that I'm glad it's not just me who has called out KBD on his behaviour. I'm horrified by the especially serious accusations regarding Twitter and so on, but haven't seen or experienced that so can't comment.

All I can do is back up Mexicola's account of KBD's dreadful behaviour on Bandcamp. For me it started when I sent him a fan email after buying a download of one of his records because I thought (and still do think) that his music is incredible. He started asking me if I could arrange a gig for him in Sweden, where I live, but I must admit I wouldn't know where to start so that tailed off.

But, as a follower of his Bandcamp page I began receiving aggressive, emotionally blackmailing messages to buy his music, sometimes part of a group mailout and sometimes individually, which was even more unsettling. I reported it to Bandcamp who simply told me to stop following his profile, but as someone with a Bandcamp artist page myself (and less than modest success with my music), it's not on to hassle people and practically pressgang them into buying your music.

Unfortunately, being a musician doesn't guarantee you a living, and in my case after some success in the 1990s I had to make a deal with the devil and get a dayjob to pay my bills and put food on the table. I still make music, do so at a financial loss and will do until I die because it means everything to me, but sometimes you just have to accept that you need to do other things to support your musical habit/calling. Sad, but true.

The thing is, I could imagine KBD being able to access arts funding for his deeply original and affecting music, but I doubt that would happen if he continues to behave in such an unfortunate manner.

(Writing this as listening to his music for the first time in a long while, and reflecting on how sad/upsetting my contact with him proved to be).

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Happy Cycler
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Except in rare cases, I try not to dwell too much on the humans behind the music.

If you really take in the lives of a lot of great musicians (let's just take Miles Davis or John Lennon as examples), you might be inclined to stop listening to music altogether.

Hell, the Sandisons might be really selfish, obnoxious people. We have no idea. We don't know them. If it turned out they were Nazi sympathizers, would you throw away your records? I'm not sure. It's a tough question. That music is in my DNA at this point.

Richard D James seems to have some pretty fringe views. Does that change my love for his output? Not at all.

That said, I was a huge Bill Cosby fan as a kid. It still kills me that all of the genius of his early career is sullied by what a bad human being he turned out to be later in life. I can't bring myself to listen to it now. It makes me sad.

So... I'm not really going to look into what kind of asshole Kyle Bobby Dunn is. He made some beautiful music, and it's still beautiful even if he's a terrible person. I guess I might be less inclined to buy physical releases in the future, but I hope he finds his way and finds a way to be more positive in his outlook and contributions.

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Just wanted to follow up on the recent posts here about KBD by sharing that I've met him in person a couple of years ago and experienced his inappropriate "behavior". I'd like to refrain from too much detail on here but just know there are other people out there who have experienced really bad situations with him. And for those still on the fence about him or are even considering meeting up with him I strongly urge you not to. There's so much good music out there and it really troubles me to see his music praised, recommended, and bought.

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Being labelled an anti-semitic is potentially worse than being a rapist or murderer. Murderers become a burden on productive law abiding people for the cost of living expenses at HMP, rapists have been known to get freedom after serving only less than 4 years (when you consider the effect on the victim this is cannot be deemed justice)
Being called a racist/homophobe/etc is more harmful to people than you might think.
If your ability to generate income is impeded by the "accusation" only, consider the effect, your ability to house, feed and clothe yourself is "directly" challenged, which has an indirect (but very real) impact on your health (mental and physical), relationships and future and thus longevity.

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Eagle Minded
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being labeled a homophobe or racist is kinda bad but jail is way worse cmon

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Not really, prison for someone who has taken another mans life (for example) is hardly a punishment if still fed, clothed and doesn't have to labour by his own efforts and becomes a financial burden on the innocent and productive part of society.
If my employment contract stipulates acceptance of homosexuals or Transgendered people and an allegation is made about me, or I become suspended from my employment due to an accusation, this will directly effect my ability to secure income that is to be primarily used for rent/mortgage and food etc, so I stand by what I said before, even murderers and rapists have a better deal in this scenario especially when you consider employment arbitration is very insecure or lacks credibility.
If I am ever accused of being an anti-semite I would want to clarify the motivation of why I am being accused and also I would want to clarify whether the person making the accusation is fully informed on what is being defined (ie who actually is semitic).
It is a bit like the race card.
I was accused once of racism. It was never proved and it couldn't be, because in context of the complaint it was my word against his but the accusation that made ensured a complaint was made, an investigation had to therfore be started due to the employment protocol or procedure, which was enough to have me suspended, and later fired, which is akin to guilty unless proved innocent (which was impossible without witnesses as there were none)...hence accusations are in themselves harmful. It was said to me "there is no smoke without fire" but I wasn't deserving of being fired. I couldn't keep up with making the same payments to secure the roof over my head and I was unable to make any social security claims and the stigmatization of having to answer for the event during interviews took it's toll on my mental health.
Being labelled an antisemite is far far worse than being called a homophobe or racist and worse than the punishment a murderer receives in my country. Period.

