Re: [microsound] NEW from and/OAR: Francisco Lopez

[Adern X <the.apx@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:58:40 -0700, a Bad Day on the Midway, Bill Jarboe <billjarboe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>     I have no problems with Francisco Lopez, in fact I've never listened 
> to his recordings. Looking at the presentation of this release provoked 
> some thoughts and I think it merits discussion.
> 
>     I thought the mp3-0mb. was especially cute. I'm just observing that 
> in many of these micro-sound, lowercase, field recording , what have 
> you type of releases the text photos and graphic design seem more 
> important to the consumer than the audio. I have no objection to good 
> design ,I'm noticing that many people like to be told 'what it is' 
> before listening. What happens when no-one states 'what it is'? Do you 
> refuse to listen or just mentally tune it out?  

In some ways it reminds me to a sentence of Andrew McKenzie (Hafler
Trio) done in a wire interview some times a go. It sounded like "For me
mp3 is pointless because, without the package, you lost the important
part of the thing". I suppose it's a matter of considering one
question: "the important is: the music, the graphic or the both?"

>    What happens if someone is terribly good at making musical recordings 
> yet has no interest in graphic design or the framing of sensory 
> experience (or non-sensory experience)? Perhaps a major goal in this 
> case might be to woo a graphic designer, preferably the most natty one.   

It makes sense if you believe graphic design is important or not.
Probably, for the average listner, if the record is good-looking it's
best.

>   How to accomplish this? Looking natty one's self is running the risk 
> of appearing as competition or slightly emphasizing the wrong details 
> or something already passé and therefore abhorrent to the intended 
> quarry. Merely ordinary and utilitarian would probably get ignored. 
> Speaking is overused and sometimes harsh to the ear: the reason for 
> music production in polite society.   

I think of Terre Thaemlitz and i ask you: you can conceive his record
without the written part? Francisco Lopez think music have a sort of
"absolute value" as an art form, so you don't need any cover, linear
notes, title. But, this is a graphic style just as Raster-Noton release
if you thing about it.

> The solution then seems to be to look rather chaotic and messy, giving
> the designer incentive to work, to straighten define; similar to the
> response a housecleaner might have to a trashed living room. In the
> summer months it might be a good idea to wear little clothing, be
> strong and healthy in a non-threatening way. This might make the
> designer more friendly and open, resulting in good design and good
> music yet probably not specifically related.  

On a marketing level probably the most good-looking the package is, the
best is. Everyone is a record collector probably (~_').
 
>      Of course, most of us could imagine a huge , lavish glossy magazine 
> with many photos and dense text with an evatone flexidisc near the back 
> cover which has a few brief phrases of music for the reader's 
> enjoyment. Unfortunately I don't think anyone makes flexidiscs in this 
> individualistic secular era. It might be possible in the foreseeable 
> future for magazine publishers to have a static , non-mechanical audio 
> player inserted ; rather like  a disposable ipod. I know of magazines 
> with c.d.s included; the main problem seems to be that they have really 
> gummy adhesive which have a tendency to stick to disc and cause it to 
> skip , often in really uncool places.
> 
>     I once heard an objection to a c.d. by John Hudak. They didn't know 
> what they were listening to... I didn't offer any hints. Later the same 
> person liked it and even played it for someone else who was very 
> impressed.  

If you believe the important aspect is the music, what you are
listening is not important but imho you are losting something.

>    I have no objections to a nature recording packaged with impressive 
> photos, extensive text notes , essays . It doesn't bother me if someone 
> set up a microphone in the wind , captured something which they found 
> inspiring then presented that to the public in a lavish cover. What 
> comes to mind is the antithesis to that approach: a record by a group 
> of musicians who are almost entirely consumed by the effort of making 
> music in a carefully controlled environment and then having the 
> resulting disc left out in the elements. Both approaches contain a 
> certain irony. What doesn't seem ironic is a recording of natural 
> elements left in its natural element; to be eroded, marred and buffeted 
> by sand, wind, surf and decaying organic matter, or a carefully 
> performed record to be presented in a carefully and deliberately 
> artificial looking package.  

It's something to think of (~_').

>    From what I have read of the work of Mr. Lopez, I get the idea that 
> he is concerned with sound in its self having an effect on the 
> audience, sometimes presenting concerts in darkened rooms , avoiding 
> explanations or showmanship (though that could be an effective 
> explanation and form of showmanship).I'm thinking that the idea of the 
> packaging on this new release is to prepare the listener for the 
> immersion in a different sound world. The music is the reason for the 
> design, not the other way around.  

For what i know, he belives music is important not the design.

>   There are ways out of the dilemma of sound before visuals or visuals 
> before sound. Some of them may actually work , so I'd rather not 
> mention them.  > http://www.and-oar.org/pop_and_27.html
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