Adorno breaks music into two spheres, at the introduction of the text, these are 'popular music' and 'serious music', he goes further to describe and detail the opposing characteristics of the two forces.
owever, there is an underpinning fundamental principle that is used to divide them, which is reffered to as 'standardization', the term is used in a loose term, as standardization can be from a multitude of factors, 'from the most general features to the most specific ones' (Studies in Philosophy 1941 p 17)
He also goes on to say that popular music commits to a pre-determined system that is 'best known' to this system of rules, is that the 'chorus consists of 32 bars and the range is limited to one octave and one note.' (something like dance music, this is apparent,except replave chorus with what is known as a drop)
he also goes on to argue that popular music sticks to a consistent set of themes, or topics that are of regular overusage, 'pseudo-nursery rhymes, laments for a lost girl' which is still present in today's pop music, such as anything from X factor,or Radio 1 at any time.
'Serious music' according to Adorno is something that when the structure is broken, or a section of the song's structure is disrupted, the piece as a whole becomes unbalanced and the flow becomes jagged, 'derives its musical sense from the concrete totality of the piece' this means that for a piece of serious music to exist, its principles must be irreplaceable in position and time, else it would ruin the equilibrium of a song, whereas popular music can be cut, pasted, and reformatted to fit to the monotonous strain that the producer sees fit.
A good example I can use would be in the case of Rihanna's hit 'Umbrella' which was covered by Manic Street Preachers and Biffy Clyro respectively, note the theme is about being there for some guy/girl, how that you can take shelter and be protected by the song itself from all emotional problems you may encounter in a relationship. Apparently.
This is a classic example of standardization, especially in Rihanna's version, where by giving the listener a familar feeling and recollection of similar sounding tracks from the past, the extended vowels and enunciation on the verse, gives the listener a melody that is easy to follow, 'emphasizes the most primitive harmonic facts' which is further supported by the song being in the same key, and rotates around 3 chords.
The cover versions are no different, especially in the Manic Street Preachers version, where it is practically the same, except for James Dean Bradfield singing and other people actually playing instruments and not using a backing track for them. This occured I think because of the big producers in the industry realised the popularity potential of the song, and actively encouraged other big names in the business to help promote it, which supports the claim that standardization 'aims at standard reactions'. This means that by producing a track that would seem repulsive by fans of Biffy Clyro and the Manics, they instead toy with the nature of the song itself, which allows itself to be responded to in such a way that appeals to another 'ideal of individuality in a free, liberal society', which inevitably leaves the listeners who dont like Rihanna safe in a sense that they just dont like Rihanna singing that song.
Following up from this point made by Adorno, here is a video that can describe the music industry and the media's encouragement to increase the firm grip of standardization on our airwaves, and armchairs. Click here. *
Adorno then goes on to write about another form of standardization,'pseudo-individualization' , which is heavily endowed by 'cultural mass-production values' a reference to the industry starting to facilitate the needs of the masses by using popular music as a 'multiple choice questionnaire', along with standardizaion to aid the masses into a passive state, making them forget that whain order to keep the media veil of individualism, nearer something else; institutionalized standardization.
To combat this theory of all popular music bowing down to an internal, industry based regime where every listener is no longer free in the true sense of the word, I put forward a band that I believe to be able to shine some light on our dwindling free-music sphere. The Mars Volta are a band that have risen from post-prog ashes in the heat of El Paso, Texas, have been always ready to create something 'radio-unfriendly' and only until last year, have really gained mainstream acceptance. Using a multitude of philosophic, artistic, and psychoanalytic influences that fuel the lyrics, which are used to match the 'atmosphere and instrumental tones' within the music, rather than the standardization method of having a pre-mediated formula on the song construct. I think this is best heard on the first song ever released by them, the 2 movements to form the single are called 'Son et Lumiere' and 'Intertiatic ESP'.
To hear this for the first time brings a sense of something new and exciting, as Adorno said 'only the brightest colours have any chance of being lifted out of the general drabness', which is blatant in the song, the jagged structure of prog being the backbone, and with a pandora's box of instruments being multi-layered to achieve a piece with such a musical impact.
