Our posts highlight the reasons behind the lack of mainstream coverage as well as the motives behind these decisions – such as censorship. Because some music strays from the ‘norm’ or adopts themes that cause conflicts of interest it is often overlooked, ignored or put into a negative light. All music has value, however obscure or however standardised. But it is the obscure genres that get ignored, which we believe shouldn’t be the case.

The mainstream music press has similar attitudes towards other forms of music criticism, such as academic studies which are intended for industry and academic journals as opposed to the popular music press. Since the popular music press is predominantly read by fans, this type of research and comment on music is disregarded, as it often requires a higher level of academic cultural capital to understand.

Since one of the factors that makes any story newsworthy is timeliness, academic writing on music is also largely ignored since it is often not written until years after an artist has been and gone through the cycle of popuarlity and obscurity. This is unfortunate for the way the histoy of music is remembered, since the best analysis can often only be made in retrospect.

We hope you enjoyed our blog because we all definitely enjoyed contributing to it!

Lilen, Heath and Millie

This post has as a primary purpose of condensing my previous posts into one post to give you an idea of what we have found out about experimental music so far – it’s much more concise!

• History is important in music, as it gives us knowledge about the past journey music has taken
• Many music styles rely on history as they have evolved from past musical styles
• Too much emphasis placed on popular styles, thus the lesser known styles, such as experimental music, are ignored and their value isn’t noticed
• Through my examination of experimental music, I attempted to explain the genre because I believe it is a heavily under explored genre and thus find a reason why it isn’t part of the mainstream music styles and reinforce why it should be
• All music is valid because it is all interconnected and styles influence each other and evolve from one another, thus even though experimental music may not be popular, it has still contributed to the field of music
• Experimental music appears to be in opposition to popular music in many ways, as explained in my previous post
• John Cage features prominently in the history of experimental music – his academic writing was a major source of my research
• Because of the nature of experimental music, many people question whether it is music at all
• This is because it strays so far from many people’s traditional conceptions of music
• Experimental music is still seen as new even though it has a legitimate history dating back at least 50 years
• Because the style is so different from much of the music featured in the mainstream, many people don’t take the time to appreciate it or understand it
• Sound is pivotal in the creation of experimental music. Experimentation with sound is the main purpose. It revolves around the experimentation, production and combination of sounds.
• The final product is not the purpose – the journey of creation is.
• Improvisation is a characteristic of experimental music, thus leading to the diversity, unknown quality and uniqueness of the genre.
• The genre challenges peoples conceptions of music and is in a state on constant change and experimentation
• The listener and their interpretation are key to understanding the purpose of experimental music
• The procedure of composing experimental music tends to be radical and different from most mainstream styles
• The music of the experimental genre can act as a means of communication between the band members
• Experimentation music involves releasing control and just experimenting and creating with music

To conclude, I believe experimental music has been left out of the mainstream genres of music and also out of the recorded music history because it is a niche music style and also because it challenges what people conceive to be music. Experimental music is highly valuable to the field of music because it is constantly pushing the boundaries of music and making way for the future of music. I believe that experimental music needs to be appreciated for what it is – not criticised for being so different from the popular music. Experimental music deserves a place in the history of music, as does any other music style, because they are all valid and have something to offer the field of music. I think experimental music is fantastic because of the way it challenges people’s conceptions of what music is. This is why I chose to investigate it and fight for its rightful place in music history!

]]> http://millie3120.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/the-story-so-far/feed/ 0 millie3120 http://millie3120.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/the-eurovision-verdict/ http://millie3120.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/the-eurovision-verdict/#comments Wed, 28 May 2008 01:42:53 +0000 lilen23 http://millie3120.wordpress.com/?p=50 ]]> Pseudo-Originality

On Sunday night various thoughts echoed in my head. I had regrettably spent 3 hours watching the finals to the Eurovision Song Contest and when it came time for each of the 47 countries to vote for their “favourites” a common theme seemed to be emerging. After the first few countries had released their preferences I quickly came to one simple conclusion: Eurovision has become less about the ‘search for the most original song’ and more about the political relationships between neighbouring European countries.

The Contest has long been perceived as political in some sense, where judges—and now televoters—allocate points based on their nation’s political relationship to the other countries, rather than on the “musical value” of the songs (wikipedia online). An analysis of voting patterns does indeed show that certain countries tend to favour certain other countries with which they are politically aligned with the most obvious example being between Greece and Cyprus, which have awarded each other the maximal 12 points every single time since televoting was introduced in 1998.

