experimentation

august 28, 2002.

In a shortish thread on the mp3.com bulletin boards sikcerug asked me what exactly I am "experimenting with", and observed that "experimentation requires some relation (or breaking of) to a more concrete/developed form".

I was pretty happy being asked that question... :)

Of course I totally agree with his observation on experimentation - this is what 'experimental' in the arts is supposed to mean. And indeed, (at least!) 99 out of 100 listeners unhesitatingly will label HarS' tracks as 'experimental'. Still, in fact I do not consider myself to be 'experimenting' at all. I am - in my guise as Sound Chronicles author - but a 'modest sound collage maker', looking - that's how I like to think of it - for kind of a sonic equivalent to, say, 'pop-arty' visual collage.

And though I do very much restrict the possible choices of basic sound materials (a restriction you might consider to be the 'concept' of the Sound Chronicles), the actual 'composing' of my tracks doesn't follow any formal or otherwise intellectual procedure at all. It's strictly "intuitive" - and I'm always trying for a final result that sounds "good" and/or "interesting" - first of all, of course, - to me. Tom van Oostrom - one of the fellow mp3.com artists kind enough to jot down their thoughts in a review rightly spoke of a 'narrative' approach. Yes, I do try to tell "stories". In my own idiosyncratic fashion I "just" write songs.
(And I can assure you that it doesn't come easy... lots of attempts end up in the dustbin.
In the end there's but a few that survive.)

The 99 out of 100 listeners mentioned above are, of course, neither right nor wrong. Much depends on the context in which you place the stuff. Seen in the broader context of 'contempary art' there's nothing much 'experimental' to what I'm doing. But as I do like to present the Sound Chronicles as being (in spirit close to) pop/rock music, of which they - in the very least - inherit the rather short (minutes) timespan of a 'piece' and sometimes even - more or less - the 'verse'-'chorus'-'verse' et cetera division (song structure)... so ... yeah, the tracks both do relate to, refer to and - consciously -deviate from the generally used forms in the 'genre' ... meaning ...

[ related: hars :: the mp3mabf - chaz - interview ]

tags: experimental, sound chronicles, mp3.com

# .4.

speed kills (mice)

august 21, 2002.

British scientists, as part of a research into Huntington's disease, the results of which were first published in the journal NeuroReport, about a year ago, drugged 119 mice with a strong form of amphetamine, then exposed the little buggers to silence, white noise or loud music.

It was the music, the rhythm, that did the job.
Them poor real life Jerry's appeared to "jiggle backwards and forwards" as the music pounded in their ears.

The Prodigy then managed to kill of seven of the druggees.

Bach's Violin Concerto in A Minor, which appears to be in a tempo sort of similar to the dance stuff, knocked out another four of them.

Many others suffered serious brain damage.

Animal rights campaigners filed a complaint, and yesterday the British Home Office confirmed it had taken "infringement action" against the Cambridge University team.

Now ain't that a fine addition to the Noble Art of Catching Mice: dope them, and then turn up your amplifier...

[Sources: yesterday's printed edition of the French daily 'Libération', and the Sydney Morning Herald; next related SB-entry: "Lijm", or: nailing vermin.]

tags: Bach, speed, mice, science

# .3.