mp3: Vitalic - Poney Part 1
- this is what house music does best: to somehow be simultaneously crushing and hypnotic; devastating and mesmerizing; visceral and dreamlike.
- with this song i realize i really enjoy hyper distorted melodies drowned in both volume and texture.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Another Beautiful Passage by John Cage
When a composer feels a responsibility to make, rather than accept, he eliminates from the area of possibility all those events that do not suggest the at that point in time vogue of profundity. For he takes himself seriously, wishes to be considered great, and he thereby diminishes his love and increases his fear and concern about what people will think. There are many serious problems confronting such an individual. He must do it better, more impressively, more beautifully, etc. than anybody else. And what, precisely, does this, this beautiful profound object, this masterpiece, have to do with Life? It has this to do with Life: we are separate from it. Now we see it and now we don't. When we see it we feel better, and when we are away from it, we don't feel so good. Life seems shabby and chaotic, disordered, ugly in contrast.
[…]
The important question is what is it that is not just beautiful but also ugly, not just good, but also evil, not just true, but also an illusion.
[…]
Someone may object that the sounds that happened were not interesting. Let him. Next time he hears the piece, it will be different, perhaps less interesting, perhaps suddenly exciting. Perhaps disastrous. A disaster for whom? For him, not [the composer]. And life the same: always different, sometimes exciting, sometimes boring, sometimes gently pleasing and so on; and what other important questions are there? Than that we live and how to do it in a state of accord with Life.
- John Cage
When a composer feels a responsibility to make, rather than accept, he eliminates from the area of possibility all those events that do not suggest the at that point in time vogue of profundity. For he takes himself seriously, wishes to be considered great, and he thereby diminishes his love and increases his fear and concern about what people will think. There are many serious problems confronting such an individual. He must do it better, more impressively, more beautifully, etc. than anybody else. And what, precisely, does this, this beautiful profound object, this masterpiece, have to do with Life? It has this to do with Life: we are separate from it. Now we see it and now we don't. When we see it we feel better, and when we are away from it, we don't feel so good. Life seems shabby and chaotic, disordered, ugly in contrast.
[…]
The important question is what is it that is not just beautiful but also ugly, not just good, but also evil, not just true, but also an illusion.
[…]
Someone may object that the sounds that happened were not interesting. Let him. Next time he hears the piece, it will be different, perhaps less interesting, perhaps suddenly exciting. Perhaps disastrous. A disaster for whom? For him, not [the composer]. And life the same: always different, sometimes exciting, sometimes boring, sometimes gently pleasing and so on; and what other important questions are there? Than that we live and how to do it in a state of accord with Life.
- John Cage
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Palindromes
This is a movie I've been wanting to see since before it came out, but I haven't really had a chance to. I've always passed this DVD at the video store. The cover would always catch my eye - it's a cartoonish illustration of a large black girl walking in the woods. As someone who's into design of any sort, I wondered, "Why a cartoon?" It's not particularly beautiful, or captivating, or even that well-rendered.
After watching the movie, the illustration makes sense. All of the characters in the movie are cartoonish. Exaggerated, extreme, and in most cases hysterical, the characters act out people types from real life. This is what makes the movie confounding. The whole time I'm watching the movie I'm thinking - what is he trying to say? Gross exaggerations are usually not without purpose.
The funny thing is - he presents everyone as a cartoon, yet he also manages to portray the humanity in the midst of their absurdity. It's a mindblowing feat that he manages to do over and over in every movie of his that I've seen. I really want to say it's on the level of genius. Who else manages so easily and so regularly to place his characters in that precarious position between empathy and ridicule?
There is abortion, pedophilia, and rape in this movie. There are characters on every side of every issue, but even in the end you still don't know where Todd Solondz stands. Who is he for? What does he want us to take away?
