Re: [microsound]: What is microsound ? [was: autechre/richard devine//techniques]

[Greg <gregg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have to question the concept that microsound has to be "quiet" or sparse
music. I would definately consider a number of digital noise artists as
falling into this category. Notably the music of Merzbow (especially his
recent computer works), Peter "Pita" Rehberg, Russell Haswell and Pimmon's
noiser parts are all examples of "extreme microsound". Deliberate overload
of digital information can be as effective as the use of silence/space.

I agree that microsound doesn't have to be electronic. people like Steve
Roden, Brandon Labelle and Francisco Lopez are generally using acoustic
sources. AMM/Keith Rowe really do fall into this category too, and are early
examples of the microsound movement... or at least in hindsight.


> A simple answer, but to me Ryoji Ikeda and the majority of artists who
release music
> on Raster-Noton are typical examples of microsound. Bernhard Günter also,
but he's
> microsound of a different flavor. Just very minimal (texturally,
melodically (if
> melody is even present at all), rhythmically, etc.) and sparse, sometimes
very
> skeletal electronic music. Some of it bares a distant relationship to club
music,
> some not at all. Perhaps microsound doesn't necessarily have to be
electronic since I
> wouldn't really object if Reich's "Pendulum Music" or Christian Wolff's
"Stones" were
> called microsound. I kind of think of microsound as monochromatic music. I
think it's
> very closely related to minimal art like the works of Ad Reinhardt or
Rothko or
> Robert Ryman, maybe even Mondrian.
> One of the things that attracts me to "microsound" is that its minimalism
brings all
> the different textural and rhythmical elements in a piece into sharp
focus.