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Eagle Minded
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Oh, i thought you were talking in absolute terms, like a "if you had to choose would you be labeled as a homophobe or go to prison" kind of scenario.

Though i still think kbd isn't really a victim of cancel culture or whatever. I the way he acted would have gotten him fired from any normal employer even 10 years ago.

Your experience is pretty sad. Hope you've gotten past that.

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Dayvan Cowboy
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Elwyn_Hayseed wrote:Being labelled an antisemite is far far worse than being called a homophobe or racist and worse than the punishment a murderer receives in my country. Period.

I'm gonna be honest, that's one of the most absolutely ridiculous things I've ever heard.

And it's pretty obvious you've never been to prison or known anyone who has been.

"Poor racists getting called out for their bigotry are treated worse than murderers!" Give me a break. What an insipid, pathetic attempt to play the victim. And an insult to everyone who's been dehumanized by the prison system.

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I stand by what Ive said :)

Being an antisemite is a career destroyer and murderers at least have someone else producing food for them, paying their electric bill etc...
Ive never been to prison, but then I don't need to of been to understand murderers and rapists don't have to go to work to produce the food, drink everything else that keeps them alive....someone else is MADE to do it. Mel Gibson was lucky imho.
People who are clinging to 9-5 to pay their death pledge (mortgage) or have families go down quick.
No Ive never been to prison, not all prisoners deserve to be there. The UK is effectively an open air prison anyway...if you have eyes to see.
:)

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Dayvan Cowboy
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Elwyn_Hayseed wrote:I stand by what Ive said :)

Being an antisemite is a career destroyer and murderers at least have someone else producing food for them, paying their electric bill etc...
Ive never been to prison, but then I don't need to of been to understand murderers and rapists don't have to go to work to produce the food, drink everything else that keeps them alive....someone else is MADE to do it. Mel Gibson was lucky imho.
People who are clinging to 9-5 to pay their death pledge (mortgage) or have families go down quick.
No Ive never been to prison, not all prisoners deserve to be there. The UK is effectively an open air prison anyway...if you have eyes to see.
:)

So, when someone loses their job due to their poor judgment and spewing hatred, they immediately become completely destitute, lose their home, and end up on the streets with no opportunity to get another job, have lodging, or obtain food? Meanwhile those in the prison system aren't beaten, abused, sexually assaulted, and dehumanized in ways that a simply unemployed person won't have to endure?

Also, you're totally leaving out the fact that prisoners have a very difficult time re-entering the workforce after their release, which brings them all the same trouble as someone who lost their job due to their racism - on top of all the other suffering that they've endured.

Yeah, you go ahead and stand by what you said. I'm standing by what I said too- that's an absolutely ridiculous, embarrassingly ignorant statement.

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If you read what I put mate, it's regarding the "accusation".
If it can be proved I agree with you and everybody else, but if someone is gunning for you (interfering in your life/trying to attach themselves to your earnings etc or just wants you out of a job) then accusations can be used as economic weapons. I gave the example of myself, I was accused of saying something racist (I hadn't) but the accusation was enough to terminate my position due to how the employment system had to deal with a complaint.
Imagine your white and suffer an injustice at the hands of someone who might be jewish and you say something to show your disgust or anger, it would be easy for someone on the outside seeing and angry "anti-semite" and not perhaps the initial cause of that persons outburst, it doesnt make it right either, but explaining that away is disingenuous to the truth of what happens. Ive been there where I lost my job being labelled a racist (which Im not) and only lost myjob because a complaint was made, that was hiw easy it was! If I had gotten angry and said something afterwards towards the person who made the complaint it would of been thought/said I probably deserved it, thats how easy it is today.
You can have the last word. Im out of here. Nice knowing you guys :)

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