Re: [rumori] curve of sound innovation: U can't B serious!


From: Steev Hise (steevATdetritus.net)
Date: Mon Mar 19 2001 - 08:00:40 PST


Mon, 19 Mar 2001 found edjunkitaATwanadoo.nl writing:

>And just the fact that a certain sound source has been
>used before (f.i. your "unhearable" sounds below),
>doesn't mean that it can't be used in an alltogether
>different way! That's like saying John Cage's prepared
>piano works weren't new, because the piano as a sound
>source had been used before!

this thread seems to have devolved down to a semantic
quibble. the crux appears to be whether we're talking about
means or results. There's lots of ways to make sounds,
whether you use your vocal chords, or antimatter rubbing
against nanowhatsits, or blue guitars or red guitars, but
there's only a limited KIND of sounds produced. although
your comment about physiologically modifying the ear or the
nervous system is an interesting, though scary, possible
exception. then we'd have to argue whether that was still
'music'. (if you hook up one of those new orgasm machines to
your spinal column and turn it on, are you having sex?)

Cage's prepared piano pieces, though i love them to death,
didn't really make amazingly new or different sounds. they
sound mostly like gamelan and hand drums to me. The
innovation with those pieces was in means. HOW, not WHAT.

Which brings me to a quotation i've been meaning to quote
here for weeks "It ain't what you do, but how you do it".
Some famous old jazz guy said that, but i forget who
(ironically enough). anyone know? perhaps duke ellington or
someone like that.

Anyway, i think we've pretty much driven this thread into
the ground, can we wrap it up please and move on?

smh

Steev Hise, Nervert
steevATdetritus.net http://detritus.net/steev
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Nothing is worth more than this day."
                -Goethe
-----------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------
Rumori, the Detritus.net Discussion List
to unsubscribe, send mail to majordomoATdetritus.net
with "unsubscribe rumori" in the message body.
----------------------------------------------------
Rumori list archives & other information are at
http://detritus.net/contact/rumori
----------------------------------------------------



Home | Detrivores | Rhizome | Archive | Projects | Contact | Help | Text Index


[an error occurred while processing this directive] N© Detritus.net. Sharerights extended to all.