A monologue from the characters towards the end of the movie - and one that is presumably Todd's point of view - may provide a clue. The character believes no one changes. We may believe we do, but we enter the same as we leave. We are the same person as 10 as we are 50. There is no choice, it's all genes and randomness. We are all stuck in situations beyond our control. And maybe that's what Todd's philosophy in art is. He shows us the absurdity of human life. It affects everyone, and therefore everyone in his films comes from this same exaggeration of humanity. Maybe he is not for or against abortion. Maybe he just wants to show how ridiculous it can be, on both sides, and how there's not really one stance that can or should be taken. If there's no political stance taken, then what's left but mere human observation? He is saying with his characters - this is who we are. We are all ridiculous and absurd, yet we are all human. We act from our past, we make mistakes, we live on, yet despite all of that, we don't change. That we all do this, regardless of what extreme stance we take on issues, is what makes us human.
This is a powerful film. I don't know if I can fully believe the cynicism, but Solondz's message is potent regardless. I was provoked, and my mind engaged. (This movie is definitely not for everybody).
MP3: N. Larson - Aviva Pastoral
This is a movie I've been wanting to see since before it came out, but I haven't really had a chance to. I've always passed this DVD at the video store. The cover would always catch my eye - it's a cartoonish illustration of a large black girl walking in the woods. As someone who's into design of any sort, I wondered, "Why a cartoon?" It's not particularly beautiful, or captivating, or even that well-rendered.
After watching the movie, the illustration makes sense. All of the characters in the movie are cartoonish. Exaggerated, extreme, and in most cases hysterical, the characters act out people types from real life. This is what makes the movie confounding. The whole time I'm watching the movie I'm thinking - what is he trying to say? Gross exaggerations are usually not without purpose.
The funny thing is - he presents everyone as a cartoon, yet he also manages to portray the humanity in the midst of their absurdity. It's a mindblowing feat that he manages to do over and over in every movie of his that I've seen. I really want to say it's on the level of genius. Who else manages so easily and so regularly to place his characters in that precarious position between empathy and ridicule?
There is abortion, pedophilia, and rape in this movie. There are characters on every side of every issue, but even in the end you still don't know where Todd Solondz stands. Who is he for? What does he want us to take away?
A monologue from the characters towards the end of the movie - and one that is presumably Todd's point of view - may provide a clue. The character believes no one changes. We may believe we do, but we enter the same as we leave. We are the same person as 10 as we are 50. There is no choice, it's all genes and randomness. We are all stuck in situations beyond our control. And maybe that's what Todd's philosophy in art is. He shows us the absurdity of human life. It affects everyone, and therefore everyone in his films comes from this same exaggeration of humanity. Maybe he is not for or against abortion. Maybe he just wants to show how ridiculous it can be, on both sides, and how there's not really one stance that can or should be taken. If there's no political stance taken, then what's left but mere human observation? He is saying with his characters - this is who we are. We are all ridiculous and absurd, yet we are all human. We act from our past, we make mistakes, we live on, yet despite all of that, we don't change. That we all do this, regardless of what extreme stance we take on issues, is what makes us human.
This is a powerful film. I don't know if I can fully believe the cynicism, but Solondz's message is potent regardless. I was provoked, and my mind engaged. (This movie is definitely not for everybody).
MP3: N. Larson - Aviva Pastoral
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Mogwai (from Mr. Beast)
1 MP3: Glasgow Mega-Snake
2 MP3: Friend of the Night
I'm a bit late to the gravy train of this climaxinghugesound sort of post-rock but it doesn't surprise me that I like it at all. If anything, I am surprised by how familiar it sounds. Almost easy listening for the avant garde set - familiar structures and sonic details, but instantly rewarding. Glasgow Mega-Snake is a huge, crushing track that I play loud as fuck in my car while other drivers think about how obnoxious I am. Friend of the Night is slower, but more gorgeous in its stride. If you share any of my musical tastes at all, you will love both of these songs.
1 MP3: Glasgow Mega-Snake
2 MP3: Friend of the Night
I'm a bit late to the gravy train of this climaxinghugesound sort of post-rock but it doesn't surprise me that I like it at all. If anything, I am surprised by how familiar it sounds. Almost easy listening for the avant garde set - familiar structures and sonic details, but instantly rewarding. Glasgow Mega-Snake is a huge, crushing track that I play loud as fuck in my car while other drivers think about how obnoxious I am. Friend of the Night is slower, but more gorgeous in its stride. If you share any of my musical tastes at all, you will love both of these songs.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Great Interview with Maynard of Tool
http://www.avclub.com/content/node/55757
Some choice excerpts:
AVC: Do you feel out of touch with your audience?
