You don’t have G.A.S.: you are given it

On Capitalism and Music gear Industry

It is has been a while by now, that I am reflecting on society. Lately I started to realize the idiosyncrasy of what we collectively do as society. Pure folly.

Reflecting on society I end up reasoning on Capitalism. See, many thinks we do, often, do not make sense. Why? Because seldomly people ask themselve “why”. Why are you doing what you are doing the way you are doing it? Most likely because that’s what you know, or what you’ve been taught to do, or because that’s the praxis. However, most of the time these habits were set in a different context and are no longer optimal. Or worse, these habits have been built to exploit you.

Occasionally, someone senses something is off, and argues against it with everybody else, and for this she is deemed crazy. Humans are very social, and easily falling into herd mentality, following wherever everybody else is doing. Think about what happens when this is combined with people not asking themselves “why”; combined with people constantly being distracted by social media on their mobiles and propaganda on the news and TVs. We already talked earlier in this Medium space how people are creatures of habits.

Now, before diving into some considerations on Capitalism, and how it is related to your G.A.S (gear acquisition syndrome) in the music gear market, I will make some examples of things which do not make sense, but we forgot not asking ourselves why.

Humans needs cushioned shoes to protect their bodies, because they walk on concrete instead of what naturally provided. Terrain naturally cushions and absorbs impact. Humans built the problem for which to solve a solution for.

Humans nowadays feel advantage for the medicines they have, which are needed because they eat poisoned food. Organic food, healthy relationships, a community and an out-door life in movement keep people healthy until they die. Humans created the problem for which a solution (solution?) is sold.

I believe that by now you can go on yourself and find several examples of this. In sum, this is my view on capitalism: it does not make any sense what is being done. It is like humanity as traded all that matters for a new god called profit. Think about this: the earth is a garden able to provide food to everybody, living in peace and harmony. We have been gifted the garden of eden, let’s just take care of it and garden it. Ego is the problem. That constant struggle to have something more than the neighbor to satiate the ego is a never-ending struggle that is not leading to fulfill the pain felt by most people. That pain is the feeling of being disconnected, which we are not. We are one, with all that is. If you are part of the western society, you can go on and do your research and find out that there has been only one knowledge, one mistery, all over the globe, since always. In some parts of the world it arrived to our days, somewhere else, like in western society, was dismantled and mystified about 2000 years ago. However, wheter it is from southern or northern america, from Asia, or Europe, the teaching is the same. It was the same in Europe, if you want a lead look into Parmenide as a starter.

The argument is that there is no need to get more and do less to be happier and more fulfilled. What really matters is looking inside ourselves and face it. What really matters is living and the connections we have with other humans, but really with everything that is. What would be happier and healthier than spending all day, every day, outdoor with your community and loved ones, playing while moving your body to take care of this big garden called earth, eating organic food you really worked for? Capital is not needed to do this. Maybe this society in this point of the space-time is not that advanced.

So, we have established that humanity is trading all of this for the profit, just to sell more. And we have established that it is possible to build habits, and needs, by constantly distracting and separating people and deepening the discomfort felt within and then giving the illusion of needing something to fulfill it. — addendum: I believe that phones are really disconnecting people from the person there with us. Then what about our G.A.S? That’s exactly it. Most likely you do not need any new gear and you have already enough for the exact workflow you are looking for. It is just about vibing and playing with it, maybe around friends and family and enjoy music.

As a musician, I am born guitarist, thus hands on the wood. The laptop thing never worked with me. I got a midi small keyboard, which needs usb host. I got a mic. I got Reaper and lately Bitwig, since it runs on linux. Now, I am just not dedicating time to it because I have other things to do, and I was not even considering anymore addition, but I was time ago. I was considering a blackbox, because of two specific workflows. I was thinking, a sampler and a do-it-all synth — like a MiniFreak, although I would love a Pigments 5 hardware version- is enough to have fun, and with a mini keyboard you have your studio everywhere, on a train trip if you wish, especially thanks to the BB multi-sampling. But I was also looking at another workflow, where to live loop the same way Ricky Tinez did in his video about this, with a mic. In both cases, I forgot something: I already all I needed. The synth? Bitwig is infinite. The mic? I had one already, yes it needs an audio interface, but I have that too. A small keyboard? Got that too, missing the knowledge, I should study theory and how to play a keyboard instead of buying something.

Yes, but still missing a sampler to apply that workflow. Well, arguably, I have one, the laptop itself. Just realized it again thanks to Ricky Tinez, watching this video. So, now, portability, well a laptop is portable and arguably is gonna be with me anywhere I go.

Now, I also work on a laptop and my eyes, before turning 26, are feeling the toll of it. I am not arguing against DAWless. That is not the point. I am just pointing out to all who listens, including me, that is not the gear and we do not need anything. We are drawn into believing we are missing something, but we are only missing the dedication and time, and effort putting in what we have. In the end, creativity and ispiration is rarely find into the instruments, it is in the love for playing of the players. That what matters, love as a driver for what you are doing, and as a musician you love playing. There is nothing else. Thus, let’s just play.

P.S.: yes, not arguing against DAWless. I totally get the need of turning away from a screen, although what can be done in a DAW is infinite (and overwhelming?) and cannot be matched. For sure, such purchases can be analyzed properly on what’s the goal. We have enough people putting seeds in our brain through advertisiments making us believe we need something we do not need. And this post is also an invite in not getting demorilized and stop playing because we are missing something “able to enable” us to do that thing. Most likely, you can already doing it with what you, just think about it.

And yes, you are not born with G.A.S., advertising is screwing you up. Cheers