*Same note as last time.
[This is the Rainforest video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGEHYY8c8VM&feature=related%20 ]
The idea of music being something strictly human is a pretty popular
notion and in general I find that many people do not consider recordings
not explicitly MADE by a human to be music. I would argue that the
Rainforest video is in fact music, even though it does not easily
pertain to the order we like. I believe that the theory of musique
concrete is very important as far as what is music: music isn't built
upon traditional instrumentation necessarily, and its direct corollary
is that music can be composed of sounds, not necessarily just
instruments. For example you can make a beat using a sample, and that's
not necessarily an instrument but it becomes more along the lines of an
instrument you manipulate.
Here's a direct example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTfj57FP4f4
The
song mixes synthesizer with sounds of nature, as well as other
instruments of course. Whether the overall piece is music is a bit less
subjective, but I consider each component of the music to be music;
music is the confluence of sounds and each component is music. I
consider the ducks quacking to be music as much as the synthesizer or
the bass. This statement makes sense to me: you should not immediately
have music without the components not being music.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
When is music world music?
*Note: this is my unedited blog post that I did for a class, so excuse me when I refer to the class.
To ponder this question I will first post some links.
This piece begins with a soundscape:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg3VhG8Vw5M&feature=relmfu
This piece samples a shakuhachi (Japanese flute, essentially):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-I_pZZ100E
This piece samples bagpipes but in general has a "other-worldly" sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kfkUUkEGtc
This piece - created by me - is about a specific region and conveys a particular sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X3ewAW45r4
http://soundcloud.com/zru/swordsmen-on-ice
The latter is a remix of the former.
The astute reader will realize I essentially asked if four different "categories" constitute world music.
Personally I think we say world music depends on coming from non-Western nations, but blues and country are noted by Titon was "world" music, so the country of origin may not be the only consideration. Yes, Blues was developed by people of African descent and even has ties to Islam but it was created in the United States. Personally, I consider all of these sounds to be "world music" because they come from different parts of the world. Some of Dr. _______'s examples of soundscape come from Westerns, including Schafer. I have previously said what I believe about soundscapes and was wondering if anyone had anything new to note.
As far as the Linkin Park song, I would consider the shakuhachi sample to be an integral part of the song and reflects a world music influence; it even constitutes the music being called to an extent world music. The use of bass-frequencies-heavy guitar for percussion also reflects an unusual approach; does that make the song world music?
What constitutes world music is simply based on what we are unfamiliar with. For example, bands such as Joy Division and Godspeed You! Black Emperor are seen as otherworldly. For example, Pitchfork writer Joshua Klein said this about Joy Division's debut album: "Simply put, the group's debut full-length Unknown Pleasures, released in 1979, sounds like little that came before it.." (http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11624-unknown-pleasurescloserstill/?utm_campaign=search&utm_medium=site&utm_source=search-ac) The band's music, in particular songs such as "Disorder", are considered to be very unique. Would this music constitute world music? I to a degree believe that such music would be music; world music in part relies upon what we are unfamiliar with. To someone unfamiliar with Joy Division perhaps their music is world music. I'm not sure whether the band can be called world music, though. Simply being from an English-speaking country does not discount music from being world music.
I believe that underlying world music is the idea of geographic location and the culture present playing a part in the creation. In other words, music carries a sense of regionalism. Montreal may have a fairly standard indie rock scene in some regards, there are bands that use French lyrics such as Malajube and Arcade Fire, which separates them from similar indie rock scenes in Toronto and Chicago. My song Statues carries a sense of regionalism in that it carries a sound likely reminiscent of mountains; I based the song off of the higher end notes of the piano for that reason. This song was written about the Mt. St. Helen's eruption of 1980; there is a very important influence from regionalism present in this song. Does this song count as world music? (For those of you who listened to the Wolves in the Throne Room song I linked, I consider these songs to both contain influences from the geographic region.)
My remix, though likewise inspired by a mountain, features a sample of a Brian Eno song inspired by sounds of nature; in particular breathing or sounds like it can be heard. Where "Statues" was about the aftermath of an eruption, "Swordsmen on Ice" is simply about events happening on a mountain. Region does play a role here too: the latter track was made to represent a scene from Batman Begins where Bruce Wayne spars on ice. This mountain - at least to me - seems lively, hence the breathing. Where the inspiration is drawn can impact music. Does the remix constitute world music as well?
To ponder this question I will first post some links.
This piece begins with a soundscape:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg3VhG8Vw5M&feature=relmfu
This piece samples a shakuhachi (Japanese flute, essentially):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-I_pZZ100E
This piece samples bagpipes but in general has a "other-worldly" sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kfkUUkEGtc
This piece - created by me - is about a specific region and conveys a particular sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X3ewAW45r4
http://soundcloud.com/zru/swordsmen-on-ice
The latter is a remix of the former.
The astute reader will realize I essentially asked if four different "categories" constitute world music.
Personally I think we say world music depends on coming from non-Western nations, but blues and country are noted by Titon was "world" music, so the country of origin may not be the only consideration. Yes, Blues was developed by people of African descent and even has ties to Islam but it was created in the United States. Personally, I consider all of these sounds to be "world music" because they come from different parts of the world. Some of Dr. _______'s examples of soundscape come from Westerns, including Schafer. I have previously said what I believe about soundscapes and was wondering if anyone had anything new to note.
As far as the Linkin Park song, I would consider the shakuhachi sample to be an integral part of the song and reflects a world music influence; it even constitutes the music being called to an extent world music. The use of bass-frequencies-heavy guitar for percussion also reflects an unusual approach; does that make the song world music?
What constitutes world music is simply based on what we are unfamiliar with. For example, bands such as Joy Division and Godspeed You! Black Emperor are seen as otherworldly. For example, Pitchfork writer Joshua Klein said this about Joy Division's debut album: "Simply put, the group's debut full-length Unknown Pleasures, released in 1979, sounds like little that came before it.." (http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11624-unknown-pleasurescloserstill/?utm_campaign=search&utm_medium=site&utm_source=search-ac) The band's music, in particular songs such as "Disorder", are considered to be very unique. Would this music constitute world music? I to a degree believe that such music would be music; world music in part relies upon what we are unfamiliar with. To someone unfamiliar with Joy Division perhaps their music is world music. I'm not sure whether the band can be called world music, though. Simply being from an English-speaking country does not discount music from being world music.
I believe that underlying world music is the idea of geographic location and the culture present playing a part in the creation. In other words, music carries a sense of regionalism. Montreal may have a fairly standard indie rock scene in some regards, there are bands that use French lyrics such as Malajube and Arcade Fire, which separates them from similar indie rock scenes in Toronto and Chicago. My song Statues carries a sense of regionalism in that it carries a sound likely reminiscent of mountains; I based the song off of the higher end notes of the piano for that reason. This song was written about the Mt. St. Helen's eruption of 1980; there is a very important influence from regionalism present in this song. Does this song count as world music? (For those of you who listened to the Wolves in the Throne Room song I linked, I consider these songs to both contain influences from the geographic region.)
My remix, though likewise inspired by a mountain, features a sample of a Brian Eno song inspired by sounds of nature; in particular breathing or sounds like it can be heard. Where "Statues" was about the aftermath of an eruption, "Swordsmen on Ice" is simply about events happening on a mountain. Region does play a role here too: the latter track was made to represent a scene from Batman Begins where Bruce Wayne spars on ice. This mountain - at least to me - seems lively, hence the breathing. Where the inspiration is drawn can impact music. Does the remix constitute world music as well?
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