In contrast, however, Adorno also said that 'serious music' had to be so rigid in its structure that it could not be rearranged else the flow of the music would be interrupted and sound misconstrued and out of place with itself. The first album was an experiment, a narrative trying to explore the world's social, economic, and cultural problems on a pinhead, insead the transistion to the most successful album, Frances the Mute, indicated the maturing and deeper understanding of the music they were out to achieve, moreso to the point, Adorno would not of frowned upon as much.
The opening track 'Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus' constructed in such a way that if any part of the song was to be put into a different order, the entirety of the piece would collapse in its flow and continuity, and to some extent, the entire album. But is this me being a victim of pseudo-individualization? The continuity of the album/track is subject to traditional methods of classical musical production (cresecendo's, introduction, acapella, etc) which means that it could be leaning toward 'serious music', and yet due to the lyrical content, style of guitar, use of orchestral harmonics, is it not ' "pre-digested" in a way strongly resembling the fad of "digests" of printed material' which is true, as the composers/songwriters are well read and well-educated. I can therefore, be comfortable in the knowledge that Recognition and Acceptance are hard to coin with the Mars Volta, as distraction from 'reality by entertainment' is hard when bombarded with such chaotic, cacophanic and complete musical arrangements, that has, and still is having a major effect on the music industry.
Before I start the next piece on Simulacra, read these lyrics by the band - Wax Simulacra
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Saturday, 5 December 2009
Perky Pat, Can-D, and Devolution
Using 'The 3 Stigmata of Paler Eldritch' as an example, I will try to explain some of Philip K Dick's complex concepts within the storyline, as well as make relevant references to the texts supplied, lecture notes taken and extra reading done.
The setting is some time in the twenty-first century, the United Nations are the main authority body, and humankind has habited, or rather colonised every planet(habitable) and moon in the solar system.
The colonies are strange, alien places, with most colonists undergoing psychologically monotonous, and physically daunting environments, so most people dont really want to live on these planets/moons, which means it is doen to the UN to draft certain individuals to become colonialists.
Since most life on colonies are boring, most inhabitants keep themselves entertained by using 'Perkie Pat'and 'Walt' dolls, along with the excess and variety of accessories that go with them, from everything to lamps, watches and even cars, which are manufactured by Earth-based company P.P. Layouts. What is not directly known at the start of the book is that the company also produces Can-D which is a substance hugely available but illegal hallucigoen, that enables the user to 'translate' into the dolls. This allows colonials to engage in an existential environment structure that allows the colonials to experience their own ideal version of life on Earth as a collective unconcsious experience. the company P.P. Layouts employs precogs, who determine if possible new Perky Pat accessories will be popular, which leads us to our key characters/protagonist.
Earths is not the image of harmonious living conditions anymore, but is reminiscent of the new world imnage constanlty thrown on us in this day and age, of melted ice-caps, a huge increase in global temperaturem where nowhere outdoors can exist, unless owning a personal air conditioning unit, and antarctica is the only suitable vacation spot. (usually saved for the upper class)
Another key part of the story, is where 'Evolution therapy' is available, once again, an exclusive for the wealthy, which allows people to skip stages of human evolution, which makes their craniums become larger and bubble like, which may increase intelligence, although in some cases, devolution occurs.
At the start of the book however, it is very important to note that the 'renegade industrialist' Palmer Eldritch has travelled to the far reaches of Proxima Centurai start system to search for a new sellable product and has been gone for a decade. TBC....
The setting is some time in the twenty-first century, the United Nations are the main authority body, and humankind has habited, or rather colonised every planet(habitable) and moon in the solar system.
The colonies are strange, alien places, with most colonists undergoing psychologically monotonous, and physically daunting environments, so most people dont really want to live on these planets/moons, which means it is doen to the UN to draft certain individuals to become colonialists.
Since most life on colonies are boring, most inhabitants keep themselves entertained by using 'Perkie Pat'and 'Walt' dolls, along with the excess and variety of accessories that go with them, from everything to lamps, watches and even cars, which are manufactured by Earth-based company P.P. Layouts. What is not directly known at the start of the book is that the company also produces Can-D which is a substance hugely available but illegal hallucigoen, that enables the user to 'translate' into the dolls. This allows colonials to engage in an existential environment structure that allows the colonials to experience their own ideal version of life on Earth as a collective unconcsious experience. the company P.P. Layouts employs precogs, who determine if possible new Perky Pat accessories will be popular, which leads us to our key characters/protagonist.
