Philip Glass and Steve Reich had it right.
Their experiences of minimalism are precise, powerful examples of how humanity yearns for its core regardless of its purity.
Peering under the surface of today's often glamorous and aura-clad electronic swirls, tactile control of phase shifts often seem to be abandoned for a momentary flourish of embellished distortion. Like the undead writers of pop, it seems like many of today's music producers would prefer to mechanistically spread a singular fancy across the invariably varying framework they've chosen for themselves in order to get away with calling it a dance song. Mainly, it becomes obvious that when a computer program can line up even the most outlandish frequencies and bellow a womp more brutal than a train crash, jaws are guaranteed to drop. Unfortunately, so are standards of artistic focus and the commitment to specificity of theme. At least they know to call themselves freeform, but doesn't even free verse have some meaning to it besides its structure? Do people need a voice in order to be heard? Personally, I can't even see white noise.
Maybe I just don't like dubstep, but this most recent attempt at the amalgamation of all things as one seems a lot like that time in kindergarten art class when I tried to make the ultimate color and wound up painting my masterpiece in feces. Straight out of the 70's, Four Organs and Music With Changing Parts induce the seperation necessary to see oneself; an immersed look recalibrates our natural self-production to the powerful simplicity of truth in form.
For a beautiful look at that form, I also suggest:
Kurr by Amiina
Daydream by Tycho
Both of these artists have new work out, Amiina's Puzzle is especially great.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
My 4-20 Mix
In honor of this glorious moment in history, I am christening my blog with a peek into what's caught my ear in the past day that shall now tickle my fancy throughout the entirety of today:
Kimya Dawson (My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess)
Stars (Set Yourself on Fire)
Outkast (Stankonia)
Jay-Z (Reasonable Doubt)
10th Letter (Somewhere Else)
Pantha du Prince (Black Noise)
Broken Social Scene (Forgiveness Rock Record)
Dead Drums (Fashion Defense)
Future Islands (In Evening Air)
Twin Sister (Color Your Life)
Active Child (Curtis Lane EP)
Gold Panda (You EP)
Jonsi (Go)
And, of course:
Cypress Hill (Black Sunday)
Bob (Kaya, African Herbsman)
Lee Perry (Roast Fish Collie Weed and Corn Bread)
Wayne Smith "Under me Sleng Teng"
Animal Collective (Feels, Strawberry Jam, Merriweather)
Dr. Dre (The Chronic)
Notorious B.I.G. Feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony "Notorious Thugs"
Today is a great day for the legalization movement, speak out to your friends. Me and some cronies chalked up our entire quad and the next one, there's a rally today, and I have no tests until Friday. Future Islands and Double Dagger this Thursday, The Tallest Man on Earth on Friday. Fuck yes.
And now I go to do what I woke up this morning to do.
Kimya Dawson (My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess)
Stars (Set Yourself on Fire)
Outkast (Stankonia)
Jay-Z (Reasonable Doubt)
10th Letter (Somewhere Else)
Pantha du Prince (Black Noise)
Broken Social Scene (Forgiveness Rock Record)
Dead Drums (Fashion Defense)
Future Islands (In Evening Air)
Twin Sister (Color Your Life)
Active Child (Curtis Lane EP)
Gold Panda (You EP)
Jonsi (Go)
And, of course:
Cypress Hill (Black Sunday)
Bob (Kaya, African Herbsman)
Lee Perry (Roast Fish Collie Weed and Corn Bread)
Wayne Smith "Under me Sleng Teng"
Animal Collective (Feels, Strawberry Jam, Merriweather)
Dr. Dre (The Chronic)
Notorious B.I.G. Feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony "Notorious Thugs"
Today is a great day for the legalization movement, speak out to your friends. Me and some cronies chalked up our entire quad and the next one, there's a rally today, and I have no tests until Friday. Future Islands and Double Dagger this Thursday, The Tallest Man on Earth on Friday. Fuck yes.
And now I go to do what I woke up this morning to do.
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