Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Music news Rest in Peace, Ohmpark
Posted by Max Blau @maxblau on Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 8:54 PM
- Kevin Griggs/Ohmpark
- Little Tybee's Brock Scott tips his hat during last weekend's Ohmpark Fest
"With respect to Atlanta, I have a lot of ideas of projects that I want to try out," Minor tells CL. "Instead of being a passive commenter on the scene as I was with [Ohmpark], I'd like to play a more active role. Exactly what that will be, I'm not entirely sure yet."
In a post yesterday afternoon, he announced that blog would be no more, saying that:
When I first started this website, I didn't expect to stick with it more than a couple of months, let alone six years. I never intended to be a "music writer" or "journalist" or whatever, it was just a way to kill time when I didn't want to pay attention in class and an outlet for my vast obsession with music. But it became so much more. I could never have expected the success of this blog. Not only was I able to find an audience, but it was such an incredible educational experience. I've learned so much about writing and journalism and music and art. I've made so many friends (and enemies) along the way, and all the shows and festivals and going on tour and all of the sonic adventures I chronicled here, it was simply an amazing six years.But I've reached a point where I no longer have the passion necessary to continue this project. I've been writing about music for so long, now, that I feel I don't have much left to say. My thoughts and writing are focused on new topics and formats, and I want to use the finite time I possess to pursue different projects. I've mentioned many times on this blog that I believe the fashion of art, especially music, to be a concern primarily for the young. And both this city and this world contain enough middle-aged men trying to tell the kids what's cool, so I don't really want to add to that number. The form of music media I've always had the most respect for has been college radio. I love the idea of an amateur learning about music together with an audience, and then eventually passing the torch to younger ears. And it's about time that I graduate from this blog.
That's not to say that I'll never write about music again. I may find a new format to share music suggestions, and when I occasionally have something to say, I'm sure I'll find some outlet somewhere to voice my opinion. As long as I live in this city, I'll find ways to contribute to the scene. I was throwing house shows for years before I started this blog, and I'm sure I'll find some other role to play. It's entirely possible that I may be able to contribute even more to the scene unshackled from this blog. I may start a label, or a concert series, or something else. I have some ideas I'm kicking around. I may even continue to do Ohmpark Fest every year. But I no longer have the time to create most of the content for an entire publication.
Minor helped heighten the visibility of some of Atlanta's best music acts in their earliest days, and overall helped foster a music community through various showcases. In last year's CL music issue, Ohmpark's founder mused with now Flagpole music editor Gabe Vodicka on what he thought made Atlanta's local scene tick.
"That rampant attitude has led to a creative boom but has also further divided the local community. There's just so much going on. It's probably impossible ... to represent everything," he told CL. "To me, the problems with our scene aren't internal, they're external," he says. "The problem isn't that our scene is fragmented. The problem is that no one outside our city knows that."
As for what's next, Minor says he'll continue to focus on science fiction writing, something which he's pursued in recent years. He's also shopping two novels and has a third on the way, the latter which he hopes will be completed by the summer.
"I will most certainly have something to release by the end of the year," Minor says. "I want to do some non-fiction, too, but I'm still figuring out what I want to write about and how I want to do it. I want to take up some new challenges and learn about topics other than music."
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