Noise
Take a look at this.
Interestingly enough, I consider Masami Akita (Merzbow) to be quite influential in much of the music and soundscape that I make. Supposedly he's a pretty nice guy. Since when is Radiohead a "noise" band? And why is free jazz degenerate?
The main problem here is assumption. M.A.N. is all about the idea that there is a particular form (i.e. the Western diatonic scale, used in Common Practice) that best fulfills the Purpose of music. This is rooted in Kantian Aesthetics, one of the high points of Enlightenment hubris and a validation for centuries of cultural imperialism. Furthermore, the diatonic scale itself is an invention of Pythagoras, which was implemented in Europe only at the beginning of the Renaissance --- which is to say, there is nothing Christian at all about the Western major/minor modalities. In fact, if a religio-philosophical label had to be attached to them, it would be Greek Humanism, as glorified by the Enlightenment. Most actual God-worshipping music of the early church (indeed, quite pioneering in harmony and notation) was written far outside the restrictions of Common Practice compositional methodology.
M.A.N.'s problem is that "noise music," as they define it, deviates from what they consider to be a Universal Standard. Yet that very standard is born of a centuries-old intellectual tradition which is in fact inimical to the core of Christian belief and practice --- and has masqueraded as Biblical morality for so long that it is simply accepted without question by most Christian people. Before they can cry "conspiracy" at a bunch of DIY music nerds, paranoid pharisees need to recognize the lies they themselves have swallowed --- and understand that blind phobia of postmodern cultural production is neither consistent with their core beliefs, nor a loving way of engaging their children.
In lashing out without understanding the ideological underpinnings of either their own or their target's paradigms, M.A.N. is absolutely no better than the legions of ignorant, unquestioning "bluecollar postmoderns" who look to MTV or Pitchfork Media as oracles of truth.
Interestingly enough, I consider Masami Akita (Merzbow) to be quite influential in much of the music and soundscape that I make. Supposedly he's a pretty nice guy. Since when is Radiohead a "noise" band? And why is free jazz degenerate?
The main problem here is assumption. M.A.N. is all about the idea that there is a particular form (i.e. the Western diatonic scale, used in Common Practice) that best fulfills the Purpose of music. This is rooted in Kantian Aesthetics, one of the high points of Enlightenment hubris and a validation for centuries of cultural imperialism. Furthermore, the diatonic scale itself is an invention of Pythagoras, which was implemented in Europe only at the beginning of the Renaissance --- which is to say, there is nothing Christian at all about the Western major/minor modalities. In fact, if a religio-philosophical label had to be attached to them, it would be Greek Humanism, as glorified by the Enlightenment. Most actual God-worshipping music of the early church (indeed, quite pioneering in harmony and notation) was written far outside the restrictions of Common Practice compositional methodology.
M.A.N.'s problem is that "noise music," as they define it, deviates from what they consider to be a Universal Standard. Yet that very standard is born of a centuries-old intellectual tradition which is in fact inimical to the core of Christian belief and practice --- and has masqueraded as Biblical morality for so long that it is simply accepted without question by most Christian people. Before they can cry "conspiracy" at a bunch of DIY music nerds, paranoid pharisees need to recognize the lies they themselves have swallowed --- and understand that blind phobia of postmodern cultural production is neither consistent with their core beliefs, nor a loving way of engaging their children.
In lashing out without understanding the ideological underpinnings of either their own or their target's paradigms, M.A.N. is absolutely no better than the legions of ignorant, unquestioning "bluecollar postmoderns" who look to MTV or Pitchfork Media as oracles of truth.
Labels: Essay
posted by M. Weed at
11:17 PM
7 Comments:
you are rather pretentious sounding :P
[may i also add: you are also a white anglo-saxon male. therefore by definition, anything you say is a claim to power and a smug attempt at justifying your violent musical practices by excluding any opinion that would suggest otherwise :P you and your totalizing metanarratives!]
Ah, but in this case it's the homogenous (by race, class, religion, AND gender) group with a totalizing metanarrative (that of western common practice music) that I'm criticizing. They're entitled to their opinions, but once they initiate a "campaign" which aims to limit the cultural production of others, these views are fair game for critique.
The critique in this case is not "my ideology is better than yours" --- it's that their ideology is not internally coherent, even within their own rational vocabulary. Of course I can't suspend my own opposing beliefs when I engage with theirs, but I can base the argument on the common ground we share: Christian faith.
p.s. I am pretentious, no argument there. :)
yes, and a pretentious loser at that :P
I'm gonna cry
so did you post a link to this page on their forum yet? or are you ranting for the sake of us who already agree with you? ;)
Their forum is closed, because of having been "overrun by noise fans," though I'll certainly send an email.
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