Apart from the political aspects of the voting system and of the Eurovision Song Contest, I also noticed flaws in the musical content. To me it seemed that the original intent of the Contest had been completely reversed and it had become less of a celebration of musical creativity and more a colourful, glitter contest where the same song is just a simple pop-song – an accumulation of previous songs only remixed and regurgitated by pretty, tone-deaf representatives. As I discussed in some of my previous posts, Eurovision is a prime example of how emphasis is put on the show elements in order to guise the often disastrous performances by each of the contestants. If ‘authenticity’ and ‘creativity’ are used as the primary marking criteria then what of the cheesy, semi-mimed performances and the fact that ALL Eurovision songs are not written by the performer? There is little encouragement for a contestant to be ‘authentic’ which is also shown by observing the physical performances of the contestants. In this case, the Contest appears to have become more ‘Westernised’ with many non-English speaking countries adopting Western elements both musically and visually. Musically, the song structures are terribly simple. There is a standard progression between verse and chorus which includes a deafening amount of repetition. Visually, the performances are a complete emulation of a standard MTV video, including back-up dancers, show elements and dancing contestants. This year Germany looked EXACTLY like an older version of the Spice Girls complete with dance moves that looked terribly familiar to those performed by the Spice Girls in their “Stop” video. Stereotypes have engulfed the way the Contest is presented with all of its representatives embodying certain traits that reinforce certain discourses. For example, the Finnish entry this year (Terasbetoni) appeared onstage as swaggering, muscled males with bare chests and long hair encapsulating and reinforcing the stereotypes surrounding masculinity.

While these examples highlight some of the more negative aspects of the show there are some contestants who do attempt to break the Western trend by singing in their own language and dancing in a traditional style. However while there has been an attempt to demonstrate some elements of “creativity” I think that the way Eurovision is presented today has allowed it to be viewed as a joke – as something you watch if nothing else is on or if you’re looking for a good laugh.

Below are two videos – the entrants for Greece and Finland for Eurovision 2008. In the first video note the ways the contestant appears like so many previous pop artists regularly seen on American television or on MTV (Britney Spears keeps coming into mind). The second video (and even the first as well) highlights the ways stereotype have formed the core of the Contest and it is regularly emphasised by the contestants.

Lilen Pautasso

Words: 600

The essential irony involved in being offended by or hating a certain type of music is that people who don’t like it won’t bother to learn enough about it to learn what it’s really about. So they are essentially always criticising something they don’t know enough about to criticise properly, and certainly not objectively. This is how all criticism of music such as metal, as Lilen has continuously shown, is based on stereotypes which fans know to be extremely oversimplified and hence false.

This idea is also relevant to the continued theme of Millie’s posts about the underexposure of experimental music. While experimental music is generally not met with the same level of hostility as metal, there is a similar reason for the lack of coverage of experimental music in mainstream music press. This is that experimental music challenges people’s ideas of what music is, which makes them uncomfortable, and hence unwilling to engage with this type of music. This in turn is why mainstream music press fails to cover experimental music. This becomes a cycle of disinterest in anything truly original, because people like the ‘new’ (popular) music because it’s all they read about, so the music press keeps reporting on the styles that are popular.

As this relates to the history of music, even if certain ‘alternative’ (the term I’ve been ripping to shreds for weeks) style of music has a significant impact on music at the time, it will only be written about and hence remembered, if this style of music somehow becomes ‘popular’. This may occur, for example, if a much more ‘popular’ artist cites a lesser known artist as an influence.

Retro Review: ‘Pretty Hate Machine’

As a pioneer of the industrial/darkwave genre, Trent Reznor’s first of his many masterpieces begins with the Nine Inch Nails 1989 release of Pretty Hate Machine. With a dominant sound of electronic synth mixed with noisy originality the album encapsulates a listener as it drags them into a new world of emotion. It begins with probably Nine Inch Nails‘ most recognised song, “Head like a Hole.” Driven by a beautifully catchy riff, it cascades into the electronic vivacity of “Terrible Lie.” The innovative style of music throughout the song (and the rest of the album) is enough to engage a listener of any style into the realms of industrial rock. As the album continues, it slowly progresses into famous songs such as “Kinda I want to’ and Nine Inch Nails’ first-ever produced song “Down in it”. While the song is a unique combination of rap-style vocals and electronic ‘noise’ it still follows the dominating sound of the album while at the same time, steers away from the conventions of the genre. Other notable compositions include the quiet (almost silent) tone of “Something I Can Never Have” which fixates on the emotional dysfunction of the creator, as well as the heavily electronic sounds of “Sin,” “The Only Time” and “Ringfinger.”

