What of this mongrel architect?

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