MJK: For the most part, I have no idea who those people are—especially when we're traveling through Europe. And it's not all our fault; it's a whole series of events. [You play] heavy music, and your record company, which has never owned an album anything like what you're doing, immediately markets you to the obvious stinky kid with the dreadlocks and the B.O. and the urine on his shoes because he's been sleeping in his own filth in a festival in the middle of the rain. They basically market right to that guy. And then you realize the only people showing up to your shows are those primates—these weird, cretin people… Then, let's say you're at a coffee shop, and you've got a friend sitting next to you, and you've been reading some Noam Chomsky, or you're reading The Onion, and you look over and see a bunch of kids [who] look like they could be made of cheese, because there are flies everywhere. And you go, "Hey, you want to go where they're going?" and everybody goes, "Fuck no." And they're wearing Tool shirts. Why would you want to go there? Why would anybody other than those kids wanna go see Tool if that's our representative in that area?
http://www.avclub.com/content/node/55757
Some choice excerpts:
AVC: Do you feel out of touch with your audience?
MJK: For the most part, I have no idea who those people are—especially when we're traveling through Europe. And it's not all our fault; it's a whole series of events. [You play] heavy music, and your record company, which has never owned an album anything like what you're doing, immediately markets you to the obvious stinky kid with the dreadlocks and the B.O. and the urine on his shoes because he's been sleeping in his own filth in a festival in the middle of the rain. They basically market right to that guy. And then you realize the only people showing up to your shows are those primates—these weird, cretin people… Then, let's say you're at a coffee shop, and you've got a friend sitting next to you, and you've been reading some Noam Chomsky, or you're reading The Onion, and you look over and see a bunch of kids [who] look like they could be made of cheese, because there are flies everywhere. And you go, "Hey, you want to go where they're going?" and everybody goes, "Fuck no." And they're wearing Tool shirts. Why would you want to go there? Why would anybody other than those kids wanna go see Tool if that's our representative in that area?
AVC: Given how little press you do, fans mostly just have these weird, disconnected snapshots of you: Maynard choking a fan; Maynard onstage in kabuki drag; Maynard performing as an evangelical preacher. Is the real Maynard somewhere between all these? You can break out the incense again if you want…
MJK: I'm just going to get in the lotus position for this one—got a little New Age crystal enema going here… Mmm. [Laughs.] But it's all slices—I mean, who the fuck is Christian Bale, really? Does it matter? I think in order for us to be entertainers—and let's face it: We're entertainers; we're not philosophers in any way—we're just basically clowns. That's what we are. So you dress up like a clown, and it makes it easier to be a clown. It allows you to express yourself freely, to step out of your own body and just have fun with the character. Hopefully, somebody gets something out of it.Friday, January 19, 2007
"Here we are. Let us say Yes to our presence together in Chaos." - John Cage
mp3: Autechre - Acroyear
This is one of my favorite songs ever. The track starts off with a skittering, untrackable beat with only a threadbare melody to guide us through. It's chaotic and schizoid, but that melody somehow is just enough to tie things together. Somewhere in the madness is a logic, even if buried. Another melodic theme arises, as thin as the first. They bob and weave through the chaos, as it gets more intense, then, as it crystallizes into something recognizable. A mess becomes a pattern. The themes have led us. Nirvana?
1/30 Addendum: I think I was being a bit of a coward with this description. What I was getting at and didn't come out and say is that the way these songs are constructed, it's as if Autechre are presenting a life philosophy (without lyrics, nonetheless). Life is messy and fucking chaotic and there's shit flying everywhere, and is there really any constant in your life other than yourself (the melody - the human aspect in a world or song that seems inhuman) except the melody and you are also changing, so what does that leave us with except the recognition that there's beauty in change, in people, in melody, in rhythm (that never stopping propulsion that allows us to see change), in chaos, in pattern.
mp3: Autechre - Acroyear
This is one of my favorite songs ever. The track starts off with a skittering, untrackable beat with only a threadbare melody to guide us through. It's chaotic and schizoid, but that melody somehow is just enough to tie things together. Somewhere in the madness is a logic, even if buried. Another melodic theme arises, as thin as the first. They bob and weave through the chaos, as it gets more intense, then, as it crystallizes into something recognizable. A mess becomes a pattern. The themes have led us. Nirvana?
