Metamorphosis of Sound Search (Night Poem)
May 1, 2007 at 9:27 am
The work of the artist is not spontaneous. It always follows some kind of plan and it is most effective when talent is guided by a world-view, when the artist has something to tell people, much more rarely is it effective when it comes about as a result of the accidental associative play of the imagination, and never is it effective when it is a result of blind instinct. The keen attention that is given to the problems of method is a sign of progress in both modern science and art, a sign of the increasing interaction of all aspects of intellectual life—science, philosophy, and art.
- A. Spirkin, Dialectical Materialism. Ch.1
The structure of landscape is infinitesimal,
Like the structure of music,
seamless, invisible.
Even the rain has larger sutures.
What holds the landscape together, and what holds music together,
Is faith, it appears–faith of the eye, faith of the ear.
Nothing like that in language,
However, clouds chugging from west to east like blossoms
Blown by the wind.
April, and anything’s possible.
-Charles Wright, Body and Soul II
A list with a mission. It starts with a fairly simple question, “what does it take to get away from big labels?” Who we may know are not terribly happy with the blogs and have been busy suing everybody. But if one would to move away from them, what exactly does it take musically speaking? There is the trivial step of not posting any of their music ever again. It’s simple enough. But what is the relationship between indie in term of big label when it come to dictating trend? Is there any distinct aesthetic sensibility? Can one chart new path of musical style independent of big labels? So here is my earnest effort to find and cover new musical territory, not an outright rigid rejection of individuals albums, labels and the industry, but actually finding music that can’t possibly fit within their agenda. I’ll start with MdM’s main pallete, radiate out and make note along the way. Hopefully this will make an interesting exploration.
“Night Poem”
01. Aphex Twin : Ruglen Holon
(Drukqs, 2001)
02. Dom : Silence
(Edge Of Time, 1972)
03. Philip Glass : Metamorphosis Two
(Solo Piano, 1989)
04. Godspeed You! Black Emperor : The Dead Flag Blues
(F# A# (Infinity), 1998)
05. The Innocence Mission : What a Wonderful World
(Now the Day Is Over, 2004)
06. John Coltrane : At Night - A Poem (ft.Ravi Coltrane & Julie Patton)
(Impulse!, 1995)
07. Dorothy Ashby - Lonely Girl
(Afro-Harping, 1968)
08. Morelbaum/Sakamoto - Bim Bom
(A Day in New York, 2003)
09. Mono - A Heart Has Asked for the Pleasure
(You Are There, 2006)
10. Can - I’m So Green
(Ege Bamyasi, 1972)
11. Helios - Clementine
(Unomia, 2004)
see also: A Brief Guide to Modernism, 25 indie rock albums
image: B Zedan
Oh yeah,
this is also a preliminary posts trying to figure out a strategy and general thinking how to solidly plant music in the indie side.
so,
1. what is your idea of indie
2. what is your fav. indie albums
3. what music would you like to hear in the future (in term of general idea, etc)
comment away.
about a method -mentioned in the spirkin’s notes- and the distinction between indie and industry aesthetic sensibilities, both explorations are poetical explained by wright’s lines
“what holds the landscape together, and what holds music together,
is faith, it appears–faith of the eye, faith of the ear.”
wow the dead flag blues
and beautiful clementine
Wow, great selection and that Philip Glass piece is mesmerizing! I’m going to see him three times this year, lucky me. :-)
The Glass piece is expanded, I think, for his wonderful soundtrack to The Hours. I’d recommend it.
whoa. I played the eleven songs on the playlist this morning and everything banal in my little appartment seemed transformed, imbued with the significant dreamlike quality on these songs. Many breath-arresting minutes on this one. For a nocturne playlist this is pure aether, squashed.
If your search for an indie sound lives submerged within this music its clear that big labels are something we can do without.
(promise I’ll stop posting quirky pop just to annoy you. “honey” was the last one I swear :P)
[...] see also: Night Poem, 25 indie rock albums image: doofusdave [...]
[...] see also: An Interview with Twiin, Metamorphosis of Sound Search image: Chris-crossed [...]
Thanks. I have mixed feelings about Glass, but I like the mood of this piece.
You’ll probably like (if you don’t already know) Mad Rush by Glass. Here’s a page with a friend of mine playing it:
http://www.pnobuto.com/music.html
Thank you for the great tracks :)
yeah this list is actually some of the more thought out one.