Passing Tones : Meg's Reich2Radiohead Blog

In the last class we had a pleasant surprise of going way back in time. We went back to the early 19th century to visit our dear revolutionary friend Beethoven. Beethoven (some believe) marked the beginning of the push for the modern era. A line was drawn through the ideal of repetition. How Beethoven used repetition in the 2nd mm. of the 9th symphony in a way is the same usage of repetition in a Reich or Antheil work. I found this to be very fascinating epiphany that was brought onto the table by Jackson in his blog then to Steve, but the ideas and connections seemed to be flowing like a rushing river and sometimes when the flood hits it topples you over. I found myself skeptical to this claim wanting to challenge it. What is different with composers before this? What about repetition there? Well, I finally found it, Monteverdi, Eureka! (and I have no doubt there are many other composers before hand who also fit into this theory)! There is repetition everywhere and what I have formulated is that we have three compositional periods here, all revolutionary in their own right all times where the 'norm' was rebelled against. 20th, 19th and 16th century periods was where music was challenged and the parallel between all three can be found in repetition.

In Monteverdi's works from the first decade (and onwards) of the 16th century we find the way that he uses, repeats and imitates voices creates a strong effect of repetition. In Lauda Jerusalem from Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 we can see the antiphonal interchanging of parts between the two choirs. The second choir repeats the same phrase as sung by the first choir sometimes only repeated in two measure intervals, but enough to make the voices shift and create an emphasis on repetition. With Beethoven we see the repetition of phrases and certain melodies reoccurring throughout the movement. Each of the sections that repeats creates a return to familiarly and reminds the listener of the main intent of the piece and the emotional direction and connection Beethoven creates. Now, what we deal with in the 20th century with the primitivists, experimentalists, and especially the later minimalists is a complete domination of the idea of repetition with very little variation which differs from the original two examples greatly. To attack minimalism is like attacking a sleeping animal; its harmless to look at and think about but to jump ontop of it is an entire other barrel of monkeys. Repetition over and over in different parts at times phasing back and forth it is amazing how sound at times becomes almost mathematic. Minimalism seems incredibly simple, the same thing repeating, but its structure is so complex.

I find myself going back to my post from last class, contemplating repetition and its progression through time and music. It seems like there has always been repetition in music, from the very beginning of cave man hitting something over and over to a mashup, or a minimalist work, even the latest single on Pop radio. Repetition is everywhere and it always has been, but now more than ever it seems like as humans we want 1. Things in order 2. Familiar things 3. Things repeated. If we like it we want more of it; we like a song we listen to it over and over again, we hear new things each time even the meta-music idea begins to happen. This is exciting to humans, we like this we are hardwired to repeat things; it makes us happy and gets us through life. Of course now I am making my points black and white, and also repeating a few things I said in my last post, but it must be stressed. And now I have another idea, repetition for understanding. Its how we learn, its how we live. Why didn't I think of this before?! We as humans need to do things over and over to learn, if it is learned wrong it must be done the right way X-number of times to be unlearned and learned again. Repetition is intuitive to humans, a necessity to living.

We also watched the video for George Anheil's Ballet Machnique. Overall the video's images were extremely repetitious almost matching the intensity of the repetition created in the music. At times it was almost hard to watch it due to the quickly changing frames. The emphasis of the rhythm of machines was also quite important and stood out from the other images. I believe it was the intention of the filmmaker to create an uneasiness within the viewer, it matches the sound perfectly. I was also drawn in by the primitive effects that were used. In one of the images a girls face was used and she basically took a piece of dark paper or cardboard and waved it around in front of her face to create the effect as if the space was changing around her it was really interesting and captured my attention.

