My music taste

I don’t think quality depends on the musical style, a piece is good regardless of it. It mainly depends on the composer(s) I think.

But I am also quite aware that I do have quite clear musical preferences. I tend to like music that is contemplative, intimate, a bit weird, rich in texture and homogeneous in its structure, and with colorful harmonies (wide use of extensions).

As my favorite composer, depending on the day and my mood, I would either say Steve Reich or Morton Feldman.

I listened to a lot of minimalists and I still think Steve Reich is my favorite among all of them, mainly because I think he has emotions in his harmonies that others quite don’t reach. My favorite pieces of him would be “Eight Lines”, "Music for a Large Ensemble" and "Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ".

If someone told me that atonal music cannot be emotional, as a first reflex, I would tell them to listen to Morton Feldman, specifically the pieces of his last 10 years. He can make you say “fuck yeah” to obscure non-diatonic harmonies. His music also fits well with my "Optimistic Nihilistic" view of life. It makes me feel an existential void, but serene and contemplative instead of agonizing. My favorite piece of him would be “Piano and String Quartet”, but his "String Quartet no.2" comes pretty close.

Minimalism: Graham Fitkin, Florent Ghys, John Adams, Tristan Perich, Laslo Melis, ...

I enjoy analysing James Tenney, Tom Johnson and Arvo Pärt because of their “procedural” or "algorithmic" approach to music.

Postmodern but not minimalist: William Brittelle, Meredith Monk, Caleb Burhans, ...

Modern: Gyorgy Ligeti, Bela Bartok, Anton Webern, Olivier Messiean, John Cage, ...

“Premodern”: Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Leos Janacek, Eugène Ysaÿe...

Electronic Ambiant: Björk, Brian Eno, Stars of the lid, Oneotrix Point Never, ...

Jazz: Bill Evans, Robert Glasper, Pat Metheny, Irène Schweizer, Hiromi Uehara ...

Rock/Metal: Gentle Giant, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Yes, Haken, Dream Theater, Battles, The Aristocrats, Guthrie Govan ...

Popular music: Radiohead, Knower, Louis Cole, Ariana Grande, Thundercat, Linkin Park, Daft Punk, ...

I like japanese videogame music, like the music of the FFXIII trilogy or Zelda Breath of the Wild.

I am not a huge fan of romantic or classical music, with the notable exception of Beethoven’s four last string quartets.

I enjoy Bach very much, especially his pieces in the form of the ritornello, like the first movement of his fifth Brandenburg concerto, which I find to be a masterpiece of structure.

Medieval/Renaissance: Perotin, Guillaume de Machaut, Solage, ...