What are you listening to?

[casem]

It could be excruciating to go over this on a case by case basis, but I checked out Merzbow and by my definition (or anyone else for that matter), he is not popular music. I think he fits well into my definition of classical music, I never said you have be an academic to make classical music. His Bio mentions being inspired by Pierre Boulez who is an icon of contemporary classical music. Further, Merzbow has a number of predecessors in the supposed evil marble shitting classical establishment that were doing similar sonic experiments a full 40+ years before he started making music (he mentions forming his style between 1979 and 1981, long after John Cage made his mark).

With all this disagreement, I think we have more common ground then it appears. I'm sure those who like Merzbow could find a wealth of electronic music they like that comes from the contemporary classical music tradition. Just as I'm sure I have yet to discover artists who are making "classical music" by my above definition but are off the academic radar.

I would have to strongly disagree with you on this statement. The range of what is considered "popular" music is far to wide to say that everything would have some relate able musical qualities to Spears. For easy example, please compare say, MERZBOW (Japanese harsh noise artist), with Brittany Spears. There is none to be found, yet he would still fall under academias broad definition of popular music. However, "art music" would maybe include Merzbow.

I just see that as a very snobby way of looking at anything outside of acadamia, especially comparing hardcore, one of the most basic and amateurish of "popular" musical aesthetics. Of course it is easy to compare it to pop music.

[black horizons]

It could be excruciating to go over this on a case by case basis, but I checked out Merzbow and by my definition (or anyone else for that matter), he is not popular music. I think he fits well into my definition of classical music, I never said you have be an academic to make classical music. His Bio mentions being inspired by Pierre Boulez who is an icon of contemporary classical music. Further, Merzbow has a number of predecessors in the supposed evil marble shitting classical establishment that were doing similar sonic experiments a full 40+ years before he started making music (he mentions forming his style between 1979 and 1981, long after John Cage made his mark).

With all this disagreement, I think we have more common ground then it appears. I'm sure those who like Merzbow could find a wealth of electronic music they like that comes from the contemporary classical music tradition. Just as I'm sure I have yet to discover artists who are making "classical music" by my above definition but are off the academic radar.

You are right, what is classical and what is popular is so blurred anyways, that there is no point in splitting hairs.

and Merzbow was only picked because well, you we're talking to Merz...

Some contemporary classical that you'd recommend that has a darker, more SZ friendly approach? :)

[destroyed]

[qnc.hst]

Prior engagements this evening kept me from packing my usual load of vinyl. Instead, a collection of mostly-James Ferraro-related CD-r releases with a couple Natural Snow Buildings tracks added in as a shot of sugar to the absithe.

[1] [detail] 12/12/08 9:54pm qnc.hst played Clear 1 by Clear from Clear
[2] [detail] 12/12/08 10:07pm qnc.hst played Track 02 by Multitopia from Multitopia
[3] [detail] 12/12/08 10:30pm qnc.hst played Gone by Natural Snow Buildings from The Snowbringer Cult
[4] [detail] 12/12/08 10:34pm qnc.hst played Track 1 by Marble Surf from Marble Surf
[5] [detail] 12/12/08 10:53pm qnc.hst played Excel by P.A.R.A and Knight from Excel
[6] [detail] 12/12/08 11:23pm qnc.hst played Track 2 by James Ferraro from Postremo Mundus Techno-Symposium
[7] [detail] 12/12/08 11:39pm qnc.hst played Inuk's Song by Natural Snow Buildings from Snowbringer Cult

I would classify the Ferraro-related tracks above as "Blue Light Spectacle" and the Natural Snow Buildings tracks as "Perchta Trance".

[skecr8r_l8r]

A bunch of stuff from Prescription Records, the seminal deep house imprint of the 90s. Chez Damier, Ron Trent, etc. A few of the releases has been repressed recently so they are available for reasonable prices. The place to begin and end if one wants to listen to real house music.

[skecr8r_l8r]

Miles Davis - The Complete On The Corner Series - Disc 4

Aweinspiring psychadelic jazz-funk!

[doldrums]

Sick at home and reliving my college years....

Don caballero - what burns never returns

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=xod_CrP-YQs

[Brother Stasi]

Foetus - Flow

Marc and the Mambas - Torment & Torros

The Legendary Pink Dots - The Golden Age

Rational Youth - Cold War Nightlife

Talking Heads - CBS Demos


and that basically sums up today's jams....

[Real Real]

Eat Skull - Sick to Death

[xadam]

Sick at home and reliving my college years....

Don caballero - what burns never returns

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=xod_CrP-YQs

i remember those years mildly fondly.

[doldrums]

i remember those years mildly fondly.

For me it's the warmest feeling. Such a great time. So hard to look away from Damon che at a show....

[xadam]

For me it's the warmest feeling. Such a great time. So hard to look away from Damon che at a show....

and yet, so hard not to hate him for bastardizing the don cab name in its current incarnation.

but ian still loves us. battles4eva.

[doldrums]

and yet, so hard not to hate him for bastardizing the don cab name in its current incarnation.

but ian still loves us. battles4eva.

For sure. Funny, I used to subscribe to a uniform back then --- button downs and clean pants, and have to admit that it was ian's impression.

[klangspiel]

Some contemporary classical that you'd recommend that has a darker, more SZ friendly approach? :)

too many to mention but for starters, here are some names / pieces / collectives to look out for.

pretty much anything by iancu dumitrescu. you want bleak and dark, dumitrescu's the man. his fellow romanian "spectralist", horatiu radulescu is definitely worth a look too. such an underrated composer. of course, you can't namedrop a bunch of romanians and not mention iannis xenakis.

cornelius cardew's scratch orchestra. prominent scratch orchestra
member and great composer in his own right, howard skempton's lento (about 13 mins of mournful desolation) - easily one of my favourite pieces from the 60s onwards.

hermann nitsch's orchestral works. nitsch is probably less known for his music than his art but omg, this man can do no wrong in my books. you can find most of his releases on the label, organ of corti.

eliane radigue's naldjorlak. radigue's better known as an electronic music composer with seminal pieces of "drone" credited to her name, much in the same vein as, say, phil niblock. but she's recently moved into compositions for acoustic instruments - naldjorlak was composed for solo cello.

the old polish master, krzysztof penderecki - threnody for the victims of hiroshima, de natura sonoris 1 & 2, anaklasis, etc..

the german collective / ensemble, zeitkratzer. here's them with haino. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqzCFpQ-LF0

everything by jani christou, charlemagne palestine, some morton feldman, some helmut lachenmann, the list is endless...

[destroyed]

why does everyone gloss over Storm and Stress in don cab/battles discussions? they had a great live show and their studio recordings were more adventurous than don cab or battles.