Lyrically, Pretty Hate Machine provides perhaps the most eloquent of all Nine Inch Nail releases. Songs such as “Head like a Hole,” “Terrible Lie,” “Something I Can Never Have” and “Ringfinger” each fixate on the boundaries of heart-break, power, greed, religion and ambiguity demonstrating Reznor’s ingenious capacity to express his ideas so that a listener vicariously experiences the feelings with him. Although his voice is not terribly versatile, it is just another essentially important instrument in the creation of the album’s industrial feel.

Overall, the original and pioneering sound of this album reflects the artistic nature of industrial rock’s most prominent master before he became one of the most notable icons in ‘popular music’ (Rolling Stone). Arguably it was this album that stimulated America’s initial interest in the industrial-rock group which, after the release of The Downward Spiral, later catapulted their name into the history books of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Because Pretty Hate Machine takes on a new and creative approach to music, it is truly recommended for those willing to experience the ways ‘music’, in this instance, has been twisted, deformed and mangled.

Lilen Pautasso

Words: 345

This article gives a lot of information about experimental music, but focuses a lot on the prominent Americans who feature in its history. I was more interested in what he had to say about experimental music and the way he described it and its characteristics.

In relation to the composition of experimental music, Cage states; “the procedure of composing tends to be radical, going directly to the sounds and their characteristics, to the way in which they are produced and how they are notated.” This emphasises the unconventional way experimental music is composed. Much of it is improvisation, therefore it is never notated. Note the reference to sound and how it is produced – again reinforcing its importance to experimental music.

“What is the nature of an experimental action? It is simply an action the outcome of which is not foreseen.” I think this quote encapsulates the process of creating experimental music – its unknown quality. Once again, I believe emphasis is placed on the journey and the process of creation, not the destination or the final product.

This statement agin reinforces the importance of sound, as opposed to melody or harmony etc. within experimental music; “We know now that sounds and noises are not just frequencies (pitches).” This alludes to the importance of sound and how they can be much more than just sound. Combined, they can become a whole piece of music.

Cage states in this article that harmony and counting in meters, both of which are pivotal to creating many styles of music, are not important to experimental music.

He also states that “each aspect of sound (frequency, amplitude, timbre, duration) is to be seen as a continuum, not as a series of discrete steps favored by conventions,” which again emphasises the connected, flowing nature of experimental music and also the journey of creation along the way.

Finally, Cage embodies the purpose of experimental music in this statement; “Giving up control so that sounds can be sounds.” I believe that this is the key to understanding experimental music – understand the importance of sound and the process of creation, and you will be able to appreciate experimental music.

Millie

References:

Cage, John. Silence – A Histort of Experimental Music in the United States http://www.zakros.com/mica/soundart/s04/cage_text.html

]]> http://millie3120.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/response-to-silence-an-article-by-john-cage/feed/ 1 millie3120 http://millie3120.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/every-picture-tells-a-story/ http://millie3120.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/every-picture-tells-a-story/#comments Tue, 27 May 2008 01:28:20 +0000 millie3120 http://millie3120.wordpress.com/?p=39 ]]> Every Picture Tells A Story…

These pictures are from the Castings (an experimental band from Newcastle I have mentioned previously) MySpace page. I feel they reveal a great deal about experimental music, the way it is composed and performed.

There are many parallels that can be drawn between the defining features of the photographs and the characteristics of experimental music. In looking at the photos, there appears to be a certain amount of disorder. Instruments are everywhere, all over the floor, cords are running everywhere, tangled up. The room is messy and untamed and consists of a mish mash of objects, including musical and decorative and functional.

