Feedback from Jono and Tony (Above and Beyond)

from Tobias Schuh (Cold Blue) tobias@cold-blue.com to Rachel Dunscombe <cwrmori@gmail.com> date 19 July 2011 16:43 subject Fw: Feeling music - ear plugs - high volume at events - clubbing scene

hide details 16:43 (14 minutes ago)

Hey Rachel,

here’s what Jono (A&B) says:

From: Jonathan Grant

Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 5:38 PM

To: Tobias Schuh

Subject: Re: Feeling music - ear plugs - high volume at events - clubbing scene

A few immediate questions:

As a professional in the industry, what is your experience and

opinion on the use of protection ear plugs? Both for yourself / and

others? (for example, one of my friends who used to work for Ministry

and is now a producer with his own studio and a Hed Kandi DJ, swears

by his alpine plugs and says he never goes to a club/plays a gig

without them)

Use them all the time.  ER-15s.

What is your opinion on ‘feeling’ music when you play a gig? Is

this an experience that has affected you at all? If so, where do you

feel it / how does it effect the experience of  music for you?

Important.  Feeling the bass is key as I think you have correctly identified.  I think it helps people lose their inhibitions somehow in a club environment.  If the music is too quiet, then using earplugs definitely becomes less enjoyable - this does prove a point that with ear plugs in, we tend to want to have the monitors louder in the DJ booth, which isn't always good!

What is your reaction / immediate thoughts to the idea of bone

conduction and potentially a concept protection ear plug that has this

incorporated? For music vibrating through us for a new experience?

Sounds perhaps too niche market.  My personal energy with regard to this would be to push clubs to offer complimentary ear plugs in clubs if we are concerned about peoples' hearing (which we should be).  I can foresee future legislation on noise levels, and I think a good solution would be free ear plugs.

A longer term question, no doubt also strongly depending on your

time and availability of course. But might you be interested in

getting involved with my project further as I progress? Especially

should my concept idea progress to a testable product. For example,

I’ve had the idea of a special one night event where the members of

the public/clubbing community are invited to take part in the testing

of a new experience:  “feeling music” by special arrangement at a club

to host this. I am already in discussion with Ministry of Sound

(meeting in London with Sam Barlow on the 19th July) as well as

Revolution in Reading and a few other local clubs. This of course is

very early days, as I would actually have to have developed something

for people to test. But if you would like to be kept updated and may

be interested in getting involved or would like to support the idea in

any way possible, then that would of course be fantastic :-)

Would need to see the product.  I have to admit my initial reaction is sceptical, since it sounds like too niche a product, and I'm currently happy with the ear plugs I have.

What would have to happen would be for someone to show me a product that would blow me away.  Then things would change!


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BTW that's what Tony wrote (I don't think he read the full email):

Hi matey,
The ear plugs we use don't really reduce the bass that much, you feel it through your chest as much as anything!
Has he tried the ones we use (moulded, -15dB) and/or the ones we used to sell (simple, -20dB)?
Best,
Tony