Earths is not the image of harmonious living conditions anymore, but is reminiscent of the new world imnage constanlty thrown on us in this day and age, of melted ice-caps, a huge increase in global temperaturem where nowhere outdoors can exist, unless owning a personal air conditioning unit, and antarctica is the only suitable vacation spot. (usually saved for the upper class)
Another key part of the story, is where 'Evolution therapy' is available, once again, an exclusive for the wealthy, which allows people to skip stages of human evolution, which makes their craniums become larger and bubble like, which may increase intelligence, although in some cases, devolution occurs.
At the start of the book however, it is very important to note that the 'renegade industrialist' Palmer Eldritch has travelled to the far reaches of Proxima Centurai start system to search for a new sellable product and has been gone for a decade. TBC....
Brains misbehaving?
In response to the lecture on Hyperreality and all the -isms that come with it, I remembered in an old copy of new scientist that an interesting feature on altered mind states had a point that seemed vaild enough to connect to this branch of theory.
This is most related to the simulacrum, or rather the reference to the 'reflection of a profound reality' (From lecture) where the individual cannot determine a differentation of the 2 corresponding realities presented to them, however it is not a pure simulacrum as it has not lost all relation to reality whatsoever.
The flexercise is done. Next task!
Monday, 30 November 2009
Your names not down, you're not coming in
Panoptic institutions: Bars and Clubs
The venue itself is a construct that can be related to the panopticon, as nearly every inch is covered by CCTV, the guards and the figures in place like cleverly placed chessboard pieces.
The systems for discipline are in place; dont act too drunk or boistrous, do not be offensive, do not dance in such a way, do not question anyone involved in the structure of the institution, but all of these result in the same outcome, exclusion/banishment and possibly an even higher power will intervene to deal with yourself: the police. The tower is not fixed, but instead is the omnipotent force acting behind the scenes, sometimes completely hidden from the public eye, which leads the customers into a false sense of security, by having a wide open space to coerce in, they have no idea that 'visiblity is a trap' (Foucault on Thomas 2000 p 80) this then makes the customer an 'object of information, never a subject in communication' (Foucault on Thomas 2000 p 80)
The bouncers/security guards are the visible authority figures. When most people approach a venue, if they appear to be jaunty and inebriated at any level, the subject to the institution (the drinker) almost immediatley calms themselves down, thus 'self-regulating' before they have even stepped into the institution. This is due to the figure of authority's 'right' to ' excerising individual control function... that of binary division and branding' (Foucault in Thomas 2000 p 79) if the person in question is either drunk enough to be a threat or drunk enough to contribute to the institution's code of entertainment conduct, basically to be let into the bar/club to drink.
Places such as bars and clubs have the authority figures such as bouncers, bartenders, security guards and a manager, as each person plays a part in the overall experience of a person's night out in the venue, it determines the outcome of how the person in question will act on the evening.
The hierachal structure within the venue works on a relay of messages and relies on the communication of authority figures, cleverly disguised as docile bodies apparently lost in the tasks they have to do on a regular basis, eg collecting glasses, pouring drinks etc. It is their job along with the rest of the infrastructure 'to observe all disorder' (Foucault in Thomas 2000 p 76) and to keep up a 'system of permanent registration' which includes the 'reports from the syndics to the intendants, from the intendants to the magistrate' (Foucault in Thomas 2000 p 77) in this case the magistrate refers to the managar, or the security guard watching the CCTV. The CCTV is the 'omnipresent and omniscient power' (Foucault in Thomas 2000 p 78) which inevitably creates the 'institutional gaze' mentioned in Foucault's theory.
.
The venue itself is a construct that can be related to the panopticon, as nearly every inch is covered by CCTV, the guards and the figures in place like cleverly placed chessboard pieces.