This Weeks Music:
Course Music:

Beethoven's 9th Symphony mm.2
George Antheil - Ballet Machinique

Music for personal listening (related to course):

Jamie Cullum - Catching Tales

Various - Reich Remixed

Slipknot - Vol. 3..., Slipknot, Iowa etc
As I Lay Dying - Frail Worlds Collapse, Shadows are Security

The twentieth century strikes me as one of the most innovative, fast-paced, and technologically advanced centuries ever known to man. In a discussion with my two other colleagues in Music Seminar I found myself defending the century in two parts the first half including the World Wars, and a second part following the wars up until the Millennium. But, then I found myself sub dividing these parts into different musical genres as well, describing how the first half of the century is essentially repeated in the second half but in an entirely different form. Though it might not make sense in this short explanation my reasoning is based on the principle of repetition. My passion to crack this century is boundless and I find myself trying to find a place, a reason, an explanation for anything in this past century; but, to find myself comparing (within some reason) minimalism and other modern compositional methods at time to earlier music, such as what we are studying in this other class, made me realize that music like most things tends to repeat itself, over and over again. I found myself comparing the transition of renaissance music into the baroque to the social response and basic transitional change that happened at the turn of the twentieth century. More or less as time, actions, thoughts, sounds, reactions, and life overall, to some degree, repeats itself we constantly see a cycling of everything.

The earth revolves around the sun. The seasons change and return. The sun will rise, and will plummet into the horizon at the end of the day only to rise again. Much like our need for sleep we fall into a state of quasi-unconsciousness only to wake in the morning (sometimes) a new. The blood is pumped through arteries and veins throughout the body over and over producing sound as well. And I ask the question once again much like Susan McClary did: Why are we so bent on emphasizing repetition in our lives in the twentieth century and now still in the twenty-first?

And with a small amount of contemplation and reasoning I can only come up with one answer. This isn't a new question. Humans have been asking it over and over and over again for centuries. Of course with the term minimalism it is incredibly apparent that the music is based on the idea of repetition and this is the intention of the composers. Is it a self-actualization of the general population of the world in the span of time until now and especially in the twentieth century that the functions of humans have a cyclic harmony with nature, the environment around us, basically anything on the earth? Humans love familiarity, a comfort place, something to call their own, in minimalism at first the introduction to the repeating phrase, wether it being rhythmic or melodic, is new at first but after a while it is familiar and inviting. I know this is digging deep but could the entire idea be connected by the string theory? Everything connected by little tiny vibrating strings.

And now, i find myself coming back to my original intention of this post: Minimalism. Reich, Glass, Riley, Gann, etc. all have/had a mission to create music in a very repetitious, cyclic form that not only represents simplicity but complexity as well. Again I find a cycle, it seems that when ideas, or anything becomes too simple or too complex at some-point it will eventually repeat itself and become its exact opposite. The evolution of human thought is like this. As we are younger something can be difficult to learn it, but when we do learn it we can build upon this knowledge and learn something more complex. What was once complex is now simple, the cycle goes on. When one listens to minimalist music on the surface it seems like, wow its going over and over - thats hrm, interesting, broken record syndrome? NO, this cyclic repetition as you listen to it changes, if listening intently, ones interpretation of the same melody, or rhythmic pattern combined can change many times into different interpretations of the same material. When we were listening to In C by Terry Riley I found that the repeating phrases would morph in my ear into different sounds or different tempos at times. The brain will interpret things differently each time one experiences it, minimalism is almost like a sensory overload of repetitious statements that are meant for hyper-interpretation and an almost trance-like experience.

In C was an interesting adventure into repetition and realization. When listing to a minimalist piece at times you can either get drawn in completely into a dreamy trance or you can let its notes fall around you like rain in a way, its there but you pay no attention. I found myself gripped for attention at times and then ripped away into watching the rain fall. I am going to definitely get the entire piece so I can experience it all. My only critique for a piece like this is that it is around 45 minuets long. To hear just a short excerpt of a piece that three-quarters of and hour long is a little hard to judge. In C seems like one of those pieces that you drop everything put on a set of headphones and just listen straight for 45 minuets motionless taking it all in.