1/30 Addendum: I think I was being a bit of a coward with this description. What I was getting at and didn't come out and say is that the way these songs are constructed, it's as if Autechre are presenting a life philosophy (without lyrics, nonetheless). Life is messy and fucking chaotic and there's shit flying everywhere, and is there really any constant in your life other than yourself (the melody - the human aspect in a world or song that seems inhuman) except the melody and you are also changing, so what does that leave us with except the recognition that there's beauty in change, in people, in melody, in rhythm (that never stopping propulsion that allows us to see change), in chaos, in pattern.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
MP3: Daniel Johnston - True Love Will Find You In The End
off key, amateur chords strumming in the dark
a weird little man in the distance trying to tell me how it is
and oddly enough, it makes sense
off key, amateur chords strumming in the dark
a weird little man in the distance trying to tell me how it is
and oddly enough, it makes sense
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Thursday, December 07, 2006
The Clipse and Folk Music
So I've been listening The Clipse and folk music lately, and not much else. Since it's easier to point out the differences rather than the similarities, let's do similarities!
1) concern with being perceived as genuine
keepin' it real/being a common person
2) primarily lyric based music
(which is funny to me, as someone who doesn't listen to lyrics anyways)
3) spare arrangements
4) music of the plebes* (*see next item)
5) deviation of original genre's values
rap: focus moved away from party music to bling/street life
folk: "folk music" is hardly folk music in the sense that it is experts (and not the actual common man) that play the folk music we listen to. it's also mass distributed as a commodity - thus being popular music rather than music you go out and hear performed on the street.
6) sonic grittiness
distorted synths/staccato rhythms in Clipse and raw voices/lo-fi audio in folk
So I've been listening The Clipse and folk music lately, and not much else. Since it's easier to point out the differences rather than the similarities, let's do similarities!
1) concern with being perceived as genuine
keepin' it real/being a common person
2) primarily lyric based music
(which is funny to me, as someone who doesn't listen to lyrics anyways)
3) spare arrangements
4) music of the plebes* (*see next item)
5) deviation of original genre's values
rap: focus moved away from party music to bling/street life
folk: "folk music" is hardly folk music in the sense that it is experts (and not the actual common man) that play the folk music we listen to. it's also mass distributed as a commodity - thus being popular music rather than music you go out and hear performed on the street.
6) sonic grittiness
distorted synths/staccato rhythms in Clipse and raw voices/lo-fi audio in folk
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
maybe this blog is too self-indulgent. i'm fascinated by my own peculiarities in taste and love thinking about them to no end. with that being said, one of my weaknesses is folk music. i'm a sucker for an interesting voice and an acoustic guitar. is that criteria sufficient enough to be considered good music? i don't know. but i can't get enough of it.
MP3: Lindsey Buckingham - Shut Us Down
on another tangent, i have to confess i am still relatively new to love. and experiencing love means experiencing all the complications that come with it. 90% of all the songs ever written are about love, and now they all oddly resonate with me in a way that they never did before. what were empty words before are now capable of casting a hypnotic spell over me, holding me in a bittersweet grip. or in other words, just make me really fucking sad.
maybe i'm fitting lyrics to my experience instead of taking them for what they are. maybe i'm completely misinterpreting what the writer is trying to say. well... chalk up another one for the distortive nature of love. i'm fine with that. let me take my pleasure in knowing that i'm not alone, let me pretend that what i'm experiencing is universal, let me know that someone else has gone through this too... and is able to make something beautiful out of it.
MP3: Lindsey Buckingham - Shut Us Down
on another tangent, i have to confess i am still relatively new to love. and experiencing love means experiencing all the complications that come with it. 90% of all the songs ever written are about love, and now they all oddly resonate with me in a way that they never did before. what were empty words before are now capable of casting a hypnotic spell over me, holding me in a bittersweet grip. or in other words, just make me really fucking sad.
maybe i'm fitting lyrics to my experience instead of taking them for what they are. maybe i'm completely misinterpreting what the writer is trying to say. well... chalk up another one for the distortive nature of love. i'm fine with that. let me take my pleasure in knowing that i'm not alone, let me pretend that what i'm experiencing is universal, let me know that someone else has gone through this too... and is able to make something beautiful out of it.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
I was online looking for that hidden link between Timbaland and Pharrell. Did you know that they knew each other since middle school? Their parents knew each other, their grandparents knew each other, they wuz tite.