This can be likened to the unorganised nature of experimental music. Sounds cover sounds, things clash and there is a distinctive feeling of unorder, which is heightened by the use of improvisation. The multiple instruments reinforce the multitude of sounds possible within experimental music. The music can be seen as a journey in itself where the final product or the end destination isn’t known. The eclectic appearance of the room emphasises the unique and diverse qualities of experimental music.

The multiple instruments emphasise experimental music’s fascination with sound combination and sound production. The whole space has a feel of creativity and communication, which can be seen through the music – the music is the mode of communication. All the instruments and members of the band are connected in some way by the cords on the floor. This can be seen through the music and how it is created through musical experimentation within the members of the band.

The black and white tonal qualities of the photographs can be likened with the rawness of experimental music. The gradation of shading demonstrates the possibilities of light and shade within the music – there is an absence of colour which I think indicates how some people see experimental music. The pieces classed as experimental music are often long and revolve around gradual and seemingly untraceable changes in sound. The photos, through their black and white tones, reinforce this as well as the sometimes seemingly uneventful quality of the music.

I really love these photos and I believe they capture not only the band perfectly but reinforce the qualities of experimental music. I believe they are a great reflection of experimental music.

Millie

If you would like to hear some examples of experimental music please click here to head to Castings MySpace where some of their music can be played, as well as links to other music groups that may interest you.

I have also previously posted an example from YouTube from the Big Sur Experimental Music Festival in 1999.

Millie

In this post I will be responding to two reviews, both reviewing the band Castings.
Castings will be one of the main bands I will be using while I’m researching experimental music. They are a local Newcastle band, although they play mainly in Sydney because there isn’t a market for their style of music in Newcastle – which is a subject I will be exploring further in a later post.

My brother Nick is a member of the band and he is a wealth of information concerning experimental music – I hope to be interviewing him too on the subject soon so stay tuned!

In completing this post, I’m hoping it will delve into the world of experimental music and I’ll be able to pull out some characteristics of experimental music that will lead to explaining the concept more and may also lead to deciphering why this genre of music hasn’t made it into the mainstream.
The first review I will be looking at is a Foxy Digitalis review of Castings’ ‘Allo Hickory’ album from 2005.
In reading this review, it appears to be very obscure, like many believe experimental music is. It begins with describing weather and the intricacies of weather changes and what results.

This in-depth explanation describing the weather in intricate detail can be likened with experimental music’s obsession with sound and the minute detail used in experimental music. The use of sound in experimental music can range a great deal. The sounds can be large, notable and highly obvious, to be being so small and unnoticeable, they have to be pointed out to be heard.

If this is the case with some sound in experimental music, many ask the question why include the sound at all? The reasoning behind including these minute sounds is that there are layers and layers of them, creating the music heard. Without them, a difference would be noted and the music would lose its layered quality and also the importance of sound. Simos empahsises this in the review from dB magazine when he speaks of the “minute detail” and “subtle samples.”

This review from dB magazine also talks about the music acting as a navigation. This statement demonstrates its relationship with the journey and where the song goes and how it is produced.

The in-depth analysis and description of the sound from the Foxy Digitalis review reinforces the importance of sound and attention to detail within the genre of experimental music.

For example; “Distorted spastic guitar exercises intermingle with reverb-laden drum blasts. All the while, there are various cryptic hums that underpin the whole piece, giving it a certain cohesiveness it would otherwise lack.” The reference to cohesiveness is important as this is an integral part of experimental music.

This quote from dB magazine’s review demonstrates to some extent the purpose and process of experimental music; “Castings is an improvising ensemble with it’s collective eye fixed on making noise soundscapes which alternate from serene to dissonant, lush to stark.”

Finally, I’m choosing to close with this quote from the Foxy Digitalis review which I believe is the perfect encapsulation of experimental music; “Sounds disorienting, and it is, but it’s equally enchanting.”

Millie

References:

Foxy Digitalis – Castings “Allo Hickory” http://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/reviews.php?which=954

Db Magazine – Castings http://www.dbmagazine.com.au/346/cd-Castings.shtml

MySpace – Castings http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=17535028

This is another video I discovered on the lovely YouTube where one of the most prominent people in the field of music, John Cage, (who I have mentioned in previous posts) talks about sound and experimental music… I have read in many places that it is rare for John Cage to actually be interviewed and talk about music… As I stated before, sound is extremely important to experimental music… I know Its long but he has some great things to say about sound and experimental music… It’s worth watching!

Millie