Steve Reich was the highlight of the class for me. I absolutely love Reich's works and are completely drawn in by them. It's Gonna Rain was a great example of Reich's classic style. Reich has his own sound that sets him uniquely apart from other Minimalist composers. It's Gonna Rain brought up some thoughts which I wanted to elaborate upon. The work is based on a tape loop of a recording of an african american religious speaker. Reich has a connection to African rhythms, he studied African drumming in Ghana. In most of Reich's pieces there is a large emphasis on rhythmic repetition that is based on these methods of African drumming and rhythm. When listening to this piece I also made a connection to a song my A Northern Chorus by the name of Mombassa. Much like It' Gonna Rain, there is an african american/canadian (that is up for speculation at this point) speaker who is passionately speaking on religious topics. This looping of the speaker is mixed in with an instrumental part from the band itself, its and interesting song. Here is the iTunes link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=77930710&s=143441&i=77930523

I also have been listening to Reich Remixed, an album where some of Reich's major works are remixed by some of the worlds best electronic DJs. After one listen I was hooked. Track 5, The Megamix (iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=73237384&s=143441&i=73237223) is mix of Reich's hits in one song and it is incredible. Somehow all of Reich's works (through great mixing as well) work flawlessly together, maybe this is because of their repetitious quality. Nonetheless the album is a fresh and interesting look at Reich's works through a genre that spawned from the influence of minimalism.

This Weeks Music:

Course Music:

Terry Riley - In C
Steve Reich - Its Gonna Rain Pts. 1&2

Music for personal listening (related to course):
Jamie Cullum - Catching Tales
Various - Reich Remixed
Glass - Einstein on the Beach
Danger Doom - The Mouse & The Mask
Brian Eno - Music for Films
Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself
Frou Frou - Details
Radiohead - Airbag/How Am I Driving EP (US and Japanese versions)
John Adams - Shaker Loops
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism, Plans

While flipping though the July 05 edition of the Wire I came across an interesting article by Yelena Chernova on the electronic music scene in Kieve, Ukraine. It seems like the Ukraine is known in the Western world for things like gymnasts and hockey players but there is a huge upcoming electronic and experimental music scene to be found in in the buzzing capitol city. Overall the article compares Kieve to an old Soviet comedy The Diamond Arm. This comedy is about an economist who studies abroad and everyone thinks he went to New York City, but the chap only went to Istanbul. The extended metaphor which is created relates Kiev to being a diamond in the rough; a very European, yet Russian city. This culture combination or what the article states as being "a country of contrasts" or in this case a "city of contrasts" has to offer is just ready to be dug up and discovered. In this case its Kiev's innovative music scene.

Chernova primarily focuses on an experimental electronic music festival by the name of Detali Zvuku or Sound Details. The festival was started in 2000 by Kiev sound pioneer Andre Kiritchenko. Kiritchenko also formed the label Nexsound which is an amazing little label. Some notable Ukrainian composers/sound artists who were mentioned (and some are on the Nexsound label) are Kotra, Paul Kust, Alla Zagaikevych, OK_01, Akuvido, I/Dex, FRUITS, and Dutch Staalplaat Soundsystem. The festival went on for 14 hours of non-stop experimental electronica, that had to be amazing. All of these artists have combined and met not only on this occasion but also in concerts combined with the Kiev Musical Academy. Each of these concerts had different themes introducing not only the electronic music of the Ukraine but also other European music forms such as: Russian Noise (Ru.NOISE), Polish experimental, and Swiss improvisation (Swisound). I found this to be very very interesting. There are tons of different musical scenes sweeping Europe that I am highly interested in finding out more on (hopefully Italian scenes!).