Anyways, what caught my eye was this:
On the ABC show "Nightline" Pharrell said, "I could always visualize what I was hearing" and "It was always like weird colors," suggesting he may have synesthesia.
Maybe that's why I like his production so much, it's oddly visual. In fact, I think that's why I like what I like at all - good music, to me, is inseparable from a strong image. I don't think I'm like other synesthesiacs though. I don't see color, I see shapes and textures. If it's a real instrument, I see the instrument. If it's an abstract noise, it's a waveform, clearly defined in a three-dimensional space. Voices tend to fall in the latter category, which is why it's so easy for me to tune out lyrics.
Anyways, what caught my eye was this:
On the ABC show "Nightline" Pharrell said, "I could always visualize what I was hearing" and "It was always like weird colors," suggesting he may have synesthesia.
Maybe that's why I like his production so much, it's oddly visual. In fact, I think that's why I like what I like at all - good music, to me, is inseparable from a strong image. I don't think I'm like other synesthesiacs though. I don't see color, I see shapes and textures. If it's a real instrument, I see the instrument. If it's an abstract noise, it's a waveform, clearly defined in a three-dimensional space. Voices tend to fall in the latter category, which is why it's so easy for me to tune out lyrics.
Monday, November 20, 2006
MP3: Joanna Newsom - Three Little Babes
How often do you smile every time you hear a song?
Her voice tears into my head with the brittleness of a siren. And I enjoy it.
Joanna belongs to the group of singers you either love or hate, and as with most singers of that ilk, I love her. There is a rawness of sound there, a very visceral sonic characteristic that reaches out with it's tendrils and pushes itself into the folds of your brain. I've heard her voice in this song likened to a wailing cat or a diseased woman, and it's hard for me to disagree. Is that truly a negative thing though? I'd argue that it's a sensation so compelling, so ugly, that it cuts through all the bullshit, that forces you to listen to it... well, I think that's something quite beautiful and rare.
How often do you smile every time you hear a song?
Her voice tears into my head with the brittleness of a siren. And I enjoy it.
Joanna belongs to the group of singers you either love or hate, and as with most singers of that ilk, I love her. There is a rawness of sound there, a very visceral sonic characteristic that reaches out with it's tendrils and pushes itself into the folds of your brain. I've heard her voice in this song likened to a wailing cat or a diseased woman, and it's hard for me to disagree. Is that truly a negative thing though? I'd argue that it's a sensation so compelling, so ugly, that it cuts through all the bullshit, that forces you to listen to it... well, I think that's something quite beautiful and rare.
Monday, November 06, 2006
MP3: Broadcast - Lunch Hour Pops
Broadcast is now officially the top of my Last FM list. They have toppled the mighty Aphex Twin, who's influence loomed so large in my mind that first listening to him was a formative experience that set the stage for how I listen to music. So, what makes Broadcast so good?
At times, such as this, it is simple, beguiling pop. Trish Keenan's cool, unaffected delivery has such a distance to it that it seems to just to hover somewhere between the horizon and sky. And when her voice sings such pretty melodies, it dances around the harp like some child's plaything gone wild. It's a very romantic view of music, complete with high pitched electronic flourishes and a merry-go-round melody.
Broadcast is now officially the top of my Last FM list. They have toppled the mighty Aphex Twin, who's influence loomed so large in my mind that first listening to him was a formative experience that set the stage for how I listen to music. So, what makes Broadcast so good?