The systems for discipline are in place; dont act too drunk or boistrous, do not be offensive, do not dance in such a way, do not question anyone involved in the structure of the institution, but all of these result in the same outcome, exclusion/banishment and possibly an even higher power will intervene to deal with yourself: the police. The tower is not fixed, but instead is the omnipotent force acting behind the scenes, sometimes completely hidden from the public eye, which leads the customers into a false sense of security, by having a wide open space to coerce in, they have no idea that 'visiblity is a trap' (Foucault on Thomas 2000 p 80) this then makes the customer an 'object of information, never a subject in communication' (Foucault on Thomas 2000 p 80)
The bouncers/security guards are the visible authority figures. When most people approach a venue, if they appear to be jaunty and inebriated at any level, the subject to the institution (the drinker) almost immediatley calms themselves down, thus 'self-regulating' before they have even stepped into the institution. This is due to the figure of authority's 'right' to ' excerising individual control function... that of binary division and branding' (Foucault in Thomas 2000 p 79) if the person in question is either drunk enough to be a threat or drunk enough to contribute to the institution's code of entertainment conduct, basically to be let into the bar/club to drink.
Places such as bars and clubs have the authority figures such as bouncers, bartenders, security guards and a manager, as each person plays a part in the overall experience of a person's night out in the venue, it determines the outcome of how the person in question will act on the evening.
The hierachal structure within the venue works on a relay of messages and relies on the communication of authority figures, cleverly disguised as docile bodies apparently lost in the tasks they have to do on a regular basis, eg collecting glasses, pouring drinks etc. It is their job along with the rest of the infrastructure 'to observe all disorder' (Foucault in Thomas 2000 p 76) and to keep up a 'system of permanent registration' which includes the 'reports from the syndics to the intendants, from the intendants to the magistrate' (Foucault in Thomas 2000 p 77) in this case the magistrate refers to the managar, or the security guard watching the CCTV. The CCTV is the 'omnipresent and omniscient power' (Foucault in Thomas 2000 p 78) which inevitably creates the 'institutional gaze' mentioned in Foucault's theory.
.
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Panoptic Institutions
This is an animation from the Northernly known David Firth.I chose this as another possible example of
panopticism. Obviously the school is an example of this, but if I fast forward to the part in the video, where the WCFBS(world centre for banning stuff) are the institutional power that dominates the viewers (entire public) by using quite blatant disciplinary techniques of responding to what they hear/see via a network of secret bugs, cameras, and undercover agents.
This helps to maintain social order by constantly being in the knowledge of what the public are doing in their homes, and eventually stirs the public to be in constant fear of what liberties will be taken away from them. This is also supported by the way the institute keeps order, by removing certain liberties such as privacy and objects that are relative to the norm of living, it slowly drives the citizens to madness.
Instead of hiding away certain individuals, or deviants, or miscreants etc, they segregate the entire "nations" sense of self, and as a result of their actions, the dominant power rips apart the individuals sense of self, and who they are in relation to each other.
At the end of the video, it becomes apparent that the situation has spiralled way out of control, with the dominant force losing all c ontrol of their once powerful institutional gaze, instead, the newly formed nation are now a collective of docile bodies! By eliminating the media threat that is always under survellience and rebranding of taboos that may damage us, they have created a panoptic utopia that Foucault would of had a field day at. After you watch your opinion may differ as to how relevant this particular example is, but I will think you will find it an interesting piece for discussion.
WARNING STRONG LANGUAGE. DO NOT WATCH IF EASILY OFFENDED.
panopticism. Obviously the school is an example of this, but if I fast forward to the part in the video, where the WCFBS(world centre for banning stuff) are the institutional power that dominates the viewers (entire public) by using quite blatant disciplinary techniques of responding to what they hear/see via a network of secret bugs, cameras, and undercover agents.
This helps to maintain social order by constantly being in the knowledge of what the public are doing in their homes, and eventually stirs the public to be in constant fear of what liberties will be taken away from them. This is also supported by the way the institute keeps order, by removing certain liberties such as privacy and objects that are relative to the norm of living, it slowly drives the citizens to madness.
Instead of hiding away certain individuals, or deviants, or miscreants etc, they segregate the entire "nations" sense of self, and as a result of their actions, the dominant power rips apart the individuals sense of self, and who they are in relation to each other.
At the end of the video, it becomes apparent that the situation has spiralled way out of control, with the dominant force losing all c ontrol of their once powerful institutional gaze, instead, the newly formed nation are now a collective of docile bodies! By eliminating the media threat that is always under survellience and rebranding of taboos that may damage us, they have created a panoptic utopia that Foucault would of had a field day at. After you watch your opinion may differ as to how relevant this particular example is, but I will think you will find it an interesting piece for discussion.
WARNING STRONG LANGUAGE. DO NOT WATCH IF EASILY OFFENDED.
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