Ukrainian Sound Artists and Composers have to deal with the hardship of a government that does not fund the arts as much as other countries do. What it comes down to is that these Artists do this because it is their passion. To be an sound artist in the Ukraine you must do it all - meaning make the sounds record it yourself then publish it yourself. If you visit Nexsound this is a fine example of dedication and passion for music. This is a self-run label. The larger record companies are not accessible in the Ukraine. Most people cannot afford an expensive major-label-produced CD so the Ukrainians thrive on the Bootleg. The US labels have cracked down on all the Bootlegs and have essentially removed all but a few Bootleg companies in the Ukraine causing the accessibility to music to be very limited to the general public. Kiritchenko and his label Nexsound are attempting to change that with their own personal drive to create and supply innovative music to the masses.

On the Nexsound site you can listen to full MP3 excerpts from new albums listed on the Catalog page. I listened to a few songs by Andre Kiritchenko, Alla Zagalkevych, and the group Kotra. I was highly impressed with Kiritchenko's efforts on his latest disk True Delusion. Kiritchenko has a signature soundscape of minimalism as well as atmospheric ambience. On one track, Illusion of Safety an ostinati of piano repeats over and over as other 'found' noises and other layers of piano are mixed in almost to the point they are coinciding rhythms. At times I wonder if I am listening to early (but much slower) Sigur Ros. Another track, Scope of my Perception, follows the idea of the previous track but creates a soundscape of a guitar line mixed with what it sounds like a person rustling around inside a house doing chores that finally turns into a drone of tones as well as static and faint rhythmic guitar plucking. These sounds are highly distorted and manipulated. Alla Zagalkevych's composition Heroneya is a true example of modern electroacousic music. Zagalkevych bases the pieces on algorithmic composition. One can tell when listening it sounds like serial music, I though oh Schoenberg or Berg! Heroneya begins as an interplay between cello, piano, violin and other instruments and then by the end of the piece it turns into a blur of electronic static with the remains of the original instrumental sounds lurking in the thick static soup. The selections I picked from Kotra off their album Dissilient are hair-raising examples of quasi-modern musique-concrete electronica (for lack of a better explanation). Each of the Minus works (there are 3 on the site) remind me exactly of Never Again on Zorn's Kristallnacht. They all have high-frequency sounds which effect the listener in startling ways. The description for the music even said "Difficult but impressive listening," they were right!

This Weeks Music:
Course Music: 

Eno - French Catalogues (I can't get over this piece!)

Wire Music:
Andrey Kiritchenko - True Delusion
Kotra - Dissilient

Music for personal listening (related to course):

Deerhoof - Green Cosmos (The song: Spiral Golden Town is astounding!), Apple O'
Psapp - Cosy In The Rocket (the theme to Grey's Anatomy, killer song and band!)
Jamie Cullum - Catching Tales
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Jimmy Eat World - Stay On My Side Tonight EP
Radiohead - The Bends
Matt Haimovitz - Goulash! (Unbelievable Cello playing combines Led Zeppelin, Bartok, Ligeti and his own compositions, which are highly influenced by said composers, on one album.)
And of course more than half the stuff already listed in previous playlists.

There is something unsettling about the sound of Electroacoustic music; something edgy and not completely finished. Blips and beats (or possible beats) that makes the listener ask the age old question: sound or music? The two examples of Stockhausen and Ussachevsky take a distinctively electronic sound which influences later electronic (i.e- techno, house, trance, IDM, etc...). What fascinates me is that all of a sudden in the 1950s electronic music burst onto the musical scene. Many electroacoustic labs were established and the study of electronic music was highly academic almost split down the middle of science and music. Now, of course with technological advances the electroacoustic labs have turned into laptops, programs, and code. Dartmouth Electroacoustic lab is a fine example of how this tradition has kept its place and has advanced. This leads me to pose the question: Why aren't there more academically centered electroacoustic labs? Is picking a laptop up with MAX/MSP, or C Sound or even Propellerhead software enough? A self-contained unit of musical ingenuity? Or has this period of innovation burned out its searchlight of discovery? Then again, why don't I just ask: where is music in today's modern society?! No, I don't need to go that far, point in being is that somehow electroacoustic music has mutated. I want to mark this change with the Moog synthesizer, but it could also be marked with Eno's early pioneering.