At times, such as this, it is simple, beguiling pop. Trish Keenan's cool, unaffected delivery has such a distance to it that it seems to just to hover somewhere between the horizon and sky. And when her voice sings such pretty melodies, it dances around the harp like some child's plaything gone wild. It's a very romantic view of music, complete with high pitched electronic flourishes and a merry-go-round melody.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
MP3: Johann Sebastian Bach (Yo-Yo Ma) - Suite No.1, S. 1007 in G Major - I. Prelude
I asked my coworker if he could identify a classical song and he smirked, "I know classical songs, but I don't know any classical song names... they're all like 'Suite in C B A' and 'Concerto in A Minor Plus Plus'". Funny... but it also got me thinking. Isn't this what Autechre also does with their song titles? Garbagemx36, 6Ie.cr, VI Scose Poise - it's a way of avoiding labels. Nondescript, faceless, an indication that it's the music that matters, stupid. It's nice to know that a common attitude is shared throughout the history of abstract instrumental music.
I asked my coworker if he could identify a classical song and he smirked, "I know classical songs, but I don't know any classical song names... they're all like 'Suite in C B A' and 'Concerto in A Minor Plus Plus'". Funny... but it also got me thinking. Isn't this what Autechre also does with their song titles? Garbagemx36, 6Ie.cr, VI Scose Poise - it's a way of avoiding labels. Nondescript, faceless, an indication that it's the music that matters, stupid. It's nice to know that a common attitude is shared throughout the history of abstract instrumental music.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Sufjan Stevens 9/16 - Paramount Theater, Austin
I like Sufjan Stevens. It's pleasant music, full of nice harmony and pop. A guy with a guitar and sickly-sweet double tracked vocals, what's not to like? It's the type of music you could play for a girl at random from the street and she'd probably love it and love you for it.
But I don't love his music by any stretch. The words "sugary" and "overproduced" come to mind. It's like the trap that some of Elliott Smith's music falls into - layers and layers of harmony actually begin to detract from the sincerity of the music. Grandeur is great to aim for, but there are different, and more affecting, ways to reach elation other than typical choral arrangements and movie soundtrack orchestration. It doesn't quite reach cheesy, but it smells all too familiar.
This is the mindset I went into the show with, but I was open to having my opinion changed. The live show is, afterall, a gateway to a religious experience. Bands that are merely good on record become powerful and god-like on stage. An explosive sound can blow your mind into sensual ecstasy. Hopefully, my image of him as indie-pop lite would gain something of a bit more substance.
Sufjan's band then all walked out with butterfly wings. My opinion was not changed. The show was good though, I enjoyed it overall. The stage was full - there was a horn section, back up singers, and the standard guitar/bass/drums. They played head-nodders and attractive melodies, appealing stuff through and through. There were songs I didn't recognize, but at the same time, there was also nothing that surprised me. During climaxes, the theater hummed thick with harmonic layers, but musically, it was like eating vanilla creme cookies for an hour. Pleasant, at worst. Or, at best, whichever you prefer.
Near the beginning of the show Sufjan stated that he would play songs that aimed at "transcendence". I suppose I just have a differing view of how to accomplish that.
I like Sufjan Stevens. It's pleasant music, full of nice harmony and pop. A guy with a guitar and sickly-sweet double tracked vocals, what's not to like? It's the type of music you could play for a girl at random from the street and she'd probably love it and love you for it.
But I don't love his music by any stretch. The words "sugary" and "overproduced" come to mind. It's like the trap that some of Elliott Smith's music falls into - layers and layers of harmony actually begin to detract from the sincerity of the music. Grandeur is great to aim for, but there are different, and more affecting, ways to reach elation other than typical choral arrangements and movie soundtrack orchestration. It doesn't quite reach cheesy, but it smells all too familiar.
This is the mindset I went into the show with, but I was open to having my opinion changed. The live show is, afterall, a gateway to a religious experience. Bands that are merely good on record become powerful and god-like on stage. An explosive sound can blow your mind into sensual ecstasy. Hopefully, my image of him as indie-pop lite would gain something of a bit more substance.
Sufjan's band then all walked out with butterfly wings. My opinion was not changed. The show was good though, I enjoyed it overall. The stage was full - there was a horn section, back up singers, and the standard guitar/bass/drums. They played head-nodders and attractive melodies, appealing stuff through and through. There were songs I didn't recognize, but at the same time, there was also nothing that surprised me. During climaxes, the theater hummed thick with harmonic layers, but musically, it was like eating vanilla creme cookies for an hour. Pleasant, at worst. Or, at best, whichever you prefer.
