Heart Over Code: Why Human Curation Beats Algorithmic Music

Remember when you discovered an artist or unearthed a song back in the days that not a lot of people knew about? The feeling of pride and a little bit of possessiveness of having found a hidden gem would come over every time you stumbled upon a great piece of music. It seems like we are no longer explorers of music but mere consumers in the digital age.

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Today, algorithms are curating music for our so-called taste in music. Is it really ours? Not too sure about it. The invisible hand of the algorithm walking us around the record players is like a personal shopper overriding your personal style. Even if a new mainstream track is a great catch, the reel bandwagon is too quick to exhaust its novelty through repetition. It's a fast-fashion approach to the world of music, and somehow, it's not going to go away anytime soon.

The noise around how streaming services are changing our taste in music and genres is largely dissected by experts. Streaming giants are making the discovery of new artists and songs feel less diverse or interesting, and mainly corporate. This is despite their promises to look out for small to medium-scale independent artists and boost their songs.

However, there's a catch. When music producers rely too heavily on what works and doesn't work on social media, the success of their creative process largely results in passive listening, further blurring the notion of success and genuine taste in music. Perhaps the reason why Charli XCX's Grammy win for "Bratz" felt like a shock to many.

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So, how do we engage in the art of unearthing rhythms and rhymes again when the code is hard to break out of? Do we stick to listening to the different but same kind of music? While good music is good music, the way to dig it up has to move beyond the restrictions of AI and the loud chatter of social media.

Your Way Rather Than Al's Way

The art of discovering music organically doesn't need to be restricted to manual searching and sorting all the time. Your curiosity can lead you to places, like record vinyl stores across town. While picking up a vinyl record has always been a niche pursuit in India, a new generation of record collectors and connoisseurs are engaging in it to continue the romance of physical media.

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Another great way is to go for premium radio stations. Boxout FM is a goldmine that can help you connect with funky, experimental, alt music like Madboy/Mink, Kohra, amongst others. Radio show hosts pride themselves on having eclectic music tastes.

Attending local live events is another way to discover new players in the game. It can give you a fair idea of how independent artists or newcomers are curating music and experimenting with sounds. Great music isn't just to be played on your handsets but to be experienced. It is supposed to move you and be cathartic.

By breaking out of the AI math, reclaiming your listening habits can be a fun way to reconnect with yourself. It's about intentionally cultivating a soundscape habit that reflects you, unapologetically. It's about trusting your instincts on what makes you groove and uncovering the hidden gems that make music a personal experience more than a passive pursuit.