I was extremely taken with Eno's French Catalogues. This piece was on Eno's breakthrough Discreet Music album. I haven't gotten lost in a piece of music like that in quite a while. Something that is that beautiful and hits ones ears, like it did, really just took me for a ride into the atmospheric soundscapes of Eno-ness. Pachelbel's Canon in D Major is basically on the 'Classical Top 10' and here Eno presents it, more or less mangles it, into something that rivals, and in my perspective exceeds, the beauty of the original. In someway I can hear this being played at my wedding in the distant future, the thought scares me, instead of the original. I would also like to note on iTunes music store Eno's Discreet Music is classified as being Rock... Interesting choice of classification, once again the line is blurred between rock and classical. The debate will roll for decades!

Comparing Usshcaevsky's Wireless Fantasy and Stockhausen's Kontakte is extremely hard to do. Although quite close in general characteristics, when doing a listening analysis it becomes apparent that the two pieces are apples and oranges; both fruit, but entirely different. Wireless Fantasy is based on code signals which somehow in the mix of noise and musical excerpts mixes in Wagner's Parsifal. Wireless Fantasy is a constant blur of different radio signals all mixed up as if one was 'channel surfing' through the radio and somehow picked up all these different sounds. When I heard it in class I kind of chuckled to myself thinking thats sounds a bit like the opening to Radiohead's (somehow, they are finding their way into every facet of this class...) Climbing Up the Walls when they do it live. Johnny (the composer musical extraordinaire who I mentioned in the last post) sits on the stage with a radio and runs it through a row of effects pedals. He changes the stations frequencies, and usually programs the radio beforehand to only be set for talk radio stations. He effects the voice and the radio signal to create a haunting musical atmosphere that coincides with the dark subject matter of the song. I also made another Radiohead connection to the quote about the Beetles and Stockhausen (this connection is in personal opinion not fact). Stockhausen claims that the John Lennon was one of the "most important mediators between popular and serious music" in the past century. With all the connections to Radiohead and classical music, I like to think that Radiohead is bridging that gap as well in their own modern sense. Right now many scholarly publications are being published connecting Radiohead to classical music. For further reading (I have not read the book yet, but I have read the forward and it is engaging.): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0754639800/qid=1128662258/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-3165768-1510528?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
Back to Stockhausen, his work Kontakte is a little warmer and crosses the gaps between tonal and serial music. Stockhausen took serial music and pushed its boundaries a little further than his forefathers (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern - Second Viennese School) by serializing even pitches and rhythms. This was highly complex and organized music.

Reflecting back upon our Metal Presentation, I find it hard to believe we actually all talked for a total of an hour and a half solidly on Metal. At the end of the presentations it hit me that Metal could be its own genre of music completely separate from Rock. Metals roots are in Rock, but Metal is such an expansive musical category and there are so many different forms and styles contained in the genre that sets it apart. I was overall impressed with the groups efforts, we covered a great chunk of what metal is. I really enjoyed researching art metal, I had no ideas there were so many parallels with my favorite rock genres and metal. This research makes metal a little more accessible to my general musical understanding (Even though metal wasn't that far of a reach in the first place. Like anything different it has its 'adaptation nuances.') In later research I found a great Metal database:
http://www.metalstorm.ee/
I also found a good online Metal Radio station:
http://www.gargoyledawn.com/msr/playing.php

This Weeks Music:

Course Music:
Eno - French Catalogues
Gann - Despotic Waltz

Music for personal listening (related to course):
Pretty Much the same as last week, but add these:
Death Cab for Cutie -Transatlanicism, Plans (I have been addicted to them...)
Pelican - Their Catalogue
Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run
Neil Young - Prairie Wind
Josquin - Motets & Chansons