Near the beginning of the show Sufjan stated that he would play songs that aimed at "transcendence". I suppose I just have a differing view of how to accomplish that.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
It's funny whenever I tell someone I don't listen to lyrics. They just kind of nod their head, accepting the fact as if I just told them that I clip my toenails on Tuesdays. It's a matter of choice, they would think to themselves, it's not as if he can't really hear the lyrics. But I can't.
My co-worker was getting pissed off because he was pointing out lyrics that he wanted me to hear. He kept rewinding and rewinding to the phrase, and asking me about the 'little girl'. I just thought he was a pedophile. "LITTLE GIRL, LITTLE GIRL!! " he would scream hysterically, "IT'S RIGHT THERE!!" Eventually I made him sing it for me, because I had no idea what he was talking about. In a short magical phrase, the song I had been listening to for 5 years suddenly became a pederass's anthem. ...He says little girl??!
My co-worker was getting pissed off because he was pointing out lyrics that he wanted me to hear. He kept rewinding and rewinding to the phrase, and asking me about the 'little girl'. I just thought he was a pedophile. "LITTLE GIRL, LITTLE GIRL!! " he would scream hysterically, "IT'S RIGHT THERE!!" Eventually I made him sing it for me, because I had no idea what he was talking about. In a short magical phrase, the song I had been listening to for 5 years suddenly became a pederass's anthem. ...He says little girl??!
Friday, August 25, 2006
It's often I think the music I listen to isn't well known (sometimes it very much is though). It always makes me happy to find a fellow soul who likes what I do, especially the stuff that I would consider obscure. I'm gonna list some albums that I have yet to find others who enjoy them as much as I do (that I haven't introduced the albums to in the first place).
snd - Tender Love
Asa-Chang & Junray - Jun Ray Song Chang
Manitoba - Up In Flames
Keith Fullerton Whitman - Playthroughs
Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day
Triple R - Friends
Susumu Yokota - Grinning Cat
ok, I know of others who enjoy these, but mainly because I introduced the music to them. I guess I feel like these are more like private discoveries than anything else, as if I had turned the corner while on a walk and happened onto a secret garden I could spend the rest of my life in.
As I'm looking over the list I notice these themes: minimalism, odd juxtapositions of sounds, and prettiness. And I know with snd, Asa-Chung & Junray, and Susumu Yokota, I could very easily imagine myself creating this type of music. Shit, you know what I just realized? Those themes are very Buddhist-centric. Perhaps not as far Zen as John Cage's ideals are, but they lean towards that. An affirmative reflection of life. Positive heady analysis of the world around you. That is my goal, that is what drives me. It's an introvert's position to believe that the act of reflection in itself is good, and I tend to apply that to art. The most profound art makes you reconsider, reevaluate, and reexamine.
snd - Tender Love
Asa-Chang & Junray - Jun Ray Song Chang
Manitoba - Up In Flames
Keith Fullerton Whitman - Playthroughs
Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day
Triple R - Friends
Susumu Yokota - Grinning Cat
ok, I know of others who enjoy these, but mainly because I introduced the music to them. I guess I feel like these are more like private discoveries than anything else, as if I had turned the corner while on a walk and happened onto a secret garden I could spend the rest of my life in.
As I'm looking over the list I notice these themes: minimalism, odd juxtapositions of sounds, and prettiness. And I know with snd, Asa-Chung & Junray, and Susumu Yokota, I could very easily imagine myself creating this type of music. Shit, you know what I just realized? Those themes are very Buddhist-centric. Perhaps not as far Zen as John Cage's ideals are, but they lean towards that. An affirmative reflection of life. Positive heady analysis of the world around you. That is my goal, that is what drives me. It's an introvert's position to believe that the act of reflection in itself is good, and I tend to apply that to art. The most profound art makes you reconsider, reevaluate, and reexamine.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Here's a counter-intuitive nugget from John Cage :
"If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, try it for eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and so on. Eventually one discovers that it's not boring at all but very interesting."
While I don't think it's always correct, there's something to that.
"If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, try it for eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and so on. Eventually one discovers that it's not boring at all but very interesting."
While I don't think it's always correct, there's something to that.
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