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Re: [microsound] food for thought



on 03/10/2001 08:20 PM, pelagius pelagius at pela_gius@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>> From: anechoic <kim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> ...coming back to the US after being out of the country is always an
>> eye-opener...road rage, complacency and materialism are prevelent
>> everywhere...
> 
> 
> Kim, how does Microsound play a part in this culture of materialism? ...
> If that is the culture of microsound, where does that
> leave people who don't have access to laptops and cellphones or those who
> aren't the least bit interested in acquiring those symbols of new economy
> success?

Maybe what was meant was that this cultural tendency was being exhibited on
the list. And I doubt that people uninterested in these gadgets are
interested in microsound, just as people who don't like classical
instruments rarely like classical music.

> 
> If the tool is the message and the tool is a powerbook, is the message any
> more than a glorified Apple advertisement?  Does microsound have any
> substance beneath it's high-tech facade?

It has every possibility to. Microsound is simply an artistic use of the
technology, which itself promotes it. But the things that actually control
people, in the case of these "new economy" gadgets are the same "old
economy" ideas. These objects are merely tools to propagate the information.
And to refer to Mark's post, they are instruments in the very same sense as
violins or drums, which also represent advances in technology, albeit
ancient. The first music on earth was most likely vocal, and probably at
first imitations of natural sounds. Technology is in its very broadest sense
(I hope I'm not being to simplistic) could be the human animal's effort to
extend the self beyond the physical self in order to accomplish something or
in the case of music to entertain or fascinate. So our present day gadgets
aren't "new" in that sense, just the present day manifestation of a process
that's been going on for thousands of years. In the process of "mastering
nature" we have accorded ourselves the leisure time to enjoy ourselves in a
less utilitarian (but important way) way. The present wave of technological
development is very different because of the speed at which the advances
occur. This too is reflected here. Artists come and go, as they always have,
and so do our tools.
 
>> ...the US is sheltered
>> from how others around the world see us and we need to wake up and start
>> questioning the political values we embrace and the values we export
>> through the media...
> 
> 
> I know what you are saying here, but perhaps we should also think of the
> values embraced by the niche "media" of the microsound list.  What does it
> mean to make computer music and help perpetuate an industry that thrives on
> a rapid cycle of obsolescence and the design of computers as disposable
> fashion accessories?  Those old computers and monitors that we throw away
> and consider junk every couple of years pose a serious environmental threat
> and people have died thanks to the constant cycle of semiconductor
> manufacturing.  What does this mean for some of the people on this list who
> at the forefront of the computer industry and also choose to make art that
> embraces cutting-edge technology as a complete lifestyle? ...
> 

I think this a very important question. I have an "old" Powerbook G3, and
I'm start to think of upgrading because I want to do things that it can't.
But I can't possibly afford a new one right now, and this thing still has
years of usable life left. But more to the point, I have a friend (Marek
Choloniewski) from Poland who is an audio artist who does amazing things
with an Atari ST which he's owned since the mid-80's. He does so many
wonderful things with such "low tech" things as piezos and MIDI (remember
MIDI?). Point being that he found so many simple things to do, was so
creative, and managed to be so fascinated by these possibilities that he
never felt the need to upgrade his system. So I'm keeping my Powerbook. A
new one won't make my music any better. Just like huge SUV's DEFINITELY
don't make people drive better, and you could probably feed whole towns for
ten years for what they cost. But man, the G4's nice shiny finish really
turns me on...

>> just read it and think about where this list is headed and what part
>> you want to play (via your posts) in where a potentially exciting sub-genre
>> of computer music is headed...I think a change is needed in how we think
>> and conduct ourselves...

Indeed, recent events gave a lot of people pause. Taking stock in what your
(or the) art is really about in the face of such serious events is
important. I've only been on the list for a couple weeks, and I have been
impressed with the content of the posts.

>>over the last couple of years the microsound list has degenerated into
>>little more than a trainspotting fan-boy list...
>>what the microsound list has settled
>>into is mostly postings about what software a particular artist is using
>>...


As far as computer music goes, it's all sub-genre, fan-boy at every level,
all the way up to the academics. And I think the interest in the tools is
akin to the interest in the artistic process, and thus very important. If
you don't understand how the technology works, you can't understand how a
sound was made. And that's part of the fun, for some of us.

But I should stop, you're tired of reading this. I'm glad to be on a list
which I think actually stands out for its actual content, maybe we can keep
it that way. Thanks for the thoughtful posts...

Garry